Abstract: The article is devoted to the problem of the emergence and development of the industrial base of military shipbuilding in pre-revolutionary Russia in the Volga region. Its purpose is to analyze the work of domestic researchers on this problem, to identify on this basis the features of the shipbuilding industry in the region, to create a complete picture of its formation and development. The study was conducted within the framework of the individual periods proposed by the author, the grounds for which were both fluctuations in Russia's foreign policy in the Caspian Sea region and changes in the technical and technological aspects of shipbuilding itself. Special attention is paid to the emergence and activities of two major centers of Volga shipbuilding – the admiralty in Kazan and Astrakhan, attention is paid to the development of their production infrastructure, as well as their personnel and logistical support. The research uses both general philosophical methods of analysis and ascent from the concrete to the abstract, as well as special historical methods: chronological, periodization and comparative historical. It is revealed that organized state military shipbuilding in the Volga region arose both to implement the goals of Russia's eastern policy and to meet the needs for shipbuilding materials of the fleet being built on the Baltic Sea. The limited foreign policy goals in the Caspian Sea region predetermined the specific appearance of the shipbuilding industry formed in the Volga region. The conclusion is made about the commensurate development of the shipbuilding base in the Volga region to the level of threats to Russia's national security that existed in the Caspian Sea region during the period under study. It is emphasized that a specific feature of the shipbuilding industry's production and logistics infrastructure in the Volga region was its focus on providing strategic materials to other shipbuilding centers in Russia, primarily those working in the interests of the Baltic Fleet. The problems and issues of the history of military shipbuilding in the Volga region that require further study are shown.

Abstract: The subject of this article is the assessment of the history of establishment and development of arms manufacture in Russia in the period up to the end of the XVII century given by the Russian researchers. The purpose goal consists in conducting a historiographical analysis of the works of domestic researchers of pre-revolutionary, Soviet and post-Soviet periods on the problem, and in formation of the general idea on the emergence of one of the critical branches of military industry in pre-revolutionary Russia. The author explores the initial period of firearms manufacturing in Russia and its geography; emergence and functioning of the Tula and Moscow arms factories in the XVI – XVII centuries; impact of the emerged in the XVII century blast-furnace hydraulic metallurgical plants and specialized arms manufacturing enterprises upon the development of the industry. The novelty consists in giving a new perspective within the domestic historiography on the problem of the initial stage of the history of arms manufacture in Russia. The article follows the evolution of arms industry at its initial stage, the regularities of existence of various forms of production organization and formation of centers of firearms manufacture. It is concluded that by the end of the period under review, the arms production capacities did not meet the actual needs of the Russian armed forces for firearms. The author makes recommendation on filling the gaps that exist in the history of arms manufacture in Pre-Petrine Russia.

Abstract: The subject of this article is the assessments of national researchers on various aspects of shipbuilding of the Azov Fleet in 1695-1712. The goal consists in revealing the key issues in development of shipbuilding industry as one of the branches of domestic military production by means of critical analysis and generalization of results of research conducted by the Russian scholars. The author examines the factors  and prerequisites for selecting Voronezh as the center of construction of the Azov fleet, the key stages and evolution of shipbuilding industry and activity in the Voronezh Region, establishment of administrative branches and role of foreign experts thereof,  results of shipbuilding of the Azov Fleet and its impact upon further development of shipbuilding industry in Russia. The novelty of this study consists in analysis of the works of national researchers dedicated to shipbuilding of the Azov Fleet for covering the problem of establishment of shipbuilding sectors of the Russian military industry, clarifying and generalizing debating points on the subject matter. The article describes the influence of the conditions of shipbuilding of the Azov Fleet upon the course of shipbuilding works and the image of forming shipbuilding industry. The factors of institutionalization of shipbuilding industry, the course of development of the first shipbuilding cluster in Russia, as well as the results of short-term and long-term shipbuilding activity of are revealed.