Chapter 09

With the increase in factories in Moscow, there came a growth in population. Seeing this exponential growth, I decided to focus more on the development of the city, I asked my father to call upon engineering students from universities to create an efficient urban planning, I decided to invest some of my profits in creating wide concrete streets with large sewage tunnels underneath.

Cholera, the most common disease in large cities during this century, continued to plague populations around the globe for a long time, It was caused by microorganisms that infected water sources near areas of human waste.

The simple implementation of septic tanks or tunnels to redirect the waste away from the water sources used for consumption could prevent this disease, which had a high mortality rate during that time.

Reducing the mortality rate was a significant factor in the population growth of Moscow. For this reason, I decided to invest in a construction company to build houses and implement the idea of small residential buildings.

These homes would be sold to employees through a financing project where installments would be deducted in small portions from their factory salaries, this small implementation was enough for my father to be regarded as almost a saint in Moscow, after his death, the faithful would surely petition for his canonization to the Orthodox Patriarch of Moscow.

With the success of the stock exchange, it ended up attracting some nobles to create residences and mansions in Moscow, most nobles stayed in the capital, and Moscow was known at that time as the great village, with its inhabitants mostly being workers, serfs, or bourgeoisie, along with the beautification of the city and the arrival of some nobles, the reputation of the city began to change.

With the growth of the city, I also decided to implement a rudimentary tram system. Rails were laid on the roads, and horses pulled passenger cars that would travel on the tracks. This idea was widely used by workers and small traders who couldn't afford to buy their own wagons, the wealthier bourgeoisie who didn't want to mix with sweaty workers in the tram cars would use horse-drawn taxis for their solo travels.

The ports were also targets of investment, with the expansion of the coastal shipping system between the cities in the Volga basin the flow of production was greatly amplified, I even managed to secure some investment from my uncle for the creation of a canal from the Moscow River to the city of Tver, reducing the river route to the capital.

I invested in some ports in Kiev now that the Volga River route is more utilized and improved, expanding the reach of my product distribution to the Dnieper River. Kiev and Minsk would be my new targets for investments when I return to Moscow from my family trip to Berlin.