The development of engineering in Russia in the second half of the 18th century

Abstract

The article highlights some aspects of the development of engineering in the Russian Empire in the second half of the 18th century. Attention is drawn to some of the problems that hindered the development of engineering in Russia and negatively affected the state of the Russian engineering corps. The author focuses on the fact that an important component of the activities of the engineering department was the monitoring of the condition of fortresses and other fortifications designed to defend and protect the borders and territory of the state from the actions of the armies of a potential enemy. It is believed that during the period under review, one of the reasons that negatively affected engineering was the systematic underfunding of the engineering corps and the inefficient allocation of funds allocated for its maintenance, as well as the fact that the main management body of the engineering corps did not have independence and was subordinate to the Generalfeldzeichmeisters, who were not always sufficiently knowledgeable in matters of engineering and art. Persons invested with the rank of field marshal were entrusted simultaneously with the administrative authority for both the artillery and engineering departments. It is concluded that during the second half of the 18th century, only the serf part remained more or less directly subordinate to the higher engineering chiefs. Previously unpublished archival and other poorly studied sources are introduced into scientific circulation.