Activity of Yaroslavl city self-government on the organization of tram traffic in the city at the end of the XIX-beginning of the XX century

Introduction. The article is devoted to the study of the activities of the Yaroslavl City Duma and the city council on the construction of a city tram in the late XIX-early XX century, during the most active development of the urban economy of Russian cities. Materials and methods. The research is based on the analysis of published and unpublished sources: reports of the Yaroslavl City Council and journals of the Yaroslavl City Duma, periodicals, office records and funds of the State Archive of the Yaroslavl region. Chronological, comparative-historical, historical-system methods were used in the work. Results. The opening of the Yaroslavl tram dates back to 1900, although in many provincial cities the tram already existed by that time. The contract for the construction of the Yaroslavl tram was signed with the Belgian society of French-Russian workshops. The importance of the tram for city self-government bodies is evidenced by the existence and active activity of the tram commission under the city government. The members of the commission were engaged in carrying out inspections of the condition of the cars, resolving issues on the implementation of new tram lines, modernization of old ones. Conclusion. The opening of the Yaroslavl tram in 1900 was an important event of city life. Despite the fact that the owners of the tram were Belgian entrepreneurs, the municipal authorities played a significant role in its organization and operation. From the very beginning of the appearance of the tram, the actions of the Belgian society were put under the control of the tram commission of the city council. A significant disadvantage of the Yaroslavl tram during the period under consideration in the work was that private entrepreneurs accumulated profits from its operation, and several initiatives put forward in the city Duma to buy the tram to the city treasury remained unfulfilled.