Nikolai Petrovich Rezanov, (1764-1807), Russian courtier, designer
of the Russian American Company. Rezanov was one of the determinants in the history of the Pacific; his plans envisaged control of the American west coast and even of Hawaii by
Imperial Russia, and, although his death and other factors curbed his schemes, the impulse they directly gave to the possession of Alaska and the Aleutians by the United States places him in a position of primary significance. His family belonged to the untitled nobility, a class of ancient lineage, but that usually had neither wealth nor land. Rezanov received his entire primary education at the hands of French tutors who swarmed to Russia in answer to the demand. Rezanov acquired facility also in German and English, and had some knowledge of Spanish. He was proficient in music,fancying the violin. His subsequent history would seem to show, and the family influence to make probable, that he prepared for a legal career.
The tea trade with China, on which rested a large part of the economy of Siberia, was carried on through the medium of these furs. Grigorii Shelekhov had planted a permanent colony on Kodiak Island, in the twin hopes of enriching himself and holding the country for Russia. Catherine II had never extended her sway over the North Pacific, despite the discoveries and claims of the Bering Expeditions, and the fact that Russian fur hunters had
ventured as far as the Alaska Peninsula. Her view was that Siberia itself was too unsettled to allow her to expand to foreign shores; in 1769, by decree, she deliberately renounced "all possessions in America." The destruction of the records of the Russian-American Company, on its dissolution in 1863, accounts for our loww of precise information of the manner in which Rezanov, in 1799,finally secured the consent of mad Tsar Paul to the formation of the company.
That it was a masterstroke of diplomacy and a surprise to all is unquestionable. It is perhaps significant that the approval was granted on Rezanov's birthday, June eighth. Events now moved swiftly. A Russian naval officer, Adam Krusenstern, while at Canton, had observed the sale by British and Yankee shipmasters of furs taken along the northern islands, and he had written a letter to the government setting forth his views on the advantage of negotiating the old Chinese treaty anew to allow Russians to trade at Canton, too. Krusenstern was summoned to court, ordered to purchase two of the finest frigates for sale in Europe. The vessels were bought, and renamed the Nadeshda and the Neva .
It would seem, from the facts, that at first Rezanov had harbored no special intention of accompanying the cruise on which the vessels were to be sent.It seems to have been Rezanov's old friend, Count Rumiantzov, now Chancellor of the Empire, who urged him to head the mission that would go with the ships. They would make a world tour, carrying Russian colors around the world for the first time. The peace of Amiens, an interlude in the wars with Napoleon, made this possible. On the way, the vessels would call at many ports, making friends with the local governments. The trade routes that the Company hopes would some day be theirs, would form the course to be followed.As a brilliant climax the tour would end at Japan where Rezanov, as.ambassador plenipotentiary from the.Tsar, would persuade the Mikado to agree to trade with Russia. They sailed August 7, 1803.
Krusenstern had to stop at Copenbagen to lighten the ship by removing some of her stores. Foreign governments everywhere had amiably given the vessels freedom-of-call; stops were made at numerous ports.
They entered Nagasaki Harbor October 8, 1804. The Russians were entirely confident of success. Anchoring in Nagasaki coincided with the observance of Alexander's coronation; there was much festing, drinking, and speechmaking. Perhaps Rezanov counted unduly on his merited reputation for persuading and cajoling. In the fact of the facts of his disastrous failure to secure anything of what he desired, it is forgotten, or seldom observed, that his visit caused much internal dissension in Japan. A minority rebelled against the tight cloture of the country by the Shoguns. The rift was to continue, and contribute eventually to the downfall of the Shogunate. Grudging permission was finally given Rezanov and his suite to live ashore,but the residence turned out to be virtually a cage, and there was a maddening wait of months before permission came for them to see an official of a calibre who could discuss their demands. Rezanov's health suffered. He whiled away the time compiling a Russian-Japanese dictionary. At length the interview with the Shogun was had, but under humiliating circumstances, and the answer was a flat No to everything. It was believed that the laws of Japan, prohibiting intercourse with foreigners, could not be repealed. The final interview the Russians concluded with pointed directions for leaving Nagasaki Harbor safely. The futile mission had taken six months. Rezanov returned to Petropavlovsk on Kamchatka in April 1805, sent the Nadeshda home, and prepared to go on to America to inspect the colonies. With two naval officers, Khvostov and Davidov, navigating, he sailed on the wretched Company brig, «Maria»(depicted on the stamp) , in May 1805. He visited the Pribilofs, Unalaska, and Kodiak. In June he reached Sitka and met the great Baranov. Everywhere, in his journeys about the Pacific, Rezanov had heard the name of Baranov. It was clear that he alone had kept the colonial enterprise together during the previous sixteen years. His determination alone had made the retaking of Sitka possible. When visiting the island, Rezanov learned that scurvy had seized the Sitka garrison. He ordered the construction of the warship "Avos" to begin and bought the schooner "Juno" from Captain John de Wolfe from Bristol, intended for the extraction of food.
One factor in his earlier dreams had been confirmed by his observations,that foreign ports had to be opened to permit adequate food supplies to come
to the colonies. Canton and San Francisco were closed. He determined to visit San Francisco. He sailed on the Juno in March.
Here begins what is usually considered the story of Nikolai Rezanov.
San Francisco, then called Yerba Buena, consisted of little more than a sleepy presidio of some thirty-five soldiers and their families there to guard the Franciscans at the mission, but the Russians did not know this and approached with the utmost caution, and elaborate plans in the event anything went wrong.
In March 1806, the «Juno» and «Avos» moored in San Francisco Bay. Spain was an ally of Napoleon and therefore relations with the Russians were not welcome. But during the six weeks of his stay, Rezanov completely subdued the governor of Upper California, Jose Arillaga, and the commandant of the fortress, Jose Dario Arguello.
Meanwhile, a passion of great intensity sprang up between Rezanov and Conchita (Concepcion), the commandante's daughter. After only six weeks, Rezanov asked for her hand. The betrothal took place, and some of the gifts made by Rezanov to his betrothed on that occasion are still in the possession of descendants of the Arguello family in Los Angeles. In June 1806, after only two months among the Spanish, he departed with a well-fed crew, his new dreams of empire, and his ship's hold stuffed with food for the Sitka garrison. There was, however, peace between Spain and Russia. He had to reach Petersburg while that was still a fact in order to secure his precious permission promptly for his marriage.
At San Francisco, and furthermore he had been warned to beware of Siberia
during the rainy season. N.P. Rezanov returned full of plans and hopes. at the end of 1806 through Siberia to the capital. On the way, he fell seriously ill, stayed for 2 months for a cure in Irkutsk (from November 30, 1806 to February 13, 1807). Before leaving on January 10, 1807, he arranged a reception in the gymnasium building, which was attended by up to 200 guests. On the way to Krasnoyarsk, the disease worsened, a fever began, and Rezanov died in Krasnoyarsk.
Too, in 1812 the Russians established Fort Ross in California, and one of their first visitors was Concepcion's brother. Kuskov, who headed Fort Ross, certainly knew of Rezanov's death. But Conchita’s (Concepcion) reaction is well known. Conchita remained faithful to Rezanov. For a little over a year she went every morning to the cape, sat on the rocks and looked at the ocean. Now at this place is the support of the Golden Gate Bridge. She refused all marriage proposals.
In 1808, she learned of Rezanov's death and decided to leave for a monastery, where she died in 1857, remaining faithful to her lover. She was buried near San Francisco in the cemetery of the Order of the Dominicans. Rezanov represents one of the great might-have-beens in history. It is rather certain that, had he lived and effected his marriage, the history of California would have been quite different, and its eventual taking by the United States a different kind of thing then it was. Certainly there was never again anyone in Petersburg with his energy, his initiative, or his grasp of the problems in the Pacific from Russia's standpoint.
PMR 2019;[P].
Source: http://irkipedia.ru/content/rezanov_nikolay_petrovich. https://collections-dartmouth-edu.trans ... 15-59.html?
REZANOV NIKOLAI PETROVICH
REZANOV NIKOLAI PETROVICH
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