The Project of State Statistics Reform by A.M. Zolotarev in the Light of the International Statistical Congresses Decisions

The article examines how the outcome of international statistical congresses shaped A.M. Zolotarev (1853-1912) ideas regarding the reform of Russian state statistics. From 1903 to 1911 A.M. Zolotarev served as director of the Central Statistical Committee (CSC) of the Ministry of the Interior.

A draft reform prepared on his initiative was submitted to the State Duma in 1908 and then rejected by the State Council in 1910. The structure of state statistics in the A.M. Zolotarev project was consistent with the resolutions of international statistical congresses, mainly the 6th (Florentine) congress of 1867. The outcome of this congress was taken into consideration by the first head of the Central Statistical Bureau P.I. Popov (1872-1950) when establishing a centralized statistical system for Soviet Russia in 1918.

In this work the author used materials of the Russian State Historical Archive (RGIA). Although those documents date back to the beginning of the XX century the range of issues that they cover still interest both international statistical community and scholars in Russia. For instance, the statisticians discuss the organization of local statistical bodies, the issues of centralization and decentralization of the statistical system, the subordination of official statistics to other authorities and governing bodies. This article describes the historical context and aspects of establishing the statistical system in Russia and explores the influence of international practices on this process. In current conditions, this paper is relevant for defining directions for reforming the statistics system today.

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