Methodological and semantic features the use of the term "chemical industry" in relation to some pre-revolutionary enterprises

Fan-Yung G. Y.

In this article, we tried to briefly outline our own approaches to the study of advanced and high-tech chemical industries that existed in pre-revolutionary Russia, based mainly on the works of Academician D.I. Mendeleev and Professor M.I. Tugan-Baranovsky. A set of methodological problems that a researcher encounters when studying this branch of the domestic industry is briefly outlined. The term "chemical industry" is specified, the most important features of an advanced science-intensive chemical enterprise of the pre-revolutionary era are scientifically substantiated and listed. An objective relationship between the state of the production sphere of the enterprise and the volume of social benefits provided by its owner to employees is substantiated. Criticized are, firstly, attempts to "deteorietize" historical science, turning it into a "repository" of abstract facts; secondly, the desire to swap the social “superstructure” and the economic “basis” in order to justify the dominance of ideological doctrines, subjective in nature, over objectively existing economic realities. Significant mistakes made by researchers in their works are summarized, recommendations on research methods in this area are presented.

Keywords:Methodology of historical research, pre-revolutionary chemical industry, social policy of the company, Kazan plant of the Krestovnikov brothers firm.