March 30, 1867, exactly 145 years ago, the territory Russian Empire decreased by just over one and a half million square kilometers. By the decision of the emperor and autocrat of the Russian Alexander II, the territory of Alaska and the group of Aleutian Islands near it were sold to the United States of America. There are a lot of rumors around this deal to this day - “Alaska was not sold, but only leased. The documents are lost, so it is impossible to return it "," Catherine II the Great sold Alaska, because this is sung in the song of the Lube group, "the deal to sell Alaska must be invalidated, because the ship on which the gold was transported for payment sank" and etc. All the versions in quotes are complete nonsense (especially about Catherine II)! So now let's figure out how the implementation of Alaska actually took place and what caused this, seemingly not beneficial for Russia, transaction.
The territory of the Russian Empire before the sale of Alaska
The factual discovery of Alaska by Russian navigators I. Fedorov and M.S. Gvozdev happened in 1732, but officially it is considered to be opened in 1741 by Captain A. Chirikov, who visited it and realized to register the fact of its discovery. Over the next sixty years, the Russian Empire, as a state, was not interested in the discovery of Alaska - its territory was mastered by Russian merchants who actively bought furs from local Eskimos, Aleuts and Indians, and created Russian settlements in convenient bays of the Bering Strait coast, in which merchant ships waited non-navigable winter months.
Harbor of the Russian-American merchant company on the coast of Alaska
The situation changed somewhat in 1799, but only outwardly - the territory of Alaska officially began to belong to the Russian Empire as a discoverer, but the state was not interested in new territories. The initiative to recognize the ownership of the northern lands of the North American continent came, again, from Siberian merchants, who jointly issued documents in St. Petersburg and created a Russian-American company with monopoly rights to minerals and commercial production in Alaska. The main sources of income for merchants in the North American territories of Russia were coal mining, fur seal fishing and ... ice, the most common one supplied to the United States - the demand for Alaskan ice was stable and constant, because refrigeration units were invented only in the 20th century.
Until the middle of the 19th century, the state of affairs in Alaska did not interest the Russian leadership in any way - it is somewhere "near the devil on the kulichi", money for its maintenance is not required, there is no need to protect and maintain the military contingent for this, all issues are dealt with by Russian-American merchants companies that regularly paid taxes. And then from this very Alaska information comes that deposits of native gold have been found there ... Yes, yes, what did you think - Emperor Alexander II did not know that he was selling a gold mine? But no - he knew and was well aware of his decision! And why did he sell - now we'll figure it out ...
The initiative in the implementation of Alaska to the United States of America belonged to the emperor's brother, Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich Romanov, who served as head of the Russian Naval Staff. He suggested that his elder brother, the emperor, sell the "extra territory", because the discovery of gold deposits there will certainly attract the attention of England, the long-time sworn enemy of the Russian Empire, and Russia is unable to defend it, and there is really no military fleet in the northern seas. If England seizes Alaska, then Russia will receive absolutely nothing for it, otherwise it will be possible to bail out at least some money, save face and strengthen friendly relations with the United States. It should be noted that in the 19th century, the Russian Empire and the United States developed extremely friendly relations - Russia refused to help the West in regaining control over the North American territories, which infuriated the monarchs of Great Britain and inspired the American colonists to continue the liberation struggle.
Baron Eduard Andreevich Stekl
Negotiations on the sale of the territory of Alaska were entrusted to Baron Eduard Andreevich Stekl, the envoy of the Russian Empire to the United States. He was named an acceptable price for Russia - $ 5 million in gold, but Stekl decided to assign a higher amount to the American government, equal to $ 7.2 million. The idea of \u200b\u200bbuying the northern territory, albeit with gold, but with a complete absence of roads, deserted and characterized by a cold climate, was received by the American government of President Andrew Johnson without enthusiasm. Baron Steckle actively intrigued, bribing congressmen and editors of major American newspapers in order to create a favorable political climate for the land deal.
Signing of the agreement for the sale of Alaska
And his negotiations were crowned with success - on March 30, 1867, an agreement on the sale of the territory of Alaska to the United States of America took place and was signed by officials of both sides. Thus, the acquisition of one hectare of Alaska territory cost the US Treasury $ 0.0474 and for the entire territory equal to 1,519,000 square kilometers - $ 7,200,000 in gold (in terms of modern banknotes about $ 110 million). On October 18, 1867, the North American territories of Alaska were officially transferred into the possession of the United States, two months earlier Baron Steckle received a check for 7 million 200 thousand in US Treasury bonds, which he transferred to the London bank of the Baring brothers to the account of the Russian Emperor, withholding his commission of $ 21,000 and $ 165,000 he spent out of his own pocket on bribes (overhead costs).
Gold mine in Russian Alaska
According to some contemporary Russian historians and politicians, the Russian Empire made the mistake of selling Alaska. But the situation in the century before last was very, very difficult - the States were actively expanding their territory, annexing neighboring lands and following the doctrine of James Monroe from 1823. And the first big deal was the Louisiana Purchase - the acquisition of a French colony in North America (2,100 thousand square kilometers of inhabited and developed territory) from the French Emperor Napoleon I Bonaparte for a ridiculous 15 million dollars in gold. By the way, the states of Missouri, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska and significant territories of a number of other states of the modern United States are located in this territory today ... As for the former territories of Mexico - the territory of all the southern states of the United States - they were annexed for free.
Such is the story - it turns out that the sale of Alaska at that time was justified from the point of view of politics and economics ...
In 1867, Alaska ceased to be part of Russia. Until now, many people read this page of Russian history diagonally, giving rise to a lot of myths. Like the ones that Catherine II sold Alaska, and Russia leased Alaska. 7 secrets of selling Alaska.
Russia and America
By the time Alaska was sold, the friendship between Russia and America had reached its climax. During the Crimean War, America repeatedly stressed that if the borders of the conflict were expanded, it would not take an anti-Russian position. The Alaska sale was made in deep secrecy. Amazing, but with enough high level of the then intelligence, information was not leaked to third parties. The London Times wrote anxiously then about the mutual "mysterious sympathy" that existed between Russia and the United States. London's grievances and concerns were justified: the 1867 treaty not only made Russia and the United States close neighbors, but also allowed the Americans to surround British possessions in North America on all sides. At one of the dinner parties in honor of the Russian delegation, the American General Welbridge said: “Providence has indicated that there must be two great hemispheres, the Eastern and the Western. The first should be personified by Russia, and the second by the United States! " Of course, it was a good diplomatic game, but the fact remains: Russia has seriously supported America in its rise. The purchase of Alaska strengthened the United States, the money paid for it paid off in a short time, while the strategic plus for the United States from this transaction simply cannot be overestimated.
Narrow circle
The Alaska sale is unique in that it involved a very narrow circle. Only six people knew about the proposed sale: Alexander II, Konstantin Romanov, Alexander Gorchakov (Minister of Foreign Affairs), Mikhail Reitern (Minister of Finance), Nikolai Krabbe (Minister of the Navy) and Edaurd Stekl (Russian envoy to the United States). The fact that Alaska was sold to America became known only two months after the transaction. The Minister of Finance of Reuters is traditionally considered its initiator.
A year before the transfer of Alaska, he sent a special note to Alexander II, in which he pointed out the need for the strictest economy and stressed that for the normal functioning of the empire, a three-year foreign loan of 15 million rubles is required. in year. Thus, even the lower limit of the transaction amount set by Reuters at 5 million rubles could cover a third of the annual loan. In addition, the state annually paid subsidies to the Russian-American company; the sale of Alaska saved Russia from these expenses. The RAC did not receive a dime from the sale of Alaska.
Even before the historical note of the Minister of Finance, the idea of \u200b\u200bselling Alaska was expressed by the Governor-General of Eastern Siberia Muravyov-Amursky. He said that it would be in Russia's interests to improve relations with the United States in order to strengthen its positions on the Asian Pacific coast, to be friends with America against the British.
Alaska was a real gold mine for Russia. Literally and figuratively. One of the most expensive acquisitions of Alaska was the valuable sea otter fur, which was more expensive than gold, but due to the greed and shortsightedness of the miners, by the forties of the 19th century the valuable animals were practically destroyed. In addition, oil and gold were found in Alaska. Oil at that time was used for medicinal purposes, while the gold found in Alaska, ironically, became one of the incentives to sell Alaska as soon as possible.
American miners began to arrive in Alaska, and the Russian government quite rightly feared that American troops would follow the miners. Russia was not ready for war. To give Alaska without getting a penny for it was at least imprudent.
Mormons and creeping colonization
Ten years before the sale of Alaska, E.A. Glass in 1857 sent a dispatch to St. Petersburg, in which he outlined a rumor about the possible emigration of representatives of the religious sect of Mormons from the United States to Russian America, which American President George Buchanan himself hinted to in a joking manner ... Although it was only about rumors, Stekl wrote with alarm that in the event of a massive resettlement of American sectarians to Alaska, the Russian government would face an alternative: to provide armed resistance or to give up part of its territory.
In addition, there was a "creeping colonization", which consisted in the gradual resettlement of the British and Americans in the territory of Russian America and adjacent lands. IN in the early 1860s, British smugglers began to settle on Russian territory in the southern part of the Aleksandra arch, despite the formal prohibitions of the colonial administration.Sooner or later, this could lead to tensions and military conflicts.
On October 18, 1867, at 3.30 pm, the flag was changed on the flagpole in front of the house of the main ruler of Alaska. American and Russian troops lined up at the flagpole. At the signal, two non-commissioned officers began to lower the flag of the Russian-American company. The ceremony did not lose its degree of solemnity until the flag got tangled by the ropes at the very top, and the falin broke off. By order of the Russian commissar, several sailors rushed upstairs to unravel the flag, which hung on the mast in tatters. No sooner had they shouted from below to the sailor, who was the first to climb up to him, so that he would not throw the flag down, but dismount with him, when he threw it from above: the flag fell right on the Russian bayonets. Conspiracy theorists and mystics should rejoice in this place.
Edward Stekl played a significant role in the sale of Alaska. From 1850 he served as Chargé d'Affaires of the Russian Embassy in Washington, and in 1854 he took over as envoy. Stekl was married to an American woman and was deeply integrated into the highest circles of American society. Extensive contacts helped him to complete the deal, he actively lobbied the interests of his leadership. In order to persuade the US Senate to buy Alaska, he gave bribes and used all his connections.
Stekl was dissatisfied with his remuneration of 25 thousand dollars and an annual pension of 6 thousand rubles. Eduard Andreevich briefly arrived in St. Petersburg, but then left for Paris. Until the end of his life, he shunned Russian society, as it did his. After the sale of Alaska, Stekl had a bad name.
Where is the money, Zin?
The biggest secret of selling Alaska is the question: "Where is the money?" Stekl received a check in the amount of 7 million 035 thousand dollars - out of the initial 7.2 million, he kept 21 thousand for himself, and gave 144 thousand as bribes to senators who voted for the ratification of the treaty. 7 million was transferred to London by bank transfer, and from London to St. Petersburg the gold bars purchased for this amount were transported by sea.
When converting first into pounds, and then into gold, another 1.5 million was lost, but this was not the last loss. Barque Orkney, on board which was a precious cargo, sank on July 16, 1868 on the way to St. Petersburg. It is not known whether it contained gold at that time, or whether it did not leave the borders of Foggy Albion at all. The insurance company, which insured the ship and cargo, declared itself bankrupt, and the damage was only partially compensated.
Most likely, there was no gold at Orkney. During the search operation, it was not found. Where did it go - the main mystery of the sale of Alaska. There is a version that this money went to the purchase of materials for construction roads, but it is much more interesting to think that the money mysteriously disappeared, otherwise what kind of secret is it?
Alexey Rudevich
Russian tsars between Rurikovich and Romanov
Boris Fedorovich Godunov (c. 1552-1605), tsar from 1598. Promoted during the oprichnina; brother of the wife of Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich and the de facto ruler of the state under him. Strengthened the central government, relying on the nobility; intensified the enslavement of the peasants.
Fedor Borisovich Godunov (1589-1605), tsar in April-May 1605. Son of Boris Godunov. When approaching Moscow, False Dmitry I was overthrown and killed.
False Dmitry I (? -160b), tsar since 1605. Pretender (presumably Yuri Bogdanovich Otrepiev, in monasticism Grigory comes from a small noble family, a former boyar servant, a defrocked monk). In 1601 he appeared in Poland under the name of the son of Ivan IV the Terrible - Dmitry. In 1604, he crossed the Russian border with the Polish-Lithuanian detachments, was supported by part of the townspeople, Cossacks and peasants. Having become king, he tried to maneuver between the Polish and Russian feudal lords. Killed by the ramie conspirators.
Vasily IV Shuisky (1552-1612), king in 1606-1610. The son of Prince Ivan Shuisky. He headed the secret opposition to Boris Godunov, supported False Dmitry I, then entered into a conspiracy against him. Having become king, he suppressed the peasant uprising of I.I. Bolotnikov, intensified the enslavement of the peasants. Fighting the Polish invaders and False Dmitry II, he formed an alliance with Sweden, which led to the Swedish intervention. Deposed by Muscovites, died in Polish captivity.
House of Romanov
Mikhail Fedorovich (1596-1645), tsar since 1613. Son of Fyodor (in the monasticism of Filaret) Nikitich Romanov. Elected by the Zemsky Sobor. He gave the administration of the country to his father, Patriarch Filaret (until 1633), then to the boyars.
Alexey Mikhailovich (1629-1676), tsar since 1645. Son of tsar Mikhail Fedorovich. During the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich, the central power was strengthened and serfdom took shape (Sobornoye Ulozhenie 1649); Ukraine was reunited with the Russian state (1654); returned Smolensk, Seversk land, etc .; uprisings in Moscow, Novgorod, Pskov (1648, 1650, 1662) and the Peasant War under the leadership of S. T. Razin were suppressed; there was a split in the Russian Church.
Wives: Maria Ilyinichna Miloslavskaya (1625-1669), among her children Princess Sophia, the future tsars Fedor and Ivan V, Natalia Kirillovna Naryshkina (1651-1694) - mother of Peter I.
Fedor Alekseevich (1661-1682), tsar from 1676. Son of Alexei Mikhailovich from his first marriage with MI Miloslavskaya. Ruled under him various groups boyars. Household taxation was introduced, localism was abolished in 1682; the unification of the Left-Bank Ukraine with Russia was finally consolidated.
Ivan V Alekseevich (1666-1696), tsar from 1682. Son of Alexei Mikhailovich from his first marriage with MI Miloslavskaya. Painful and incapable of state activities, he was proclaimed tsar together with his younger brother Peter I; Until 1689, sister Sophia ruled for them, after her overthrow - Peter I.
Peter I Alekseevich (the Great) (1672-1725), tsar from 1682 (ruled from 1689), the first Russian emperor (from 1721). The youngest son of Alexei Mikhailovich - from his second marriage with N.K. Naryshkina. He carried out reforms of public administration (the Senate, collegia, bodies of supreme state control and political investigation were created; the church was subordinated to the state; the country was divided into provinces, a new capital was built - St. Petersburg). He pursued a policy of mercantilism in the field of industry and trade (the creation of manufactories, metallurgical, mining and other factories, shipyards, marinas, canals). He led the army in the Azov campaigns of 1695-1696, the Northern War of 1700-1721, the Prut campaign of 1711, the Persian campaign of 1722-1723, etc .; commanded troops during the capture of Noteburg (1702), in the battles at Lesnaya (1708) and near Poltava (1709). Supervised the construction of the fleet and the creation of a regular army. He contributed to the consolidation of the economic and political position of the nobility. On the initiative of Peter I, many educational institutions, the Academy of Sciences were opened, the civil alphabet was adopted, etc. The reforms of Peter I were carried out by cruel means, by extreme straining of material and human forces, oppression of the masses (per capita tax, etc.), which led to uprisings (Streletskoe 1698, Astrakhan 1705-1706, Bulavinskoe 1707-1709, etc.), mercilessly suppressed by the government. As the creator of a powerful absolutist state, he achieved recognition of the authority of a great power by the countries of Western Europe.
Wives: Evdokia Fedorovna Lopukhina, mother of Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich; Marta Skavronskaya, later Catherine I Alekseevna.
Catherine I Alekseevna (Marta Skavronskaya) (1684-1727), Empress from 1725. Second wife of Peter I. Erected to the throne by a guard headed by A. D. Menshikov, who became the de facto ruler of the state. The Supreme Privy Council was created under her.
Peter II Alekseevich (1715-1730), emperor from 1727. Son of Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich. In fact, AD Mentikov ruled the state under him, then the Dolgorukovs. He announced the cancellation of a number of transformations carried out by Peter 1.
Anna Ivanovna (1693-1740), Empress from 1730. Daughter of Ivan V Alekseevich, Duchess of Courland from 1710. Erected to the throne by the Supreme Privy Council. The de facto ruler under her was E. I. Biron.
Ivan VI Antonovich (1740-1764), emperor in 1740-1741. Great-grandson of Ivan V Alekseevich, son of Prince Anton Ulrich of Braunschweig. EI Biron ruled for the baby, then his mother Anna Leopoldovna. Overthrown by the guard, imprisoned; killed when V. Ya. Mirovich tried to free him.
Elizaveta Petrovna (1709-1761 / 62), Empress from 1741. Daughter of Peter I from marriage with Catherine I. She was enthroned by the Guard. She helped eliminate the dominance of foreigners in the government, nominated talented and energetic representatives from among the Russian nobility to government posts. The actual leader of domestic policy under Elizaveta Petrovna was PI Shuvalov, whose activities are associated with the abolition of internal customs and the organization of foreign trade; rearmament of the army, improvement of its organizational structure and control system. During the reign of Elizabeth Petrovna, the orders and organs created under Peter I were restored. The rise of Russian science and culture was facilitated by the establishment, on the initiative of MV Lomonosov, of Moscow University (1755) and the Academy of Arts (1757). The privileges of the nobles were strengthened and expanded at the expense of the serfs (distribution of land and serfs, the decree of 1760 on the right to exile peasants to Siberia, etc.). The peasants' protests against serfdom were brutally suppressed. The foreign policy of Elizabeth Petrovna, skillfully directed by Chancellor A.P. Bestuzhev-Ryumin, was subordinated to the task of fighting against the aggressive aspirations of the Prussian king Frederick II.
Peter III Fedorovich (1728-1762), Russian emperor from 1761. German prince Karl Peter Ulrich, son of Duke of Holstein-Gottorp Karl Friedrich and Anna - eldest daughter of Peter I and Catherine I. Since 1742 in Russia. In 1761 he made peace with Prussia, which nullified the results of the victories of the Russian troops in the Seven Years War. Introduced German orders in the army. Overthrown as a result of a coup organized by his wife Catherine, killed.
Ekaterina II Alekseevna (Great) (1729-1796), Russian empress from 1762. German princess Sophia Frederica Augusta of Anhalt-Zerbst. She came to power, overthrowing her husband with the help of the guards of Peter III. Issued the estate privileges of the nobles. Under Catherine II, the Russian absolutist state was significantly strengthened, the oppression of the peasants intensified, the Peasant War broke out under the leadership of E.I. Pugachev (1773-1775). The Northern Black Sea region, the Crimea, the North Caucasus, for the Padko-Ukrainian, Belarusian and Lithuanian lands (in three sections of the Commonwealth) were annexed. She pursued a policy of enlightened absolutism. From the late 80s - early 90s. actively participated in the struggle against the French Revolution; pursued free thought in Russia.
Pavel I Petrovich (1754-1801), emperor from 1796. Son of Peter III and Catherine II. He introduced a military-police regime in the state, and Prussian orders in the army; limited noble privileges. He opposed revolutionary France, but in 1800 formed an alliance with Bonaparte. Killed by conspirators and nobles.
Alexander I Pavlovich (1777-1825), emperor from 1801. The eldest son of Paul 1. At the beginning of his reign, he carried out moderate liberal reforms developed by the Secret Committee and M. M. Speransky. In foreign policy, he maneuvered between Great Britain and France. In 1805-1807 he participated in the anti-French coalitions. In 1807-1812 he temporarily became close to France. He fought successful wars with Turkey (1806-1S12) and Sweden (1808-1809). Under Alexander I, Eastern Georgia (1801), Finland (1809), Bessarabia (1812), Azerbaijan (1813), and the former Duchy of Warsaw (1815) were annexed to Russia. After Patriotic War 1812 in 1813-1814 headed the anti-French coalition of European powers. Was one of the leaders of the Vienna Congress 1814-1815 and organizers of the Holy Alliance.
Nikolay 1 Pavlovich (1796-1855), emperor from 1825. Third son of Emperor Paul I. Honorary member of the Petersburg Academy of Sciences (1826). He ascended the throne after the sudden death of Alexander I. He suppressed the Decembrist uprising. Under Nicholas I, the centralization of the bureaucratic algorithm was strengthened, the Third Section was created, the Code of Laws of the Russian Empire was drawn up, and new censorship statutes were introduced (1826, 1828). The theory of the official nationality became widespread. The Polish uprising of 1830-1831 was suppressed, the revolution in Hungary 1848-1849 - An important aspect of foreign policy was the return to the principles of the Holy Alliance. During the reign of Nicholas I, Russia took part in the Caucasian War of 1817-1864, the Russian-Persian War of 1826-1828, the Russian-Turkish War of 1828-1829, and the Crimean War of 1853-1856.
Alexander II Nikolaevich (1818-1881), emperor from 1855. Eldest son of Nicholas I. He carried out the abolition of serfdom and then carried out a number of other bourgeois reforms (zemstvo, judicial, military, etc.), which contributed to the development of capitalism. After the Polish uprising of 1863-1864, he switched to a reactionary internal political course. Since the end of the 70s. repressions against revolutionaries intensified. During the reign of Alexander II, the annexation of the Caucasus (1864), Kazakhstan (1865), and most of Central Asia (1865-1881) was completed. A number of attempts were made on the life of Alexander II (1866, 1867, 1879, 1880); killed by the People's Will.
Alexander III Aleksandrovich (1845-1894), emperor from 1881. Second son of Alexander II. In the 1st half of the 80s. in the conditions of the growth of capitalist relations, he abolished the poll tax and lowered the redemption payments. From the 2nd half of the 80s. carried out counter-reforms. Suppressed the revolutionary democratic and workers' movement, increased the role of the police and administrative arbitrariness. During the reign of Alexander III, the annexation of Central Asia to Russia was basically completed (1885), the Russian-French alliance was concluded (1891 -1893).
Nikolai II Alexandrovich (1868-1918), the last Russian emperor (1894-1917). Eldest son of Alexander III. His reign coincided with the rapid development of capitalism. Under Nicholas II, Russia was defeated in russo-Japanese War 1904-1905, which was one of the reasons for the revolution of 1905-1907, during which the Manifesto was adopted on October 17, 1905, which allowed the creation of political parties and established the State Duma; the Stolypin agrarian reform began to be carried out. In 1907, Russia became a member of the Entente, as part of which it entered the 1st World War. Since August 1915, the supreme commander. During the February Revolution of 1917, he abdicated the throne. He was shot with his family in Yekaterinburg.
Sale of Alaska, 1867. Who ruled in Russia at the time and who made the decision to sell the peninsula?
147 years have passed, and Russians still remember 1867 with an unkind word. Who ruled in Russia at the time? Who made such a short-sighted decision like the sale of the mineral and gold-rich Alaska Peninsula? How could it be so negligent to dispose of the country's wealth? There are a lot of questions, but the answers to them appear only over the years, because there are a lot of rumors and speculation around this case. According to some reports, Alaska was not sold, but just leased, but forgot to return it back, according to others, Catherine II the Great gave the territory to the Americans, according to others, the ship on which gold was brought from America sank, the documents disappeared, so the deal can be to be considered invalid. But what was it really like?
Discovery of territory by Russians
For the first time they learned about Alaska in 1732 thanks to the navigators M. Gvozdev and I. Fedorov, but the official date of the opening of the peninsula is 1841, since it was then that captain A. Chirikov registered the territory. The Russian Empire was not interested in this land, since it was uninhabited, located far away, and it was difficult to get there. Alaska was actively developed by Russian merchants who bought furs from the local population, a little later they began commercial mining and prospecting for minerals, and this continued until 1867. Who ruled in Russia at that time? Alexander II held the reins of government in his hands, but the tsar had many problems even without the peninsula, so it was mainly merchants who, together with American businessmen, created their own company for the extraction of resources. In Alaska, they mined coal, supplied ice and seals to the United States.
The decision to sell the peninsula
1867 was a landmark year in the history of Russia, it was then that its territory was reduced by 1.5 million km 2. Prince Konstantin Nikolaevich Romanov, brother of the emperor, recommended that the king get rid of Alaska. Minerals have been discovered on the peninsula, as well as gold deposits. Many sources talk about the ignorance of the Russian side about the resources of the territory, but this is not so. The emperor was well aware of how rich Alaska was, and he was also afraid of an attack by the British, because he had nothing to defend with. Alexander II ordered negotiations with the friendly United States to sell them the peninsula.
Negotiations with the American government
The year 1867 was approaching. Who ruled in Russia at that time was placed in very harsh conditions. Alexander II risked being left with nothing at all, because the appetites of the monarchs of Great Britain were huge. In the United States, the envoy of the Russian Empire was Baron Eduard Stekl, and he was instructed to conduct negotiations. Initially, the price was indicated for $ 5 million in gold, but the baron independently raised it to 7.2 million. The Americans did not really want to acquire the icy and uninhabited territory. Stekl distributed bribes, bribed newspapers that wrote laudatory articles about Alaska, in the end, the United States agreed to buy the peninsula.
Contemporaries and subsequent generations remember the year 1867 very well in the history of Russia. Who ruled the ball? It may seem to many that the emperor was influenced by his younger brother, but this is not so. Alexander II was well aware of the importance of his act, he simply had no other choice.
Did Russia make the right decision?
Now you can argue for a long time about the need to sell a huge piece of the country's territory, but you need to understand that it was 1867 then. Those who ruled in Russia understood perfectly well the precariousness of their position. Gold and minerals could attract enemies, including hostile Great Britain, and the Russian Empire had nothing to defend with, the territories were not fortified. Of course, $ 7.2 million for such a large and rich peninsula is an insignificant amount, but after all, Alexander II could have received nothing at all if the British had invaded there, and even lost his political face. Therefore, the sale of Alaska at that time was a completely justified act.
Alexander II
Alexander II Nikolaevich Romanov
Years of life: April 17 (29) 1818, Moscow - March 1 (13) 1881, St. Petersburg
Emperor of All Russia, Tsar of Poland and Grand Duke of Finland 1855-1881
From the Romanov dynasty.
Awarded a special epithet in Russian historiography - Liberator.
He is the eldest son of the imperial couple Nicholas I and Alexandra Feodorovna, daughter of the Prussian king Frederick Wilhelm III.
Biography of Alexander Nikolaevich Romanov
His father, Nikolai Pavlovich, at the time of his son's birth was the Grand Duke, and in 1825 he became the emperor. From an early age, his father began to prepare him for the throne, and considered "reigning" a duty. The mother of the great reformer, Alexandra Feodorovna, was a German woman who converted to Orthodoxy.
Received an education corresponding to his origin. His main mentor was the Russian poet Vasily Zhukovsky. He managed to educate the future tsar as an enlightened person, a reformer, not deprived of artistic taste.
According to numerous testimonies, in his youth he was very impressionable and amorous. During a trip to London in 1839, he fell in love with the young Queen Victoria, who later became for him the most hated ruler in Europe.
In 1834, a 16-year-old boy became a senator. And in 1835 a member 
Holy Synod.
In 1836, the heir to the throne received the military rank of major general.
In 1837 he set off on his first trip to Russia. He visited about 30 provinces, traveled to Western Siberia. And in a letter to his father he wrote that he was ready "to ascend for the work for which God intended me."
The years 1838 - 1839 were marked by travels across Europe.
On April 28, 1841, he married the princess of Hesse-Darmstadt Maximiliana Wilhelmina Augusta Sophia Maria, who received the name Maria Alexandrovna in Orthodoxy.
In 1841 he became a member of the State Council.
In 1842, the heir to the throne entered the Cabinet of Ministers.
In 1844 he was promoted to full general. For some time he even commanded the Guards infantry.
In 1849, he received the military educational institutions and the Secret Committees for the Peasant Affairs under his jurisdiction.
In 1853, at the beginning of the Crimean War, he commanded all the troops of the city.
Emperor Alexander 2
March 3 (February 19) 1855 became emperor. By accepting the throne, he accepted the problems of his father left behind. In Russia at this time was not resolved peasant question, the Crimean War was in full swing, in which Russia suffered constant setbacks. The new ruler had to carry out forced reforms.
March 30, 1856 emperor Alexander II concluded the Paris Peace, thereby ending the Crimean War. However, the conditions for Russia turned out to be unfavorable, it became vulnerable from the sea, it was forbidden to have naval forces in the Black Sea.
In August 1856, on the day of his coronation, the new emperor announced an amnesty to the Decembrists, and also suspended recruitment for 3 years.
Reforms of Alexander II
In 1857, the tsar intends to free the peasants "without waiting for them to free themselves." He set up a Secret Committee to deal with this matter. The result was the Manifesto on the emancipation of the peasantry from serfdom and the Regulation on peasants emerging from serfdom, issued on March 3 (February 19), 1861, according to which the peasants received personal freedom and the right to freely dispose of their property.
Among other reforms carried out by the tsar is the reorganization of educational and legal systems, the de facto abolition of censorship, the abolition of corporal punishment, the creation of zemstvos. Under him carried out:
- Zemskaya reform on January 1, 1864, on which issues of local economy, primary education, medical and veterinary services were entrusted to elective institutions - county and provincial zemstvo boards.
- The city reform of 1870 replaced the pre-existing estate city administrations with city councils elected on the basis of property qualifications.
- The Judicial Charter of 1864 introduced a unified system of judicial institutions, proceeding from the formal equality of all social groups before the law.
In the course of military reforms, a systematic reorganization of the army began, new military districts were created, a relatively harmonious system of local military command was created, a reform of the War Ministry itself was ensured, and operational command and control of troops and their mobilization were carried out. By the beginning of the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878. the entire Russian army was armed with the latest breech-loading rifled rifles.
During the educational reforms of the 1860s. a network of public schools was created. Together with the classical gymnasiums, real gymnasiums (schools) were created, in which the main emphasis was placed on teaching the natural sciences and mathematics. The published Charter of 1863 for higher educational institutions introduced partial autonomy of universities. In 1869, the first in Russia higher women's courses with a general educational program were opened in Moscow.
Imperial politics of Alexander II
He confidently and successfully pursued the traditional imperial policy. Victories in the Caucasian War were won in the first years of his reign. The advance to Central Asia was successfully completed (in 1865-1881, most of Turkestan became part of Russia). After a long resistance, he decided to go to war with Turkey in 1877-1878, in which Russia won.
On April 4, 1866, the first attempt on the life of the emperor took place. The nobleman Dmitry Karakozov shot him, but missed.
In 1866, 47-year-old Emperor Alexander II entered into an extramarital affair with a 17-year-old maid of honor, Princess Ekaterina Mikhailovna Dolgoruka. Their relationship lasted for many years, until the death of the emperor.
In 1867, the king, seeking to improve relations with France, negotiated with Napoleon III.
On May 25, 1867, there was a second assassination attempt. In Paris, Pole Anton Berezovsky shoots at the carriage where the tsar, his children and Napoleon III were. One of the officers of the French guard saved the rulers.
In 1867, Alaska (Russian America) and the Aleutian Islands were sold to the United States for $ 7.2 million in gold. The expediency of the acquisition of Alaska by the United States of America became evident 30 years later, when gold was discovered on the Klondike and the famous "gold rush" began. By a 1917 declaration of the Soviet government, it was announced that it did not recognize the agreements concluded by Tsarist Russia, so Alaska should belong to Russia. The sale agreement was carried out with violations, so there are still disputes about the ownership of Alaska by Russia.
In 1872, Alexander joined the Union of Three Emperors (Russia, Germany, Austria-Hungary).
The reign of Alexander 2
During his reign, a revolutionary movement developed in Russia. Students unite in various unions and circles, often sharply radical, while for some reason they saw the guarantee of the liberation of Russia only on condition of the physical destruction of the tsar.
On August 26, 1879, the executive committee of the Narodnaya Volya movement made a decision to assassinate the Russian Tsar. This was followed by 2 more assassination attempts: on November 19, 1879, an imperial train was blown up near Moscow, but again the emperor was saved by an accident. On February 5, 1880, an explosion occurred in the Winter Palace.
In July 1880, after the death of his first wife, he secretly married Dolgoruka in the church of Tsarskoe Selo. The marriage was morganatic, that is, unequal in gender. Neither Catherine nor her children from the emperor received any class privileges and the right of succession to the throne. They were awarded the title of the Most Serene Princes of Yuryevsky.
On March 1, 1881, the emperor was mortally wounded as a result of another attempt on the life of the People's Will I.I. Grinevitsky, who dropped the bomb, and died on the same day of blood loss.
Alexander II Nikolayevich went down in history as a reformer and liberator.
Was married twice:
First marriage (1841) with Maria Alexandrovna (01.07.1824 - 22.05.1880), nee Princess Maximiliana-Wilhelmina-Augusta-Sophia-Maria of Hesse-Darmstadt.
Children from first marriage:
Alexandra (1842-1849)
Nicholas (1843-1865), raised as heir to the throne, died of pneumonia in Nice
Alexander III (1845-1894) - Emperor of Russia in 1881-1894
Vladimir (1847-1909)
Alexey (1850-1908)
Mary (1853-1920), Grand Duchess, Duchess of Great Britain and Germany
Sergei (1857-1905)
Paul (1860-1919)
The second, morganatic, marriage to an old (since 1866) mistress, Princess Ekaterina Mikhailovna Dolgorukova (1847-1922), who received the title of Most Serene Princess Yuryevskaya.
Children from this marriage:
Georgy Alexandrovich Yurievsky (1872-1913), married to Countess von Tsarneckau
Olga Aleksandrovna Yurievskaya (1873-1925), married to Georg-Nikolai von Merenberg (1871-1948), the son of Natalia Pushkina.
Boris Alexandrovich (1876-1876), posthumously legalized with the assignment of the surname "Yuryevsky"
Ekaterina Alexandrovna Yurievskaya (1878-1959), married to Prince Alexander Vladimirovich Baryatinsky, and afterwards to Prince Sergei Platonovich Obolensky-Neledinsky-Meletsky.
Many monuments have been opened to him. In Moscow in 2005 at an open 
the inscription on the monument: “Emperor Alexander II. Abolished serfdom in 1861 and freed millions of peasants from centuries of slavery. He carried out military and judicial reforms. Introduced a system of local self-government, city councils and rural councils. Completed the long-term Caucasian War. He freed the Slavic peoples from the Ottoman yoke. He died on March 1 (13), 1881 as a result of a terrorist act. " There is also a monument in St. Petersburg made of gray-green jasper. In the capital of Finland, in Helsinki, in 1894 a monument to Alexander II was erected for strengthening the foundations of Finnish culture and recognizing the Finnish language as the state language.
In Bulgaria he is known under the name Tsar the Liberator. The grateful Bulgarian people for the liberation of Bulgaria erected many monuments to him and named streets and institutions throughout the country in his honor. And in modern times in Bulgaria during the liturgy in orthodox churches commemorated Alexander II and all Russian soldiers who died on the battlefield for the liberation of Bulgaria in the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878.
Who sold Alaska and why
On March 30, 1867, exactly 145 years ago, the territory of the Russian Empire decreased by just over one and a half million square kilometers. By the decision of the emperor and autocrat of the Russian Alexander II, the territory of Alaska and the group of Aleutian Islands near it were sold to the United States of America. Around this deal, there are many rumors to this day - “Alaska was not sold, but only leased. The documents are lost, so it is impossible to return it "," Catherine II the Great sold Alaska, because this is sung in the song of the Lube group, "the deal to sell Alaska should be invalidated, because the ship on which the gold was transported for payment sank" and etc. All the versions given in quotation marks are complete nonsense (especially about Catherine II)! So now let's figure out how the implementation of Alaska actually took place and what caused this, seemingly not beneficial for Russia, transaction.
The territory of the Russian Empire before the sale of Alaska
The factual discovery of Alaska by Russian navigators I. Fedorov and M.S. Gvozdev happened in 1732, but officially it is considered to be opened in 1741 by Captain A. Chirikov, who visited it and realized to register the fact of its discovery. Over the next sixty years, the Russian Empire, as a state, was not interested in the discovery of Alaska - its territory was mastered by Russian merchants who actively bought furs from local Eskimos, Aleuts and Indians, and created Russian settlements in convenient bays of the Bering Strait coast, in which merchant ships waited non-navigable winter months.
Harbor of the Russian-American merchant company on the coast of Alaska
The situation changed somewhat in 1799, but only outwardly - the territory of Alaska officially began to belong to the Russian Empire as a discoverer, but the state was not interested in new territories. The initiative to recognize the ownership of the northern lands of the North American continent came, again, from Siberian merchants, who jointly issued documents in St. Petersburg and created a Russian-American company with monopoly rights to minerals and commercial production in Alaska. The main sources of income for merchants in the North American territories of Russia were coal mining, fur seal fishing and ... ice, the most common one supplied to the United States - the demand for Alaskan ice was stable and constant, because refrigeration units were invented only in the 20th century.
Until the middle of the 19th century, the state of affairs in Alaska did not interest the Russian leadership in any way - it is somewhere "near the devil on the kulichi", money for its maintenance is not required, there is no need to protect and maintain the military contingent for this, all issues are dealt with by Russian-American merchants companies that regularly paid taxes. And then from this very Alaska information comes that deposits of native gold have been found there ... Yes, yes, what did you think - Emperor Alexander II did not know that he was selling a gold mine? But no - he knew and was well aware of his decision! And why did he sell - now we'll figure it out ...
Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich Romanov
The initiative in the implementation of Alaska to the United States of America belonged to the emperor's brother, Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich Romanov, who served as head of the Russian Naval Staff. He suggested that his elder brother, the emperor, sell the "extra territory", because the discovery of gold deposits there will certainly attract the attention of England, the long-time sworn enemy of the Russian Empire, and Russia is unable to defend it, and there is really no military fleet in the northern seas. If England seizes Alaska, then Russia will receive absolutely nothing for it, otherwise it will be possible to bail out at least some money, save face and strengthen friendly relations with the United States. It should be noted that in the 19th century, the Russian Empire and the United States developed extremely friendly relations - Russia refused to help the West in regaining control over the North American territories, which infuriated the monarchs of Great Britain and inspired the American colonists to continue the liberation struggle.
Baron Eduard Andreevich Stekl
Negotiations on the sale of the territory of Alaska were entrusted to Baron Eduard Andreevich Stekl, the envoy of the Russian Empire to the United States. He was named an acceptable price for Russia - $ 5 million in gold, but Stekl decided to assign a higher amount to the American government, equal to $ 7.2 million. The idea of \u200b\u200bbuying the northern territory, albeit with gold, but with a complete absence of roads, deserted and characterized by a cold climate, was received by the American government of President Andrew Johnson without enthusiasm. Baron Steckle actively intrigued, bribing congressmen and editors of major American newspapers in order to create a favorable political climate for the land deal.
Signing of the agreement for the sale of Alaska
And his negotiations were crowned with success - on March 30, 1867, an agreement on the sale of the territory of Alaska to the United States of America took place and was signed by officials of both sides. Thus, the acquisition of one hectare of Alaska territory cost the US Treasury $ 0.0474 and for the entire territory equal to 1,519,000 square kilometers - $ 7,200,000 in gold (in terms of modern banknotes about $ 110 million). On October 18, 1867, the North American territories of Alaska were officially transferred into the possession of the United States, two months earlier Baron Steckle received a check for 7 million 200 thousand in US Treasury bonds, which he transferred to the London bank of the Baring brothers to the account of the Russian Emperor, withholding his commission of $ 21,000 and $ 165,000 he spent out of his own pocket on bribes (overhead costs).
Gold mine in Russian Alaska
According to some contemporary Russian historians and politicians, the Russian Empire made the mistake of selling Alaska. But the situation in the century before last was very, very difficult - the States were actively expanding their territory, annexing neighboring lands and following the doctrine of James Monroe from 1823. And the first big deal was the Louisiana Purchase - the acquisition of a French colony in North America (2,100 thousand square kilometers of inhabited and developed territory) from the French Emperor Napoleon I Bonaparte for a ridiculous 15 million dollars in gold. By the way, the states of Missouri, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska and significant territories of a number of other states of the modern United States are located in this territory today ... As for the former territories of Mexico - the territory of all the southern states of the United States - they were annexed for free.
Such is the story - it turns out that the sale of Alaska at that time was justified from the point of view of politics and economics ...
And why is this story hidden or was it recently established?
According to fragmentary information that remained from school, I remember that they did not know about gold, otherwise they would not have sold Alaska.
Information about the sale of Alaska in Soviet textbooks was deliberately distorted - these are the freaks that the tsars were, they traded Russian land right and left! So to speak, in order to permanently discredit tsarism ...
The sale of Alaska is probably one of the biggest blunders of the Russian Empire, but as the author correctly noted, at that time they saw a certain benefit in such a deal. It is interesting that now there is still a myth that it is possible to challenge the sale of Alaska. Although I am 99% sure that this lost territory will never be returned.
Far from it! As I found out, the sale of Alaska was necessary at that time and the emperor acted quite wisely - it is better to bail out at least some banknotes for a distant territory than to lose it for free and at the same time lose a political face, which is even worse ...
Most people still have confidence about Ekaterina thanks to Lyuba. Thanks for the information. It was interesting to find out, but hands never reached the archives. We can now “take offense” at those actions, but we must perceive any historical process from the point of view of the time when it took place.
Interesting and informative, thank you.
We would have sold all of Russia then, that would be good for today's generation, and part of it is like chopping off a finger on a hand.
Wouldn't it be nice? Before the start of the debriefing with Alaska, he also believed that it was a miscalculation of the Russian autocrat, and, having figured it out, found out that he and his younger brother were still right - it is better to help out at least some banknotes than not get anything.
How we love to judge what happened a long time ago. After all, none of us was in the "shoes" of the people making this deal. Besides, we simply do not have the right to do so. But they had. It was not for us, but for them to think what to do with this ownerless land. In addition, one should not forget that Russia is not Japan, in Russia they have never been sensitive to every piece of land, of course, if it did not occupy a favorable geopolitical position. And this is understandable, because the territories are huge, and planes and mobile phones had not yet been invented. 😉
That's right, beauty, I completely agree with you.
Thanks for the interesting and informative article. I did not know this, or rather I knew the "school" version.
today. Russia is losing territory on the border with China. what to call THIS ?! and also, as it is not advertised ...
Does it really "lose"? If you are talking about the shallow Amur and the shifting of the border into the depths of Russian territory in the Far East, then it is high time to revise the old border treaties with China. And no more traces of "territorial losses" seem to be observed.
Once sold, then it was necessary. As they say, after a fight they don't wave their hands. Now the main thing is not to give up the Kuril Islands.
Thank you for the article!
A petition for a referendum on the return of Alaska to Russia appeared on the White House website yesterday.
Cool, but this is complete nonsense. What has been sold is not returned back. Crimea is one thing, Alaska is another thing.
I looked. Complete nonsense. After a fight, they don't wave their fists. And what is sold cannot be turned back. And the petition itself is shamefully drawn up. Someone from Budun wrote three and a half phrases and put them in an on-line translator. Do not dishonor and dishonor the country.
Lenin, having made a revolutionary seizure of power in Russia, declared:
“We don’t owe anyone, and no one owes us” to get rid of the debts of tsarist Russia. In 1967, the lease on the territory of Alaska expired, but the Leninist Communists, led by L.I. Brezhnev did not dare to demand Alaska "back" in spite of the declaration of the great leader of the proletariat. At the present time, one could disown the decisions of the communists, but Putin will not do this, and without Alaska he is in trouble. Therefore, such articles appear; it is not difficult to guess where the wind is blowing from.
Think narrowly, dear - strictly in the direction of “V.I. Lenin ”, very doubtful in fact. Alaska was sold long ago and no one will return it, and it is not necessary - in Siberia, the infrastructure has not really been created over the past 100 years.
The borders between Alaska and Canada were drawn only in 1903. This means that the size of the sold, 36 years before, Alaska, MAY DECREASE up to the ISLANDS LOCATED NEARBY, so do not worry and forget about this backwater
For some reason, no one looks at the political and economic situation at that time. Alexander II carried out liberal reforms, during which a type of economic crisis began in Russia. There was not enough money. War with Turkey is on the way. I read somewhere that the amount for Alaska approximately corresponds to the amount for which the war was started, i.e. any rearmament, etc. Because Alexander II was a reformer worse than our modern ones, reforms were widespread, including in the army. The territories then were not treated as reverently as they are now, because Russia was an empire, it took what was nearby and not quite nearby, then, on common thought, it sold what was not needed. During his reign, Central Asia was annexed, for which he was scolded by the then opposition (enough to feed Asia), the Caucasus, Bessarabia, and something else. In general, Russia then treated the territories as if they were shopping - we take this, we take this, then we will take this, and then we will sell something unnecessary. And we will change this for something useful - and changed the Kuriles to Sakhalin. So you always need to look at the context of that time - Alaska was not then a sacred native land, and so that something that can be sold is not a pity. Tidbits were also closer. America then methodically bought up territory for itself, not only from Russia. France, for example. And why is it all mysterious with the sale - if we accept that the money went to the military reform, then it was state. secret.
In 1867, according to documents, under Tsar Alexander II, Alaska was sold by the Russian Empire to the United States. In fact, the documents on the sale of Alaska covered the payment for the services of Russian sailors (assistance by a squadron of warships) to the US government. But in reality, Alaska and not only, the Russian Empire did not sell in 1867. This was the territory captured by the Russian Empire from the Slavic-Aryan empire of Great Tartary, already at its final collapse. They sailed and captured what they had from the west coast of North America (Alaska, Hawaiian and Aleutian Islands, California, Oregon). It was difficult for the Russian Empire to control such remote territories, and those who seized the territory of Great Tartary in North America from the east already began to claim the territory seized from Great Tartary on the west coast. Therefore, the Russian Empire was forced to cede all the lands seized from Great Tartary in North America to those who seized North America from the east coast.
For the first time I heard about the territory of nomads called "Tartaria" - thank you. As for the "payment for services" of the Russian fleet - this fact is unsubstantiated. And the fact of buying and paying for Alaska by the Americans is real and documented.
what nonsense: Russia was afraid that it would not protect Alaska from England, and the young USA were not afraid and were even ready to pay. Dolly assholes - I think this is the best explanation, who sold a territory comparable to Australia in size, and even cheaper in comparison with a cunning Frenchman who sold a French colony twice as expensive. In general, I am glad that we sold it: at least they won't torment the bears there, like our cattle in the North, all this is filmed and proud.
Um ... you obviously have little idea about the capabilities of the fleets of Great Britain and the Russian Empire in the 19th century. The American settlers defended in some way "their land" (albeit taken away earlier from the Indians), and the British wanted and could not carry on long ground operations against a well-armed and motivated enemy.
With regards to the size of the territory sold by the Russians and the French to the Americans, there was absolutely no infrastructure in Alaska, plus - it was near the devil on Easter cakes, but in the north. The French-American colonies were more expensive.
Oops, I made a mistake with the century - instead of 1741 I entered 1841. You are absolutely right, thank you for the amendment!
I then specified the date, and I realized - you just made a mistake for 100 years, described yourself, apparently.
By the way, you can hear a lot of nonsense in the songs: for example, according to Vysotsky, Cook was eaten in Australia, while he was killed in Hawaii, they did not even have time to eat - they dismembered, and only tried 🙂
What can I say, another scam, if there is gold, then the same Englishmen could be hired to protect the region. For gold, they are ready to cut each other.
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The year 1867 brought many photographs of the cities of the Russian Empire, primarily thanks to the remarkable light painter Mikhail Petrovich Nastyukov, who laid the foundations for a new genre of photography - a systematic survey of territories with their landscapes and architectural heritage. In the future, this genre will be continued and developed by such masters as Karelin, Dmitriev, Prokudin-Gorsky.
In 1866-1867. Nastyukov created and published the album “Types of localities along the Volga river from Tver to Kazan” - one of the earliest monuments of Russian landscape photography.
For most of the cities represented in it, these images were the earliest, at least among those that have come down to us.
View of the Volga embankment in Tver from the pontoon bridge, 1867:
No earlier photographs of the city are known.
The village of Kimry in 1867: 
Kalyazin in 1867: 
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The picture shows the very famous bell tower, which in our time has become the symbol of the entire "Russian Atlantis".
Male Trinity Monastery in Kalyazin, 1867: 
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Myshkin in 1867: 
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The town of Myshkin is the most successful tourist project in modern Russia. IN soviet time they were demoted to the village of "Myshkino", but the inhabitants, year after year, destroyed the letter "o" wherever possible - on a sign, signs, even in documents. In 1989, through Likhachev, they obtained from the central authorities the restoration of the previous status and name. In 2004 there were "only" 4 museums per 6 thousand population, in 2011 there were - already 22 museums! There are now more cruise ships moored there than in Uglich, the number of registered tourists alone exceeded 300 thousand per year. Who has not yet been - be sure to visit!
Uglich in 1867: 
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This species, fortunately, has hardly changed since then.
Mologa town in 1867: 
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The town of Mologa, as you know, was flooded during the creation of the Rybinsk reservoir and became another symbol of the "Russian Atlantis".
Rybinsk in 1867: 
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Assumption Cathedral in Yaroslavl, 1867: 
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The 17th century cathedral stood exactly where the city was founded. In 1937 it was blown up, a new cathedral was built for the anniversary for the money of a Moscow patron - twice as large, but without a bell tower, for now. UNESCO scolded terribly, almost threatened to withdraw the status of a World Heritage Site from the city, but many liked the newly built cathedral. Its huge golden domes are now visible from everywhere, creating a dominant typical for any Russian historical city.
Church of John the Baptist in Tolchkovo, 1867: 
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One of the most outstanding architectural monuments in Russia, "the diamond of Yaroslavl", which was awarded the status of a UNESCO World Heritage Site "personally", along with the entire historical center of the city.
The temple is depicted on a 1,000-ruble note, but its fate is relatively sad - it found itself on the outskirts of historical Yaroslavl, in a completely degraded area on the outskirts of the industrial zone. On both sides it is supported by a paint and varnish plant, on the third - a reinforced concrete bridge. The diamond ended up in a dung heap: - ((
The pearl of Yaroslavl is the Church of St. John Chrysostom in Korovniki, 1867: 
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Now this view is impossible to remove, since the cowsheds are terribly overgrown, like a forest. Both churches were handed over to the Old Believer community, and now they are slowly renovating. The area around gives the impression of devastation and desolation, the 1000th anniversary of the city has clearly passed by.
Yuryevets city on the Volga: 
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Nizhny Novgorod from the fair in 1867: 
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Continuation of the panorama to the left: 
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Nastyukov's series ends with a photograph of the Kremlin in Nizhny Novgorod, which dates back to 1868: 
In Simbirsk at that time another remarkable photographer, A. S. Murenko, continued his activity.
Fragment of a panorama of Simbirsk from the side of the Moscow tract, 1866-67: 
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Karamzinskaya square in Simbirsk, 1867: 
Bolshaya Saratovskaya street in Simbirsk, 1866-67: 
Since Ilyich was born in the city, not half of the churches were demolished in it, as usual, but almost everything (or just everything?).
Saratov street in Simbirsk, 1867: 
In 1867, the earliest (of the known to me) pictures of Ufa was made: 
Someone did not fail to slap the picture with their logo. If someone knows a non-spoiled version - please let me know, I will replace it.
In the same 1867 (or a little earlier), three interesting pictures of Vitebsk were taken.
View of the city through the Dvina: 
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Some sources date this photograph to about 1867, but it was probably taken even earlier, since there is no bridge over the Dvina built in 1866-67 in the frame.
A small temple with an onion dome is the oldest temple in the city, the Annunciation Church of the 12th century, blown up in 1961, restored in the forms of the 12th century in 1993-1998.
A magnificent shot of the City Hall Square in Vitebsk in 1867: 
Both temples were blown up, one of them (left) was recently rebuilt.
A steam locomotive is being dragged across the bridge over the Dvina in Vitebsk to check the strength of the newly built bridge, 1867: 
1867 marked with one of the most remarkable photo panoramas in the history of Russia - a circular view from the Cathedral of Christ the Savior:
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Unfortunately, I do not know the name of the enthusiast who did a great job of gluing this panorama, but I would like to express my gratitude and admiration to him.
Photographic overview of the cities of the Russian Empire in the 1860s. will be completed in one of the nearest posts with an impressive series of photographs dated from 1861 to 1869, among them many views of Kiev and the oldest photographs of Minsk.
Unfortunately, the exact year of the creation of these works is not known, perhaps someone from the readers will help to concretize it.
147 years have passed, and Russians still remember 1867 with an unkind word. Who ruled in Russia at the time? Who made such a short-sighted decision like the sale of the mineral and gold-rich Alaska Peninsula? How could it be so negligent to dispose of the country's wealth? There are a lot of questions, but the answers to them appear only over the years, because there are a lot of rumors and speculation around this case. According to some reports, Alaska was not sold, but just leased, but forgot to return it back, according to others, Catherine II the Great gave the territory to the Americans, according to others, the ship on which gold was brought from America sank, the documents disappeared, so the deal can be to be considered invalid. But what was it really like?
Discovery of territory by Russians
For the first time they learned about Alaska in 1732 thanks to the navigators M. Gvozdev and I. Fedorov, but the official date of the opening of the peninsula is 1841, since it was then that captain A. Chirikov registered the territory. The Russian Empire was not interested in this land, since it was uninhabited, located far away, and it was difficult to get there. Alaska was actively developed by Russian merchants who bought furs from the local population, a little later they began commercial mining and prospecting for minerals, and this continued until 1867. Who ruled in Russia at that time? Alexander II held the reins of government in his hands, but the tsar had many problems even without the peninsula, so it was mainly merchants who, together with American businessmen, created their own company for the extraction of resources. In Alaska, they mined coal, supplied ice and seals to the United States.
The decision to sell the peninsula
1867 was a landmark year in the history of Russia, it was then that its territory was reduced by 1.5 million km 2. Prince Konstantin Nikolaevich Romanov, brother of the emperor, recommended that the king get rid of Alaska. Minerals have been discovered on the peninsula, as well as gold deposits. Many sources talk about the ignorance of the Russian side about the resources of the territory, but this is not so. The emperor was well aware of how rich Alaska was, and he was also afraid of an attack by the British, because he had nothing to defend with. Alexander II ordered negotiations with the friendly United States to sell them the peninsula.
Negotiations with the American government
The year 1867 was approaching. Who ruled in Russia at that time was placed in very harsh conditions. Alexander II risked being left with nothing at all, because the appetites of the monarchs of Great Britain were huge. In the United States, the envoy of the Russian Empire was Baron Eduard Stekl, and he was instructed to conduct negotiations. Initially, the price was indicated for $ 5 million in gold, but the baron independently raised it to 7.2 million. The Americans did not really want to acquire the icy and uninhabited territory. Stekl distributed bribes, bribed newspapers that wrote laudatory articles about Alaska, in the end, the United States agreed to buy the peninsula.
Contemporaries and subsequent generations remember the year 1867 very well in the history of Russia. Who ruled the ball? It may seem to many that the emperor was influenced by his younger brother, but this is not so. Alexander II was well aware of the importance of his act, he simply had no other choice.
Did Russia make the right decision?
Now you can argue for a long time about the need to sell a huge piece of the country's territory, but you need to understand that it was 1867 then. Those who ruled in Russia understood perfectly well the precariousness of their position. Gold and minerals could attract enemies, including hostile Great Britain, and the Russian Empire had nothing to defend with, the territories were not fortified. Of course, $ 7.2 million for such a large and rich peninsula is an insignificant amount, but after all, Alexander II could have received nothing at all if the British had invaded there, and even lost his political face. Therefore, the sale of Alaska at that time was a completely justified act.
Alexander II
Alexander II Nikolaevich Romanov
Years of life: April 17 (29) 1818, Moscow - March 1 (13) 1881, St. Petersburg
Emperor of All Russia, Tsar of Poland and Grand Duke of Finland 1855-1881
From the Romanov dynasty.
Awarded a special epithet in Russian historiography - Liberator.
He is the eldest son of the imperial couple Nicholas I and Alexandra Feodorovna, daughter of the Prussian king Frederick Wilhelm III.
Biography of Alexander Nikolaevich Romanov
His father, Nikolai Pavlovich, at the time of his son's birth was the Grand Duke, and in 1825 he became the emperor. From an early age, his father began to prepare him for the throne, and considered "reigning" a duty. The mother of the great reformer, Alexandra Feodorovna, was a German woman who converted to Orthodoxy.
Received an education corresponding to his origin. His main mentor was the Russian poet Vasily Zhukovsky. He managed to educate the future tsar as an enlightened person, a reformer, not deprived of artistic taste.
According to numerous testimonies, in his youth he was very impressionable and amorous. During a trip to London in 1839, he fell in love with the young Queen Victoria, who later became for him the most hated ruler in Europe.
In 1834, a 16-year-old boy became a senator. And in 1835 a member Holy Synod.
In 1836, the heir to the throne received the military rank of major general.
In 1837 he set off on his first trip to Russia. He visited about 30 provinces, traveled to Western Siberia. And in a letter to his father he wrote that he was ready "to ascend for the work for which God intended me."
The years 1838 - 1839 were marked by travels across Europe.
On April 28, 1841, he married the princess of Hesse-Darmstadt Maximiliana Wilhelmina Augusta Sophia Maria, who received the name Maria Alexandrovna in Orthodoxy.
In 1841 he became a member of the State Council.
In 1842, the heir to the throne entered the Cabinet of Ministers.
In 1844 he was promoted to full general. For some time he even commanded the Guards infantry.
In 1849, he received the military educational institutions and the Secret Committees for the Peasant Affairs under his jurisdiction.
In 1853, at the beginning of the Crimean War, he commanded all the troops of the city.
Emperor Alexander 2
March 3 (February 19) 1855 became emperor. By accepting the throne, he accepted the problems of his father left behind. In Russia at that time the peasant question was not resolved, the Crimean War was in full swing, in which Russia suffered constant failures. The new ruler had to carry out forced reforms.
March 30, 1856 emperor Alexander II concluded the Paris Peace, thereby ending the Crimean War. However, the conditions for Russia turned out to be unfavorable, it became vulnerable from the sea, it was forbidden to have naval forces in the Black Sea.
In August 1856, on the day of his coronation, the new emperor announced an amnesty to the Decembrists, and also suspended recruitment for 3 years.
Reforms of Alexander II
In 1857, the tsar intends to free the peasants "without waiting for them to free themselves." He set up a Secret Committee to deal with this matter. The result was the Manifesto on the emancipation of the peasantry from serfdom and the Regulation on peasants emerging from serfdom, issued on March 3 (February 19), 1861, according to which the peasants received personal freedom and the right to freely dispose of their property.
Among other reforms carried out by the tsar is the reorganization of educational and legal systems, the de facto abolition of censorship, the abolition of corporal punishment, the creation of zemstvos. Under him carried out:
In the course of military reforms, a systematic reorganization of the army began, new military districts were created, a relatively harmonious system of local military command was created, a reform of the War Ministry itself was ensured, and operational command and control of troops and their mobilization were carried out. By the beginning of the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878. the entire Russian army was armed with the latest breech-loading rifled rifles.
During the educational reforms of the 1860s. a network of public schools was created. Together with the classical gymnasiums, real gymnasiums (schools) were created, in which the main emphasis was placed on teaching the natural sciences and mathematics. The published Charter of 1863 for higher educational institutions introduced partial autonomy of universities. In 1869, the first in Russia higher women's courses with a general educational program were opened in Moscow.
Imperial politics of Alexander II
He confidently and successfully pursued the traditional imperial policy. Victories in the Caucasian War were won in the first years of his reign. The advance to Central Asia was successfully completed (in 1865-1881, most of Turkestan became part of Russia). After a long resistance, he decided to go to war with Turkey in 1877-1878, in which Russia won.
On April 4, 1866, the first attempt on the life of the emperor took place. The nobleman Dmitry Karakozov shot him, but missed.
In 1866, 47-year-old Emperor Alexander II entered into an extramarital affair with a 17-year-old maid of honor, Princess Ekaterina Mikhailovna Dolgoruka. Their relationship lasted for many years, until the death of the emperor.
In 1867, the king, seeking to improve relations with France, negotiated with Napoleon III.
On May 25, 1867, there was a second assassination attempt. In Paris, Pole Anton Berezovsky shoots at the carriage where the tsar, his children and Napoleon III were. One of the officers of the French guard saved the rulers.
In 1867, Alaska (Russian America) and the Aleutian Islands were sold to the United States for $ 7.2 million in gold. The expediency of the acquisition of Alaska by the United States of America became evident 30 years later, when gold was discovered on the Klondike and the famous "gold rush" began. By a 1917 declaration of the Soviet government, it was announced that it did not recognize the agreements concluded by Tsarist Russia, so Alaska should belong to Russia. The sale agreement was carried out with violations, so there are still disputes about the ownership of Alaska by Russia.
In 1872, Alexander joined the Union of Three Emperors (Russia, Germany, Austria-Hungary).
The reign of Alexander 2
During his reign, a revolutionary movement developed in Russia. Students unite in various unions and circles, often sharply radical, while for some reason they saw the guarantee of the liberation of Russia only on condition of the physical destruction of the tsar.
On August 26, 1879, the executive committee of the Narodnaya Volya movement made a decision to assassinate the Russian Tsar. This was followed by 2 more assassination attempts: on November 19, 1879, an imperial train was blown up near Moscow, but again the emperor was saved by an accident. On February 5, 1880, an explosion occurred in the Winter Palace.
In July 1880, after the death of his first wife, he secretly married Dolgoruka in the church of Tsarskoe Selo. The marriage was morganatic, that is, unequal in gender. Neither Catherine nor her children from the emperor received any class privileges and the right of succession to the throne. They were awarded the title of the Most Serene Princes of Yuryevsky.
On March 1, 1881, the emperor was mortally wounded as a result of another attempt on the life of the People's Will I.I. Grinevitsky, who dropped the bomb, and died on the same day of blood loss.
Alexander II Nikolayevich went down in history as a reformer and liberator.
Was married twice:
First marriage (1841) with Maria Alexandrovna (01.07.1824 - 22.05.1880), nee Princess Maximiliana-Wilhelmina-Augusta-Sophia-Maria of Hesse-Darmstadt.
Children from first marriage:
Alexandra (1842-1849)
Nicholas (1843-1865), raised as heir to the throne, died of pneumonia in Nice
Alexander III (1845-1894) - Emperor of Russia in 1881-1894
Vladimir (1847-1909)
Alexey (1850-1908)
Mary (1853-1920), Grand Duchess, Duchess of Great Britain and Germany
Sergei (1857-1905)
Paul (1860-1919)
The second, morganatic, marriage to an old (since 1866) mistress, Princess Ekaterina Mikhailovna Dolgorukova (1847-1922), who received the title of Most Serene Princess Yuryevskaya.
Children from this marriage:
Georgy Alexandrovich Yurievsky (1872-1913), married to Countess von Tsarneckau
Olga Aleksandrovna Yurievskaya (1873-1925), married to Georg-Nikolai von Merenberg (1871-1948), the son of Natalia Pushkina.
Boris Alexandrovich (1876-1876), posthumously legalized with the assignment of the surname "Yuryevsky"
Ekaterina Alexandrovna Yurievskaya (1878-1959), married to Prince Alexander Vladimirovich Baryatinsky, and afterwards to Prince Sergei Platonovich Obolensky-Neledinsky-Meletsky.
Many monuments have been opened to him. In Moscow in 2005 at an open the inscription on the monument: “Emperor Alexander II. Abolished serfdom in 1861 and freed millions of peasants from centuries of slavery. He carried out military and judicial reforms. Introduced a system of local self-government, city councils and rural councils. Completed the long-term Caucasian War. He freed the Slavic peoples from the Ottoman yoke. He died on March 1 (13), 1881 as a result of a terrorist act. " There is also a monument in St. Petersburg made of gray-green jasper. In the capital of Finland, in Helsinki, in 1894 a monument to Alexander II was erected for strengthening the foundations of Finnish culture and recognizing the Finnish language as the state language.
In Bulgaria he is known under the name Tsar the Liberator. The grateful Bulgarian people for the liberation of Bulgaria erected many monuments to him and named streets and institutions throughout the country in his honor. And in modern times in Bulgaria, during the liturgy in Orthodox churches, Alexander II and all Russian soldiers who died on the battlefield for the liberation of Bulgaria in the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878 are commemorated.
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When Russia sold Alaska to America
Historians and geographers often pay attention to how the territory of countries increases. Most scientists compare the regions that were annexed to the state, determine the weakening or strengthening of the state based on the territories that were lost or acquired after the war. History is also replete with numerous examples of land exchanges as a result of treaties or land transfers as a result of a judgment by an international arbitration tribunal, or as a result of an agreement between two states after re-demarcation of the boundaries between them. But in the end, all that remains is to observe the state, which acquires land and, on the contrary, loses it.
The best evidence of the truth of this claim is what happened between Tsarist Russia and the United States in the second half of the 19th century, when the Russian Empire sold Alaska to the United States, which covers an area of \u200b\u200bmore than 586,412 square miles, which is the equivalent of approximately 1,518,800 square kilometers. The deal was valued at $ 7.2 million in gold, at two cents per acre in the currency of the day. This agreement was concluded 150 years ago on March 30, 1867. Historians differ on the reasons that prompted the Russian Emperor Alexander II to conclude this deal and abandon a significant part of Russian territories. At the same time, they note that US Secretary of State William Henry Seward negotiated the purchase of these lands with an eye to the future, and thanks to him, the US is now a strong state.
Many historians attribute to the reasons for the sale of the territory of Alaska by Emperor Alexander II the defeat that his country suffered in the war, which later became known as the Crimean War. It was attended by the Russian Empire on the one side and Great Britain, France and the Ottoman Empire on the other side from 1853 to 1856. As a result of this war, Russia lost its fleet. In addition, Emperor Alexander II feared that Great Britain would seize this territory (Alaska) due to the inability of the Russian state to defend it. At the time, Russia offered the United States, an enemy of Great Britain, to buy Alaska in 1860, but the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861 halted negotiations and the deal fell through. After the end of the American Civil War, Russia resumed negotiations on the sale of Alaska in December 1866, which was seized upon by US Secretary of State William Seward. After a series of negotiations, on March 29, 1867, an agreement was signed on the sale of Alaska between the representative of the Russian government, Baron Eduard von Steckl and the US Secretary of State, William Steward.
However, there was another reason that prompted Emperor Alexander II to conclude a deal to sell Alaska: a serious economic crisis. A crisis that forced the government to take out a £ 15 million loan from the Rothschild Bank to compensate the landlords after the 1861 serf emancipation decree. When the government was unable to repay this loan, the option of selling Alaska was one of the ways out of this economic crisis.
There is no doubt that even 150 years after the conclusion of this deal, it is still of interest to researchers and historians, more than any other deal concluded by the United States, including even the purchase of Louisiana territory from France in 1803, whose the area is equivalent to the area of \u200b\u200bAlaska. But this purchase was about twice as expensive as the purchase of Alaska. Currently, there is strong competition between Russia and America, and Washington feels safe thanks to the acquisition of Alaska, which is now one of the US states. However, if this territory continued to be part of the Russian state, then this would pose a direct threat to the national security of the United States. At the same time, Russian strategists mourn the loss of this land, which would undoubtedly change the balance of power in favor of Moscow in the international game. Some experts believe that if Russia continued to dominate Alaska, it would be on its territory that intercontinental missiles would be installed, and not in Cuba, as happened in 1961. And then the United States would not have been able to move its navy and establish a naval blockade of Cuba, forcing Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev to remove Russian missiles from its territory. This is one of the reasons that led to the removal of Khrushchev from his post. Undoubtedly, there are still many questions, but the “judgment of history” will eventually become clear who won from this deal and for whom it turned out to be the biggest loss.
History of the sale of Alaska to the USA in 1867
On August 1, 1868, the Russian chargé d'affaires in Washington, Baron Eduard Andreevich Stekl, received a check for $ 7.2 million from the Treasury of the North American United States. This financial transaction put an end to the largest land sale transaction in the history of the world. Russian colonies on the North American continent with an area of \u200b\u200b1519 thousand square meters. km, according to the treaty signed on March 18 (30), 1867, passed under the sovereignty of the United States. The official ceremony for the transfer of Alaska took place even before the receipt of the check on October 18, 1867. On this day, in the capital of Russian settlements in North America, Novoarkhangelsk (now the city of Sitka), under an artillery salute and during a parade of the military of the two countries, the Russian flag was lowered and the American flag raised. Alaska Day is celebrated in the USA on October 18. In the state itself, the day of the signing of the Treaty on March 30 is considered an official holiday.
For the first time, the idea of \u200b\u200bselling Alaska was expressed in a very delicate and highly secret form by the Governor General of Eastern Siberia Nikolai Muravyov-Amursky on the eve of the Crimean War of 1853-1856. In the spring of 1853, Muravyov-Amursky presented a note to Nicholas I, in which he detailed his views on the need to strengthen Russia's position in the Far East and the importance of close relations with the United States.
His reasoning boiled down to the fact that the question of ceding Russian overseas possessions to the United States would sooner or later be raised, and Russia would not be able to defend these remote territories. The Russian population in Alaska was then, according to various estimates, from 600 to 800 people. There were about 1.9 thousand Creoles, and a little less than 5 thousand Aleuts. This territory was inhabited by 40 thousand Tlingit Indians who did not consider themselves subjects of Russia. For the development of an area of \u200b\u200bmore than 1.5 million square meters. km, so remote from the rest of Russian lands, the Russians were clearly not enough.
Authorities in St. Petersburg reacted to Muravyov's note with approval. The proposals of the Governor General of Eastern Siberia to strengthen the position of the empire in the Amur Region and on the island of Sakhalin were studied in detail with the participation of the General Admiral, Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich and members of the board of the Russian American Company. One of the concrete results of this work was the order of the emperor dated April 11 (23), 1853, which allowed the Russian American company “to occupy the island of Sakhalin on the same grounds as it owned other lands mentioned in its privileges in order to prevent any foreign settlements ".
The main supporter of the sale of Russian America was the younger brother of Alexander II, Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich. General state Finance of Russia, despite the reforms carried out in the country, deteriorated, and the treasury needed foreign money.
Negotiations to acquire Alaska from Russia began in 1867 under President Andrew Johnson (1808-1875) at the urging of Secretary of State William Seward. On December 28, 1866, at a special meeting in the ceremonial hall of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, which was a decision was made to sell Russian holdings in North America. At 4 a.m. on March 30, 1867, an agreement was signed on the sale of Alaska by Russia to the United States of America for $ 7.2 million (11 million royal rubles). Among the territories ceded by Russia to the United States under the treaty on the North American continent and the Pacific Ocean were: the entire Alaska Peninsula, a coastal strip 10 miles wide south of Alaska along the western coast of British Columbia; the Alexander archipelago; Aleutian Islands with Attu Island; islands Blizhnie, Krysi, Lisyi, Andreyanovskie, Shumagina, Trinity, Umnak, Unimak, Kodiak, Chirikova, Afognak and other smaller islands; islands in the Bering Sea: St. Lawrence, St. Matthew, Nunivak and the Pribilov Islands - Saint Paul and Saint George. Together with the territory, all immovable property, all colonial archives, official and historical documents related to the transferred territories were transferred to the United States.
Most researchers agree that the agreement to sell Alaska was a mutually beneficial result of the implementation of American geopolitical ambitions and the sober decision of Russia to focus on the development of the Amur and Primorye regions, annexed to the Russian Empire in 1860. In America itself, at that time, there were few people willing to acquire a huge territory, which opponents of the deal called a reserve for polar bears. The US Senate ratified the treaty with only a majority of one vote. But when gold and rich mineral resources were discovered in Alaska, the deal was hailed as a major achievement by President Andrew Johnson's administration.
The very name Alaska appeared when the purchase agreement passed through the US Senate. Then Senator Charles Sumner, in his speech in defense of the acquisition of new territories, following the traditions of the indigenous population of the Aleutian Islands, gave them a new name Alaska, that is, "Big Land".
In 1884, Alaska received the status of a district, in 1912 it was officially declared a territory of the United States. In 1959, Alaska became the 49th state in the United States. In January February 1977, an exchange of notes took place between the governments of the USSR and the United States, confirming that the "western border of the ceded territories" provided for by the 1867 treaty, passing in the Arctic Ocean, the Chukchi and Bering Seas, is used to delimit areas of jurisdiction of the USSR and the United States in the field of fishing in these sea areas. After the collapse of the USSR, the Russian Federation became the legal successor of the international agreements concluded by the Union.
