The Fishing Trade among the Cossacks of the Volga Host

Abstract

The article presents the results of the first dedicated study in the history of emergence and development of fishing trade among the Cossacks of the Volga host. The author pinpoints the factors that were conducive to the growth of fishing among the Volga Cossacks: Cossacks’ traditions, naturalen vironmental conditions, geographical location, economic privileges, and the specific kind of the host’s activities. The author argues that fishing was most significant in the economic lifestyle of the Volga Cossack host as it had a commodity value and brought high profits.