Trans-Siberian Railway as the Russo-Chinese part of the Trans-Siberian Railway, connecting Russia with China and providing a shorter route to Vladivostok. A Russian staff and administration based in Harbin operated it. Siberian agriculture began to send cheap grain westwards beginning around 1869. Agriculture in Central Russia was still under economic pressure after the end of serfdom, which was formally abolished in 1861. To defend the central territory and prevent possible social destabilisation, the Tsarist government introduced the Chelyabinsk tariff-break (Челябинский тарифный перелом) in 1896, a tariff barrier for grain passing through Chelyabinsk, and a similar barrier in Manchuria. This measure changed the
Jubilee Medal "100 Years of the Trans-Siberian Railway" Jubilee Medal "100 Years of the Trans-Siberian Railway" The Jubilee Medal "100 Years of the Trans-Siberian Railway" () is a state commemorative medal of the Russian Federation created to denote the 100th anniversary of the Trans-Siberian Railway. It was established on June 27, 2001 by Presidential Decree № 777. The Jubilee Medal "100 Years of the Trans-Siberian Railway" is awarded to employees of the railways who worked flawlessly in the industry for 20 years or more, as well as to other citizens of the Russian Federation who have made a significant contribution to the development of the Trans-Siberian railway. Presidential