Marxist historians often claim that pre-revolutionary Russia was a backward country and that the provinces lacked technology. However, if they had carefully studied pre-revolutionary newspapers, they would likely have noticed the advertisement for an agricultural machinery store on Moskovskaya Street, 107.

This store opened in 1915, in the midst of World War I, which was not the best time for the country. The founder was the Economic Trade and Industrial Society, which offered a variety of agricultural machinery, primarily of domestic production. The range included gasoline-powered mowers, seeders, straw cutters, and even a locomobile, a special machine for transporting heavy equipment, a kind of iron horse. Additionally, the society sold spare parts for agricultural machinery. Thus, the assertion of Russia's technological backwardness is not accurate. The only issue might have been the high cost of machinery, accessible only to landowners or wealthy peasants. But even today, not everyone can afford an expensive car.

Overall, agriculture in Russia was at a fairly high level. The empire ranked first in grain exports and second in oil exports, which brought significant income to the country.