SHUYA, one of the chief centres of the cotton industry in middle Russia, is a district town in the government of Vladimir, 68 miles north-east of the town of Vladimir. A branch railway connects it with the Novki station of the railway from Moscow to Nijni-Novgorod. The town is built on the high left bank of the navigable Teza, a tributary of the Klazma, with two suburbs on the right bank. Annalists mention princes of Shuya in 1403. Its first linen manufactures were established in 1755; but in 1800 its population did not exceed 1500. Its growth began only with the development of the cotton industry in central Russia, and since then has been rapid; in 1882 it had 19,560 inhabitants, as against 10,440 in 1870. Of these about 10,000 live by the manufactures, and only a few keep to agriculture and gardening. In 1881 the output of twelve cotton-mills was valued at £442,160 for various cotton stuffs and £48,000 for cotton yarn. Tanneries, especially for the preparation of sheep-skins—widely renowned throughout Russia—still maintain their importance, although this industry has migrated to a great extent to the country districts. The products of its manufactories are chiefly sent to Moscow and Nijni-Novgorod. The town is mainly built of wood. Its cathedral (1799) is a large building, with five gilt cupolas. Shuya has also two gymnasia, for boys and girls, besides a progymnasium for girls, and several secondary and primary schools....
The surrounding district is also important for its manufactures. The village of Ivanovo-Voznesensk, north of Shuya, with a population of more than 19,000 inhabitants, employed 11,329 workmen in its 39 manufactories in 1881, and showed a return of £1,939,950 (£1,700,000 for cottons and the remainder for chemicals and machinery). Teikovo and Kokhma are two other centres of manufacture, —the whole production of the manufactories within the district (exclusive of Shuya and Ivanovo) being estimated at £630,000. These figures, of course, do not include any statistics of the petty trades carried on side by side with agriculture. Nearly every village has a specialty of its own,—bricks, pottery (Menschikovo), wheels, toys packing-boxes, looms and other weaving implements, house furniture, sieves, combs, boots, gloves, felt goods, candles, and so on The manufacture of linen and cotton in villages, as well as the preparation and manufacture of sheepskins and rough gloves, occupies about 40,000 peasants. The Shuya merchants carry on an active trade in these products all over Russia, and in corn, spirits, salt, and other food stuffs, which are imported to a great extent. In 1880 the imported goods reached 1,613,000 cwts. (1,208,000 by rail), and the exports 1,318,000 cwts., chiefly by the Teza.
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