Between Prestige and Pragmatism : Soviet Customs Relations with Japanese Concessions in Sakhalin in the 1920s–1930s

• Main Author: Antonenko, Viktoriia
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 北海道大学大学院文学研究院北方研究教育センター
• Subjects: Japanese concession; Soviet customs; smuggling; the image of power; 300; Sakhalin
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2115/84599

This study makes use of Russian primary materials on smuggling to identify factors that defined the dynamics of the relations between Soviet customs authorities and the Japanese concessions in Sakhalin in the 1920s–1930s. I also describe the multilateral monitoring system placed over the foreign concessions by Soviet power, while adding to our knowledge of Sakhalinʼs Russian society by detailing the economic situation that made smuggling so widespread. The study of the monitoring system of the Soviet organizations over the Japanese concessions shows the dependence of the customs on the opinions and actions of the local institutions. Often, it was a contributing factor to the decision-making process of Sakhalin customs officials. Evaluation of the role of the concession supplies for the economic development of the Sakhalin region and its population clarifies the reason for the spread of the concession goods smuggling on the island. Based on analysis of unpublished archival sources, comparison of the positions of the customs officials at different levels of power made it possible to identify key motives that determined relations between Soviet customs and the Japanese concessions in the 1920s–1930s. My main finding is that the central and the local customs authorities often held divergent views on how to treat foreign concessions. An additional important result that stands in sharp contrast to previous research in this area by both Russian and Japanese scholars is my conclusion that the functioning of the concessions was largely insulated from the overall ups and downs of Japanese-Soviet relations, at least as far as customs matters were concerned.