Nikolay Semenov

After the destructive wars and revolutions of 1914-1920, the revival of transport in Russian cities began with the meeting of concerned specialists at the 1922 All-Russia Tram Conference. Extant sources reveal a dramatic contrast between the approaches to the organization of ur ban transit before and after the revolution of 1917 and illustrate both stronger and weaker sides of the socialist economy. One of the main results of the conference - the development and introduction of standard tramcars - anticipated subsequent inter national trends. The experience of the 1922 and five later Tram Congresses may pro vide a useful lesson also for the contemporary chaotic situation with city transit, after several years of neglect amidst rising demands.