Economic Management within the Cossack Frontier in the Second Half of the 19th Century (Based on the Example of the Don and Azov Cossack Troops)

This article reconstructs the historical practices of economic management in the territories of the Don and Azov Cossack armies in the second half of the 19th century. The study fills the gaps in scientific knowledge by presenting the Cossacks not only as a separate service class, but also as a complex socio-economic system. The research aims to analyze the specifics of economic administration in the Cossack troops. It is based on the administrative documentation from the boards of the Don and Azov Cossack troops, which are kept in the collections of the State Archive of the Russian Federation and the Russian State Military Historical Archive. The geographical format stems from the historical importance of securing Russia’s southern borders and the related economic measures necessary to support military operations in peripheral regions. The procurement of grain through auctions for Cossack troop officials presented challenges in balancing the interests of the military department with those of commercial suppliers. The vast expanse of the Don Army’s territory required the development of road and postal infrastructure. Local industry primarily processed agricultural products, with fish processing plants playing a big role due to the importance of fishing. Construction required the establishment of brick factories, such as the one built in the Azov Cossack Army to restore buildings damaged during Anglo-French bombardments in the Crimean War of 1853-1856. The study concludes that economic management within the Cossack frontier involved a complex system of organizational and administrative measures tailored to the unique challenges of the region.