Administration of Fair.—The administration of the fair is carried on under the supervision of the Governor of the Province; the arrangement of all commercial matters and adjustment of difficulties being entrusted to a committee of gentlemen called the “Fair Committee,” chosen from among the assembled merchants. This committee consists of a president, three aldermen, and three committee-men, besides the manager of the fair-office and the mayor of the town of Nijni. The management of all Government property is in the hands of this committee. The letting of shops and store-houses and the erection of bridges and all temporary works comes also within their province. The conditions on which the shops and stores built by Government are let to merchants and dealers are exceedingly liberal, and this rent is the sole profit made by Government on the transactions of the fair. No imposts of any kind are levied in the shape of licences or duties. Shops are let to the first applicant, the sole reservation being that the occupier of the previous year has a prior claim. In order to promote competition, each row of buildings is devoted to a certain kind of merchandise, thus obliging the merchants to endeavour to undersell one another. To prevent monopolies or over-speculation, no merchant is allowed to hire more than three consecutive shops, nor is he allowed to occupy more than one shop unless they adjoin each other. The number of shops let in 1874 was 6,086, and their total rent amounted to something over £28,000.
The fair lasts six weeks—the really busy period being from the 18th to 27th August, when the height is reached. Some fifteen days beyond are allowed for the settlement of accounts. The usance of the fair is twelve months credit, i.e. from one great fair to the following; but sometimes, in dull times, and under special circumstances, as much as two years credit is given. This was particularly the case in 1849.
Trade of the Fair.—The annual trade of the fair has been the subject of various conjectures; but I believe the Government of the Province has caused careful estimates to be made from time to time. In 1697 the trade of the fair was estimated at £12,000 per annum—evidently far too low. In 1790 it was stated to be £4,500,000!
The following are the details of the principal branches of the fair in 1849, which were understood to be less than the transactions of the preceding year: money being scarce, and there was a stagnation in the grain trade. The total estimate of the Russian produce offered for sale was £7,916,016, of which there were sold raw produce £1,917,940; provisions £858,684; home manufactures £3,981,716—total £6,758,340, leaving £1,157,675 unsold. The value of the foreign goods and produce was estimated at £2,430,191; of these Asiatic articles sold to the extent of £1,329,131; European raw materials £493,955, and manufactured goods £204,888—leaving £402,217 unsold. So that the total merchandise at the fair was estimated at the value of 10½ millions sterling, of which about nine millions were sold.
In Murray’s “Handbook of Russia,” written by Mr. Michell, the then well-known British Consul, and published in 1868, it is stated that the aggregate sale and purchases at the fair represented about sixteen millions sterling; which dealings were conducted by from 150,000 to 200,000 traders from the various countries of Europe and Asia.
Mr. Doria, secretary of the British Embassy at St. Petersburg, reported that the trade of the fair had increased from about six millions sterling in 1847 to over £20,000,000 in 1874 (165 millions of roubles), when upwards of 6,000 shops were let. The iron sold in various forms amounted to 5,557,800 pouds of 36 lbs.—the value being £2,193,812. Tea of the value of about £1,200,000 was sold.
At the fair of 1879 the iron trade figured largely, and the following facts were obtained regarding the supplies. The Russian ironmasters sent 15,130,498 pouds (1 poud = 36 lbs.) of wrought iron, steel, and metal work, of the value of 7,528,350 roubles. A considerable amount was also imported into the iron ports of the Volga, viz. at Laïchev, 1,337,541 pouds; Kasan, 16,474; Simbirsk, 22,066; Saratov, 92,361; Rostov, on the Don, 67,762. Cast iron was not in great force, there being only 530,488 pouds, of the value of 412,475 roubles. One of the largest contributions was sent from the works of Count Strogonof, being 6,725,588 pouds.
Revenue of the Fair.—The fair constitutes a source of State revenue. When in 1751 the fair first became the property of the State, its tolls or revenues were farmed at about £150 per annum. In the reign of the Emperor Paul (end of last century) the farmer of the tolls engaged to build a new bazaar, and to pay £4,500 a year into the exchequer. In 1824 a new governor’s house, bazaar, and shops were erected, already described, and an annual sum of £8,000, part of the rental of these, was appropriated to pay the cost of these buildings. The rental, as we have seen, is now approximating to £30,000.
A “charity dormitory” was fitted up by Count Ignatieff, with accommodation for some 250 houseless vagrants; but if all of this class who are present were to apply for admission, probably accommodation for 20,000 would be needed!
The mode of estimating the number of persons attending the fair is peculiarly ingenious. The bakers are required to make daily returns of the quantity of bread they sell, and in this manner an approximation is arrived at. Of those present at the fair, only about one in a hundred are female.