Description of the painting Shishkin morning in a pine forest. Painting “Morning in a Pine Forest”: description and history of creation

More than a century Russian empire owned Alaska and the surrounding islands until in 1867 Alexander II ceded these lands to the United States for more than seven million dollars. By alternative version, Alaska was not sold, but leased for a hundred years, but Comrade Khrushchev actually gave it to the Americans in 1957. Moreover, some are convinced that the peninsula is still ours, since the ship on which the gold was transported as payment for the transaction sank.

One way or another, this whole story with Alaska has become clouded over the years. We propose to understand how it happened that part of another continent became part of Russia and why they decided to sell the lands on which 200 million dollars in gold were mined in 30 years after the sale.

Read also: Reports from the New Russia militia today

Turnips and potatoes for you

In 1741, the outstanding Russian explorer of Danish origin, Vitus Bering, crossed the strait between Eurasia and North America (which was later named after him) and became the first person to explore the shores of Alaska. Half a century later, a merchant and part-time navigator, Grigory Shelikhov, arrived there, who accustomed the local population to turnips and potatoes, spread Orthodoxy among the natives, and even founded the agricultural colony “Glory to Russia.” From that time on, Alaska began to belong to the Russian Empire as a pioneer, and its inhabitants unexpectedly became subjects of the emperor.

Indian sabotage

View of the capital of Russian Alaska - Novo-Arkhangelsk.

The Indians, and they can be understood, were unhappy that foreigners had seized power over their lands, and even forced them to eat turnips. They expressed their displeasure by burning down the Mikhailovsky Fortress in 1802, which was founded by the company of Shelikhov and his business partners. Together with the church primary school, shipyard, workshops and arsenal. And three years later they set fire to another Russian stronghold. The natives would never have succeeded in these daring enterprises if they had not been armed by American and British entrepreneurs.

No matter what happens

A lot of money was siphoned out of Alaska: sea otter fur was worth more than gold. But the greed and short-sightedness of the miners led to the fact that already in the 1840s there were practically no valuable animals left on the peninsula. True, by that time oil and gold had been discovered in Alaska. This, paradoxically, became the most important incentive to quickly get rid of these territories. The fact is that American prospectors began to actively arrive in Alaska, and the Russian government was justifiably afraid that American troops would come after them, or, even worse, the British would come. The empire was not ready for war, and giving up Alaska for thanks would have been completely stupid.

Onerous acquisition

The first page of the agreement “on the cession of the Russian North American Colonies to the United States of America.”

The idea to sell Alaska while it was still possible came from the Emperor’s brother, Konstantin Romanov, who served as head of the Russian Naval Staff. Autocrat Alexander II approved this proposal and on May 3, 1867 signed an agreement on the sale of overseas lands to the United States for 7.2 million dollars (at the current exchange rate - approximately 119 million in gold). On average, it turned out to be about four and a half dollars per square kilometer with all the real estate located on it.

In accordance with the procedure, the treaty was submitted to the US Congress. The Committee on Foreign Affairs (you can look at the faces of the members of this committee in the illustration above) expressed doubts about the advisability of such a burdensome acquisition in a situation where the country had just ended Civil War. Nevertheless, the treaty was ratified, and the Stars and Stripes flew over Alaska.

Where is the money, Zin?

Check for the purchase of Alaska. Issued in the name of Eduard Andreevich Stekl.

Baron Eduard Stekl, charge d'affaires of the Russian embassy in Washington, received a check in the amount of 7 million 200 thousand dollars. He took 21 thousand for his work, and distributed 144 thousand as promised bribes to the senators who voted for ratification of the treaty. The rest was sent to London by bank transfer. The gold bars purchased for this amount were transported by sea to St. Petersburg. When converting the currency first into pounds and then into gold, we lost about one and a half million.

But that's not so bad. The ship Orkney, carrying gold bars, sank on its way to the Russian capital. The company that registered the cargo declared itself bankrupt, and the damage was only partially compensated. Meanwhile, a gold rush began on the peninsula, and, as already mentioned, in 30 years gold worth 200 million dollars was mined there.

Russian exploration of America and Alaska

1741 Expedition of V. Bering - A. Chirikov

The discoveries and exploits of these great pioneers are written in detail in the material about. Vitus Bering and Alexey Chirikov on the ships "St. Peter" and "St. Paul" approached the American shores in 1741. For V. Bering, the discovery of America was the last expedition. A. Chirikov and his ship returned safely to Kamchatka. After the return and official reports on the voyages of V. Bering and A. Chirikov, it became clear that reaching the American continent from the east, even across the open sea, was completely possible. And hunting and hunting people rushed to the treasured shores of America.

1742 - 1784 Private industrialists

Small groups of fur traders headed in small ships first to the Aleutian Islands. From the 1740s until the end of the 18th century, more than 40 Russian merchants and companies undertook voyages to the Aleutian Islands and further to the shores of Alaska. The “Aleutian ridge” was a kind of bridge over which the Russians reached from Kamchatka to America on relatively small ships..

In the summer of 1760, industrialist Gavriil Pushkarev set foot on the land, which he mistook for an island. In his report, he called this land an Aleut word Alaska. After wintering on the southwestern coast, G. Pushkarev became the first Russian settler on the American continent.

1784 first Russian settlement. Expedition of G. Shelekhov

On August 3, 1784, a Russian expedition approached the southern shores of Alaska on three ships (galiots) - “St. Simeon", "St. Michael" and "Three Saints". The expedition was led by the industrialist and founder of the North-Eastern Company Grigory Ivanovich Shelekhov (1747-1795). The goal was serious - to settle on the American coast. Kodiak Island was chosen as an outpost on the American coast.

The island was chosen as a base for security reasons. Hostile Indians lived on the mainland. Having conquered and partially exterminated the indigenous inhabitants of Kodiak, they began to settle. From here, Russian expansion to the mainland began to develop.

G. I. Shelekhov founded the North-Eastern Company in 1791, which in 1799 was transformed into the famous Russian-American Company. For more than half a century, the company monopolized all Russian affairs and represented Russian interests in the north-west of the American continent. The history of RAC itself is very interesting and even action-packed; it represents a separate topic in the spirit of the works of D.N. Mamin-Sibiryak.

The initiator of the creation of the Russian-American company itself and its supreme ruler was Nikolai Petrovich Rezanov (1764 - 1807) - a nosy Freemason, ex-official of the St. Petersburg Treasury Chamber, the Military Collegium, the Admiralty Collegium, the Cabinet of Her Imperial Majesty, court chamberlain, chief prosecutor of the Senate , active state councilor, and part-time father of G.I.’s wife. Shelekhova.

1791 Russians landed in southern Alaska, in Cook Inlet

In 1791, the galliot “St. George” arrived in Cook Inlet, in southern Alaska, with an expedition equipped and organized by the industrialist P. Lebedev-Lastochkin. On the shore of the bay, the Nikolaevsky redoubt was founded - now the city of Kenai. It got its name from Kenai Bay - this is how the Russians called Cook Bay and the Kenai Peninsula, after the name of the local Kenai Indian tribe. The following year, 1792, the Lebedevites founded a settlement far from the coast, on the largest lake in Alaska - Lake Iliamna. They also equipped a reconnaissance expedition led by Vasily Ivanov to the Yukon River.

The company of Pavel Lebedev-Lastochkin ceased to exist in 1798 due to the organization of the Russian-American Company by the heirs of G. Shelekhov, from participation in which Lebedev-Lastochkin abstained and curtailed all his American endeavors. The main reason His “defeat” was that, unlike G. Shelekhov, he himself did not go on expeditions, but only organized and sponsored them. His “advanced leaders” - the leaders of the detachments and ships - quarreled among themselves, and he could not effectively control them.

But G. Shelekhov was lucky with the manager. Back in 1790, he invited to the service Alexandra Baranova, who for 28 years brilliantly managed all the affairs of his company in Russian America and became a real legend of those places.

1799 base St. Michael's Fortress / Sitca

A. Baranov in 1799 founded the Mikhailovsky Fortress or Fort of the Archangel Michael on the island (now bearing his name). The village was repeatedly attacked by Indians, was burned to the ground, but was restored again.

1799 creation of the Russian-American Company

The Russian-American company was created on the basis "North-Eastern Company" by Grigory Shelikhov. Despite the presence of the word “American” in the title, there were no Americans in it. The name reflected the geography of interests. The company was essentially a public-private partnership. The largest shareholders of the company were “persons close to the emperor,” and later even Tsar Alexander I was personally among the shareholders.

CANCER was not at all unique in the world. The Dutch and English East India Companies were built on the same principle. Please note - correct Russian-American, not Russian-American. This is how it was originally intended.

1808 Novoarkhangelsk becomes the capital of Russian America

Since 1808, the city of Novoarkhangelsk, the former Mikhailovsky Fortress, has become the capital of Russian America. The founder of the city and the permanent leader of all Russian America for more than a quarter of a century was Alexander Andreevich Baranov.

Novoarkhangelsk

In Alaska, his name is one of the most revered. From Russian state awarded a personalized gold medal - the first representative of the non-noble class.

1812 Fort Ross

On September 29, 1808, two ships, the Kodiak under the command of navigator Petrov and the Nikolai under the command of navigator Bulygin, belonging to the Russian-American Company, left the bay of Novoarkhangelsk (Alaska).

Led the expedition Ivan Kuskov(1765-1823), located on the Kodiak. The task was set - to find appropriate place on the Californian coast to build a fort. If such a place is discovered, land and begin construction. In 1809, a convenient bay was discovered sixty miles north of San Francisco. To the north of the bay flowed a river without a name, which I. Kuskov called Slavyanka. Now it's Russian River. The outpost in the south was urgently needed by the Russians as a potential source of food. In the Novoarkhangelsk area, cereals simply did not grow, that is, bread had to be imported from Russia, which was extremely burdensome.

400 hectares of land for a bag of beads...

Kuskov bought the site for a future settlement with an area of ​​1000 acres (~400 hectares) of land from local Indians for a bag of glass beads, several pairs of trousers, 2 axes and 3 blankets! A copper plate was buried in the ground indicating that this was Russian territory. At the end of 1809, Kuskov returned to Novoarkhangelsk. Having thoroughly prepared, he returned to Fort Ross in 1812, bringing with him carpenters, shipbuilders, blacksmiths and other specialists. The first walls of the fort were erected on March 15, 1812. Grand opening settlement occurred on September 11, 1812.

1842-1844 expedition of L. Zagoskin to the interior of Alaska

Lavrentiy Alekseevich Zagoskin (1808-1890), explored the interior territories of Alaska, the Yukon River basin, mountain ranges, overcoming a total of lies more than five thousand miles. The result of his research was the major work “Pedestrian inventory of part of Russian possessions in America, produced in 1842–44.” This book has been the definitive work on Alaskan exploration for over a hundred years.

Yukon River, length 3100 km / marked yellow /

1867 sale of Russian America to the USA

In 1867, Russian possessions in America were sold to the United States for $7,200,000, which was equal to 11 million rubles. On October 18, a ceremony was held on the territory of the residence of Russian America in Novoarkhangelsk to transfer Alaska to the United States. Nowadays Novoarkhangelsk is called Sitka.

For your information:

In the year of Alaska's sale, an ounce of gold cost $20.65 (this rate remained long years as the gold standard). Thus, Alaska was sold for 7200000/20.65 = 348668000 ounces = 10,500,000 grams = 10.5 tons of gold.

Back in the early 1800s, Russians exported on average more than 60,000 fur animal pelts from North America annually for a total amount of more than 700,000 rubles in banknotes (~ $ 133,000).

The Alaska Selling Paradox

When one of the participants in the famous deal for the sale of Alaska from the American side, Secretary of State William Stewart “bought” Alaska for the United States, he was accused of abuse of power, suspected of selfish interests and he was forced to resign. Newspapers called Alaska “Sewart's Freezer,” “Icebergia,” etc. Over the course of 70 years (approximately the same period that the Russians developed these territories), the new owners exported $300,000,000 worth of furs from Alaska and California. Z and throughout the entire period of gold mining in Alaska, more than 900 tons of gold, which at pre-1934 prices is about $600 million.

The second paradox of the sale of Russian possessions in America

The fact is that there is no reliable information that the indicated amount of $7,200,000 reached the Russian treasury. This money either did not exist at all and the deal was a fiction, or it was all stolen by a narrow circle of people who knew about the deal, both on our and the American side.

Russian travelers and pioneers

Again travelers of the era of the greats Geographical Discoveries

Capital of Alaska (state administrative center): Juneau
Official name: State of Alaska (AK)

Most Big City: Anchorage

Other major cities:
Kodiak Fairbanks, College, Barrow, Homer, Seward, Cordova.
State nicknames: The Last Frontier
State motto: North to the Future
State formation date: 1959 (49th in order)


The name of the state of Alaska comes from the language of the indigenous inhabitants of the Aleutian Islands - the Aleuts. "Alaska" is a corruption of the Aleut word Alakshak, meaning " big land"(or "that which blocks the sea", "peninsula").

Alaska is the largest US state in terms of territory, on the northwestern edge of North America. Includes the peninsula of the same name, the Aleutian Islands, a narrow strip of the Pacific coast along with the islands of the Alexander Archipelago along western Canada and the continental part.

In the west, Alaska borders the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug Russian Federation along the Bering Strait, in the east the state borders with Canada. The state has access to two oceans, the Arctic and Pacific oceans.

State Population

Although the state is one of the least populous in the country, many new residents moved here in the 1970s, attracted by jobs in the oil industry and transportation, and in the 1980s the population grew by more than 36 percent.

The largest ethnic (national) groups among the population of the state of Alaska

• Germans - about 20%
• Irish - about 13%
• English - about 11%
• Norwegians - about 4.5%
• French - about 3.5%
• Scots - about 3%

Alaska has the highest percentage of indigenous people in the United States ethnic groups among the population. Eskimos, Aleuts, Inuipaks and many other peoples live here.

State History

The oldest settlers of the lands of Alaska are the Eskimo and Aleut tribes. The first Europeans to visit Alaska were the Russian crew of the ship “St. Gabriel” on August 21, 1732, under the leadership of M. S. Gvozdev and navigator I. Fedorov. Between 1799 and 1867, Alaska was administered by the Russian-American Company.

The lands of Alaska became part of the United States in 1867, when the Russian Empire sold this coast to the Union of American States. On the American side, this purchase and sale agreement was signed by Secretary of the Senate William H. Seward. Under this treaty, the United States paid $7.2 million for Alaskan lands.

At the end of the 19th century, gold was discovered in Alaska, which gave rise to the famous “gold rush”, and the word Klondike became a household word. A gold rush swept the continent, and thousands of thousands of prospectors flocked to Alaska, hoping to find gold on these lands and get rich. After a few years, the excitement subsided, but the people who had settled on these lands by that time did not leave Alaska.

From 1940 to 1950, a huge influx of foreign immigrants to the lands of Alaska contributed to the industrial revival and development of these lands. On January 3, 1959, Alaska became part of the United States as an independent state - the 49th state.

State attractions

Signing of the agreement on the sale of Alaska.

Alaska is a land of primeval, wild beauty of Nature. Rugged by fiords, and soaring up to the clouds with the enchanting beauty of snowy mountains.

The highest point in North America is Mount McKinley in Alaska.

Redout Volcano is active volcano Alaska.

Eruption


Alaska is a kingdom of natural contrasts: piercing winds and scorching sun, rain and snow, heat and cold. Alaska is a land that is still subject to global tectonic changes in the landscape.


Northern lights over the town of Circle (Alaska)


Denali National Park


The largest city is Anchorage<


Juneau, the current capital of Alaska, is rightfully recognized as the most original of all 50 state capitals.


St. Nicholas Church in Juneau, the capital of Alaska

Skagway is the capital of the Gold Rush. Skagway is a quiet, well-kept town


Sitka is the former capital of “Russian Alaska.”


USA, Alaska, Aurora

■ The Alaska flag was created by a 13-year-old boy.
■ The first settlement in Alaska was established on Kodiak Island in 1784 by Russian fur traders and whalers.
■ Alaska was sold to the United States in 1867 for just over $100 million in today's dollars. 30 years after the sale, gold deposits were discovered there and the famous “gold rush” began, and in the 20th century large oil and gas deposits were discovered with total reserves worth 100-180 billion dollars.
■ At the same time, New York State was purchasing a courthouse that was more expensive than Alaska. And at the current exchange rate, Alaska was sold for about $4 per hectare with all buildings and subsoil.

Funny Alaska Laws

■ It is illegal to give alcoholic beverages to elk in Fairbanks.
■ While it is legal to shoot bears, it is illegal to wake them for the purpose of photographing them.
■ You cannot view moose from an airplane.
■ It is a crime if you push a live moose out of an airplane.
And for lovers of the mysteries of history, I am posting this article.

E.P.TOLMACHEV

The Alaska we lost
“The editors have received several letters from their readers in America. Here they are:

Hello!
Many Americans ask me about the sale of Alaska, and when I say that Alaska was loaned for 100 years and was not returned to Russia, they are all indignant. When I was still studying at the pedagogical institute, a history teacher told us that there are documents confirming the fact of the lease of Alaska. I myself have not seen any documents. I looked around here in America, and all I could find was the announcement of the American president about the purchase of Alaska. Where is the truth? Did Tsar Alexander sell or lease Alaska?
Maybe one of your authors will find time to answer this question? Believe me, I’ve been trying to find the answer myself for days, but I can’t find any Russian sources.
Thank you in advance, Oksana Shiel, USA.

...I asked a question in an Internet conference attended by approximately 1.5 thousand or so people, in one way or another connected with partners from the former Soviet Union... Only 25 considered it possible to answer this question and one third of them seriously believe that Alaska was leased.
From a letter to the editor by Richard L. Williams, USA.
We turned to Doctor of Historical Sciences E.P. Tolmachev with a request to tell the story of the sale of Alaska and received his kind consent.

Editorial

It has been noted more than once that the discovery and development of America was not a one-time event, but represented a long-term and complex process.
As Academician N.N. Bolkhovitinov rightly noted, the American continent was discovered and explored by representatives of different countries and peoples, just as outer space is now being studied through international efforts. It is no coincidence that New England, New Spain, New France once existed on the territory of North America... Our country has the honor of discovering this continent from the East, from Asia.
As a result of numerous voyages of Russian sailors, explorers, and entrepreneurs, in the 18th century, Asia “came together” with America and constant and strong contacts were established between the two continents. Russia has become not only a European and Asian power, but, to some extent, also an American power. The term “Russian America” appeared and subsequently won citizenship rights, which united Alaska, part of Northern California, and the Aleutian Islands.

G.I. Shelikhov

The first Russian settlement in North America was founded by merchant-entrepreneur G.I. Shelikhov in 1784 on Kodiak Island. The administrative center of Russian settlements in America became Novo-Arkhangelsk, founded in 1799, receiving this name in 1804, and later renamed Sitka.
On July 8, 1799, by decree of Paul I, “under the highest patronage,” a trade association, the Russian-American Company (RAC), was created for the development of Russian lands in America and on the adjacent islands. One of its founders and first directors was N.P. Rezanov. With the support of the Russian government, the company founded many settlements and took an active part in the development of Sakhalin and the Amur region. She organized 25 expeditions (15 around the world; the most famous and largest - I.F. Kruzenshtern and Yu.F. Lisyansky), and carried out significant research work in Alaska. The company's activities were generally dual in nature. Predatory fur trade and, at the same time, promoting the introduction of arable farming, cattle breeding and gardening in a number of areas.
From the beginning of the 19th century. The activities of the Russian-American Company were complicated by the struggle with British and American entrepreneurs who were arming the natives to fight against the Russians and seeking to eliminate Russian settlements in America.
The Russian-American Convention, adopted on April 5, 1824 in St. Petersburg, established the boundaries of Russian settlements and industries. The Russians pledged not to settle to the South, and the Americans - to the North of parallel 54 about 40′ N. In an effort to maintain friendly relations with the United States, St. Petersburg made concessions: fishing and sailing along the American coast in the Pacific Ocean were declared open to ships of both countries for 10 years.
N.P.Reza

The convention caused obvious dissatisfaction among the management of the Russian-American Company. The Americans greeted the conclusion of the Convention with satisfaction. However, the ruling circles of America and the developing bourgeoisie did not stop their expansionist policies in the North Pacific, which was ultimately one of the reasons for Russia’s sale of Alaska in 1867.
A similar convention was signed with England on February 28, 1825: it defined the southern borders of Russian possessions on the same parallel.
It is believed that both conventions meant unilateral concessions on the part of Russia and the beginning of its retreat from North America.
Exacerbation of Russian-English relations

During the Crimean War, the US government, taking advantage of the worsening Russian-British relations in the Middle East, offered Russia to buy Alaska from it. Petersburg rejected this proposal. As the modern historian V.N. Ponomarev notes, the alarm of the RAC administration and the Americans, inspired by different motives, was a prerequisite for the emergence of a fictitious agreement on the sale of Russian America. The text of the document stated that it was signed on May 19, 1854 on behalf of the RAC by P.S. Kostromitinov, who, while holding the post of Russian vice-consul in San Francisco, was also an agent of this company; and on the other side, the document was signed by a representative of the Californian American-Russian Trading Company (ARTK) A. McPherson. In accordance with the agreement, the first party (i.e., RAC) ceded to the second (ATRC) all its property, fields and privileges in North America for a period of three years. The second party, in turn, was obliged to pay the first party 7 million 600 thousand dollars. It is interesting that this amount almost coincides with the one (7 million 200 thousand) for which Russian America was sold in 1867.
The purpose of the fictitious treaty was to force the British to abandon their attack on the territory of Russian possessions. In the event of an attack, a new conflict would inevitably arise between England and the United States, which, given the already tense Anglo-American relations, was undesirable for Albion. According to the authors, and primarily Kostromitinov, it should have come into force only in case of emergency.
The idea of ​​a possible sale of Russian America to the United States after the end of the Crimean War was further developed.

Russian Envoy to Washington E.A. Stekl
The main supporter of the sale of Alaska was the head of the Naval Ministry, Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich, who sent a special letter on this matter to the Minister of Foreign Affairs A.M. Gorchakov in the spring of 1857. The Grand Duke's proposal was later supported by Admiral E.V. Putyatin, Captain 1st Rank I.A. Shestakov and the Russian envoy in Washington E.A. Stekl.
Although the US government considered this purchase to be very profitable, it offered only $5 million for Russian possessions, which, according to A.M. Gorchakov, did not reflect “the true value of our colonies.”
The American Civil War, which began in April 1861, delayed the development of negotiations on this issue. The sympathies of the Russian government and public were on the side of the North, which fought for the abolition of slavery.
In 1862, the French government invited England and Russia to implement diplomatic intervention in the struggle between North and South on the side of the southerners. Alexander II refused this, which prevented the European powers from entering the civil war. The Emperor remembered well how during the Crimean War the United States openly declared its friendly relations with Russia. At the same time, they revived trade, supplying weapons and equipment to the warring army. In addition, the United States reported on the progress of enemy ships and was even ready to send volunteers.
In an atmosphere of political excitement raised in 1863 by France, England and Austria around the Polish issue, the Russian government, in agreement with the US government, took retaliatory steps.
Two squadrons were sent to US territorial waters: the squadron of Rear Admiral S.S. Lesovsky (3 frigates, 2 corvettes and 3 clippers) arrived in New York in July 1863, and the squadron of Rear Admiral A.A. Popov ( 5 corvettes and 4 clippers) in October 1863 - in San Francisco.
Military operations and maneuvers
In the event of a war with Great Britain and France, the Russian fleet was supposed to protect the coast of the United States from possible enemy attacks and strike at its distant communications and colonies. The unexpected appearance of Russian ships off the coast of the United States, enthusiastically greeted by the Americans, had a great political resonance. There was no end to receptions, balls and parades in honor of the Russian Navy. In mid-September 1863, the “first lady” of America, Mary Todd-Lincoln, arrived in New York to visit the admiral’s flagship. She was solemnly greeted by Russian sailors and a military band, who performed the US anthem and “God Save the Tsar.” All American newspapers wrote about this celebration. Russian ships provided moral support to the federal government, promoted Russian-American rapprochement and forced Great Britain and France to change their position. The Russian squadrons, united in April 1864 in New York, were recalled when northern troops broke the resistance of the Confederacy of the South, and in July 1864 they left the shores of North America.
It should be noted that Russians, Ukrainians and Poles who emigrated from Russia to the USA fought in the army of the North. Former Colonel of the General Staff I.V. Turchaninov, who moved to America after the Crimean War, commanded a regiment of Illinois volunteers. On June 17, 1862, by decision of President Lincoln, he was awarded the rank of brigadier general.
US Unity
The failure of Anglo-French intervention plans and Russia's friendly position contributed to the victory of the North over the South and the restoration of US unity.
During the war, Secretary of State W. Seward reported to St. Petersburg that “the President expressed satisfaction with the reasonable, fair and friendly course” pursued by the Russian government. And his Russian counterpart, Gorchakov, at the end of the Civil War, especially noted the importance of restoring “the ancient union that constituted the strength and prosperity of the American Republic.”
The revival of the idea of ​​selling Russian possessions in North America could not but be facilitated by the end of the American Civil War and the friendly visit of the American squadron led by Assistant Secretary of the Navy G.V. Fox to Russia in the summer of 1866.

Start of a new relationship
The immediate reason for the resumption of discussions about the fate of Russian America was the arrival of the Russian envoy in Washington, E. A. Stekl, to St. Petersburg. Having left the United States in October 1866, he remained in the capital until the beginning of the next year, 1867, where he had meetings with such key figures as Grand Duke Konstantin, Foreign Minister Gorchakov and Finance Minister Reutern.
On December 16, 1866, a “special meeting” was held in the front office of the Russian Foreign Ministry on Palace Square with the personal participation of Alexander II. The meeting was also attended by V.K. Konstantin, Gorchakov, Reitern, Krabbe (manager of the Naval Ministry) and Stekl. All participants spoke in favor of the sale of Russian colonies in North America to the United States, and interested departments were instructed to prepare their considerations for the envoy in Washington.
Several reasons contributed to the Russian government's decision. Russia hoped that by selling Alaska it would support a “close alliance” with the United States and delay anything “that could give rise to disagreement between the two great powers.” This deal created a counterweight to England in the United States in the Pacific. The purchase of Alaska gave the United States the opportunity to weaken the position of the Canadian Hudson's Bay Company and squeeze British Columbia between its possessions.
K. Marx wrote on March 27, 1867 to F. Engels that by selling Alaska the Russians would “make a mess” for the British in the USA. US relations with England were strained at that time due to the support that London provided to the southerners during the Civil War.
Taking over Alaska?
Petersburg feared the capture of Alaska by England and, moreover, was unable to protect Russian possessions in America from North American fur traders and smugglers. In addition, the sale of Alaska was conditioned by the unsatisfactory state of affairs in the RAC, the existence of which had to be supported by “artificial measures and monetary donations from the treasury.” The main attention, it was believed, should be focused on “the successful development of the Amur region, where Russia’s future lies in the Far East.”
Returning to Washington in March 1867, Steckl reminded Secretary of State Seward "of proposals which have been made in the past for the sale of our colonies" and stated that the Russian government was now "disposed to enter into negotiations."
The agreement on the sale of Alaska (Russian America) by Russia to the United States was signed on March 18, 1867 in Washington by Secretary of State Seward and Russian envoy Steckl. According to the agreement, the United States acquired Alaska with the nearby Aleutian Islands from Russia for a small amount - 7 million 200 thousand dollars (11 million rubles), receiving a territory of 1519 thousand square meters. km, on the development of which the Russian people spent a lot of effort and money over the course of 126 years. In 1959, Alaska became the 49th US state.
Twenty-five thousand dollars were granted by the king to the envoy. More than one hundred thousand dollars were written off by St. Petersburg under a secret expense item “for matters known to the emperor.” (Glass had to bribe editors for newspaper endorsements and politicians for speeches in Congress.)
On May 3, 1867, the treaty was ratified by Alexander II. On June 8 of the same year, the instruments of ratification were exchanged in Washington.
Russian society did not immediately understand the essence of the deal. The Golos newspaper, which had a reputation for officialdom, was indignant: “Should foreigners really take advantage of the works of Shelikhov, Baranov, Khlebnikov and other selfless people for Russia and reap the fruits for their own benefit?” Some US politicians also reacted ambiguously to the purchase of Russian America. Most newspapers launched a “mad campaign” against the treaty, considering the areas of Alaska wild and unfit for anything, a zoo for polar bears.”
Alaska transfer
The official ceremony of transferring Alaska to the United States took place in Novo-Arkhangelsk on October 6, 1867. An American military detachment (250 people) led by General L. Russo and Russian soldiers lined up on the square in front of the residence of the Chief Ruler of Russian America, Prince D.P. Maksutov ( 100 people) under the command of captain A.I. Peschurov. After the announcement of the US treaty with Russia and a 42-shot salute, the Russian flag was lowered and the American Stars and Stripes was raised.
The acquisition of Russian America strengthened the US position in the northeastern Pacific, greatly facilitating its further expansion in this region.
But the saddest thing in this whole story is that the money for Alaska never made it to Russia. A significant portion of the $7.2 million was paid in gold, which was loaded onto the ship Orkney, which set course for St. Petersburg. In the Baltic Sea, a group of conspirators tried to seize gold, but failed. And for some reason the ship sank along with its precious cargo... "

“Three Bears” is a painting so called by the common people; it has the official title - “Morning in a Pine Forest”. The canvas was painted in oil in 1889, its dimensions are 139 x 213 (quite large), it is stored in the State Tretyakov Gallery. The signature under the picture is only Ivan Shishkin.

The most replicated painting

The official title is more consistent with the painting itself, since there are four bears on the canvas, not three. But there is no person on the territory of the CIS who does not know this work, and precisely under the name “Three Bears”. The picture is incredibly popular; it can be argued that, in modern terms, this is the most promoted picture. This was facilitated by candy wrappers of the most popular and delicious candies in Soviet times, tablecloths, bedspreads and wall rugs repeating the plot. And it is the bears depicted in the foreground that enjoy fame among wide sections of the population, and the beautifully depicted morning forest serves as a backdrop.

Not a very successful collaboration

And the bears were painted by another artist - Konstantin Apollonovich Savitsky (1844 - 1905), genre painter, academician, friend of Shishkin. Savitsky convinced Shishkin that the picture lacked dynamics, and the animals in the foreground would fill the gap. Art critics write that Shishkin was not successful with bears, but Savitsky, on the contrary. And, indeed, the clubfoot turned out so well that, by mutual consent, the friends put their signatures under the picture. But Tretyakov and Savitsky had some friction at that time, and when buying a painting for his gallery, he demanded that Savitsky’s signature be removed. Obviously, the collector’s desire was the law, and only Shishkin’s signature remained, and he received the fee alone and probably did not share it with the co-author, because they stopped being friends.

Island covered with pine trees

This is the “wrong side” of the “Three Bears” canvas. The picture is so beautiful, calm, blissful. Of course, Tretyakov was a connoisseur and fine connoisseur of painting, and the forest, depicted by an unsurpassed master, was of true value to the buyer, but the bears were not even liked. And experts are delighted with the landscape spied by Shishkin on the island of Gorodomlya (Lake Seliger), brilliantly transferred to the canvas.

Popularly known as “The Three Bears,” the painting truly wonderfully conveys the state of nature. At first glance it is clear that it is morning. The fog pierced by the rays of the rising sun is amazingly depicted.

Queen of Landscapes

The brilliant landscape painter, in love with Shishkin, very often painted pine trees. Different, at any time of the year, illuminated by the sun and covered with snow, they are beautiful.

The smallest needles are visible on his canvases, the roughness of the bark is felt, it seems that the pine smell comes from the paintings of Ivan Ivanovich. “Three Bears” - depicting the wilderness of the forest. It seems that you can hear the crackling of the trunks of centuries-old pines, and how you feel the depth of the cliff located behind the right bear cub. And the infinity of the forest is depicted brilliantly. And the fog, still blue at the edges, already illuminated by the sun in the center. And the bear cub drawn on the right seems to have admired the beautiful morning. And nature has not yet fully woken up, and the morning cool is blowing. A work of genius, a masterpiece. Maybe he didn't need dynamics.

The result is complete harmony

To be fair, it must be said that the bears do not spoil the canvas in any way; they fit into it very well. The painting “Three Bears”, described above, is very organic, and it is impossible to imagine it without these good-natured representatives of wildlife. Perhaps the complacency emanating from a mother bear with three cubs is explained by the absence of a person nearby. And this peace of animals also emphasizes the depth of the forest. “...And the fresh moss is crushed under the paws, the dry branches are cracking under the weight...” - the poet’s wonderful words about the painting. Morning, silence, harmony in the plant and animal world, in nature in general - the picture has a very calming effect: “... and just look at this beauty, and I know that it will save, warm!”

And Konstantin Savitsky. Savitsky painted bears, but the collector Pavel Tretyakov erased his signature, so Shishkin is often indicated as the author of the painting.

The painting is popular due to the compositional inclusion of animalistic elements in the landscape canvas. The painting conveys in detail the state of nature seen by the artist on the island of Gorodomlya. What is shown is not a dense dense forest, but sunlight breaking through the columns of tall trees. You can feel the depth of the ravines, the power of centuries-old trees, the sunlight seems to timidly peek into this dense forest. The frolicking cubs feel the approach of morning.

Encyclopedic YouTube

1 / 3

✪ Morning in a pine forest, Shishkin - review of the painting

✪ Morning in a pine forest - Shishkin - Our art gallery!

✪ Learning to write an essay Part 4 The story of one painting “Morning in a pine forest”

Subtitles

Story

The idea for the painting was suggested to Shishkin by Savitsky, who later acted as a co-author and depicted the figures of the bear cubs. These bears, with some differences in poses and numbers (at first there were two of them), appear in the preparatory drawings and sketches. Savitsky turned out the animals so well that he even signed the painting together with Shishkin. Savitsky himself told his family: “The painting was sold for 4 thousand, and I am a participant in the 4th share.”

Having acquired the painting, Tretyakov removed Savitsky’s signature, leaving the authorship behind Shishkin, because in the painting, Tretyakov said, “from the concept to the execution, everything speaks about the manner of painting, about the creative method peculiar to Shishkin.”

Reviews from critics

In the inventory of the gallery, initially (during the lives of the artists Shishkin and Savitsky), the painting was listed under the title “Bear Family in the Forest” (and without indicating Savitsky’s surname).

Russian prose writer and publicist V. M. Mikheev wrote the following words in 1894:

Look into this gray fog of the forest distance, into the “Bear Family in the Forest”... and you will understand what kind of forest expert, what a strong objective artist you are dealing with. And if something in his paintings interferes with the integrity of your impression, then it won’t be the details of the forest, but, for example, the figures of bears, the interpretation of which makes you want a lot and spoils a lot of the overall picture where the artist placed them. Obviously, the master forest specialist is not nearly as good at depicting animals.

"Three Bears"

During the Soviet era, the confectionery factory “Red October” produced the “Bear-Toed Bear” candies, and the picture on the candy wrapper was generally taken from the painting “Morning in a Pine Forest”. At the same time, Red October produced Three Bears chocolate, although there were four bears on the label. The candies were popular and received the unofficial name “Three Bears” among the people, then the picture itself began to be called that.

In culture

• In the famous New Year's film “Carnival Night” directed by Eldar Ryazanov, the protagonist of the film Ogurtsov mentions a certain painting “Bears on Vacation” (possibly a reference to this painting).
• In the episode “At a Rest” of the animated series “