Russia: or, Miscellaneous Observations on the Past and Present State of That Country and Its Inhabitants

Boundaries of Russia, Ancient and Modern — Increase of Territory and Population—The Russian Army—IVavy — Cities and Towns — Agriculture — Vineyards and Orchards — Forests — Manufactories — Commerce, by sea and land — Amount of Exports and Imports—Mints, and Circulating Medium—Revenue — Concluding Observations.

The period in History is still very recent, at which the vast extent of country now composing the Russian Empire began to unfold its dimensions to the civilized nations of Western Europe. Since that time, the Government of Russia has laudably exerted its influence, not only to obtain a correct knowledge of the numerous tribes of mankind who roam over the wilds of Asiatic and the Northern parts of European Russia, but also to examine into the natural resources of those countries, and their applicability to the purposes of civilized life. This inquiry, carried on since the time of Peter I., has shewn, that this empire possesses internal resources, calculated to support its hundred tribes, even when their present population shall have reached a tenfold augmentation of number; that its seas, lakes, na\igable rivers, forests, fisheries, minerals, vegetable products, and almost boundless extent of arable land, afford abundant stores, wliich, until now, have been but partially discovered or drawn forth. Indeed, the scantiness of population, and the want of civilization among most of these tribes, have rendered such a task impossible. But every year is making new discoveries in these rich fields of research; though it may truly be said, that the natural resources of this mighty em})ire are still but imperfectly known to its own inhabitants. On the other hand, it must be conceded that the exertions of the Government of Russia to introduce civihzation and the knowledge of the Arts and Sciences into the European parts of the empire have been distinguished not less by bold comprehensive plans than by great energy in execution; and these have produced, and are still every year producing, such changes, that no statistical account of this country can be given which will hold correct for any length of time. What one describes to-day may, by an edict, be entirely new-moulded to-morrow. No institutions remain stable for any length of time, in the present state of the empire: they are all liable to be thrown down, remodelled, or annihilated, by the power of the autocratic lever, called an “Iminoc Ukaz.” And though the constant progress of the nation towards a higher degree of culture, and of political and commercial influence, renders such changes in many respects indispensable, yet how often do the interests of individuals, or of a party, unite in misleading the mind of the sovereign, and inducing him to issue new edicts, by which the l)est and most wisely-laid plans of his predecessors are arrested in their progress or overturned, and the finest plants torn up by the root ere they have had time to bring fruit to maturity, in order to give place to new schemes, often far less adapted to promote the general good of his people! — Amidst these disadvantages, we shall here bring forward a few statistical sketches, the materials of which we have chiefly taken from Russian publications; and these will, in some measure, prepare the reader for the further details contained in the work itself.