Professor Paul Salveson is a historian and writer and lives in Bolton. He is visiting professor in Worktown Studies at the University of Bolton and author of several books on Lancashire history A fascinating aspect of Bolton’s role as a major centre of textile engineering was its strong links with pre-revolutionary Russia. During the second half of the 19th century Bolton engineering firms helped to equip Russia’s emerging cotton industry. It wasn’t just machinery that Bolton exported – it was also people. The story has yet to be told in full, but this article is a start, which I hope will stimulate further recollections from readers who may have had family connections with Russia.