Czechoslovak Republic in the Foreign Trade of Soviet Ukraine in 1920-1922

Abstract

The article describes the circumstances under which the Soviet Ukraine established trade relations with Czechoslovakian Republic in the early 1920’s. The analysis of historiography of this scientific problem recovered the absence of the researches in modern Ukrainian historical science on the relations between Czechoslovakia and Soviet Ukraine in the early 1920’s. It’s established that the source database, including archival documents, allows a comprehensive answer to the task in the study. The contractual legal framework, organizational forms of trade activities of the Soviet Ukraine in Czechoslovakia have been clarified. It is stated that the inability to compete with the Germans in the Russian market caused the Czechoslovakians’ great interest in the Ukrainian market. There was a positive experience of Czechoslovakian-Ukrainian economic relations even before the First World War, which was to guarantee the resumption of trade relations between the countries in the early 1920s. This had been facilitated by shipping on the Danube to the Black Sea. 'Trade Representative Office' considered the logistics of trade (demanded goods, ways of delivery, placement of warehouses, sanitary and technical control). Persons of sales representatives were established (Y. Novakovsky, M. Lomovsky, I. Girsa, V. Benesh). The role of the Soviet Ukraine 'Trade Representative Office' in Prague in the foreign trade activities of the Ukrainian Socialist Soviet Republic is revealed. The place of the Czechoslovakian market in the export and import operations of Soviet Ukraine has been determined. The interest of Czechoslovakian traders in Ukrainian raw materials, namely flax, hemp, wool and leather was noted. It is stated that the trade representatives of the Soviet Ukraine were exploring the possibility of selling other raw materials on the Czechoslovakian market, namely iron ore, coal, etc. It is found that the trading company has purchased in large quantities flour (wheat, rye), sugar (refinement, sand) and cereals (wheat, barley, rye, peas, oats). The Czechoslovakian traders and entrepreneurs were particularly interested in forming «mixed partnerships» with the Ukrainians (supplying railway equipment, making file sheets, production of medicines, glass and porcelain). Czechoslovakians also sought to obtain a concession for tractor cultivation of lands in Ukraine. At the same time, participation in the Ukrainian-Czechoslovakian trade «Vokoopspilka» was revealed. The participation of the Soviet Ukraine at the Prague International Exhibition in 1922 was covered, which became its first participation in international exhibitions.