The Siberian Route (Russian: Сибирский тракт, romanized: Sibirsky trakt), also known as the Moscow Highway (Московский тракт, Moskovsky trakt) and Great Highway (Большой тракт, Bolshoi trakt), was a historic route that connected European Russia to Siberia and China.
The map of the Siberian route in the 18th century (green) and the early 19th century (red).
Monument marking the dividing line between Asia and Europe on the Siberian Route coordinate:56°49′55.7″N 60°21′02.60″E
The construction of the road was decreed by the Tsar [which?] and was not finished until the mid-19th century. Previously, Siberian transport had been mostly by river via Siberian River Routes. The first Russian settlers arrived in Siberia by the Cherdyn river route which was superseded by the Babinov overland route in the late 1590s. The town of Verkhoturye in the Urals was the most eastern point of the Babinov Road.
Travellers in Yekaterinburg, 1789Crossing the Angara at Irkutsk, 1886.
Etymology and legacy of nameedit
The Siberian Route was also known as the Tea Road, owing to the great quantities of tea that were transported from China to Europe through Siberia. Charles Wenyon, who passed by the "Great Post Road" in 1893, subscribed to the popular belief that "the best tea produced in China for the exportation goes to Russia".[1]
In 1915, China exported to Siberia 70,297 tons of tea, which accounted for 65% of the country's overall tea exports.[2] The route is the namesake of the Russian Caravan blend of tea.
It was imported primarily in the form of hefty hard-packed tea bricks which allowed each camel to carry large quantities in a more compact manner[3] and could also pass for units of currency. From Kyakhta, tea was transported to the Irbit fair for further commercial transactions. Another popular Chinese import item was dried rhubarb root, which was sold west of St. Petersburg "for fifteen times what it cost in Kyakhta".[4]
^Wenyon, Charles (1896). Across Siberia on the Great Post-road. London: Charles H. Kelly. p. 76. (reprinted by Ayer Publishing, 1971).
^Sladkovskii, M. I. (2007). History of Economic Relations Between Russia & China. Transaction Publishers. p. 129. ISBN978-1-4128-0639-8.
^Heiss, Mary Lou; Heiss, Robert J. (2007). The Story of Tea: A Cultural, History and Drinking Guide. Ten Speed Press. p. 211. ISBN978-1-58008-745-2.
^Lincoln, W. Bruce (2007). The Conquest of a Continent: Siberia and the Russians. Cornell University Press. p. 146. ISBN978-0-8014-8922-8.
Further readingedit
Avery, Martha. The Tea Road: China and Russia Meet Across the Steppe. Mandarin Books, 2003. ISBN7-5085-0380-5.
Alexander Michie, 'The Siberian Overland Route from Peking to Petersburg', 1864. -followed the route in 1863
January 01, 1970
siberian, route, russian, Сибирский, тракт, romanized, sibirsky, trakt, also, known, moscow, highway, Московский, тракт, moskovsky, trakt, great, highway, Большой, тракт, bolshoi, trakt, historic, route, that, connected, european, russia, siberia, china, siber. The Siberian Route Russian Sibirskij trakt romanized Sibirsky trakt also known as the Moscow Highway Moskovskij trakt Moskovsky trakt and Great Highway Bolshoj trakt Bolshoi trakt was a historic route that connected European Russia to Siberia and China The map of the Siberian route in the 18th century green and the early 19th century red Contents 1 History 2 Etymology and legacy of name 3 See also 4 References 5 Further readingHistory edit nbsp Monument marking the dividing line between Asia and Europe on the Siberian Route coordinate 56 49 55 7 N 60 21 02 60 E The construction of the road was decreed by the Tsar which and was not finished until the mid 19th century Previously Siberian transport had been mostly by river via Siberian River Routes The first Russian settlers arrived in Siberia by the Cherdyn river route which was superseded by the Babinov overland route in the late 1590s The town of Verkhoturye in the Urals was the most eastern point of the Babinov Road The much longer Siberian route started in Moscow as the Vladimir Highway and passed through Murom Kozmodemyansk Kazan Perm Kungur Yekaterinburg Tyumen Tobolsk Tara Kainsk Tomsk Yeniseysk and Irkutsk After crossing Lake Baikal the road split near Verkhneudinsk One branch continued east to Nerchinsk while the other went south to the border post of Kyakhta where it linked to camel caravans that crossed Mongolia to a Great Wall gate at Kalgan In the early 19th century the route was moved to the south From Tyumen the road proceeded through Yalutorovsk Ishim Omsk Tomsk Achinsk and Krasnoyarsk before rejoining the older route at Irkutsk It remained a vital artery connecting Siberia with Moscow and Europe until the last decades of the 19th century when it was superseded by the Trans Siberian Railway and Amur Cart Road The automobile equivalent is the Trans Siberian Highway nbsp Travellers in Yekaterinburg 1789 nbsp Crossing the Angara at Irkutsk 1886 Etymology and legacy of name editThe Siberian Route was also known as the Tea Road owing to the great quantities of tea that were transported from China to Europe through Siberia Charles Wenyon who passed by the Great Post Road in 1893 subscribed to the popular belief that the best tea produced in China for the exportation goes to Russia 1 In 1915 China exported to Siberia 70 297 tons of tea which accounted for 65 of the country s overall tea exports 2 The route is the namesake of the Russian Caravan blend of tea It was imported primarily in the form of hefty hard packed tea bricks which allowed each camel to carry large quantities in a more compact manner 3 and could also pass for units of currency From Kyakhta tea was transported to the Irbit fair for further commercial transactions Another popular Chinese import item was dried rhubarb root which was sold west of St Petersburg for fifteen times what it cost in Kyakhta 4 See also edit nbsp Siberia portal nbsp China portal nbsp Russia portal Tea in Russia Kyakhta Russian Chinese PidginReferences edit Wenyon Charles 1896 Across Siberia on the Great Post road London Charles H Kelly p 76 reprinted by Ayer Publishing 1971 Sladkovskii M I 2007 History of Economic Relations Between Russia amp China Transaction Publishers p 129 ISBN 978 1 4128 0639 8 Heiss Mary Lou Heiss Robert J 2007 The Story of Tea A Cultural History and Drinking Guide Ten Speed Press p 211 ISBN 978 1 58008 745 2 Lincoln W Bruce 2007 The Conquest of a Continent Siberia and the Russians Cornell University Press p 146 ISBN 978 0 8014 8922 8 Further reading editAvery Martha The Tea Road China and Russia Meet Across the Steppe Mandarin Books 2003 ISBN 7 5085 0380 5 Alexander Michie The Siberian Overland Route from Peking to Petersburg 1864 followed the route in 1863 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Siberian Route amp oldid 1216974545, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
