On the early stages of telephoning in the Nalchik District at the beginning of the 20th century

The article is devoted to the study of the early stages of the Nalchik District's telephoning in the early 20th century. The study is based on the examination of explanatory notes by the head of the Vladikavkaz telephone network, estimates for the installation of telephone communication in the Nalchik District, reports from the Terek Regional Administration on the technical support of the Nalchik District's telephone network, resolutions of the rural communities of the Nalchik District's 3rd district on connecting the settlements of the district to each other and to the village of Nalchik, and correspondence between the Terek Regional Administration and the head of the Nalchik District on these issues. It is noted that the study of this process in the Nalchik District in the early 20th century allows us to assess the degree of its economic integration into the all-Russian space, identify the role of the state and social capital in the development of regional infrastructure, etc. It has been established that in the second half of the 1900s, the telephoning of the Nalchik District was an important issue in the socio-political discourse and required careful preparation, including the development of projects, the determination of the geographical and technical parameters of the network, the improvement of communication quality, the use of outdated legal acts, the search for funding sources, etc. It is concluded that at that time, the telephoning of the Nalchik District was a complex task that required significant efforts at all levels of government and public participation. This process was not just a technical project, but an important element of socio-political discourse that reflected the desire to modernize and improve the region's infrastructure.