Activities of the customs agencies of the Taurida province to combat smuggling in the second half of the 19th – early 20th centuries (based on archival materials)

Abstract

The state customs policy of Russia aims at promoting economic growth, and the activities of its customs agencies have become increasingly important in light of the “sanctions” imposed by several anti-Russian member states of the world community. For centuries, the Crimean peninsula has been and remains a strategically significant region across Russia’s southern borders, serving as a point of convergence for the economic and commercial interests of the European and Middle Eastern nations. The scientific reconstruction of the history of the existence and activities of customs agencies in Crimea provides insight into their functions, the specifics of their organizational structure, and areas of operation. The thematic collections of the State Archives of the Republic of Crimea, which keep materials on the history of the establishment and development of the customs services in the Taurida province, are not in demand within the scientific community and have been poorly studied. Many documents deposited in those collections have not yet been introduced into the scientific discourse. The article, based on archival materials, analyzes the activities of the Taurida province customs agencies aimed at preventing smuggling and the entry of prohibited goods into the territory of the Russian Empire. There is also an assessment for the effectiveness of customs officials’ efforts to combat smugglers.