This article examines the process of initiating the opening of the State Bank branches in Yuryevets and Puchezh, Kostroma province in 1916—1917. As part of its activities, the State Bank actively developed the network of its institutions by creating bank branches and offices in provincial and district cities. Often the initiators of such openings were local entrepreneurs and merchants. They did believe that their activities would contribute to the further development of local entrepreneurship. In turn, the Board of the State Bank also sought to strengthen its position in places where industry and trade were concentrated. To make an informed decision the State Bank additionally requested information about the economic, commercial and industrial situation of the corresponding city or town. Based on it, the State Bank either positively resolved the issue of the branch opening, or postponed such a decision until better times. Examples of the implementation of this approach of the State Bank to the development of the banking system include its actions to consider petitions from the Yuryevets city and Puchezh town heads, arguing for the need to create the bank branches in Yuryevets and Puchezh. These petitions, in addition to justifying the need of the opening of the branches, also contained very valuable historical information about the commercial and industrial state of Yuryevets and Puchezh. However, in both cases, the State Bank, despite weighty arguments, rejected the petitions, justifying its refusal by the difficulties of finding qualified personnel for new branches in war conditions, the presence of nearby cities with more developed trade and industry, etc.
For citation: Kovrov T.A., Okolotin V.S. About the initiations of the opening of the branches of the State Bank in Yuryevets and Puchezh in 1916—1917, Ivanovo State University Bulletin, Series: Humanities, 2024, iss. 2, pp. 79—89.