Akmolinsk Industry in Early 20th Century

        Akmolinsk industry of the beginning of the 20th century was in germ, and was of handicraft character. In this regard the given photo is very interesting. This picture has captured one of the existing workshops in the town at the time. You can see a tin sign-board representing samovar, kettle, vessel for ablution, revolver and an inscription in Arabic and Russian letters: «Silversmith and coppersmith Usmanov from the Caucasus».

        On the whole the town economy was determined by functioning of trade firms of Matvey Kubrin, S.G. Belov, brothers Strelov, and Korsakov. There were also in the town the representative offices of «Zinger», international companies of reaping machines, transport offices, «Salamander» and «Yakor» insurer offices and others. Actually, pre-revolutionary Akmolinsk resembled a big trade village where buildings of stone could be met only in the central square.