Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition/Taganrog

TAGANROG, a seaport of southern Russia, on the northern shore of the Sea of Azoff, in the government of Ekaterinoslaff, and nearly 200 miles south-east of its chief town. It is built, principally of wood, on a low cape, and, with its extensive store-houses, exchange, and wholesale shops, has the aspect of an important commercial city. It is well provided with educational institutions for children, and has a library and a theatre. The imperial palace, where Alexander I. died in 1825, and the Greek monastery (under the patriarch of Jerusalem) are worthy of notice. The advantageous situation of Taganrog was well known as early as the 13th century, when Pisan merchants founded there a colony, Portus Pisanus, which, however, was destined soon to disappear during the great migrations of the Mongols and Turks. An attempt to obtain possession of the promontory was made by Peter I., but it was not definitely annexed by the Russians until seventy years afterwards (1769). Its commercial importance dates from the second half of the present century; in 1870 its population had risen to 38,000, and after it had been brought into railway connexion with Kharkoff and Voronezh, and thus with the fertile provinces of south and south-east Russia, the increase was still more rapid, the number reaching 63,025 in 1882,—Greeks, Jews, Armenians, and West-Europeans being important elements. Notwithstanding the disadvantages of its open roadstead, the foreign trade of Taganrog rapidly expanded, the annual value of the exports having recently reached £2,500,000. The chief article of export being corn, the trade of the city, depending on the crops in south Russia, is subject to great fluctuations. Linseed and other oil-bearing grains are also important articles of commerce, as well as tallow and butter. The imports, which consist chiefly of fruits (dried and fresh), wine, oil, and coffee, are much smaller than the exports; and of the 989 ships (499,500 tons) that entered the port in 1885 no fewer than 775 (446,500 tons) were in ballast. The coasting trade, chiefly with Rostoff, was .represented in the same year by 1321 vessels (224,000 tons) entering and 1343 vessels clearing.

The roadstead of Taganrog is very shallow, and exposed to winds which cause great variations in the height of the water ; it is, moreover, rapidly silting up. At the quay the depth of water is only 8 to 9 feet, and large ships have to lie 6 to 13 miles from the town.

Taganrog, with the surrounding territory of 137,000 acres, having a population of nearly 30,000, living in a dozen villages, constitutes a separate township, and, though reckoned to the Rostoff district of Ekaterinoslaff, has a separate governor and administration.