V. Lopatnikov,

member of the Federation Council

Nikolai Petrovich Rezanov

Forgotten pages of an outstanding destiny

Alexey Rybnikov’s musical performance “Juno and Avos” is a highlight of the Russian theater repertoire. For more than a quarter of a century, the production has enjoyed constant success. There is a lot on stage that makes the viewer not only empathize, but also think: did the one brought out by the main character really exist? And if there was such a real chamberlain Rezanov in history, then why is little known about him, about his service to his descendants?

Fiction predominates in “Juno and Avos”. But the incredible fate of the hero and the charm of his personality prompted researchers to search for more complete information about the real Rezanov. Gradually, from the depths of time, evidence, documents, facts began to appear, more fully and accurately clarifying the circumstances of his life and ministry.

It was Rezanov who at that time was called upon by the Minister of Commerce, his full namesake, Nikolai Petrovich Rumyantsev, to carry out a large-scale mission at that time - to be at the head of the first Russian round-the-world expedition, to go on a sea voyage from St. Petersburg to Kamchatka, the main goal of which was to establish trade with the Land of the Rising Sun , establish ties with China and the countries of the southern seas, and also inspect Russian possessions in Russian America...

Nikolai Petrovich Rezanov (1764-1807) was 39 years old at that time. He had an excellent business reputation, was well educated, knew five foreign languages, and served in the Izmailovsky Life Guards Regiment. He traveled to Siberia and the Far East, where he studied the possibilities of building sea vessels, then continued to serve in the Senate under the command of Count N.G. Chernyshov, and then headed the office of Gavrila Derzhavin. Having become acquainted with “Russian Columbus,” the pioneer G.I. Shelekhov (by the way, he married his daughter Anna, who gave birth to his son Peter and daughter Olga, but died early), became infected with the ideas of large-scale Russian development of the North American coast, and thought about how to make the Russian-American company unified and powerful. Rezanov managed to convey his proposals to Paul I, and he was supported. The Russian-American joint-stock company under his leadership was radically transformed. The shareholders included representatives of about 400 eminent families. Alexander I himself became a shareholder of Russian America.

In the manuscript section of the Russian National Library, the author recently discovered documents that shed new light on the ministry of Nikolai Petrovich Rezanov. “Special instructions for the Japanese Mission, given to Rezanov by the Minister of Commerce Count Rumyantsev,” as well as “The Highest Rescript given to the Acting Chamberlain Rezanov on June 10, 1803.” “Special Instructions” is an interesting document of Russian diplomacy at the beginning of the 19th century. It allows us to judge the nature of the diplomatic creativity of that time, how Russia’s approaches to achieving rather difficult goals were structured. Anticipating inevitable difficulties, the creators of the instructions outline the limits of what is desirable and possible.

First of all, the questions with which Rezanov will inevitably be met by the Japanese side are spelled out in detail. We will have to talk both about the state that the envoy is entrusted to represent, and about himself personally. Regarding Russian statehood, Rumyantsev instructs Rezanov:

“...You will say that Russia is the first State in Europe by its space, and explain its borders; that the climates in this State are different, because it occupies half the world; that Russia, with its power, holds in respect and balance all of Europe, China, the Turkish Empire and Persia; that it has troops of both infantry and cavalry up to 700,000; that this land is governed by an Autocratic Sovereign, and how the Japanese have respect for a single autocracy, then describe the Autocratic Russian Power in all its dignity. You can say, by the way, that many Asian Kings and rulers, such as the Siberian, Georgian and Kalmyk ones, submitting to His power, are now simply among His noble subjects; that the Sovereign Emperor of Russia, having accepted the Ancestor Throne and seeing the vastness of his borders, marked by the glorious victories of His Ancestors, decided to reign in silence and peace with all the world. That His State is a refuge of sciences, art and laws.”

The need to be as precise as possible, “to act with great caution,” and to “answer all questions simply and without pretense” is especially emphasized:

“They will ask you in great detail about various things, even about those that they know, and they will tell you to write down your answers. By the way, people will be curious: what kind of land is Russia? How extensive is it? What are its boundaries? What grows in Russia? Is this Sovereign autocratic? What kind of troops does it contain? Who is he fighting against? What are his allies? What kind of police does he have? What law? What customs, and many questions you will be asked similar. They will ask you what kind of person you are? Being His Messenger, in what capacity and dignity are you? What is your position? What ranks are you in? What type of Imperial Charter? How is it written? How is it sealed? How is it laid and how do you preserve it?”

Perhaps the most subtle and most difficult question expected was how to correctly and as accurately as possible convey information about religion. Rumyantsev saw Japan's hostility to Christianity as one of the main obstacles that could affect the success of the enterprise. The reasons that once prompted Japan to isolate itself from the rest of the world were known. Therefore, special attention is paid to how to dispel possible prejudices of the Japanese towards Russians due to their religious affiliation.

“...Concerning the Spiritual Law, tell me that the Russian law is completely contrary to the Gishpan and Dutch ones, and is separated from them by dogmas and rituals. They will ask you whether the Russian Sovereign does not depend on the Pope, following the example of some Monarchs known to them? You will give answers that He does not depend at all on the Pope, does not even recognize him as a Spiritual Person, but deals with him as a secular Land Owner; that the Pope has no authority over Russian law; that the Russian Sovereign does not recognize anyone above Himself and is Himself the immediate superior of the clergy of His land; that he combines meekness with courage and has unlimited power, and with all this he loves peace and silence; that in addition to the knowledge that he has outside all of Europe, he longs to know the composition of the Government and other parts of the world. That with such God-inspired gifts, placing the life and tranquility of people at the highest price and caring not only for His subjects, He returns the Japanese, whose ill-fated fate was thrown onto the shores of His possessions, to the Fatherland and as a gift to the Japanese Emperor.”

The main goal for which Rezanov’s mission is sent to Japan is presented clearly and concisely:

“The most important subject of your responsibility is to open trade with Japan. Having explored and applied all the means appropriate to their customs, imagine to them how beneficial it is for both States to bargain directly; that from us they will receive first-hand fur goods, mammoth and walrus ivory, fish, leather, cloth, etc., which goods they will not receive from any other people so profitably, but in return we can receive from them: millet, bayonet copper, silk and so on.”

Anticipating the refusal of the Japanese to Russia's proposals to begin full-scale mutually beneficial cooperation, Rumyantsev advises Rezanov to try to find a compromise and offer possible options for organizing trade.

How did Rezanov cope with his task? The initial plan assumed that the mission on the ships “Neva” and “Nadezhda”, having made short stops in the ports of Europe, would cross the Atlantic with visits to the Canary Islands and Brazil, round Cape Horn, then, proceeding through the Pacific Ocean, arrive at the port of Nagasaki. Upon completion of the trip to Japan, the expedition will arrive at the Russian base settlement - Peter and Paul Harbor in Kamchatka. After unloading, resting, and repairing the ships, it was necessary to inspect the strongholds of Russian settlers on the American coast. Having loaded the colonial goods, the expedition planned to move back. However, from the first days of the voyage, Rezanov began to encounter obstruction caused by the sailors; it was not only storms and storms that prevented the successful completion of the intended route. As usual, the human factor played a significant role.

According to the instructions received by I.F. Kruzenshtern, he, as an experienced sailor, was entrusted only with the command of ship crews in maritime and disciplinary matters. Rezanov, on the other hand, was authorized “to be the full owner not only during the voyage, but also in America.” The document signed by the Emperor on June 10, 1803 stated:

“Mr. Actual Chamberlain Rezanov! Having chosen you for a feat that promises benefit to the fatherland, both from Japanese trade and in the formation of the American region, in which you are entrusted with the fate of the local inhabitants, I instructed the chancellor to present you with a letter assigned from me to the Japanese emperor, and to the Minister of Commerce for both items to provide you with the appropriate instructions, which have already been approved by me. I am first assured, based on the ability and zeal that I know in you, that the excellent work you accept will be crowned with excellent success and that with the same work, open benefit to the state will open you a new path to merit, and at the same time, undoubtedly, I will also turn you even more my power of attorney. Alexander".

Pushed away from the management of the entire expedition, Kruzenshtern saw for himself not only material losses (the amount of the expected reward was somewhat reduced), but also the loss of leadership positions, which promised him not only the laurels of a pioneer. This left a negative imprint on the entire enterprise, as well as on the information about it that subsequently arrived in St. Petersburg after the completion of the voyage. The chamberlain constantly encountered resistance, malice, and hostility. This attitude was also transmitted to ship crew members. The tension among the command of the expedition was added by the revealed fact of forgery committed by Yu.F. Lisyansky. “Nadezhda” and “Neva”, contrary to expectations, did not show proper seaworthiness. The newest vessels purchased in England by Lisyansky at a very high price, as it turned out, were not such. A thorough inspection and repair carried out off the coast of Brazil revealed that the ships were not new at all, but only renovated, built in 1789. Their dilapidation was confirmed not only by the marks found by repairmen on the bottoms. The ships could not withstand severe storm loads. This more than once brought both the crew and the ships to the brink of death. At the roadstead near the Canary Islands, from the experienced sailors stationed here, the participants in the passage learned: these were the “Leander” and “Thames”, which had to endure a lot in sea battles...

From Brazil, Rezanov reported to Minister Rumyantsev:

“We are now waiting for a favorable wind, but when we go, I cannot report due to the disobedience of Mr. Krusenstern, who does not say a word to me about his voyage. I don’t know how I will be able to complete the mission, but I dare to assure you that his tomfoolery will not exhaust my patience, and I decided to endure everything just to achieve success.”

Rezanov showed patience and nobility to the last. Nevertheless, the diplomatic envoy and minister plenipotentiary, Chamberlain Rezanov, was locked in his cabin under threat of physical harm during one of the most crucial stages of the expedition. The emperor's rescript addressed to him, presented to the rebels, was ridiculed. The team's rebellion, raised by Kruzenshtern against Rezanov, led to his actual removal from the leadership of the expedition, and until the ships arrived at the Peter and Paul Harbor in Kamchatka, he practically did not come out of seclusion. Entering Japan at this time was out of the question.

In Petropavlovsk, an investigation took place following Rezanov’s appeal to the current governor. The verdict threatened Krusenstern with removal from command of the ship and return to St. Petersburg by land to stand trial. The captain chose to retreat and make a public apology to Rezanov. Kruzenshtern’s apology had to be accepted. People capable of professionally managing sailing ships and knowing navigation were hard to find in that region.

After the repairs were made, “Nadezhda” moved towards Japan. But neither Rezanov, nor any of the crew members, was allowed to enter the harbor or go ashore. The first meetings were not at all distinguished by hospitality. The sailors were “held captives” for a long time. The documents that Rezanov eventually managed to submit were sent by express from the local governor to Iedo (now Tokyo), to the emperor’s residence. The wait for a reaction from the Japanese authorities dragged on for six months. All this time, as Rezanov later managed to find out, a discussion continued at the Japanese Court about how to approach contacts with the Russians. One of the high-ranking Japanese officials frankly said: “The time that was favorable to the Russians is a thing of the past.” By the time Rezanov’s ship appeared off the Japanese coast, “it had already been six years since the last nobleman at the Court who advocated connections with a neighbor from the North died. After him, the time came for the opposing party,” Rezanov wrote in his diary.

Showing enviable persistence, the Russian envoy tried to provoke the Japanese into a constructive dialogue. The gifts brought by the expedition for representatives of the highest authorities were first accepted and then returned. Rezanov’s attempts to convince Japanese officials, as well as the demarches he made, did not produce results. The Japanese remained adamant. Having handed over the four Japanese sailors who were previously rescued off the Russian coast, who were on board, Rezanov was forced to return to the Peter and Paul harbor with nothing.

By that time, Kruzenshtern, taking advantage of the uncertainty, refused to continue moving to the islands of the Kuril chain, to the shores of Alaska and North America. He pursued other goals. He wanted to get ahead of the Frenchman La Perouse and the Englishman Broughton, who were in the area and were busy searching for the strait separating Sakhalin Island from the mainland. “Neva”, the property of the Russian-American company, went to the shores of Alaska. Lisyansky, secretly not wanting to cede the pioneer laurels to Kruzenshtern, did not stay off the coast of Alaska for long. The Neva is loaded with goods and sets off in pursuit of the Nadezhda. Without entering ports, without taking into account hardships, casualties among the crew due to lack of water and food, Lisyansky literally drove the ship. He managed to get ahead of Kruzenshtern and moor in Kronstadt a month earlier...

Having seen with his own eyes how things are set up in Alaska, Rezanov, as the manager of the Russian-American company, decides to stay here indefinitely. The situation, the state of affairs turned out to be worse than any expectations. The way of life of the colonists and the morals prevailing here were terrifying. People were on the verge of survival. It was not possible to establish agriculture and livestock farming in such a way as to provide for oneself. If for some reason supply ships could not arrive in Alaska, starvation winters began. “The lack of grain supplies plunges people into disease, hunger and death itself,” Rezanov reported to St. Petersburg.

Wanting to save the business of the Russian-American company, he buys the ship “Juno” from a visiting American businessman and begins building the barque “Avos”. Meanwhile, the winter of 1805-1806 came, which promised nothing but hunger. Rezanov decides to take a risky voyage in winter conditions on the Juno along the continent to the south to try to get food from the Spanish settlers who settled in California. On June 17, 1806, referring to his previous reports, he wrote to Rumyantsev:

“About the disastrous situation in which I found the Russian-American regions; about the hunger that we endured all winter, despite the fact that the provisions bought with the ship “Juno” still more or less supported the people; about the diseases that plunged the entire region into the most miserable situation, and just as much about the determination with which I was forced to take a trip to New California, setting off with inexperienced and scorbutic people into the sea at risk in order to either save the region or perish.” .

It was then in California that Rezanov’s love affair, glorified by the poet, with the daughter of the local governor, with the irresistible Spaniard Dona Concepcia (Conchita) de Arguello, took place.

Meanwhile, Rezanov then managed to achieve the main thing: to load the Nadezhda with food, thereby saving the Russian colonists in Alaska from a hungry winter. This was given to him with great difficulty. And this despite the fact that no guarantees were received for the resumption of trade operations with California. There was only one possible trading partner left - Japan.

The persistent reluctance of the Japanese to open mutually beneficial trade led Rezanov to the idea of attempting to solve the problem from a position of strength. Having thought through the details of the military operation, having studied the resources that could be relied upon, he sends a request to Alexander I in the hope of receiving royal approval. His plan was simple: with the help of colonists, take control of Sakhalin and some islands of the Kuril ridge, depriving the Japanese of the opportunity to use them for their needs. Thus, he hoped to “force” them into trade negotiations. Only the threat of a further military invasion of the archipelago, according to Rezanov, could influence the inflexible position of the Japanese authorities. Having received no response from the monarch, Rezanov arbitrarily authorizes a military operation. On the ships “Juno” and “Avos” under the command of Lieutenant N.A. Khvostov and midshipman G.I. Davydov - this was virtually all that Russia then had on those shores - a military sortie was launched. During this voyage, Russian ships were supposed to enter Aniva Bay, destroy the Japanese ships located there,

“saying that they should never venture to visit Sakhalin, as a Russian possession, other than to come for bargaining.”

However, the destruction of trading posts and settlements on Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands and the actual expulsion of the Japanese from these territories did not have the desired effect. Japan was silent...

Circumstances, as we see, were not very favorable to Rezanov. The conservative tradition that Japan adhered to seemed insurmountable. It was not possible to achieve the main thing: to establish trade with nearby partners in the region, to balance the economy of the Russian-American Company, thereby making the life of the colonists in Alaska more or less bearable. The sailors Krusenstern and Lisyansky were more fortunate. The ceremonial return of the ships to St. Petersburg made them national heroes. The Russian Throne, after the tragic failures in Europe, needed just such a positive event. Against this background, Rezanov’s quests turned out to be relegated to the background.

We have to admit: Rezanov is one of those sovereign people who failed to fully achieve the goals set for him. There are many more people like him who have sunk into obscurity in the history of Russia than those who managed to take a place on the honorary pedestal. Meanwhile, his fate, efforts and aspirations, thirst to serve the Fatherland faithfully and truly are a high moral example for generations.

Acquaintance with the reports, letters, instructions, and diary entries left by Rezanov reveals in him a personality of national significance. “Secret instructions from Nikolai Rezanov to Grigory Baranov,” written by him in July 1806 before sailing from Novoarkhangelsk, is a kind of spiritual testament of the pioneering hero. It sets out a never-implemented program for the systematic development of Alaska by Russians.

“I don’t know whether my plan will be accepted by you; I did not spare his life. I am so proud of him that I wish for nothing but the gratitude of posterity. Patriotism made me exhaust all my strength: I swam the seas like a duck; I suffered from cold, hunger, at the same time from resentment and twice as much from my heart wounds. Nice lesson! He beat me like flint to everything, I became indifferent; and although I lived with the wild, I admit that my pride did not go out. I saw that my one happy life was already leading entire nations to their happiness, that I could pour myself out on them. I experienced that one line I signed made their fate easier and gave me such pleasure as I could never imagine. And all this generally tells me that I am not a trifle in the world, and insensitively revived the pride of spirit in me.”

It is no coincidence that Admiral Van Deers (USA) subsequently stated:

“Nikolai Rezanov was a visionary politician. If Rezanov had lived ten years longer, what we call California and American British Columbia would have been Russian territory.”...

In July 1806, Rezanov decided to return to St. Petersburg. Good rumors about him, a wonderful person, despite the circumstances, spread throughout Siberia.

“When I arrived in Yakutsk, I saw the gratitude of my compatriots, the whole city across the river met me, and vied with each other to treat me. Here, in Irkutsk, I saw their caresses even more, I was overwhelmed with congratulations. Out of gratitude, although without pleasure, I dragged myself everywhere, and out of the same gratitude I gave the city, in the school building for 300 people, lunch, a ball and dinner, which cost me 2 thousand rubles. it was worth it. I received a message from Tomsk that the city had prepared a house for me with all the servants. Here, too, they vied with each other to receive me. Mr. Sitnikov, having given me his beautiful house, lordly furnished, gives me a table, a carriage and does not allow the slightest expense. All that remains for me is to wish that my work pleases the Monarch, believe that I actually don’t need anything.”

These are lines from Rezanov’s last, dying letter to his confidant in St. Petersburg. It also follows from it that Rezanov by that time already knew about the completion of the round-the-world voyage of “Nadezhda” and “Neva”. He knew in what light he and his role were presented to the sovereign leadership. “Thank God it’s all over. Everyone received awards, and I alone don’t wish for anything because I’m not thinking about the right things and I’m not comfortable feeling anything,” he concludes in his letter.

And the last thing we know for certain about Nikolai Petrovich Rezanov: “Departing from Okhotsk on September 24, 1806, Rezanov, due to his characteristic tireless activity, traveled very quickly, which was for his poor health, weakened by hard work, grief and worries for 3 years , had disastrous consequences, writes the magazine “Russian Antiquity”. - When crossing rivers covered with thin ice, he had to spend the night in the snow several times. 60 versts before the Aldana River he fell ill with a severe fever and was brought unconscious to a Yakut yurt. Having received relief, I set off further 12 days later. In Yakutsk he went to bed again and, without fully recovering, continued his journey. Arriving in Krasnoyarsk, he fell ill again and died on March 1, 1807.” In the metric book of the cathedral church of the Resurrection in Krasnoyarsk it is written: “Confessed and communed. He was buried at the cathedral church.”

Whether he hurried to St. Petersburg in order to seek the Tsar’s consent to marry his beloved Dona Concepcia, as Andrei Voznesensky assures, or to try to equip a new expedition in order to secure the Russians on the distant shores, is a question that remains unclear.. .

In 1852, a large squadron of “black ships” headed to the shores of Japan. These were metal-hulled military vessels flying the American flag. It was led by Commander Perry. The uninvited guests looked much more impressive than “Juno” and “Avos” under the command of Lieutenant Khvostov and Midshipman Davydov. The squadron's military equipment looked terrifying. The American admiral managed, under the threat of invasion, to persuade the Japanese to open their ports of Hokodate and Shimoda to foreigners. This era of Japan's isolation from the rest of the world came to an end. The expedition of the Russian navigator, General Putyatin, arrived in Japan to build bridges a few months later. Japanese-Russian negotiations in Shimoda ended on January 26, 1855 with the signing of the first agreement in the history of the two countries - a treaty on trade and borders. The beginning of Article One of this document reads:

“From now on, let there be permanent peace and sincere friendship between Russia and Japan.”

RFU, No. 18/2007

Spouse:

Rezanova (Shelikhova) Anna Grigorievna

Children:

son Peter, daughter Olga

Awards and prizes:

Nikolai Petrovich Rezanov(March 28, St. Petersburg - March 1, Krasnoyarsk) - Russian statesman, chamberlain, one of the founders of the Russian-American Company.

Biography

Before appointment as Ambassador to Japan

Born into an impoverished noble family in St. Petersburg. After his birth, his father was appointed chairman of the civil chamber of the provincial court in Irkutsk.

As a child, I received a very good education at home. Knew five foreign languages.

There is an opinion that Catherine II contributed to this. In 1780, during her trip to Crimea, Nicholas was personally responsible for her safety. And he was only 16 years old.

Then something happened: in the mid-1780s, Nicholas left military service and disappeared from the empress’s entourage for a long time. He entered the Pskov Chamber of the Civil Court as an assessor, where he served for about five years, after which he was transferred to the St. Petersburg Treasury Chamber.

Then - a new sharp leap in his career. He was summoned to St. Petersburg and given the position of chief of the office of the vice-president of the Admiralty College, Count I. G. Chernyshev, and then the executor of the Admiralty College. In 1791-93 - ruler of the office of Gabriel Romanovich Derzhavin, cabinet secretary of Catherine II. Thus, after 11 years he again came into the sight of Catherine II.

The then favorite of Catherine II, Platon Zubov, considered Rezanov a dangerous competitor. And contemporaries believed that Nikolai owed his business trip to Irkutsk to Zubov’s jealousy. Zubov hinted to Rezanov that if he returned to St. Petersburg, he would not stay free for long.

Here Rezanov wrote a complaint to the ruler of the Kamchatka region, Pavel Ivanovich Koshelev, about the mutinous crew and demanded the execution of Kruzenshtern. Kruzenshtern agreed to go to trial, but immediately, before the end of the expedition, thereby disrupting Rezanov’s mission. The Governor-General managed to reconcile them with great difficulty. According to Rezanov's notes, on August 8, 1804, Kruzenshtern and all the officers came to Rezanov's apartment in full uniform and apologized for their misconduct. Rezanov agreed to continue sailing with the same crew. However, Rezanov's notes are the only source that mentions Krusenstern's repentance. Neither in the diaries and letters of other expedition members, nor in Koshelev’s letters, nor in the notes of the RAC employees who accompanied Rezanov, there is not a word about this. But Kruzenshtern’s letter to the President of the Academy of Sciences N.N. Novosiltsev has been preserved:

His Excellency Mr. Rezanov, in the presence of the regional commandant and more than 10 officers, called me a rebel, a robber, determined my execution on the scaffold, and threatened others with eternal exile to Kamchatka. I admit, I was afraid. No matter how fair the Emperor was, he, being 13,000 miles away from him, could have expected everything from Mr. Rezanov if the regional commander had taken his side. But no, this is not the rule of honest Koshelev, he did not take any. Only by his presence, prudence, and justice - he gave me free breath, and I was already sure that I would not plunge into the autocracy of Mr. Rezanov. After the above-mentioned curses, which are even painful to repeat, I gave him the sword. G. Rezanov did not accept it. I asked to be shackled and, as he says, “like a criminal” to be sent for trial to St. Petersburg. I represented to him in writing that this kind of people, as he called me, cannot command the sovereign’s ship. He didn’t want to hear any of this, he said that he was going to St. Petersburg to send judges from the Senate, and let me smolder in Kamchatka; but when the regional commandant presented to him that my demand was fair, and that I (not) should be relieved, then the scene changed. He wanted to make peace with me and go to Japan. At first I rejected his offer with contempt; but, realizing the circumstances, he agreed... This expedition is the first enterprise of this kind of Russians; Should it collapse due to the disagreement of two private (individuals)?.. Let whoever of us is to blame, but the guilt would be brought to bear on the face of all of Russia. And so, having these motivating reasons, and having His Excellency Pavel Ivanovich (Koshelev) as a witness to everything that happened, although against my feelings, he agreed to make peace; but so that he would ask me for forgiveness in front of everyone, so that in my justification he would ask the Emperor for forgiveness for treating me innocently. “I had to demand this, because this offense did not concern me alone, but fell on the face of all the officers and to the dishonor of the flag under which we have the honor to serve.” Rezanov agreed to everything, he even asked me to write whatever I wanted: he would sign everything. Of course, he knew my heart, he knew that I would not take it in writing, which he swore on his honor in the presence of many. On these terms I made peace...

Thus, perhaps it was not Kruzenshtern and all the officers who publicly apologized to Rezanov, but Rezanov who publicly apologized to Kruzenshtern.

Taking a guard of honor from the Governor General (2 officers, drummer, 5 soldiers) for the ambassador, "Nadezhda" sailed to Japan (“Neva” - to Alaska).

Before leaving for St. Petersburg, Rezanov sent detachments of his people to California to find a suitable place for organizing southern settlements in America. This settlement was organized and lasted for 13 years.

American Admiral Van Ders stated:

If the Rezanovs had lived ten years longer, what we call California and American British Columbia would have been Russian territory...

In September 1806 he reached Okhotsk. The autumn thaw was beginning, and it was impossible to go further. But he set off along the “arduous path on horseback.” Crossing the rivers, due to thin ice, I fell into the water several times. We had to spend several nights right in the snow. As a result, I caught a terrible cold and lay in a fever and unconsciousness for 12 days. As soon as he woke up, he set off again.

On the way, he lost consciousness, fell off his horse and hit his head hard. He was taken to Krasnoyarsk, where he died on March 1, 1807. On March 13, Rezanov was buried in the cemetery of the Resurrection Cathedral.

Conchita remained faithful to Rezanov. For just over a year, she went every morning to the cape, sat on the rocks and looked at the ocean. This is now the site of a support for the Golden Gate Bridge. In 1808, she learned of Rezanov’s death and decided to go to a monastery, where she died in 1857, remaining faithful to her lover. She was buried near San Francisco in the cemetery of the Dominican Order.

Memory

Monument at the supposed burial site of Rezanov at the Trinity Cemetery.

On August 16, 1831, a granite monument was erected on Rezanov’s grave with the inscription:

« In the summer of August 1831, on the 16th day, this monument was erected by the Russian-American Company in commemoration of the unforgettable services rendered to it by the actual chamberlain Nikolai Petrovich Rezanov, who, returning from America to Russia, died in Krasnoyarsk on March 1, 1807, and was buried 13th of the same month».

In the early 1960s, the Resurrection Cathedral was destroyed, and the grave of Commander Rezanov was lost. According to some reports, the coffin with Rezanov’s body was buried at the Trinity Cemetery in Krasnoyarsk.

In 2000, in Krasnoyarsk, at the supposed burial site of Rezanov at the Trinity Cemetery, a monument was erected - a white cross, on one side of which it was written “Nikolai Petrovich Rezanov. 1764-1807. I will never see you”, and below - “Maria Concepcion de Arguello. 1791-1857. I will never forget you". The Monterey sheriff scattered a handful of soil from Conchita's grave over the grave. He took back a handful of Krasnoyarsk soil - for Conchita.

In August 2007, the monument to Commander Rezanov on Peace Square was restored.

The image of Commander Rezanov in culture

American prose writer Francis Bret Harte wrote the poem “Concepcion de Arguello”, in which Rezanov is mentioned as “Count von Resanoff, the Russian, envoy of the mighty Czar”.

He is the prototype of the hero of the lyrical-dramatic poem “Maybe” by the poet A. A. Voznesensky. The poem served as the literary basis for the rock opera “Juno and Avos” by composer A.L. Rybnikov and the television films based on it (starring Nikolai Karachentsov). The image of Rezanov in these works of art is significantly romanticized.

Nikolai Rezanov also appears in the story “The Chamberlain's Key” by Soviet children's writer Borislav Pechnikov and in the novel “Chronometer” by children's writer Vladislav Krapivin, part of the “Islands and Captains” trilogy. Valentin Pikul’s story “Rezanovsky Mausoleum” is dedicated to Rezanov. It is also present in Konstantin Badigin’s novel “The Keys to the Enchanted Castle,” which describes the history of the Russians’ exploration of Alaska. It reflects Rezanov’s version of the relationship with Kruzenshtern.

Mentioned in A. Ilichevsky’s novel “The Persian” in the chapter “Work”.

Notes

Literature

A. A. Istomin “Two versions of N. P. Rezanov’s letter to Count N. P. Rumyantsev dated June 17/29, 1806. Comparative textual analysis and the legend of great love” // Russian Discovery of America. M., 2002. pp. 388-401.
I. N. Ermolaev “Pskov official Nikolai Rezanov (1764-1807) and his “Juno and Avos””
In Vladislav Krapivin’s trilogy “Islands and Captains,” Rezanov is actually depicted as a negative hero.
Bushkov A. A. “Russian America. Glory and shame"

Count Rezanov

« Patriotism made me exhaust all my strength,

I swam the seas like a duck

suffered from hunger, cold, and at the same time from resentment,

and twice more from my heart wounds».

N.P. Rezanov - M.M. Buldakov

January 24-26, 1807, Irkutsk Remember the romantic love story between Count Rezanov and young Conchita Arguello, daughter of the commandant of San Francisco?! It was described in one of the most famous Soviet rock operas by composer Alexei Rybnikov based on poems by poet Andrei Voznesensky. The premiere took place on July 9, 1981 on the stage of the Moscow Lenin Komsomol Theater. The title of the play uses the names of two sailing ships, “Juno” and “Avos”, on which Nikolai Rezanov’s expedition sailed.

In 1791, after the appointment of Gabriel Romanovich Derzhavin as secretary for the report on “Senate Memories” (documents submitted by the Senate for approval) under Catherine II N.P. Rezanov goes into his service as the ruler of the chancellery, which opens for him the doors of the offices and houses of the most senior nobles. Sometimes even he has to carry out personal assignments for the empress, which further accelerates the young man’s career. After some time, he joins the staff of the new favorite of the Empress P.A. Zubov, who, fearing the possible replacement of himself in the “position” of the empress’s favorite by a young handsome man, under a plausible pretext gets rid of Rezanov, sending him to Irkutsk to inspect the activities of the company of the merchant G. I. Shelikhov, who claimed a monopoly right to engage in fur fishing off the Pacific coast of Russia .

In 1794, Rezanov, on behalf of Zubov, went to Irkutsk along with the spiritual mission of Archimandrite Joseph. In Irkutsk, Rezanov meets “Columbus Rossiy” - the founder of the first Russian settlements in America - Grigory Ivanovich Shelikhov. In an effort to strengthen his position, Shelikhov wooed his eldest daughter, Anna, for Rezanov. On January 24, 1795, thirty-year-old Nikolai Petrovich Rezanov married Shelikhov’s fifteen-year-old daughter Anna, thus gaining the right to participate in the affairs of the family company. It was probably a marriage both for love (a handsome man from the capital with an excellent education and secular manners simply could not help but strike the heart of a girl from a distant, remote province), and for mutually beneficial reasons: the not very rich groom actually became a co-owner of huge capital, and the bride from merchant family and children from this marriage received the family coat of arms and all the privileges of the titled Russian nobility. From this moment on, Rezanov’s fate is closely connected with Russian America.

Six months after his daughter’s marriage, Grigory Ivanovich Shelikhov unexpectedly dies at the age of forty-seven and his capital is divided among his heirs. Nikolai Petrovich, having become one of them, makes all his efforts, using his influence and connections in St. Petersburg, to create a powerful unified Russian company in the Pacific Ocean, which received the name of the Russian-American Company. In 1797, Rezanov became secretary, then chief secretary of the Senate. He draws up the “Charter on Prices” and establishes the layout of the land tax in St. Petersburg and Moscow. For this work he was awarded the Order of Anna II degree and a pension of two thousand rubles a year. And soon Emperor Paul I, who replaced Catherine II, who died in 1796, signed a decree on the creation of a single Russian-American Company (RAC) based on the companies of Shelikhov and other Siberian merchants, the main administration of which was transferred from Irkutsk to St. Petersburg, and the authorized correspondent (representative) Nikolai Petrovich Rezanov is appointed RAC. Now he is a state nobleman and an entrepreneur at the same time. Rezanov was Chief Secretary of the Government Senate until 1799.

In 1802, Nikolai Rezanov, through the Minister of Commerce, Count Nikolai Petrovich Rumyantsev, submitted a note to the Tsar, in which he pointed out the inconvenience of delivering provisions and building materials to the new Russian possessions and proposed delivering them by sea, around the world directly from Europe to America. Until the end of 1802. , when plans for a trip around the world began to be developed, which included “establishing sea communications” with Russian possessions in America, the number of RAC shareholders increased from 17 to 400, and among them were members of the Imperial family. Alexander I himself, who became a shareholder of Russian America in the mentioned year, definitely singled out N.P. Rezanov was from among the business people of the Empire and showered him with his favors.

On July 18, 1801, the first-born son Peter appeared in the Rezanov family, and on October 6, 1802, daughter Olga (1802-1828). Twelve days after the birth of her daughter, Anna Grigorievna died. About his wife, Rezanov wrote: “Eight years of our marriage gave me a taste of all the happiness of this life, as if in order to finally poison the rest of my days with the loss of it.” After the death of his wife, Rezanov thought about resigning and starting raising children, but met an obstacle. The emperor offers the inconsolable widower to take part in the upcoming first voyage around the world. In 1802, by the highest order, N.P. Rezanov was appointed envoy to Japan and leader of the first Russian round-the-world expedition (1803-1806) on the sloops “Nadezhda” and “Neva”. During the preparation of the expedition, its leaders were given a lot of various instructions of an economic, political, scientific nature, but the main goals still remained two: establishing relations with Japan and inspecting Russian America.

A month before setting off on the campaign, on July 10, 1803, Rezanov was awarded the Order of St. Anne, 1st degree, and he was given the title of Chamberlain of His Majesty's Court. On August 7, 1803, the first Russian round-the-world expedition began, consisting of two ships: “Nadezhda” under the command of I.F. Kruzenshtern (he was entrusted with general naval leadership) and the Neva under the command of Yu.F. Lisyansky. Kruzenshtern I.F.

Rezanov's relationship with Kruzenshtern did not work out. From the very beginning of the trip, Kruzenshtern began to look for a quarrel with Rezanov.

Upon arrival in Kamchatka, Governor Koshelev arranged a trial of the conflict. He found Krusenstern guilty of disobeying Rezanov and insulting him as Envoy Extraordinary. Kruzenshtern recognized himself as such and asked Koshelev to reconcile him with the head of the expedition. Koshelev agreed and soon convinced Rezanov to put the interests of the business above personal grievances. On August 8, 1804, the ship's commander and all the officers appeared at Rezanov's apartment in full uniform and apologized for their actions. On the same day, Rezanov wrote a letter to Koshelev, in which he explained that although he asked for a legal investigation to be carried out in a well-known case, he considers the repentance of the gentlemen officers, brought in his presence, as a guarantee of their obedience: “... I very willingly betray everything that happened oblivion and I humbly ask you to leave my papers without action.” Reconciliation took place, and preparations began for the embassy to Japan.

At the end of September 1804, Russian ships set sail for Nagasaki with an embassy to Japan, then a closed country to Europeans. Before the trip, the following was compiled:

« List of questions and answers for the Russian embassy in Japan" "No later than September 20, 1804.

1. How big is the Russian state?

Russia, with its space, occupies half the world and is the greatest state in the entire universe. There are cities 12,000 miles or more from the capital.

2.What are the borders of the Russian Empire?

To the south - with Japan, China, Turkey, Persia; to the east - with the American States, English possessions and part of the Chinese state; to the west - with Prussia, Australia and Denmark; to the north - in the smallest part with Sweden, and the rest of the space is occupied by Russia alone and to the entire north has no other land besides its own.

3. How is the Russian state governed?

An autocratic great emperor, combining in himself both the secular and spiritual supreme authorities.

4.How is Russia divided?

Russia consists of 50 greatest regions or provinces, contains various great kingdoms, the rulers of which resorted to the protection of the great Russian sovereign and made it a pleasure to be among his subjects, and their kingdoms were annexed for eternity to the Russian Empire, such as the kingdom of Kazan , Astrakhan, Siberian, Tauride, Georgian, Poland, Armenia. Moreover, many other peoples, such as Kyrgyzstans, Kabardians, Kalmyks, Circassians and others, are under the protection of the great Russian monarch.

5.How many inhabitants are there in Russia?

There are up to 50 million native Russians, and the rest under the protection of the empire are countless, but are always ready to serve the great of their owner.

6. What is the faith in Russia?

Since the Russian Empire is very vast, all faiths, services and rituals are allowed in it and there are public churches, but the dominant faith is Greek.

7. Are you Christians?

Christians, but of the Greek confession, and not the Portuguese and Spanish. We do not recognize the pope, for our great emperor is himself the commander of his clergy and his high will directly gives places to the first clergy ranks in the empire and deprives them of this dignity by his sole arbitrariness.

8. What is the difference between your Christian faith and other Christian faiths?

Great, because 1) many Christians are subordinate to the pope, and the Russians do not recognize any spiritual authority other than their sovereign, the great Russian emperor communicates with the pope not as a spiritual person, but as with a land-poor owner; 2) all faiths, such as Japanese, Chinese, Mohammedan, Jewish and others, are allowed in it and many have public worship in churches according to their rituals, which is not allowed in other Christian states; 3) no one is forced to be baptized in Russia; 4) our very dogmas and rituals differ a lot in that our great emperor is himself the head of the clergy.

9. How many militias does Russia have?

There are 700,000 regular troops always ready to fight the enemy, including 200,000 cavalry. In addition, irregular troops consist of light cavalry from Cossacks, Bashkirs, Mesheryaks, Mungals and other peoples under the possession of Russia. Russia has many fleets: the Baltic, Black Sea and Caspian, named after the seas. The first two always contain 50 armed large warships, and the Caspian - 25. There are also many frigates, boats and other military vessels, but in wartime, or when need requires, the number of ships is added, as much as the great Russian sovereign wishes. because its lands are very abundant.

10. With whom is the Russian Emperor at war and who are his allies?

With no one, and although he has unlimited power and strength, but, having accepted the ancestral throne and seeing the vastness of his borders, marked by the glorious victories of his ancestors, he decided to reign in silence and peace with all the world, and with his power he maintains balance in all foreign lands and states , wanting there to be peace throughout the universe. The Great Russian Emperor combines meekness with courage and, with such God-inspired talents, puts the life and tranquility of people at the greatest price and cares not only about his subjects, but about all people in general, and as proof of his great virtues, without sparing any costs, he returns to a gift to the great Japanese emperor of his subjects, who, by an ill-fated fate, were thrown onto the shores of his possessions and wished to return to their fatherland.

11. Why weren’t the Japanese returned long ago?

Because all of Europe was at war, and therefore the embassy could not be sent to His Tenzin-Kubo embassy.

12. What kind of relations does Russia have with the Portuguese?

As with all nations that have trade. The Great Russian Emperor, seeing the shortcomings of other lands, out of philanthropy allows everyone to use the surplus of his vast state and its borders are open to all traders.

13. Where are you from?

From the capital city of St. Petersburg around the whole world.

14. What did you bring?

We have no goods, but only gifts to His Tenzin-Kubo estate, and our ambassador knows what they are.

15. What kind of people are you and are there any merchants?

We have no merchants, and all military men are embassy gentlemen and naval officers of our great sovereign.

16. What rank is your ambassador?

General, moreover, he is a chamberlain and one of the closest ranks to our great emperor.

17. What kind of officials are yours?

One of the noblest nobles of the great empire.

18. What are you on guard for?

This is an honor for the imperial ambassador, but in Russia he has a much larger guard, but he took a small number because there was nowhere to place them.

19.Where did you go on your way?

To Denmark, England, the island of Tenerife, Brazil, the Marchesan Islands and Kamchatka, where they took fresh supplies and filled with water, and in Kamchatka they left the needs necessary for that region.

20. Has anyone died on your journey?

On the way from the Marchese Islands, one cook died, but no one else.

Nikolay Rezanov."

« Patriotism made me exhaust all my strength,
I swam the seas like a duck
suffered from hunger, cold, and at the same time from resentment,
and twice more from my heart wounds».
N.P. Rezanov - M.M. Buldakov
January 24-26, 1807, Irkutsk

Remember the romantic love story between Count Rezanov and young Conchita Arguello, daughter of the commandant of San Francisco?! It was described in one of the most famous Soviet rock operas by composer Alexei Rybnikov based on poems by poet Andrei Voznesensky. The premiere took place on July 9, 1981 on the stage of the Moscow Lenin Komsomol Theater.
The title of the play uses the names of two sailing ships, “Juno” and “Avos”, on which Nikolai Rezanov’s expedition sailed.

What was Count Nikolai Petrovich Rezanov really like? He is also an extraordinary entrepreneur, statesman and diplomat.
He was born into an impoverished noble family on March 28, 1764 in St. Petersburg. After some time, his father was appointed chairman of the civil chamber of the provincial court in Irkutsk, the then capital of Eastern Siberia, which included territories from the Yenisei to the Pacific Ocean. Received a good home education. Distinguished by his natural linguistic abilities, by the age of 14 he knew five European languages. In 1778, Nikolai entered military service in the artillery, served in the Izmailovsky Life Guards Regiment, and was responsible for the protection of Catherine II during her trip to Crimea in 1780, but left military service and entered service in the Pskov civil court. Then Rezanov becomes the head of the office of Count N.G. Chernyshova. This career growth testifies not only to the young man’s business qualities, but also to someone’s fairly powerful support. For an ordinary official not from the nobility or from the provincial ignorant nobles, such “jumps” up the career ladder “through two steps” were unlikely, and, having started service from the lowest, 14th, class in the “Table of Ranks,” another could rise to the rank of assessor and to the status of collegiate assessor (a rank that gave the right to hereditary nobility) only in old age.
In 1791, after the appointment of Gabriel Romanovich Derzhavin as secretary for the report on “Senate Memories” (documents submitted by the Senate for approval) under Catherine II N.P. Rezanov goes into his service as the ruler of the chancellery, which opens for him the doors of the offices and houses of the most senior nobles. Sometimes even he has to carry out personal assignments for the empress, which further accelerates the young man’s career. After some time, he joins the staff of the new favorite of the Empress P.A. Zubov, who, fearing the possible replacement of himself in the “position” of the empress’s favorite by a young handsome man, under a plausible pretext gets rid of Rezanov, sending him to Irkutsk to inspect the activities of the company of the merchant G. I. Shelikhov, who claimed a monopoly right to engage in fur fishing off the Pacific coast of Russia .
In 1794, Rezanov, on behalf of Zubov, went to Irkutsk along with the spiritual mission of Archimandrite Joseph. In Irkutsk, Rezanov meets “Columbus Rossiy” - the founder of the first Russian settlements in America - Grigory Ivanovich Shelikhov. In an effort to strengthen his position, Shelikhov wooed his eldest daughter, Anna, for Rezanov. On January 24, 1795, thirty-year-old Nikolai Petrovich Rezanov married Shelikhov’s fifteen-year-old daughter Anna, thus gaining the right to participate in the affairs of the family company. It was probably a marriage both for love (a handsome man from the capital with an excellent education and secular manners simply could not help but strike the heart of a girl from a distant, remote province), and for mutually beneficial reasons: the not very rich groom actually became a co-owner of huge capital, and the bride from merchant family and children from this marriage received the family coat of arms and all the privileges of the titled Russian nobility. From this moment on, Rezanov’s fate is closely connected with Russian America.
Six months after his daughter’s marriage, Grigory Ivanovich Shelikhov unexpectedly dies at the age of forty-seven and his capital is divided among his heirs. Nikolai Petrovich, having become one of them, makes all his efforts, using his influence and connections in St. Petersburg, to create a powerful unified Russian company in the Pacific Ocean, which received the name of the Russian-American Company. In 1797, Rezanov became secretary, then chief secretary of the Senate. He draws up the “Charter on Prices” and establishes the layout of the land tax in St. Petersburg and Moscow. For this work he was awarded the Order of Anna II degree and a pension of two thousand rubles a year. And soon Emperor Paul I, who replaced Catherine II, who died in 1796, signed a decree on the creation of a single Russian-American Company (RAC) based on the companies of Shelikhov and other Siberian merchants, the main administration of which was transferred from Irkutsk to St. Petersburg, and the authorized correspondent (representative) Nikolai Petrovich Rezanov is appointed RAC. Now he is a state nobleman and an entrepreneur at the same time. Rezanov was Chief Secretary of the Government Senate until 1799.
In 1802, Nikolai Rezanov, through the Minister of Commerce, Count Nikolai Petrovich Rumyantsev, submitted a note to the Tsar, in which he pointed out the inconvenience of delivering provisions and building materials to the new Russian possessions and proposed delivering them by sea, around the world directly from Europe to America.
Until the end of 1802, when plans for a trip around the world began to be developed, including the “establishment of sea communications” with Russian possessions in America, the number of RAC shareholders increased from 17 to 400, and among them were members of the Imperial family. Alexander I himself, who became a shareholder of Russian America in the mentioned year, definitely singled out N.P. Rezanov was from among the business people of the Empire and showered him with his favors.

On July 18, 1801, the first-born son Peter appeared in the Rezanov family, and on October 6, 1802, daughter Olga (1802-1828). Twelve days after the birth of her daughter, Anna Grigorievna died. Rezanov wrote about his wife: “Eight years of our marriage gave me a taste of all the happiness of this life, as if in order to finally poison the rest of my days with the loss of her.”
After the death of his wife, Rezanov thought about resigning and raising his children, but he met an obstacle. The emperor offers the inconsolable widower to take part in the upcoming first voyage around the world. In 1802, by the highest order, N.P. Rezanov was appointed envoy to Japan and leader of the first Russian round-the-world expedition (1803-1806) on the sloops “Nadezhda” and “Neva”. During the preparation of the expedition, its leaders were given a lot of various instructions of an economic, political, scientific nature, but the main goals still remained two: establishing relations with Japan and inspecting Russian America.
A month before setting off on the campaign, on July 10, 1803, Rezanov was awarded the Order of St. Anne, 1st degree, and was given the title of Chamberlain of His Majesty's Court.
On August 7, 1803, the first Russian round-the-world expedition began, consisting of two ships: “Nadezhda” under the command of I.F. Kruzenshtern (he was entrusted with general naval leadership) and the Neva under the command of Yu.F. Lisyansky.

Krusenstern I.F.
Rezanov's relationship with Kruzenshtern did not work out. From the very beginning of the trip, Kruzenshtern began to look for a quarrel with Rezanov. More about this here:
http://rezanov.krasu.ru/commander/neva_nad.php
Upon arrival in Kamchatka, Governor Koshelev arranged a trial of the conflict. He found Krusenstern guilty of disobeying Rezanov and insulting him as Envoy Extraordinary. Kruzenshtern recognized himself as such and asked Koshelev to reconcile him with the head of the expedition. Koshelev agreed and soon convinced Rezanov to put the interests of the business above personal grievances. On August 8, 1804, the ship's commander and all the officers appeared at Rezanov's apartment in full uniform and apologized for their actions. On the same day, Rezanov wrote a letter to Koshelev, in which he explained that although he asked for a legal investigation to be carried out in a well-known case, he considers the repentance of the gentlemen officers, brought in his presence, as a guarantee of their obedience: “... I very willingly betray everything that happened oblivion and I humbly ask you to leave my papers without action.” Reconciliation took place, and preparations began for the embassy to Japan.
At the end of September 1804, Russian ships set sail for Nagasaki with an embassy to Japan, then a closed country to Europeans. Before the trip, the following was compiled:
« List of questions and answers for the Russian Embassy in Japan"
« No later than September 20, 1804

1. How big is the Russian state?
Russia, with its space, occupies half the world and is the greatest state in the entire universe. There are cities 12,000 miles or more from the capital.
2. What are the borders of the Russian Empire?
To the south - with Japan, China, Turkey, Persia; to the east - with the American States, English possessions and part of the Chinese state; to the west - with Prussia, Australia and Denmark; to the north - in the smallest part with Sweden, and the rest of the space is occupied by Russia alone and to the entire north has no other land besides its own.
3. How is the Russian state governed?
An autocratic great emperor, combining in himself both the secular and spiritual supreme authorities.
4. How is Russia divided?
Russia consists of 50 greatest regions or provinces, contains various great kingdoms, the rulers of which resorted to the protection of the great Russian sovereign and made it a pleasure to be among his subjects, and their kingdoms were annexed for eternity to the Russian Empire, such as the kingdom of Kazan , Astrakhan, Siberian, Tauride, Georgian, Poland, Armenia. Moreover, many other peoples, such as Kyrgyzstans, Kabardians, Kalmyks, Circassians and others, are under the protection of the great Russian monarch.
5.How many inhabitants are there in Russia?
There are up to 50 million native Russians, and the rest under the protection of the empire are countless, but are always ready to serve the great of their owner.

6. What is the faith in Russia?
Since the Russian Empire is very vast, all faiths, services and rituals are allowed in it and there are public churches, but the dominant faith is Greek.
7. Are you Christians?
Christians, but of the Greek confession, and not the Portuguese and Spanish. We do not recognize the pope, for our great emperor is himself the commander of his clergy and his high will directly gives places to the first clergy ranks in the empire and deprives them of this dignity by his sole arbitrariness.
8. What is the difference between your Christian faith and other Christian faiths?
Great, because 1) many Christians are subordinate to the pope, and the Russians do not recognize any spiritual authority other than their sovereign, the great Russian emperor communicates with the pope not as a spiritual person, but as with a land-poor owner; 2) all faiths, such as Japanese, Chinese, Mohammedan, Jewish and others, are allowed in it and many have public worship in churches according to their rituals, which is not allowed in other Christian states; 3) no one is forced to be baptized in Russia; 4) our very dogmas and rituals differ a lot in that our great emperor is himself the head of the clergy.
9. How many militias does Russia have?
There are 700,000 regular troops always ready to fight the enemy, including 200,000 cavalry. In addition, irregular troops consist of light cavalry from Cossacks, Bashkirs, Mesheryaks, Mungals and other peoples under the possession of Russia. Russia has many fleets: the Baltic, Black Sea and Caspian, named after the seas. The first two always contain 50 armed large warships, and the Caspian - 25. There are also many frigates, boats and other military vessels, but in wartime, or when need requires, the number of ships is added, as much as the great Russian sovereign wishes. because its lands are very abundant.
10. With whom is the Russian Emperor at war and who are his allies?
With no one, and although he has unlimited power and strength, but, having accepted the ancestral throne and seeing the vastness of his borders, marked by the glorious victories of his ancestors, he decided to reign in silence and peace with all the world, and with his power he maintains balance in all foreign lands and states , wanting there to be peace throughout the universe. The Great Russian Emperor combines meekness with courage and, with such God-inspired talents, puts the life and tranquility of people at the greatest price and cares not only about his subjects, but about all people in general, and as proof of his great virtues, without sparing any costs, he returns to a gift to the great Japanese emperor of his subjects, who, by an ill-fated fate, were thrown onto the shores of his possessions and wished to return to their fatherland.
11. Why weren’t the Japanese returned long ago?
Because all of Europe was at war, and therefore the embassy could not be sent to His Tenzin-Kubo embassy.
12. What kind of relations does Russia have with the Portuguese?
As with all nations that have trade. The Great Russian Emperor, seeing the shortcomings of other lands, out of philanthropy allows everyone to use the surplus of his vast state and its borders are open to all traders.
13. Where are you from?
From the capital city of St. Petersburg around the whole world.
14. What did you bring?
We have no goods, but only gifts to His Tenzin-Kubo estate, and our ambassador knows what they are.
15. What kind of people are you and are there any merchants?
We have no merchants, and all military men are embassy gentlemen and naval officers of our great sovereign.
16. What rank is your ambassador?
General, moreover, he is a chamberlain and one of the closest ranks to our great emperor.
17. What kind of officials are yours?
One of the noblest nobles of the great empire.
18. What are you on guard for?
This is an honor for the imperial ambassador, but in Russia he has a much larger guard, but he took a small number because there was nowhere to place them.
19. Where did you go on your way?
To Denmark, England, the island of Tenerife, Brazil, the Marchesan Islands and Kamchatka, where they took fresh supplies and filled with water, and in Kamchatka they left the needs necessary for that region.
20. Has anyone died on your journey?
On the way from the Marchese Islands, one cook died, but no one else.

Nikolay Rezanov. »

then N.P. Rezanov went to Russian America. In Sith, where there were still a lot of deficiencies, he was struck by the fighting spirit of Baranov’s team, the tirelessness, and efficiency of Baranov himself. The population of Russian America, as Alaska was called, grew very slowly. In 1805, the number of Russian colonists was about 470 people, in addition, depending on the company there were a significant number of Indians (according to Rezanov’s census there were 5,200 people on Kodiak Island). The people who served in the company’s institutions were mostly a violent people, for which Nikolai Petrovich aptly called the Russian settlements a “drunk republic.”
And Sitkha and other parts of Russian America were threatened with famine. Having familiarized himself with the state of affairs in Russian America, Rezanov quite correctly decided that the solution was to organize trade with California, to found a Russian settlement there that would supply Russian America with bread and dairy products. To achieve this, Rezanov and Baranov took decisive measures. In order to save the population of Russian America from hunger (and according to Rezanov’s census, carried out in the Unalashka and Kodiak departments, it amounted to 5234 people), it was necessary to sail to California immediately. In order to quickly complete the voyage to California, it was decided, at Baranov’s suggestion, to buy the ship of the Englishman Wulf - one of the two that arrived in Sitkha for routine repairs of English ships. This ship was named Juno. Under the Russian flag, the ship Juno sailed to California on February 26, 1806.
This is where the story begins, later described in the rock opera “Juno and Avos”.
Upon arrival in California, Rezanov completely captivated the commandant of the fortress, Jose Dario Arguello, with his courtly manners and charmed his daughter, fifteen-year-old Concepcion, and proposed to her.
And Conchita was certainly a beauty. Young Georg Langsdorff, a naturalist and personal physician of Rezanov, who fell in love with Conchita at first sight, describes her in his diary: “She stands out with her majestic posture, her facial features are beautiful and expressive, her eyes are captivating. Add here an elegant figure, wonderful natural curls, wonderful teeth and thousands of other charms. Such beautiful women can only be found in Italy, Portugal or Spain, and even then very rarely.”

Conchita, like all girls of her age all over the world, dreamed of unfulfilled dreams of meeting a fairy-tale prince. Naturally, N.P. Rezanov, commander and chamberlain of His Imperial Majesty, a strong, tall and handsome man, made a deep impression on the young Spanish beauty. impression. Rezanov was the only one from the Russian delegation who spoke Spanish, so he could share any conversation with Conchita. He often told her, largely at her own request, about St. Petersburg, Europe, the court of Catherine the Great... He admired her with his nobility, education, tact, and self-control; she did not try to hide this admiration. When he proposed to her, she agreed without a moment's hesitation. “My proposal struck down her parents, who were raised in fanaticism. The difference of religions and the upcoming separation from their daughter were a thunderclap for them. They resorted to missionaries, who did not know what to decide. They took poor Concepsia to church, confessed her, convinced her to refuse, but her determination finally calmed everyone down.”
«… The Holy Fathers left it to the permission of the Roman Throne, and if I could not consummate my marriage, then I made a conditional act and forced us to be engaged, so it was agreed that until the permission of the Pope it would be a secret. From that time on, presenting myself to the commandant as a close relative, I managed the port of the Catholic Majesty as it required and my benefits, and the governor was extremely surprised and amazed to see that, at the wrong time, he assured me of the sincere affection of the house this and that he himself, so to speak, found himself visiting me..."(from Rezanov’s letters)
Conchita's parents were amazed to learn of Nikolai Petrovich's intention to marry their daughter. They were even more horrified when they realized that Conchita would never give up her love, despite all the persuasion of the holy fathers, who, pointing out the impossibility of marriage due to differences in religions, hoped to “reason” with the stubborn girl, focusing on her feelings devotion and fidelity to the Catholic faith. Conchita, selflessly defending her love for Rezanov, did not think of “betraying” her faith, because it seemed to her that God would understand their feelings; for her, the difference in religions was not an obstacle to marriage. As a result, it was decided to “ask permission” for this (“mixed”, i.e. between a Catholic and an Orthodox) marriage from the Holy See of Rome. But Rezanov did not stop there and achieved an engagement, which, unlike betrothal and wedding, was not a church ceremony, so the engagement was announced immediately. Seeing this, Conchita's father agreed to the marriage of the Russian count and his daughter, as well as to the construction of Russian fortresses in California. In addition, he gave away the cargo for next to nothing in “2 156 pud. wheat, 351 poods. barley, 560 poods. legumes Lard and oils for 470 pounds. and all sorts of other things worth 100 pounds, so much so that the ship could not leave at first.” In supplying Russian America from California, the mission was a complete success. Conchita herself promised to wait for her fiancé, who went to deliver a cargo of supplies to his Russian America in Alaska and then to St. Petersburg to secure the petition of her Emperor before the Pope to obtain official permission from the Catholic Church for a “mixed” marriage. Rezanov believed that this could take about two years.

A month later, the overloaded Juno and Avos arrived in Novo-Arkhangelsk, almost scooping up water on their sides. And for the “young groom” Rezanov, it was a small matter: to obtain permission to marry from the sovereign-emperor. The autumn thaw was beginning, and it was impossible to travel across all of Siberia, but the count was in a hurry to marry a young Spaniard and set off on horseback. Crossing the rivers, due to thin ice, he fell into the water several times, caught a cold and lay unconscious for 12 days. He was taken to Krasnoyarsk, where on March 1, 1807 he died. In the metric book of the cathedral of the Resurrection Church of Krasnoyarsk it is written: “Confessed and communed. He was buried at the cathedral church."

For Conchita, long months and then years of waiting began. But all the deadlines had already passed, and her fiancé never showed up. Conchita's parents consoled her and tried to convince her not to despair.

Even when she was told about his death, she remained faithful to him - she never got married, although she was offered her hand and heart by the most worthy suitors in California, did charity work, and taught Indians. She was calledLaBeata. In the early 1840s, Donna Concepción (Donna Conception) joined the third Order of the White Clergy, and upon the founding of the monastery of St. Dominic in the city of Benicia in 1851, she became its first nun under the name Maria Dominga. She died at the age of 67 on December 23, 1857.

Monument to Commander Rezanov in Krasnoyarsk.

Russian empire

Nikolai Petrovich Rezanov(March 28 (April 8), St. Petersburg - February 17 (March 1), Krasnoyarsk) - Russian diplomat, traveler, entrepreneur. Together with his father-in-law G.I. Shelikhov stood at the origins of the Russian-American Company. One of the leaders of the first Russian circumnavigation. The first official ambassador of Russia to Japan, compiler of one of the first Russian-Japanese dictionaries.

Encyclopedic YouTube

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✪ The fate of Nikolai Rezanov (narrated by historian Nikolai Manvelov)

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Biography

early years

Born in St. Petersburg into a poor family of collegiate adviser Pyotr Gavrilovich Rezanov (1735-after 1794) and Alexandra, daughter of Major General G. A. Okunev. After his birth, his father was appointed chairman of the civil chamber of the provincial court in Irkutsk.

As a child, I received a very good education at home. Knew five foreign languages. At the age of fourteen in 1778 he entered military service in the artillery. Then, for his stateliness, dexterity and beauty, he was transferred to the Izmailovsky Life Guards Regiment.

There is an opinion that Catherine II contributed to this. In 1780, during her trip to Crimea, Nicholas was personally responsible for her safety when he was only 16 years old.

Then something happened: in the mid-1780s, Nicholas left military service and disappeared from the empress’s entourage for a long time. He entered the Pskov Chamber of Civil Court as an assessor, where he served for about five years with a salary of 300 rubles. per year, after which he was transferred to the St. Petersburg Treasury Chamber.

In 1794, Rezanov, on behalf of Platon Zubov, went to Irkutsk. Rezanov participates in the inspection of the activities of the company of the founder of the first Russian settlements in America, Grigory Ivanovich Shelikhov.

Rezanov married on January 24, 1795 Shelikhov’s fifteen-year-old daughter, Anna Grigorievna. She receives a noble title, and he receives a good dowry. Six months later, Shelikhov dies and Nikolai becomes a co-owner of his capital. Immediately after the death of Catherine II and the fall of Count Zubov, Rezanov returned to St. Petersburg.

It was decided to combine this embassy with the first Russian round-the-world expedition on the ships “Nadezhda” and “Neva” under the command of I.F. Krusenstern (-). By decree of the emperor, Rezanov, along with Krusenstern, was appointed head of the expedition.

A month before setting off on the campaign, on July 10, 1803, Rezanov was awarded the Order of St. Anne, 1st degree, and was given the title of Chamberlain of His Majesty's Court.

Rezanov and Krusenstern

Kruzenshtern was not officially notified of the breadth of Rezanov’s powers. The question of whether Nikolai Petrovich informed him about his superiors immediately or only in Brazil remains open to this day. There is a letter from Krusenstern addressed to the board of the RAC, with the words: “...if the Main Board wanted to deprive me of the command of the entire Expedition, then... being subordinate to Rezanov, I cannot be useful, I do not want to be useless...”

During the expedition, Rezanov and Kruzenshtern quarreled so much that they communicated only through notes. After another scandal, Rezanov locked himself in his cabin and did not leave it again until his arrival in Petropavlovsk. Here Rezanov wrote a complaint to the ruler of the Kamchatka region, Pavel Ivanovich Koshelev, about the mutinous crew and demanded the execution of Kruzenshtern. Kruzenshtern agreed to go to trial, but immediately, before the end of the expedition, thereby disrupting Rezanov’s mission. The Governor-General managed to reconcile them with great difficulty.

According to Rezanov's notes, on August 8, 1804, Kruzenshtern and all the officers came to Rezanov's apartment in full uniform and apologized for their misconduct. Rezanov agreed to continue sailing with the same crew. However, Rezanov's notes are the only source that mentions Krusenstern's repentance. Neither in the diaries and letters of other expedition members, nor in Koshelev’s letters, nor in the notes of the RAC employees who accompanied Rezanov, there is not a word about this. From Kruzenshtern’s letter to the President of the Academy of Sciences N.N. Novosiltsev, it follows that perhaps it was not Kruzenshtern and all the officers who publicly apologized to Rezanov, but Rezanov publicly apologized to Kruzenshtern.

From Kruzenshtern’s letter to Novosiltsev

His Excellency Mr. Rezanov, in the presence of the regional commandant and more than 10 officers, called me a rebel, a robber, determined my execution on the scaffold, and threatened others with eternal exile to Kamchatka. I admit, I was afraid. No matter how fair the Emperor was, he, being 13,000 miles away from him, could have expected everything from Mr. Rezanov if the regional commander had taken his side. But no, this is not the rule of honest Koshelev, he did not take any. Only by his presence, prudence, and justice - he gave me free breath, and I was already sure that I would not plunge into the autocracy of Mr. Rezanov. After the above-mentioned curses, which are even painful to repeat, I gave him the sword. G. Rezanov did not accept it. I asked to be shackled and, as he says, “like a criminal” to be sent for trial to St. Petersburg. I represented to him in writing that this kind of people, as he called me, cannot command the sovereign’s ship. He didn’t want to hear any of this, he said that he was going to St. Petersburg to send judges from the Senate, and let me smolder in Kamchatka; but when the regional commandant presented to him that my demand was fair, and that I (not) should be relieved, then the scene changed. He wanted to make peace with me and go to Japan. At first I rejected his offer with contempt; but, realizing the circumstances, he agreed... This expedition is the first enterprise of this kind of Russians; Should it collapse due to the disagreement of two private (individuals)?.. Let whoever of us is to blame, but the guilt would be brought to bear on the face of all of Russia. And so, having these motivating reasons, and having His Excellency Pavel Ivanovich (Koshelev) as a witness to everything that happened, although against my feelings, he agreed to make peace; but so that he would ask me for forgiveness in front of everyone, so that in my justification he would ask the Emperor for forgiveness for treating me innocently. “I had to demand this, because this offense did not concern me alone, but fell on the face of all the officers and to the dishonor of the flag under which we have the honor to serve.” Rezanov agreed to everything, he even asked me to write whatever I wanted: he would sign everything. Of course, he knew my heart, he knew that I would not take it in writing, which he swore on his honor in the presence of many. On these terms I made peace...

Rezanov in Japan

Taking a guard of honor from the Governor General (2 officers, drummer, 5 soldiers) for the ambassador, "Nadezhda" sailed to Japan (“Neva” - to Alaska). The ship arrived in Nagasaki on September 26, 1804. Dejima Island served at that time as the only window for interaction between the Japanese and the Western world (see sakoku). The Japanese forbade the Russians from entering the harbor, and Kruzenshtern dropped anchor in the bay. Rezanov himself was allowed to go ashore and was provided with excellent housing, but it was impossible to go beyond it, and no one was allowed to see him. They told us to wait for a response from the emperor. Any food was delivered upon request, no money was taken. This went on for six months. In March, a dignitary arrived with the emperor's response. The answer said that he could not accept the embassy and did not want to trade with Russia. He returned all the gifts and demanded that the ship leave Japan.

Rezanov could not restrain himself, spoke insolently to the dignitary and demanded that all this be translated. It was not possible to conclude an agreement with Japan, and the expedition returned to Petropavlovsk. This is how Chekhov describes this episode in his book Sakhalin Island:

Ambassador Rezanov, authorized to conclude a trade alliance with Japan, also had to “acquire the island of Sakhalin, independent of either the Chinese or the Japanese.” He behaved extremely tactlessly. /…/ If you believe Kruzenshtern, then Rezanov was denied even a chair at the audience, he was not allowed to have a sword with him, and “in the spirit of intolerance” he was even without shoes. And this is the ambassador, a Russian nobleman! It seems difficult to show less dignity. Having suffered a complete fiasco, Rezanov wanted to take revenge on the Japanese. He ordered the naval officer Khvostov to scare the Sakhalin Japanese, and this order was given not quite in the usual manner, somehow crookedly: in a sealed envelope, with the obligatory condition that it should be opened and read only upon arrival at the place.

American period

In Petropavlovsk, Rezanov learned that Kruzenshtern was awarded the Order of St. Anne, II degree, and he was given only a snuff box sprinkled with diamonds and was released from further participation in the first round-the-world expedition, ordering an inspection of Russian settlements in Alaska.

Before leaving for St. Petersburg, Rezanov left instructions to the Chief Ruler of the Russian colonies in America, A. A. Baranov, with the idea of creating an agricultural settlement in Northern California to supply Alaska with food. Such a settlement, Ross, was founded in 1812 and lasted until 1841.

In September 1806, Rezanov reached Okhotsk. The autumn thaw was beginning, and it was impossible to go further. But he set off along the “arduous path on horseback.” Crossing the rivers, due to thin ice, I fell into the water several times. We had to spend several nights right in the snow. As a result, I caught a terrible cold and lay in a fever and unconsciousness for 12 days. As soon as he woke up, he set off again.

Count Rezanov Nikolai Petrovich - life for the good of the Fatherland. Investments for Rezanov Nikolay Petrovich

Biography

Before appointment as Ambassador to Japan

Memory

The image of Commander Rezanov in culture

Notes

Literature

Links

Count Rezanov

Encyclopedic YouTube

Subtitles

Biography

early years

Rezanov and Krusenstern

Rezanov in Japan

American period