In Washington, 150 years ago, an agreement was signed on the sale of Alaska to America by Russia. There have been fierce debates about why this happened and how this event should be treated for many years. During a discussion organized by the Foundation and the Free Historical Society, Dr. historical sciences and Yuri Bulatov tried to answer questions arising in connection with this event. The discussion was moderated by a journalist and historian. publishes excerpts from their speeches.
Alexander Petrov:
150 years ago, Alaska was ceded (that’s what they said then - ceded, not sold) to the United States. During this time, we went through a period of rethinking what happened, we spoke out different points views on both sides of the ocean, sometimes diametrically opposed. Nevertheless, the events of those years continue to excite public consciousness.
Why? There are several points. First of all, a huge territory was sold, which currently occupies key positions in the Asia-Pacific region, largely due to the development of oil and other minerals. But it's important to note that the deal wasn't just about the United States and Russia. Players such as England, France, Spain, and various structures of these states were involved in it.
The procedure for selling Alaska itself took place from December 1866 to March 1867, and the money came later. These funds were used to build railways to Ryazan direction. Dividends on shares of the Russian-American Company, which controlled these territories, continued to be paid until 1880.
The origins of this organization, created in 1799, were merchants, and from certain regions - the Vologda and Irkutsk provinces. They organized the company at their own peril and risk. As the song goes, “Don't be a fool, America! Catherine, you were wrong." Catherine II, from the point of view of the merchants Shelekhov and Golikov, was indeed wrong. Shelekhov sent a detailed message in which he asked to approve the monopoly privileges of his company for 20 years and give interest-free loan amounting to 200 thousand rubles - huge money for that time. The Empress refused, explaining that her attention was now drawn to the “midday actions” - that is, to today's Crimea, and she was not interested in a monopoly.
But the merchants were very persistent, they somehow ousted their competitors. In fact, Paul I simply fixed the status quo, the formation of a monopoly company, and in 1799 granted it rights and privileges. The merchants sought both the adoption of the flag and the transfer of the main administration from Irkutsk to St. Petersburg. That is, at first it was truly a private enterprise. Subsequently, however, representatives of the navy were increasingly appointed to replace the merchants.
The transfer of Alaska began with the famous letter from Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich, brother of Emperor Alexander II, to the Minister of Foreign Affairs that this territory must be ceded to the United States. Then he did not accept a single amendment and only strengthened his position.
The deal itself was completed secretly from the Russian-American company. After this, the approval of the Governing Senate and the Sovereign Emperor on the Russian side was a pure formality. It’s amazing but true: Konstantin Nikolaevich’s letter was written exactly ten years before the actual sale of Alaska.
Yuri Bulatov:
Today, the sale of Alaska is receiving a lot of attention. In 1997, when Great Britain transferred Hong Kong to China, the systemic opposition decided to promote itself: since Hong Kong was returned, we also need to return Alaska, which was taken from us. We didn’t sell it, but ceded it, and let the Americans pay interest for the use of the territory.
Both scientists and the general public are interested in this topic. Let us remember the song that is often sung on holidays: “Don’t be a fool, America, give away your land to Alaska, give back your dear one.” There are a lot of emotional and interesting publications. Even in 2014, after the annexation of Crimea to Russia, a live broadcast of an interview with our president took place, in which, in light of what happened, he was asked the question: what is the prospect of Russian America? He responded emotionally, saying, why do we need America? No need to get excited.
But the problem is that we lack documents that would allow us to find out what really happened. Yes, there was a special meeting on December 16, 1866, but the phrase “special meeting” always sounds bad in our history. All of them were illegitimate, and their decisions were illegal.
It is necessary to find out the reason for the mysterious sympathy for America of the Romanov dynasty and the secret of the sale of Alaska - there is a mystery here too. The document on the sale of this territory stipulated that the entire archive that existed at that time in Russian America would go undividedly to the United States. Apparently, the Americans had something to hide, and they wanted to hedge their bets.
But the sovereign’s word is a golden word, if you decide that you need to sell, then you need to. It was not for nothing that in 1857 Konstantin Nikolaevich sent a letter to Gorchakov. While on duty, the Minister of Foreign Affairs was supposed to report on the letter to Alexander II, although previously he had avoided this issue in every possible way. The emperor wrote on his brother’s message that “this idea is worth considering.”
The arguments that were presented in the letter, I would say, are still dangerous today. For example, Konstantin Nikolaevich was the chairman, and suddenly he makes a discovery, saying that Alaska is very far from the main centers of the Russian Empire. The question arises: why should it be sold? There is Sakhalin, there is Chukotka, there is Kamchatka, but for some reason the choice falls on Russian America.
Second point: The Russian-American company allegedly does not make a profit. This is incorrect, since there are documents that say that there were incomes (maybe not as much as we would like, but there were). The third point: the treasury is empty. Yes, indeed it was so, but 7.2 million dollars did not make a difference. After all, in those days Russian budget was 500 million rubles, and 7.2 million dollars - a little more than 10 million rubles. Moreover, Russia had a debt of 1.5 billion rubles.
The fourth statement: if some kind of military conflict arises, we will not be able to retain this territory. Here Grand Duke He's lying. In 1854, the Crimean War was fought not only in Crimea, but also in the Baltic and Far East. In Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, the fleet under the leadership of the future admiral Zavoiko repelled the attack of the joint Anglo-French squadron. In 1863, by order of Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich, two squadrons were sent: one to New York, where they stood in the roadstead, the other to San Francisco. In this way we prevented the transformation civil war in the USA into an international conflict.
The last argument is disarming in its naivety: if we sell it to the Americans, then we will have wonderful relations with them. It was probably better then to sell it to Great Britain, because at that time we did not have a common border with America, and it would have been more profitable to conclude a deal with the British.
Such arguments are not only frivolous, but also criminal. Today, on their basis, any territory could be sold. In the west - the Kaliningrad region, in the east - Kurile Islands. Far? Far. No profit? No. Is the treasury empty? Empty. There are also questions about retention during a military conflict. The relationship with the buyer will improve, but for how long? The experience of selling Alaska to America has shown that it will not last long.
Alexander Petrov:
There has always been more partnership than conflict between Russia and the United States. It is no coincidence that, for example, historian Norman Saul wrote the work Distant Friends. For a long time after the sale of Alaska, Russia and the United States had practically friendly relations. I wouldn't use the word "rivalry" in relation to Alaska.
As for Konstantin Nikolaevich’s position, I would call it not criminal, but untimely and inexplicable. Criminal is when a person violates certain norms, rules and those attitudes that existed in the society of that time. Formally, everything was done correctly. But the way the deal was signed raises questions.
What was the alternative then? Provide opportunities for the Russian-American company to continue operating in the region, allow it to populate this region with immigrants from Siberia and the center of Russia, develop these vast spaces as part of the continuation of the peasant reform, the abolition of serfdom. Whether there would be enough strength for it or not is another matter.
Yuri Bulatov:
I doubt that relations between the two countries were friendly, and this is evidenced by the facts and the speed with which this deal was finalized.
Here interesting example: in 1863, Russia signed an agreement with the Americans on the construction of a telegraph through Siberia with access to Russian America. But in February 1867, a month before the deal on the sale of Alaska, the American side canceled this agreement, declaring that they would run a telegraph across the Atlantic. Of course public opinion reacted extremely negatively to this. For four years the Americans were actually engaged in intelligence activities on our territory, and in February 1867 they suddenly abandoned the project.
Photo: Konrad Wothe / Globallookpress.com
If we take the agreement on the transfer of Alaska, then it is an agreement between the winner and the loser. You read six of his articles, and the wording simply hits your head: America has rights, and Russia must fulfill the specified conditions.
So the top of the Romanov dynasty had mercantile relations with the United States, but not friendly ones. And our society didn’t know what was happening. The Chairman of the Council of Ministers, Prince Gagarin, the Minister of Internal Affairs, Valuev, and the Minister of War, Milyutin, had no idea at all about the deal and learned about all this from the newspapers. Since they were bypassed, it means they would be against it. Relations between the two countries were not friendly.
Today, what is known about Alaska is that it is the largest state in the 49th United States by area. He is also the coldest. But in the 18th century, Alaska completely belonged to the Russian Empire. Who really sold Alaska? We will help you understand this issue.
For the first time, the Governor General proposed the sale of Alaska. Eastern Siberia N. N. Muravyov-Amursky in 1853.
1867 map of Northwestern America showing territories that were ceded Russian Empire United States of America
Who sold Alaska?
There is a myth that Alaska was given to the Americans by Catherine II. But actually it is not. In fact, it was Catherine II’s great-grandson, Alexander II, who sold Alaska to the States. Alaska officially ceded to the United States in 1867, that is, 71 years after the death of the Grand Empress.
Emperor of Russia Alexander II (Romanov dynasty)
In March 1867, the government of Emperor Alexander II decided to sell Alaska (with an area of 1.5 million sq. km) for 11.362 million rubles in gold (about 7.2 million dollars).
Money for Alaska was transferred only in August 1867.
Why did Russia agree to sell Alaska to the United States?
Painting by E. Leite: “Signing of an agreement on the sale of Russian possessions in Alaska.” Second from left is US Secretary of State Seward, Russian Ambassador Stekl is holding the globe
What was it like the real reason Alaska's sale is still unknown. According to one version, the emperor made this deal to pay off his debts. In 1862, Alexander II was forced to borrow £15 million from the Rothschilds at 5% per annum. There was nothing to return, and then Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich - younger brother Sovereign - offered to sell “something unnecessary.” An unnecessary thing Alaska ended up in Russia.
Besides Emperor Alexander II, only five people knew about the deal: his brother Grand Duke Constantine, Finance Minister Mikhail Reitern, Naval Ministry manager Nikolai Krabbe, Foreign Minister Alexander Gorchakov and the Russian envoy to the United States Eduard Stekl. The latter had to bribe former US Treasury Secretary Walker $16,000 for lobbying for the idea of purchasing the territory of Alaska.
Various interpretations of the history of the sale of Alaska
In Russian journalism, there is a widespread opinion that Alaska was not actually sold, but leased for 99 years, but the USSR, for certain political reasons didn't demand it back. The same version is played out in Jeffrey Archer’s novel “A Matter of Honour”. However, according to the overwhelming majority of historians, there is no basis for these versions, because, according to the treaty of 1867, Alaska unambiguously, finally and irrevocably becomes the full property of the United States.
A check for US$7.2 million presented to pay for the purchase of Alaska. The check amount is equivalent to US$119 million today
Some historians also claim that Russia did not receive the gold, which sank along with the bark Orkney carrying it during a storm. However, the state historical archive of the Russian Federation contains a document written by an unknown employee of the Ministry of Finance in the second half of 1868, stating that “For the Russian possessions ceded to the North American States in North America received from the said States 11,362,481 rubles. 94 kopecks
In 1867, Alaska ceased to be part of Russia. Until now, this page of Russian history is read diagonally by many, giving rise to a lot of myths. Like those that Catherine II sold Alaska, and Russia leased Alaska.
When?
The idea of selling Alaska to the United States was first expressed back in 1853 by the Governor-General of Eastern Siberia, Nikolai Muravyov-Amursky.
He presented Nicholas I with a note in which he insisted on the need to sell Alaskan lands.
This, as Muravyov wrote, will allow Russia to concentrate its forces on strengthening its position in East Asia, as well as improve relations with the United States and allow the countries to be friends against England. Muravyov also wrote that over time it will be difficult for Russia to defend such remote territories.
The son of Nikolai Pavlovich, Emperor Alexander II, was “ripe” before the deal. The signing of the treaty took place on March 30, 1867 in Washington.
For what?
Why did Russia sell Alaska? Several main reasons for the transaction can be identified.
1) Geopolitical. The geopolitical reason was outlined by Muravyov-Amursky: it was important for Russia to maintain and strengthen its positions in the Far East. Britain's ambitions for hegemony in the Pacific also caused concern. Back in 1854, the RAC, fearing an attack by the Anglo-French fleet on Novo-Arkhangelsk, entered into a fictitious agreement with the American-Russian Trading Company in San Francisco for the sale of all its property for 7 million 600 thousand dollars for three years, including land holdings in North America. Later, a formal agreement between the RAC and the Hudson's Bay Company was concluded on the mutual neutralization of their territorial possessions in America.
2) Economic. Historians call one of the reasons for the sale of Alaska the lack of finances in the treasury of the Russian Empire. A year before the sale of Alaska, Finance Minister Mikhail Reitern sent a note to Alexander II in which he pointed out the need for strict savings, emphasizing that for the normal functioning of Russia a three-year foreign loan of 15 million rubles was required. in year. Even the lower limit of the amount of the transaction for the sale of Alaska, designated by Reutern at 5 million rubles, could cover only a third of the annual loan. Also, the state annually paid subsidies to the RAC; the sale of Alaska saved Russia from these expenses.
3) Logistics. This reason for the sale of Alaska was also indicated in Muravyov-Amursky’s note. “Now,” wrote the Governor-General, “with the invention and development railways“, more than before, we must be convinced of the idea that the North American States will inevitably spread throughout North America, and we cannot help but keep in mind that sooner or later we will have to cede our North American possessions to them.” Railways to the East of Russia had not yet been built and the Russian Empire was clearly inferior to the states in the speed of logistics to the North American region.
4) Resources. Oddly enough, one of the reasons for selling Alaska was its resources. On the one hand, their disadvantage is that valuable sea otters were destroyed by 1840; on the other hand, paradoxically, their presence is that oil and gold were discovered in Alaska. Oil at that time was used for medicinal purposes, and the “hunting season” for Alaskan gold was beginning on the part of American prospectors. The Russian government quite rightly feared that American troops would follow the prospectors there. Russia was not ready for war.
5) Creeping colonization. In 1857, ten years before the sale of Alaska, Russian diplomat Eduard Stekl sent a dispatch to St. Petersburg in which he outlined a rumor about the possible emigration of representatives of the Mormon religious sect from the United States to Russian America. He himself hinted at this in a joking manner. American President J. Buchanan.
Joking aside, Stekl was seriously afraid of the mass migration of sectarians, since they would have to offer military resistance. The “creeping colonization” of Russian America really took place. Already in the early 1860s, British smugglers, despite the prohibitions of the colonial administration, began to settle on Russian territory in the southern part of the Alexander Archipelago. Sooner or later this could lead to tension and military conflicts.
Who?
Who sold Alaska? Only six people knew about the proposed sale of North American territories: Alexander II, Konstantin Romanov, Alexander Gorchakov (Minister of Foreign Affairs), Mikhail Reutern (Minister of Finance), Nikolai Krabbe (Minister of Naval Affairs) and Edaur Steckl (Russian Envoy to the USA). The fact that Alaska was sold to America became known only two months after the transaction was completed.
Interestingly, Russia never legally owned Alaska,
she was in the RAC department. However, the deal to sell Alaska passed by the Russian-American company. None of its representatives were aware of the decision made at the “secret mass” of Alexander II.
Rent?
IN Lately It is often written that Alaska was not sold to America, but leased for 90 years. The lease supposedly expired in 1957. However, Alaska was not leased. And it was not sold either. The text of the document on the transfer of Alaska to the United States does not contain the word sell. There is a verb to sed, which translates as “to give in,” that is, the Russian emperor transferred to the United States the rights to physically use the agreed upon territories. Moreover, the period for which the territories are transferred is not discussed in the agreement.
Glass
One of the most active participants in the sale (we will still call the deal so as to avoid confusion) was Eduard Stekl, who in 1854 took the post of envoy of the Russian Empire to the states. Before that, he served as chargé d'affaires of the Russian embassy in Washington (since 1850).
Steckl was married to an American and had extensive connections in the American political elite.
Stekl received a check in the amount of 7 million 035 thousand dollars - of the original 7.2 million he kept 21 thousand for himself, and distributed 144 thousand as bribes to senators who voted for ratification of the treaty.
For the transaction, Stekl received a reward of $25,000 and an annual pension of 6,000 rubles. He came to St. Petersburg for a short time, but was forced to leave for Paris - he was not liked in the highest Russian society.
Where's the money?
Finally, the main question: where did the money for the sale of Alaska go? $7 million was transferred to London Bank transaction, gold bars purchased for this amount were transported from London to St. Petersburg on the bark “Orkney” by sea.
When converting first into pounds and then into gold, another 1.5 million was lost, but this was not the end of the misfortunes for Alaskan money. On July 16, 1868, the ship sank on the approach to St. Petersburg.
It is still unknown whether there was gold on the Orkney; it was not found during search operations. Insurance Company, which insured the ship and cargo, declared itself bankrupt, and the damage was only partially compensated.
With all this, the State Historical Archive of the Russian Federation contains a document written by an unknown employee of the Ministry of Finance in the second half of 1868, in which it is written that “For the Russian possessions in North America ceded to the North American States, 11,362,481 rubles were received from the said States. 94 [cop.]. Of the number 11,362,481 rubles. 94 kopecks spent abroad on the purchase of accessories for the railways: Kursk-Kyiv, Ryazansko-Kozlovskaya, Moscow-Ryazan, etc. 10,972,238 rubles. 4 k. The rest are 390,243 rubles. 90 kopecks were received in cash.”
On March 30, 1867, 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 Russian Alexander Territory II of Alaska and the group of Aleutian Islands near it were sold to the United States of America.
There are many rumors surrounding this deal to this day - “Alaska was not sold, but only leased. The documents are lost, so it is impossible to return it,” “Alaska was sold by Catherine II the Great, because this is sung in the song of the group “Lube,” “the deal for the sale of Alaska should be declared invalid, because the ship on which gold was carried 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 sale of Alaska actually happened and what caused this deal, which was apparently not beneficial for Russia.The actual discovery of Alaska by Russian navigators I. Fedorov and M.S. Gvozdev happened in 1732, but it is officially considered to have been discovered in 1741 by captain A. Chirikov, who visited it and decided to register the discovery. Over the next sixty years, the Russian Empire, as a state, was not interested in the fact of the discovery of Alaska - its territory was developed 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.
The situation changed somewhat in 1799, but only externally - the territory of Alaska began to officially belong to the Russian Empire with the rights of a discoverer, but the state was in no way interested in new territories. The initiative to recognize ownership of the northern lands of the North American continent came, again, from Siberian merchants, who jointly drew up documents in St. Petersburg and created a Russian-American company with monopoly rights to mineral resources and commercial production in Alaska. The main sources of income for merchants in the North American territories of Russia were coal mining and fishing fur seal and... ice, the most common one, supplied to the USA - 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 was not of any interest to the Russian leadership - it is located somewhere “in the middle of nowhere”, no money is required for its maintenance, there is no need to protect and maintain a military contingent for this either, all issues are dealt with by the merchants of the Russian-American companies that regularly paid taxes. And then from this very Alaska there is information that deposits of native gold have been found there... Yes, yes, what did you think - Emperor Alexander II didn’t know what he was selling gold mine? But no, he knew and was perfectly aware of his decision! And why I sold it - now we’ll figure it out...
The initiative to sell 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 would certainly attract the attention of England, the long-time sworn enemy of the Russian Empire, and Russia is not able to defend it, and the military fleet is in northern seas not really. 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.
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 given a price acceptable to Russia - 5 million dollars in gold, but Stekl decided to give the American government more high amount, equal to 7.2 million dollars. Purchase idea northern territory, albeit with gold, but also with a complete absence of roads, deserted and characterized by a cold climate, was perceived American government President Andrew Johnson was unenthusiastic. Baron Stekl actively intrigued, bribing congressmen and editors of major American newspapers, in order to create a political climate favorable for the land deal.
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 official representatives both sides. Thus, the acquisition of one hectare of Alaska cost the US Treasury $0.0474 and for the entire territory of 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 to the possession of the United States; two months earlier, Baron Steckl received a check for 7 million 200 thousand in US Treasury bonds, which he transferred to the Baring brothers' London bank account Russian Emperor, withholding his $21,000 commission and the $165,000 he spent out of pocket on bribes (overhead).
According to some modern Russian historians and politicians, the Russian Empire made a mistake by 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 James Monroe Doctrine of 1823. And the first major transaction was the Louisiana Purchase - the acquisition French colony in North America (2,100 thousand square km of inhabited and developed territory) from the Emperor of France Napoleon I Bonaparte for a ridiculous 15 million dollars in gold. By the way, this territory today contains the states of Missouri, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska and significant areas of a number of other states modern USA... As for the former territories of Mexico - the territory of all the southern states of the United States - they were annexed free of charge.
Selling Alaska
The question of the fate of Russian America arose in the early 1850s. In the spring of 1853, the Governor-General of Eastern Siberia, Nikolai 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.
The Governor-General recalled that a quarter of a century ago, “the Russian-American Company appealed to the government with a request to occupy California, then free and owned by almost no one, while communicating its fears that this area would soon become the prey of the United States of America... It is impossible.” At the same time, it was not foreseeable that these states, having once established themselves on the Eastern Ocean, would soon take precedence there over all maritime powers and would have a need for the entire northwestern coast of America. The dominion of the North American States over all of North America is so natural that we should not really regret that twenty-five years ago we did not establish ourselves in California - we would have to give it up sooner or later, but by giving in peacefully, we could get in return other benefits from the Americans. However, now, with the invention and development of railroads, we must be more convinced than before that the North American States will inevitably spread throughout North America, and we cannot help but bear in mind that sooner or later we will have to cede North American rights to them. our possessions. It was impossible, however, with this consideration not to have another thing in mind: which is very natural for Russia if you do not own the whole East Asia, then dominate the entire Asian coast of the Eastern Ocean. Due to circumstances, we allowed the British to invade this part of Asia... but this matter can still be improved by our close connection with the North American States.”
The authorities in St. Petersburg reacted very favorably to Muravyov’s note. 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 Admiral General, Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich and members of the board of the Russian-American Company. One of the specific results of this work was the emperor’s order dated April 11 (23), 1853, which allowed the Russian-American company “to occupy Sakhalin Island on the same basis as it owned other lands mentioned in its privileges, in order to prevent no foreign settlements.”
For its part, the Russian-American Company, fearing an attack by the Anglo-French fleet on Novo-Arkhangelsk, hastened in the spring of 1854 to conclude a fictitious agreement with the American-Russian Trading Company in San Francisco for the sale of all its property for 7 million 600 thousand dollars for three years , including land holdings in North America. But soon news came to Russian America about an official agreement between the RAC and the Hudson's Bay Company on the mutual neutralization of their territorial possessions in America. “Due to these fortunately changed circumstances,” reported the Russian consul in San Francisco, Pyotr Kostromitinov, in the summer of 1854, “I did not give further movement to the act transmitted from the colonies.” Although the fictitious act was immediately annulled, and the colonial authorities were reprimanded for being too independent, the idea of a possible sale of Russian America to the United States not only did not die, but after the end Crimean War received further development.
The main supporter of the sale of Russian America was the younger brother of Alexander II, Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich, who sent a special letter on this matter to the Minister of Foreign Affairs Alexander Gorchakov in the spring of 1857. Most of the most influential statesmen, although they did not object in principle to the sale of Russian possessions in America, considered it necessary to first thoroughly discuss this issue. It was proposed to first clarify the situation in Russian America, test the waters in Washington and, in any case, not rush into the practical implementation of the sale, postponing it until the expiration of the RAC privileges in 1862 and the liquidation of the contract for the supply of ice by the American-Russian Trading Company in San Francisco. This line was followed by Gorchakov and employees of the Asian Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and most importantly, Emperor Alexander II himself, who ordered to postpone the decision on the sale of Russian America until the contract with the company in San Francisco was liquidated. Although the US government considered the acquisition of Russian possessions in America very profitable, it offered only $5 million as a reward, which, according to Gorchakov, did not reflect “the true value of our colonies.”
In 1865, after lengthy discussions State Council Russia approved the “main principles” of the new charter of the RAC, and the company’s board even managed to obtain additional benefits from the tsarist government. On August 20 (September 1), 1866, the emperor “deigned” to pay the RAC an annual “allowance” of 200 thousand rubles and remove its debt to the treasury in the amount of 725 thousand.
The company was not satisfied with this and continued to seek new privileges, which also had its own negative side: the tsarist government only confirmed its opinion about the advisability of getting rid of burdensome possessions in distant America. In addition, the general state of Russia's finances, despite the reforms carried out in the country, continued to deteriorate, and the treasury needed foreign money.
The end of the American Civil War and the subsequent friendly visit of the American squadron led by Gustavus Fox to Russia in the summer of 1866 to some extent contributed to the revival of the idea of selling Russian colonies in America. However, the direct reason for resuming consideration of the issue of the fate of Russian America was the arrival of the Russian envoy in Washington, Eduard Stekl, to St. Petersburg. Having left the United States in October 1866, he remained in the royal capital until the beginning of the next year. During this time, he had the opportunity to meet not only with his immediate superiors at the Foreign Office, but also to talk with Grand Duke Constantine and Finance Minister Mikhail Reitern.
It was after conversations with Stekl that both statesman communicated their thoughts “on the subject of the cession of our North American colonies.” The sale of Russian possessions in America seemed expedient to Reutern for the following reasons:
"1. After the seventy-year existence of the company, it in no way achieved either the Russification of the male population, or the lasting establishment of the Russian element, and did not in the least contribute to the development of our merchant shipping. The company does not provide significant value to shareholders... and can only be supported by significant government donations." As the minister noted, the importance of the colonies in America decreased even more, since “now we are firmly established in the Amur Territory, which is located in incomparably more favorable climatic conditions.”
"2. The transfer of the colonies ... will relieve us of possession, which in the event of war with one of the sea powers we are not able to defend.” Reitern further wrote about the company's possible clashes with enterprising traders and sailors from the United States: “Such clashes, unpleasant in themselves, could easily put us in the need to maintain military and military personnel at great expense. naval forces V northern waters Pacific Ocean to maintain the privileges of the company, which does not bring significant benefits either to Russia or even to the shareholders and to the detriment of our friendly relations with the United States.”
The most influential figure in discussing the fate of Russian possessions in America remained Grand Duke Constantine, who spoke in favor of the sale for three main reasons:
1. The unsatisfactory state of affairs of the RAC, the existence of which must be supported by “artificial measures and monetary donations from the treasury.”
2. The need to focus the main attention on the successful development of the Amur region, where it is in the Far East that “Russia’s future lies ahead.”
3. The desirability of maintaining a “close alliance” with the United States and eliminating everything “that could create disagreement between the two great powers.”
After familiarizing himself with the views of two influential dignitaries and knowing well the opinion of Stekl, who also spoke out in favor of the sale of Russian America, Gorchakov came to the conclusion that the time had come to accept final decision. He proposed holding a “special meeting” with the personal participation of Alexander II. This meeting took place on December 16 (28), 1866 in the front office of the Russian Foreign Ministry on Palace Square. It was attended by: Alexander II, Grand Duke Konstantin, Gorchakov, Reitern, the head of the Naval Ministry Nikolai Krabbe and Stekl. All participants spoke in favor of selling Russian colonies in North America to the United States, and interested departments were instructed to prepare their considerations for the envoy in Washington. Two weeks later, “in pursuance of the highest will declared by His Imperial Majesty at a special meeting,” Reitern forwarded his thoughts to Gorchakov, who considered it necessary to provide that “Russian subjects and residents of the colonies in general” were given “the right to remain in them or to freely travel to Russia. In both cases, they retain the right to all their property, whatever it may be.” At the same time, the minister specifically stipulated ensuring freedom of “their liturgical rites.” Finally, the Secretary of the Treasury indicated that the “monetary reward” for the cession of the colonies should be at least $5 million.
Returning to Washington in March 1867, Steckle reminded Secretary of State William Seward "of proposals which have been made in the past for the sale of our colonies" and added that "the Imperial Government is now disposed to enter into negotiations." Having secured the consent of President Johnson, Seward, already during the second meeting with Steckle, held on March 2 (14), was able to discuss the main provisions of the future treaty.
On March 18, 1867, President Johnson signed official powers to Seward, and almost immediately negotiations between the Secretary of State and Steckl took place, during which general outline A draft agreement was agreed upon for the purchase of Russian possessions in America for $7 million.
painting by Edward Leintze
From left to right: State Department employee Robert Chew, William Seward, State Department official William Hunter, employee of the Russian mission Vladimir Bodisko, Eduard Stekl, Charles Sumner, Frederick Seward
At four o'clock in the morning on March 18 (30), 1867, the agreement was signed. Among the territories ceded by Russia to the United States under the treaty on the North American continent and in the Pacific Ocean were: the entire Alaska Peninsula (along a line running along the meridian 141 ° W), 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. Paul and St. George. The total size of the land territory ceded to Russia was 1,519 thousand square meters. km. Along with the territory, all real estate, all colonial archives, official and historical documents related to the transferred territories were transferred to the United States.
In accordance with normal procedure, the treaty was submitted to Congress. Since the congressional session ended on that day, the President called an emergency executive session of the Senate.
The fate of the treaty was in the hands of members of the Senate Committee on foreign affairs. The committee at that time included: Charles Sumner of Massachusetts - chairman, Simon Cameron of Pennsylvania, William Fessenden of Maine, James Harlan of Iowa, Oliver Morton of Indiana, James Paterson of New Hampshire, Raverdy Johnson of Maryland. That is, it was up to the representatives of the Northeast to decide the issue of annexing the territory in which the Pacific states were primarily interested. In addition, the majority clearly disliked their former colleague, Secretary of State Seward.
Senator Fessenden, in particular, was a strong opponent of the treaty. During the discussion, the caustic senator noted that he was ready to support the treaty, “but with one additional condition: to force the Secretary of State to live there, and the Russian government to keep him there.” Fessenden's joke met with general approval, and Senator Johnson expressed confidence that such a proposal "would pass unanimously."
However, it was not the obvious hostility towards the Johnson-Seward administration or Fessenden’s caustic jokes that determined the attitude of the committee members to the new treaty. Most senators, and primarily Sumner, were guided by objective data and real benefits from the acquisition of Russian America.
Moreover, given Sumner's influence in the Foreign Relations Committee and in the Senate, it was his position regarding the treaty that became decisive. Initially, the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee even proposed to remove the treaty from discussion, since it supposedly had no chance of success. Subsequently, however, Sumner's views underwent serious changes, and on April 8, 1867, he already came out as a strong supporter of the ratification of the treaty with Russia. The change in Sumner's position was not accidental, but was the result of a thorough study of the issue using a wealth of factual material. Important role The assistance provided to the senator by those most knowledgeable about the state of affairs in the Pacific North, including experts from the Smithsonian Institution, also played a role.
All this significantly strengthened the position of supporters of the treaty and finally convinced Sumner of the importance of the annexation of Russian America. As a result, on April 8, the Foreign Relations Committee decided to submit the treaty to the Senate for approval.
That same day, Sumner presented the treaty to the Senate and made a famous three-hour speech in support of ratification, which made a great and even decisive impression on his listeners. There were 37 votes for ratification and only two against. They were Fessenden and Justin Morrill from Vermont.
Without any complications, ratification took place on May 3 (15) in St. Petersburg, and the official exchange of ratification instruments took place in the American capital on June 8 (20), 1867. Subsequently, in accordance with in accordance with the established procedure the treaty was printed and then included in the official collection of laws of the Russian Empire.
The decision to allocate the $7.2 million provided for by the treaty was made by the US House of Representatives a year later, on July 14, 1868 (113 in favor, 43 against, and 44 congressmen did not take part in the vote). On July 15, a warrant was issued to receive the money; on August 1, Stekl left a receipt at the treasury stating that he had received the entire amount in full.
The fate of the money received from the sale of Alaska is a favorite topic for newspaper speculation. The most popular version is that a ship with gold from America sank in the Gulf of Finland. But in reality everything was less romantic and tragic.
On August 1, Steckl instructed Riggs' bank to transfer $7,035 thousand to London, to the Baring brothers' bank. The “missing” 165 thousand were spent by him in the USA. The telegram to St. Petersburg with the news of the conclusion of the agreement cost 10 thousand, 26 thousand was received by the lawyer of the Russian mission, Robert Walker, 21 thousand was the royal reward for concluding the agreement to Stek and another mission employee, Vladimir Bodisko. The rest of the money, according to researchers, Steckl spent on bribing journalists and congressmen. At least, this conclusion can be drawn from the instructions of Alexander II to count as actual expenditure the funds spent by the envoy on “his well-known to the imperial majesty use". This wording usually accompanied expenses of a secret and sensitive nature, which included bribes.
The same money that reached London was spent on the purchase of steam locomotives and other railway property for the Kursk-Kyiv, Ryazan-Kozlov and Moscow-Ryazan railways.
Having purchased Russian America, the United States, as shown further events, made one of the most profitable deals in their history. This territory turned out to be rich natural resources, including oil and gold. It occupied an advantageous strategic position and ensured the predominant influence of the United States in the north of the continent and on the way to the Asian market. Together with the Hawaiian and Aleutian Islands, Alaska became a stronghold of US influence in the vast Pacific Ocean.
Text used by N.N. Bolkhovitinov from: History of Russian America: in 3 volumes. M., 1999. T.3. pp. 425-488.
(with additions from other sources)
In 1867, Alaska ceased to be part of Russia. Until now, this page of Russian history is read diagonally by many, giving rise to a lot of myths. Like those that Catherine II sold Alaska, and Russia leased Alaska. 7 secrets of selling Alaska.
Russia and America
By the time of the sale of Alaska, friendly relations between Russia and America had reached their peak. During the Crimean War, America repeatedly emphasized that if the boundaries of the conflict expanded, it would not take an anti-Russian position. The agreement on the sale of Alaska was carried out in deep secrecy. Amazing, but with enough high level intelligence of the time, the information was not leaked to third parties. The London Times then wrote with concern about the mutual “mysterious sympathy” that existed between Russia and the United States. London's discontent and concerns were justified: the 1867 treaty not only made Russia and the United States closest 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 should be two great hemispheres, Eastern and 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 that Russia seriously supported America in its rise. The purchase of Alaska strengthened the States, the money paid for it paid off in short term, the strategic advantage for the United States from this deal simply cannot be overestimated.
Narrow circle
The sale of Alaska is unique in that it was concluded within a very small circle. Only six people knew about the proposed sale: Alexander II, Konstantin Romanov, Alexander Gorchakov (Minister of Foreign Affairs), Mikhail Reutern (Minister of Finance), Nikolai Krabbe (Minister of Naval Affairs) and Edaurd Steckl (Russian Envoy to the United States). The fact that Alaska was sold to America became known only two months after the transaction was completed. Finance Minister 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 strict savings and emphasized that for the normal functioning of the empire a three-year foreign loan of 15 million rubles was required. in year. Thus, even the lower limit of the transaction amount, indicated 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. RAC did not receive a penny from the sale of Alaska.
Even before the historical note by the Minister of Finance, the idea of selling 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 to strengthen its position on the Asian Pacific coast, and 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 worth more than gold, but due to the greed and short-sightedness of the miners, by the forties of the 19th century, valuable animals were practically destroyed. In addition, oil and gold were discovered in Alaska. Oil at that time was used for medicinal purposes, but gold found in Alaska, ironically, became one of the incentives to sell Alaska as quickly as possible.
American prospectors began to arrive in Alaska, and the Russian government quite rightly feared that American troops would follow the prospectors. Russia was not ready for war. Giving away Alaska without receiving a penny for it was imprudent, to say the least.
Mormons and creeping colonization
Ten years before the sale of Alaska, E.A. Stekl sent a dispatch to St. Petersburg in 1857, in which he outlined a rumor about the possible emigration of representatives of the Mormon religious sect from the United States to Russian America, which was hinted to him in a playful manner by the American President J. Buchanan himself. . Although it was only rumors, Stekl wrote with alarm that in the event of a mass resettlement of American sectarians to Alaska, the Russian government would be faced with an alternative: to provide armed resistance or to give up part of its territory.
In addition, there was a “creeping colonization”, which consisted of the gradual resettlement of the British and Americans on the territory of Russian America and on the lands adjacent to it. IN In the early 1860s, British smugglers began to settle on Russian territory in the southern part of the Alexander Archipelago, despite the formal prohibitions of the colonial administration. Sooner or later this could lead to tension and military conflicts.
On October 18, 1867, at 15:30, 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 a 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 in the ropes at the very top and the painter broke. By order of the Russian commissar, several sailors rushed to climb up to untangle the flag, which was hanging on the mast in rags. They didn’t have time from below to shout to the sailor who was the first to reach him, so that he would not throw the flag down, but would get down with it, when he threw it from above: the flag landed right on the Russian bayonets. Conspiracy theorists and mystics should rejoice at this point.
Eduard Stekl played a significant role in the sale of Alaska. From 1850, he served as charge d'affaires of the Russian embassy in Washington, and in 1854 he took up the post of envoy. Steckl was married to an American and was deeply integrated into the highest circles of American society. Extensive connections helped him carry out the deal; he actively lobbied for the interests of his management. In order to persuade the US Senate to purchase 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 arrived in St. Petersburg for a short time, but then left for Paris. Until the end of his life, he avoided Russian society, just as it avoided him. After the sale of Alaska, Glass fell into disrepute.
Where is the money, Zin?
The most main secret The sale of Alaska is the question: "Where is the money?" Stekl received a check in the amount of 7 million 035 thousand dollars - of the original 7.2 million he kept 21 thousand for himself, and distributed 144 thousand as bribes to senators who voted for ratification of the treaty. 7 million was transferred to London by bank transfer, and the gold bars purchased for this amount were transported from London to St. Petersburg by sea.
When converting first into pounds and then into gold, another 1.5 million was lost, but this was not the last loss. The barque Orkney, carrying a precious cargo, sank on July 16, 1868, on the approach to St. Petersburg. Whether there was gold in it at that time, or whether it never left Foggy Albion at all, is unknown. The insurance company that insured the ship and cargo declared bankruptcy, and the damage was only partially compensated.
Most likely, there was no gold on the Orkney. It was not found during the search operation. Where did it go - main mystery Alaska sales. There is a version that this money was used to purchase 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
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