The Activities of Customs Offices in Yalta Uyezd of Taurida Governorate in the Second Half of the 19th – Early 20th Centuries

This article examines the history of customs operations in Yalta Uyezd of Taurida Governorate in the second half of the 19th century. Based on archival documents (some of them are being introduced into scientific circulation for the first time), the article traces the main stages of the customs structures on the Southern Coast of Crimea: the Yalta customs outpost (which later received the status of customs) and the Alushta customs transit point. One of the distinctive features of their operations was the emergence of the Crimean Riviera as one of the most attractive resort regions of the Russian Empire in the second half of the 19th century, which led to a significant influx of Russian citizens for recreation and medical treatment. This was followed by the active development of the entire resort infrastructure of the Southern Coast of Crimea as well as an increase in the volume of trade transactions conducted through the customs offices located there. The documents on their establishment, staff, and activities, reports and dispatches from representatives of the regional administration, lists of employees and other materials studied by the author made it possible to carry out a comprehensive analysis of the activities of these bodies. The specific features of their administrative communications and the content of business correspondence with higher-level agencies were revealed. The information on trade turnover, the powers of customs officials, and their activities was ascertained. The information on measures taken against individuals deemed politically unreliable by the authorities, goods prohibited from import into the empire, and organization of anti-smuggling measures was obtained. The information on the control and accounting of export-import transactions conducted through the Yalta customs office and the Alushta customs transit point was analyzed.