The Provincial Russian Town at the Turn of the 20th Century and the Polish Question: the Case of Simbirsk

Abstract

The article as an attempt to compare the social-economic condition and level of cultural development of towns in the Kingdom of Poland at the turn of the 20th century and a typical Russian provincial regional city. Simbirsk, the capital of gubernia located at the bank of Volga river was an example of such city. It was also the town of birth of well-known Russian politicians Vladimir Lenin, Alexander Kierenski and the Polish historian and writer Paweł Jasienica. The level of the development of Simbirsk is analyzed on the basis of available sources including descriptions of towns and statistical data. Then, it is confronted with the data about the town in the Kingdom of Poland. The results of the comparison are not favorable for the Polish towns.