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Tanya Marchant and Masha Denezhkina

History of the State of Alaska

part 1

The first inhabitants of Alaska

According to scientists, Alaska was discovered by Siberian hunters - the progenitors of most of the native American Indians, who migrated north during the Ice Age in search of mammoths - the main animal that people of the Stone Age hunted.

Ancient people migrated to the American continent through the Bering Strait, which at that time was a 1600-kilometer natural ice bridge between the two continents. When the climate changed and warming came, the ice melted and the water level of the world's oceans rose, flooding this bridge and dividing Siberia and Alaska by the Bering Sea.

Excavations by researchers and scientists in Alaska have revealed interesting facts to us: items from human everyday life were found that were used in his household 12 thousand years ago - that is, several centuries before the end of the Ice Age. Apparently, the progenitors of the Eskimo nation appeared as early as 6 millennia BC.

Settlement of the northwestern lands

The coast of the American Northwest once belonged to the domain of Prince Wilhelm. The Indians who inhabited these lands of northern California also gradually migrated north, bringing their culture to these lands. The north was rich in fish: salmon, flounder, cod, herring, edible species of shellfish and marine mammals were found in abundance in the coastal waters of Alaska. Thousands of species of plants suitable for food grew on the fertile soil of these lands, and many animals lived in the forests. Therefore, the lands of Alaska were so attractive to people.

Three indigenous peoples became the founders and first inhabitants of these places: Tlingit (Tlingit,) Haida (Haida) and Tsimshian (Tsimshian). The people of these tribes settled south of Alaska.

The most numerous was the Tlingit tribe. They founded many settlements on these lands. The Tlingit had their own language, which scientists attribute to the inner American group of Athabasca Indian languages. Since the Tlingit were the most numerous tribe, it was they, as the owners of this territory, who first came into contact with Russian travelers and explorers who came to these lands in 1741.

The people of the Haida tribe lived on the lands of British Columbia, on the Queen Charlotte Islands and in the southern part of Alaska - on the Prince of Wales Islands. It is traditionally believed that the peoples of the Haida began moving north about 1,700 years ago.

The Tsimshian people inhabited the southeast coast and nearby islands in the area of ​​what is now Fort Simpson, in the District of British Columbia. This fort was founded in 1834 as a result of the activities of the British Hudson's Bay Company. And in 1887, a large group of Tsimshian Indians, led by an Anglican church missionary William Duncan, settled Anette Island off the coast of Alaska .

The peoples of all three tribes were engaged in fishing. They fished with fish traps and nets. For hunting marine life, a harpoon with a rope was widely used. For sea hunting - canoes of various shapes and sizes were built. And for their hunting for forest animals, they made bows and arrows, arranged various tricky traps: loops. Arcana and holes. The Indians usually made their hunting tools from wood, and the tips of harpoons and arrows from sharpened, honed stones or seashells. The Indians decorated their products, skillfully finishing them with amazing patterns.

The Indians of these tribes lived in large houses, in which, as in dormitories, the whole village lived, traditionally considering all its inhabitants to be one family.

Social relations in these tribes were built on the principle of matriarchy. They traced their lineage through their mother. However, in the Tlingit and Haida tribes, marriages between relatives in a straight line: siblings were forbidden. The Tlingit also had clans in which social relations were traced back to the first legendary ancestors. The ancestors of the forefathers constituted a special aristocracy of clans: leaders, elders, masters and slaves. However, these class distinctions were constantly subject to some kind of change and were not static.

Each clan and each tribe usually had political independence from other tribes. All the prey from the hunt was shared within the circle of one family-clan, in which their leader or elder disposed of. Each clan had its own deity, its leader, its own personal name, its own songs and ritual dances. The deities of the Indian clans were animals that served as the main prey of hunting, as well as the forces of nature, which, according to the Indians, are responsible for the length of human life and the fertility of the earth. The Indians were pagans and endowed with a magical spirit all living things, all the surrounding nature.

Political leadership was achieved through prestige competitions. If a clan man aspired to leadership, he had to be the most successful hunter, on whom the well-being of the entire tribe would depend.

Unlike the inhabitants of the coast, who had their own rich natural resources, representatives of the peoples of the Athabaskan language group lived in the more severe conditions of the Arctic and subarctic in the north of the continent. This vast expanse had extremely poor natural conditions, and people had to find and get their own food with great difficulty. The weather conditions of this region have always been characterized by long winters and short cold summers. The Attabasca Indians hunted moose, musk deer, grizzly bears, wild goats and fished.

The Athabaskans led a nomadic or semi-nomadic lifestyle, moving from one area to another in search of prey for hunting and fishing. In the rivers they caught trout and pike, in the forests they hunted mainly musk deer, hares and polar partridges. Tools for hunting and fishing used the same as all the Indians of the North American continent. And although the Athabaskans hunted animals and birds a lot, however, periods when their tribes were starving were not uncommon in the life of the Athabaskans.

They designed the construction options for their wigwam houses depending on the coming season. All Athabaskans built their houses of wood and poles in such a way that, in addition to the family, domestic animals and birds could also fit in them. Nomadic groups of Indians built lighter dwellings. The Indians of such tribes of the Athabasca people as the Ingalik (Ingalik) that lived on the Yukon River or the tribe of Kaskokwim (Kuskokwim) usually built a temporary settlement for the winter, and moved to camps for summer fishing. They built winter houses on the principle of Eskimo dugouts.

The Athabaskans had very simple social divisions of society. Most of the year they spent in the circle of small groups of neighboring families. The similarity between them existed in that they professed the principles of matriarchy and relatives maintained close relations, observing all the obligations of members of the same family. A family member had to find a spouse not among close relatives, but in another tribe.

When natural resources allowed, several tribes united to hunt together. Despite the fact that they all hunted together, Indian men competed with each other for the right to be a leader in hunting, on the basis of which a man could become one of the leaders of the tribe. Also, an Indian who proved himself a brave warrior in intertribal conflicts could become the leader of the tribe. Leaders were not elected for life. And if one day luck turned away from the leader, he could no longer claim leadership in the tribe.

The Athabaskans had traditions and ceremonials in which, for example, the tribe welcomed and gave gifts to their guests. Also, a family meal was arranged when one of the members of the tribe died. As the Athabaskans began to engage in trade with the Palefaces, they became more likely to hold common tribal meals in honor of their new partners, thus simulating the attitudes and traditions of dealing with the Palefaces for tribes throughout the Northwest coast of the Americas.

The Indians held feasts to commemorate the first hunt, a military feat, the return of hunters from a long campaign, a successful revenge or a new campaign. A man about to get married had to make a feast for his tribe three times. Ceremonies were also arranged when the tribe made a general decision to expel one of its members for the fault - he could not receive any support from any of his relatives for at least one year.

The Athabaskans were also pagans. They lived in a world inhabited by many spirits. They believed that after death, human souls move into animals and used these legends in their rituals.

The Athabaskans had special members of the tribes who performed religious rites and were responsible for connecting the Indians with the world of otherworldly forces. These people were called shamans. Shamans were the guardians of religious rites and possessed many knowledge: how to heal the sick; how to attract good luck to the hunter; how to predict the weather and the future.

The Eskimo culture developed in the territories of western Alaska, so it is natural that the languages ​​​​of the Eskimos and Aleuts are so different from each other. The Eskimos mastered the waters of the Arctic Ocean and therefore paid great attention to the means of water transportation.

The traditional tools of the economy of the Eskimos - in Siberia were in use long before they appeared on the lands of Alaska. And this culture and management technologies penetrated the territory of North America and for 4 thousand years BC. spread from Alaska to Greenland.

From the shores of northern Alaska to Greenland, the Eskimos hunted marine animals: seals, seals, whales. Some groups of Eskimos hunted deer and musk deer. These groups of Eskimo people were called Caribou Eskimo and lived in Canada, in the west of Hudson Bay. Other small groups of Eskimo people lived along the Colville and Noatak rivers, as well as in the Yukon and Kuskokwim deltas.

However, despite the difference in habitats, the Eskimos had a common culture, national dress and traditions. It happened so because even thousands of years ago the wild, primitive culture of this people: dog sleds, kayak boats and more. others - spread through Alaska throughout North America to Greenland.

Social relations among the Eskimos were concentrated around the tribal family. The men were hunting. The Yupik Eskimo had special ceremonial houses in which the Eskimo men taught the boys the art of hunting, and the women stayed at home and educated the girls. Most Eskimo marriages took place within the tribal community.

The Eskimos hunted and fished. They had their own taboos and prohibitions: for example, they did not dare to mix terrestrial and marine life for food. The Eskimos of the Bering Sea (Bering Sea Eskimo) had many rituals and rituals associated with hunting animals. And the Eskimos who lived north of their territories did not have similar hunting and fishing traditions.

The Aleuts adapted very well to life in the difficult natural conditions of the Aleutian Islands. They have learned to perfectly use the rich resources of the sea for life. However, their traditions were forgotten and absorbed by the more civilized culture of the Russian people, whom the Aleuts first met in 1740.

The Aleuts built separate dugouts in which families lived. Sometimes the Aleuts wandered to the northern shores of the Bering Sea. This happened when populations of marine animals migrated to other areas. Then the Aleuts built seasonal houses and seasonal camps.

Society was divided into social classes: leaders, common people and slaves. The traditions of the Aleuts in many respects have something in common with the customs of the Tlingit tribe and groups of peoples of Siberia. It is possible that initially the Aleuts also professed the family principle of tribal organization. The Aleut community usually consisted of an elder father and his wife or wives, a married eldest son and his family, and sometimes a younger brother and his family. Young children were usually sent to be raised by their mothers, who had their own homes.

When the sea waters were freed from ice, the Aleuts went out to sea to hunt. They hunted seals, walruses, sea lions and whales. Many of their hunting tools were similar to those of the southern Eskimos: a two-seater kayak boat; bone and stone weapons. The Aleuts also hunted birds, 140 species of which nested in the Aleutian Islands. For hunting birds, the Aleuts used bolo (ropes, to the ends of which stones were tied - braided into braids and rushed at birds). In fishing, they used nets and harpoons. Also, the Aleuts collected sea mollusks and northern berries and herbs.

Early European exploration of Alaska

Russian expeditions

In 1654, the Russian merchant Fedot Alekseev set off from the east of the Siberian peninsula of Kolyma along the Pogicha River with his expedition, wanting to find lands rich in gold, fur-bearing animals and walruses, the bones of which were highly valued. Semyon Ivanovich Dezhnev went on this campaign with him - as a representative of the authorities, vested with the authority to establish duties on trade with the local population. On this journey, Dezhnev was the first explorer to open a sea passage from the shores of the Arctic to the ocean.

Now this sea route is called the Bering Strait, since Dezhnev's report on the opening of the strait never reached the government. Tsar Peter the Great, who ruled Russia at that time, never found out that Siberia closely neighbors the North American continent. However, shortly before his death, Peter the Great sent Captain Vitus Bering, a Danish navigator who was in the Russian service, to explore the sea coast of Siberia.

Peter sent Bering on an expedition to study and describe the northeastern coast of Siberia. In 1728, Bering's expedition re-discovered the strait, which was first seen by Semyon Dezhnev. However, because of the fog, Bering was unable to see the outlines of the North American continent on the horizon.

In 1733, the Russian government again appointed Bering the head of a new expedition, the purpose of which was to explore the resources of Siberia and establish trade with Japan.

In this expedition, Bering also explored the American coast. The expedition of Vitus Bering 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.

On June 20, the ships went on different routes, on July 15, land was noticed on Chirikov's ship. Presumably, the sailors saw the shores of Prince of Wales Island. And the ship under the control of Bering, which was moving north, the next day went to the shores of Kayak Island. Bering from the sea saw the top of the mountain, which he called the mountain of St. Elias (Saint Elias), since July 16 is the day of St. Elias. The ship's doctor, German scientist Georg Wilhelm Steller, was among the first to land on shore in order to collect some medicinal plants to help the crew suffering from scurvy. Steller also collected some samples of shells and grasses on the shore, discovered new species of birds and animals, from which the researchers concluded that their ship had reached the new continent of North America.

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

The Russian Empress Elizabeth had no interest in the lands of North America. She issued a decree obliging the local population to pay a fee for 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. Some merchants traded with the Aleuts, buying furs from them. The thin fur of the sea otter, the sea otter, was especially valued. Russian merchants were especially profitable in selling Aleutian furs in the Chinese markets.

In 1743, Russian traders and fur hunters established very close contact with the Aleuts. The European diseases that the new settlers brought to the Aleuts were fatal to the natives of the new continent. Smallpox, measles, tuberculosis, venereal diseases, pneumonia - became the weapon that almost exterminated the Aleuts. Prior to contact with Europeans, the Aleut population numbered 15-20 thousand people. In 1834, only 2,247 of them remained, in 1848 - already 1,400. Since 1864, when the Russians settled on the islands, the Aleut population again jumped sharply to 2,005 people - thanks to mixed marriages and the influx of new blood. But by 1890 it dropped again to 1,702 people.

Hunters migrated to the east of the Aleutian Islands following the animals they hunted. Since the trade moved away from Kamchatka, the prices for fur rose, and small trading companies went bankrupt. Until 1770, Grigory Ivanovich Shelikhov, Pavel Sergeevich Lebedev-Lastochkin, as well as the brothers Grigory and Peter Panov were considered the richest and most famous among the merchants, merchants and fur buyers in Alaska.

In 1762, Empress Catherine the Great became the ruler of Russia, and the government again turned its attention to the Aleuts. In 1769, Catherine issued a decree by which she abolished duties on trade with the Aleuts, and also issued a decree by which she ordered the government to worry about the fate of the Aleut people. Unfortunately, the decree of the Empress remained only a decree on paper. Without the control and supervision of the ruler over its execution.

Competition among other powers

Spain was also interested in territories in the North Pacific. Fear of Russian expansion into the lands of North America prompted Spain to occupy the lands of Alta California (now the state of California) and build their forts of San Diego, Monterey and other Californian settlements on them.

In 1774, 1777, 1778 and 1790 Spanish expeditions were sent to Alaska. And the expedition of 1790 already had a specific goal: to explore and, if possible, take possession of the territories in Alaska. However, when the Spanish ships entered into a confrontation with the ships of the British land of Nootka Sound (now it is the Canadian province of British Columbia), the Spaniards were forced to admit defeat and abandon their attempts to capture the northern territories.

Britain, France and the United States explored Alaska but did not attempt to acquire its territory. In 1778, British captain James Cook compiled topographic maps of the Alaskan coast and visited the Aleutian lands. In Alaska, Cook and his crew purchased many valuable sea otter skins, which they sold at great profit in China, and subsequent British interest in Alaska was concentrated on trade.

France also sent an expedition to Alaska under the command of Jean de Galup, who returned from their expedition in 1788. But the French Revolution of 1789 interrupted further French exploration in this region of North America.

Colonization

Russian fur merchants were annoyed by foreign competitors. Especially the British, who offered cheaper goods for exchange with the local population than Russian merchants. The Russians felt that a state establishment of a colony was necessary. In 1784, the merchant Shelikhov builds and outfits his own ships and sends them to Kodiak Island. Gradually (by 1788) the number of Russians in the Aleutian Islands and North America reached 500, and by 1794, as a result of the activities of G.I. Shelikhov, it exceeded 800 people.

It was thanks to the energy and foresight of Shelikhov that the foundation of Russian possessions was laid in these new lands. The first permanent settlement appeared on the island of Kodiak, in the bay of the Three Saints. Shelikhov also headed the first agricultural colony "Glory to Russia". His settlement plans included flat streets, schools, libraries, parks. At the same time, Shelikhov was not a statesman. He remained a merchant. industrialist, entrepreneur, acting with the permission of the government.

Until 1786, Shelikhov was the most 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 Siberian merchant who arrived in Kodiak in 1791. Soon a merchant from Kargopol, 43-year-old Alexander Baranov, was appointed chief manager on Kodiak Island. Baranov was on the verge of bankruptcy when Shelikhov took him as his assistant, guessing in him exceptional qualities: enterprise, perseverance, firmness.

Baranov soon moved the representative office of the company from the Three Saints Bay to the north of the island, to the city of Pavlovsk, which had the best harbor and was located in a wooded area, which was very important for future construction. Now Pavlovsk is the main city of Kodiak Island.

The new ruler Alexander Baranov faced many problems. Most of the food and almost all goods for exchange had to be imported from Russia, and there were not enough ships. The motto of the Russian colony was the saying: "work tirelessly." The colony constantly lacked people to build ships, protect the colony, and organize everyday life. Local Aleuts came to the rescue. They made up the main labor force of the colony, they hunted fur-bearing game, while the Russians were engaged in arranging residence and harvesting the skins and triggers of animals. The Aleuts guarded the fort and kept watch.

During Baranov's tenure as the Ruler of Russian America, Russia's possessions expanded to the south and east. Baranov founded and built Russian representative offices in the Aleutian lands. The largest is Novo-Arkhangelsk (New Archangel), founded in 1799. In 1802 the Tlingit tribe attacked the fort and destroyed it. And in 1804 Baranov returned to these lands with a Russian warship and defeated the Tlingits. After the victory, Novo-Arkhangelsk was rebuilt. 4 km south of this city, the famous Alaskan city of Sitka subsequently grew.

Baranov faithfully served Shelikhov and then the Russian-American Company from 1790 to 1818 until he retired at the age of 71. During his lifetime, there were legends about him: he inspired respect and fear in the people around him. even the strictest government auditors were amazed at his dedication, energy and dedication.

Russian-American company

With the merger of the companies of merchants G.I. Shelikhova, I.I. and M.S. Golikovs and N.P. Mylnikov in 1798 was created and in 1799 the unified Russian-American company finally took shape. She received from Paul I the monopoly rights to fur trade, trade and the discovery of new lands in the northeastern part of the Pacific Ocean, designed to represent and protect the interests of Russia in the Pacific Ocean with her own means.

Since 1800, the main board of the company, which consisted of several directors, was located in St. Petersburg on the Moika near the Blue Bridge. The company was declared under the "highest protection". Since 1801, Alexander I and the Grand Dukes, major statesmen have become shareholders of the company.

Shelikhov died in 1795. His son-in-law and legal heir to the "Russian-American Company" Nikolai Petrovich Ryazanov in 1799 received from the ruler of Russia, Emperor Paul the First, the right to monopoly the American fur trade. This authority obliged the company to take under its possession the northern territories previously discovered by the Russians. And to establish Russian representations not only on them, but also on new lands, however, trying not to come into conflict with other powers.

In 1812, Baranov established a southern representative office of the company (on the shores of the California Bay of Bodidzha (Bodega). This representative office was called the Russian Village (Selenie Ross), now known as Fort Ross (Fort Ross). Later, in 1841, Fort Ross was sold to John Sutter, a German industrialist who entered California history with his sawmill in Coloma, where a gold mine was found in 1848, which started the famous California Gold Rush.

Baranov retired from the post of director of the Russian-American Company in 1818. He wanted to return home - to Russia, but died on the way.

Naval officers came to the management of the company, who contributed to the development of the company. And in 1821, the following moment was stipulated in the company's policy: from now on, only naval officers were to be the leaders of the Russian-American Company. The naval leadership of the company improved its administration, expanded the colonies. However, unlike Baranov, the naval leadership was very little interested in the trading business itself, and was extremely nervous about the settlement of Alaska by the British and Americans. The management of the company, in the name of the Russian Emperor, banned the invasion of all foreign ships in the 160 km water area near the Russian colonies in Alaska. Of course, such an order was immediately protested by Great Britain and the United States government.

The dispute with the United States was settled by an 1824 convention that determined the exact northern and southern boundaries of Russian territory in Alaska. In 1825, Russia also came to an agreement with Britain, also defining the exact eastern and western borders. The Russian Empire gave both sides (Britain and the USA) the right to trade in Alaska for 10 years, after which Alaska completely passed into the possession of Russia.

Alaska Purchase

In 1843, US Secretary of the Government William Marcy and Senator William M. Gwin, both adherents of the policy of expansion, turned to the Russian ambassador to the United States, Baron Edward Stoeckl, with the provocative question: "Is it true that Russia is putting up for sale its colony of Alaska?" Stockl replied "Of course not!" However, this question intrigued him.

In 1844, the Russian-American Company's patent for monopoly trade was extended for another 20 years. The company tried to profit from new sources: coal mining; whaling and even exporting ice to San Francisco. However, all these adventures were unprofitable.

The sale of Alaska took place in 1867, not long after the popular term "Russian America" ​​appeared. Russian possessions in America were, in fact, not state property, but the property of companies - first several private Russians, and then, from 1799, Russian-American ... Russia did not have any act of annexing these possessions - they were possessions of Russian subjects.

This kind of property was common in the 18th and 19th centuries (East India Company, Hudson's Bay Company, etc.). No wonder that at first Fort Ross, and then other possessions of the Russians in America, were ceded. In fact, a deal was made between the patrons of the RAC - the government and the emperor himself - with America.

Thus, Russia, as it were, got rid of, first of all, a loss-making company that constantly worries it with problems. And one more thing - CANCER was burdened by the knowledge that there are no dividends and they are not expected. One debt. Moreover, at that time, large investments were required for the development of new lands in Primorye.

But most of all, the fate of Russian America was influenced by the Crimean War (1853-56), which led to the impoverishment of the treasury and at the same time showed the insecurity of the territories in the Pacific Ocean in front of the British fleet. By 1866, the RAC owed the Ministry of Finance 725 thousand rubles. Talk began in government circles that the sale of Russian America would help replenish the treasury and at the same time get rid of a vulnerable and unprofitable colony, which would somehow go to the United States. In addition, by selling Alaska, Russia would have gained an ally in the fight against England, which was hostile at that time.

In the end, the Russian government decided to sell Alaska to the United States and instructed Baron Stockl to negotiate. On March 11, 1867, Stokel began negotiations for the sale of Alaska with US Secretary of the Government William H. Seward.

An agreement on the cession of Russia's North American colonies to the United States for 7 million 200 thousand dollars in gold was drawn up in Washington on March 18, 1867. Seward had some difficulty getting government approval for such a massive purchase at the time. But he enlisted the support of many Congressmen, and finally the Senate approved the purchase, passing this decision by a vote of 37 for to 2 against. Some newspapers called this purchase crazy, and Seward called crazy, but, under pressure from the official press, the US public supported the purchase of Alaska.

The signature and seal of Alexander II on the contract appeared only on May 3, but in fact Alaska had already been sold. On March 23, the editors of the St. Petersburg newspapers received a message about this via the Atlantic telegraph - and refused to believe it. This news was presented by newspapermen as an empty rumor. The famous publisher of Golos A. A. Kraevsky expressed the bewilderment of Russian society on this issue: “Today, yesterday and the third day we are transmitting and transmitting telegrams received from New York and London about the sale of Russian possessions in North America ... We are now , as then, we cannot treat such an incredible rumor otherwise than as the most vicious joke on the gullibility of society.

On July 18, the White House officially announced its desire to pay Russia the amount assigned in the auction for Alaska.

Only on October 8 in the newspaper of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs "Northern Post" was published "The highest ratified treaty on the cession of Russian North American colonies." The formal transfer of Alaska to the United States took place on November 11, 1867 at Sitka.

The Russian history of the development of Alaska lasted 126 years. However, the activity of Russians on these lands took place, by and large, within the territory of the Aleutian Islands, Kodiak and the Alexander Archipelago. Some research, of course, was carried out within the continent, but they were limited to very few settlements. The peak of the Russian population in the lands of Alaska did not exceed 700 people. The most significant contribution to the development of the lands of Alaska by the Russian people should be considered the activity of the clergy of the Russian Orthodox Church. They built their churches on these lands and were engaged in missionary work among the local residents - the Aleuts and Tlingits. The Russian Orthodox Church has never ceased its activities. She serves on the lands of Alaska and now.

The United States was no better prepared to govern Alaska than the Russians. Many Americans had no information about these lands at all. The Civil War had just ended, and the leaders of the country were more concerned about resolving the former conflict. Whatever it was, but many Americans still came to the new lands of Alaska to trade, hunt or whaling. In addition, in 1864, the Western Union Company began building a telegraph line to connect North America with East Asia and Europe via Alaska. However, this enterprise collapsed when, in 1866, the project of laying a transatlantic cable connecting the New World with the Old was brilliantly completed.

However, the efforts expended by Western Union to implement its project were not in vain and stimulated American interest in the lands of Alaska. Scientific expeditions were organized to these parts. The rich scientific and educational information accumulated by Russian researchers and generously provided to America after its purchase of Alaska also contributed to the successful scientific study of Alaska.

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"Catherine, you were wrong!" - the refrain of a rollicking song that sounded in the 90s from every iron, and calls for the United States to "give back" the land of Alaska - that is, perhaps, all that is known today to the average Russian about the presence of our country on the North American continent. At the same time, this story concerns no one else but the people of Irkutsk - after all, it was from the capital of the Angara region for more than 80 years that all the management of this gigantic territory came. More than one and a half million square kilometers occupied the lands of Russian Alaska in the middle of the 19th century. And it all started with three modest ships moored to one of the islands. Then there was a long way of development and conquest: a bloody war with the local population, successful trade and extraction of valuable furs, diplomatic intrigues and romantic ballads. And an integral part of all this was for many years the activities of the Russian-American Company under the leadership of the first Irkutsk merchant Grigory Shelikhov, and then his son-in-law, Count Nikolai Rezanov. Today we invite you to take a brief excursion into the history of Russian Alaska. Let Russia not keep this territory in its composition - the geopolitical requirements of the moment were such that the maintenance of remote lands was more expensive than the economic benefits that could be obtained from being present on it. However, the feat of the Russians, who discovered and mastered the harsh land, still amazes with its greatness today.

History of Alaska

The first inhabitants of Alaska came to the territory of the modern US state about 15 or 20,000 years ago - they moved from Eurasia to North America through the isthmus that then connected the two continents in the place where the Bering Strait is today.

By the time the Europeans arrived in Alaska, several peoples inhabited it, including the Tsimshians, Haida and Tlingit, Aleuts and Athabaskans, as well as the Eskimos, Inupiat and Yupik. But all modern natives of Alaska and Siberia have common ancestors - their genetic relationship has already been proven.

Discovery of Alaska by Russian explorers

History has not preserved the name of the first European who set foot on the land of Alaska. But at the same time, it is very likely that it was a member of the Russian expedition. Perhaps it was the expedition of Semyon Dezhnev in 1648. It is possible that in 1732 members of the crew of the small ship "Saint Gabriel", who explored Chukotka, landed on the coast of the North American continent.

However, the official discovery of Alaska is July 15, 1741 - on this day, from one of the ships of the Second Kamchatka Expedition, the famous explorer Vitus Bering saw the land. It was Prince of Wales Island, which is located in the southeast of Alaska.

Subsequently, the island, the sea and the strait between Chukotka and Alaska were named after Vitus Bering. Assessing the scientific and political results of the second expedition of V. Bering, the Soviet historian A.V. Efimov recognized them as huge, because during the Second Kamchatka expedition, the American coast for the first time in history was reliably mapped as “part of North America”. However, the Russian Empress Elizabeth did not show any noticeable interest in the lands of North America. She issued a decree obliging the local population to pay a fee for trade, but did not take any further steps towards developing relations with Alaska.

However, the attention of Russian industrialists came to the sea otters living in coastal waters - sea otters. Their fur was considered one of the most valuable in the world, so sea otters were extremely profitable. So by 1743, Russian traders and fur hunters had established close contact with the Aleuts.

Development of Russian Alaska: North-Eastern Company

AT
in subsequent years, Russian travelers repeatedly landed on the islands of Alaska, fished for sea otters and traded with local residents, and even entered into skirmishes with them.

In 1762, Empress Catherine the Great ascended the Russian throne. Her government turned its attention back to Alaska. In 1769, the duty on trade with the Aleuts was abolished. The development of Alaska went by leaps and bounds. In 1772, the first Russian trading settlement was founded on the large island of Unalaska. Another 12 years later, in 1784, an expedition under the command of Grigory Shelikhov landed on the Aleutian Islands, which founded the Russian settlement of Kodiak in the Bay of Three Saints.

The Irkutsk merchant Grigory Shelikhov, a Russian explorer, navigator and industrialist, glorified his name in history by the fact that since 1775 he was engaged in the arrangement of commercial merchant shipping between the Kuril and Aleutian island ridges as the founder of the North-East Company.

His associates arrived in Alaska on three galliots, "Three Saints", "St. Simeon" and "St. Michael". "Shelikhovtsy" begin to intensively develop the island. They subdue the local Eskimos (Konyags), try to develop agriculture by planting turnips and potatoes, and also conduct spiritual activities, converting the indigenous people to their faith. Orthodox missionaries made a tangible contribution to the development of Russian America.

The colony on Kodiak functioned relatively successfully until the early 90s of the XVIII century. In 1792, the city, which was named Pavlovsk Harbor, was moved to a new location - this was the result of a powerful tsunami that damaged the Russian settlement.

Russian-American company

With the merger of the companies of merchants G.I. Shelikhova, I.I. and M.S. Golikovs and N.P. Mylnikov in 1798-99, a single "Russian-American Company" was created. From Paul I, who ruled Russia at that time, she received monopoly rights to fur trade, trade and the discovery of new lands in the northeastern Pacific Ocean. The company was called upon to represent and defend with its own means the interests of Russia in the Pacific Ocean, and was under the "highest patronage." Since 1801, Alexander I and the Grand Dukes, major statesmen have become shareholders of the company. The main board of the company was located in St. Petersburg, but in fact the management of all affairs was carried out from Irkutsk, where Shelikhov lived.

Alexander Baranov became the first governor of Alaska under the control of the RAC. During the years of his reign, the boundaries of Russian possessions in Alaska expanded significantly, new Russian settlements arose. Redoubts appeared in the Kenai and Chugatsky bays. The construction of Novorossiysk in Yakutat Bay began. In 1796, moving south along the coast of America, the Russians reached the island of Sitka.

The basis of the economy of Russian America was still the fishing of sea animals: sea otters, sea lions, which was carried out with the support of the Aleuts.

Russian Indian War

However, the indigenous people did not always meet the Russian settlers with open arms. Having reached the island of Sitka, the Russians ran into fierce resistance from the Tlingit Indians, and in 1802 the Russo-Indian War broke out. Control of the island and fishing for sea otters in coastal waters became the cornerstone of the conflict.

The first skirmish on the mainland took place on May 23, 1802. In June, a detachment of 600 Indians, led by the leader Katlian, attacked the Mikhailovsky fortress on the island of Sitka. By June, during the ensuing series of attacks, the 165-member Sitka Party had been completely crushed. The English brig Unicorn, which sailed into the area a little later, helped the miraculously surviving Russians to escape. The loss of Sitka was a severe blow to the Russian colonies and personally to Governor Baranov. The total losses of the Russian-American Company amounted to 24 Russians and 200 Aleuts.

In 1804, Baranov moved from Yakutat to conquer Sitka. After a long siege and shelling of the fortress occupied by the Tlingits, on October 8, 1804, the Russian flag was raised over the native settlement. The construction of a fort and a new settlement began. Soon the city of Novo-Arkhangelsk grew up here.

However, on August 20, 1805, the Eyak warriors of the Tlahaik-Tekuedi clan and their Tlingit allies burned Yakutat and killed the Russians and Aleuts who remained there. In addition, at the same time, in a distant sea crossing, they got into a storm and about 250 more people died. The fall of Yakutat and the death of Demyanenkov's party became another heavy blow for the Russian colonies. An important economic and strategic base on the coast of America was lost.

Further confrontation continued until 1805, when a truce was concluded with the Indians and the RAC tried to fish in the waters of the Tlingit in large numbers under the cover of Russian warships. However, the Tlingits even then opened fire from guns, already at the beast, which made fishing almost impossible.

As a result of Indian attacks, 2 Russian fortresses and a village in Southeast Alaska were destroyed, about 45 Russians and more than 230 natives died. All this stopped the advance of the Russians in a southerly direction along the northwestern coast of America for several years. The Indian threat further fettered the RAC forces in the region of the Alexander Archipelago and did not allow the systematic colonization of Southeast Alaska to begin. However, after the cessation of fishing in the lands of the Indians, relations improved somewhat, and the RAC resumed trade with the Tlingit and even allowed them to restore their ancestral village near Novoarkhangelsk.

It should be noted that the full settlement of relations with the Tlingit took place two hundred years later - in October 2004, an official peace ceremony was held between the Kiksadi clan and Russia.

The Russo-Indian War secured Alaska for Russia, but limited the further advance of the Russians deep into America.

Under the control of Irkutsk

Grigory Shelikhov had already died by this time: he died in 1795. His place in the management of the RAC and Alaska was taken by the son-in-law and legal heir of the Russian-American Company, Count Nikolai Petrovich Ryazanov. In 1799, he received from the ruler of Russia, Emperor Paul I, the right to monopoly the American fur trade.

Nikolai Rezanov was born in 1764 in St. Petersburg, but after some time his father was appointed chairman of the civil chamber of the provincial court in Irkutsk. Rezanov himself serves in the Life Guards of the Izmailovsky Regiment, and is even personally responsible for the protection of Catherine II, but in 1791 he was also assigned to Irkutsk. Here he was supposed to inspect the activities of Shelikhov's company.

In Irkutsk, Rezanov met "Columbus Rossky": that was how contemporaries called Shelikhov, the founder of the first Russian settlements in America. In an effort to strengthen his position, Shelikhov marries his eldest daughter, Anna, for Rezanov. Thanks to this marriage, Nikolai Rezanov received the right to participate in the affairs of the family company and became a co-owner of huge capital, and the bride from a merchant family - the family coat of arms and all the privileges of the titled Russian nobility. From that moment on, the fate of Rezanov is closely connected with Russian America. And his young wife (Anna was 15 years old at the time of marriage) died a few years later.

The activity of the RAC was a unique phenomenon in the history of Russia at that time. It was the first such a large monopoly organization with fundamentally new forms of doing business that took into account the specifics of the Pacific fur trade. Today, this would be called a public-private partnership: merchants, resellers and fishermen closely interacted with the state authorities. Such a need was dictated by the moment: firstly, the distances between the areas of fishing and marketing were huge. Secondly, the practice of using equity capital was approved: financial flows from people who had no direct relation to it were involved in the fur trade. The government partly regulated these relations and supported them. The fortunes of merchants and the fate of people who went to the ocean for "soft gold" often depended on his position.

And in the interests of the state was the speedy development of economic relations with China and the establishment of a further path to the East. The new Minister of Commerce N.P. Rumyantsev presented two notes to Alexander I, where he described the advantages of this direction: until the Russians themselves pave the way to Canton.” Rumyantsev foresaw the benefits of opening trade with Japan "not only for American villages, but for the entire northern region of Siberia" and proposed using a round-the-world expedition to send "an embassy to the Japanese court" led by a person "with abilities and knowledge of political and commercial affairs" . Historians believe that even then he meant Nikolai Rezanov by such a person, since it was assumed that upon completion of the Japanese mission he would go to survey Russian possessions in America.

Around the world Rezanov

Rezanov knew about the planned expedition already in the spring of 1803. “Now I am preparing for a campaign,” she wrote in a private letter. - Two merchant ships, bought in London, are given to my superiors. They are equipped with a decent crew, guard officers are assigned to the mission with me, and in general an expedition has been set up for the journey. My journey from Kronstadt to Portsmouth, from there to Tenerife, then to Brazil, and, bypassing Cape Horn, to Valpareso, from there to the Sandwich Islands, finally to Japan, and in 1805 to spend the winter in Kamchatka. From there I will go to Unalaska, to Kodiak, to Prince William Sound and go down to Nootka, from which I will return to Kodiak and, loaded with goods, I will go to Canton, to the Philippine Islands ... I will return around the Cape of Good Hope.

In the meantime, the RAC took on the service of Ivan Fedorovich Kruzenshtern and entrusted two ships, called Nadezhda and Neva, to his "bosses". In a special supplement, the board announced the appointment of N.P. Rezanov as the head of the embassy to Japan and authorized "his full master's face not only during the voyage, but also in America."

“The Russian-American company,” reported the Hamburg Vedomosti (No. 137, 1802), “is zealous about the expansion of its trade, which in time will be very useful for Russia, and is now engaged in a great enterprise, important not only for commerce, but also for the honor of the Russian people, namely, she equips two ships that will be loaded in Petersburg with food, anchors, ropes, sails, etc., and should sail to the northwestern shores of America in order to supply the Russian colonies on the Aleutian Islands with these needs, load there with furs, exchange them in China for its goods, establish a colony on Urup, one of the Kuril Islands, for the most convenient trade with Japan, go from there to the Cape of Good Hope, and return to Europe. Only Russians will be on these ships. The emperor approved the plan, ordered to select the best naval officers and sailors for the success of this expedition, which will be the first Russian trip around the world.

The historian Karamzin wrote the following about the expedition and the attitude of various circles of Russian society towards it: “Anglomans and Gallomaniacs, who wish to be called cosmopolitans, think that the Russians should trade locally. Peter thought differently - he was Russian at heart and a patriot. We stand on the ground and on Russian land, we look at the world not through the glasses of taxonomists, but with our natural eyes, we also need the development of the fleet and industry, enterprise and daring. In Vestnik Evropy, Karamzin printed letters from officers who had gone on a voyage, and all of Russia awaited this news with trepidation.

On August 7, 1803, exactly 100 years after the founding of St. Petersburg and Kronstadt by Peter, the Nadezhda and the Neva weighed anchor. The circumnavigation has begun. Through Copenhagen, Falmouth, Tenerife to the coast of Brazil, and then around Cape Horn, the expedition reached the Marquesas and by June 1804 - the Hawaiian Islands. Here the ships separated: "Nadezhda" went to Petropavlovsk-on-Kamchatka, and "Neva" went to Kodiak Island. When Nadezhda arrived in Kamchatka, preparations began for an embassy to Japan.

Reza new in Japan

Leaving Petropavlovsk on August 27, 1804, Nadezhda headed southwest. A month later, the shores of northern Japan appeared in the distance. A great celebration took place on the ship, the participants of the expedition were awarded silver medals. However, the joy turned out to be premature: due to the abundance of errors in the charts, the ship embarked on the wrong course. In addition, a severe storm began, in which the Nadezhda was badly damaged, but, fortunately, she managed to stay afloat, despite serious damage. And on September 28, the ship entered the port of Nagasaki.

However, here again difficulties arose: a Japanese official who met the expedition stated that the entrance to the Nagasaki harbor was open only to Dutch ships, and for others it was impossible without a special order from the Japanese emperor. Fortunately, Rezanov had such permission. And despite the fact that Alexander I secured the consent of the Japanese "colleague" 12 years ago, access to the harbor for the Russian ship, albeit with some bewilderment, was open. True, "Nadezhda" was obliged to issue gunpowder, cannons and all firearms, sabers and swords, of which only one can be provided to the ambassador. Rezanov knew about such Japanese laws for foreign ships and agreed to hand over all weapons, except for the swords of officers and the guns of his personal guard.

However, several more months of sophisticated diplomatic treaties passed before the ship was allowed to come close to the Japanese coast, and the envoy Rezanov himself was allowed to move to land. The team, all this time, until the end of December, continued to live on board. An exception was provided only for astronomers who made their observations - they were allowed to land on the ground. At the same time, the Japanese vigilantly watched the sailors and the embassy. They were even forbidden to send letters to their homeland with a Dutch ship leaving for Batavia. Only the envoy was allowed to write a brief report to Alexander I about a safe voyage.

The envoy and the persons of his retinue had to live in honorable imprisonment for four months, until the very departure from Japan. Only occasionally Rezanov could see our sailors and the director of the Dutch trading post. Rezanov, however, did not waste time: he diligently continued his studies in Japanese, simultaneously compiling two manuscripts (“A Concise Russian-Japanese Manual” and a dictionary containing more than five thousand words), which Rezanov later wanted to transfer to the Navigation School in Irkutsk. Subsequently, they were published by the Academy of Sciences.

Only on April 4, Rezanov's first audience with one of the high-ranking local dignitaries took place, who brought the Japanese Emperor's response to the message of Alexander I. The answer read: “The ruler of Japan is extremely surprised by the arrival of the Russian embassy; the emperor cannot accept the embassy, ​​and does not want correspondence and trade with the Russians and asks the ambassador to leave Japan.

Rezanov, in turn, noted that, although it is not for him to judge which of the emperors is more powerful, he considers the response of the Japanese ruler to be bold and emphasized that the offer of trade relations between countries from Russia was, rather, a favor "out of common philanthropy." The dignitaries, embarrassed by such pressure, proposed to postpone the audience until another day, when the envoy would not be so excited.

The second audience was quieter. The dignitaries denied in general any possibility of cooperation with other countries, including trade, as forbidden by the fundamental law, and, moreover, explained it by their inability to undertake a reciprocal embassy. Then a third audience took place, during which the parties undertook to provide each other with written answers. But this time, the position of the Japanese government remained unchanged: referring to formal reasons and tradition, Japan firmly decided to maintain its former isolation. Rezanov drew up a memorandum to the Japanese government in connection with the refusal to establish trade relations and returned to Nadezhda.

Some historians see the reasons for the failure of the diplomatic mission in the ardor of the count himself, others suspect that the intrigues of the Dutch side, who wanted to maintain their priority in relations with Japan, were to blame for everything, however, after almost seven months in Nagasaki on April 18, 1805, the Nadezhda weighed anchor and went out to the open sea.

The Russian ship was forbidden to continue to approach the Japanese shores. However, Kruzenshtern nevertheless devoted another three months to the study of those places that La Perouse had not previously studied enough. He was going to clarify the geographical position of all the Japanese islands, most of the coast of Korea, the western coast of the island of Iessoy and the coast of Sakhalin, describe the coast of the Aniva and Patience bays and conduct a study of the Kuril Islands. A significant part of this huge plan was carried out.

Having completed the description of Aniva Bay, Kruzenshtern continued his work on marine surveys of the eastern coast of Sakhalin to Cape Patience, but would soon have to turn them off, since the ship encountered large accumulations of ice. Nadezhda with great difficulty entered the Sea of ​​Okhotsk and a few days later, overcoming bad weather, returned to the Peter and Paul harbor.

The envoy Rezanov transferred to the vessel of the Russian-American company "Maria", on which he went to the main base of the company on the island of Kodiak, near Alaska, where he had to streamline the organization of local management of colonies and fisheries.

Rezanov in Alaska

As the "owner" of the Russian-American company, Nikolai Rezanov delved into all the subtleties of management. He was struck by the fighting spirit of the Baranovites, the tirelessness, efficiency of Baranov himself. But there were more than enough difficulties: there was not enough food - famine was approaching, the land was infertile, there were not enough bricks for construction, there was no mica for windows, copper, without which it was impossible to equip the ship, was considered a terrible rarity.

Rezanov himself wrote in a letter from Sitka: “We all live very closely; but our purchaser of these places lives the worst of all, in some kind of plank yurt, filled with dampness to the point that every day the mold is wiped off and in the local heavy rains it flows like a sieve from all sides. Wonderful person! He cares only about the quiet room of others, but about himself he is careless to the point that one day I found his bed floating and asked if the wind had torn off the side board of the temple somewhere? No, he answered calmly, apparently it had flowed towards me from the square, and continued his orders.

The population of Russian America, as Alaska was called, grew very slowly. In 1805, the number of Russian colonists was about 470 people, in addition, a significant number of Indians depended on the company (according to Rezanov's census, there were 5,200 of them on Kodiak Island). The people who served in the company's institutions were mostly violent people, for which Nikolai Petrovich aptly called the Russian settlements a "drunken republic."

He did a lot to improve the life of the population: he resumed the work of the school for boys, and sent some of them to study in Irkutsk, Moscow, and St. Petersburg. A school for girls for one hundred pupils was also established. He founded a hospital, which could be used by both Russian employees and natives, and a court was established. Rezanov insisted that all Russians living in the colonies should learn the language of the natives, and he himself compiled dictionaries of the Russian-Kodiak and Russian-Unalash languages.

Having familiarized himself with the state of affairs in Russian America, Rezanov quite correctly decided that the way out and salvation from hunger was in organizing trade with California, in the foundation of a Russian settlement there, which would supply Russian America with bread and dairy products. By that time, the population of Russian America, according to the Rezanov census, carried out in the Unalashkinsky and Kodiaksky departments, was 5234 people.

"Juno and Avos"

It was decided to sail to California immediately. For this, one of the two ships that arrived in Sitka was purchased from the Englishman Wolfe for 68 thousand piastres. The ship "Juno" was purchased along with a cargo of provisions on board, the products were transferred to the settlers. And the ship itself under the Russian flag sailed for California on February 26, 1806.

Upon arrival in California, Rezanov subdued the commandant of the fortress, Jose Dario Arguello, with court manners and charmed his daughter, fifteen-year-old Concepción. It is not known whether the mysterious and beautiful 42-year-old foreigner confessed to her that he had already been married once and would become a widow, but the girl was smitten.

Of course, Conchita, like many young girls of all times and peoples, dreamed of meeting a handsome prince. It is not surprising that Commander Rezanov, a chamberlain of His Imperial Majesty, a stately, powerful, handsome man easily won her heart. In addition, he was the only one from the Russian delegation who spoke Spanish and talked a lot with the girl, fogging her mind with stories about the brilliant St. Petersburg, Europe, the court of Catherine the Great ...

Was there a tender feeling on the part of Nikolai Rezanov himself? Despite the fact that the story of his love for Conchita became one of the most beautiful romantic legends, contemporaries doubted it. Rezanov himself, in a letter to his patron and friend Count Nikolai Rumyantsev, admitted that the reason that prompted him to propose a hand and heart to a young Spaniard was more good for the Fatherland than a warm feeling. The same opinion was shared by the ship's doctor, who wrote in his reports: “One would think that he fell in love with this beauty. However, in view of the prudence inherent in this cold man, it would be more cautious to admit that he simply had some diplomatic views on her.

One way or another, a marriage proposal was made and accepted. Here is how Rezanov himself writes about this:

“My proposal struck down her (Conchita’s) parents, raised in fanaticism. The difference of religions and ahead of separation from their daughter were a thunderous blow for them. They resorted to the missionaries, they did not know what to decide on. They took poor Concepsia to church, confessed her, persuaded her to refuse, but her determination finally calmed everyone down.

The holy fathers left the permission of the Roman See, and if I could not complete my marriage, I made a conditional act and forced us to be engaged... how my favors also demanded it, and the governor was extremely surprised, amazed, seeing that he assured me at the wrong time of the sincere dispositions of this house and that he himself, so to speak, found himself visiting me ... "

In addition, Rezanov got a cargo of “2156 pounds” very cheaply. wheat, 351 pounds. barley, 560 pounds. legumes. Fat and oils for 470 pounds. and all sorts of things for 100 pounds, so much so that the ship could not set off at first.

Conchita promised to wait for her fiancé, who was supposed to deliver a cargo of supplies to Alaska, and then was going to St. Petersburg. He intended to secure the Emperor's petition to the Pope in order to obtain official permission from the Catholic Church for their marriage. This could take about two years.

A month later, full provisions and other cargo "Juno" and "Avos" arrived in Novo-Arkhangelsk. Despite diplomatic calculations, Count Rezanov had no intention of deceiving the young Spaniard. He immediately goes to St. Petersburg in order to ask permission to conclude a family union, despite the mudslide and the weather that is not suitable for such a trip.

Crossing the rivers on horseback, on thin ice, he fell into the water several times, caught a cold and lay unconscious for 12 days. He was taken to Krasnoyarsk, where he died on March 1, 1807.

Concepson never married. She did charity work, taught the Indians. In the early 1840s, Donna Concepción entered the third Order of the White Clergy, and after founding in 1851 in the city of Benicia the monastery of St. Dominica became its first nun under the name Maria Dominga. She died at the age of 67 on December 23, 1857.

Alaska after le Rezanov

Since 1808, Novo-Arkhangelsk has become the center of Russian America. All this time, the management of the American territories has been conducted from Irkutsk, where the main headquarters of the Russian-American Company is still located. Officially, Russian America is included first in the Siberian General Government, and after its division in 1822 into Western and Eastern, - in the East Siberian General Government.

In 1812, Baranov, director of the Russian-American Company, established a southern office of the company on the shores of California's Bodidge Bay. This representative office was named Russian Village, now known as Fort Ross.

Baranov retired from the post of director of the Russian-American Company in 1818. He dreamed of returning home - to Russia, but died on the way.

Naval officers came to the management of the company, who contributed to the development of the company, however, unlike Baranov, the naval leadership was very little interested in the trading business itself, and was extremely nervous about the settlement of Alaska by the British and Americans. The management of the company, in the name of the Russian Emperor, banned the invasion of all foreign ships for 160 km into the water area near the Russian colonies in Alaska. Of course, such an order was immediately protested by Great Britain and the United States government.

The dispute with the United States was settled by an 1824 convention that determined the exact northern and southern boundaries of Russian territory in Alaska. In 1825, Russia also came to an agreement with Britain, also defining the exact eastern and western borders. The Russian Empire gave both sides (Britain and the USA) the right to trade in Alaska for 10 years, after which Alaska completely passed into the possession of Russia.

Sale of Alaska

However, if at the beginning of the 19th century Alaska generated income through the fur trade, by the middle of the 19th century it began to appear that the costs of maintaining and protecting this remote and vulnerable, from a geopolitical point of view, territory outweighed the potential profit. The area of ​​the territory subsequently sold was 1,518,800 km² and was practically uninhabited - according to the RAC itself, at the time of the sale, the population of all Russian Alaska and the Aleutian Islands numbered about 2,500 Russians and up to about 60,000 Indians and Eskimos.

Historians assess the sale of Alaska ambiguously. Some are of the opinion that this measure was forced because of Russia's conduct of the Crimean campaign (1853-1856) and the difficult situation on the fronts. Others insist that the deal was purely commercial. One way or another, the first question about the sale of Alaska to the United States before the Russian government was raised by the Governor-General of Eastern Siberia, Count N. N. Muravyov-Amursky in 1853. In his opinion, this was inevitable, and at the same time would allow Russia to strengthen its position on the Asian coast of the Pacific in the face of the growing penetration of the British Empire. At that time, her Canadian possessions extended directly to the east of Alaska.

Relations between Russia and Britain were sometimes openly hostile. During the Crimean War, when the British fleet tried to land troops in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, the possibility of a direct confrontation in America became real.

In turn, the American government also wanted to prevent the occupation of Alaska by the British Empire. In the spring of 1854, he received a proposal for a fictitious (temporarily, for a period of three years) sale by the Russian-American Company of all its possessions and property for 7,600 thousand dollars. The RAC entered into such an agreement with the American-Russian Trading Company in San Francisco, controlled by the US government, but it did not enter into force, since the RAC managed to negotiate with the British Hudson's Bay Company.

Subsequent negotiations on this issue took another ten years. Finally, in March 1867, a draft agreement was agreed upon in general terms for the purchase of Russian possessions in America for $7.2 million. It is curious that this is how much the building cost, in which the contract for the sale of such a vast territory was signed.

The signing of the treaty took place on March 30, 1867 in Washington. And already on October 18, Alaska was officially transferred to the United States. Since 1917, this day has been celebrated in the United States as Alaska Day.

The entire Alaska Peninsula (along the line running along meridian 141° west of Greenwich), a coastal strip 10 miles south of Alaska along the western coast of British Columbia passed to the USA; Alexandra archipelago; Aleutian Islands with Attu Island; the islands of the Middle, Krys'i, Lis'i, Andreyanovsk, Shumagin, Trinity, Umnak, Unimak, Kodiak, Chirikov, Afognak and other smaller islands; islands in the Bering Sea: St. Lawrence, St. Matthew, Nunivak and the Pribylov Islands - St. George and St. Paul. Together with the territory, all real estate, all colonial archives, official and historical documents related to the transferred territories were transferred to the United States.

Alaska today

Despite the fact that Russia sold these lands as unpromising, the United States did not lose out on the deal. Already 30 years later, the famous gold rush began in Alaska - the word Klondike became a household word. According to some reports, more than 1,000 tons of gold have been exported from Alaska over the past century and a half. At the beginning of the 20th century, oil was also discovered there (today, the region's reserves are estimated at 4.5 billion barrels). Coal and non-ferrous metal ores are mined in Alaska. Thanks to the huge number of rivers and lakes, the fishing and seafood industries flourish there as large private enterprises. Tourism is also developed.

Today Alaska is the largest and one of the richest states in the United States.

Sources

• Commander Rezanov. Website dedicated to Russian explorers of new lands
• Abstract "History of Russian Alaska: from discovery to sale", St. Petersburg State University, 2007, the author is not specified

Capital of Alaska (state capital): Juneau
Official name: State of Alaska (AK)

Largest city: Anchorage

Other major cities:
Kodiak Fairbanks, College, Barrow, Homer, Seward, Cordova.
State nicknames: The Last Frontier
State motto: North to the Future (North to the future)
State Formation Date: 1959 (49th in order)


The name of the state of Alaska comes from the language of the indigenous inhabitants of the Aleutian Islands - the Aleuts. "Alaska" is a distorted Aleut word Alakshak, meaning "big land" (or "that which blocks the sea", "peninsula").

Alaska is the largest state in the United States, located on the northwestern edge of North America. It includes the peninsula of the same name, the Aleutian Islands, a narrow strip of the Pacific coast along with the islands of the Alexander Archipelago along western Canada and the continental part.

In the west, Alaska borders on the Chukotka Autonomous Region of the Russian Federation along the Bering Strait, in the east the state borders on Canada. The state has access to two oceans - the Arctic and the Pacific Oceans.

State population

Although the state is one of the least populated in the country, many new residents moved here in the 1970s, attracted by vacancies in the oil industry and in transportation, and in the 1980s the population growth was more than 36 percent.

The largest ethnic (national) groups among the population of the state of Alaska

• Germans - about 20%
• Irish - about 13%
• English - about 11%
• Norwegians - about 4.5%
• French - about 3.5%
• Scots - about 3%

Alaska has the highest percentage of Indigenous people in the US. Eskimos, Aleuts, Inuipaks and many other nationalities live here.

State history

The oldest settlers of the lands of Alaska are the tribes of the Eskimos and Aleuts. The first Europeans to visit Alaska were the Russian crew of the St. Gabriel ship on August 21, 1732, under the leadership of M. S. Gvozdev and navigator I. Fedorov. In the period from 1799 to 1867, Alaska was controlled by the Russian-American Company.

The lands of Alaska became part of the United States in 1867, when the Russian Empire sold this coast to the Union of American States. On the American side, this sale and purchase agreement was signed by Senate Secretary William H. Seward. Under this agreement, the United States paid $7.2 million for Alaska lands.

At the end of the 19th century, gold was found in Alaska, which gave rise to the famous "gold rush", and the word Klondike became a household word. The gold rush swept the continent, and thousands of thousands of prospectors flowed to Alaska, hoping to find gold on these lands and get rich. A few years later, the excitement subsided, but the people who had settled down on these lands by that time did not leave Alaska.

From 1940 to 1950, a huge influx of foreign emigrants to the lands of Alaska contributed to the industrial revival and development of these lands. On January 3, 1959, Alaska became part of the United States as the 49th state in a row.

State Attractions

Signing of the agreement on the sale of Alaska.

Alaska is a land of primeval, wild beauty of Nature. Indented by fiords, and shot up to the clouds with the enchanting beauty of snowy mountains.

The highest point in North America is Mount McKinley in Alaska

Redoubt Volcano is an active volcano in Alaska.

Eruption


Alaska is a realm of natural contrasts: piercing winds and scorching sun, rain and snow, heat and cold. Alaska is a land that is still subject to global tectonic landscape changes.


Northern lights over the city of Circle (Alaska)


Denali National Park


The largest city is Anchorage<


Juneau, the current capital of Alaska, is rightfully recognized as the most original of all 50 state capitals.


Church of St. Nicholas in Juneau - the capital of Alaska

Skagway is the capital of the Gold Rush. Skagway is a quiet, well-groomed town.


Sitka is the former capital of "Russian Alaska."


USA, Alaska, Aurora

■ The flag of Alaska was created by a 13-year-old boy.
■ The first settlement in Alaska was founded on Kodiak Island in 1784 by Russian fur traders and whalers.
■ Alaska was sold to the United States in 1867 for a little over $100 million today. 30 years after the sale, gold deposits were discovered there and the famous “gold rush” began, and in the 20th century large oil and gas deposits were discovered with total reserves of 100-180 billion dollars.
■ At the same time, New York State was buying ownership of a courthouse that was more expensive than Alaska. And at the current exchange rate, Alaska was sold for about $4 per hectare with all the buildings and subsoil.

Funny Alaska Laws

■ In Fairbanks, it is illegal to drink alcohol to moose.
■ While it is permitted to shoot bears, it is forbidden to wake them up for the purpose of photographing them.
■ You cannot watch moose from an airplane.
■ It is considered a crime if you push a live moose out of an airplane.
And for lovers of the mysteries of history, I post this article.

E.P. TOLMACHEV

Alaska we lost
“The editors received several letters from their readers in America. Here they are:

Hello!
Many Americans ask me about the sale of Alaska, and when I say that Alaska was loaned for 100 years and was not returned to Russia, they are all indignant. When I was still studying at the Pedagogical Institute, the history teacher told us that there are documents confirming the fact of the lease of Alaska. I myself have not seen any documents. I asked here in America, and all I could find was an announcement by the American president about the purchase of Alaska. Where is the truth? Tsar Alexander sold Alaska or leased it?
Maybe one of your authors will find time to answer this question? Believe me, I have been trying to find the answer myself for more than one day, but I cannot find any Russian sources.
Thank you in advance, Oksana Shiel, USA.

…I asked the question in an internet conference where approximately 1,500 or so people are participating, in one way or another connected with partners from the former Soviet Union… Only 25 considered it possible to answer this question and one third of them seriously believe, that Alaska was leased out.
From a letter to the editor by Richard L. Williams, USA.
We turned to E.P. Tolmachev, Doctor of Historical Sciences, with a request to tell the story of the sale of Alaska and received his kind consent.

Editorial

It has been repeatedly noted that the discovery and development of America was not a one-time event, but was a long-term and complex process.
As Academician N.N. Bolkhovitinov rightly noted, the American continent was discovered and mastered by representatives of different countries and peoples, just as outer space is now being studied by international efforts. It is no coincidence that New England, New Spain, New France once existed on the territory of North America ... Our country has the honor of discovering this continent from the East, from Asia.
As a result of numerous voyages of Russian sailors, explorers, and entrepreneurs, in the 18th century, Asia “came together” with America, and permanent and strong contacts were established between the two continents. Russia has become not only a European and Asian, but, to some extent, an American power. The term “Russian America” appeared and later won the rights of citizenship, which united Alaska, part of Northern California, and the Aleutian Islands.

G.I. Shelikhov

The first Russian settlement in North America was founded by merchant-entrepreneur G.I. Shelikhov in 1784 on Kodiak Island. Novo-Arkhangelsk, founded in 1799, received this name in 1804, and later renamed Sitka, became the administrative center of Russian settlements in America.
On July 8, 1799, by decree of Paul I, "under the highest patronage" for the development of Russian lands in America and on the adjacent islands, a trade association was created - the Russian-American Company (RAC). One of its founders and first directors was N.P. Rezanov. With the support of the Russian government, the company founded many settlements, took an active part in the development of Sakhalin and the Amur region. She organized 25 expeditions (15 around the world; the most famous and largest - I.F. Kruzenshtern and Yu.F. Lisyansky), carried out significant research work in Alaska. The activity of the company was generally dual in nature. Predatory fur trade and, at the same time, facilitating the introduction of arable farming, cattle breeding and gardening in a number of areas.
Since the beginning of the XIX century. The activities of the Russian-American Company were complicated by the struggle with British and American entrepreneurs who armed the natives to fight against the Russians and sought to eliminate Russian settlements in America.
The Russian-American Convention, adopted on April 5, 1824 in St. Petersburg, established the border of Russian settlements and industries. The Russians undertook not to settle to the South, and the Americans - to the North of the parallel 54 o 40 'N. In an effort to maintain friendly relations with the United States, St. Petersburg made concessions: fishing and sailing along the coast of America in the Pacific Ocean were declared open to ships of both countries for 10 years.
N.P.Reza

The convention aroused obvious dissatisfaction with the leadership of the Russian-American Company. The Americans met the conclusion of the Convention with satisfaction. However, the ruling circles of America and the developing bourgeoisie did not stop the expansionist policy in the North Pacific, which was eventually one of the reasons for the sale of Alaska by Russia in 1867.
A similar convention was signed with England on February 28, 1825: it determined the southern borders of Russian possessions on the same parallel.
It is believed that both conventions meant unilateral concessions on the part of Russia and the beginning of its retreat from North America.
Aggravation of Russian-English relations

During the Crimean War, the US government, using the aggravation of Russian-English relations in the Middle East, offered Russia to buy Alaska from her. Petersburg rejected this proposal. As the modern historian V.N. Ponomarev notes, the anxiety of the RAC administration and the Americans, inspired by the truth by different motives, was the prerequisite for the appearance of a fictitious agreement on the sale of Russian America. The text of the document indicated that it was signed on May 19, 1854 on behalf of the RAC by P.S. Kostromitinov, who, while holding the post of Russian vice-consul in San Francisco, was also an agent of this company; and on the other hand, the document was sealed with the signature of the representative of the Californian American-Russian Trading Company (ARTC) A. MacPherson. In accordance with the agreement, the first party (i.e. RAC) ceded to the second (ATRC) for a period of three years all its property, trades and privileges in North America. The second party, in turn, was obliged to pay the first party 7 million 600 thousand dollars. It is interesting that this amount almost coincides with the one (7 million 200 thousand) for which Russian America was sold in 1867.
The purpose of the fictitious treaty was to force the British to abandon the attack on the territory of Russian possessions. In the event of an attack, a new conflict between England and the United States would inevitably arise, which, in the conditions of already tense Anglo-American relations, was undesirable for Albion. According to the authors, and especially Kostromitinov, it should have come into force only in case of emergency.
The idea of ​​a possible sale of Russian America to the United States after the end of the Crimean War was further developed.

Russian envoy in Washington E.A. Stekl
The main supporter of the sale of Alaska was the head of the Naval Ministry, Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich, who sent a special letter on this subject to the Minister of Foreign Affairs A.M. Gorchakov in the spring of 1857. The proposal of the Grand Duke was further supported by Admiral E.V. Putyatin, Captain 1st Rank I.A. Shestakov and the Russian envoy in Washington E.A. Stekl.
Although the US government considered this purchase very profitable, it offered only 5 million dollars for Russian possessions, which, according to A.M. Gorchakov, did not reflect "the real value of our colonies."
The American Civil War, which began in April 1861, delayed the development of negotiations on this issue. The sympathies of the Russian government and the public were on the side of the North, which fought for the elimination of slavery.
In 1862, the French government proposed to England and Russia to implement diplomatic intervention in the struggle between North and South on the side of the southerners. Alexander II refused this, which prevented the European powers from entering the civil war. The emperor well remembered how, during the Crimean War, the United States openly declared its friendly relations with Russia. Then they revived trade, supplying weapons and equipment to the warring army. In addition, the United States reported on the advance of enemy ships and was even ready to send volunteers.
In an atmosphere of political excitement raised in 1863 by France, England and Austria around the Polish question, the Russian government, in agreement with the US government, took retaliatory steps.
Two squadrons were sent to the territorial waters of the United States: the squadron of Rear Admiral S.S. Lesovsky (3 frigates, 2 corvettes and 3 clippers) arrived in New York in July 1863, and the squadron of Rear Admiral A.A. Popov ( 5 corvettes and 4 clippers) in October 1863 - in San Francisco.
Military operations and maneuvers
The Russian fleet, in the event of a war with Great Britain and France, was supposed to protect the coast of the United States from a possible enemy attack and strike at its distant communications and colonies. The unexpected appearance of Russian ships off the coast of the United States, enthusiastically received by the Americans, had a great political resonance. There was no end to receptions, balls and parades in honor of the Russian Navy. In mid-September 1863, the "first lady" of America, Mary Todd-Lincoln, arrived in New York to visit the admiral's flagship. She was solemnly greeted by Russian sailors and a military band, who performed the US anthem and "God Save the Tsar." All newspapers of America wrote about this celebration. The Russian ships provided moral support to the federal government, promoted Russian-American rapprochement, and forced Britain and France to change their position. The Russian squadrons, united in April 1864 in New York, were withdrawn when the troops of the northerners broke the resistance of the Confederate South, and in July 1864 left the shores of North America.
It should be noted that Russians, Ukrainians and Poles who emigrated from Russia to the United States fought in the army of the North. Former Colonel of the General Staff I.V. Turchaninov, who moved to America after the Crimean War, commanded a regiment of Illinois volunteers. On June 17, 1862, by decision of President Lincoln, he was awarded the rank of brigadier general.
US unity
The failure of the Anglo-French intervention plans and the friendly position of Russia contributed to the victory of the North over the South and the restoration of US unity.
During the war, Secretary of State W. Seward reported to St. Petersburg that "the president expressed satisfaction with the reasonable, fair and friendly course" pursued by the Russian government. And his Russian counterpart Gorchakov, at the end of the Civil War, emphasized the importance of restoring "the ancient alliance that constituted the strength and prosperity of the American Republic."
The revival of the idea of ​​selling Russian possessions in North America could not help but contribute to the end of the Civil War in the United States and the friendly visit of the American squadron led by Assistant Secretary of the Navy G.V. Fox to Russia in the summer of 1866.

Starting a new relationship
The immediate reason for the resumption of discussions about the fate of Russian America was the arrival in St. Petersburg of the Russian envoy in Washington, E.A. Stekl. Having left the United States in October 1866, until the beginning of the next year, 1867, he was in the capital, where he had meetings with such key figures as Grand Duke Konstantin, Foreign Minister Gorchakov and Finance Minister Reitern.
On December 16, 1866, a “special meeting” was held in the front office of the Russian Foreign Ministry on Palace Square with the personal participation of Alexander II. The meeting was also attended by V.K. Konstantin, Gorchakov, Reitern, Crabbe (head of the Naval Ministry) and Stekl. All participants spoke in favor of selling the Russian colonies in North America to the United States, and the departments concerned were instructed to prepare their views for the envoy in Washington.
Several reasons contributed to the Russian government's decision. Russia hoped by selling Alaska to maintain a "close alliance" with the United States and postpone everything "that could give rise to disagreement between the two great powers." In the face of the United States in the Pacific, this deal created a counterbalance to England. The purchase of Alaska gave the United States the opportunity to weaken the position of the Canadian "Hudson's Bay Company" and squeeze British Columbia, as it were, in a vise between their possessions.
On March 27, 1867, K. Marx wrote to F. Engels that by selling Alaska, the Russians would “make a mess” for the British in the USA. Relations between the United States and England were strained at the time due to the support that London provided to the southerners during the Civil War.
Takeover of Alaska?
Petersburg was afraid of the capture of Alaska by England and, moreover, was unable to protect Russian possessions in America from North American fur traders and smugglers. In addition, the sale of Alaska was due to the unsatisfactory state of affairs in the RAC, the existence of which had to be supported by "artificial measures and monetary donations from the treasury." The main attention, it was believed, should be focused on "the successful development of the Amur Territory, where Russia's future lies in the Far East."
Returning to Washington in March 1867, Stekl reminded Secretary of State Seward "of the proposals that have been made in the past for the sale of our colonies," and stated that at present the Russian government "is disposed to enter into negotiations."
The agreement on the sale of Alaska (Russian America) by Russia to the United States was signed on March 18, 1867 in Washington by Secretary of State Seward and Russian envoy Steckl. According to the agreement, the United States purchased Alaska from Russia with the nearby Aleutian Islands for a small amount - 7 million 200 thousand dollars (11 million rubles), receiving a territory of 1519 thousand square meters. km, for the development of which the Russian people spent a lot of effort and money for 126 years. In 1959 Alaska became the 49th US state.
Twenty-five thousand dollars was granted by the king to the envoy. More than a hundred thousand dollars were written off by St. Petersburg under a secret item of expenditure "for matters known to the emperor." (Steckl had to bribe editors for newspaper support, politicians for speeches in Congress.)
On May 3, 1867, the treaty was ratified by Alexander II. On June 8 of the same year, the instruments of ratification were exchanged in Washington.
Russian society did not immediately understand the essence of the deal. The Golos newspaper, which had a reputation as an “official” newspaper, was indignant: “Surely the labors of Shelikhov, Baranov, Khlebnikov and other selfless people for Russia should be used by foreigners and collect their fruits for their own benefit?” Ambiguous reactions to the purchase of Russian America and some politicians in the United States. Most of the newspapers unleashed a "frantic campaign" against the treaty, describing the areas of Alaska as wild and unsuitable for anything, a zoo of polar bears.
Transfer of Alaska
The official ceremony of transferring Alaska to the United States took place in Novo-Arkhangelsk on October 6, 1867. On the square in front of the residence of the Chief Ruler of Russian America, Prince D.P. Maksutov, an American military detachment (250 people) headed by General L. Russo and Russian soldiers lined up ( 100 people) under the command of Captain A.I. Peshchurov. After the announcement of the US treaty with Russia and a salute of 42 shots, the Russian flag was lowered and the American Stars and Stripes was raised.
The acquisition of Russian America strengthened the position of the United States in the northeastern part of the Pacific Ocean, greatly facilitating their further expansion in this region.
But the saddest thing about this whole story is that the money for Alaska never made it to Russia. A significant part of the $7.2 million was paid in gold, which was loaded onto the Orkney ship, which headed for St. Petersburg. In the Baltic Sea, a group of conspirators tried to seize gold, but failed. And for some reason, the ship sank along with the precious cargo ... "

Alaska is the northernmost state in the US. There are not many cities on its territory, and there are no large metropolitan areas at all.

Like everyone else, Alaska has a capital. But which city is the capital of Alaska? The answer to this question is contained in the text of the article.

State territory

Alaska occupies a vast territory, which includes the Alaska Peninsula, a narrow strip in the northwest of the continent, and the Alexander Archipelago. Alaska is an exclave separated from the US by Canada. The territory of the state is washed by two oceans: the Arctic from the north and the Pacific from the west and south. in the west separates Alaska from the Russian Federation. The relief of the state is special. A narrow strip of the Alaska Range stretches along the coastline, which is part of the world's greatest mountain range - the Cordillera. The ridge is known not only for its beautiful landscapes and huge glaciers, but also for the location on it of the highest peak in all of North America - Mount Denali.

The height of this mountain, also known as McKinley, is 6190 m. After the inland plateau, the Brooks mountain range in the north of the state follows. The climate, depending on the region, is different: from temperate maritime on the Pacific coast to arctic continental in the depths of the peninsula. The Aleutian Islands also have mountainous terrain. On the peninsula itself there are active volcanoes: Katmai, Augustine, Cleveland, Pavlova volcano. The Redoubt volcano erupted as recently as 2009. incredibly beautiful, despite the permafrost that covers a large area of ​​the state.

The capital of Alaska: history

During the development of the territory by Russian discoverers at the turn of the 17th-19th centuries, the city of Novo-Arkhangelsk (now Sitka) was the center of Alaska. Then it was the center of fur and After the sale of this territory to America, the same capital of Alaska, Sitka, remained. However, by the end of the 19th century, when the city ceased to be promising, the city of Juneau became the capital. Gold reserves were found here, then oil. Today, the capital of Alaska is Juneau.

The capital of Alaska: contentious issues

The capital is usually the largest city in terms of area and population. However, this principle does not apply in Alaska. The capital of the state of Alaska is far from the largest city: its population is about 35 thousand people. This peculiarity gives reason to believe that the capital of the state should be the city of Anchorage - the largest In terms of population, it surpasses Juneau by almost ten times. The infrastructure of the city is much better developed than in the capital. So the question arises, is the capital of Alaska Anchorage or Juneau? The question of moving the capital from Juneau has been repeatedly raised by residents of Anchorage, but, according to the poll, the population of other cities is against the transfer. Perhaps this is due to the fact that Juneau is located closer to the continental states.

Juneau - Anchorage attractions

The capital of Alaska is a small town, which is traditionally considered the administrative center of the state. There are few attractions in the city, as, for example, in Anchorage. Here you can visit the Alaska State Museum, which displays historical details of the native inhabitants of southeastern Alaska - the Tlingit, Russian history in Alaska and American domination. The church of St. Nicholas, located in the city, is interesting and original. This is an Orthodox church built at the end of the 19th century by the Tlingit who converted to Orthodoxy. An important role in the financial side of the life of the city is played by ecotourism in incredibly beautiful, virgin places of northern nature.

Anchorage, like a larger city, has more attractions. The Heritage Center, the Imaginarium, the Anchorage Cultural Center, the Botanical Garden, the Zoo and much more can be visited in Alaska's largest city. The city, which emerged as a key rail junction, is connected to all cities in the state, so many tourist routes begin here.

The unique location of the city - between the two channels of Cook Bay and the Chugach Mountains, makes it possible to simply enjoy the nature of the American North, visit nature reserves and large national parks of the state. Anchorage is located four hundred kilometers from the world famous where the highest point in North America is located.

On January 3, 1959, Alaska became the 49th state of the United States, although these lands were sold by Russia to America back in 1867. However, there is a version that Alaska was never sold. Russia leased it for 90 years, and after the expiration of the lease, in 1957, Nikita Sergeevich Khrushchev actually donated these lands to the United States. Many historians argue that the agreement on the transfer of Alaska to the United States was not signed by either the Russian Empire or the USSR, and the peninsula was borrowed from Russia free of charge. Be that as it may, Alaska is still shrouded in a halo of secrets.

Russians taught the natives of Alaska to turnips and potatoes

Under the rule of the “quietest” Alexei Mikhailovich Romanov in Russia, Semyon Dezhnev swam across the 86-kilometer strait that separated Russia and America. Later, this strait was named the Bering Strait in honor of Vitus Bering, who in 1741 explored the shores of Alaska. Although before him, in 1732, Mikhail Gvozdev was the first European to determine the coordinates and map the 300-kilometer coastline of this peninsula. In 1784, Grigory Shelikhov was engaged in the development of Alaska, who taught the local population to turnips and potatoes, spread Orthodoxy among the horse natives, and even founded the Slava Rossii agricultural colony. Since that time, the inhabitants of Alaska have become Russian subjects.

The British and Americans armed the natives against the Russians

In 1798, as a result of the merger of the companies of Grigory Shelikhov, Nikolai Mylnikov and Ivan Golikov, the Russian-American Company was formed, the shareholders of which were statesmen and grand dukes. The first director of this company is Nikolai Rezanov, whose name is known to many today as the name of the hero of the musical "Juno and Avos". The company, which some historians today call "the destroyer of Russian America and an obstacle in the development of the Far East", had monopoly rights to furs, trade, the discovery of new lands, granted. The company also had the right to protect and represent the interests of Russia

The company founded the Mikhailovsky Fortress (today Sitka), where the Russians built a church, a primary school, a shipyard, workshops and an arsenal. Each ship that came to the harbor where the fortress stood was greeted with fireworks. In 1802, the fortress was burned down by the natives, and three years later, another Russian fortress suffered the same fate. American and British entrepreneurs sought to eliminate the Russian settlements and armed the natives for this.

Alaska could become a cause of war for Russia

For Russia, Alaska was a real gold mine. For example, sea otter fur was more expensive than gold, but the greed and short-sightedness of the miners led to the fact that already in the 1840s there were practically no valuable animals left on the peninsula. In addition, oil and gold were discovered in Alaska. It is this fact, however absurd it may sound, that has become one of the incentives to get rid of Alaska as soon as possible. The fact is that American prospectors began to actively arrive in Alaska, and the Russian government reasonably feared that American troops would come after them. Russia was not ready for the war, and it was completely imprudent to give Alaska penniless.

At the ceremony for the transfer of Alaska, the flag fell on Russian bayonets

October 18, 1867 at 3:30 p.m. the solemn ceremony of changing the flag on the flagpole in front of the house of the ruler of Alaska began. Two non-commissioned officers began to lower the flag of the Russian-American company, but it got tangled in the ropes at the very top, and the painter completely broke off. Several sailors, on orders, rushed to climb up to unravel the tattered flag hanging on the mast. The sailor who reached the flag first did not have time to shout to get down with the flag, and not throw it, and he threw the flag down. The flag hit right on the Russian bayonets. Mystics and conspiracy theorists should have rejoiced.

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

Alaska has become an extremely profitable deal for the US

The Russian Empire sold uninhabited and hard-to-reach territory to the United States for $0.05 per hectare. It turned out to be 1.5 times cheaper than Napoleonic France sold the developed territory of historical Louisiana 50 years earlier. America offered only $10 million for the port of New Orleans, and besides, the lands of Louisiana had to be redeemed again from the Indians living there.

Another fact: at the time when Russia sold Alaska to America, the state treasury paid more for a single three-story building in downtown New York than the US government paid for the entire peninsula.

The main secret of selling Alaska is where is the money?

Eduard Stekl, who had been chargé d'affaires at the Russian embassy in Washington since 1850 and was appointed envoy in 1854, received a check for $7,35,000. He kept 21,000 for himself and distributed 144,000 to the senators who voted for the ratification of the treaty as bribes. 7 million was transferred to London by bank transfer, and already from the British capital to St. Petersburg the gold bars purchased for this amount were transported by sea.

When converting the currency, first into pounds, and then into gold, they lost another 1.5 million. But this loss was not the last. On July 16, 1868, the Orkney bark, carrying precious cargo, sank on the way to St. Petersburg. Whether there was Russian gold on it at that moment, or whether it did not leave the limits of Foggy Albion, remains unknown today. The company that registered the cargo declared itself bankrupt, so the damage was only partially reimbursed.

In 2013, a Russian filed a lawsuit to invalidate the agreement on the sale of Alaska.

In March 2013, the Moscow Arbitration Court received a lawsuit from representatives of the Interregional Public Movement in Support of Orthodox Educational and Social Initiatives "Bees" in the name of the Holy Great Martyr Nikita. According to Nikolai Bondarenko, chairman of the movement, such a step was caused by the failure to fulfill a number of clauses of the agreement signed in 1867. In particular, Article 6 provided for the payment of 7 million 200 thousand dollars in gold coins, and the US Treasury issued a check for this amount, the further fate of which is vague. Another reason, according to Bondarenko, was the fact that the US government violated Article 3 of the treaty, which stipulates that the American authorities must ensure that the inhabitants of Alaska, formerly citizens of the Russian Empire, live according to their customs and traditions and the faith that they professed at that time. The Obama administration, with its plans to legalize same-sex marriage, infringes on the rights and interests of citizens who live in Alaska. The Moscow Arbitration Court refused to consider the claim against the US federal government.