Great Russian Fair: Nizhnii Novgorod 1840-90

An examination of Russia's largest nineteenth century trade fair, one of the major centres of her internal commerce and trade with the East.

Different aspects of the fair, such as the exchange of goods, the types of traders present and the social and cultural life of the fair, bring to light Russia's social and economic evolution.;The impact of railroad construction, the development of a national market, the evolving role of the Russian state in commerce and the slowly emerging sophistication of the merchant "soslovie" are themes which contribute to the author's examination of trade at Nizhnii.