The Steamers of the Merchant I.I. Bodalev: The arguments for the shipbuilding and his shipping company on the izhevsk pond

Abstract

Available in the registers and ship lists of the early XX century, the indication of the place of construction of some of the steamers “Izhevsk’s Plant”, although noted by some authors, but so far remained without proper comments. Based on the analysis of the office documentation of Izhevsk’s Plants, it was concluded that it is impossible at this enterprise to shipbuilding not reflected in the documentation. In this regard, it was concluded that the existing indications of the construction site of the “Izhevsk’s Plant” do not refer to the “Izhevsk’s Arms and Steel Plants”, but to the settlement – the village of Izhevsk’s Plant. The most likely candidate for the Izhevsk private steamer is the merchant I.I. Bodalev (senior). Earlier, analyzing his activities at the brewery, N.P. Ligenko concluded that Bodalev gradually began to take control of all technological chains, from the production of raw materials to the transportation of finished products. And since at the end of the 19th century, Bodalev also began to actively take contracts for the supply of firewood, other raw materials and components to the Izhevsk’s plants, his failed attempt to monopolize water transport and shipbuilding on the Izhevsk pond seems logical. Izhevsk’s plants entered into a competitive struggle with Bodalev and as a result, by the beginning of the 20th century, ousted him to the Kama. Based on the analysis of photographs, archival documentation and information from periodicals, it was concluded that it is possible to build at least three steamers by Bodalev on the Izhevsk pond: “Izhevsk”, “Maria” and “Pchelka”. A comparative analysis of the ship architecture of the available photographs showed that all the steamers were built according to a standard design, although, judging by the office documentation, they differed in dimensions. All ships had a rather dubious innovation in the form of removable machines and boilers that could be used outside of navigation ashore. Shortly before, or soon after, the death of I.I. Bodalev (senior), two steamers were transported to the Kama and sold. "Pchelka" was owned by the “Izhevsk trade and industrial partnership”, which belonged to the son of I.I. Bodalev – I.I. Bodalev (junior), and in 1915 it was sold to the Izhevsk’s plants. Thus, Izhevsk’s plants became a monopoly of river transportation on the Izhevsk Pond.