Establishment of State Military Horse Breeding in Russia in 18th-19th Centuries: Pochinkovsky Stud Farm

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study of the formation of the state military horse breeding in Russia in the 18th-19th centuries on the example of Pochinkovsky stud farm. Data on history of origin in this region of horse-breeding activity are presented. The authors dwell on the characteristics of the architectural complex of the stud farm, infrastructure developed in its territory, provide data on the quantitative composition of factory employees and the administration, indicating their rights and obligations. Special attention is paid to the analysis of methods of selection work, breeds of horses, quality of their service. It is proved that high performance of Pochinkovsky stud farm was determined by the favorable climatic conditions, a century of experience in equine activities, significant funding from the state, as well as a high degree of operation of peasants assigned to it. It is emphasized that the creation of a network of military stud farms like Pochinkovsky was one of the government’s measures to strengthen the military power of the Russian Empire. The novelty of the research is due to its contribution to the development of scientific ideas about the role of the Pochinkovsky stud farm in Russian life during the 18th-19th centuries and its influence on the economic structure of the Pochinkovsky County and Nizhny Novgorod province as a whole.