In 1867 Alaska ceased to be part of Russia. Until now, this page of Russian history is read diagonally by many, giving rise to a lot of myths. Like those that Catherine II sold Alaska, and Russia leased Alaska. 7 Secrets of Selling Alaska.

Russia and America

By the time Alaska was sold, friendly relations between Russia and America had reached their apogee. During the Crimean War, America repeatedly emphasized that if the conflict expanded, it would not take an anti-Russian stance. The agreement to sell Alaska was made in deep secrecy. Surprisingly, with a fairly high level of intelligence at that time, the information was not leaked to third parties. The London Times wrote with concern at the time about the mutual "mysterious sympathy" that existed between Russia and the United States. The dissatisfaction and concern of London were justified: the 1867 treaty not only made Russia and the United States the closest neighbors, but also allowed the Americans to surround British possessions in North America from all sides. At one of the dinner parties in honor of the Russian delegation, the American General Welbridge declared: “Providence has indicated that there should be two great hemispheres, Eastern and Western. The first should be represented by Russia, and the second by the United States!” Of course, it was a good diplomatic game, but the fact remains that Russia seriously supported America in its rise. The purchase of Alaska strengthened the States, the money paid for it paid off in a short time, but the strategic advantage for the United States from this deal simply cannot be overestimated.

narrow circle

The deal to sell Alaska is unique in that it was done in a very narrow circle. Only six people knew about the proposed sale: Alexander II, Konstantin Romanov, Alexander Gorchakov (Minister of Foreign Affairs), Mikhail Reitern (Minister of Finance), Nikolai Krabbe (Minister of the Navy), and Edaurd Steckl (Russian envoy to the United States). The fact that Alaska was sold to America became known only two months after the transaction. Its initiator is traditionally considered the Minister of Finance Reuters.

A year before the transfer of Alaska, he sent a special note to Alexander II, in which he pointed out the need for the strictest economy and emphasized that for the normal functioning of the empire, a three-year foreign loan of 15 million rubles was required. in year. Thus, even the lower limit of the transaction amount, indicated by Reuters at 5 million rubles, could cover a third of the annual loan. In addition, the state paid annual subsidies to the Russian-American Company, and the sale of Alaska saved Russia from these expenses. RAK did not receive a penny from the sale of Alaska.

Even before the historical note of the Minister of Finance, the idea of ​​selling Alaska was expressed by the Governor-General of Eastern Siberia Muravyov-Amursky. He said that it would be in Russia's interests to improve relations with the United States in order to strengthen its positions on the Asian coast of the Pacific Ocean, to be friends with America against the British.

Alaska was a real gold mine for Russia. In the literal and figurative sense. One of the most expensive acquisitions of Alaska was the valuable fur of the sea otter, which cost more than gold, but due to the greed and short-sightedness of the miners, by the forties of the 19th century, valuable animals were practically destroyed. In addition, oil and gold were discovered in Alaska. Oil at that time was used for medicinal purposes, while the gold found in Alaska, ironically, became one of the incentives to sell Alaska as soon as possible.

American prospectors began to arrive in Alaska, and the Russian government rightly feared that American troops would follow the prospectors. Russia was not ready for war. Giving away Alaska without getting a penny for it was imprudent to say the least.

Mormons and Creeping Colonization

Ten years before the sale of Alaska, E.A. Stekl sent a dispatch to St. Petersburg in 1857, in which he stated a rumor about the possible emigration of representatives of the religious sect of Mormons from the USA to Russian America, which the American President John Buchanan himself jokingly hinted at . Although it was only rumors, Stekl wrote with concern that in the event of a mass resettlement of American sectarians in Alaska, the Russian government would face an alternative: to offer armed resistance or give up part of its territory.

In addition, there was a "creeping colonization", which consisted in the gradual resettlement of the British and Americans in the territory of Russian America and adjacent lands. AT At the beginning of the 1860s, British smugglers began to settle on Russian territory in the southern part of Arch. Alexander, despite the formal prohibitions of the colonial administration. Sooner or later, this could lead to tension and military conflicts.

On October 18, 1867, at 3:30 p.m., the flag was changed on the flagpole in front of the house of the chief ruler of Alaska. American and Russian troops lined up at the flagpole. On a signal, two non-commissioned officers began to lower the flag of the Russian-American company. The ceremony did not lose a degree of solemnity until the flag got tangled in the ropes at the very top, and the painter did not break. By order of the Russian commissar, several sailors rushed to climb up to unravel the flag, which hung on the mast in tatters. They didn’t have time to shout from below to the sailor, who was the first to reach him, so that he would not throw the flag down, but would get down with him, when he threw it from above: the flag fell right on the Russian bayonets. Conspiracy theorists and mystics should rejoice in this place.

Eduard Stekl played a significant role in the sale of Alaska. Since 1850, he acted as chargé d'affaires of the Russian embassy in Washington, and in 1854 he took the post of envoy. Glass was married to an American woman and was deeply integrated into the upper echelons of American society. Extensive connections helped him to carry out the deal, he actively lobbied for the interests of his leadership. In order to persuade the US Senate to buy Alaska, he gave bribes and used all his connections.

Stekl was dissatisfied with his $25,000 reward and an annual pension of 6,000 rubles. Eduard Andreevich briefly arrived in St. Petersburg, but then left for Paris. Until the end of his life, he eschewed Russian society, as it did him. After the sale of Alaska, Glass fell into disrepute.

Where's the money, Zin?

The most important secret of selling Alaska lies in the question: "Where is the money?". Stekl received a check for $7,035,000 - out of the initial $7.2 million, he kept $21,000 for himself, and handed out $144,000 as bribes to senators who voted to ratify the treaty. 7 million was transferred to London by bank transfer, and already from London to St. Petersburg, the gold bars bought for this amount were transported by sea.

When converting first into pounds, and then into gold, another 1.5 million were lost, but this was not the last loss. The bark "Orkney" (Orkney), on board of which there was a precious cargo, sank on July 16, 1868 on the way to St. Petersburg. Whether there was gold in it at that time, or whether it did not leave the limits of Foggy Albion at all, is unknown. The insurance company that insured the ship and cargo declared itself bankrupt, and the damage was only partially reimbursed.

Most likely, there was no gold on Orkney. It was not found during the search operation. Where did it go - the main mystery of the sale of Alaska. There is a version that this money went to purchase materials for construction roads, but it is much more interesting to think that the money mysteriously disappeared, otherwise what kind of mystery is it?

Alexey Rudevich

Alaska is equal in area to three France. This is not only Klondike gold, but also tungsten, platinum, mercury, molybdenum, coal. And, most importantly, there is the development of giant oil fields, reaching up to eighty-three million tons per year. This is twenty percent of the total US oil production. For comparison: Kuwait produces about sixty-five, and the United Arab Emirates - seventy million tons per year.

Many contemporaries mistakenly believe that Catherine II sold Alaska. But it's not. A similar statement to some extent among young people became popular after the song of the Lyube group "Don't play the fool, America." It says that the empress was not right to do this with this area. Based on this, young people who do not understand history made a conclusion about who gave Alaska to America.

Geographical position

Today Alaska is the largest in area, forty-ninth This is the coldest territory of the country. Most of it is dominated by arctic and subarctic climatic zones. Here the norm is severe frosty winters, accompanied by strong winds and snow blizzards. The only exception is part of the Pacific coast, where climatic conditions are moderate and quite habitable.

Before sale

The history of Alaska (before its transfer to the United States) was connected with the Russian Empire. Back in the eighteenth century, this region belonged undividedly to the Russians. It is not known from what time the history of Alaska began - the settlement of this cold and inhospitable land. However, the fact that in the most ancient times there was a certain connection between Asia and Asia is beyond doubt. And it was carried out along which was covered with an ice crust. People in those days easily crossed from one continent to another. The minimum width of the Bering Strait is only eighty-six kilometers. Such a distance was quite within the power of any more or less experienced hunter to overcome on dog sleds.

When the ice age ended, the warming era began. The ice melted, and the coasts of the continents disappeared below the horizon. The people who inhabited Asia no longer dared to swim across the icy surface into the unknown. Therefore, starting from the third millennium BC, Indians began to master Alaska. Their tribes from the territory of present-day California moved north, adhering to the Pacific coast. Gradually, the Indians reached the Aleutian Islands, where they settled down.

Russian exploration of Alaska

Meanwhile, the Russian Empire began to rapidly expand its eastern borders. In the meantime, fleets from European countries constantly plowed the oceans and seas, looking for places for new colonies, the Russians mastered the Urals and Siberia, the Far East and the lands of the Far North. A whole galaxy of strong and courageous people went on ships not to tropical waters, but towards the ice of the harsh north. The most famous expedition leaders were Semyon Dezhnev and Fedot Popov, and Alexei Chirikov. It was they who in 1732 opened this land to the rest of the civilized world - long before Russia gave Alaska to America. This date is considered official.

But it is one thing to open, and another to equip a new land. The very first Russian settlements in Alaska appeared only in the eighties of the eighteenth century. People were engaged in hunting and commerce: hunters caught fur-bearing animals, and merchants bought them up. Gradually, this unpromised land began to turn into a source of profit, since valuable fur was equated with gold in all ages.

unprofitable edge

At first, in these northern lands, very rich in furs, the interests of the Russians were jealously guarded. However, the years passed, and the total destruction of the same foxes and sea otters, beavers and minks could not continue indefinitely. Fur production dropped sharply. Gradually, the Russian Klondike began to lose its commercial significance. The situation was aggravated by the fact that the vast lands were still practically not developed. This was the impetus, the first reason why Russia gave Alaska to America.

Beginning in the late thirties of the eighteenth century, an opinion began to form at the imperial court that Alaska was a loss-making region. Moreover, the king began to come to the conclusion that, apart from a headache, this land could not bring anything. It was from this moment that the story of the sale of Alaska to America began. Industrialists were sure that investing in these lands was complete madness, since they could not pay off. Russian people will not settle in this icy desert, especially since there are Siberia and Altai, and the Far East, where the climate is much milder and the lands are fertile.

The already difficult situation was exacerbated by the Crimean War, which began in 1853, which pumped huge amounts of money out of the state treasury. In addition, in 1855, Nicholas I died, who was replaced on the throne by Alexander II. They looked at the new emperor with hope. People expected new reforms. But what reforms are carried out without money?

Forever and ever

When it comes to who gave Alaska to America, for some reason everyone remembers Empress Catherine II. Many are sure that it was she who put her signature under the decree on the transfer of "Russian America" ​​to Britain. Allegedly, the conversation at first was not about selling, but only about renting for a century. They even tell a story that fully confirms that Catherine sold Alaska. As if the empress, who did not know the Russian language well, instructed a trusted person to draw up an agreement. The same one messed up with spelling: instead of writing down “Alaska is transferred for a century”, this person, out of absent-mindedness, made a note: “given forever”, which meant forever. So the answer to the question: "Who gave Alaska to America?" - "Catherine!" will be wrong. You still need to study the past of your country more carefully.

Alaska: history

Catherine II, according to official history, did nothing of the kind. With her, these lands were not leased, and even more so they were not sold. There were no prerequisites for this. The history of the sale of Alaska began only half a century later, already in the time of Alexander II. It was this emperor who ruled in an era when numerous problems began to emerge, the solution of which required immediate action.

Of course, this sovereign, who ascended the throne, did not immediately decide to sell the northern lands. It took a whole ten years before the question was ripe. Selling land for the state at all times was a very shameful thing. After all, this was evidence of the country's weakness, its inability to keep its subordinate territories in order. However, the Russian treasury really needed funds. And when they are not - all ways are good.

Purchase and sale

However, no one began to shout about it to the whole world. The question of why Russia gave Alaska to America was sensitive and political, and it required unorthodox solutions. In 1866, a delegate from the Russian imperial court arrived in Washington, D.C., and began secret negotiations on the sale of northern lands. The Americans showed complaisance, although the time for the deal was unsuccessful for them too. Indeed, in the United States, the Civil War unleashed between the South and the North had barely ended. Therefore, the state treasury was completely depleted.

Ten years after the time when Russia gave Alaska to America, buyers could be asked five times more, but the Russian court, according to historians, was pressed for money. Therefore, the parties agreed on only 7.2 million dollars in gold equivalent. And although at that time it was very decent money, in terms of current components about two hundred and fifty million dollars, however, anyone who is interested in the question of who gave Alaska to America will agree that these northern territories cost several orders of magnitude more.

One year later

After the conclusion of the agreement, the representative of the imperial court returned to Russia. And a year later, an urgent telegram signed by the President of the United States was sent to the name of the one who gave Alaska to America - the reigning Alexander II. It contained a business proposal: Russia was loudly, to the whole world, offered to sell Alaska. On the other hand, no one knew about the visit of the Russian representative to Washington prior to this telegram. It turned out that it was America that initiated the deal, but not Russia. Thus diplomatic and political conventions were cunningly preserved by both sides. In the eyes of the whole world, Russia managed not to lose its dignity. And already in March 1867, legal registration of documents was carried out. And since that time, "Russian Alaska" has ceased to exist. She was given the status of an American colony. Later it was renamed the district, and already in 1959 this northern land became the forty-ninth state of the United States.

In justification

Today, having learned who gave Alaska to America, one can, of course, condemn and scold the Russian Emperor Alexander II. However, if you take a closer look at the political and financial situation in Russia in those distant years, a very definite picture emerges, which to some extent justifies his decision.

In 1861, serfdom was finally abolished. Thousands of landlords were left without their peasants, which meant that a considerable estate lost its stable source of income. Therefore, the state began to pay compensation to the nobles, which was supposed to somehow cover their material losses. But for the treasury, such expenses amounted to tens of millions of royal rubles. And then the Crimean War broke out, and again money flowed like a river from the treasury.

Difficult situation for Russia

In order to somehow recoup the costs, the royal court borrowed huge sums abroad. Foreign governments with great pleasure gave in because she had untold natural wealth. A situation developed in the empire when every extra ruble became a joy, and especially one for which it was not necessary to pay interest on promissory notes.

That is why Catherine, the great Russian Empress, has matured - there is nothing to do with this issue. And it makes no sense to blame her, except perhaps that the state has reached a complete decline and with her light hand.

Difficulties in selling

Alaska is a distant northern land, constantly bound by eternal ice. She did not bring Russia a single penny. And the whole world knew about it very well. And so the imperial court was quite concerned about finding a buyer for this useless region of icy cold. Closest to Alaska was the United States. They were offered by Russia at their own peril and risk to conclude a deal. The American Congress, more precisely, many senators, did not immediately agree to such a dubious purchase. The issue was put to a vote. As a result, more than half of the senators voted categorically against the acquisition: the proposal from the Russian government did not arouse any enthusiasm among the Americans. And the rest of the world showed absolute indifference to this deal.

Effects

And in Russia itself, the sale of Alaska went completely unnoticed. Newspapers wrote about it on their last pages. Some Russians did not even know that it existed. Although later, when the richest gold reserves were found on this cold northern land, the whole world began to vied with each other to talk about both Alaska and the sale, ridiculing the stupid and short-sighted Russian emperor.

In serious political and financial matters, the subjunctive mood is unacceptable. None of those who later began to condemn Alexander II never suggested that such huge deposits of gold could be located in Alaska. But if we consider the deal not from today's positions, but from the situation that developed in 1867, then many believe that the Russian emperor did absolutely the right thing. And even more so, the sale of Alaska by Catherine is just an idle fiction that has no basis.

Conclusion

In total, one thousand tons of gold was mined on the lands of the former "Russian America". Some got fabulously rich on this, and some disappeared forever in this snowy desert. Today, Americans are very inert and somehow hesitantly settling in their inhospitable land. There are practically no roads in Alaska. Few settlements are reached either by air or by water. The railway here passes through only five cities. In total, six hundred thousand people live in this state.

On March 30, 1867, the territory of the Russian Empire decreased by a little more than one and a half million square kilometers. By the decision of the emperor and autocrat of Russia Alexander II, the territory of Alaska and the group of Aleutian Islands near it were sold to the United States of America.

There are many rumors around this deal to this day - “Alaska was not sold, but only leased. The documents are lost, so it’s impossible to return it”, “Alaska was sold by Catherine II the Great, because this is sung in the song of the Lube group”, “the deal for the sale of Alaska must be declared invalid, because the ship that carried the gold for payment sank” and etc. All versions given in quotation marks are complete nonsense (especially about Catherine II)! So now let's figure out how the sale of Alaska actually took place and what caused this deal, outwardly not beneficial for Russia.

The actual discovery of Alaska by Russian navigators I. Fedorov and M.S. Gvozdev happened in 1732, but officially it is considered to be opened in 1741 by Captain A. Chirikov, who visited it and thought to register the discovery. Over the next sixty years, the Russian Empire, as a state, was not interested in the discovery of Alaska - its territory was mastered by Russian merchants who actively bought furs from local Eskimos, Aleuts and Indians, and created Russian settlements in convenient bays of the coast of the Bering Strait, in which merchant ships waited non-navigable winter months.

The situation changed somewhat in 1799, but only outwardly - the territory of Alaska began to officially belong to the Russian Empire as a discoverer, but the state was not interested in new territories in any way. The initiative to recognize ownership of the northern lands of the North American continent came, again, from Siberian merchants, who pooled their paperwork in St. Petersburg and created a Russian-American company with monopoly rights to minerals and commercial production in Alaska. The main sources of income for merchants in the North American territories of Russia were coal mining, fur seal fishing and ... ice, the most common one supplied to the USA - the demand for Alaskan ice was stable and constant, because refrigeration units were invented only in the 20th century.

Until the middle of the 19th century, the state of affairs in Alaska was of no interest to the leadership of Russia - it is somewhere “in the middle of nowhere”, money is not required for its maintenance, it is also not necessary to protect and maintain the military contingent for this, all issues are handled by the merchants of the Russian-American companies that pay taxes properly. And then, from this very Alaska, information comes that deposits of native gold were found there ... Yes, yes, and what did you think - Emperor Alexander II did not know that he was selling a gold mine? But no - he knew and was well aware of his decision! And why did he sell - now we'll figure it out ...

The initiative in the sale of Alaska to the United States of America belonged to the emperor's brother, Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich Romanov, who served as head of the Russian Naval Staff. He suggested that his elder brother-emperor sell "extra territory", because the discovery of gold deposits there will certainly attract the attention of England - a longtime sworn enemy of the Russian Empire, and Russia is not able to defend it, and there really is no military fleet in the northern seas. If England seizes Alaska, then Russia will receive absolutely nothing for it, and in this way it will be possible to gain at least some money, save face and strengthen friendly relations with the United States. It should be noted that in the 19th century, the Russian Empire and the United States developed extremely friendly relations - Russia refused to help the West regain control over North American territories, which infuriated the monarchs of Great Britain and inspired the colonists of America to continue the liberation struggle.

Negotiations on the sale of the territory of Alaska were entrusted to Baron Eduard Andreyevich Stekl, the envoy of the Russian Empire to the United States. He was given an acceptable price for Russia - $ 5 million in gold, but Stekl decided to charge the American government a higher amount, equal to $ 7.2 million. The idea of ​​buying a northern territory, albeit with gold, but with a complete lack of roads, deserted and characterized by a cold climate, was received by the American government of President Andrew Johnson without enthusiasm. Baron Steckl actively intrigued, bribing congressmen and editors of major American newspapers, in order to create a favorable political climate for the land deal.

And his negotiations were crowned with success - on March 30, 1867, an agreement on the sale of the territory of Alaska to the United States of America took place and was signed by official representatives of both parties. Thus, the acquisition of one hectare of the territory of Alaska cost the US Treasury 0.0474 dollars and for the entire territory equal to 1,519,000 square kilometers - 7,200,000 dollars in gold (in terms of modern banknotes, about $ 110 million). On October 18, 1867, the North American territories of Alaska were officially transferred to the possession of the United States, two months earlier, Baron Stekl received a check for 7 million 200 thousand in US treasury bonds, which he transferred to the Baring brothers' London bank to the account of the Russian Emperor, withholding his commission $ 21,000 and $165,000 he spent out of his own pocket in bribes (overhead).

According to some modern Russian historians and politicians, the Russian Empire made a mistake by selling Alaska. But the situation in the century before last was very, very difficult - the States were actively expanding their territory, annexing neighboring lands and following the doctrine of James Monroe from 1823. And the first major deal was the Louisiana Purchase - the acquisition of the French colony in North America (2,100 thousand square kilometers of inhabited and developed territory) from the Emperor of France, Napoleon I Bonaparte, for a ridiculous 15 million dollars in gold. By the way, today the states of Missouri, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska and significant territories of a number of other states of the modern USA are located on this territory ... As for the former territories of Mexico - the territory of all the southern states of the USA - they were annexed free of charge.

Sale of Alaska

The question of the fate of Russian America arose in the early 1850s. In the spring of 1853, the Governor-General of Eastern Siberia, Nikolai Muravyov-Amursky, presented Nicholas I with a note in which he detailed his views on the need to strengthen Russia's position in the Far East and the importance of close relations with the United States.

The Governor-General recalled that a quarter of a century ago, “The Russian-American Company applied to the government with a request to occupy California, then free and almost owned by no one, while communicating their fears that this area would soon become the prey of the United States of America ... It is impossible it was not foreseen at the same time that these states, having once established themselves on the Eastern Ocean, would soon take precedence over all maritime powers there and would have a need for the entire northwestern coast of America. The dominion of the North American States over the whole of North America is so natural that we should not regret very much that twenty-five years ago we did not establish ourselves in California - sooner or later we would have to cede it, but, yielding peacefully, we could receive in return other benefits from the Americans. However, now, with the invention and development of railroads, we must be more convinced than before that the North American States will inevitably spread throughout North America, and we cannot help but bear in mind that sooner or later they will have to cede the North American our possessions. However, with this consideration, it was impossible not to have another thing in mind: which is very natural for Russia, if not to own all of East Asia, then to dominate the entire Asian coast of the Eastern Ocean. Due to circumstances, we allowed the British to invade this part of Asia ... but this can still be improved by our close connection with the North American States.

The authorities in St. Petersburg reacted very favorably to Muravyov's note. The proposals of the Governor General of Eastern Siberia to strengthen the position of the empire in the Amur region and on Sakhalin Island were studied in detail with the participation of Admiral General, Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich and members of the board of the Russian-American Company. One of the specific results of this work was the emperor's decree of April 11 (23), 1853, which allowed the Russian-American company "to occupy the island of Sakhalin on the same grounds as it owned other lands mentioned in its privileges, in order to prevent no foreign settlements."

For its part, the Russian-American Company, fearing an attack by the Anglo-French fleet on Novo-Arkhangelsk, hurried in the spring of 1854 to conclude a fictitious agreement with the American-Russian Trading Company in San Francisco on the sale of all its property for 7 million 600 thousand dollars for three years. , including land holdings in North America. But soon news came to Russian America of an official agreement between the RAC and the Hudson's Bay Company on the mutual neutralization of their territorial possessions in America. “Because of these fortunately changed circumstances,” the Russian consul in San Francisco Pyotr Kostromitinov reported in the summer of 1854, “I did not give further movement to the act forwarded from the colonies.” Although the fictitious act was immediately annulled, and the colonial authorities were reprimanded for being too independent, the idea of ​​a possible sale of Russian America to the United States not only did not die, but after the end of the Crimean War it was further developed.

The main supporter of the sale of Russian America was the younger brother of Alexander II, Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich, who sent a special letter on this subject to Foreign Minister Alexander Gorchakov in the spring of 1857. Most of the most influential statesmen, although they did not object in principle to the sale of Russian possessions in America, nevertheless considered it necessary to discuss this issue in advance. It was proposed first to clarify the situation in Russian America, to probe the ground in Washington, and in any case not to rush into the practical implementation of the sale, postponing it until the expiration of the RAC privileges in 1862 and the liquidation of the contract for the supply of ice by the American-Russian trading company in San Francisco. Gorchakov and employees of the Asian Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs adhered to this line, and most importantly, Emperor Alexander II himself, who ordered to postpone the decision on the sale of Russian America until the contract with the company in San Francisco was liquidated. Although the US government considered the acquisition of Russian possessions in America very profitable, it offered only $ 5 million as a reward, which, according to Gorchakov, did not reflect "the real value of our colonies."

In 1865, after lengthy discussions, the State Council of Russia approved the "main foundations" of the new charter of the RAC, and the company's board even managed to receive additional benefits from the tsarist government. On August 20 (September 1), 1866, the emperor "deigned" to pay the RAC an annual "allowance" of 200 thousand rubles and remove from it a debt to the treasury in the amount of 725 thousand.

The company was not satisfied with this and continued to seek new privileges, which also had its negative side: the tsarist government only asserted its opinion about the expediency of getting rid of burdensome possessions in distant America. In addition, the general state of Russia's finances, despite the reforms carried out in the country, continued to deteriorate, and the treasury needed foreign money.

The end of the civil war in the United States and the subsequent friendly visit of the American squadron led by Gustavus Fox to Russia in the summer of 1866 to some extent contributed to the revival of the idea of ​​selling Russian colonies in America. However, the direct reason for the resumption of consideration of the question of the fate of Russian America was the arrival in St. Petersburg of the Russian envoy in Washington, Eduard Stekl. Leaving the United States in October 1866, he stayed in the royal capital until the beginning of the next year. During this time, he had the opportunity to meet not only with his immediate superiors in the department of foreign affairs, but also to talk with Grand Duke Konstantin and Finance Minister Mikhail Reitern.

It was after conversations with Stekl that both statesmen communicated their views "on the subject of the cession of our North American colonies." The sale of Russian possessions in America seemed expedient to Reitern for the following reasons:

"one. After seventy years of existence of the company, it did not in the least achieve either the Russification of the male population, or the stable establishment of the Russian element, and did not in the least contribute to the development of our merchant shipping. The company does not provide significant shareholder value... and can only be supported by significant donations from the government." As the minister noted, the importance of the colonies in America has decreased even more, since "now we have already firmly established ourselves in the Amur Territory, which is in incomparably more favorable climatic conditions."

"2. The transfer of colonies ... will save us from possession, which in the event of war with one of the maritime powers, we are not able to defend. Reitern wrote further about the company's possible encounters with enterprising merchants and seafarers from the United States: "Such encounters, unpleasant in themselves, could easily make it necessary for us to maintain, at great expense, military and naval forces in the northern waters of the Pacific Ocean in order to maintain privileges a company that does not bring significant benefits to Russia or even to shareholders and to the detriment of our friendly relations with the United States.

The most influential figure in the discussion of the fate of Russian possessions in America remained the Grand Duke Constantine, who spoke in favor of the sale for three main reasons:

1. The unsatisfactory state of affairs of the RAC, the existence of which must be supported by "artificial measures and monetary donations from the treasury."

2. The need to focus the main attention on the successful development of the Amur region, where exactly in the Far East "Russia's future lies ahead."

3. The desirability of maintaining a "close alliance" with the United States and eliminating anything "that might give rise to dissent between the two great powers."

After familiarizing himself with the considerations of two influential dignitaries and knowing well the opinion of Stekl, who also spoke in favor of the sale of Russian America, Gorchakov came to the conclusion that the time had come to make a final decision. He proposed holding a "special meeting" with the personal participation of Alexander II. This meeting took place on December 16 (28), 1866 in the front office of the Russian Foreign Ministry on Palace Square. It was attended by: Alexander II, Grand Duke Konstantin, Gorchakov, Reitern, the head of the naval ministry Nikolai Krabbe and Stekl. All participants spoke in favor of selling 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. Two weeks later, “in pursuance of the sovereign will announced by His Imperial Majesty at a special meeting,” Reitern sent Gorchakov his considerations, who considered it necessary to provide that “Russian subjects and residents of the colonies in general” be given “the right to stay in these or to leave without hindrance to Russia. In either case, they retain the right to all their property, whatever it may be. At the same time, the minister made special reservations about ensuring the freedom of “their liturgical rites.” Finally, the Secretary of the Treasury indicated that the "monetary reward" for the cession of the colonies should be at least $5 million.

Returning to Washington in March 1867, Steckl reminded Secretary of State William Seward "of the proposals that have been made in the past for the sale of our colonies" and added that "the imperial government is now disposed to enter into negotiations." Having secured the consent of President Johnson, Seward already during the second meeting with Stekl, held on March 2 (14), was able to discuss the main provisions of the future treaty.

On March 18, 1867, President Johnson signed official credentials to Seward, and negotiations between the Secretary of State and Stekl took place almost immediately, during which a draft treaty was agreed in general terms for the purchase of Russian possessions in America for $7 million.

painting by Edward Leintze

From left to right: State Department official Robert Chew, William Seward, State Department official William Hunter, employee of the Russian mission Vladimir Bodisko, Eduard Stekl, Charles Sumner, Frederick Seward

At four o'clock in the morning on March 18 (30), 1867, the treaty was signed. Among the territories ceded by Russia to the United States on the North American continent and in the Pacific Ocean were: the entire Alaska Peninsula (along the line passing along the meridian 141 ° W), a coastal strip 10 miles south of Alaska along the western coast of British Columbia; 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. Paul and St. George. The total size of the land territory ceded to Russia was 1,519 thousand square meters. km. Together with the territory, all real estate, all colonial archives, official and historical documents relating to the transferred territories were transferred to the United States.

In accordance with the usual procedure, the treaty was submitted to Congress. As the session of Congress ended just that day, the president called an emergency executive session of the Senate.

The fate of the treaty was in the hands of members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The members of the committee at that time were: Charles Sumner of Massachusetts - chairman, Simon Cameron of Pennsylvania, William Fessenden of Maine, James Harlan of Iowa, Oliver Morton of Indiana, James Paterson of New Hampshire, Raverdy Johnson of Maryland. That is, it was up to representatives of the Northeast to decide on the annexation of the territory, in which the Pacific states were primarily interested. In addition, the majority clearly disliked their former colleague, Secretary of State Seward.

The decisive opponent of the treaty was, in particular, Senator Fessenden. During the discussion, the caustic senator remarked that he was ready to support the treaty, "but with one additional condition: to force the Secretary of State to live there, and the Russian government to keep him there." Fessenden's joke drew general approval, and Senator Johnson expressed his confidence that such a proposal "would be passed unanimously."

However, it was not the obvious hostility towards the Johnson-Seward administration and not the caustic jokes of Fessenden that determined the attitude of the committee members to the new treaty. Most senators, and above all Sumner, were guided by objective data and real benefits from the acquisition of Russian America.

Moreover, given Sumner's influence on the Foreign Affairs Committee and in the Senate, it was his position on the treaty that became decisive. Initially, the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee even suggested withdrawing the treaty from discussion, since it supposedly had no chance of success. In the future, however, Sumner's views underwent a major change, and on April 8, 1867, he was already a strong supporter of the ratification of the treaty with Russia. The change in Sumner's position was not accidental, but was the result of a thorough study of the issue with the involvement of a huge amount of factual material. An important role was also played by the assistance rendered to the senator by persons most aware of the state of affairs in the Pacific North, including experts from the Smithsonian Institution.

All this significantly strengthened the positions of the supporters of the treaty and finally convinced Sumner of the importance of joining Russian America. As a result, on April 8, the Foreign Affairs Committee decided to submit the treaty to the Senate for approval.

On the same day, Sumner presented the treaty to the Senate and gave the famous three-hour speech in support of ratification, which made a great and even decisive impression on the listeners. There were 37 votes in favor of ratification and only two against. They were Fessenden and Justin Morrill from Vermont.

Without any complications, on May 3 (15) ratification took place in St. Petersburg, and the official exchange of instruments of ratification took place in the American capital on June 8 (20), 1867. Subsequently, in accordance with the established procedure, the contract was printed, and then included in the official collection of laws of the Russian Empire.

The decision to allocate 7.2 million dollars under the agreement was made by the House of Representatives of the US Congress a year later, on July 14, 1868 (113 - "for", 43 - "against" and 44 congressmen did not take part in the vote). On July 15, an order was issued for the receipt of money; on August 1, Stekl left a receipt in the treasury stating that he had received the entire amount in full.

The fate of the proceeds from the sale of Alaska is a favorite topic of newspaper speculation. The most popular version is that a ship with gold from America sank in the Gulf of Finland. But in reality, everything was less romantic and tragic.

On August 1, Stekl instructed the Riggs Bank to transfer $7,035,000 to London, to the Baring brothers' bank. The “missing” 165 thousand were spent by him in the USA. A telegram to St. Petersburg with the news of the conclusion of the agreement cost 10 thousand, 26 thousand was received by the lawyer of the Russian mission, Robert Walker, 21 thousand was the royal award for concluding the agreement to Stekl and another employee of the mission, Vladimir Bodisko. The rest of the money, according to the researchers, Stekl spent on bribing journalists and congressmen. At least, such a conclusion can be drawn from the instruction of Alexander II to credit the funds spent by the envoy for "the use known to His Imperial Majesty" as an actual expenditure. Such wording usually accompanied expenses of a secret and sensitive nature, which included bribes.

The same money that reached London was spent on the purchase of steam locomotives and other railway equipment for the Kursk-Kyiv, Ryazan-Kozlovskaya and Moscow-Ryazan railways.

By buying Russian America, the United States, as subsequent events showed, made one of the most profitable deals in its history. This territory turned out to be rich in natural resources, including oil and gold. It occupied an advantageous strategic position and ensured the predominant influence of the United States in the north of the continent and on the way to the Asian market. Together with the Hawaiian and Aleutian Islands, Alaska became a stronghold of US influence in the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean.

Text by N.N. Bolkhovitinov from: History of Russian America: in 3 volumes. M., 1999. V.3. pp. 425-488.
(with additions from other sources)

For some reason, most people believe that Catherine II sold Alaska to the United States. But this is a fundamentally wrong opinion. This North American territory was transferred to the United States almost a hundred years after the death of the great Russian Empress. So, let's figure out when and to whom Alaska was sold and, most importantly, who did it and under what circumstances.

Russian Alaska

The Russians first entered Alaska in 1732. It was an expedition led by Mikhail Gvozdev. In 1799, the Russian-American Company (RAC) was founded specifically for the development of America, headed by Grigory Shelekhov. A significant part of this company belonged to the state. The goals of its activities were the development of new territories, trade, fur trade.

During the 19th century, the territory controlled by the company expanded significantly and at the time of the sale of Alaska to the United States was more than 1.5 million square kilometers. The Russian population grew and numbered 2.5 thousand people. Fur trade and trade gave a good profit. But in relations with local tribes, everything was far from rosy. So, in 1802, the Tlingit Indian tribe almost completely destroyed the Russian settlements. It was possible to save them only by a miracle, because by chance, just at that time, a Russian ship under the command of Yuri Lisyansky sailed not far away, possessing powerful artillery, which decided the course of the battle.

However, this was only an episode of the generally successful first half of the 19th century for the Russian-American Company.

Start of problems

Significant problems with overseas territories began to appear during the Crimean War (1853-1856), which was difficult for the Russian Empire. By that time, the income from trade and the extraction of furs could no longer cover the costs of maintaining Alaska.

The first to sell it to the Americans was the Governor-General of Eastern Siberia, Nikolai Nikolayevich Muravyov-Amursky. He did this in 1853, arguing that Alaska is a natural zone of influence of the United States, and sooner or later it will still be in the hands of the Americans, and Russia should concentrate its colonization efforts on Siberia. Moreover, he insisted on the transfer of this territory to the United States so that it would not fall into the hands of the British, who threatened it from Canada and were at that time in a state of open war with the Russian Empire. His fears were partially justified, since already in 1854 England made an attempt to capture Kamchatka. In this regard, even a proposal was made to fictitiously transfer the territory of Alaska to the United States in order to protect it from the aggressor.

But until then, Alaska needed to be maintained, and the Russian Empire of the second half of the 19th century did not financially pull such a program. Therefore, even if Alexander II knew that in a hundred years oil would be produced there in huge quantities, he would hardly have changed his decision to sell this territory. Not to mention that there was a high probability that Alaska would be taken from Russia by force, and because of the remoteness in the distance, she would not be able to protect this distant territory. So it is quite possible that the government simply chose the lesser of two evils.

Rental version

There is also an alternative version, according to which the Russian Empire did not sell Alaska to the United States, but simply leased it to the States. The term of the transaction, according to this scenario, was 99 years. The USSR did not demand the return of these territories when the deadline came, due to the fact that it had abandoned the legacy of the Russian Empire, including its debts.

So, is Alaska still sold or leased? The version about renting out for temporary use has few supporters among serious specialists. It is based on an allegedly preserved copy of the agreement in Russian. But it is well known that it existed only in English and French. So, most likely, these are just speculations of some pseudo-historians. In any case, there are no real facts that would allow us to seriously consider the lease version at the moment.

Why Catherine?

But still, why did the version that Catherine sold Alaska become so popular, although it is clearly erroneous? After all, under this great empress, overseas territories had just begun to be developed, and then there could be no talk of any sale. Moreover, Alaska was sold in the year 1867. Catherine died in 1796, that is, 71 years before this event.

The myth that Catherine sold Alaska was born relatively long ago. True, it refers to the sale of the UK, not the United States. However, this still has nothing to do with the real situation. The postulate was finally fixed in the minds of most of our compatriots that it was the great Russian Empress who made this fatal deal after the release of the song of the Lyube group “Don’t play the fool, America ...”.

Of course, stereotypes are a very tenacious thing, and once they get into the people, a myth can begin to live its own life, and then it is already very difficult to separate truth from fiction without special training and knowledge.

Results

So, in the course of a short study about the details of the sale of Alaska to the United States, we dispelled a number of myths.

Firstly, Catherine II did not sell overseas territories to anyone, which only seriously began to be explored under her, and the sale was made by Emperor Alexander II. What year was Alaska sold? Certainly not in 1767, but in 1867.

Secondly, the Russian government was well aware of what it was selling and what mineral reserves Alaska had. But despite this, the sale was regarded as a good deal.

Thirdly, there is an opinion that if Alaska had not been sold in 1867, it would still be part of Russia. But this is too unlikely, given the considerable distances to the central parts of our country and the proximity of the North American claimants to this territory.

Should we regret the loss of Alaska? More likely no than yes. The maintenance of this territory cost Russia much more than it had benefits from it at the time of the sale or could have in the foreseeable future. In addition, it is far from certain that Alaska could have been held and that it would still remain Russian.

You need to be a really great person to be able to resist even against common sense.

Fyodor Mkhailovich Dostoevsky

The sale of Alaska is a unique deal that was made in 1867 between the governments of the Russian Empire and the United States. The deal was valued at $7.2 million, which was handed over to the Russian government, which in return handed over 1.5 million square kilometers of territory to the United States. Surprisingly, to this day, many legends and rumors hover around this deal, for example, such as Catherine II sold Alaska. Today we will take a closer look at the sale of Alaska and understand all the nuances of this deal.

Selling background

Alaska was discovered in 1732 by Russian navigators Fedorov and Gvozdev. Initially, this territory did not interest the Russian emperor at all. She was of interest only to merchants who actively traded with local natives, buying valuable furs from them. Largely because of this, merchant villages began to actively appear on the coast of the Bering Strait, which were organized by Russian sailors.

The situation around Alaska began to change in 1799, when this territory was officially recognized as part of the Russian Empire. The basis for this recognition was the fact that it was the Russian navigators who first discovered this land. However, despite the official recognition of Alaska as part of Russia, the Russian government did not show any interest in this land. Similarly, the development of the region depends solely on the merchants.

For the Russian Empire, this territory mattered only as a source of income. Alaska sold furs, which were valued throughout the world. However, the manic desire of Russian merchants for profit led to the fact that this region became subsidized. The empire had to spend hundreds of thousands of rubles to maintain this land.

Sale initiators

In 1853, the governor of eastern Siberia Muravyov-Amursky for the first time made an official proposal on the need to sell Alaska as a subsidized region that is not of great national importance. According to the governor, the sale could help strengthen Russia's position on the Pacific coast, which was very important in view of the real contradictions with England. In addition, it could significantly improve relations with the United States.

The main initiator of the sale of Alaska was Prince Konstantin Nikolayevich Romanov. He approached his brother with an offer to sell this land, highlighting important reasons for this event:

• Discovery of gold in Alaska. Paradoxically, this positive discovery was presented to the emperor as a possible pretext for war with England. Konstantin Romanov said that gold would certainly attract the British, so the land must either be sold or prepared for war.
• Weak development of the region. It was noted that Alaska is extremely underdeveloped and requires large investments, which the empire does not have.

Negotiation

The sale of Alaska was made possible by good relations between the US and Russia. This, as well as the fact of unwillingness to negotiate with England, served as the basis for the start of negotiations between the two powers.

Baron Eduard Andreyevich Stekl was entrusted with negotiating the sale. He was sent for negotiations, having written instructions from Alexander 2 about the amount of the sale - $ 5 million. Even by today's standards, this amount seems large, if we talk about 1867, it was just a colossal amount, because even $ 100 was money that could only be found with a rich person.

The Russian ambassador decided to do otherwise, and appointed the amount of 7.2 million dollars. US President Andrew Johnson took the initial proposal critically, since there was no infrastructure at all on this land, and there were no roads. But there was gold...

The official powers of the ambassador were signed on March 18, 1867, and negotiations began literally the next day, which lasted 12 days. The negotiations were held in complete secrecy, so for all other world countries, the sale of Alaska was a big surprise.

The Treaty for the Sale of Alaska to the United States was signed on March 30, 1867. The document was signed in Washington. Under the terms of this agreement, Russia undertook to transfer to its partners Alaska, as well as the Aleutian Islands. The treaty was ratified by the governments of both countries, and preparations began for the transfer of the territory.

Transfer of Alaska from Russia to the USA

The transfer of Alaska took place on October 18, 1867, at 3:30 p.m. From that moment on, Alaska officially began to be considered the territory of the United States of America. The ceremony took place in Novoarkhangelsk, without pretentious decoration. In fact, it boiled down to the fact that the Russian flag was lowered and the US flag was raised. While the first was successful, the second was difficult. Historians note that when the American flag was raised, it got tangled in the ropes. The sailors' attempts to unravel the flag led to the fact that they completely tore it off and the flag fell, thereby disrupting the official part of the event.

As for the transfer of money, they were transferred to the Russian ambassador two months earlier.

Reaction of other countries

The sale of Alaska took place in complete secrecy. Subsequently, the official publication caused a real shock in England and France. Particularly indicative is the reaction of the British press, which announced a conspiracy between Russia and the United States, as well as an unprecedented sympathy between the powers. This caused the British to be wary also because now their North American colonies were completely surrounded.

At the same time, it is important to note the fact that the sale of Alaska played into the hands, first of all, of the Americans. It was from this time that the rise of the United States began.

It should be noted that back in 1866, the Russian emperor said that his country was in dire need of capital. Many historians associate the sale of this land with this.

Where did the money go

This is probably the most important question that many domestic historians ask regarding the sale of Alaska. Indeed, where did the money that the empire so desperately needed go? So, we have already said that the cost of selling Alaska was 7.2 million. Stekl, who led the negotiations, set himself 21 thousand, he sent another 144 thousand to various senators as bribes. The remaining seven million were transferred to a London bank account to buy gold there. Conducting a financial transaction for the sale of rubles, the purchase of pounds, the sale of pounds and the purchase of gold cost the Russian government another 1.5 million. Thus, a convoy with gold worth a total of 5.5 million was sent from London to St. Petersburg. The gold was transported on the English frigate Orkney. But misfortune overtook him, and on July 16, 1868, the ship sank. The insurance company that accompanied the cargo declared itself bankrupt and could not pay any compensation. Thus, the money from the sale of Alaska effectively disappeared. Many historians still express doubts that there really was gold on the English ship, believing that the ship was empty.

Literature

• History of Russia 19th century. P.N. Zyryanov. Moscow, 1999 "Enlightenment".
• Russian-American Relations: Alaska. N.N. Bolkhovitinov. Moscow, 1990 Science.
• How We Lost Alaska. S.V. Fetisov. Moscow, 2014 "Biblio-Globus".