"Расписать через человека надвое пополам": военно-кадровая политика Российского государства на юго-восточной границе в 1691 г.

Abstract

The article examines the formation of military contingent necessary for defense of South-Eastern border of Russia, which had been established as a result of Nerchinsk Treaty in 1689. There were large number of warriors temporarily deployed in the garrisons of Transbaikal fortresses in 1689-1691, who were recruited mainly in Western Siberia. They asked to replace them with other people after had been serving for several years in Transbaikal. The state faced the problem of replacing these forces due to a lack of military personnel in Siberia and their funding. The problem of reorganization was taken up by Fyodor Golovin, the ambassador who led the confrontation between Russia and the troops of China and Mongol feudal lords in Transbaikal and Amur region (Dauria). He proposed to reduce Daurian army in a half. The remaining part should have been organized from volunteers and soldiers from closest to Transbaikal the fortresses, providing them with assistance in building and transporting their families to a new place. Siberian Order (the government body for administration of Siberia) prepared information on the number of all armed forces in Siberia and the funding required for them as well as data on the groups of people who could be moved to a new duty station. This information is summarized in tables and presented in the article. Having considered possible options for solving the problem, the government decided to halve the number of the temporary military contingent with the subsequent replacement of the warriors who stayed in Dauria with “children, brothers and nephews” of warriors. F. Golovin's flexible plan was not used. All warriors eligible for movement were mechanically divided into 2 groups. One of them went home and the second remained to serve in Transbaikal for several years. This incured the discontent of many soldiers who supported the revolt against the Irkutsk governor in 1696. The article is based on published and unpublished sources from the funds of Russian State Archive of Ancient Acts.