Foreign tourism in the Nizhny Novgorod region in the late 1920s–1930s.

Ryabova Ol'ga Vyacheslavovna ORCID: 0000-0001-9017-0983 PhD in History Associate Professor, Department of Service and Tourism, Institute of Economics and Entrepreneurship, N.I. Lobachevsky National Research Nizhny Novgorod State University 603022,Nizhny Novgorod, Gagarin Ave., 23. orabova034@gmail.com Other publications by this author     Efremova Marina Vladimirovna ORCID: 0000-0002-6985-2696 Doctor of Economics Doctor of Economics, Professor, Head of the Department of Service and Tourism, Institute of Economics and Entrepreneurship, Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod 603022, Russia, g. Nizhnii Novgorod, prospekt Lenina, 27 efremovamv@iee.unn.ru

Shimin Nikolay Andreevich ORCID: 0000-0001-7834-790X PhD in Economics Ph.D. in Economics, Associate Professor of the Department of Service and Tourism, Institute of Economics and Entrepreneurship, Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod 603022, Russia, g. Nizhnii Novgorod, prospekt Lenina, 27 shimin@iee.unn.ru

The history of the development of tourist and excursion business in the Gorky region is an integral part of the history of the development of tourism in our country. In the Soviet Union, excursions and tourism were very popular, they performed an important socio-ideological function, while tourist activity was based on the concept of "proletarian tourism", which meant the education of strong and healthy Soviet people who were ready to endure the proposed "Spartan", paramilitary service of tourist enterprises ^{[1, p. 181]}. It should be noted that the first experiences of foreign tourism in the USSR were also based on the ideological attitudes of the Communist Party.

Numerous works by Soviet historians, for example, A. E. Ioffe ^[2], M. S. Kuzmin ^[3], L. S. Nikolskaya ^[4], and modern researchers are devoted to the process of formation and development of foreign tourism in the USSR in the pre-war period. Among modern scientists , it is particularly worth highlighting the works of I. B Orlova and E. V. Yurchikova "Mass tourism in Stalin's everyday life" ^[1], L. G. Berezovskaya "Intourist": at the origins of foreign tourism in the USSR" ^[5], V. S. Novikova "Business under state control: foreign tourism in the USSR in the 1930s-1980s" ^[6]. They present in detail the process of development of the tourist movement as a whole, including the activities of VAO "Intourist". The activities of regional tourist and excursion organizations of the pre-war period can be studied only through careful work with the funds of local archives. The materials presented in this article make it possible to involve the data of the State Socio-Political Archive of the Nizhny Novgorod region (hereinafter – GOP NO) into scientific circulation.

Due to a number of objective reasons, the ways of foreign tourism bypassed the USSR until the mid-1920s.  It was only starting from the 1926/27 season that small groups of foreign tourists began to come to the Soviet Union.

 At the same time, tourist trips were limited to visits to the two largest cities of the USSR – Moscow and Leningrad. The All-Russian Society for Cultural Communication with Abroad (VOX) dealt with the reception and service of foreign tourists, as well as excursion programs ^{[7, p. 3]}. Foreign tourism in the USSR did not have any economic significance during this period, it was mainly of a cultural and ideological nature.  However, since 1928 there has been a noticeable increase in the number of foreign tourist groups arriving in the USSR, mainly due to visits to the country by cruise ships, which began to include the Leningrad port in their route ^{[8, L. 6]}.

VOX could no longer cope with servicing the increased tourist flow, and it was decided to transfer its functions to the Sovtorgflot, which created a special passenger office for this purpose ^{[5, p.11]}. The passenger office provided foreign tourists with accommodation in hotels, transfers and cultural and excursion services, but it managed to work only for one season.

In the spring of 1929, in accordance with the Government Decree, the State Joint Stock Company "Intourist" was established ^{[9, p.11]}. GAO "Intourist" received from the Government of the USSR the monopoly right to receive foreign tourists in the country. The scope of his duties was clearly defined and consisted in the following: "attracting and servicing foreign tourists and tourists to the USSR, selling tickets, transporting foreign tourists ... providing them with accommodation, organizing the sale of souvenirs and art objects, cultural services" ^[10]. It should be noted that in the first years of its existence, economic motives prevailed in the activities of GAO Intourist. Thus, in a note by a member of the Board of Intourist T.S. Khoziainov "On the problems of the development of foreign tourism in the USSR" dated September 22, 1929, it was emphasized: "Foreign tourism in our conditions can be considered as a special branch of the economy as the simplest and most profitable export. In fact, we sell tours of the USSR abroad for foreign currency… In addition, tourists, while in the USSR, making the tour they bought, buy all kinds of antique, handicraft and other things, for which they also pay in foreign currency ... foreign tourism contributes to the establishment and strengthening of cultural and economic ties" ^{[11, p. 116]}.

Immediately before the "Intourist" a number of complex tasks arose. Firstly, it was necessary to open a number of its representative offices abroad. But this required trained personnel, which, unfortunately, the USSR did not possess at that time. Therefore, Intourist attracts to its work those citizens of the USSR who, even before the revolution, had the opportunity to travel as a tourist around the world or had been in exile for a long time and, accordingly, knew foreign languages, customs and customs of Europeans. In addition, about 1,600 foreign travel agencies and travel agencies that worked with Intourist on a contractual basis were engaged in attracting foreign tourists to the USSR. Among them were all world leaders, for example, Thomas Cook & Son ^{[5, p. 12]}.

Secondly, it was necessary to create a network of its branches on the territory of the USSR, equipped with hotel bases, motor transport and personnel of highly qualified guides-translators. If in the first years of Intourist's activity the flow of guests from abroad was quite large and stable, then by 1931 the situation was changing dramatically. This was due to the fact that 95% of tourists left the USSR, remaining dissatisfied with the services provided ^{[5, p. 14]}.  The foreign press begins to publish articles describing "the misadventures of tourists in the USSR." Among the complaints, the main place was occupied by: poor conditions of transfer, accommodation and food; incompetence of hotel and restaurant employees; unsanitary conditions that reigned everywhere. So, the American writer Theodore Dreiser, who visited the USSR in 1927, described his stay in Nizhny Novgorod (since 1932 – Gorky): "Our hotel "New Russia" turned out to be next to a beautiful square called Sovetskaya. The square adjoins the walls and towers of the Kremlin, and in its center stands a beautiful white church with silver domes. But in the hotel we got two stuffy, stripped rooms. Mine was particularly impressive: soft black armchairs and a sofa gave it the look of a gambling hall" ^[12]. It should be noted that the most prominent representatives of the Western intelligentsia, to which Theodore Dreiser belonged, were provided with services of the highest class level. While ordinary foreign tourists were forced to use a completely different level of service. Thus, in the reporting materials of Intourist, it was regularly noted that "... foreigners spent the night in bathrooms, in corridors, or were forced to spend the night at train stations", "in most cases, the premises are dirty, with stale linen ... there are no baths, the restrooms are so polluted that it is impossible to use them" ^{[11, p.118]}.

In order to resolve the issue with the accommodation of foreign tourists, according to the resolution of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR No. 763 of September 5, 1931 "On the development of foreign tourism in the USSR", Intourist was allowed to build, repair and rent hotels, dormitories and other premises suitable for a foreigner. By the beginning of 1933, the best hotels in the country belonged to Intourist. Intourist had four hotels in Moscow, three in Leningrad, two in Kiev, Kharkiv and Odessa. Hotels were also located in cities such as Tiflis, Dnepropetrovsk, Rostov-on-Don, Batumi, Novorossiysk, Yalta, Sevastopol, Erivan, Baku, Vladivostok and others ^{[8, l. 6]}.

Three hotels were built in Gorky in the 1930s: Volna on Lenin Avenue, Intourist on Theater Square and the Rossiya Hotel on Verkhnevolzhskaya Embankment. Intourist conducted the construction of hotels together with the City Council, which allowed, albeit belatedly, to put the facilities into operation. New hotels were telephoned, most of the rooms had individual baths with hot and cold water. Restaurants, hairdressers, billiard rooms, etc. were also opened at hotels ^{[13, p. 138]}.

Taking into account the growing importance of Gorky as an industrial center of the Soviet Union, attracting the attention of foreign tourists from all over the world, the USSR Government since the early 1930s has been turning Gorky from a transit point into a permanent tourism point, where every tourist had to have a stop for at least one day.

Due to the expansion of Intourist's foreign relations and the increase in tourist flow, the functional responsibilities of the Gorky Regional Branch have significantly expanded and become more complicated. The activities of Intourist and its branches, as organizations serving foreign tourists, in addition to attracting foreign currency, began to have great political significance, since intourists largely influenced public opinion about the Soviet Union in their countries.

The most difficult moments in the work of the Gorky Regional Department were the selection of highly qualified restaurant and hotel workers with knowledge of foreign languages and the organization of transport for intourists, that is, the creation of the necessary conditions on the Volga Fleet steamships and railway transport.

The situation was particularly acute with the Volga Fleet. On steamships, "unsanitary conditions, insufficiently clear and attentive service of intourists and other trifles were often observed, which, in general, created an unfavorable opinion of intourists" ^{[8, L. 4]}.

As an example, we can cite a report on the August 1933 excursion-rest for drummers-inventors, foreign workers and specialists. The tour took place in August 1933 on the route Gorky – Astrakhan and back (21 days). It was decided that the trip would take place on the steamer Kashgar. The Volga River Transport Department (VURT) and the Foreign Bureau of the All-Union Council of Trade Unions (Inobyuro) concluded an agreement according to which the VURT was to provide the Kashgar steamer in good condition at the disposal of the Inobyuro. On July 24, 1933, the Kashgar steamer was inspected by the Foreign Bureau Commission. A number of shortcomings were identified: "the steamer is dirty, its appearance does not correspond to its purpose, the paint on the lower deck has fallen off, the upper awning leaks into the cabins. The same can be observed inside cabins, especially cabins of the 3rd category" ^{[14, l. 39]}. The Foreign Bureau Commission concludes that the Kashgar steamer is "absolutely unsuitable for excursions by foreign specialists and considers it necessary to renegotiate the contract for some other steamer" ^{[14, l. 40]}. But the excursion took place on this particular vessel, since the rental price of the Kashgar steamer was significantly lower than the price of another steamer more suitable for this purpose, namely, only 60 thousand rubles. There were positive moments during the tour. So, during the trip, unauthorized passengers were not allowed on board the steamer. And most importantly, the transportation of raw leather and other fetid cargo on the deck of the steamer was not allowed ^{[14, L. 34]}.

Thirdly, the most difficult problem for Intourist was the training of highly qualified guides and interpreters. In the Charter of Intourist, approved by the Presidium of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR on February 7, 1933, it was written that the Society should independently "train the necessary personnel to serve intourists in universities, technical schools and factory schools and organize appropriate educational institutions, research institutes, courses, lectures, etc." ^{[5, p.15]}. Since tourists speaking different languages began to visit the Soviet Union, it was necessary to create a staff of translators who would know English, French, German, Spanish, Italian and other European languages. At the same time, it should be borne in mind that for guides-translators, it was not enough to speak only a foreign language in order to satisfy the interest of a foreign tourist in various aspects of the life of the Soviet Union. Therefore, since 1930, 3-year courses have been created at higher educational institutions in Moscow, Leningrad and Kiev, where training was conducted according to programs developed by the excursion and translation department of the Moscow Institute of New Languages (EPO MIN) ^{[15, p. 8]}. For several years, more than 10 thousand representatives of the tourist asset from all regions of the country have completed these courses. The Tourist and Excursion Technical School, which began its work in November 1932 in Moscow, also provides significant assistance in the training of personnel ^{[16, p. 24]}.

In Nizhny Novgorod (since 1932 Gorky), the training of translators was carried out on the basis of the "Provincial Higher Courses of Foreign Languages and Literatures at GUBONO", since the city in the 1920s-30s became one of the largest industrial centers of the country. The industrial development of Gorky caused a large influx of foreign specialists. Therefore, according to the decision of the authorities, the "Provincial Higher Courses of foreign Languages and Literatures at GUBONO" were not only to teach students foreign languages, but also to conduct political activities among foreign workers and specialists who arrived in the city for the construction of gas, the launch of new industrial enterprises and the re-equipment of old factories.  On September 13, 1937, the Resolution of the Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR No. 953 "On the training of teachers of foreign languages for lower secondary and secondary schools" was issued and a decision was made to organize on the basis of the "Provincial Higher courses of foreign Languages and Literatures at GUBONO"  Gorky Pedagogical Institute of Foreign Languages (GPII) with a three-year term of study ^[17].

Familiarization with the industry of the Gorky Region, as a rule, was the main goal of foreign tourists, but the administration of enterprises did not always meet halfway and often refused intourists to inspect a particular plant ^{[18, p. 47]}. In addition, Gorky attracted foreign tourists with ancient monuments; in this respect, too, not everything was going well, since many monuments, for example, the Kremlin, the Nativity Church and others, were in an extremely neglected state.

In February 1919, the gubpodotdel for Museums and the protection of monuments of culture and art (gubmuseum) was established in Nizhny Novgorod. It was the first Soviet institution in Nizhny Novgorod province in charge of monument protection ^{[19, pp. 18-19]}. But the protection of ancient monuments by the Gubmuseum was conducted exclusively in the form of a census, which was due to the extremely small staff and almost complete lack of funding. In addition, since the late 1920s, museum activity in the USSR was abruptly curtailed, and local history organizations were even subjected to destruction ^{[20, p. 6]}. The ideological campaign against religion that has begun has led to the destruction of a huge number of church buildings, including those that until recently were considered historical monuments. Restoration work was not carried out during this period, at best it was limited to maintenance repairs. The popularization of cultural and historical heritage during this period was almost completely absent. Although it should be noted that A.P. Melnikov's brochure "Nizhny Novgorod antiquity: a guide to help tourists" (1923). As a result, the period of 1917-1941 is marked by huge losses in the historical and cultural heritage of the Nizhny Novgorod (Gorky) region.

Thus, summing up, we can note the following. The activity of receiving foreign tourists in the Nizhny Novgorod (Gorky) region in the first decades of Soviet power was characterized by the following features. Firstly, the decision of the Soviet authorities to turn Nizhny Novgorod (Gorky) into an industrial center contributed to the influx of foreign tourists. But the material and technical base of the city turned out to be completely unprepared for this. There were simply not enough hotels. The organization of the transfer for intourists was also carried out at a very low level. There were objective reasons for this. The country, which survived the civil war and foreign intervention less than ten years ago, was unable to provide a world-class service for foreign guests. The Soviet government tried to correct the situation as much as possible. Certain funds were allocated for the construction of new and repair of old hotels. Work was carried out to improve the transport provision of the industry. But, unfortunately, this was not enough, since the country faced more pressing problems, the financing of the tourism industry was conducted on a residual basis.

Secondly, the tourism industry in the 1920s faced an acute shortage of trained personnel. To work with intourists, ideologically properly trained specialists with good knowledge of foreign languages were needed. To solve this problem, the Government organizes the training of tour guides at courses at higher educational institutions throughout the country. Gorky was no exception and has been in it since 1937 at the "Provincial Higher Courses of Foreign Languages and Literatures at GUBONO"  Gorky Pedagogical Institute of Foreign Languages (GPII)  3-year courses begin to operate.

Thirdly, Nizhny Novgorod, which has a huge number of cultural and historical monuments, faced the destruction of a significant part of its heritage in the late 1920s. This led to a decrease in the attractiveness of the city in the eyes of foreign tourists who were willing to visit our city, even despite the low level of service, just to see the unique monuments of antiquity. Another attraction for foreign tourists was the industrial enterprises of the city under construction. But even here, when organizing excursions, travel agencies faced already known problems – a shortage of tour guides and a low level of transfer. In addition, not every enterprise of the city tour group could get permission to conduct an excursion.