KOMLYKOVA H. I. Historical aspects of tobacco industry development in Sumy regoin

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        This article considers some historical aspects of tobacco industry in Sumy region. It is emphasized that tobacco industry on the territory of Sumy region during XVI – XIX centuries was one of the leading branches of the regional economy. However, since the mid-seventeenth century Sumy region had been one of the main areas of tobacco industry not only in the Left Bank Ukraine but also in the whole Russian Empire, as the main producers of tobacco over the period were the districts of Chernihiv and Poltava provinces, which later were included into the administrative borders of Sumy region. In the article, the dynamics of tobacco industry in the period from mid XVII to the end of the XIX century is also briefly described.

      The article presents a brief overview of the historical aspects of the origin of tobacco processing industry in Sumy region in the eighteenth century, namely, the establishment of the first industrial enterprise of tobacco processing in Left-Bank Ukraine – tobacco manufacture in Okhtyrka. Creation of this enterprise was the beginning of the industry development in the region as a whole. Foundation of the manufacture at public expense and its operation for rather a long time – from 1718 to 1736, the attraction of foreign masters to its organization and production and the allocation of funding for the training of native masters proves the desire of the state to develop the industry that brings considerable profits.

       The bright page in the history of tobacco industry in Ukraine was creation of the office for providing the population with free foreign varieties of tobacco seeds on the territory of Sumy region. It happened in 1763 under the charter of Empress Catherine II. The office, which operated in Romny also contributed to the spread of knowledge about the tobacco crop among the population and aimed at gathering the information on tobacco acreages in Ukraine, their conditions and the crop’s yield capacity. State foundation of the office and defining one of its functions as the collection of statistical data indicates the state attempts to regulate the tobacco industry. We should also star counting the history of agricultural research business in Sumy region with the establishment of this institution, as the farmers who were given the tobacco seeds free were also instructed to clearly demonstrate all their plots with the crop. In the late nineteenth century, this phenomenon was named the demonstrational (exponential) institution and already in 1901 was recognized by "The regulation on agricultural experimental institutions" as one of the types of agricultural research institutions.

Key words: tobacco, tobacco industry, agriculture, tobacco processing, history