XIX century

   Azov Sea was very important for Russia of the XIX century due, on one side, the abundance of the fish, but on the other - the ever-increasing trade across the sea. The average annual number of entering the harbor of the Azov Sea ships were in the years 1866-1871 in the amount of 2,662 pieces. with a total tonnage of 362,951 tons. More than half of them were from Taganrog, 558 in Berdyansk, Kerch at 296, 263 in Mariupol. Coastal boats in the sea came 6807, gone - 6832. At this time, the Russian merchant fleet consisted of the Azov Sea 1210 ships with a total tonnage 40,658.

   More active trading on the Azov Sea was developed in connection with the construction of rail lines:

   Taganrog two railways (in Kharkov and Voronezh) was connected to the rest of the Russian Empire;

   The railway from the roll in Tsaritsyn (now - Volgograd) - achieved a direct connection between the Don and the Volga;

   Built railway station from Berdyansk Chaplin (1899).

   Also located above the delta of the Don Rostov receipt harbors were - Taganrog, Mariupol and Berdyansk.

   Flows of the Azov Sea basin

   Active linear swimming at rudnougolnoy line between the ports of Mariupol and Poti. Transported from Mariupol Donetsk coal to meet the needs of the South Caucasus, but in the opposite direction Chiatura manganese ore at the plant "Iron & Steel Works. Donetsk coal is also transported to the ports of the Danube, Iljichiovsk, Kherson and Nikolayev, in the opposite direction manganese and iron ore is transported from Kherson and Nikolayev in Mariupol. For a long time there was a regular line of transportation between the sinter-Scirpus Burun (Kerch) and Mariupol. On this line the first time in world practice has been mastered the vessels carrying hot sinter at 600.