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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English Pages 174 [288] Year 2016
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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