The Power Beneath the Caspian: Baku’s Oil and Its Impact on Tsarist Russia

Before Pennsylvania or the Middle East, Baku was the world’s oil capital. Its 1846 well sparked an industry that fueled empires, transformed economies, and reshaped society. Yet prosperity brought pollution, inequality, and political unrest. From imperial reforms to revolutionary collapse, Baku’s story reveals how energy can build, and destabilize a nation.

Russia & FSUAnastasia BozhenovaDecember 11, 2025Energy, History, Oil Industry, Global Economy, Industrialization, Economic Development, Baku, Pollution, Environment, Geopolitics, World War 1, Caspian Sea