The Electrification of Russia, 1880–1926 9781501705373

The Electrification of Russia, 1880–1926 is the first full account of the widespread adoption of electricity in Russia,

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The Electrification of Russia, 1880-1926

The Electrification of Russia, 1880-1926 Jonathan Coopersmith

Cornell University Press ITHACA AND LONDON

Copyright © 1992 by Cornell University All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in a review, this book, or parts thereof, must not be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher. For information, address Cornell University Press, Sage House, 512 East State Street, Ithaca, New York 14850, or visit our website at www.cornellpress.cornell.edu. First published 1992 by Cornell University Press. First printing, Cornell Paperbacks, 2016. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Coopersmith, Jonathan, 1955– The electrification of Russia, 1880–1926 / Jonathan Coopersmith. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index. ISBN 978-0-8014-2723-7 (cloth : alk. paper) ISBN 978-1-5017-0716-2 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Electrification—Economic aspects—Soviet Union. 2. Electric industries—Soviet Union—History. 3. Soviet Union—Economic conditions—1861–1917. 4. Soviet Union—Economic conditions— 1918–1945. I. Title. HD9685.S762C66  1992 333.79'32'0947—dc20  92-5735 The text of this book is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

In memory of my father

Contents

Illustrations

viii

Acknowledgments

ix

Abbreviations and Russian Terms

xi

1 . Introduction: The Shaping of a Technology

1

2. Govemment and Growth in Impeńal Russia, 1870- 1886

8

3. Electńfication, 1886- 1914

42

4. The Rise of Electńfication, 1914- 1917

99

5 . Feasting Eyes, Hungry Stomachs, 1917- 1920

121

6. GOELRO: The Creation of a Dream, 1920- 1921

151

7. The NEP Years, 1921-1926

1 92

8. Conclusion: Shifting Grounds, Shifting Goals

258

Index

266

IllusŁrations

Jablochkov arc light

31

Old machine hall of the 1886 Company' s Moscow station

52

Peat extraction

132

Opening of the Kashira regional station

148

Soviets and electrification are the basis of a new world

156

Electrification and counterrevolution

176

Kashira regional station

202

Lenin and electrification

206

Acknowledgments

LII