Study of development of regional railway system in Bukovyna

Размещено на http://www.allbest.ru/

State University of Infrastructure and Technologies Kyiv

Study of development of regional railway system in Bukovyna

Oleh Strelko

Oleh Pylypchuk

Oksana Pylypchuk

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study, generalization and systematization of scientific knowledge about the history of the establishment, development and operation of the regional railway system in Bukovyna in the second half of XIX - early XX centuries. The authors attempted to analyze the process of creation and operation of railways in Bukovyna during the reign of the Austro-Hungarian Empire based on a wide range of previously unpublished archival documents, periodicals, statistical literature and memoirs. The article studies the development of organizational bases for the construction of railways, the activity of the communication network management, lists a whole range of requirements and tasks set for railway transport in Bukovyna, the progress of their implementation, considers successes and difficulties in this work. It is determined that private railways, as important transport arteries of Bukovyna, were of national importance and played a significant role in the transport system of Austria-Hungarian Empire. They served the leading economic districts of Bukovyna, acting as an integral part ofproduction in each of them. In other words, they were used for development of local, intersectoral and interregional relations. Regional railways, first of all, played an important role in the social and economic life of Bukovyna region.

In most cases, they did not carry the strategic cargo, but made it possible to connect the most remote corners of separate areas of the region into a single whole. In practice, local railways were a significant addition to the main central line, providing the latter with a greater intensity of cargo and passenger turnover and thus increasing their profitability. At the same time, the trade volume between the outskirts and the center of the Austro-Hungarian Empire was increased. It contributed to the intensification of economic development of certain districts of Bukovyna region.

Keywords: Austro-Hungarian Empire; Bukovyna; Chernivtsi; railway transport; regional railway; development history

Олег Стрелко

Державний університет інфраструктури та технологій, Україна

Олег Пилипчук

Державний університет інфраструктури та технологій, Україна

Оксана Пилипчук

Державний університет інфраструктури та технологій, Україна

Дослідження історії формування мережі регіональних залізниць на Буковині

Анотація

Стаття присвячена вивченню, узагальненню та систематизації наукових знань про історію становлення, формування та функціонування мережі регіональних залізниць на Буковині у другій половині ХІХ - на початку ХХ століть. На основі широкого кола раніше не опублікованих архівних документів, періодичних видань, статистичної літератури та мемуарів, автори здійснили спробу проаналізувати процес створення та функціонування залізниць на Буковині періоду правління Австро-Угорської імперії. У статті досліджено становлення організаційних основ спорудження залізниць, діяльність механізму управління комунікаційною мережею, перелічено цілий комплекс поставлених перед залізничним транспортом Буковини вимог і завдань, хід їх виконання, розглянуто успіхи і труднощі у цій роботі. Встановлено, що приватні залізниці, як важливі транспортні артерії Буковини, мали загальнодержавне значення і відігравали значну роль в транспортній системі Австро-Угорщини. Вони обслуговували провідні економічні райони Буковини, виступаючи в кожному з них складовою частиною виробництва. Іншими словами, з їх допомогою здійснювалися місцеві, міжгалузеві і регіональні зв'язки. Регіональні залізниці, в першу чергу, відігравали важливу роль в соціально-економічному житті буковинського краю. В більшості випадків вони не несли на собі вантажу стратегічного призначення, але давали можливість з'єднати в єдине ціле найвіддаленіші куточки окремих областей. Практично місцеві (локальні) залізниці були значним доповненням до основної трансмагістральної лінії, забезпечуючи останній більшу інтенсивність вантажо- і пасажиро обороту і підвищуючи таким чином їхню рентабельність. При цьому досягалося посилення товарообміну між окраїною і центром Австро -Угорської імперії. Разом з цим відбувалася інтенсифікація економічного розвитку окремих районів буковинського краю.

Ключові слова: Австро-Угорщина; Буковина; Чернівці; залізничний транспорт; регіональні залізниці; історія створення

Introduction

history regional railway

The history of various aspects of the life of the Austro-Hungarian Empire was and remains, for many researchers, the object of special attention and the source of constant scientific discussions and disputes (Bulutgil, 2017; Soroka, 2018; Choliy, 2020). Among the complex problems of the historical past of Austro-Hungarian Empire, the matter of development and function of its railroad system is of great interest to historians (Kun, 2019; Fesovets, 2020; Bali, 2014). And it is not an odd thing, as the thorough study of the work of railway transport allows us to identify the fundamental laws of internal development processes of any country, to comprehensively characterize its socio-economic, military, and, in many ways, political state, etc (Hurinchuk, 2019; Strelko & Pylypchuk, 2021a; Strelko & Pylypchuk, 2021b; Strelko, Berdnychenko, & Pylypchuk, 2021). The same can be said about the history of railway transport in the vast expanses of Austro-Hungarian Empire as a whole and its separate regions, Bukovyna, for example. It is explained by the fact that railway communications have always played a crucial role in the implementation of mass transportation of people and cargo, organically combining the interests of people and the economics (Li, Wen & Jiang, 2017; Paun, 2017; Voicila§, 2017).

For Bukovyna, the period from the second half of the XIX - beginning of the XX century was marked by a significant development of domestic and foreign trade, the growth of the rural and urban population, the strengthening of ties between the city and the village, and the growth of productive power. All the above-mentioned processes indicated a gradual transition from the feudal mode of production to the capitalist one (Dobrzhanskyi, 2017; Lipelt, 2018; Purici, 2017).

In Bukovyna, the communication routes were developed and improved within the frame of the system of progressive capitalism. And this is understandable. After all, it is impossible for the capitalism with its commodity nature of production, the search for profitable sales markets and sources of raw materials to function normally without a good communication network. The state of this network has huge influence on the level of development of transport, which makes up the fourth sphere of material production along with the extractive industry, agriculture and processing industry. In the end, all this is reflected in the overall social, economic and cultural development of the country or any of its separate region. This fully applies to such a wonderful land as Bukovyna.

We are convinced that a comprehensive study of the history of Bukovyna railways will allow us to better understand the state and level of development of the railways of Eastern Europe as a whole, to understand their significance in the economic and cultural development of Bukovyna region. Such a study will make it possible to determine the specifics of the development of railway transport in Bukovyna, its general and distinctive features in comparison with other regions. This will also make it possible to determine the phenomenon of the construction of a railway system in Bukovyna region, which was almost fully developed at the beginning of the twentieth century. The railways remained mostly unchanged with its general features preserved to this day.

Goal of study is to research, generalize and systematize scientific knowledge about the history of the establishment, development and functioning of the regional railway system in Bukovyna in the second half of the XIX - early XX centuries.

Research methods

Until now, historical science practically ignored the questions of the system of communication routes, in particular railway transport in Bukovyna. The existing scientific researches devoted to the railways of Bukovyna highlight only some aspects of the operation of railways without an organic combination of economic and strategic functions (Soroka, 2018; Kun, 2019; Bali, 2014; Cioanca, 2019). Therefore, under these circumstances, there is an objective need for a thorough study of the railway transport system of Bukovyna during the Austro-Hungarian period. Such an approach gives the opportunity to eliminate a number of unresolved issues that are insufficiently covered by historians and organically associated with the development and functioning of Bukovyna regional railway system in 1866-1918.

Results and discussions

The study of the history of regional railways in Bukovyna in the late XIX - early XX century is of particular interest for understanding the processes of improvement of transport links in Bukovyna, the economics and the formation of financial capital in Austria-Hungary. The specifics of the construction of regional railways, which required attracting large long-term investments, dictated the need to seek help from banks. Hence the close and strong connection of railway enterprises with banks. That is why, on the example of private railway transport, one can more clearly follow the process of how “banks grow from a modest role of intermediaries to all -powerful monopolists”, see the emergence and development of financial capital and methods of its management.

The problem of transport construction and the role of regional railways in the economy of Bukovyna in the 80s of the XIX century in particular as well as its operational subordination were to some extent the subject of research of I. V. Zhaloba (Zhaloba, 1991, p. 17). Having introduced into scientific circulation the materials of various funds from the archives of Chernivtsi, Vienna, Lviv, Zhaloba came to the conclusion that “the initial prerequisite for the development of railways in Austrian Empire, including Bukovyna, was the intensive development of capitalism immediately after the revolutionary events of 1848-1849. Besides this starting point there were other factors that led to the construction of railways in the region. Among them there are the desire of Vienna government to ensure its own military, political, commercial and economic interests of the Austrian bourgeoisie in Eastern Europe, and the need to draw Bukovyna more closely into the state and economic system of Austria- Hungary” (Zhaloba, 1991, p. 15).

It is known that Lviv - Chernivtsi railway was opened on September 1, 1866 (Kaim, Taczanowski, Szwagrzyk, & Ostafin, 2020) and its extension to Suceava was opened on October 28, 1869. The construction of the first Bukovyna railways was carried out by various foreign construction companies after lengthy negotiations on the construction of tracks, railway stations, access roads, etc. “Local and foreign capitalists were interested in the improvement of Bukovyna's transport links, they sought to facilitate the pumping of raw materials from this rich Bukovyna region and the import of industrial goods from the parent state and developed European countries” (Nussbaum, 1950, p. 114). It is clear that transport system construction in Bukovyna accelerated the development of capitalist relations in the regional economy and at the same time became the basis for strengthening of the colonial and imperialist exploitation of the region's working population.

The period of rapid construction of tracks, bridges, railway stations, stations, various technical structures, etc. lasted in Bukovyna for more than three decades - from 1865 to 1898. During this time, the main agricultural areas, timber and rafting points of Bukovyna received access to seaports and the railway system of neighboring states - Romania and the Russian Empire. In addition to the first railway Lviv - Chernivtsi - Iasi, whose length was 144 km and which met all the above mentioned needs, this was further facilitated by the construction of a regional railway system, which began its development in the 80s of the XIX century.

If we scratch just the surface of the question of development of the railway system in Bukovyna in the second half of the XIX century, then we'll get the following picture. The first railway Lviv - Chernivtsi - Iasi provided an opportunity for Bukovyna's agricultural and local products to reach Romania, Galicia and the central regions of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Chernivtsi - Novoselytsia railway was built in 1883-1884, its length reached 131 km (Zhaloba, 1990). It connected Bukovyna with the Russian Empire and facilitated the export of Bukovyna forest to the Russian Empire and the import of Russian grain to Bukovyna's mills, as well as carried out transit transportation of Russian bread to Europe through Bukovyna. Hlyboka - Beregomet (on Seret) railway with a length of 53 km with a side line - Karapchev - Chudey (19 km) was constructed in 1886. This railway connected the main line Lviv - Chernivtsi - Iasi with the deep timber and livestock areas of Northern Bukovyna. At the same time, the railways were built that connected Chernivtsi with Vashkivtsi, Vyzhnytsia (Nepolokivtsi - Vyzhnytsia line), Luzhany and Zalishchyky (Chernivtsi - Zalishchyky line). These railways provided Chemivtsi with agricultural products of the agricultural regions of Northern Bukovyna. They were also used to transport timber for further transportation to the Russian Empire.

The critically important stage in the development of transport links between Bukovyna and neighboring states was the connection of the region's railway system with the railways of the Russian Empire and Romania. This connection became possible in 1893 due to the construction of tracks between Novoselytsia and Balti, Balti and Odesa. In addition, traffic was opened in the direction of Novoselytsia - Mohyliv- Podilskyi - Zhmerynka - Kyiv. After Chernivtsi railway was connected to one of Novoselytsia, and then with the Russian south-western railway, this railway was removed from under the management of Bukovyna Railways Joint-Stock Company and became a state-owned railway. The following data indicate the cargo turnover of Bukovyna railways: the railways of the Bukovyna region transported 6 million tons of various cargo and 1.35 million passengers in 1895 (Zhaloba, 1990). These railways used 120 railcars.

However, the increase of railway construction did not last long. Following a thirty-year period of relatively revived railway construction in Bukovyna in the last quarter of the XIX century, a period of complete inactivity in this area came. New tracks were no longer built, and many areas of the region, especially mountainous ones, were not covered by the railway system. In general, the direction of railways pursued purely imperialist goals of foreign capital in Bukovyna. As a rule, the tracks were lied out from the center of Bukovyna - Chernivtsi city - to areas that produced agricultural and forest products for export. Due to these circumstances Chernivtsi, which itself also had a favorable geographical position in the south-west of the Austro-Hungarian lands, turned into an important shopping center that carried out export operations not only in Bukovyna, but also in Bessarabia and Moldova.

Nevertheless, the pace of railway construction in Northern Bukovyna lagged far behind the pace of railway construction in other states, for example, in the Russian Empire, Germany, Austria-Hungarian Empire itself, etc. Thus, the railway system of Bukovyna grew from 114 km to 400 km in the period from 1865 to the end of th e XIX century, that is it became 3.5 times longer. During the same time, the length of the railways of the Russian Empire increased more than 7 times, Germany - 12 times (in the period from 1845 to 1875), England - 6 times (in the period from 1845 to 1875) (State Archives of Chernivtsi region. Fund 3, Inventory 2, Case 194, Sheets 198; State Archives of Chernivtsi region. Fund 3, Inventory 1, Case 5392, Sheets 1 -2).

As a result of the railway construction in Bukovyna, the development of capitalist relations in the regional economy accelerated. At the end of the XIX century, a more rapid development of industrial production began, a number of enterprises processing agricultural raw materials were built, and the forestry and woodworking industry was developing. Most of the products of these industries were exported. At the same time, the improvement of transport links with more developed countries led to increased competition of industrial goods of these countries with products that were produced in Bukovyna. Under these conditions, home production almost completely disappeared. At the end of the XIX century, a period of decline in crafts began. In general, this was the picture of the social and economic life of Bukovyna in the late XIX - early XX century, outlined by the development of the railway system of the region. Lviv - Chernivtsi - Iasi railway, which crossed Bukovyna from Northwest to Southeast, significantly increased trade in the Bukovyna region, but more so did the construction of regional railways. Here is what I.V. Zhaloba says about this: “Local railways have played the important role in the social and economic life of the region. In most cases, they did not carry the strategic cargo, but made it possible to connect the most remote corners of separate districts of the region into a single whole. Such railway tracks were a significant addition to the main railway line, providing the latter with a greater intensity of cargo and passenger turnover and thus increasing its profitability. At the same time, increased trade between the outskirts and the center was achieved, since existing transport obstacles were largely eliminated. Even such goods, which were not even transported previously due to the difficulty of transportation on unpaved roads and significant horse-drawn tariffs, are started to be delivered. This applies to the direction of both from the center to the outskirts, and vice versa. In addition, there was another winning point for the outskirts: they could transport low-value cargo and goods that were not previously exported due to their low profitability. With the emergence of railways, it was more profitable for their boards to transport cargo of even insignificant profitability than to drive empty cars. This has had a positive impact on the economic intensification of regional districts. Of course, the construction of railway tracks did not automatically lead to the development of the local economy - favorable local conditions were needed that could enhance the impact of the new transport means and give a positive result. The cultural and political consequences of the construction of regional railways should also be mentioned. The railways, as a complex type of economic activity, were equipped with modern means of communication - telephone, telegraph. With their help, remote areas gained access to operational information, not to mention the delivery of periodicals and the like” (Zhaloba, 1996).

In the early 70s of the XIX century, one of the most acute and exigent issues in the government circles of Austria-Hungary and military circles, among the commercial and industrial bourgeoisie and landlords, in public publications was the question of immediate measures for the fast development and construction of regional railways in Bukovyna region. The motivation to build these railways arose due to two reasons. On the one hand, it was due to the economic state crisis of 1873, which put an end to the participation of private capital in large-scale railway construction. On the other hand, it was the fact that the main railway lines had already been built and therefore the issue of building of regional railways was on the agenda in government circles. That is why the Ministry of Commerce approved the law on the status of regional railways on May 25, 1880 and the order of the on the status of regional railways was issued on May 29, 1880. According to this law, the decision-making process for the construction of regional railways was simplified, and the measures on facilitation of its operation were determined. This law has been repeatedly supplemented by various legislative acts, as evidenced by the literature data (Strelko & Pylypchuk, 2021a; Strelko & Pylypchuk, 2021b; Strelko, Berdnychenko, & Pylypchuk, 2021). It is clear that these legislative provisions prepared the legal basis, within the frame of which the construction of regional railways in Bukovyna began in the future. In general, the system development plan is based on the priority requirements of the region's economic development. The system of these railways was supposed to connect the agricultural inner districts of Bukovyna with Chernivtsi and with the central railway line thought the shortest route.

The experienced Austrian engineers believed that the network of regional railways should meet the following conditions:

to open the shortest ways for agriculture, cattle breeding, forestry, etc. enterprises to sell their products, with access to the central railway line of Bukovyna;

to build the shortest connection between the forest districts of Southern Bukovyna and ones of Northern Bukovyna, so the former ones could receive food transported with these railways;

to connect some settlement centers of Bukovyna to Chernivtsi and among themselves;

to provide the entire railway system with fuel, mainly firewood, and also carry this fuel at affordable prices for use in Eastern Galicia.

The local railways had to meet military and strategic tasks - “the possibility to quickly move and concentrate troops on the borders of the Empire, especially in the south-eastern direction (with Romania and the Russian Empire)” (Russian State Historical Archive, Fund 207, Inventory 3, Case 162, Sheets 138-143; Russian State Historical Archive, Fund 1272, Inventory 1, Case 19, Sheet 3).

The first regional railway in Bukovyna was Chernivtsi - Novoselytsia railway. It was one of the largest regional railways. It connected Chernivtsi with the city located on the border of the land that then belonged to Russian Empire, it crossed the rich and densely populated area of Northern Bukovyna and through Novoselytsia connected with the Russian fertile lands - Bessarabia and Podillia. The construction of Chernivtsi - Novoselytsia railway made it possible to export Bukovyna forest to the southern regions of the Russian Empire, and Bukovyna imported agricultural products from those regions.

The construction of this railway was preceded by almost a decade of struggle between supporters and opponents of the construction of such a long and expensive local line to the border with the Russian Empire. The most far-sighted statesmen and representatives of the Austrian bourgeoisie advocated the construction of this railway, which would facilitate access to the Russian Empire and would benefit the military and political as well as economic interests of Austria-Hungarian Empire. In its turn, Bukovyna Chamber of Commerce and Industry also repeatedly appealed to the Ministry of trade of Austria-Hungarian Empire with a proposal to quickly connect Chernivtsi-Suceava line with Russian railways, as well as with Hungarian railways (via Maramures - Sziget). According to the Chamber, this would make it possible to speed up transportation of goods from Bukovyna, Podillia, Bessarabia and north-eastern Romania and reduce its cost. In addition, the opinion of I.V. Zhaloba deserves special attention. I.V. Zaloba claims that “despite the significant progress made by Lviv - Chernivtsi-Suceava railway in the transport industry, its financial situation was initially very shaky, and it had an unstable financial balance. Under these conditions, the Railway Board was actively looking for a way out of the current situation. In his opinion, one of the main reasons for this situation was the lack of free access to the Russian Empire through Novoselytsia and Tomaszow” (Zhaloba, 1996). However, it was only on June 5, 1883 that Bukovyna entrepreneurs and landowners A. von Petrino, N. von Mustatsia, G. Popper, S. Stepanovych and J. von Zottia received permission for the construction of Chernivtsi - Novoselytsia railway. The first meeting of the founders of Local Railway Chernivtsi - Novoselytsia Joint-Stock Company - the first local joint- stock railway company in Bukovyna was held as soon as on July 15, 1883 (State Archives of Chernivtsi region, Fund 300, Inventory 1588, Sheet 1-3).

The state and Lviv - Chernivtsi - Iasi Railways Joint-Stock Company participated in the creation of the share capital through purchase of shares.

The construction of Chernivtsi - Novoselytsia railway was carried out by the Austrian company “V. Knauer and E. Gross”, which was considered to be very competitive and professional as it also simultaneously built railways in Eastern Galicia. The supervision of the quality of construction was carried out by Lviv - Chernivtsi - Iasi Railways.

The construction of Chernivtsi - Novoselytsia railway was completed fairly quickly. Several factors contributed to this: weather, favorable geographical location and enthusiasm of builders. The largest part of work was done only on the one segment - near Boiany village, where it was necessary to carry out large - scale earthworks related to Prut River. There an impressive earth embankment was raised and protective structures were constructed. According to the plan of the builders, this segment of the railway was also supposed to prevent the spread of flooding at Prut river and stop soil erosion. The rails were supplied from Teschen enterprises, oak sleepers and crushed stone for the railway track were supplied by Bukovyna enterprises.

The first test locomotive raced from Chernivtsi to Sadhora along the 7.5 km segment on May 11, 1884 (Eigenverlag der Bank, 1914, p. 35). However, the entire line from Chernivtsi to Novoselytsia was put into operation on July 12, 1884. This 31 km long railway was built in just a month. The stations were opened at Zhuchka, Sadhora, Boiany and Novoselytsia. The railway was designed for a speed of 25 km per hour, two three-axle tender locomotives were constantly operating on this railway (Ziffer, 1908, p. 47).

Lviv - Chernivtsi - Iasi Railways Joint-Stock Company took the management over Chernivtsi - Novoselytsia railway after it was put into operation. According to the Treaty dated July 27, 1883 and its annex dated June 5, 1884, this railway was given in the management of the Joint-Stock Company for 20 years. However, the state began to carry out the management of its operation and operation of the central lines in favor of the owners, as early as 1889. And yet the last railway with all its property was bought by the state in 1894. Thus, since January 1 of this year, it has fallen into the category of state-owned railways - the railways that were owned and operated by the state at its own expense (State Archives of Chernivtsi region, Fund 300, Inventory 2, Case 41, Sheet 2; Fund 300, Inventory 2, Case 41, Sheets 4; Fund 300, Inventory 3, Case 111, Sheets 10-18, Sheets 54-55).

The connection of Austrian and Russian railways in Novoselytsia was the important milestone in the development of the local railway Chernivtsi-Novoselytsia and the event that has long been sought by Bukovyna business circles. Back in the late 80s of the XIX century Russian newspapers in Bukovyna made it known that the Russian government intended to build Novoselytsia-Lipcani-Kruty railway (to connect it with the railway line to Odesa) and Novoselytsia - Mohyliv-Podilskyi - Zhmerynka railway (to connect it with the railway line to Kyiv). On May 24, 1889, the Presidium of the regional administration of Bukovyna wrote in this regard to the Ministry of Commerce: “The railway connection with the Russian Empire through Novoselytsia will be of the major significance for Bukovyna, especially in matters of trade” (State Archives of Chernivtsi region, Fund 3, Inventory 1, Case 5392, Sheets 1-2).

The importance of such a connection was also noted by Russian travelers, who visited Bukovyna at that time. In Particular, V. Krestovskij wrote about this: “...this railway will gain commercial and industrial significance only when it connects with the line of the Russian railway, which is currently under construction, as it will connect Chernivtsi with Odesa. As a result, the Austrian Bukovyna will gravitate even more towards Russia and receive the main benefits of transit that is now going exclusively through Romania to Galati. Then most of the cargo will be sent to Odesa after this route will free them of the overhead costs of double loading in Galati and Sulinsky road, as it is often, if necessary, practiced at the present time ” (Krestovskij, 1891, p. 93). Both Lviv - Chernivtsi - Iasi Railways Joint-Stock Company and Bukovyna Regional Railways Joint - Stock Company (Local Railway Chernivtsi - Novoselytsia Joint - Stock Company was renamed into Bukovyna Regional Railways Joint - Stock Company at the Extraordinary General Meeting on October 5, 1885 in connection with the adoption of a concession for the construction of a number of other railways) were interested in such a connection and expected to significantly improve their financial situation due to an increase in cargo and passenger turnover. This connection was also a major point in the plans of the Russian side. The products from Podilsk, Bessarabia and Kherson enjoyed wide sales in the Austrian provinces of Western Europe, and Russian South-Western Railways enjoyed the profit from their transportation and from the transit of Austrian goods, primarily Galician and Bukovyna forests to the Black Sea coast. The first consultations concerning this matter were held in the early 90s of the XIX century. They ended in holding of international conference in Kyiv in January 1893. At this conference Bukovyna Regional Railways Joint - Stock Company was represented by E.A. Ziffer, who at that time held the position of Vice-President. The connection of railways in Novoselytsia district in June 1893 was the result of the reached agreements (State Archives of Chernivtsi region, Fund 297, Inventory 4, Case 4, Sheets 2-3). However, the construction of Russian railway lines, which were supposed to provide access from Novoselytsia to Odesa and Kyiv, were not completed. They were put into operation in stages, as construction was completed: August 30, 1892 - Zhmerynka - Mohyliv; December 5, 1892 - Slobodka - Ribnita; November 12, 1893 - Balti - Ocnita, Mohyliv - Ocnita and Ocnita - Lipcani; December 3, 1893 - Lipkany - Novoselytsia and, at the end, August 21, 1894 - Ribnita - Balti (Statistik der in dem im Reichsrathe vertretenen Konigreichen und Landern im Betriebe gestannen Locomotiv-Eisenbahnen, 1902, pp. 70-71). The only 1,225 km long double - track segment in Bukovyna was built here: one with a width of 1,435 m and the second - of 1,532 m. The first was used exclusively for the passage of Austrian trains, and the second one - for the passage of Russian trains in the direction of the Austrian Novoselytsia and back (Statistik der in dem im Reichsrathe vertretenen Konigreichen und Landern im Betriebe gestannen Locomotiv-Eisenbahnen, 1902, pp. 70-71). Chernivtsi - Novoselytsia railway produced the largest profit among the railways of Bukovyna after connection with Russian railway lines (State Archives of Chernivtsi region, Fund 297, Inventory 1, Case 1042, Sheets 1-7).

The construction of Lviv - Chernivtsi - Iasi and Chernivtsi-Novoselytsia railways was only the first step in establishing of a railway system in Bukovyna. Naturally, the region's needs for a reliable communication network in the context of improving trade relations were much broader. Lviv - Chernivtsi - Iasi railway crossed the Eastern part of Bukovyna that was the most densely populated and flat terrain of the region. However, it, as well as Chernivtsi - Novoselytsia Railway, did not touch the forest storeroom of the region - its main wealth, which gave the main revenues to the regional budget. Of course, this state of affairs caused complaints from Bukovyna business community, primarily entrepreneurs of timber industry. The lack of own capital did not allow to undertake independent significant railway construction projects. At the same time, if the western part of the region could use convenient waterways and the eastern part could use unpaved roads for transporting forest (due to the proximity of Lviv - Chernivtsi - Iasi railway), the middle part of the region felt an acute need for a railway to be built there (Bodnarchuk, 2018; Hrytsenko, 1959). This also had corresponding consequences in forestry. The reports of “The forest section of the Agricultural Association of the Dukedom of Bukovyna” showed that in the early 80s of the XIX century only 30-40% of the annually cut forest was sold; only 20-30% of tree trunks went to the production of shingles and sawn timber, and the remaining 70 -80% remained to rot. Such valuable forest varieties as, for example, beech were sold as firewood. Such material could be successfully used in other sectors of the economy, in particular, for the production of railway sleepers.

There was also another task that was no less important: to lay railways deep into the region and thus to improve economical use of the region, to strengthen the entrepreneurial spirit there. This would simultaneously facilitate provision of residents of mountainous areas with grain and, in the opposite direction, facilitate the export of livestock and products of the local handicraft industry. In order to resolve this situation, the Austrian government issued a concession for the construction and operation of regional railways on August 29, 1885. It included the following regional railways: Gatna - Campulung, Hlyboka - Beregomet with a line of Karapchiv - Chudey and Halikfalfa - Radivtsi with a total projected length of 150 km.

At the extraordinary general meeting of Local Railway Chernivtsi- Novoselytsia Joint - Stock Company that was held on October 5, 1885, it was decided to accept this concession and simultaneously rename the company (as indicated above) (State Archives of Chernivtsi region, Fund 297, Inventory 1, Case 1041, Sheets 2-3). The capital required to build these lines was estimated at 13.3 million guldens. Along with other interested parties, Lviv - Chernivtsi - Iasi Railway, the Orthodox Religious Foundation and the regional administration of Bukovyna took part in its creation. The construction was carried out by Karl Meger & K company (State Archives of Chernivtsi region, Fund 297, Inventory 1, Case 1041, Sheets 2-3).

The construction of these railways was performed at a fairly rapid pace. Just almost a year later, on November 30, 1886, 53 km of the Hlyboka - Beregomet railway with Karapchiv - Chudey line (19 km) was put into operation. The following stations were opened on the line from Hlyboka to Beregomet: Hlyboka, Karapchiv, Storozhynets, Sloboda-Komarivtsi, Zhadova, Lukavets and Beregomet, as well as stops in Ropcha and Pantsi (now Kalinivka village of Storozhynetskyi district). Two stations were built in Petrivtsi and Chudey and a stop in Kuptsi on the Karapchiv - Chudey branch (Ziffer, 1891, p. 96).

After the construction of Hlyboka - Beregomet railway line began, a concession was granted for the construction and operation of 9 km of wood-transport line from Beregomet railway station to the steam sawmill in Mezhybrody. Its construction was carried out simultaneously with Hlyboka - Beregomet railway line and was completed on December 21, 1886 (Studnytskyi, 2017, pp. 72-82).

At the end of the 80s of the XIX century, the local railways of Southern Bukovyna were also put into operation: 67 - kilometer long Gatna - Campulung line -- on May 1, 1888; 8-kilometer long Halikfalfa - Radivtsi line - on November 17, 1889; as well as 20-kilometer wood-transport Vama-Rus-Moldavytsa line - on August 15, 1889 (Worobkewicz, 1893, p. 116).

Under the relevant agreements Lviv - Chernivtsi - Iasi Railway Company carried out the operation of Hlyboka - Beregomet - Mezhybrody and Gatna - Campulung railway lines. After the company was subordinated to the state administration in June 1889, all the above-mentioned railways, as well as those, whose construction was completed after the specified period, were transferred to state management. From that time until the beginning of XX century, they were in the category of private railways, the operation of which was carried out by the state at the expense of the owners (State Archives of Chernivtsi region, Fund 300, Inventory 1, Case 279, Sheets 1-2).

Thus, at the beginning of 1890, the total length of the railways of Bukovyna Regional Railways Joint - Stock Company was 208 km. The amount of 14.7 million guldens was invested in them (Denkschrift anlasslich des 25-jahrigen Bestandes der Aktiengesellschaft “Bukowinaer Lokalbahnen”, 1908, p. 8).

Conclusions

The period of rapid construction of tracks, bridges, railway stations, stations, and various technical structures, etc. lasted in Bukovyna for more than three decades - from 1865 to 1898. During this time, the main agricultural areas, timber and rafting points of Bukovyna received access to the seaports and railway systems of neighboring states - Romania and the Russian Empire. But this goal was achieved not only due the construction of the first railway Lviv - Chernivtsi - Iasi that was 144 km long and met all of the above mentioned requirements, but also due to the construction of a regional railway system of the region, which began to develop in the 80s of the XIX century.

It is determined that private railways, as important transport arteries of Bukovyna, were of national importance and played a significant role in the transport system of Austria-Hungarian Empire. They served the leading economic districts of Bukovyna, acting as an integral part of production in each of them. In other words, they were used for development of local, intersectoral and interregional relations.

Regional railways, first of all, played an important role in the social and economic life of Bukovyna region. In most cases, they did not carry the strategic cargo, but made it possible to connect the most remote corners of separate areas of the region into a single whole. In practice, local railways were a significant addition to the main central line, providing the latter with a greater intensity of cargo and passenger turnover and thus increasing their profitability. At the same time, the trade volume between the outskirts and the center of the Austro-Hungarian Empire was increased. It contributed to the intensification of economic development of certain districts of Bukovyna region.

References

1. Bali, L. (2014). The role of the railway in regional development in Austro-Hungary and in Hungarian-Croatian relations today (special regard to Rijeka). Central European Papers, 2(1), 160-166. Retrieved from http://cep.slu.cz/pdfs/cep/2014/01/11.pdf.

2. Bodnarchuk, T.L. (2018). Istoryko-ekonomichnyi ohliad zovnishnoi torhivli zakhidnoukrainskykh zemel (XIX - pochatok XX st.) [Historical and economic review of the Western Ukrainian lands' foreign trade (XIX - early XX centuries)]. Ekonomika ta Suspilstvo - Economy and Society, (15), 3-10. Retrieved from http://elibrary.donnuet.edu.ua/985/1/15_2018.pdf#page=3 [in Ukrainian].

3. Bulutgil, Z. (2017). Ethnic cleansing and its alternatives in wartime: A comparison of the Austro-Hungarian, Ottoman, and Russian Empires. International Security, 41(4), 169-201. https://doi.org/10.1162/ISEC_a_00277.

4. Choliy, S. (2020). Military desertion as a counter-modernization response in Austro- Hungarian society, 1868-1914. Revista Universitaria de Historia Militar, 9(18), 269-289. Retrieved from https://dialnet.unirioja.es/descarga/articulo/8292839.pdf.

5. Cioanca, L-M. (2019). The imperative need to create a rapid and efficient connection between Transylvania and Bukovina during the First World War - The construction of the Prundu Bдrgдului-Vatra Dornei railway line. In International conference KNOWLEDGE-BASED ORGANIZATION, 25 (3), 91-96. https://doi.org/10.2478/kbo-2019-0123.

6. Denkschrift anlдsslich des 25-jдhrigen Bestandes der Aktiengesellschaft “Bukowinaer Lokalbahnen”. 1908. Czernowitz [in German].

7. Derzhavnyi arkhiv Chernivetskoi oblasti - State Archives of Chernivtsi region. Fund 297, Inventory 1, Case 1041, Sheets 2-3 [in Ukrainian].

8. Derzhavnyi arkhiv Chernivetskoi oblasti - State Archives of Chernivtsi region. Fund 297, Inventory 1, Case 1042, Sheets 1-7 [in Ukrainian].

9. Derzhavnyi arkhiv Chernivetskoi oblasti - State Archives of Chernivtsi region. Fund 297, Inventory 4, Case 4, Sheets 2-3 [in Ukrainian].

10. Derzhavnyi arkhiv Chernivetskoi oblasti - State Archives of Chernivtsi region. Fund 3, Inventory 1, Case 5392, Sheets 1-2.

11. Derzhavnyi arkhiv Chernivetskoi oblasti - State Archives of Chernivtsi region. Fund 3, Inventory 2, Case 194, Sheets 198 [in Ukrainian].

12. Derzhavnyi arkhiv Chernivetskoi oblasti - State Archives of Chernivtsi region. Fund 300, Inventory 1, Case 279, Sheets 1-2.

13. Derzhavnyi arkhiv Chernivetskoi oblasti - State Archives of Chernivtsi region. Fund 300, Inventory 2, Case 41, Sheet 2.

14. Derzhavnyi arkhiv Chernivetskoi oblasti - State Archives of Chernivtsi region. Fund 300, Inventory 2, Case 41, Sheet 4.

15. Derzhavnyi arkhiv Chernivetskoi oblasti - State Archives of Chernivtsi region. Fund 300, Inventory 3, Case 111, Sheets 10-18, Sheets 54-55.

16. Derzhavnyi arkhiv Chernivetskoi oblasti - State Archives of Chernivtsi region. Fund 300, Inventory 1588, Sheet 1-3.

17. Dobrzhanskyi, S. (2017). Halytski ta bukovynski mista druhoi polovyny XIX - pochatku XX st.: porivnialni osoblyvosti systemy upravlinnia [Cities of the Galychyna and Bukovina of the second half of the XIX - the beginning of XX centuries: comparative features of the system of management]. Naukovyi Visnyk Chernivetskoho Natsionalnoho Universytetu Imeni Yuriia Fedkovycha. Istoriia - History Journal of Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University, (46), 13-19. https://doi.org/10.31861/hj2017.46.13-19 [in Ukrainian].

18. Eigenverlag der Bank (1914). Einige Daten zur wirtschaftlichen Entwicklung Цsterreich - Ungarns in den letzten 50 Jahren (Zusammengestellt von der Anglo - Oesterreichischen Bank anlдЯlich ihres fьnfzigjдhrigen Jubilдums) (1864- 1914). Wien: Eigenverlag der Bank [in German].

19. Fesovets, O. (2020). Istoryko-pravovi aspekty formuvannia derzhavnoho upravlinnia zaliznychnym transportom u krainakh Yevropy XIX st. [Historical and legal aspects of the formation of state management of railway transport in European countries of the XIX century]. Efektyvnist Derzhavnoho Upravlinnia - Efficiency of Public Administration, 1(63), 60-71. https://doi.org/10.33990/2070-4011.63.2020.212639 [in Ukrainian].

20. Hrytsenko, I. (1959). Z istorii ekonomichnykh vzaiemovidnosyn Bukovyny z Rosiieiu ta Ukrainoiu v XIX st. [From the history of economic relations of Bukovina with Russia and Ukraine in the XIX century]. Ukrainskyi Istorychnyi Zhurnal - Ukrainian Historical Journal, (5), 89-99. Retrieved from https:// shron 1. chtyvo. org .ua/Hrytsenko_Ivan/Z_istorii_ekonomichnykh_vzaiem ovidnosyn_Bukovyny_z_Rosiieiu_ta_Ukrainoiu_v_XIX_st.pdf [in Ukrainian].

21. Hurinchuk, S. (2019). The development of railway transport engineering in the Russian Empire in the second half of the nineteenth century. History of Science and Technology, 9(2(15), 160-174. https://doi.org/10.32703/2415-7422-2019-9-2(15)-160-174.

22. Kaim, D., Taczanowski, J., Szwagrzyk, M. & Ostafin, K. (2020). Railway network of Galicia and Austrian Silesia (1847-1914). Journal of Maps, 16(1), 132-137. https://doi.org/10.1080/17445647.2020.1762774.

23. Krestovskij, V. (1891). Russkyi horod pod avstryiskoi markoi [Russian city under the Austrian brand]. Russkyi Vestnyk- Russian bulletin, 1, 90-96 [in Russian].

24. Kun, G. (2019). Industrial development policies in The Austro-Hungarian Empire, focusiong on Hungary's industry from the Austro-Hungarian compromise of 1867 to The World War I. SEA-Practical Application of Science. 7, 19, 55-64. Retrieved from https://seaopenresearch.eu/Journals/articles/SPAS_19_7.pdf.

25. Li, J., Wen, J., & Jiang, B. (2017). Spatial spillover effects of transport infrastructure in Chinese new silk road economic belt. International Journal of e-Navigation and Maritime Economy, 6, 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1016yj.enavi.2017.05.001.

26. Lipelt, R. (2018). Foreign trade of Galicia and Bukovina and other Austrian countries at the end of the 19th century based on German railway statistics. Studia Historiae Oeconomicae, 36(1), 23-41. https://doi.org/10.2478/sho-2018-0002.

27. Nussbaum, G. (1950). Do pytannia pro transportne budivnytstvo u Pivnichnii Bukovyni u druhii polovyni XIX stolittia [On the question of transport construction in Northern Bukovina in the second half of the XIX century]. Visti Chernivetskoho viddilu Heohrafichnoho tovarystva Soiuzu RSR - News of the Chernivtsi branch of the Geographical Society of the USSR, (1), 114-117 [in Ukrainian].

28. Paun, I.G. (2017). Index of economic freedom and transport development in Romania. Annals of the “Constantin Brancusi”. University of Targu Jiu, Economy Series, (4), 265-274. Retrieved from https://www.utgjiu.ro/revista/ec/pdf/2017-04/35_Paun.pdf.

29. Purici, S. (2017). Habsburg Bukovina at the beginning of the great war. Loyalism or irredentism? Codrul Cosminului, 23(1), 85-106. Retrieved from http://codrulcosminului.usv.ro/CC23/1/greatwar.pdf.

30. Rossiiskii gosudarstvennii istoricheskii arhiv - Russian State Historical Archive, Fund 207, Inventory 3, Case 162, Sheets 138-143 [in Russian].

31. Rossiiskii gosudarstvennii istoricheskii arhiv - Russian State Historical Archive, Fund 1272, Inventory 1, Case 19, Sheet 3 [in Russian].

32. Soroka, O. (2018). State regulation of public health in the Precarpathian Region during the period of the Austro-Hungarian Empire (1772-1918). Arkhiv Klinichnoi Medytsyny - Archives of Clinical Medicine, 24(2), 38-41. https://doi.org/10.21802/acm.2018.2.5.

33. Statistikder in dem im Reichsrathe vertretenen Konigreichen undLandern im Betriebe gestannen Locomotiv-Eisenbahnen. 1901 (1902). Vol. 4, 70-71.

34. Strelko, O., & Pylypchuk, O.O. (2021a). Economic aspects of the creating and functioning of regional railways in Bukovyna in the second half of the 19th - early 20th centuries. Analele Universitatii Din Craiova - Seria Istorie, 26(2(40)), 2945. Retrieved from http://www.istoriecraiova.ro/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/03_Intreaga-aparitie.pdf.

35. Strelko, O., & Pylypchuk, O. O. (2021b). Characteristics of unpaved roads in the late 18th century - early 19th century, and the design of the first wooden trackway as a forerunner to the Bukovyna railways. History of Science and Technology, 11(2), 437-452. https://doi.org/10.32703/2415-7422-2021-11-2-437-452.

36. Strelko, O., Berdnychenko, Yu., & Pylypchuk, O. Ya. (2021). Creation and operation of main railways in Bukovina. Plural History. Culture. Society, 9(1), 26-47. Retrieved from https://plural.upsc.md/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/3-Oleh-Strelko.pdf.

37. Studnytskiy, I. (2017). Typovi proekty malykh vokzaliv Ukrainy druhoi polovyny XIX - pershoi tretyny XX storichchia: istoriia, arkhitekturna kompozytsiia ta khudozhno-stylistychni osoblyvosti [Typical projects of small railway stations in Ukraine at the second half of the XIX - the first third of the XX centuries: history, architectural composition, artistic and stylistic peculiarities]. Visnyk Kharkivskoi Derzhavnoi Akademii Dyzainu i Mystetstv - Bulletin of the Kharkiv State Academy of Design and Arts]. 2, 72-82. Retrieved from https://visnik.org/pdf/v2017-02-10-studnitsky.pdf [in Ukrainian].

38. Voicila§, D-M. (2017). Opportunities and threats in North Eastern Romania - SWOT analysis in Suceava and Boto§ani Counties. Agricultural Economics and Rural Development, 14(2), 175-184. Retrieved from https://ipe.ro/RePEc/iag/iag_pdf/AERD1702_175-184.pdf.

39. Worobkewicz, E. (1893). Die geographisch-statistischen Verhaltnisse der Bukowina. Lemberg. [in German].

40. Zhaloba, I. (1990). Rozvytok zaliznychnoi merezhi na Bukovyni u druhii polovyni ХІХ - na pochatku ХХ st. [Development of the railway network in Bukovyna in the second half of the XIX - early XX centuries]. 50 rokiv VozziednanniaPivnichnoi Bukovyny i Khotynskoho povitu Bessarabii z Radianskoiu Ukrainoiu u skladi SRSR: Tezy dop. ta povid. obl. istoryko-kraiezn. nauk. konf. - Proceedings of the conference 50 years of Reunification of Northern Bukovina and Khotyn district of Bessarabia with Soviet Ukraine as a part of the USSR (Part 1, pp. 33-35). Chernivtsi [in Ukrainian].

41. Zhaloba, I. (1991). Puti soobsh'eniya Bukovini v konce XVIII - nachale XX vv.: istoriya stroitelstva i narodnohozyaistvennoe znachenie [Railways of Bukovina at the end of the XVIII - the beginning of the XX centuries: the history of construction and national economic significance]: PhD. Dissertations. Uzhhorod: Uzhhorod State University [in Ukrainian].

42. Zhaloba, I. (1996). Sporudzhennia pershykh rehionalnykh zaliznyts Bukovyny u 80-h rokakh ХІХ st. ta yikh ekspluatatsiine pidporiadkuvannia [ Construction of the first regional railways of Bukovina in the 80-s of the XIX century. and their operational subordination]. Naukovyi Visnyk Chernivetskoho Universytetu. Istoriia - Science bulletin of Chernivtsi University. History, (6-7), 73-74 [in Ukrainian].

43. Zhaloba, I. (1996). Sporudzhennia pershykh rehionalnykh zaliznyts Bukovyny u 80-h rokakh ХІХ st. ta yikh ekspluatatsiine pidporiadkuvannia [ Construction of the first regional railways of Bukovina in the 80-s of the XIX century. and their operational subordination]. Naukovyi Visnyk Chernivetskoho Universytetu. Istoriia - Science bulletin of Chernivtsi University. History. 6-7, 74-75 [in Ukrainian].