On April 19 (April 8, old style), 1783, Empress Catherine II signed the Manifesto on the annexation of Crimea to Russia. The document was prepared by Potemkin, who received the title of His Serene Highness Prince of Tauride for this.

Turkey remained the main rival of Russia in the struggle for the Crimean peninsula. The government of the Sublime Porte kept the Crimea in vassalage. And here's the last one Crimean Khan abdicated and came under the protection of the Russian army, and the Tatar nobility, hostile to Russia, went to Turetchina. Economic and political chaos began on the peninsula, which contributed to the bloodless annexation of Crimea to Russia.

Glinka spoke poetically about this historical event in his "Notes": "His worries (Potemkin - ed.) were about ancient kingdom Mithridates, and he brought this kingdom to Russia as a bloodless gift. What centuries did not have time to do after the conquest of Kazan and Astrakhan, what Peter I did not have time to do, this giant of his time alone did. He humbled and pacified the last nest of Mongol dominion.

Once upon a time, Russian princes went to bow to the Horde, now Potemkin personally took the oath from the Crimean khans. On a hot summer day, there was an unbearable stench of fat from curls and wigs, but the courageous Tatar murzas did not faint. Recall that in the 18th century, in the European manner, hairstyles were fastened with lard and sprinkled with powder.

The Tatar elite solemnly swore allegiance to flat top Ak Kaya rocks near Karasubazar. The prince timed the oath of allegiance to the day of accession to the throne of Catherine II (June 28). First, murzas, beys, clerics swore allegiance, then the rest of the population. The celebrations were accompanied by refreshments, games, horse races and cannon salutes. On July 16, 1783, Potemkin reported to Catherine II that “the entire Crimean region willingly resorted to the power of Your Imperial Majesty; cities and with many villages have already made an oath of allegiance.

After the annexation of Crimea to Russia, many Tatars left their native Penates and emigrated to Turkey. The region needed workers. From interior areas Russian settlers were drawn here. Concerned about maintaining calm in the Crimea, on May 4, 1783, Potemkin wrote in an order to General De Balmain: chiefs and regimental commanders". Local personnel were involved in the management of the region.

Grigory Alexandrovich allocated money for the repair of mosques, schools and public fountains, he gave the Tatar nobility all the rights of Russian nobles. He repaired the Khan's palace in Bakhchisarai, ordered the construction of new salt warehouses in Perekop, planted chestnut trees along the roads. “The sea turns blue behind the boulevard, the chestnut tree blooms over the city,” Odessans will then sing, and the whole country will repeat after them.

The empress expressed the reforming activity of her favorite with the phrase: "You struck your enemies on the fingers." Krut sometimes visited the illustrious Prince of Tauride. It fell from him not only to foreigners - here he did not make a difference - but also to his lackeys.

Once Potemkin expressed dissatisfaction with the Cossacks: “Do you know, Ukrainians, that such a bell tower is being built in Nikolaev, that as soon as they start ringing on it, you will hear it in the Sich?” To which the Cossack replied: “It’s not surprising, we have such kobzars in Zaporoztsyne that you can play like a barn, then you can dance at Petersburg”.

Khokhols, Muscovites, and Tatars danced to the tune of the Most Serene. Not the most favorable opinion about the activities and personality of Potemkin was the Russian historian Alexander Kizevetter, but he could not help but praise: “One way or another, the Russian military fleet then arose on the Black Sea. One way or another, the remote corner of Novorossiya was brought to life, and covered with a network of new settlements, and cities arose one after another. Empire replaced barbarism.

HOW POTEMKIN UNITED CRIMEA

Before starting the story of this greatest deed of a truly great statesman, I will give interesting fact, clearly testifying to the fact that Russia throughout its history annexed new territories and took new peoples under the arm without any violence. Moreover, I will turn to the recollections of a person who is not interested in inventing fables. Most often, foreigners told disgusting lies about Russia. But the French envoy at the court of Catherine the Great, Count Philippe de Segur, was one of the very few who spoke the truth ...

At the entrance to the peninsula during her famous journey through New Russia and the Crimea in 1787, the Empress ordered that her new subjects, the Crimean Tatars, would further her personal protection ...
Count Segur spoke about this with wit inherent in his notes in his memoirs:
“The monarch, with thoughts always lofty and courageous, wished that during her stay in the Crimea she was guarded by the Tatars, who despised the female sex, enemies of Christians and only recently subjugated to her power. This unexpected experiment of gullibility was a success, like any brave feat.



The new subjects enthusiastically greeted the Empress, the ruler of the country, so unfairly called in the post-revolutionary period the "prison of peoples." That prison was very peculiar - after all, it was not necessary to drive peoples into it by force. More often they themselves sought to stand under the mighty hand of Russia in order to flourish, grow stronger and get rich under this generous hand of the Power - the defender of the oppressed, the Power - the liberator.

About the attitude local population to the Russian government is evidenced by such a remarkable case, described by Prince de Ling in his memoirs. During the journey of Empress Catherine II in the Tauride region, disaster almost happened. imperial train approached Bakhchisarai. The road went downhill, and frisky horses carried the carriage of the Empress, threatening to overturn it and smash it to smithereens. The prince, who was at that moment next to Catherine II, wrote: “She was at that time as calm as at the last breakfast. The new subjects, the Crimeans, rushed to save her, dismounted, lay down on the road and, with the rage of their courage, restrained the rage of the horses.
What happened to Russia's recent enemies? Why did they, whose ancestors raided Russia, suddenly change so much? The understanding that Russia is not an enemy, but a friend, did not come by chance and was based not on “oral propaganda”, which is usually false, but on what they saw and experienced themselves.

Well, now let's dwell on the deeds of the Most Serene Prince, which led to this ...
Grigory Aleksandrovich Potemkin, during the years of the Russian-Turkish war, fighting in the army of Rumyantsev, thought more than once about the significance of annexing the Crimea. Declaration of Independence Crimean Khanate in 1774 it was only part of the program. Being the governor-general of a number of viceroys, including Novorossiysk and Azov, which directly bordered on the "nest of predators", Potemkin was forced to ensure the security of the territories he controlled. He understood very well that the independence of the Crimea was far from a panacea for all ills, that the Ottoman Empire could easily achieve the former power over the peninsula, and therefore sought to annex the khanate to Russia. In an effort to convince the Empress of the need for this act, he wrote to her in 1782:
“Crimea is tearing our borders with its position. Do you need to be careful with the Turks along the Bug or from the Kuban - in all these cases, the Crimea is on hand. Here it is clearly seen why the current khan is unpleasant to the Turks: because he will not allow them through the Crimea to enter our hearts, so to speak. Suppose now that the Crimea is yours, and that this wart on the nose is no longer there - all of a sudden, the position of the borders is excellent: along the Bug, the Turks border on us directly, therefore they should deal with us directly themselves, and not under the name of others. Every step they take is visible. From the side of the Kuban, over frequent fortresses, supplied with troops, the numerous Don Army is always ready here. The power of attorney of the inhabitants in the Novorossiysk province will then be unquestionable, navigation on the Black Sea is free, otherwise you may judge that it is difficult for your ships to leave, and even more difficult to enter. In addition, let's get rid of difficult content fortresses, which are now in the Crimea at separate points. Most Gracious Sovereign! My unlimited zeal for you makes me say: despise envy, which cannot hinder you. You are obliged to elevate the glory of Russia! Look who was challenged, who gained what: France took Corsica; Without a war, the Caesars took more from the Turks in Moldova than we did. There are no countries in Europe that do not divide Asia, Africa, and America among themselves. The acquisition of the Crimea cannot strengthen or enrich you, but only bring peace. The blow is strong - but to whom? Turks: this obliges you even more. Believe that with this acquisition you will receive immortal glory and such that no Sovereign in Russia has ever had. This glory will pave the way for yet another and greater glory: with the Crimea, dominance in the Black Sea will also be obtained; it will depend on you to block the passage of the Turks and feed them or starve them. Feel free to Khan in Persia, whatever you want - he will be glad. He will bring Crimea to you this winter, and the inhabitants will willingly bring a request about this. How glorious the acquisition is, how much shame and reproach you will have from posterity, which, with every trouble, will say this: here she could, but she didn’t want to, or she missed it. If your power is meekness, then paradise is needed in Russia. Tauride Kherson! piety has flowed from you to us: see how Catherine the Second still brings into you the meekness of Christian government.
By that time, Potemkin had already taken some measures to ensure the upcoming operation to annex the Crimea. Back in 1776, he, fulfilling the secret order of Catherine II, assisted Rumyantsev in occupying the Perekop line. The troops located near the Crimean peninsula, he kept in constant combat readiness. The Empress sent all instructions to the Russian ambassador in Constantinople through Grigory Alexandrovich, trying to constantly keep him informed of all foreign policy affairs, especially those relating to relations with the Ottoman Empire.
That new war the Ottoman Empire cannot be avoided, both Potemkin and the Empress knew. Back in 1774, shortly after the signing of the Kuchuk-Kainarji peace treaty, grand vizier told the Russian ambassador that if the Crimea was independent, and Kerch and Yenikale remained in the power of the Russians, then the Peace of Kainarji, forced at the Porte, would not last long.
Starting from 1776, Potemkin spent most of his time in the south of Russia, strengthening the defense of the borders, building new cities and villages, creating Black Sea Fleet. In many letters of the Empress addressed to him at that time, one can find a wide variety of instructions regarding military issues.
Catherine II asked to speed up the construction of ships on the Dnieper, the Admiralty in the Dnieper-Bug Estuary, founded by Potemkin of Kherson. Most of those orders were not made by chance, not suddenly - they were the result of Potemkin's detailed reports on the situation in southern Russia in the provinces he controlled and urgent tasks.
Thinking about the annexation of the Crimea, Potemkin tried to take into account all possible consequences such an act. In his policy, he skillfully relied on Russian supporters in the Crimea, and there were many of them. A working man does not need robbery and violence, a working man is accustomed to living on income from the works of his own hands. Idlers who took the path of robbery were always in the minority, although they turned out to be more noticeable. Workers from among Crimean Tatars did not approve of the policy of robbery and robbery, and therefore warmly responded to the manifesto sent by Potemkin to the Crimea, which contained a call to swear allegiance to the Empress of Russia.
Grigory Alexandrovich was aware that the annexation of the Crimea would evoke immediate and decisive opposition from the Porte, that the Turks might even respond by declaring war, and timely took care of important diplomatic steps that could prevent or at least delay a clash that was undesirable for Russia. As a result of secret negotiations with the Austrian Emperor Joseph II, it was possible to conclude a Russian-Austrian military alliance, according to which both states pledged to help each other and “in case of success, annex the border areas to the empire that Turkey illegally owned, as well as restore Greece and organize from Moldavia, Wallachia and Bessarabia a separate monarchy under the control of the sovereign of the Greek religion.
On December 14, 1782, Empress Catherine the Great, at the suggestion of Potemkin, issued a special rescript, which noted that there was an urgent need to annex the peninsula to Russia so that it “would not be a nest of robbers and rebels for the times to come, but was directly turned to the benefit of the state of our as a replacement and reward for eight years of anxiety in spite of our world suffered, and noble dependencies for the preservation of integrity peace treaties used."
The document stated that "the work of such great and important enterprises" is entrusted to Grigory Alexandrovich Potemkin.
On April 8, 1783, a rescript was signed on the annexation of Crimea. One of the most conscientious biographers of the prince, Russian writer A.M. Lovyagin in his book “Grigory Aleksandrovich Potemkin” described further events as follows: “Back in March 1783, it was decided to send Potemkin south to the army, which in case of war should have been under his command. Already after Shagin-Giray, who did not know how to get along with either the Russians or his murzas, renounced power and accepted Russian citizenship, Potemkin, having set off from St. June to Kherson. In view of the pestilence in the Crimea, he did not move forward, hoping that the Murzas would bring him an expression of humility in Kherson. Here the news reached him that Batyr-Girey with 6,000 Circassians from the Kuban region had invaded the Crimea. Then Potemkin immediately set out for the Crimea at night, sent special detachment in search of Batyr, captured him and ordered the murzas gathered in Karasubazar to take an oath to the Empress. After that, the oath was taken both in the Kuban region and in Taman. There were more riots in the Crimea, and, in addition, pestilence, and Potemkin himself fell ill with a dangerous swamp fever. As a result, he hastened to leave the Crimea, handing over to General Igelstrom the command of the troops left on the peninsula. On July 21, upon receipt of the news about the oath of the Crimeans, the manifesto of April 8 was published for general information, and on July 23, the Empress thanked Potemkin with a special rescript ... "
The Turks were literally shocked by the news of the complete and final loss of the peninsula. Porta and so barely tolerated the independence of the khanate, but now all patience has come to a limit. Hatred for Russia blinded, preparations for war began. Anticipating such a course of events, Grigory Alexandrovich instructed the Russian ambassador in Constantinople, Yakov Ivanovich Bulgakov, to take all possible measures to prevent a collision in advance and provided him with detailed instructions. The Russian diplomat, acting cautiously and at the same time decisively, managed to use the confusion of the Sultan, who received news of the conclusion of a military alliance between Russia and Austria. This meant that in the event of a war, the Turks would have to fight with two major states. The effect of the timely conclusion of the union exceeded all expectations. Yakov Ivanovich managed not only to take away from Russia military danger, but also to conclude a very profitable trade agreement with Porto. And most importantly, on December 28, thanks to his efforts, a convention was signed, according to which the clause on the independence of Crimea was excluded from the Kuchuk-Kaynardzhi peace treaty, that is, the Ottoman Empire recognized the annexation of the peninsula to Russia. For this major diplomatic victory, Bulgakov was awarded the rank of real state councilor and the Order of St. Vladimir, 2nd degree. Yakov Ivanovich wrote to Potemkin, thanking him for the awards, that he owed his success to his instructions and wise advice. Grigory Alexandrovich replied: “You attribute this to me and thereby increase your merits even more! Everything is from God, but Russia and the Turks themselves owe you. Your firmness, activity and mind averted the war. The Turks would have been defeated, but Russian blood would also have flowed."
Bulgakov's efforts to consolidate peace were so successful that Potemkin even considered it possible to make a trip to Constantinople. However, he first decided to consult Bulgakov about this. He expressed his opinion in a letter dated March 15, 1784: “Your Grace is honored here as our supreme vizier. Your arrival here cannot be concealed and will create turmoil among the people, which the Seral and Porta are still afraid of, because they think that the spirits have not calmed down.
Potemkin agreed with the diplomat's opinion. It was not in his interests to kindle passions; he had to carry out grandiose plans in Novorossia and in the newly acquired Tauris. And this could be done only under the condition of peace.
Having carried out the annexation of the Crimea, Grigory Alexandrovich immediately set about administrative structure Tauride region. He divided it into seven districts, announced to the inhabitants that all Tatar princes and the Murzas receive the rights and benefits of the Russian nobility, allowed the formation of the Tauride National Army, which then successfully participated in the war with the Ottoman Empire on the side of Russia.
The inhabitants of the peninsula perceived the accession to the Christian state differently. Those who are accustomed to live robbery and robbery did not like the appeal to peaceful creative work. They began to secretly sneak into Turkey. The fugitives were caught and brought back. Upon learning of this, Potemkin declared that it was unreasonable and harmful to keep those who did not want to become Russian subjects, and ordered not only not to interfere with their emigration, but even to provide passes and cash benefits on the route.
The meaning of the policy of the Russian government towards the Crimea was beautifully expressed by Empress Catherine II, who wrote: “The annexed countries are obscenely called foreign, and treating them on such a basis is more than a mistake, and can be called reliable stupidity. These provinces must be brought to Russification by the easiest means and cease to look like wolves from the forest.
The word "russified" in no way meant that the Empress was going to suppress the national dignity of the peoples of the annexed countries and deprive these peoples of their identity. There are many testimonies about that. Let us refer to one, very curious. During the famous journey of Catherine II in Novorossia and the Crimea, the Austrian military agent Prince de Ligne and the French envoy Count de Segur, who accompanied the empress, for the sake of mischief, decided to watch for Tatar women in order to look at their faces - usually the Tatars hid them under the veil.
They tracked down, but ran into very elderly women, whose appearance they did not like. Prince de Lin exclaimed that Mohammed was right in commanding to hide similar persons. The women started to run screaming, and after a while a crowd of angry men, armed with stakes and other very unpleasant objects, rushed to the high-society naughty ones. It was a miracle to be saved.
The next day, having recovered from his fright, Prince de Lin, deciding to cheer the Empress at breakfast, told about what had happened. But she said sternly:
- Gentlemen, this joke is very inappropriate and can serve as a bad example. You are in the midst of a people subjugated by my weapons; I want his laws, his faith, his customs and prejudices to be respected. If they told me this story and did not name actors, then I would not think of you in any way, but would begin to suspect my pages, and they would be severely punished.
Potemkin adhered to similar rules. In his first orders, he demanded from the Russian administration in the Crimea a sensitive, attentive attitude towards the local residents, explaining that it was necessary to let them feel "the benefit of their present position." In the decree of October 16, 1783, the demand of the Russian government was announced to "observe the inviolable integrity of the natural ... faith" of the local population. However, already in the manifesto on the annexation of Crimea, issued on April 8, 1783, the policy regarding the population of Crimea was determined, and it was indicated that it was necessary to “keep the inhabitants on an equal footing with natural subjects.”
In desolation was the economy of the Crimea. And in this direction, Potemkin had to start everything from scratch. No one has ever dealt with either the flora or the fauna of the pearl, which was the Crimea. Forests were cut down, animals were destroyed. On October 16, 1784, Potemkin sent an order forbidding the destruction of the Crimean forests. By the way, he returned to this later. So, on February 9, 1786, he wrote to General Mikhail Vasilyevich Kakhovsky: “In discussing the conservation of forests in the Tauride region, why do you consider it necessary to identify special caretakers, would it not be better to oblige and encourage the villagers in a good manner, and especially the newly settled residents, to teach them the necessary instructions and aids, appointing places convenient for planting and sowing.
He wrote about the need for the development of agriculture before. So, in an order dated April 15, 1785, he recommended to Kakhovsky "to use all efforts so that arable farming is brought to the proper state."
Grigory Alexandrovich also took care of the development of the region's fauna. For example, in one of the orders he ordered the regional ruler to “get on Kuban side pheasants and transfer them to Taurida for divorce in capable places, so that more of them start up, having them, however, always at will.
By order of Potemkin were created favorable conditions in order "to promote the multiplication of commerce and to encourage the industries." Thanks to his tireless cares and the funds allocated to him, orchards, vineyards, mulberry plantations multiplied, mineral exploration was carried out, new cities were built and old cities were improved.
Grigory Alexandrovich ordered a horticulturalist from France, who was appointed director of the Tauride Gardens and entrusted him with breeding on the peninsula the best varieties grapes, as well as planting mulberry and oil trees. In the issue of the improvement of the region, as, indeed, in many other issues, Potemkin sought to be an example for his subordinates. In 1785, he began planting his own garden in Sudak, in the center of which he built a palace. By special order, he ordered the Englishman Gould to “plant a paradise tree and sow chestnuts” on the Kacha River. From European countries were discharged to Crimea the best specialists and gardeners. Grigory Alexandrovich was engaged in the improvement of the Crimea until the start of the war with Turkey. Known, for example, is his rescript of June 5, 1787, in which he indicated a list of rare trees and plants that need to be planted in the Crimea, and instructed the ruler of the region "to use every effort to get them through means known to him, and, planting them in the region Tauride, try to multiply them. This activity was not interrupted even by the war that began in 1787. In 1788, when the danger of the Turks invading the peninsula was largely reduced, the gardener Fabre laid a Hungarian garden in Stary Krym, based on special varieties of vines ordered from Hungary. At the same time, he began negotiations with the Genoese Rossi on the importation into Russia of special species of olive trees.
Much has been done for the development of public education. Schools were opened in Crimea, and in Novorossia it was planned to establish Yekaterinoslav University, where residents of the newly acquired region could also study. However, the war prevented the fulfillment of this destiny ...
Contemporaries testified that soon “by the vigilant labors of the prince, the wild steppes of the new Taurida, like the steppes of Novorossiysk, turned into cultivated fields and beautiful meadows. Sheep breeding developed, poor Tatar villages and cities began to lose their miserable appearance, enlivened by the neighborhood of rich Russian villages.
The attitude of the local population towards the Russian government is evidenced by such a remarkable case, described by Prince de Ligne in his memoirs. During the journey of Empress Catherine II in the Tauride region, which took place in 1787, disaster almost happened. The imperial train was approaching Bakhchisaray. The road went downhill, and frisky horses carried the carriage of the Empress, threatening to overturn it and smash it to smithereens. The prince, who was at that moment next to Catherine II, wrote: “She was at that time as calm as at the last breakfast. The new subjects, the Crimeans, rushed to save her, dismounted, lay down on the road and, with the rage of their courage, restrained the rage of the horses.
By the way, history has captured one more fact, which in these days will seem incredible. Upon entering the Crimea, the Empress ordered that further her personal protection be carried out by new subjects - the Crimean Tatars ...
The French envoy, Count Segur, spoke about this with wit characteristic of his notes: “The monarch, with thoughts always lofty and bold, wished that during her stay in the Crimea she was guarded by the Tatars, who despised the female gender, enemies of Christians and recently only subjugated to her power. This unexpected experiment of gullibility was a success, like any brave feat.
One day, after supper, the Comte de Segur and the Prince de Ligne went for a walk in the Crimean steppe, where the royal train stopped.
“You must admit, my dear Segur,” de Ligne said to me, laughing, recalling Segur, “that the twelve thousand Tatars with whom we are surrounded could cause alarm throughout Europe if they suddenly decided to drag us to the shore, put the august empress on ships and the mighty Roman emperor and take them to Constantinople, to the great pleasure of his majesty Abdul-Gamet!
...Fortunately, these thoughts did not occur to the magnanimous sons of Mohammed, - Segur finished his story. “We rode very calmly under their protection…”.
The new subjects enthusiastically greeted the Empress, the ruler of the country, so unfairly called in the post-revolutionary period the "prison of peoples." That prison was very peculiar - after all, it was not necessary to drive peoples into it by force. More often they themselves sought to stand under the mighty hand of Russia in order to flourish, grow stronger and get rich under this generous hand of the power - the defender of the oppressed, the power - the liberator.

April 8, 1783 CatherineII signed a manifesto "On the adoption of the Crimean peninsula, the island of Taman and the entire Kuban side under the Russian state." This document was to be kept secret until the annexation of the khanate became a fait accompli.

Simferopol. Hood. C. Bossoli

June 28, 1783 manifesto Catherine II was finally made public during the solemn oath of the Crimean nobility, which was personally taken by the prince Grigory Potemkin on the flat top of Ak-Kaya rock. Crimea became part of Russian Empire without single shot, but this peaceful triumph was preceded by many years political struggle, in which Ekaterina and Potemkin played the first violin - right hand empress in all endeavors.

Descendant of Genghis Khan

In 1774, after the signing of the Treaty of Kuchuk-Kaynarji with the Ottoman Empire, Russia got the opportunity to build fortresses in the Crimea. The Crimean Khanate, which in addition to the Crimea included lands on Taman and in the Kuban region, was declared independent. However, already in 1775 port managed to elevate his supporter to the khan's throne Devlet Giray. Russian diplomacy relied on another representative of the Khan dynasty - Shagin Giray, who managed to attract attention back in 1772, when with diplomatic mission concerning the treaty between Russia and the Crimea, he arrived in St. Petersburg and spent nine months there.

The Empress in Letter Voltaire(intended, like many other letters to the philosopher, not only to him, but to the entire public of Europe) praised the mind of a young descendant Genghis Khan, his desire to learn, his intention to engage in reforms in the khanate, "independent by the grace of God and Russian weapons." At that time, Shagin-Girey had the title of Kalgi-Sultan and was the governor of the Khan among the Nogai tribes who roamed Taman and in the Kuban region.

At the beginning of 1776, the governor of Little Russia, Field Marshal Petr Rumyantsev reported to St. Petersburg about the intention of Khan Devlet Giray to restore the protectorate of the Ottoman Empire over the Khanate. And Shagin-Giray and his supporters turned to Russia for help. They insisted on decisive action. In October of the same year, Rumyantsev, having received instructions from the capital, ordered the prince's corps Alexander Prozorovsky take Perekop. Commander of the Kuban Corps Major General Ivan Brink it was ordered to ensure support for the election of Shagin Giray as a khan among the Nogai nomadic hordes. Soon, on the initiative of Grigory Potemkin, they sent to the Crimea Alexandra Suvorova. Thus, having become an ally of Russia, the enlightened descendant of Genghis Khan in 1777 strengthened himself on the Crimean throne.

However, less than six years later, his power was shaken. Trouble began in the Crimea. By that time, Potemkin, busy guarding the borders in accordance with the plan he had developed in the event of a new war with the Turks, deployed regiments in Novorossia and arranged supply bases. He accelerated the construction of shipyards in Kherson, which was then the main base of the nascent Black Sea Fleet. Important diplomatic negotiations also took place through Potemkin. So, his representative is Dr. Jacob Reinegs arrived in Tiflis and handed over to the Georgian king Erekle II a draft treaty on the acceptance of Georgia under the protectorate of Russia. This complicated relations with the Porte, but the situation was already tense enough to postpone the most important political decisions.

The unrest that began among the Nogai hordes in the Kuban spread to the Crimea in May 1782. The Khan's Guards refused to defend Shahin Giray. Khan fled from Bakhchisarai, first to Kafa (now Feodosia), and then on a Russian ship to Kerch, where the Russian garrison had long been located. From there, he sent one after another to St. Petersburg requests for help and protection. Grigory Potemkin stood for the strong support of Shagin Giray, an important ally of Russia. His Serene Highness gathered troops and waited for the arrival of the ruler, who had fled from the uprising, to the Peter Fortress (now Berdyansk), in order to move with him to the Crimea, where the older brother of Shagin-Girey, Batyr-Girey, had already been proclaimed khan, who had managed to turn to the Ottoman Empire for help by that time. empire. Russian Ambassador in Istanbul Yakov Bulgakov announced that a three-bunch pasha was sent to Taman, who was instructed to persuade the Nogais to transfer to Turkish citizenship ...

“Do not touch private people with executions”

Procession of the Sultan in Istanbul. Hood. J.-B. Vanmur. 1727–1737

On August 7, 1782, a monument to Peter the Great was unveiled in St. Etienne Maurice Falcone. The inscription on the pedestal "To Peter the Great - Catherine the Second" directly indicated the historical continuity of the policy of the empress, who continued the movement of Russia to the Black Sea.

Potemkin, who was then in the capital, already on September 15 returned to the south. On September 22, he met with the frightened Shagin-Giray. But Potemkin gave him a personal message from the empress, who regarded the uprising of the Khan's subjects as an illegal rebellion and announced the decision to send Russian troops into the Crimea to restore his power, despite the risk of provoking thereby a direct armed conflict with the Porte.

CATHERINE II SENT THE ANDREEV RIBBON AND DIAMOND SIGNS OF THE HIGHEST ORDER OF THE EMPIRE TO KHAN SHAGIN-GIREY, altered specifically for the Muslim. This was an important condition for his compliance.

“Entering the Crimea and doing everything that can follow to the approval of Shagin-Giray paki [again, again. - V. L.] against the khanate,” Potemkin wrote then, “however, treat the inhabitants kindly, punishing with weapons when the need comes, a host of stubborn ones, but do not touch private people with executions. Let the khan carry out executions with his own, if the spirit of our meek monarch, which was communicated to him, does not work in him. If, more than aspirations, the inhabitants responded that they would rather enter into the citizenship of her imperial majesty, then answer that you, apart from helping the khan, are not authorized by anything else, but inform me about such an incident. I will expect from you frequent notification of all incidents in the Crimea, as well as of the deeds of the khans. Let me know your notes about the thoughts and movement of the people, about the caress of which I still confirm.

Russian troops, overcoming little resistance, entered the Crimea. The rebels fled. Many of them, having learned about the arrival of Shagin Giray, hurried to join the "legitimate khan". Russian diplomatic agent in Crimea Yakub Rudzevich, notifying Potemkin about the calming of most of the mob on the peninsula, he wrote about the requests of the Murzas, who participated in "debauchery" (that is, in the uprising against the Khan), to protect them from the wrath of Shagin Giray.

“But,” Rudzevich concluded his message, “no one would have bowed to Shagin Giray Khan without the Russian troops.”

At this time, Yakov Bulgakov was conducting a difficult diplomatic struggle in Istanbul. The Ottoman government demanded clarification about the violation of the independence of the Crimean Khanate. Flight effendi(Minister of Foreign Affairs) declared the hatred of the people of Crimea for Shahin-Giray and proposed sending commissars from Russia and Porta to the peninsula to interview the population on the spot. Bulgakov opposed: as long as the legitimately elected khan, recognized by both empires, is alive, everyone who tries to overthrow him is a rebel.

In a report to Petersburg, the diplomat reported that ruling circles The Ottoman Empire hesitated, but went to war due to lack of money, the weakness of the government and for a number of other reasons, among which not last place holds the firm support of Russia by Austria, is unlikely to be resolved.

As a result, calm in the Crimea was restored. Khan Shagin-Giray was full of gratitude to the Empress for her help, wrote flattering letters to Potemkin with praise for his nephew, Major General Alexander Samoilov, who commanded the advanced troops during the occupation of the Crimea, noted the excellent discipline of the Russian troops, “from which no one is offended and harassed my subjects."

Soon the khan brought down brutal executions on his fellow tribesmen (as Potemkin supposed), and only the intervention of Russia saved the lives of the blood brothers of the Crimean ruler - Batyr Giray and Arslan Giray. However, the fate of Shahin Giray himself and the Crimean Khanate was already a foregone conclusion. At the end of October 1782, the Most Serene Prince returned to St. Petersburg.

On the road, which took two weeks at the fastest ride, he pondered his memorandum on the need to annex the Crimea to Russia. Potemkin comprehensively analyzed the consequences of such a step. The result was a balanced note, after reading which Catherine was convinced that the time had come for decisive action in the Crimea.

Taurida Russian

The international situation favored Russia. The British, having suffered severe lesions in North America, made a preliminary peace with the United States. The anti-Russian intrigues of Prussian diplomacy were balanced by Austrian support. Bulgakov reaffirmed the unpreparedness of the Porte for war. Finally, on December 14, 1782, in a secret rescript addressed to Potemkin, the Empress ordered that all measures be taken to annex the Crimean Khanate.

On January 20, 1783, Potemkin ordered Count de Balmain to occupy the shores of the Akhtiar harbor. In Russia, they remembered how a few years ago a powerful Turkish fleet tried to block the peninsula, threatening to sink Russian ships. Vice Admiral Fedot Klokachev received an order from Potemkin: to collect all the ships that were on the Azov and Black Seas, and with the start of navigation, enter the Akhtiar Bay.

In the spring of 1783, it was decided that Potemkin would go south and personally supervise the annexation of the Crimean Khanate to Russia. On April 8, the Empress signed the manifesto "On the Acceptance of the Crimean Peninsula, Taman Island and the entire Kuban side under the Russian state", on which she worked together with Potemkin. This document was supposed to be kept secret until the hour when accession became a fait accompli. Meanwhile, Potemkin wasted no time on his way to the peninsula.

The first page of the manifesto "On the acceptance of the Crimean Peninsula, the island of Taman and the entire Kuban side under the Russian state"

Shahin-Giray's abdication was prepared for several months. At first, he was even hinted at the prospect of taking the Persian throne. Khan hesitated with a final answer. But when the Crimean murzas loyal to him, one by one, began to demonstrate their intention to transfer to Russian citizenship, he realized that he would not be able to stay on the throne in any case.

The Russian resident under Khan closely followed the moods of Shagin-Giray Sergey Loshkarev- one of the most efficient employees of Potemkin. Khan was offered to move to Russia. Highest award Empire - Order of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called- and good content should have sweetened the bitter turn in the fate of the former monarch.

On May 5, Catherine let Potemkin know that he had received his letter from the city of Krichev, near Mogilev:

“From this and other dispatches, I saw that the khan abandoned the khanate. And there is nothing to regret about that, just order him to treat him kindly and with respect, decent to the owner, and give what is assigned to him, for I will not change the rest of his disposition.

As you can see, the abdication of the Khan was quite unexpected. Potemkin, having arrived in Kherson, entered into negotiations with Shagin-Giray, about which on May 16 he reported the following:

“The main need now will be to remove the Khan from the Crimea, in which I do not see much difficulty, as well as in joining the Crimea to the power of Your Imperial Majesty.”

Potemkin's predictions turned out to be correct on the whole - with the exception of the first point. Shahin-Giray, having renounced the khanate, began a complex political game, delaying his departure from the Crimea under various pretexts. He expected that in the aggravated situation, the Russian government would be forced to restore him to the throne, and then completely abandon the annexation of Crimea.

Potemkin, assessing the situation, pulled up the troops and, through his agents, began agitation among the ruling elite of the khanate about the transition to Russian citizenship. Significant in number and influence sections of the population of the Crimea were ready to enter into a new citizenship in order to get rid of the endless troubles. In the Kuban, having received Potemkin's orders, Suvorov occupied the fortifications of the former Kuban line and was preparing to swear in the Nogais on the day appointed by Potemkin - June 28, the day of Catherine II's accession to the throne.

Portrait of Catherine II. Unknown artist. 1780s

“Most Gracious Empress, I remind you of matters as they are and where you need all your perspicacity in order to put possible circumstances in your power.

If you do not seize now, then there will be a time when all that we now receive for free, we will get at a high price. Please consider the following. Crimea breaks our borders with its position. Do you need to be careful with the Turks along the Bug or from the Kuban side - in both these cases, the Crimea is on hand. Here it is clearly seen why the current khan is unpleasant to the Turks: because he will not allow them through the Crimea to enter our hearts, so to speak.

Suppose now that Crimea is yours and that this wart on your nose is no longer there - all of a sudden, the position of the borders is excellent: along the Bug, the Turks border on us directly, therefore they should deal with us directly themselves, and not under the name of others. Every step they take is visible. From the side of the Kuban, in addition to private fortresses equipped with troops, the numerous Don army is always ready here. The power of attorney of the inhabitants of the Novorossiysk province will then be unquestionable. Navigation on the Black Sea is free. And then, if you please, consider that it is difficult for your ships to leave, and even more difficult to enter. In addition, we will get rid of the difficult maintenance of the fortresses, which are now in the Crimea at remote points.

Most Gracious Empress! My unlimited zeal for you makes me say: despise envy, which cannot hinder you. You are obliged to elevate the glory of Russia. Look who was challenged, who acquired what: France took Corsica, the Caesars [the name of the subjects of the Holy Roman Empire adopted in Russia in the 17th-19th centuries German nation. - "Historian"] without a war, the Turks in Moldova took more than we did. There is no power in Europe that does not divide Asia, Africa, and America among themselves. The acquisition of the Crimea cannot strengthen or enrich you, but only bring peace. The blow is strong - but to whom? Turks. This obliges you even more. Believe that with this acquisition you will receive immortal glory and such that no sovereign in Russia has ever had. This glory will pave the way for yet another and greater glory: with the Crimea, dominance in the Black Sea will also be obtained. It will depend on you whether to block the Turks and feed them or starve them.

Khan, please in Persia whatever you want - he will be happy. He will bring Crimea to you this winter, and the inhabitants will willingly bring a request about this. How glorious the acquisition is, how much shame and reproach you will have from posterity, which, with every trouble, will say this: behold, she could, but she did not want to, or she missed it. If your power is meekness, that one needs paradise in Russia. Tauride Kherson! piety has flowed from you to us: see how Catherine the Second still brings into you the meekness of Christian rule.

“The fate of the Crimea was decided…”

On June 5, Catherine sent the khan the St. Andrew's ribbon and diamond signs of the highest order of the empire, made especially for a Muslim, without Christian symbols. The award was important condition his talkativeness. But anxiety did not leave the Empress. “I am impatiently awaiting news from you about the end of the Crimean case. Perhaps borrow before the Turks have time to wind up resistance to you, ”she wrote to Potemkin. And again, already on June 29, 1783:

“I hear from everywhere that the Turks are heavily armed, but their friends will keep them from war until the time comes.<…>I hope that the fate of Crimea has been decided up to now, because you write that you are going there.”

And the future Prince of Taurida acted for sure. Russian units occupied important points on the peninsula. Khan was going to leave the Crimea. The agitation bore fruit: everything was ready to take the oath of allegiance to the Russian Empire. And then suddenly there was a threat of a plague epidemic brought to the Crimea from Taman. But Potemkin, in this case, showed diligence and selflessness. He rode to the Crimea to take decisive measures against the infection on the spot. Communication with him became more difficult.

“A long time ago, my friend, I have no letters from you, I think that you left for the Crimea,” the Empress wrote on July 10. - I'm afraid that the diseases there, no matter how they touched, God forbid, before you. I received a trade treaty from Tsaryagrad, completely signed, and Bulgakov says that they know about the occupation of the Crimea, only no one will utter a word, and they themselves are looking to extinguish rumors about it. Amazing thing!<…>I only confess that I am waiting impatiently for news from you. Above all, take care of your health."

Portrait of Prince Grigory Alexandrovich Potemkin-Tauride. Hood. I. B. Lumpy the Elder. After 1791

Five days later, the anxiety of the empress reached its highest level.

“You can imagine how anxious I must be, not having a single line from you for more than five weeks,” Ekaterina reproached Potemkin. - Moreover, there are false rumors here, which there is nothing to refute. I was waiting for the occupation of the Crimea, by the deadline, in half of May, and now half of July, and I no more know about it, like the Pope. This inevitably produces all sorts of rumors, which are by no means pleasant to me. I ask you in every possible way: notify me more often.<…>Here and about the ulcer come all sorts of fairy tales. Frequent notice will soothe my spirit. I have no other way to write: neither I nor anyone knows where you are. I randomly send to Kherson.

This message had not yet reached the addressee, and messengers were already galloping to St. Petersburg with a letter marked July 10, by which Potemkin informed the empress that the Crimean nobility had taken the oath and that the rest should follow the Murzas in three days. At the end of the letter are restrained lines about himself and his illness:

“As for me, I am exhausted. Indeed, everything must be set in motion and run from corner to corner. Before that, he fell ill in Kherson with spasms and, being still weak, went to the Crimea. Now, thank God, he's recovered. A plague around the camp, but God keeps to this day.

Bosporus (Cimmerian Bosporus, or Kerch Strait). You can see Yenikale fortress and Yenikalsky lighthouse from the northern shore of the strait. Hood. C. Bossoli. Ser. 19th century

In an official report dated the same date, Potemkin announced that he had taken the oath in the Kuban. The two largest Nogai hordes - Edisan and Dzhambulutskaya - swore allegiance to Russia. Suvorov personally took the oath of murzas and beys of these hordes near Yeisk, after which festive entertainments took place in the spirit of the folk traditions of the Nogais.

Five or six days later, near Kopyl in the Kuban, the bailiff at the Nogai hordes, lieutenant colonel Ivan Leshkevich took the oath of chief murzas and beys of the largest - Yedichkul - horde, which consisted of four generations total strength more than 30 thousand cauldrons (families). The oath was successfully passed in the upper reaches of the Kuban.

Filled with a sense of accomplishment, Potemkin enthusiastically wrote to Catherine about the fertility of local lands and the excellent harvest. He asked for benefits for the Crimean residents, advised the empress to allocate funds for the maintenance of mosques, schools and fountains, "in order to please the Mohammedans."

By that time, Potemkin had already taken care of compiling a topographic description of the Crimea and managed to inspect the Akhtiar harbor for the construction of a new fleet base - the future Sevastopol. On August 5, another letter flew to St. Petersburg. Potemkin reported on the signing in the Georgievskaya Fortress (now the city of Georgievsk) of an agreement on the acceptance of Georgia under the protectorate of Russia:

"Mother Empress. Here, my nurse, and Georgian affairs are brought to an end. What sovereign made up only a brilliant era, like you. Not just one shine. The benefits are even greater."

And December 28, 1783 Turkish sultan Abdul Hamid acknowledged Russia's authority over Crimea in writing. This outstanding diplomatic victory of Ambassador Yakov Ivanovich Bulgakov consolidated the results of many years of struggle for the annexation of the Crimean Khanate.

Vyacheslav Lopatin

Catherine II and G.A. Potemkin. Personal correspondence. 1769–1791 M., 1997 (series "Literary monuments")
Lopatin V.S. Most Serene Prince Potemkin. M., 2005

The all-powerful favorite and talented statesman Grigory Potemkin was contradictory in everything: arrogant and courteous, generous and stingy.

Grigory Potemkin owes Russia the annexation of the Crimea and the creation of the Black Sea Fleet. He was seen as a capricious sybarite, and he always remained a believer, deeply lamenting his sins. During his life, a powerful temporary worker achieved a lot, and lost interest in everything, except for one thing ... He was driven by a single passion: a thirst for activity.

Failed Bishop

Since childhood, Gregory saw himself as a priest, mentally trying on church robes. And the father, Alexander Vasilievich Potemkin, a retired second major, assigned his son to the Smolensk Theological Seminary. However, later, when the extraordinary giftedness of his son became apparent, he sent Gregory to the gymnasium of Moscow University. There, Potemkin Jr. struck everyone with his phenomenal memory and ability to read quickly. One day, knowing Grigory's desire to have " natural history Georges Buffon, his comrades gave him this book. The overjoyed young man leafed through the volume and put it aside. Offended by his inattention to the gift, friends began to reproach Potemkin. He replied that he had already read the text. They did not believe him, and the guests at random began to open the pages and read out the lines, while Grigory continued from memory. Everyone was amazed - Potemkin really knew the content almost by heart. Naturally, with such talents, the young man studied easily. In July 1757, among the best students he was introduced to Empress Elizabeth Petrovna.

Having visited the court, Potemkin realized that he was not created by either a monk or a scientist. Grigory was going to conquer St. Petersburg.

The best way to approach the court, in his opinion, was military career. Soon he was assigned to the Horse Guards. And among the guardsmen who participated in the coup of 1762, which made Catherine II the Empress, the Empress noticed him. The degree of trust of Catherine II and the Orlovs in the strong horse guard is evidenced by the fact that Potemkin was part of a very limited circle of especially trusted persons who went to Ropsha to protect the deposed emperor. It is also known that Potemkin was present at the death of Peter III. This event contributed greatly to his successful career. In addition, Catherine II granted him the title of a chamber junker and 400 souls of serfs.

without leaving military service, in 1763 Potemkin became assistant chief prosecutor of the Synod. Five years later he was granted the chamberlains of the court. Catherine II treated the young handsome man with sympathy. A court career opened up brilliant prospects for him. However, Potemkin belonged to the number of people who can change their lives in an instant. In 1769, he (having previously asked permission from the empress) went to Turkish war volunteer. There Potemkin showed miracles of courage.

He was honest and courageous, went to the cavalry attack, risked own life. More than once with his cuirassiers he visited the Danube - he unexpectedly flew into the Turkish camp, chopped down the Janissaries. Potemkin acted valiantly under Focsany, participated in famous battles Rumyantsev at Larga and Cahul. He was the first to break into the suburbs of Chilia, distinguished himself by bravery in battles with the enemy near Craiova and Tsimbry, and participated in the defeat of the troops of Osman Pasha near Silistria. His awards for valor in battle were the rank of Major General, the Order of St. Anne and St. George, 3rd degree. Potemkin grew rapidly in the service.

The next stage in his career was ... the imperial apartments ...

In December 1773, Catherine II called him to the capital. 34-year-old Potemkin arrived in St. Petersburg. He guessed why the Empress had invited him. But when she invited him to "visit her, a lonely widow" at Yelagin's dacha, Potemkin suddenly became indignant and wrote a rude note. I wanted to know why Catherine II had not reciprocated his feelings before (12 years ago, Potemkin repeatedly confessed his love to the autocrat, dedicated poems to her). The Empress was justified. As a result, the meeting took place.

Soon Grigory Alexandrovich becomes the all-powerful favorite. And also adjutant general, member State Council and lieutenant colonel of the Life Guards of the Preobrazhensky Regiment (the empress herself was a colonel in it). From now on, not a single more or less serious matter passed Potemkin by. In this respect, of all the favorites, he was an exception: the empress did not allow anyone to concentrate such colossal power in her hands.

Catherine II used his advice in eliminating the consequences of Pugachev's speech, in eliminating Zaporozhian Sich(in 1775 Zaporozhye was founded to the Cossack army, subject to Russian crown). Potemkin was particularly interested in the question of southern borders Russia and, in connection with this, the fate of the Ottoman Empire.

In a note given to the Empress, he wrote whole plan how to master the Crimea; this program, beginning in 1776, was carried out in reality.

The thirst for activity did not allow Potemkin to live in peace. Talented Politician I wanted to do everything myself. He too rarely began to ask the permission of his august girlfriend. As a result, the empress cheated on Potemkin with a "quieter and more meek man" Peter Zavadovsky. And the insane jealousy of Grigory Alexandrovich destroyed his love relationship with the empress. The autocrat said goodbye to the favorite in her own way: in 1776 Austrian emperor Joseph II, at the request of Catherine II, elevated Potemkin to the princely dignity of the Holy Roman Empire; Grigory Alexandrovich was also presented with the Anichkov Palace.

farewell party

However, the quarrel with Catherine II had little effect on Potemkin's position at court. Grigory Alekseevich was a faithful companion and thus did not lose power.

In 1776 he became governor-general of Novorossiysk, Azov and Astrakhan provinces. Here he showed bustling activity- development and revival Northern Black Sea associated primarily with his name. At the mouth of the Dnieper, Potemkin founded Kherson with a shipyard, supervised the construction of Yekaterinoslav (now Dnepropetrovsk), and the development of the Kuban.

In 1783, after the annexation of Crimea to Russia (a special merit of Grigory Alexandrovich was that the new territorial increment turned out to be bloodless), he received the title of His Serene Highness Prince of Tauride. A year later, Potemkin became Field Marshal General, Governor General of Crimea, President of the Military Collegium. He carries out general leadership construction of the young Black Sea Fleet. In the Russian-Turkish war of 1787-1791, he was entrusted with the post of commander-in-chief of the Russian army.

Military reforms are one of the unconditional merits of Potemkin

Taking care of the development and strengthening of the Russian army, he carried out a number of transformations in military service and equipment. personnel(abolished pigtails and curls, introduced comfortable uniforms and shoes for soldiers, etc.). Potemkin demanded "to train people with patience and to clearly interpret ways to best performance. Non-commissioned officers and corporals should by no means be allowed to be punished by beatings ... the most distinguishing of diligent and good-behaved soldiers ... ”However, Grigory Alekseevich himself sometimes beat some generals and high dignitaries in the face.

In 1788, Potemkin approached Ochakov with his army, on December 6 the fortress was taken, the Russians captured trophies - 300 cannons and mortars, 180 banners and many prisoners. Interesting memoirs of veterans of the Russian-Turkish war about Potemkin have been preserved: “On the day of the great saint of God, Nicholas, an assault was said, the frost was crackling, but the hearts were seething with courage. Suddenly it was heard in our ranks: "Prince Grigory Alexandrovich is praying on the battery and crying: he is sorry for us soldiers." Thundered: "Hurrah! With us!" We flew on the ramparts, on the walls - and the fortress seemed to be gone. And in the summer, when the Turks were still brave, our father Prince Grigory Alexandrovich, as if for a walk, rode under their batteries. The cores were falling, but he would not wince at himself. One day, next to him, hand in hand, they killed General Sinelnikov with a cannonball on the spot, and not even a speck of powder fell on our father. It can be seen that God took care of himself for this, that he did not take care of himself anywhere, but he always felt sorry for us.

The winner founded the city of Nikolaev not far from Ochakov (in honor of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker). Unfortunately, Potemkin's colonial activity was criticized, and indeed, despite the enormous costs, it did not reach even a remote resemblance to what Grigory Alexandrovich described in his messages to the Empress; nevertheless, visitors to Novorossia could not help but be surprised at what had been achieved. On the site of the former desert, which served as a route for the raids of the Crimeans, there were villages every 20-30 versts.

In 1787, Empress Catherine's famous journey to the south was undertaken, which turned into a celebration of Potemkin.

Kherson, with its fortress, surprised even foreigners, not to mention Sevastopol.

At the end of February 1791, Potemkin arrived in St. Petersburg to resist the intrigues of another favorite, Platon Zubov, who frightened Catherine II with the omnipotence of the Most Serene Prince. But he failed to achieve due success. The empress called the magnificent celebration hosted by Potemkin in the Tauride Palace a "farewell evening", making it clear to her former favorite that his further presence at court was undesirable. Potemkin returned to Iasi, where he dealt with the problem of peace negotiations with the Turks. But Grigory Alekseevich failed to bring them to the end. On October 5, in the steppe, on the way to Nikolaev, he died.

Potemkin's death made a huge impression in Europe and the Ottoman Empire. A wave of new anti-Russian sentiments arose. English Parliament interrupted his meetings, and the Supreme Vizier Yusuf Pasha, who had recently apologized humbly to the Most Serene Prince, suggested that Sultan Selim III break the peace conditions and start the war again.

Catherine II took the news of Potemkin's death very emotionally. A cry of despair escaped from the lips of the Empress. To alleviate the state of the empress, she was bled. The whole next day, Catherine II did not leave the bedroom. The empress could not afford to indulge in grief longer. It was necessary to act. The country has lost an outstanding statesman and capable administrator. Should have found a replacement...

SEPTEMBER 24 MADE 270 ANNIVERSARY OF THE BIRTH OF GENERAL FIELD MARSHAL HIGH LORD PRINCE GRIGORY ALEKSANDROVICH POTEMKIN-TAURICHESKY

Now, when the orange authorities of the self-proclaimed country, whose name "Ukraine" comes from the concept of "Ukraine (outskirts) of the Russian lands", defiled by the installation of a monument to the hetman in it, which has nothing to do with the city of Russian glory, become especially relevant reflections on the role of the outstanding Russian statesman and military leader Grigory Alexandrovich Potemkin in the pacification and development of the Crimea, in the creation of the Black Sea Fleet and the construction of the Russian Black Sea stronghold.

No wonder Admiral P.V. Chichagov wrote that "the genius of Potemkin reigned over all parts of Russian politics." It was Grigory Alexandrovich who appreciated the importance of joining Crimea to Russia. This was, in fact, the return of the lands on which in ancient times a significant part of the Russian Tmutarakan principality was located. In those days, one part of the peninsula was in the hands of Byzantium, and the other, eastern, was part of the Tmutarakan principality, the center of which was located on Taman Peninsula. The principality was formed as a result of the campaigns of Prince Igor against Byzantium in 944 and Svyatoslav in 955, who defeated the Yases and Kasogs.

On the situation in the south of Russia in the early 80s of the 18th century V.V. Ogarkov, in a book dedicated to Potemkin, wrote: “Our borders were moved away from the Black Sea by a significant part, the fleet was absent, at the mouths of the Dnieper, on the Dniester and the Bug in the neighborhood there was whole line formidable Turkish fortresses. The Crimea, although liberated from Turkey's suzerainty under the Kuchuk-Kainarji peace, was in fact still a rather obedient tool in the hands of Turkish emissaries and, in any case, threatened us as an ally of Turkey in a possible war ... "

For several centuries since the time when it was captured by the remnants of the defeated Golden Horde, Crimea has been for Russia "a nest of predators plundering within Russian borders." How many attacks were made from there on Russian Ukrainian lands, how many villages were burned and plundered, how many people were taken into slavery! In 1571, the Crimean Khan Devlet Giray burned Moscow, and in 1572 he led a 120,000-strong army to Russia in order to destroy the state and exterminate the Russian people, but in late July and early August he was utterly defeated in the battle of Molodi. Campaigns against the Crimean Khanate with a chain of curbing the aggressor were carried out both under Peter I and during the reign of his immediate successors, but everything remained inconclusive. Grigory Aleksandrovich Potemkin, who was appointed governor-general of a number of viceroys, including Novorossiysk and Azov, in contact with the Crimea, appreciated the importance and necessity of joining the peninsula to Russia during the Russo-Turkish war of 1768-1774. On January 4, 1770, it was he who happened to open the campaign glorified by his teacher P.A. Rumyantsev victories at Larga, Pockmarked Grave and Cahul. In that battle, he stopped the three times superior Turkish corps, which was hurrying to the Crimea to raise the spirit of the Crimeans who refused to fight with Russia. By the way, it was Potemkin who was one of the initiators of declaring Crimea independent.

Having taken control of the south of Russia, Grigory Aleksandrovich began systematic preparations for the annexation of the peninsula. In an effort to convince the Empress of the need for this act, he wrote to her in 1782: “Crimea is tearing our borders with its position. the current Turks are unpleasant: because he will not allow them through the Crimea to enter our hearts, so to speak. Now suppose that Crimea is yours and that there is no longer this wart on the nose - suddenly the position of the borders is beautiful: along the Bug the Turks border with us directly, therefore, they must deal with us directly themselves, and not under the name of others. Every step they take is visible here. From the Kubanskaya side of the super-frequent fortresses equipped with troops, the numerous Don army is always ready here. The power of attorney of the inhabitants in the Novorossiysk province will then it’s not doubtful, navigation on the Black Sea is free, otherwise, if you please, judge that it’s difficult for your ships to leave, and even more difficult to enter.

In addition, we will get rid of the difficult maintenance of fortresses, which are now in the Crimea at remote points.

Most Gracious Sovereign! My unlimited zeal for you makes me say: despise envy, which cannot hinder you. You are obliged to elevate the glory of Russia. Look who was challenged by who acquired what: France took Corsica; without a war, the Tsar people took more from the Turks in Moldavia than we did. There is no state in Europe that does not divide Asia, Africa, and America among themselves. The acquisition of the Crimea cannot strengthen or enrich you, but only bring peace. The blow is strong - but to whom? Turks: this obliges you even more. Believe that with this acquisition you will receive immortal glory, and such that no Sovereign in Russia has ever had. This glory will pave the way for yet another and greater glory: with the Crimea, dominance in the Black Sea will also be obtained; it will depend on you to block the Turks and feed them or starve them. Khan, please in Kerch, whatever you want - he will be glad. He will bring you the Crimea this winter, and the inhabitants will willingly bring a request for this. How glorious the acquisition is, how much shame and reproach you will have from posterity, which, with every trouble, will say: here she could, but she didn’t want to, or she missed it. If your power is meekness, then paradise is needed in Russia. Tauride Kherson! Piety has flowed from you to us: see how Catherine the Second still brings into you the meekness of Christian government.

Potemkin in his policy skillfully relied on Russian supporters in the Crimea, and there were many of them. A working man does not need robberies and violence, a working man is accustomed to living on income from the works of his own hands. Idlers, embarking on the path of robbery and robbery, are always in the minority, but they are always more visible and noticeable. Workers from among the Crimean Tatars did not approve of the policy of robbery and robbery, and therefore warmly responded to the manifesto sent by Potemkin, with a call to swear allegiance to the Russian Empress.

On December 14, 1782, the Empress issued a special rescript, which noted that there was an urgent need to annex the peninsula to Russia, "so that the Crimean peninsula would not be a nest of robbers and rebels for the times to come, but would be directly addressed to the benefit of our state in exchange for and rewarding the eight-year-old unrest in spite of our world suffered, and noble dependencies on the preservation of the integrity of the peace treaties used.

It was also indicated there that "the putting into operation of such great and important enterprises of ours" is entrusted to G. A. Potemkin.

Having carried out the annexation of the Crimea, Potemkin immediately began administrative activities on the peninsula. He divided the Tauride region into seven counties, announced to the inhabitants that all Tatar princes and murzas received the rights and benefits of the Russian nobility, allowed the formation of the Tauride National Army, which then successfully participated in the war with the Ottoman Empire on the side of Russia. The inhabitants of the peninsula perceived the accession to the Christian state differently. Some people did not like what had happened, especially those who were accustomed to live by robbery and robbery. Such people began to secretly make their way to Turkey. They were caught and brought back. Upon learning of this, Potemkin declared that it was unreasonable and even harmful to keep those who did not want to become Russian subjects, and ordered not only not to prevent their emigration, but even to provide passes and cash benefits for the journey.

The policy of the Russian government regarding the annexation of Crimea is best expressed by the words of Catherine II: “It is indecent to call the annexed countries foreign, and treating them on such a basis is more than a mistake, and can be called reliable stupidity. These provinces should be brought to Russification in the easiest ways and stop looking like wolves out of the woods."

The word "russified" in no way meant that the Empress was going to suppress the national dignity and deprive the Crimean Tatars of their national identity. During her famous journey through Novorossia and the Crimea in 1787, the Austrian prince de Ligne and the French envoy Count de Segur, who accompanied the empress, for the sake of mischief, decided to watch for the Tatars in order to look at their faces - usually Tatar women hid them under covers. This was done, but de Lin's careless exclamation frightened the Tatars, and they started to run screaming, and a crowd of angry men rushed towards them. High-born rascals barely escaped.

The next day, wishing to amuse the Empress, the prince told about the incident, considering it amusing. Catherine II became angry and sternly declared: “Gentlemen, this joke is very inappropriate and can serve as a bad example. You are in the midst of a people subjugated by my weapons; I want their laws, their faith, their customs and prejudices to be respected. If I were told this story and if you had not named the characters, then I would not have thought of you, but would have begun to suspect my pages, and they would have been severely punished.

In his very first orders, Potemkin demanded from the Russian administration in the Crimea a friendly attitude towards the Tatars in order to "make the residents feel the benefit of their present position", and in the decree of October 16, 1783, the demand of the Russian government "observe the inviolable integrity of its natural faith" was announced. Even earlier, in the manifesto of April 8, 1783, it was indicated "to maintain the inhabitants on an equal footing with natural subjects." Potemkin showed special concern for the economy of the Crimea, for its development and improvement. On April 15, 1785, he sent General Mikhail Vasilievich Kakhovsky, who commanded the Russian troops in the Crimea and administered the region, an announcement in Russian and Tatar, inviting all residents "to use their best efforts so that arable farming is brought to the proper state." Potemkin tried to create the most favorable conditions in order to "promote the growth of commerce and encourage crafts." Some decrees of Grigory Alexandrovich have not lost their relevance to this day. Take, for example, the order of October 16, 1784, by which he charged the regional ruler of Crimea with the duty to stop the destruction of forests. In an order to General Kakhovsky dated February 9, 1786, he again touched on this important issue: "In a discussion about the conservation of forests in the Tauride region, why do you consider it necessary to identify special rangers, would it not be better to oblige and encourage the village residents in a good manner, and especially the newly settled residents, to teach them the necessary instructions and benefits and appointing convenient places for planting and sowing. Now the orange authorities, bought with giblets by their overseas masters, are deliberately destroying and destroying in Crimea everything that was created for decades by hardworking Russian hands. Grigory Aleksandrovich cared not only for the flora of the region, but also for the fauna. So, on August 14, he ordered the regional ruler "to get pheasants on the Kuban side and transfer them to Taurida for breeding in capable places, so that more of them would start, having them, however, always in the wild." By order of the prince, orchards, vineyards, mulberry plantations multiplied, exploration of the bowels was carried out, new cities were built and old cities were improved.

The prince did not forget about public education, for which schools were opened in Crimea, and in Novorossia it was planned to create Yekaterinoslav University, the execution of which was prevented by the war ... Contemporaries testified that soon "by the vigilant labors of the prince, the wild steppes of the new Taurida, like the steppes of Novorossiysk, turned into cultivated fields and beautiful meadows. Sheep breeding was divorced, the poor Tatar villages and cities began to lose their miserable appearance, animated by the neighborhood of rich Russian villages.

The following remarkable case testifies to the attitude of local residents to the Russian government. During a trip to the Tauride region, a disaster almost happened. The road to Bakhchisaray went downhill, and frisky horses suddenly carried the carriage of the Empress, threatening to overturn it and smash it to smithereens. Prince de Ligne, who was next to Catherine II, wrote: “She was at that time as calm as at the last breakfast. The new subjects, the Crimeans, rushed to save her, dismounted, lay down on the road and, with the frenzy of their courage, restrained the frenzy of horses ".

By the way, one more fact is known, which today seems incredible and implausible. At the entrance to the Crimea, the Empress ordered that further personal protection be carried out by her new subjects, the Crimean Tatars! ..

Such were Catherine the Great and her married husband and co-ruler G.A. Potemkin, and such was the "prison of peoples" into which the peoples did not have to be driven by force, and all of them, without exception, themselves sought to stand under the scepter of Russia in order to flourish, grow stronger and get rich under generous and good hand a mighty power, a reliable protector from all troubles.