Fan-Yung, G. Yu. The Heritage of the Krestovnikov Brothers: the Start-up Period of the Kazan Stearic Soap Factory (1855–1861)

Abstract: The topic under research is the entrepreneurial activity of Moscow business men and manufacturers, the Krestovnikov brothers, at the first stage of their establishing the Kazan stearic soap factory. The author of the article analyzes particular management decisions of manufactures including their connection with the governorate’s powers and administrative resource, delivery of equipment, manufacturing, in particular, search for raw material and sales of the final products. According to the author, the experience of pre-revolutionary manufacturers (even if it was the negative experience) can be used today when the market economy is being developed in modern Russia. The author of the article applied general scientific principles including the principles of historicism and objectivism which allowed him to study different kinds of historical sources and trace back the development of the processes and phenomena under research. The author also used an integrated approach to studying sources which involved generalization, comparison and critical analysis of researches. Fan-Yung also used special methods of historical researches including the synchronistic method allowing to define general features of homogenous processes, etc. The author studies the experience of manufactures Krestovnikovs in establishing the first major innovation enterprise of the capitalist type. The author clarified data about the capacities of the enterprise and innovations of those times used at the enterprise. Fan-Yung also argues against a common stereotype that Alafuzovsky tannery was the first major capitalist enterprise in Kazan. According to the author, this statement contradicts to archive materials and other historical sources.

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