Russian Empire Research Articles

The сonquest of Syria by Muhammad Ali pasha in 1831–1832 and its influence on Russian-Ottoman relations

In the article, the author focuses on one of the most pivotal events of the First Egyptian Crisis (1831–1833), namely the conquest of the Syrian provinces of the Ottoman Empire by the troops of the rebel governor of Egypt, Muhammad Ali Pasha. Additionally, he elucidates the rationale behind the Russian Emperor Nicholas I’s decision to dispatch a contingent of Russian troops in 1833 to assist the Ottoman government in its efforts to safeguard its capital. The aim of this article is to analyse the strategies employed by Muhammad Ali Pasha, the Sublime Porte, and the Russian Empire with regard to Ottoman Syria, a region of key strategic importance during the development of the crisis. The present study demonstrates that the deployment of Egyptian troops to Syria in the spring and summer of 1832 was the pivotal factor in the subsequent course of events. This challenges the dominant view in historiography, which posits that the Russian intervention in the conflict was precipitated by a direct threat of capture of the Ottoman capital by Muhammad Ali Pasha’s troops in December 1832, and that St Petersburg’s plans were limited to the defence of the Asian shore of the Bosphorus. This article, which draws on archival documents and recollections of participants in the events, demonstrates the pivotal role played by Syria in the realisation of Muhammad Ali Pasha’s objective to establish a virtually independent power base. It also elucidates the strategic countermeasures devised by the Russian command with the intention of conducting military operations against the troops of Muhammad Ali in Asia Minor and Syria. Russia’s direct military and diplomatic intervention in the conflict between the Sublime Porte and Muhammad Ali Pasha in 1833 had a significant impact, effectively thwarting the Egyptian governor’s plans and providing the Ottoman government with the necessary time to restore the combat potential of its army. However, the alliance established between Russia and the Ottoman Empire at that time did not progress further due to opposition from Great Britain, France, and Austria.

MUNICIPAL ACTIVITY OF A RUSSIAN IMPERIAL DISTRICT CENTRE IN 1870–1914 (in terms of the town of Danilov, Yaroslavl Province)

The article is devoted to the study of the main directions of municipal activity of a Russian district town in 1870-1914. The study is carried out in terms of a uezd – district – centre of that time, namely the town of Danilov, Yaroslavl Province. The authors examine the state of the town budget, determine its financial capacity to solve everyday problems, establish the degree of burdening the said budget with non-municipal expenditures, the level of spending on socio-cultural needs and improvement of the town. Specific activities of Danilov town’s self-government bodies in the sphere of public charity, healthcare, epidemics prevention, public welfare, external improvement of the town are studied taking into account both achievements and unfulfilled initiatives with the latter due to the refusal to allocate funds. Problems in the development of the social sphere of the town’s government are identified in the paper. What the paper notes as conclusions is the fat of limitedness of financial capacity of Danilov town’s government; however, it was in a more favourable position in some respects than other municipalities in the province. This was mainly manifested in the small financial sums that went to the maintenance of government offices and police. The individual achievements of Danilov town’s council (the so-called local Duma) in their practical activities are revealed. However, the authors consider the general development of municipal activities in the period under study to be at an insufficiently high level, if not at an incipient one.

The Russian mission in Istanbul in the mid-1740s: everyday life

In the article, the author examines the daily activities of the Russian embassy in Istanbul during the mid-18th century. The eastern orientation of Russian diplomatic efforts during the era of Peter the Great and his successors represents a relatively understudied aspect of the foreign policy of the Russian Empire. Furthermore, the focus of researchers is understandably on political issues, while the everyday reality of embassy staff – including the actual number of personnel, their individual personalities, maintenance costs, material culture and food – is overlooked. The Archive of the Foreign Policy of the Russian Empire contains a wealth of hitherto unpublished documents that shed light on a number of subjects from the late summer and autumn of 1745. Following the unexpected passing of the Russian resident (the head of the embassy), Alexey Veshniakov, on 29 July 1745, his deputies, who had assumed the role of senior representatives of the Russian Mission, were concerned about the potential allegations of misappropriation of state-owned assets. It compelled them to meticulously catalogue all items stored within the mission, in addition to maintaining comprehensive records of the daily expenditure incurred for food supplies for a total staff complement of 42 individuals, including the family and domestic personnel of the late resident (16 persons). It would be fair to say that such matters are rarely addressed in diplomatic missives. However, the exceptional circumstances following the demise of Alexey Veshniakov provided scholars with the opportunity to reconstruct certain aspects of the daily life of the Russian colony in Istanbul.

“Let us conclude then the articles of peace...”: the naval strategy of the Russian empire and the formation of Russian-Moroccan relations in the second half of the eighteenth century

The author’s objective is to trace the principal stages of the genesis and evolution of the Russian maritime strategy in the context of the active expansion of its naval forces under Peter I and the deployment of the Archipelago expedition by Catherine II (1769–1775). The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of these developments on the geoeconomic landscape. In addition, this study examines the geopolitical situation of the Russian Empire following the Russo-Turkish War (1768–1774). It also investigates how ruling circles in Alawi Morocco responded to the emergence of the Russian Navy in the Mediterranean, which had the effect of limiting the naval power of the Ottoman state. The article elucidates the multifaceted political, economic, and military circumstances that precipitated the Sultan of Morocco, Sidi Muhammad ibn Abdallah (1757–1790), to pursue the opening of his country to extensive foreign trade. However, given the weak commodity flows and the economic inexpediency of maintaining large formations of the Russian Navy in the Mediterranean, the initial stage of Russian-Moroccan relations was limited to the exchange of letters and messages. Consequently, the demise of Sidi Muhammad (1790) and Catherine II (1796) brought an end to the development of this project. The author addresses the issue of the veracity of the Russian-Moroccan peace and trade treaty of the eighteenth century, examining the arguments that suggest it was in fact never signed. However, even if it were to be proven that the treaty was drafted, the fulfilment of its hypothetical provisions would present a significant challenge for both parties.

AT THE CROSSROADS OF MEMORIES

The traumatic experience of war has played a pivotal role in the history of the Circassians, an Indigenous people of the North Caucasus who suffered enormous population loss and displacement due to the Russian Empire’s conquest in the nineteenth century. Despite this historical trauma, not all members of the Circassian community oppose modern Russian military expansion in Ukraine driven by colonial ambition. To understand why this is the case, the article examines the contestation between the state memory regimes that have been silencing the memory of the Russian-Caucasian War (1763–1864) and the counter-memory of the Circassians who preserve the memory of its atrocities. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork, it shows how Circassian authorities and individuals adapt to the current regime, which discourages ruminations on the significance of the Russian-Caucasian War while elevating the memory of the Second World War and emphasising the importance of interethnic unity. The paper argues that by establishing and sustaining a hierarchy of memories and identities, the Russian state cultivates loyalty and patriotism among its ethnic minorities, who are compelled to prioritise their identity as Russian citizens over their ethnic affiliations and grievances.

Stalin’s Repressions and Rehabilitation of the Victims in the Politics of Memory in Uzbekistan

This article is devoted to the analysis of how Stalin’s repressions are represented in the politics of memory in Uzbekistan, becoming part of the process of constructing a national ideological discourse. Uzbekistan’s multi-ethnicity and authoritarian system of governance have had a significant impact on understanding the country’s past and the formation of official memory. The research sources included official data, published memoirs, as well as individual interviews with witnesses of the era. The idea that Soviet repressions should be seen in the context of the anti-colonialist struggle against the aggression of the Russian Empire was not an invention of Uzbek political elites, but was developed by Uzbek cultural elites. The first president of Uzbekistan, Islam Karimov, in close dialogue with the Uzbek intellectual elite, contributed to the formation of a national memory of Soviet repressions and their victims. During this period, the rehabilitation of victims of Soviet repressions was carried out selectively. Since Shavkat Mirziyoyev came to power, there has been a more liberal government policy and a wider discussion of the issue of Soviet repressions and the rehabilitation of their victims. In official narratives, all residents of the former Uzbek SSR who suffered from Stalinist repressions, regardless of their political position, are considered victims of the Soviet regime. Unlike neighbouring countries, the political and cultural elite of Uzbekistan does not follow the ethnic principle of studying the victims of Soviet repressions, but adheres to internationalism and territoriality.

Questioning Russian settler colonialism: resettlement strategies and indigenous agency in the post-imperial Sakha (Yakut) region

ABSTRACT This article explores how indigenous Sakha intellectuals responded to Russian colonialism during a period of transformation in the Sakha (Yakut) region. It examines the impact of penal and resource colonialism in the late nineteenth century, the response of local intellectuals to potential settler colonialism in the early twentieth century, and their efforts to transition the Sakha population from nomadism to more sedentary or mixed lifestyles. Sakha intellectuals not only challenged Russian settler colonialism, but also appropriated its discourse, arguing for the designation of the Sakha as a sedentary community in the early Soviet period. They sought to counter imperialist representations of the Sakha as ‘backward' while asserting indigenous agency in shaping regional development. By resisting and reframing colonial practices, these intellectuals became key actors in the socio-political transformation of Yakutia during the late Russian Empire and early Soviet Union. The article focuses on how sedentarization facilitated this transformation, revealing the complexity of colonial dynamics in early Soviet Yakutia.

Українська економічна думка у світовій економічній науці кінця XIX – початку XX ст.: генеза, теоретичні колізії та практична концептуалізація

The purpose of this article is to reveal the heritage of Ukrainian economic thought, which in the second half of the 19th – at the beginning of the 20th century created the foundation of its identity and received world recognition, but was subsequently forgotten for a long period under the pressure of Soviet ideology. The new circumstances of Russian aggression and hybrid attacks with the promotion of narratives about the inferiority of the Ukrainian people and their statehood have prompted this analysis. Our scientists, even in the bosom of the Russian Empire, managed to form an original and highly intellectual theory of economic science with a world recognition, which pioneered not only in scientific developments, but also in terms of the influence on economic policy of the Russian Empire, and practical implementation in European countries. The essence of the study is to display the content of scientific developments by the representatives of Ukrainian economic thought, to substantiate its national identity, and its difference from the Russian one, and to confirm the influence of Ukrainian economists on the development of economic science in the bosom of the Russian Empire. The authors clarify the characteristic features of the establishment of Ukrainian economic thought in the Russian Empire, the general and special study of phenomena and processes, and their connection with economic policy. Highlighted the role and significance of the activities of the representatives of Ukrainian economic thought in the implementation of economic policy, and establishing morality in scientific research. The practical significance of the contribution made to the world economic science by Ukrainian economists in the Russian Empire is largely determined by the relevance of their deep understanding of national identity. For modern economists, it is important to study their scientific heritage, which even today remains a foundation in the development of Ukrainian economic science.

The reconstruction and new role of the defense industry in Central Europe - experiences from the war in Ukraine

This paper presents two major issues. Firstly, the impact of Russian aggression on how security is perceived in Central Europe, and secondly, the importance of changing security policies, with a special focus on the defense industry. Our findings in these areas will permit us to answer the main question of the research - on the reconstruction and new role of the defense industry in Central Europe since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. The arms industry was one of the pillars of the Cold War economic and political system, and was a crucial asset in the blocks’ rivalry. The collapse of the Soviet Union marked the beginning of a structural transformation in Central Europe. Released from the Soviet grip, countries in the region turned to Western institutions and became an important part of them. The year 1989 seemed to close a period of tough historical experience, and the 30 years that followed were a time of peace and growing prosperity. Yet a resurgence of Russian imperialism brought old anxieties back to the surface and ultimately caused Europe’s architecture of security to falter. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 released the demons of the past, and has seriously reoriented politics - not only in Central and Eastern Europe.

European Empires in and Beyond Europe: Charles Aylmer Macartney and Herbert Adolphus Miller on Ethnonationalism and Minority Rights in Central Europe

ABSTRACT This article considers issues of ethnonationalism and minority rights in the immediate aftermath of WW1 when a new League of Nations was set up by the Allied (Entente) Powers. This body managed the end of empire in Europe and the new nation states in territories previously under the German, Austro-Hungarian, Russian, and Ottoman empires, alongside protections for their new minority subjects. This regime of protection was not extended to the minority subjects of Britain, France and Italy while, for its part, the USA and the Soviet Union did not join the League. Nor did the League intervene in the European empires outside Europe, except to re-assign the territories previously held by the defeated combatants. We consider these issues in the context of Central Europe and the role of two significant commentators, Herbert Adolphus Miller and Carlisle Aylmer Macartney, and their different understandings of the role of empire and racial equality.

The Population of Tbilisi as Perceived by Foreign Travellers in the Nineteenth Century

Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, has long been a cultural and poli­tical crossroads between Europe and Asia. Following the establishment of Russian Empire control over Georgia in 1801, Tbilisi underwent a significant transformation in its political function. In this context, the information provided by Europeans regarding the ethno-religious composition of the population of Tbilisi, as observed during their visits to the city in the nineteenth century, is of interest. In order to inv­est­igate the question that has been posed, a variety of sources were consulted, including materials from the archives of the Viennese castle (France), information from travellers' notes and the Parisian press. A comprehensive comparative analysis was conducted to elucidate the ethno-religious composition, social affiliation, customary practices, and occupational distributions within the Tbilisi population. The group of European travellers comprised a diverse cohort of educated individuals. A review of the available evidence indicates that the majority of Tbilisi's population was composed of Armenians and Georgians, with relatively small groups of Muslims, including Tatars and Persians. In the early years of the nineteenth century, Russian military officials and soldiers began to settle in Tbilisi. In the 1920s, Armenians and Germans began to emigrate, prompted by a complex array of factors including military, political, religious, and economic considerations. The accounts of travellers are predominantly constituted by infor­ma­tion gathered in a variety of settings, including streets, markets, cara­vans, and receptions held by local authorities. This material illustrates how the heterogeneous population of Tbilisi, comprising Ossetians, Lezgins, Persians, Circassians, Dagestanis, French, German colonists and numerous other groups, in addition to the multiplicity of langu­ages and costumes, has contributed to the city's distinctive cultural tapestry. While the data collected from travellers is not entirely devoid of subjectivity, this material serves as an invaluable resource for research. In light of the aforementioned evidence, it can be posted that Tbilisi assumed a significant multicultural role throughout the nineteenth cen­t­ury. This was evidenced by the coexistence of representatives of diverse nationalities and religions, which was a defining feature of the city.

Development of the Northern Sea Route as a space for entrepreneurship and trade

Since ancient times, travelers, discoverers, entrepreneurs and traders have sought to find the most rational route from one area of the globe to another. Reducing distances in space means reducing commercial transactions in time, accelerating trade turnover, saving money, and increasing profits. Such circumstances have long stimulated economic participants to search for new transport routes for trade communications. They were looking for the shortest and most convenient routes from European countries to the riches of the countries of the East, India and China. Land and water routes through the regions of the North were developed. The development of northern routes began a long time ago. Already from the 6th–9th centuries, the settlement of the Eastern Slavs in northern Europe took place. From the 8th century, the Slavs began to develop the White Sea region. From the 12th century, the areas of the Kholmogory region were mentioned; Kochi Novgorodians and Pomors already walked along the western parts of the Arctic Ocean. Since the 16th century, the British and Dutch have sought to pave the way to the East through the northern seas, and trade, political and cultural ties between Russia and Western countries have been formed. Trading companies emerged; the British and Dutch, through joint–stock companies, attracted broad masses of people and their capital to colonial policy, which for a long time became the key to effective colonial activity. The Russian Empire and the young Soviet state continued to explore the Northern Sea Route.

Population Dynamics as an Urbanization Factor in the Issyk-Kul Region (on the Example of the Karakol City)

The article examines population dynamics as a key factor in the urbanization of the Issyk-Kul region using the city of Karakol as an example. The stages of development of the city of Karakol in the Issyk-Kul region, population dynamics, its structure and migration, the impact of these factors on the development of urban infrastructure and the socio-economic situation in the region are analyzed. The study begins in the 1860s, when the city was founded by Staff Captain Kulbars as a military and administrative center on the caravan road between the Chu River Valley and Kashgar, a historical region in eastern China under the Russian Empire. Then the impact of the Soviet Union on the city in the 20th century and changes in its structure and development are analyzed. The events after the collapse of the USSR and their impact on the city of Karakol are considered. Statistical analysis has revealed objective processes that cause shifts in the location of production, population settlement, habitat transformation, and urbanization.

"Alatyr" Antithesis to "Latinism": on the Alien Religious Expansion of Schismatics

The article contains a number of little-studied facts about the disgusting variety of Russian skopchestvo, which came to Russia from Greece and Bulgaria. It shows the spread of this religious culture in the 17th-18th centuries across the territory of Simbirsk and other provinces, deprived of the restraining framework of Christian commandments, trampling on the institutions of marriage, family values, morality, etc. The genesis, circumstances of the emergence and reasons for the spread of sectarianism and the Khlyst-skopchestvo process as a whole are shown, fragments of a meeting of the Ethnography Department of the Imperial Russian Geographical Society (1865) are presented, held on the example of the “Alatyr ship” or “Miliutina” faith as an antithesis to “Latinism”. The need to understand universal human values taking into account the skopchestvo ritual sphere of the Middle Volga region in the 17th century is substantiated. and religious dogmas of the past to solve modern problems of spiritual and moral education of the younger generation, the formation of strong social immunity, the formatting of the internal spiritual forces of society that have remained outside the field of vision of society and the scientific community of Russia for the settlement of future regional conflicts.

Media Criticism as a Form of Representation of the Value Orientations of Editorial Staff of a Pre-revolutionary Newspaper (Based on the Material of “Nizhegorodskiy Listok” of the Early 20th Century)

The undertaken research is oriented at studying the media criticism of “Nizhegorodskiy Listok” of the early 20th century, especially presented in the author’s columns of the editor and leading publicists of the newspaper, with the aim to identify the editorial values. New empirical material is introduced into scientifi c circulation: media critical texts published in the author’s columns (“Random Notes” by A. Drobysh-Drobyshevsky, “Literature and Life” by V. Lvov-Rogachevsky, “Journal Notes” by V. Cheshikhin). The relevance of the proposed topic is due to the need to study the axiological vector of a provincial publication in pre-revolutionary Russia, which may be in demand for forming the news agenda and editorial policy of modern regional media. We use the historical-typological method, which is important for the typological characteristics of “Nizhegorodskiy Listok” and the identifi cation of its editorial policy, as well as methods of entire overview and textual analysis, which allow us to draw conclusions about the forms of representation of the value orientations of the studied newspaper. The author comes to the conclusion that the participation of famous writers and publicists (M. Gorky, V. Korolenko, V. Lvov-Rogachevsky, V. Cheshikhin, A. Drobysh-Drobyshevsky) in the newspaper “Nizhegorodskiy Listok” ensured the high level of texts published in it, including media criticism. The use of the author’s columns as a special form of media criticism gave the periodical an opportunity to convey its value orientations to the audience and to polemicize with Nizhny Novgorod press (the newspaper “Volgar”) as well as capital city periodicals. The analysis of the empirical material made it possible to establish that the main editorial values of “Nizhegorodskiy Listok” were: the protection of freedom of speech and the spreading of publicity, the fi ght for the reliability of the delivered information and responsibility for the formation of public opinion. The results of the research can be used in studying of the history of media criticism in pre-revolutionary Russia, as well as the editorial guidelines of other provincial periodicals, including the newspapers of Nizhny Novgorod.

The Stages of Formation of the Institution of Jurors and Its Impact on the Justice System in the Russian Empire from the Time of Catherine II to the Reforms of Alexander II

The Stages of Formation of the Institution of Jurors and Its Impact on the Justice System in the Russian Empire from the Time of Catherine II to the Reforms of Alexander II

Book Forum on Hans Kundnani's Eurowhiteness: Culture, Empire and Race in the European Project

This book forum discusses Hans Kundnani’s pivotal book on “Eurowhiteness” and the role of race in the EU integration project. It includes three reactions from Stefan Auer, Pavel Barša, and Agnes Gagyi, along with Kundnani’s response. Eurowhiteness skillfully reveals what has been obscured by the European Union as a vehicle of “imperial amnesia”. The three reactions and the author’s response continue a polemical discussion on this imperial amnesia, as viewed through different intellectual traditions and regions, including Central and Eastern Europe and anti-colonial perspectives. As a result, the forum uses the book to either deepen the debate on the EU’s civilizationism with new perspectives or expand the Eurowhiteness narrative with new geo-historical contexts and connections. Issues of Russian imperialism in Ukraine, the Israeli war in Gaza, and the economic dimensions of European coloniality are brought to the foreground, particularly when viewed through the imagination and reality of Central (and Eastern) Europe.

Merchants and Technological Progress (A Case Study of the Vologda Governorate during the Second Half of the 19th and Early 20th Centuries)

This article shows, based on a detailed analysis of both archival and published sources (including the periodical “Vologodskie Gubernskie Vedomosti” (‘Vologda Provincial Gazette’)), how Vologda merchants used various technological advancements in their business and daily practices during the second half of the 19th and early 20th centuries. In the Russian Empire, it was the time of rapid science and technology development, with innovations becoming increasingly integrated into everyday life. The merchants of the Vologda Governorate, like those in other regions, were the early adopters of this progress, adjusting and exploiting the changes for their benefit. In the 1850s–1860s, they already actively used machinery and equipment, some imported from England, to facilitate industrial manufacturing and ease commercial operations. In the 1870s–1890s, they opened photography studios and began utilizing telephone communications. During the 1880s, electric lighting made its debut in the Vologda Governorate, which was at a distillery owned by the heirs of the merchant I.A. Pervushin. The emergence of electric theaters in the region is also associated with the efforts of local merchants. In the early 20th century, cinematography flourished, with M.D. Pervushin’s electric theater “Apollo” being one of the best in Vologda. Besides, the merchant class was at the forefront of promoting the use of cars, and among the first seven car owners in Vologda was the merchant D.I. Titov.

Nikolai Fedorovich Grauert – a Councilor of the Kazan City Duma

In Russian historiography, the officials of Tsarist Russia have long been portrayed as refusing progressive ideals and pursuing their personal goals, i.e., as being unconcerned with the public good. However, this perspective on the history of Russian officialdom has led to the neglect of many distinguished individuals who contributed immensely to the public life of their country. Due to their active roles in both local and public self-government of Russian provincial cities and the exceptional impacts they made on the urban well-being of the Russian Empire, there has now been a growing interest in their biographies among researchers. One such individual is Nikolai Fedorovich Grauert, once a prominent public figure in Kazan. He served as a member of the Kazan City Duma and the City Council (from 1897 to 1916), participating in a number of city executive commissions (those related to school, theater, and forestry management). Despite his fruitful work in the public service, N.F. Grauert’s biography has never been specifically addressed. He happened to be involved in the events in October 1905 that took place in Kazan and thus was labeled by the state authorities as a culprit of the Kazan “upheaval.” Here, using archival sources, N.F. Grauert’s biography is reconstructed. His role as the chairman of the City Council’s School Commission for improving the situation with urban education, as well as in expanding the school network to promote universal education in Kazan, is emphasized.

The Development of Housing Infrastructure for the Russian Army during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878

The material conditions in the Russian army during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878 are studied. A focus is placed on adequate housing as a key factor in ensuring and maintaining the psychophysical wellbeing of soldiers throughout military operations. The two main ways of housing troops used by Russia in that period of time are discussed: barracks and camps. The regulations that governed the accommodation of Russian military personnel within the governorates of the Russian Empire and in foreign territories, as well as the requirements for barrack facilities, both constructed and requisitioned, are outlined. The role of the support provided by the Romanian Principality to Russia and the agreements between them is considered. The deployment of the Russian army in the field is examined. Various types of tents are singled out. The level of comfort they offered is assessed. Additionally, measurements of their size and capacity are performed, and the results are compared with modern standards accepted in Russia. The tent provision in the Russian army, including that at different stages of the war, is specified.