On March 18/30, 1867, Alaska and the Aleutian Islands were sold by Alexander II to the United States.

On October 18, 1867, in the capital of Russian America, in common parlance - Alaska, the city of Novoarkhangelsk, an official transfer ceremony took place Russian possessions on the American continent into the possession of the United States of America. Thus ended the history of Russian discoveries and economic development of the northwestern part of America.Since then, Alaska has been a US state.

Geography

Country name translated from Aleutian "a-la-as-ka" means "Big Land".

Alaska territory includes into yourself Aleutian Islands (110 islands and many rocks), Alexandra Archipelago (about 1,100 islands and rocks, the total area of ​​which is 36.8 thousand km²), St. Lawrence Island (80 km from Chukotka), Pribilof Islands , Kodiak Island (the second largest US island after the island of Hawaii), and huge continental part . The islands of Alaska stretch for almost 1,740 kilometers. The Aleutian Islands are home to many volcanoes, both extinct and active. Alaska is washed by the Arctic and Pacific oceans.

The continental part of Alaska is a peninsula of the same name, approximately 700 km long. In general, Alaska is a mountainous country - there are more volcanoes in Alaska than in all other US states. The highest peak in North America is Mount McKinley (6193m altitude) is also located in Alaska.

McKinley is the most high mountain USA

Another feature of Alaska is the huge number of lakes (their number exceeds 3 million!). About 487,747 km² (more than the territory of Sweden) is covered by swamps and permafrost. Glaciers cover about 41,440 km² (which corresponds to the territory of the whole of Holland!).

Alaska is considered a country with a harsh climate. Indeed, in most areas of Alaska the climate is arctic and subarctic continental, with harsh winters, with frosts down to minus 50 degrees. But the climate of the island part and the Pacific coast of Alaska is incomparably better than, for example, in Chukotka. On the Pacific coast of Alaska, the climate is maritime, relatively mild and humid. The warm stream of the Alaska Current turns here from the south and washes Alaska from the south. The mountains block northern cold winds. As a result, winters in coastal and island Alaska are quite mild. Subzero temperature It happens very rarely in winter. The sea in southern Alaska does not freeze in winter.

Alaska has always been rich in fish: salmon, flounder, cod, herring, edible species shellfish and marine mammals were found in abundance in coastal waters. On the fertile soil of these lands, thousands of species of plants suitable for food grew, and in the forests there were many animals, especially fur-bearing animals. This is precisely why Russian industrialists sought to move to Alaska with its favorable natural conditions and richer fauna than in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk.

Discovery of Alaska by Russian explorers

The history of Alaska before its sale to the United States in 1867 is one of the pages of the history of Russia.

The first people came to Alaska from Siberia about 15-20 thousand years ago. At that time, Eurasia and North America were connected by an isthmus located on the site of the Bering Strait. By the time the Russians arrived in the 18th century, the native inhabitants of Alaska were divided into Aleuts, Eskimos and Indians belonging to the Athabaskan group.

It is assumed that The first Europeans to see the shores of Alaska were members of Semyon Dezhnev's expedition in 1648 , who were the first to sail through the Bering Strait from the Icy Sea to the Warm Sea.According to legend, Dezhnev’s boats, which had gone astray, landed on the shores of Alaska.

In 1697, the conqueror of Kamchatka Vladimir Atlasov reported to Moscow that opposite the “Necessary Nose” (Cape Dezhnev) in the sea there was a large island, from where in winter the ice “foreigners come, speak their own language and bring sables...” Experienced industrialist Atlasov immediately determined that these sables differ from Yakut ones, and for the worse: “Sables are thin, and those sables have striped tails the size of a quarter of an arshin.” It was, of course, not about a sable, but about a raccoon - an animal unknown in Russia at that time.

However, at the end of the 17th century, Peter’s reforms began in Russia, as a result of which the state had no time to open new lands. This explains a certain pause in the further advance of the Russians to the east.

Russian industrialists began to be attracted to new lands only at the beginning of the 18th century, as fur reserves in eastern Siberia were depleted.Peter I immediately, as soon as circumstances allowed, began organizing scientific expeditions in the northern part of the Pacific Ocean.In 1725, shortly before his death, Peter the Great sent Captain Vitus Bering, a Danish navigator to explore the sea shores of Siberia Russian service. Peter sent Bering on an expedition to explore and describe the northeastern coast of Siberia . In 1728, the Bering expedition rediscovered the strait, which was first seen by Semyon Dezhnev. However, due to fog, Bering was unable to see the outlines of the North American continent on the horizon.

It is believed that The first Europeans to land on the shores of Alaska were members of the crew of the ship St. Gabriel. under the command of surveyor Mikhail Gvozdev and navigator Ivan Fedorov. They were participants Chukotka expedition 1729-1735 under the leadership of A.F. Shestakov and D.I. Pavlutsky.

Travelers landed on the coast of Alaska on August 21, 1732 . Fedorov was the first to mark both banks of the Bering Strait on the map. But, having returned to his homeland, Fedorov soon dies, and Gvozdev ends up in Bironov’s dungeons, and the great discovery of the Russian pioneers remains unknown for a long time.

The next stage of the “discovery of Alaska” was Second Kamchatka expedition famous explorer Vitus Bering in 1740 - 1741 The island, the sea and the strait between Chukotka and Alaska - Vitus Bering - were subsequently named after him.

The expedition of Vitus Bering, who by this time had been promoted to captain-commander, set off for the shores of America from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky on June 8, 1741 on two ships: “St. Peter” (under the command of Bering) and “St. Paul” (under the command of Alexei Chirikov). Each ship had its own team of scientists and researchers on board. They crossed the Pacific Ocean and July 15, 1741 discovered the northwestern coast of America. The ship's doctor, Georg Wilhelm Steller, went ashore and collected samples of shells and herbs, discovered new species of birds and animals, from which the researchers concluded that their ship had reached a new continent.

Chirikov's ship "St. Paul" returned on October 8 to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. On the way back, the Umnak Islands were discovered, Unalaska and others. Bering's ship was carried by the current and wind to the east of the Kamchatka Peninsula - to the Commander Islands. The ship was wrecked near one of the islands and washed ashore. The travelers were forced to spend the winter on the island, which now bears the name Bering Island . On this island, the captain-commander died without surviving the harsh winter. In the spring, the surviving crew members built a boat from the wreckage of the broken "St. Peter" and returned to Kamchatka only in September. Thus ended the second Russian expedition, which discovered the northwestern coast of the North American continent.

Russian America

The authorities in St. Petersburg reacted with indifference to the discovery of Bering's expedition.The Russian Empress Elizabeth had no interest in the lands of North America. She issued a decree obliging the local population to pay duties on trade, but did not take any further steps towards developing relations with Alaska.For the next 50 years, Russia showed very little interest in this land.

The initiative in developing new lands beyond the Bering Strait was taken by fishermen, who (unlike St. Petersburg) immediately appreciated the reports of members of the Bering expedition about the vast rookeries of sea animals.

In 1743, Russian traders and fur trappers established very close contact with the Aleuts. During 1743-1755, 22 fishing expeditions took place, fishing on the Commander and Near Aleutian Islands. In 1756-1780 48 expeditions fished throughout the Aleutian Islands, the Alaska Peninsula, Kodiak Island and the southern coast of modern Alaska. Fishing expeditions were organized and financed by various private companies of Siberian merchants.

Merchant ships off the coast of Alaska

Until the 1770s, among the merchants and fur harvesters in Alaska, Grigory Ivanovich Shelekhov, Pavel Sergeevich Lebedev-Lastochkin, as well as the brothers Grigory and Pyotr Panov were considered the richest and most famous.

Sloops with a displacement of 30-60 tons were sent from Okhotsk and Kamchatka to the Bering Sea and the Gulf of Alaska. The remoteness of fishing areas meant that expeditions lasted up to 6-10 years. Shipwrecks, famine, scurvy, clashes with the aborigines, and sometimes with the crews of ships of a competing company - all this was the everyday work of the “Russian Columbuses”.

One of the first to establish a permanent Russian settlement on Unalaska (island in the Aleutian Islands archipelago), discovered in 1741 during Bering's Second Expedition.

Unalaska on the map

Subsequently, Analashka became the main Russian port in the region through which the fur trade was carried out. The main base of the future Russian-American Company was located here. It was built in 1825 Russian Orthodox Church Ascension of the Lord .

Church of the Ascension on Unalaska

Founder of the parish, Innocent (Veniaminov) - Saint Innocent of Moscow , - created the first Aleut writing with the help of local residents and translated the Bible into the Aleut language.

Unalaska today

In 1778 he arrived in Unalaska English navigator James Cook . According to him, total number Russian industrialists located in the Aleutians and in the waters of Alaska numbered about 500 people.

After 1780, Russian industrialists penetrated far along the Pacific coast of North America. Sooner or later, the Russians would begin to penetrate deep into the mainland of the open lands of America.

The real discoverer and creator of Russian America was Grigory Ivanovich Shelekhov. A merchant, a native of the city of Rylsk in the Kursk province, Shelekhov moved to Siberia, where he became rich in the fur trade. Beginning in 1773, 26-year-old Shelekhov began to independently send ships to sea fishing.

In August 1784, during his main expedition on 3 ships (“Three Saints”, “St. Simeon the God-Receiver and Anna the Prophetess” and “Archangel Michael”), he reached Kodiak Islands , where he began to build a fortress and settlement. From there it was easier to sail to the shores of Alaska. It was thanks to Shelekhov’s energy and foresight that the foundation of Russian possessions was laid in these new lands. In 1784-86. Shelekhov also began to build two more fortified settlements in America. The settlement plans he drew up included smooth streets, schools, libraries, and parks. Returning to European Russia, Shelekhov put forward a proposal to begin the mass resettlement of Russians to new lands.

At the same time, Shelekhov was not in public service. He remained a merchant, industrialist, and entrepreneur operating with the permission of the government. Shelekhov himself, however, was distinguished by a remarkable statesmanship, perfectly understanding Russia's capabilities in this region. No less important was the fact that Shelekhov had a great understanding of people and assembled a team of like-minded people who created Russian America.

In 1791, Shelekhov took as his assistant a 43-year-old man who had just arrived in Alaska. Alexandra Baranova - a merchant from the ancient city of Kargopol, who at one time moved to Siberia for business purposes. Baranov was appointed chief manager at Kodiak Island . He had an amazing selflessness for an entrepreneur - managing Russian America for more than two decades, controlling multimillion-dollar sums, providing high profits to the shareholders of the Russian-American Company, which we will talk about below, he did not leave himself any fortune!

Baranov moved the company's representative office to the new city of Pavlovskaya Gavan, which he founded in the north of Kodiak Island. Now Pavlovsk is the main city of Kodiak Island.

Meanwhile, Shelekhov's company drove out other competitors from the region. Myself Shelekhov died in 1795 , in the midst of his endeavors. True, his proposals for the further development of American territories with the help of a commercial company, thanks to his like-minded people and associates, were further developed.

Russian-American Company

In 1799, the Russian-American Company (RAC) was created. which became the main owner of all Russian possessions in America (as well as in the Kuril Islands). It received from Paul I monopoly rights to fur fishing, trade and the discovery of new lands in the northeastern part of the Pacific Ocean, designed to represent and protect with its own means the interests of Russia in the Pacific Ocean. Since 1801, the company's shareholders were Alexander I and the grand dukes and major statesmen.

One of the founders of the RAC was Shelekhov's son-in-law Nikolay Rezanov, whose name is known to many today as the name of the hero of the musical “Juno and Avos”. The first head of the company was Alexander Baranov , which was officially called Chief Ruler .

The creation of the RAC was based on Shelekhov’s proposals to create a special kind of commercial company, capable of carrying out, along with commercial activities, also the colonization of lands, the construction of forts and cities.

Until the 1820s, the company’s profits allowed them to develop the territories themselves, so, according to Baranov, in 1811 the profit from the sale of sea otter skins amounted to 4.5 million rubles, huge money at that time. The profitability of the Russian-American Company was 700-1100% per year. This was facilitated by the great demand for sea otter skins; their cost from the end of the 18th century to the 20s of the 19th century increased from 100 rubles per skin to 300 (sable cost about 20 times less).

In the early 1800s, Baranov established trade with Hawaii. Baranov was a real Russian statesman, and under other circumstances (for example, another emperor on the throne) Hawaiian Islands could become a Russian naval base and resort . From Hawaii, Russian ships brought salt, sandalwood, tropical fruits, coffee, and sugar. They planned to populate the islands with Old Believers-Pomors from the Arkhangelsk province. Since the local princelings were constantly at war with each other, Baranov offered one of them patronage. In May 1816, one of the leaders - Tomari (Kaumualia) - officially transferred to Russian citizenship. By 1821, several Russian outposts had been built in Hawaii. The Russians could also take control of the Marshall Islands. By 1825, Russian power was increasingly strengthened, Tomari became king, the children of the leaders studied in the capital of the Russian Empire, and the first Russian-Hawaiian dictionary was created. But in the end, St. Petersburg abandoned the idea of ​​​​making the Hawaiian and Marshall Islands Russian . Although their strategic position is obvious, their development was also economically profitable.

Thanks to Baranov, a number of Russian settlements were founded in Alaska, in particular Novoarkhangelsk (Today - Sitka ).

Novoarkhangelsk

Novoarkhangelsk in the 50-60s. XIX century resembled an average provincial town in outlying Russia. It had a ruler's palace, a theater, a club, a cathedral, a bishop's house, a seminary, a Lutheran prayer house, an observatory, a music school, a museum and a library, a nautical school, two hospitals and a pharmacy, several schools, a spiritual consistory, a drawing room, an admiralty, and port facilities. buildings, arsenal, several industrial enterprises, shops, shops and warehouses. Houses in Novoarkhangelsk were built on stone foundations and the roofs were made of iron.

Under the leadership of Baranov, the Russian-American Company expanded the scope of its interests: in California, just 80 kilometers north of San Francisco, the southernmost settlement of Russia was built in North America - Fort Ross. Russian settlers in California were engaged in sea otter fishing, agriculture and cattle breeding. Trade connections were established with New York, Boston, California and Hawaii. The California colony was to become the main food supplier to Alaska, which at that time belonged to Russia.

Fort Ross in 1828. Russian fortress in California

But the hopes were not justified. In general, Fort Ross turned out to be unprofitable for the Russian-American Company. Russia was forced to abandon it. Fort Ross was sold in 1841 for 42,857 rubles to Mexican citizen John Sutter, a German industrialist who went down in California history thanks to his sawmill in Coloma, on the territory of which was found in 1848 Goldmine, which began the famous California Gold Rush. In payment, Sutter supplied wheat to Alaska, but, according to P. Golovin, he never paid an additional amount of almost 37.5 thousand rubles.

Russians in Alaska founded settlements, built churches, created schools, a library, a museum, shipyards and hospitals for local residents, and launched Russian ships.

A number of manufacturing industries were established in Alaska. The development of shipbuilding is especially noteworthy. Shipwrights have been building ships in Alaska since 1793. For 1799-1821 15 ships were built in Novoarkhangelsk. In 1853, the first steam ship on the Pacific Ocean was launched in Novoarkhangelsk, and not a single part was imported: absolutely everything, including the steam engine, was manufactured locally. Russian Novoarkhangelsk was the first point of steam shipbuilding on the entire western coast of America.

Novoarkhangelsk

The city of Sitka (formerly Novoarkhangelsk) today

At the same time, formally, the Russian-American Company was not completely government agency.

In 1824, Russia signed an agreement with the governments of the USA and England. The boundaries of Russian possessions in North America were determined at the state level.

World map 1830

One cannot help but admire the fact that only about 400-800 Russian people managed to develop such vast territories and waters, making their way to California and Hawaii. In 1839, the Russian population of Alaska was 823 people, which was the maximum in the entire history of Russian America. Usually there were slightly fewer Russians.

It was the lack of people that played a fatal role in the history of Russian America. The desire to attract new settlers was a constant and almost impossible desire of all Russian administrators in Alaska.

The basis of the economic life of Russian America remained the production of marine mammals. Average for 1840-60s. up to 18 thousand fur seals were caught per year. River beavers, otters, foxes, arctic foxes, bears, sables, and walrus tusks were also hunted.

The Russian Orthodox Church was active in Russian America. Back in 1794 he began missionary work Valaam monk Herman . By the mid-19th century, most Alaska Natives were baptized. The Aleuts and, to a lesser extent, the Alaska Indians are still Orthodox believers.

In 1841, an episcopal see was created in Alaska. By the time of the sale of Alaska, the Russian Orthodox Church had 13 thousand flocks here. In terms of the number of Orthodox Christians, Alaska still ranks first in the United States. Church ministers made a huge contribution to the spread of literacy among the Alaskan natives. Literacy among the Aleuts was at a high level - on St. Paul Island the entire adult population could read native language.

Selling Alaska

Oddly enough, but the fate of Alaska, according to a number of historians, was decided by Crimea, or more precisely, the Crimean War (1853-1856). Ideas began to mature in the Russian government about strengthening relations with the United States as opposed to Great Britain.

Despite the fact that the Russians in Alaska founded settlements, built churches, created schools and hospitals for local residents, there was no truly deep and thorough development of American lands. After the resignation of Alexander Baranov in 1818 from the post of ruler of the Russian-American Company due to illness, there were no more leaders of this magnitude in Russian America.

The interests of the Russian-American Company were mainly limited to fur production, and by the middle of the 19th century, the number of sea otters in Alaska had sharply decreased due to uncontrolled hunting.

Did not contribute to Alaska's development as a Russian colony and geopolitical situation. In 1856, Russia was defeated in the Crimean War, and relatively close to Alaska was the English colony of British Columbia (the westernmost province of modern Canada).

Contrary to popular belief, The Russians were well aware of the presence of gold in Alaska . In 1848, Russian explorer and mining engineer, Lieutenant Pyotr Doroshin, found small placers of gold on the islands of Kodiak and Sitkha, the shores of the Kenai Bay near the future city of Anchorage (the largest city in Alaska today). However, the volume of precious metal discovered was small. The Russian administration, which had before its eyes the example of the “gold rush” in California, fearing the invasion of thousands of American gold miners, chose to classify this information. Subsequently, gold was found in other parts of Alaska. But this was no longer Russian Alaska.

Besides Oil was discovered in Alaska . It was this fact, as absurd as it may sound, that became one of the incentives to quickly get rid of Alaska. The fact is that American prospectors began to actively arrive in Alaska, and the Russian government rightly feared that American troops would come after them. Russia was not ready for war, and giving up Alaska penniless was completely imprudent.Russia seriously feared that it would not be able to ensure the security of its colony in America in the event of an armed conflict. The United States of America was chosen as a potential buyer of Alaska to compensate for the growing British influence in the region.

Thus, Alaska could become the reason for a new war for Russia.

The initiative to sell Alaska to the United States of America belonged to the emperor's brother, Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich Romanov, who served as head of the Russian Naval Staff. Back in 1857, he suggested to his elder brother, the emperor, to sell the “extra territory”, because the discovery of gold deposits there would certainly attract the attention of England, the long-time sworn enemy of the Russian Empire, and Russia was not able to defend it, and there was no military fleet in the northern seas. . If England captures Alaska, then Russia will receive absolutely nothing for it, but this way it will be possible to gain 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.

However, consultations with the US government about a possible sale, in fact, negotiations began only after the end of the American Civil War.

In December 1866, Emperor Alexander II made the final decision. The boundaries of the territory to be sold and the minimum price were determined - five million dollars.

In March, the Russian Ambassador to the United States Baron Eduard Stekl approached US Secretary of State William Seward with a proposal to sell Alaska.

Signing of the Treaty for the Sale of Alaska, March 30, 1867 Robert S. Chew, William G. Seward, William Hunter, Vladimir Bodisko, Edward Steckl, Charles Sumner, Frederick Seward

The negotiations were successful and have already On March 30, 1867, a treaty was signed in Washington, according to which Russia sold Alaska for $7,200,000 in gold(at 2009 exchange rates - approximately $108 million in gold). The following were transferred to the United States: the entire Alaska Peninsula (along the meridian 141° west of Greenwich), a coastal strip 10 miles wide south of Alaska along the western coast of British Columbia; Alexandra Archipelago; Aleutian Islands with Attu Island; the islands of Blizhnye, Rat, Lisya, Andreyanovskiye, Shumagina, Trinity, Umnak, Unimak, Kodiak, Chirikova, Afognak and other smaller islands; Islands in the Bering Sea: St. Lawrence, St. Matthew, Nunivak and the Pribilof Islands - St. George and St. Paul. The total area of ​​sold territories was more than 1.5 million square meters. km. Russia sold Alaska for less than 5 cents per hectare.

On October 18, 1867, an official ceremony for the transfer of Alaska to the United States was held in Novoarkhangelsk (Sitka). Russian and American soldiers marched solemnly, the Russian flag was lowered and the US flag was raised.

Painting by N. Leitze “Signing of the agreement for the sale of Alaska” (1867)

Immediately after the transfer of Alaska to the United States, American troops entered Sitka and plundered the Cathedral of the Archangel Michael, private homes and shops, and General Jefferson Davis ordered all Russians to leave their homes to the Americans.

On August 1, 1868, Baron Stoeckl was presented with a check from the US Treasury, with which the United States paid Russia for its new lands.

A check issued to the Russian ambassador by the Americans upon the purchase of Alaska

notice, that Russia never received money for Alaska , since part of this money was appropriated by the Russian Ambassador in Washington, Baron Stekl, and part of it was spent on bribes to American senators. Baron Steckle then instructed Riggs Bank to transfer $7.035 million to London, to the Barings Bank. Both of these banks have now ceased to exist. The trace of this money was lost in time, giving rise to a variety of theories. According to one of them, the check was cashed in London, and gold bars were purchased with it, which were planned to be transferred to Russia. However, the cargo was never delivered. The ship "Orkney", which was carrying a precious cargo, sank on July 16, 1868 on the approach to St. Petersburg. Whether it had gold on it at that time, or whether it never left Foggy Albion at all, is unknown. Insurance Company, which insured the ship and cargo, declared itself bankrupt, and the damage was only partially compensated. (Currently, the sinking site of the Orkney is located in the territorial waters of Finland. In 1975, a joint Soviet-Finnish expedition examined the area of ​​its sinking and found the wreckage of the ship. The study of these revealed that there was a powerful explosion and a strong fire on the ship. However, gold could not be found - most likely, it remained in England.). As a result, Russia never gained anything from giving up some of its possessions.

It should be noted that There is no official text of the agreement on the sale of Alaska in Russian. The deal was not approved by the Russian Senate and the State Council.

In 1868, the Russian-American Company was liquidated. During its liquidation, some of the Russians were taken from Alaska to their homeland. The last group of Russians, numbering 309 people, left Novoarkhangelsk on November 30, 1868. The other part - about 200 people - was left in Novoarkhangelsk due to a lack of ships. They were simply FORGOTTEN by the St. Petersburg authorities. Most of the Creoles (descendants of mixed marriages of Russians with Aleuts, Eskimos and Indians) also remained in Alaska.

Rise of Alaska

After 1867, the part of the North American continent ceded by Russia to the United States received status "Territory of Alaska".

For the United States, Alaska became the site of the “gold rush” in the 90s. XIX century, glorified by Jack London, and then the “oil rush” in the 70s. XX century.

In 1880, the largest ore deposit in Alaska, Juneau, was discovered. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the largest placer gold deposit was discovered - Fairbanks. By the mid-80s. XX in Alaska, a total of almost a thousand tons of gold were mined.

To dateAlaska ranks 2nd in the United States (after Nevada) in terms of gold production . The state produces about 8% of silver production in the United States. The Red Dog mine in northern Alaska is the world's largest zinc reserve and produces about 10% of the world's production of this metal, as well as significant quantities silver and lead.

Oil was found in Alaska 100 years after the conclusion of the agreement - in the early 70s. XX century. TodayAlaska ranks second in the United States in the production of “black gold”; 20% of American oil is produced here. Huge reserves of oil and gas have been explored in the north of the state. The Prudhoe Bay field is the largest in the United States (8% of US oil production).

January 3, 1959 territoryAlaska was converted into49th US state.

Alaska is the largest US state by territory - 1,518 thousand km² (17% of the US territory). In general, today Alaska is one of the most promising regions of the world from a transport and energy point of view. For the United States, this is both a nodal point on the way to Asia and a springboard for more active development of resources and the presentation of territorial claims in the Arctic.

The history of Russian America serves as an example not only of the courage of explorers, the energy of Russian entrepreneurs, but also of the corruption and betrayal of the upper spheres of Russia.

Material prepared by Sergey SHULYAK

On March 30, 1867, the Russian Empire sold its remaining territories in North America to the United States. Exactly 150 years ago, the Russians decided to leave American soil, and the history of Russian America ended. And although the “Alaska Purchase” caused a lot of controversy on both sides back in the 19th century, during cold war this event has been forgotten and is only resurfaced occasionally, usually in very curious circumstances.

The history of Russia's conquest of America

Russian colonization to the east dates back to the mid-17th century, when Ivan the Terrible gave the Stroganov merchants permission to conquer the Khanate of Kazan, one of the many fragments of the Golden Horde. Conquests continued throughout the century, and by 1647 the Russians reached the western borders of the Pacific Ocean - the Sea of ​​Okhotsk. This achievement laid the foundation for the first expeditions across the ocean. Some took place during the 18th century. The most famous of them were commanded by the Danish navigator Vitus Bering, whose achievements were given great importance, because it was he who proved the inconsistency of the idea of ​​​​the existence of land routes connecting Asia and America. Despite the scale of the missions, however, no permanent settlements were created on American soil at that time.

And only at the end of the century - namely in 1784 - the adventurer, merchant and navigator Grigory Shelikhov reached the islands of the Kodyakov archipelago and founded an outpost there, which later became the starting point for further colonization of new lands. Shelikhov is sometimes called the “Russian Columbus”. After establishment in the new land Russian rule he established the Russian-American Company (hereinafter RAC), which played a decisive role in further relations between the empire and its colony. The headquarters of the RAC was located in Shelikhov’s hometown - Irkutsk.

The fact that Siberia became the birthplace of this influential organization is not accidental. Considering that serfdom is the curse of the European part of the empire, Far East and the north did not actually function, it encouraged many savvy settlers to move east to create new cities. By doing this, they created classes of merchants, sailors and townspeople. And although the headquarters were soon moved to St. Petersburg, the role of Siberian cities and their citizens in the Russian economy and trade remained very significant.

Russian America

The capital of Russian America (as the colony was officially called) was Novoarkhangelsk (now Sitka), also known as the “Paris of the Pacific.” Among the citizens were Russians and the indigenous inhabitants of these lands - the Aleut and Tlingit tribes. Although relations between the two groups were largely peaceful, conflicts did occur. Several Tlingit warriors did not accept Russian rules and in 1802 they captured Novoarkhangelsk. They slaughtered the population and seized control of the city's infrastructure. Russia managed to return it only two years later with the help of the Aleuts. The events of 1804 are known as the “Battle of Sitka” and became the largest military conflict between Russians and Alaska Natives in the history of Russian America.

Russian settlements in North America grew over time, reaching areas beyond Alaska. They covered the lands of the modern states of Washington, Oregon and California. The Russians could have reached Hawaii. They traded with local rulers starting in the late 18th century, and after the founding of the Kingdom of Hawaii, they began supporting various parties on the island. As a result, they were able to build three forts in the area. In 1815, Supreme Chief Kaumualii approached Tsar Alexander I with a request for Russia to establish a protectorate over the Hawaiian Islands and support in the fight against the rightful king Kamehameha I. Alexander I rejected the offer, and Hawaii remained independent.

In 1812, the Russians founded their southernmost settlement, Fort Ross, in close proximity to the Spanish colonies. This caused great concern to the Viceroyalty of New Spain, which decided to create several new settlements in the north. The history of Russian-Spanish relations at that time became known to the general public thanks to the rock opera “Juno and Avos,” which gained popularity in the USSR in the 1980s. She was promoted abroad as “Russian Pocahontas.” The opera tells the story of Concepcion Arguello, the 15-year-old daughter of the colonial governor of Alta California, José Dario Arguello, and Nikolai Rezanov, a Russian nobleman, ambassador to Japan and one of the owners of the RAC. They fell in love near the Russian-Spanish border in California. To marry a Catholic, Rezanov needed permission from the tsar. He decided to go home through Alaska, but fell ill on the way and died in Krasnoyarsk in 1807, never reaching the capital of the empire. Concepcion, having learned about this, took a vow of silence and went to a monastery, where she later died. Although the story is based on historical events, the course the opera took was predictably more melodramatic.

Big deal

Fort Ross was eventually sold to the United States in 1841 as the colony became increasingly difficult to maintain. The costs of transferring goods and people to and from the heart of the empire—European Russia—were higher than the income from the sale of colonial goods, the most valuable of which was fur. Obviously, no one then expected that huge reserves of gold and oil would someday be discovered in Alaska. The entire remainder of the colony was thus sold to the Americans in 1867 for $7.2 million.

Context

Was the Russian Tsar stupid by selling Alaska to the Americans?

DennikN 04/09/2017

Russians regret selling Alaska

The New York Times March 31, 2017 At that time, this news was received with enthusiasm in Russia, but in the United States with mixed feelings. Russia expanded its empire with new conquests in the Caucasus and central Asia. In addition, due to the weakening of Turkey, Russia's role in southeastern Europe also became more significant (despite the defeat in the Crimean War). The Russians also feared that Alaska would be taken away from them by the British, and they could not allow that to happen. Tsar Alexander II needed money to carry out all his foreign campaigns, so the sale of expensive and disadvantaged land seemed like a good move. Especially considering that it was sold to the Americans - friends and allies against the British Empire.

Meanwhile, the US House of Representatives voted against the purchase, causing a delay in payment. Some members were angry about President Andrew Johnson's decision to buy the territory. $7.2 million (about $123 million today) seemed like a lot of money spent on a useless, empty space—a “polar bear garden,” as it was then called. But there were also many who praised the deal as another step toward American development.

Development of Alaska

The story might have ended there if not for good old-fashioned irredentism on the part of the Russian conspirators. There is an interesting theory in Russian political discourse that has a surprisingly large following among “true Russian patriots.” According to them, Alaska was not sold, but leased for 90 years. Consequently, it should have been returned to Russia in 1957.

Russian patriotic discourse views colonization as a peaceful process with the good purpose of development and enlightenment. In contrast, of course, to the imperialism of other European empires, where colonization was associated with cruelty, greed and a lack of respect for the natives. This fits into the concept that the unique Russian civilization is morally superior to the rotten Western one. One of the most popular works expressing this opinion was published in 2005 by Sergei Kremlev under the title: “Russian America: discover and sell!”

The issue of Russian domination over Alaska periodically comes up on various occasions. For example, in 2005, American journalist Stephen Pearlstein published an article entitled: “Alaska would like it better in Russia.” He joked that " corporate culture“Alaska’s nepotism and economic problems would fit much better into Russian realities than American ones. And some took this joke seriously. Alexander Dugin, one of the founding fathers of the Doctrine of Eurasian Civilization, stated the need to review the deal.

The most ardent supporters of Russia's return of its territories began to raise the issue of Alaska after the annexation of Crimea in 2014. There were plenty of jokes and memes on this topic on the Internet. As well as articles and posts regarding the petition for the separation of Alaska from the United States and return to the Russian Federation. The petition was created on the White House website allegedly by citizens of Alaska's largest city, Anchorage. The online media coverage that followed was mostly sensationalist, with headlines filled with phrases like: “America is in a panic! Alaska wants to follow Crimea's example and join Russia." And despite serious mobilization and more than 42,000 signatures collected, the petition was removed from the site because it did not receive the stated 100,000 votes in time. The “panic” is over, but whether it’s finally over is unknown.

"Island of Tomorrow"

Today the Russian-American border passes through the Diomede Islands. Big Diomede belongs to Russia, and Little Diomede belongs to the USA. The distance between them is 3.8 km. In addition to the territorial border, the International Date Line also runs here. It is located exactly between these two islands and, therefore, the difference between them is 21 hours. For this reason, Big Diomede is sometimes called the "Island of Tomorrow" and Little Diomede the "Island of Yesterday." And since there is no border crossing there, there have been cases of violation of border crossing rules. Recognized Russian writer Viktor Erofeev once arrived on an American island by plane, and decided to get to the Russian side by boat. He was arrested for trespassing and sent back to the United States. Along the way, he noted that the natives living on the Russian island were dressed in traditional Russian winter clothes, and the residents of the American side were dressed in American summer clothes, although they lived in the same climatic zone. Therefore, it seemed that the authorities of each island needed to decide what season they had, Erofeev concluded. This is all that remains of Russian America.

Kacper Dziekan is a specialist in European projects at the European Solidarity Center and a PhD student in the Department of History at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań.

InoSMI materials contain assessments exclusively foreign media and do not reflect the position of the editorial board of InoSMI.

Alaska remembers its roots. It is often called Russian America. Although, there are fewer Russians here than anywhere else in the country. But the names of villages and rivers have been preserved.

I looked into one of them, Ninilchik, where today live the descendants of our compatriots resettled here by the Russian-American Company. They have long had different names and a different language.

But why is it so similar to Russia here?

1 The nature of Alaska is very different. South of Anchorage it resembles our middle zone (and is located at almost the same latitudes). Russian names come across more and more often. Kasilof, Salamatov, or simply - Russian River, Russian Lakes...

2 Ninilchik - there is something dear and familiar in this. Having arrived at the one-story building of the local administration, I immediately came across a drunken American woman in rags, who said that few people here speak Russian: there is a colleague from the administration, but today he is no longer available for communication. With these words, she, staggering greatly, retreated into the office building. The administration was no longer working, but something was clearly being celebrated inside.

3 It's beautiful here. This is the first thing that catches your eye. The meager northern sun just came out and showed that autumn Alaska can be not only rainy and gray. The day took on new colors. I can’t imagine Ninilchik in the rain.

4 As soon as we turned off the main road into the settlement, the asphalt suddenly ran out. How can this be? Just been - and no! Time gap.

5 And the colorful cemetery with fences, and the wooden church without electricity, only enhance this feeling. Looks like we're not in Kansas anymore.

6 The first Russian colonists settled here in 1847. The Kvasnikov family “founded” this settlement by moving from Kodiak Island. Gregory, his Aleut wife Mavra and children. Afterwards, other families began to join them. We went fishing, the village is located right on the shore of the bay.

7 Today, several hundred people live in Ninilchik; only a few speak Russian. On the Internet you can read and listen about a unique ancient dialect of the Russian language, stuck in the 19th century. Alas, it has been preserved only in research; it is not spoken.

8 Church, cemetery and part of the village from above. She was once bigger.

9 On the other side there are more houses. The temple stands on a hill, in a lowland, near a river, the center of Ninilchik is located.

10 We go down, and the similarity with Russia only increases. As before, there is no asphalt, the middle of the road is overgrown with grass, no one is mowing down the weeds. Let's be honest, if it weren't for the American road sign, you wouldn't find any differences.

11 Even this house, built of timber, is discordant and does not have a unified architecture. And the fence, which is not even a fence...but a toilet on the street?

12 Some of the houses are completely abandoned.

13 Just “Guess the country from the photo.”

14 There are many abandoned houses in Ninilchik, but even where there are people, they do not live quite like an American.

15 They live topsy-turvy.

16 The only open business is a small shop with souvenirs and books. Americans come to Ninilchik, are interested in Russian culture, and buy nesting dolls. The owner of the store does not speak Russian.

17 We continue our walk around the village. It was empty not long ago. People who left Russia before the abolition of serfdom lived here.

18 The current Ninil residents were born in the USA, studied in American schools and have probably never been to Russia. How do they know how to live?

19 Looks like a set from an old movie. But everything is real.

20 Ninilchik is very strange place. The only place in the USA where I saw hogweed!

21 And nettles! Well, it doesn’t grow there by itself: these are weeds, which they always get rid of and don’t allow them to become overgrown with weeds, like ours.

22 But the real kick in the balls are the local roads. Tell me HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE in America?

23 Today Ninilchik is a town of 800 residents, most of whom are American, and their neighborhoods are no different from typical rural America. The border of the settlement, where the descendants of the Russian colonists shown in the report live, is visible to the naked eye.

24 You can take people out of Russia, but you cannot take Russia out of people. This is simply amazing.

There are thousands of myths about the sale of Alaska. Many believe that it was sold by Catherine the Second. Official version tells that Alaska was sold on behalf of Tsar Alexander II, by Baron Eduard Andreevich Stekl, who received several checks for it from the US Treasury for a total amount of 7.2 million dollars.However, this money never reached Russia. And were there any at all? There is also the opinion of a number of historians who believe that Alaska was not sold, but was leased to the United States for a period of 90 years. And the Alaska lease expired in 1957. We will consider this version below.

In 1648, during the reign of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich Romanov, Semyon Dezhnev crossed the 86-kilometer wide strait that separated Russia and America, which would later be called the Bering Strait. In 1732, Mikhail Gvozdev was the first European to determine the coordinates and map 300 kilometers of coastline, describe the shores and straits. In 1741, Vitus Bering explored the shores of Alaska. In 1784, Grigory Shelikhov developed the peninsula. He spreads Orthodoxy among the Horse natives. Accustoms local residents to potatoes and turnips. Founds the agricultural colony "Glory of Russia". And at the same time it includes residents of Alaska among Russian citizens. At the same time as Shelikhov, merchant Pavel Lebedev-Lastochkin was exploring Alaska. Russian territory expanded to the south and east.

In 1798, Shelikhov's company merged with the company of Ivan Golikov and Nikolai Mylnikov and became known as the Russian-American Company. The company founded the St. Michael's Fortress (now Sitka), where it was Primary School, shipyard, church, arsenal, workshops. Each arriving ship was greeted with fireworks, just like under Peter I.
Libraries and schools were created. There was a theater and a museum. Local children were taught Russian and French, mathematics, geography, etc. And four years later, merchant Ivan Kuskov founded Fort Ross in California - the southernmost outpost of the Russian colony in America. He bought the territory that belonged to Spain from the local Indians. Russia became a European, Asian and American power. Russian America included the Aleutian Islands, Alaska and Northern California. There were more than 200 Russian citizens in the fort - Creoles, Indians, Aleuts.

Trade in vodka was prohibited on the territory. Strict measures were introduced to preserve and reproduce the number of animals. The British, invading Alaska, exterminated everything completely, soldered the natives and bought furs for next to nothing.
In 1803, Rumyantsev, the future chancellor, demanded the settlement of Russian America. He insistently asked to build cities in it, develop industry and trade, and build factories that could operate on local raw materials. Chamberlain Rezanov said that it was necessary to “invite more Russians there.”

At that time, the United States was actually a secondary country that had quite friendly relations with Russia. Thanks to Russia's non-intervention, the colony separated from England. The great power hoped for the gratitude of the new state. But in 1819, US Secretary of State Quincy Adams declared that all states in the world must come to terms with the idea that the continent of North America is the territory of the United States alone.
He also developed a doctrine: “to reconquer part of the American continent from the Russians, time and patience will be the best weapons.” In 1821, the United States of America, as the country was called at that time, at the congressional level noted the danger to the interests of the country from the Russian colonization of the northwestern coast of America - Alaska and California.

The Decree of Alexander I, issued in 1821, banning foreign ships from approaching Russian settlements in America caused a storm of protest among Americans. In 1823, the policy of dividing the world into two systems was finally determined - the Monroe Doctrine, the message to Congress. America only for the USA - Europe for everyone else. On April 17 (April 5, old style), 1824, the Convention on Determining the Boundaries of Russian Possessions in North America was signed in St. Petersburg. The border of the settlements was established along the 54˚40° parallel of northern latitude.

In the mid-19th century, a civil war broke out in the United States between the northern and southern states. The balance of forces was unequal, the armed forces of the South were superior to the North. And then the US President, Lincoln, asked the Russian Emperor Alexander II for help.
The Russian Tsar, with the help of his ambassadors, informed the French and English sides that their action against the North would be considered a declaration of war on Russia. At the same time, Alexander II sent the Atlantic squadron under the command of Admiral Popov to the port of New York, and the Pacific squadron of Admiral Lisovsky to San Francisco. Orders were given to attack any fleet threatening the northern states. The Tsar ordered “to be ready for battle with any enemy forces and to take command of Lincoln!”
On May 26, 1865, the last armed formations of the South were defeated, the hope for help promised by France and England back in 1861 disappeared with the surrender of General Kirby Smith.

It is incredible that no one bothered to think that Russia actually saved America during the Civil War described in the novel Gone with the Wind. There are many testimonies of Civil War survivors who stated orally and in writing at the beginning of the 20th century: “We Americans must never forget that we owe our salvation to Russia in 1863-1864.”
So, in fact, thanks to Russia, the United States became an independent country. Lincoln had to pay back Russia for Russian help. Subsequently, an agreement was reached between the United States and Russia on the transfer Money, having executed a lease agreement for Alaska for a period of 90 years.
Subsequently, the events of this story developed very sadly. President Lincoln died from an assassin's bullet, and the Russian Emperor Alexander died at the hands of terrorists who threw a bomb at his crew. In any case, no one in Russia received money for Alaska, and was there any money?

Today it is no secret to anyone that history is an inaccurate science and each government rewrites it for itself. And even if there is a contract for the sale and purchase of Russian Alaska, can one be sure that it is real?
Alaska's lease expired in 1957. The United States, with pain in its heart, was going to give the land back or try to extend the lease for a very good sum. But Nikita Sergeevich Khrushchev actually gave the lands to America. And only after that, in 1959, Alaska became the 49th US state. Many argue that the agreement on the transfer of Alaska to the United States was never signed by the USSR - nor was it signed by the Russian Empire. Therefore, Alaska may have been borrowed free of charge from Russia.
We know that history has no subjunctive mood and the past cannot be returned. But the very fact that the Russian land of Alaska and the Russian land of California turned out to be part of US territory raises huge doubts.

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The bungler Nikita Khrushchev gave Ukraine Crimea, and the United States the original Russian lands in America. Isn't it time to correct the mistakes of the corn genius?

The population of Crimea has already voted in a referendum for the return of the peninsula to Russia. The population of Alaska took up the initiative. Signatures are now being collected for a petition to the Obama administration to return Alaska to Russia. At the moment, 27,454 signatures have been collected.

Signatures for the petition to return Alaska to Russia are being collected here.

On October 18, 1867, in the capital of Russian America, in common parlance - Alaska, the city of Novoarkhangelsk, an official ceremony was held to transfer Russian possessions on the American continent to the ownership of the United States of America. Thus ended the history of Russian discoveries and economic development of the northwestern part of America.

Since then, Alaska has been a US state. True, Russian America was geographically somewhat larger than the territory of the modern state, since it included some territories of California, Hawaii, and the Canadian provinces of Yukon and British Columbia. . However, the state of Alaska is already huge - 1,518 thousand km2 (17% of the US territory).

Alaska includes the Aleutian Islands, the Alexander Archipelago, St. Lawrence Island, the Pribilof Islands, Kodiak Island, and a huge continental portion. Alaska is washed by the Arctic and Pacific oceans. The Alaskan islands extend for almost 1,740 kilometers. The Aleutian Islands stretch from the southern tip of the peninsula to the west. The islands are home to many volcanoes, both dormant and extinct, and active.

The continental part of Alaska is a peninsula of the same name, approximately 700 km long, which later gave its name to the entire country. The Alaska Peninsula has more volcanoes than any other US state. In general, Alaska is a mountainous country. The highest peak in North America - Mount McKinley (6,193 m high) is also located in Alaska.

The world's largest tide also occurs in Alaska. Tsunamis periodically hit the Alaskan coast.

Another feature of Alaska is the huge number of lakes (their number exceeds 3 million!). About 487,747 square kilometers (more than the territory of Sweden) are covered by swamps and permafrost. Glaciers cover about 41,440 square kilometers (which corresponds to the territory of the whole of Holland!). Particularly notable is the Bering Glacier, which covers 5,827 square kilometers. The tidal zone is occupied - 3,110 km2.

The name of the country is translated from Aleutian “a-la-as-ka” meaning “Big Land”.

Alaska in the USA is considered an icy desert, a country of “white silence” and an incredibly harsh climate. Indeed, in most areas of Alaska the climate is arctic and subarctic continental, with harsh winters, with frosts down to minus 50 degrees. But in this world everything is relative, and in general the climate of Alaska, especially the island part and the Pacific coast, is incomparably better than, for example, in Chukotka. On the Pacific coast of Alaska, the climate is maritime, relatively mild and humid. The warm stream of the Alaska Current turns here from the south and washes Alaska from the south. The mountains block northern cold winds. As a result, winters in coastal and island Alaska are quite mild. Sub-zero temperatures in winter are very rare. The sea in southern Alaska does not freeze in winter

This is precisely why Russian industrialists sought to move to Alaska with its favorable natural conditions and richer fauna than in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk. Alaska was rich in fish: salmon, flounder, cod, herring, edible species of shellfish and marine mammals were found in abundance in coastal waters. On the fertile soil of these lands, thousands of species of plants suitable for food grew, and in the forests there were many animals, especially fur-bearing animals.

Alaska was inhabited during the Ice Age. Scientists have found objects from human everyday life that were used in his household 12 thousand years ago. It was through Alaska, passing along the isthmus that connected Eurasia with America and subsequently sank to the bottom, which now became the Bering Strait. TO XVIII century, when the Russians penetrated Alaska, it was inhabited by various ethnic groups belonging to a variety of linguistic families and being at the tribal stage of development. To simplify somewhat, the native inhabitants of Alaska at the time of the arrival of the Russians were divided into Aleuts, related Eskimos and Indians belonging to the Athabascan group.

Russian explorers, having reached the shores of the Pacific Ocean in 1648, under the leadership of Semyon Dezhnev, rounded the strait separating Asia and America. At the same time, some of the ships were carried to the American coast. It is quite possible that individual Russian industrialists penetrated into Alaska as early as the 17th century. Considering the poor preservation of archival information (even “skasks,” that is, Dezhnev’s own reports were miraculously preserved), the names of these pioneers are unlikely to become known to science. However, the fact that the Jesuit Philippe Avril in 1686, with reference to the Siberian governor Musin-Pushkin, reported that opposite the mouth of the Kolyma there is a certain Big Land, where the natives hunt... hippopotamuses (that is, walruses or sea cows), testifies that the Russians already had a certain knowledge of the economic significance of the future Russian America.

In 1697, the conqueror of Kamchatka Vladimir Atlasov reported to Moscow that opposite the “Necessary Nose” there was a large island in the sea, from where in winter “foreigners come across the ice, speak their own language and bring sables...”. The experienced industrialist Atlasov immediately determined that these sables differ from the Yakut ones, and for the worse: “the sables are thin, and those sables have striped tails the size of a quarter of an arshin.” It was, of course, not about a sable, but about a raccoon - an animal unknown in Russia at that time.

In 1710-11 Serviceman Pyotr Popov, opposite the “Nose” (Cape Dezhnev), met American Eskimos, who differed from the Chukchi, already well known to the Russians.

Russian industrialists began to be attracted to new lands as fur reserves in eastern Siberia were depleted. True, in all of eastern Siberia at the end of the 17th century there were only about 700 Russians of both sexes, of whom fishermen constituted a minority. In Russia, Peter’s transformations began, as a result of which the state had no time for the discovery of new lands for a long time. This explains a certain pause in the further advance of the Russians to the east.

Peter I immediately, as soon as circumstances allowed, began organizing scientific expeditions in the northern part of the Pacific Ocean. In 1716, Colonel Yelchin was ordered to search for the Main Land, but the campaign did not take place. Three years later, Lieutenant I. Evreinov and F. Luzhin received a decree with a proposal to find out: “whether America has come together with Asia,” but these navigators explored the Kuril Islands, far from Alaska.

In 1725, shortly before his death, Peter the Great sent Captain Vitus Bering, a Danish navigator in Russian service, to explore the sea shores of Siberia. Peter sent Bering on an expedition to study and describe the northeastern coast of Siberia. In 1728, the Bering expedition rediscovered the strait, which was first seen by Semyon Dezhnev. However, due to fog, Bering was unable to see the outlines of the North American continent on the horizon.

In 1732, navigator Ivan Fedorov and surveyor Mikhail Gvozdev, who on the ship “Gabriel” reached the “Main Land”, the westernmost cape on the American coast (now Cape Prince of Wales). Fedorov was the first to mark both banks of the Bering Strait on the map. But, having returned to his homeland, Fedorov soon dies, and Gvozdev ends up in Bironov’s dungeons, and the great discovery of the Russian pioneers remains unknown for a long time.

The second expedition of Vitus Bering, who by this time had been promoted to captain-commander, set off to the shores of America from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky on June 8, 1741 on two ships: “St. Peter” (under the command of Bering) and “St. Paul” (under the command of Alexei Chirikov) . Each ship had its own team of scientists and researchers on board.

On July 15, land was spotted on Chirikov’s ship. And the ship under the control of Bering, which was moving north, reached the shores of Kayak Island the next day. Bering saw the top of the mountain from the sea, which he called Mount St. Elijah. The ship's doctor, Georg Wilhelm Steller, went ashore and collected samples of shells and herbs, discovered new species of birds and animals, from which the researchers concluded that their ship had reached a new continent.

Chirikov's ship returned to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky on October 8, but Bering's ship was carried by the current and wind to the east of the Kamchatka Peninsula - to the Commander Islands. The ship was wrecked near one of the islands and washed ashore. The travelers were forced to spend the winter on the island, which now bears the name Bering Island. On this island, the captain-commander died without surviving the harsh winter. In the spring, the surviving crew members built a boat from the wreckage of the broken "St. Peter" and returned to Kamchatka only in September. Thus ended the first Russian expedition to discover the northwestern coast of the North American continent.

However, in St. Petersburg the authorities reacted to the discovery of Bering's expedition with indifference. The initiative in developing new lands beyond the Bering Strait was taken by fishermen, who (unlike St. Petersburg) immediately appreciated the reports of members of the Bering expedition about the vast rookeries of sea animals. Beginning in 1743, fishing expeditions explored and commercially developed the Aleutian archipelago. During 1743-1755, 22 fishing expeditions known to historians took place, fishing on the Commander and Near Aleutian Islands. In 1756-1780 48 expeditions fished throughout the Aleutian Islands, the Alaska Peninsula, Kodiak Island and the southern coast of modern Alaska. Finally, after 1780, Russian industrialists penetrated far along the Pacific coast of North America. Sooner or later, the Russians would begin to penetrate deep into the mainland of the open lands of America.

In 1773, the Spanish ambassador in St. Petersburg F. Lacy reported to Madrid (where they were seriously concerned about the approach of the Russians to Spain's possessions in California), based on a conversation with one Russian who came from Kamchatka, that there were already six Russian settlements in North America. It is unlikely that the simple-minded fur trader from Kamchatka sought to misinform the Spanish ambassador. Probably, they were talking about temporary fishing villages. What was important, however, was the fact that the Russians already felt at home in America.

In 1778, the English navigator James Cook found himself in these places. According to him, the total number of Russian industrialists located in the Aleutians and in the waters of Alaska was about 500 people.

Fishing expeditions were organized and financed by various private companies of Siberian merchants. Sloops with a displacement of 30-60 tons were sent from Okhotsk and Kamchatka to the Bering Sea and the Gulf of Alaska. The remoteness of fishing areas meant that expeditions lasted up to 6-10 years. Shipwrecks, famine, scurvy, clashes with the aborigines, and sometimes with the crews of ships of a competing company - all this was the everyday work of the “Russian Columbuses”.

The real discoverer and creator of Russian America was Grigory Ivanovich Shelekhov (Shelikhov). A merchant, a native of the city of Rylsk in the Kursk province, Shelekhov moved to Siberia, where he became rich in the fur trade. Beginning in 1773, 26-year-old Shelekhov began to independently send ships to sea fishing.

In August 1784, during his main expedition on three ships, he reached Kodiak Island, where he began to build a settlement. It was thanks to Shelekhov’s energy and foresight that the foundation of Russian possessions was laid in these new lands. in 1784-86 G.I. Shelekhov also began to build two more fortified settlements in America. The settlement plans he drew up included smooth streets, schools, libraries, and parks. Returning to European Russia, Shelekhov put forward a proposal to begin the mass resettlement of Russians to new lands.

At the same time, Shelekhov was not in public service. He remained a merchant, industrialist, and entrepreneur operating with the permission of the government. Shelekhov himself, however, was distinguished by a remarkable statesmanship, perfectly understanding Russia's capabilities in this region. No less important was the fact that Shelekhov had a great understanding of people and assembled a team of like-minded people who created Russian America.

Until 1786, Shelekhov was a successful fur trader in the Aleutian lands, but his fur empire needed other capable leaders. He saw one such assistant in Alexander Andreevich Baranov, a merchant from the ancient city of Kargopol, who moved to Siberia for business purposes. In 1791, he, as it turned out, arrived in Alaska for good. 43-year-old (that is, no longer young at that time) Alexander Baranov was appointed chief manager on Kodiak Island. Baranov was on the verge of bankruptcy when Shelekhov took him as his assistant, recognizing exceptional qualities in him: will, enterprise, perseverance, firmness, organizational skills. Baranov also possessed selflessness that was surprising for an entrepreneur - managing Russian America for more than two decades, controlling multimillion-dollar sums, ensuring high profits for the shareholders of the Russian-American company, which we will talk about below, he did not leave any fortune for himself!

Baranov moved the company's representative office to the new city of Pavlovskaya Gavan, which he founded in the north of Kodiak Island. Now Pavlovsk is the main city of Kodiak Island.

Meanwhile, Shelekhov's company drove out other competitors from the region. G.I. Shelekhov himself died in 1795, in the midst of his endeavors. True, his proposals for the further development of American territories with the help of a commercial company, thanks to his like-minded people and associates, were further developed. In 1799, the Russian-American Company (RAC) was created, which became the main owner of all Russian possessions in America (as well as in the Kuril Islands). The creation of the RAC was based on G.I. Shelekhov’s proposals to create a commercial company of a special kind, capable of carrying out, along with commercial activities, also engaging in the colonization of lands, the construction of forts and cities. At the same time, formally, the RAC was not a completely state institution, and therefore its activities should not have caused international complications. It received from Paul I monopoly rights to fur fishing, trade and the discovery of new lands in the northeastern part of the Pacific Ocean, designed to represent and protect with its own means the interests of Russia in the Pacific Ocean.

Shelekhov’s son-in-law M. Buldakov became the director of the RAC. In Russian America, all powers were in the hands of A. A. Baranov, officially called the Chief Ruler.

Alexander Baranov faced many problems. Most food and almost all goods for exchange had to be imported from Russia, and there were not enough ships. The colony was constantly short of people to build ships, protect the colony, and organize everyday life. Local Aleuts came to the rescue. They constituted the main labor force of the colony. The Aleuts guarded the forts and kept guard.

During Baranov's tenure as Ruler of Russian America, Russia's possessions expanded to the south and east. Baranov founded and built Russian settlements. The largest of them is Novoarkhangelsk, founded in 1799.

In 1802, the village was destroyed by the Tlingits. But in 1804 Baranov defeated the Tlingits. After the victory, Novoarkhangelsk was rebuilt. A number of other settlements were founded, and only a lack of people limited the scale of colonization.

There were really few Russians. However, throughout the entire vast territory of the then Pacific possessions of Russia (Okhotsk-Kamchatka Territory) with an area of ​​2 million km2 and an even larger water area at the beginning of the 19th century, only about 5 thousand Russians lived, of which only 1.5 thousand lived in Kamchatka - the land most close to Russian America. In the town of Okhotsk there were only 1,300 inhabitants, in Gizhiginsk - 657, in Petropavlovs-Kamchatkoy - 180 inhabitants, including 25 women. At the same time, this handful of people had to defend state interests in the region. But the pacification of Chukotka is not over yet. Only in 1806, the Chukchi ravaged a Russian trading post and killed 14 Russians. Under these conditions, there simply weren’t enough people physically to explore Russian America.

One cannot help but admire the fact that only about 400-800 Russian people managed to develop such vast territories and waters, making their way to California and Hawaii. However, it was the lack of people that played a fatal role in the history of Russian America. The desire to attract new settlers was a constant and almost impossible desire of all Russian administrators in Alaska.

G.I. Shelekhov also proposed organizing the resettlement of serfs to America, who in this case would receive their freedom. It is clear that this proposal caused discontent among the serf owners, who feared being left without their “souls.” Then G.I. Shelekhov made a request to provide him with a certain number of Siberian exiles who knew the crafts necessary for the colony, as well as cultivators. This time the government agreed, and in 1794 Shelekhov sent “settlers” from among Russian plowmen and artisans to Russian America. But there were very few of them, and subsequently official St. Petersburg did not show any interest in Russian America (except for receiving dividends on purchased shares). The number of Russian immigrants arriving in Alaska was only a few.

Later, in 1808, the Senate prohibited serfs and even those previously freed from serfdom from settling in Alaska. Under these conditions, one could not expect an increase in the Russian population of Alaska. Many Russian hunters, merchants, and officials, having completed their business in Alaska, left for Siberia, and more often further, to European Russia. In order to consolidate the Russian population in Alaska, in 1809 the concept of “colonial citizens” was introduced, meaning Russian subjects permanently residing in Russian America, who could not be classified as one of the classes.

Baranov, even in such desolation, worked tirelessly to explore Alaska and adjacent lands. With incredible scarcity of funds and a small number of employees, Baranov equipped trade and research expeditions along the coast of the Bering Sea and the Pacific coast of North America up to and including Upper California, as well as to the Hawaiian Islands. Russian America traded with Canton (China), New York, Boston, California and Hawaii. Ivan Kuskov penetrated the deserted rocky coast just north of San Francisco Bay and founded a Russian fortress, Fort Ross, on the banks of the river, which he named Slavyanka. Baranov established schools, a library, a museum, shipyards in Russian America, founded fortresses, launched Russian ships

In 1818, returning to Russia by ship, the tireless ruler of Russian America, Alexander Baranov, died near Java. After him, the rulers of Russian America were, in principle, smart administrators, providing profits to the holders of RAC shares, successfully maintaining order in the possessions entrusted to them. But none of them were either Shelekhov or Baranov to understand the full significance of the American settlements for Russia. It is not surprising that in 1824 an agreement was signed with Great Britain on the delimitation of North America, according to which the border between Russian America and British Canada ran along 24 longitudes. In 1839-40. Russia abandoned Fort Ross in California.

Another problem characteristic of Russian America was the tyranny of space. The journey by land took three years! First, it was necessary to sail from Novarkhangelsk to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, or to Okhotsk, from where they had to travel about 10 thousand kilometers on horses. Oddly enough, a circumnavigation from St. Petersburg across three oceans to Russian America was faster, more convenient and cheaper. It was there that the ships of Krusenstern, Kotzebue, Hagemeister and other Russian circumnavigators, paid for by RAC, went.

Climatic conditions also influenced the development of Russian America. Shelekhov also tried to breed turnips, potatoes and rutabaga in Alaska. Attempts to breed rye and wheat in the colonies were unsuccessful - the growing season was too short.

The lack of food for Russian America prompted the Russian authorities to create Fort Ross and try to create a base in Hawaii. But the lack of people and the remoteness of the new possessions led to the abandonment of the expansion of Russian America.

The colony more or less developed. RAC shareholders constantly received their dividends. Russia has become quite firmly established on the American continent. Small but active Russians became a permanent ethnic element of these lands.

Changes also occurred among the native population of Alaska. The Aleuts in the 50-70s of the 18th century experienced the consequences of epidemic diseases from which they had no immunity. Their numbers have decreased sharply. Subsequently, the number of Aleuts grew slowly, periodically as a result of epidemics and natural disasters, their number decreased again. In 1834 there were only 2,247 of them left, in 1848 there were already 1,400 people. In 1864, the number of Aleuts jumped to 2,005 people. Many Aleuts moved to the Kuril Islands and Kamchatka. Thus, the decline in the number of Aleuts in the Aleutian Islands was partly explained by the resettlement of the Aleuts outside their former ethnic territory.

The relationship with the Tlingit Indians was very complex. In 1805, 1809, 1813 and 1818. The Tlingits attacked Russian settlements, and Russian military expeditions followed in response.

In 1822, 488 Russians, 5,334 Aleuts, Kenai (Tanaina Indians living on the Kenai Peninsula) - 1,432, Chugach (Eskimos) - 479 lived in Russian America. Taking into account the “others,” the total population was 8,286 people. The colony's population growth was negligible.

This number, however, did not include the so-called. “wild”, that is, local tribes that do not obey the Russian authorities. In addition, there were also categories of “semi-dependent” population, that is, tribes that, in principle, recognized dependence on the Russian Tsar, trading with Russian settlers, but did not want to pay the poll tax, and for this reason were not taken into account by the official statistics of Russian America. In general, the total number of inhabitants of Alaska in the mid-19th century numbered at least 40 thousand people, most of whom were classified as “wild”.

In 1839, the Russian population of Alaska was 823 people, which was the maximum in the entire history of Russian America. Usually there were slightly fewer Russians.

In Russian America, the development of a new ethnic group began - the Creoles. Usually in the countries of the New World, Europeans born here were called creoles. But in the Russian possessions of North America, children from mixed marriages of Russians with local women were called creoles. Russian settlers in Alaska were represented mainly by men. There were few Russian women, about one for every 10 (sometimes for 16) men. At the same time, Shelekhov and Baranov, as well as the leadership of the local Orthodox Church, believed that mixed marriages of Orthodox Russians with local women would contribute to the spread of Orthodoxy. A. Baranov himself, who married an Indian, gave an example to the settlers.

As a result of marital and extramarital affairs of Russians with Aleut, Eskimo and Indian women in Alaska, the ethnic and socio-cultural community of Alaskan Creoles began to take shape. The growth of the Creole population was rapid: 553 people in 1822 and 1,989 people (an increase of 3.6 times) in 1863. Russian America gradually began to resemble Latin American society in the snow with its large number of mestizos and the originality of the local culture. A number of Alaska explorers came from among the Creoles - Alexander Kashevarov, Ruf Serebryanikov and other travelers who penetrated deep into the North American continent. There was no racial discrimination. Many Creoles received an education in St. Petersburg at the expense of the RAC, and immediately after receiving it they joined the ranks of the local elite. In St. Petersburg there were even special gymnasiums where, along with other children, Creoles and children of RAC employees studied at government expense. For boys, this was the First Provincial Gymnasium, and for girls, admission to the Mariinsky Gymnasium was open. In principle, Alaskan Creoles could well become the basis of a new nation, Russian-speaking and Orthodox.

Finally, the Russian Orthodox Church was active in Russian America. Back in 1794, the Valaam monk German began missionary work. By the mid-19th century, most Alaska Natives were baptized. The Aleuts and, to a lesser extent, the Alaska Indians are still Orthodox believers. In 1841, an episcopal see was created in Alaska. By the time of the sale of Alaska, the Russian Orthodox Church had 13 thousand flocks here. In terms of the number of Orthodox Christians, Alaska still ranks first in the United States. Church ministers made a huge contribution to the spread of literacy among the Alaskan natives. Literacy among the Aleuts was at a high level - on the island of St. Paul, the entire adult population could read in their native language.

Despite all the difficulties, industry began to develop in the colonies. In 1857, mines were founded in Ugolnaya Bay, in the Kenai Bay, and the first miners in Alaska began to mine hard coal there. By the mid-50s of the 19th century, coal production in Alaska exceeded 20 thousand poods per month. Mica and clay were mined in Alaska for brick production. Alaskan oil, copper in the Mednaya River basin, amber on the Alaska Peninsula, graphite on Atha Island, obsidian and porphyry on Umnak Island were discovered. Contrary to popular belief, the Russians were well aware of the presence of gold in Alaska. In the 1840s. its deposits on the islands of Kodiak and Sitkha, the shores of the Kenai Bay were explored by mining engineer Pyotr Doroshin. The Russian administration, which had before its eyes the example of the “gold rush” in California, fearing the invasion of thousands of American gold miners, chose to classify this information.

Shipwrights have been building ships since 1793. For 1799-1821 15 ships were built in Novoarkhangelsk. In 1853, the first steam ship on the Pacific Ocean was launched in Novoarkhangelsk, and not a single part was imported: everything was manufactured in Alaska.

The basis of the economic life of Russian America remained the production of marine mammals. Average for 1840-60s. up to 18 thousand fur seals were caught per year. River beavers, otters, foxes, arctic foxes, bears, sables, and walrus tusks were also hunted.

Novoarkhangelsk in the 50-60s. XIX century resembled an average provincial town in outlying Russia. It had a ruler's palace, a theater, a club, a cathedral, a bishop's house, a seminary, a Lutheran prayer house, an observatory, a music school, a museum and a library, a nautical school, two hospitals and a pharmacy, several schools, a spiritual consistory, a drawing room, an admiralty, and port facilities. buildings, an arsenal, several industrial enterprises, shops, stores and warehouses. Houses in Novoarkhangelsk were built on stone foundations and the roofs were made of iron. The holdings of the Russian-American Company were divided into six “divisions,” each of which was many times larger than any Russian district. The Kodiak department was the most populous, followed by Unalashkinsky and Novoarkhangelsk in terms of population. The most sparsely populated was the Northern, or Mikhailovsky, department, where only one hundred and thirty people lived on the lands gravitating towards the mouths of the Yukon, including thirty Russians and up to forty Creoles.

But in 1867, Alaska was sold to the United States for $7.2 million. They advocated the sale of Russian America (and not disinterestedly!) Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich. Let us note that Russia never received any money for Alaska, since part of this money was appropriated by the Russian Ambassador in Washington, Baron Stekl, and part went to bribe American senators. Finally, the ship, which had precious cargo on board, sank on July 16, 1868 on the approach to St. Petersburg. As a result, Russia never gained anything from giving up some of its possessions.

The Russian-American company was liquidated. When the affairs of the Russian-American Company were liquidated in 1868, some Russians were taken from Alaska to their homeland. The last group of Russians, numbering 309 people, left Novoarkhangelsk on November 30, 1868. The other part - about 200 people - was left in Novoarkhangelsk due to a lack of ships. They were simply FORGOTTEN by the St. Petersburg authorities (as we see, Russian liberals, prone to ranting about “rights,” are in fact not interested in ordinary people from whom it is impossible to get dollars). Most of the Creoles also remained in Alaska. However, Russian America disappeared, the ethnic territory of the Russian nation shrank, and the potential nation of Alaskan Creoles did not materialize.

For the United States, Alaska became the site of the “gold rush” of the 90s of the 19th century, glorified by Jack London, and then the “oil rush” of the 70s. XX century. Today, Alaska is the largest US state by territory and ranks first in proven reserves of oil, coal, platinum, tin, antimony and many other elements of the periodic table.

The second sale of Alaska, or more precisely, the waters of Alaska, took place in 1990, when the then Minister of Foreign Affairs of the USSR E. Shevardnadze put his signature on the agreement between the USSR and the USA on the delimitation of economic zones and continental shelves in the Chukchi and Bering Seas. As a result of this agreement, the USSR recognized for the American side a vast, more than 50 thousand km2, water area of ​​​​these seas, fabulously rich not only in biological resources, but also possessing vast oil deposits. Shevardnadze, understanding how “perestroika” would end in the USSR, hastened to demonstrate his loyalty to Uncle Sam. As a result, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, he became the dictator of Georgia until he was overthrown as a result of the next “velvet revolution”.

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