Alexander gave Alaska. Why did Russia sell Alaska to America? How much did the American government pay for Alaska?

Alaska's territory is equal to three times France. This is not only Klondike gold, but also tungsten, platinum, mercury, molybdenum, and coal. And, most importantly, giant oil fields are being developed here, reaching up to eighty-three million tons per year. This represents twenty percent of the total US oil production. For comparison, Kuwait produces about sixty-five and the United Arab Emirates seventy million tons per year.

Many contemporaries mistakenly believe that Alaska was sold by Catherine the Second. But that's not true. A similar statement to some extent became popular among young people after the Lyube group’s song “Don’t be a fool, America.” It says that the empress was wrong to do this to this area. Based on this, young people who do not understand history made a conclusion about who gave Alaska to America.

Geographical location

Today Alaska is the largest in area, forty-ninth. It is the coldest territory in the country. Most of it is dominated by arctic and subarctic climatic zones. The norm here is severe frosty winters, accompanied by strong winds and snow blizzards. The only exception is the part of the Pacific coast, where climatic conditions are moderate and quite suitable for habitation.

Before sale

The history of Alaska (before its transfer to the United States) was associated with the Russian Empire. Back in the eighteenth century, this region belonged undividedly to the Russians. It is unknown when the history of Alaska began - the settlement of this cold and inhospitable land. However, the fact that in ancient times there was a certain connection between Asia does not raise any doubt. And it was carried out along which was covered with an ice crust. People in those days could easily move from one continent to another without much difficulty. The minimum width of the Bering Strait is only eighty-six kilometers. Any more or less experienced hunter could overcome such a distance on a dog sled.

When the Ice Age ended, a warming era began. The ice melted, and the shores of the continents disappeared beyond the horizon. The people who inhabited Asia no longer dared to sail across the icy surface into the unknown. Therefore, starting from the third millennium BC, Indians began to explore Alaska. Their tribes from the territory of what is now California moved north, adhering to the Pacific coast. Gradually the Indians reached the Aleutian Islands, where they settled.

Russian exploration of Alaska

Meanwhile, the Russian Empire began to rapidly expand its eastern borders. In the meantime, flotillas from European countries were constantly plowing the oceans and seas, looking for places for new colonies, the Russians were exploring the Urals and Siberia, the Far East and the lands of the Far North. A whole galaxy of strong and courageous people set off on ships not to tropical waters, but towards the ice of the harsh north. The most famous leaders of the expeditions were Semyon Dezhnev and Fedot Popov, and Alexey Chirikov. It was they who opened this land to the rest of the civilized world in 1732 - long before Russia gave Alaska to America. The specified date is considered official.

But it’s one thing to open, and another to develop new land. The very first Russian settlements in Alaska appeared only in the eighties of the eighteenth century. People were engaged in hunting and commerce: hunters caught fur-bearing animals, and merchants bought them. Gradually, this unpromised land began to turn into a source of profit, since valuable fur in all centuries was equated with gold.

Unprofitable region

At first, in these northern lands, very rich in fur, the interests of the Russians were jealously guarded. However, the years passed, and the total destruction of the same foxes and sea otters, beavers and minks could not continue indefinitely. Fur production fell sharply. Gradually, the Russian Klondike began to lose its commercial significance. The situation was aggravated by the fact that the vast lands were still practically undeveloped. This was the impetus, the first reason why Russia gave Alaska to America.

Beginning in the late thirties of the eighteenth century, the opinion began to form at the imperial court that Alaska was an unprofitable region. Moreover, the king began to come to the conclusion that, apart from a headache, this land could not bring anything. It was from this moment that the story of the sale of Alaska to America began. Industrialists were sure that investing in these lands was complete madness, since they could not pay off. Russian people will not populate this icy desert, especially since there are Siberia and Altai, and even the Far East, where the climate is much milder and the lands are fertile.

The already difficult situation was aggravated by the Crimean War, which began in 1853, which siphoned huge amounts of money from the state treasury. In addition, Nicholas I died in 1855 and was replaced on the throne by Alexander II. They looked at the new emperor with hope. People expected new reforms. But what reforms are carried out without money?

Forever

When it comes to talking about who gave Alaska to America, for some reason everyone remembers Empress Catherine II. Many are sure that it was she who put her signature on the decree on the transfer of “Russian America” to Britain. Allegedly, the conversation at first was not about selling, but only about renting for a century. They even tell a story that fully confirms that Catherine sold Alaska. As if the empress, who did not know the Russian language well, instructed a trusted person to draw up the agreement. The same one made a mistake with the spelling: instead of writing down “Alaska is given forever,” this person, absent-mindedly, made the entry: “is given forever,” which meant forever. So the answer to the question: "Who gave Alaska to America?" - "Ekaterina!" will be wrong. It is still necessary to study the past of your country more carefully.

Alaska: history

Catherine the Second, according to official history, did nothing of the kind. Under her, these lands were not rented out, much less sold. There were no prerequisites for this. The history of the sale of Alaska began only half a century later, already during the time of Alexander II. It was this emperor who ruled in an era when numerous problems began to emerge, the solution of which required immediate attention.

Of course, this sovereign, who ascended the throne, did not immediately decide to sell the northern lands. A full ten years passed before the issue came to a head. Selling land for the state has always been a very shameful thing. After all, this was evidence of the country’s weakness, its inability to maintain order in its subordinate territories. However, the Russian treasury really needed funds. And when they are not there, all paths are good.

Purchase and sale

However, no one began to shout about it to the whole world. The question of why Russia gave Alaska to America is sensitive and political; it required non-standard solutions. In 1866, a delegate from the Russian imperial court came to Washington and began secret negotiations on the sale of northern lands. The Americans showed complaisance, although the timing for the deal was bad for them too. After all, in the United States the Civil War between the South and the North has barely ended. Therefore, the state treasury was completely depleted.

Ten years after Russia gave Alaska to America, buyers could have been charged five times more, but the Russian court, according to historians, was running out of money. Therefore, the parties agreed on only 7.2 million dollars in gold equivalent. And although at that time it was very decent money, translated into modern terms about two hundred and fifty million dollars, however, everyone who is interested in the question of who gave Alaska to America will agree that these northern territories were worth several orders of magnitude more.

A year later

After the agreement was concluded, the representative of the imperial court returned to Russia. And a year later, an urgent telegram signed by the President of the United States was sent to the one who gave Alaska to America - reigning Alexander II. It contained a business proposal: Russia was loudly asked to sell Alaska to the whole world. But no one knew about the visit of the Russian representative to Washington prior to this telegram. It turned out that it was America that initiated the deal, but not Russia. Thus, diplomatic and political conventions were cunningly preserved by both sides. In the eyes of the whole world, Russia managed not to lose its dignity. And already in March 1867, legal registration of documents was carried out. And from that time on, “Russian Alaska” ceased to exist. It was given the status of an American colony. Later it was renamed a district, and already in 1959 this northern land became the forty-ninth state of the United States.

In justification

Today, having learned who gave Alaska to America, one can, of course, condemn and scold the Russian Emperor Alexander II. However, if you take a closer look at the political and financial situation in Russia in those distant years, a very definite picture emerges, which to some extent justifies his decision.

In 1861, serfdom was finally abolished. Thousands of landowners were left without their peasants, which meant that a considerable class lost their stable source of income. Therefore, the state began to pay compensation to the nobles, which was supposed to somehow cover their material losses. But for the treasury such expenses amounted to tens of millions of royal rubles. And then the Crimean War broke out, and again money flowed from the treasury like a river.

Difficult situation for Russia

In order to somehow reimburse expenses, the royal court borrowed huge sums abroad. Foreign governments gave with great pleasure, because they had countless natural resources. A situation arose in the empire when every extra ruble became a joy, and especially one for which it was not necessary to pay interest on promissory notes.

That's why Catherine, the great Russian empress, has nothing to do with this issue. And there is no point in blaming her, except perhaps that the state has reached complete decline and with her light hand.

Difficulties in selling

Alaska is a distant northern land, constantly bound by eternal ice. It did not bring Russia a single penny. And the whole world knew this very well. And so the imperial court was quite concerned about finding a buyer for this useless region of icy cold. The United States was closest to Alaska. Russia offered them to conclude a deal at their own risk. The American Congress, or rather, many senators, did not immediately agree to such a dubious purchase. The issue was put to a vote. As a result, more than half of the senators voted categorically against the acquisition: the proposal received from the Russian government did not cause any delight among the Americans. And the rest of the world showed absolute indifference to this deal.

Consequences

And in Russia itself, the sale of Alaska went completely unnoticed. Newspapers wrote about this on their last pages. Some Russians did not even know that it existed. Although later, when the richest gold reserves were found on this cold northern land, the whole world began to vie with each other about both Alaska and the sale, ridiculing the stupid and short-sighted Russian emperor.

In serious political and financial matters, the subjunctive mood is unacceptable. None of those who later began to condemn Alexander II ever suggested that such huge deposits of gold could be located in Alaska. But if we look at the deal not from today’s perspective, but from the situation that developed in 1867, then many believe that the Russian emperor did absolutely the right thing. And even more so, the sale of Alaska by Catherine is just an idle fiction that has no basis.

Conclusion

In total, one thousand tons of gold were mined on the lands of the former “Russian America”. Some got fabulously rich from this, and some disappeared forever in this snowy desert. Today, Americans are very inert and somehow uncertain about settling in their inhospitable land. There are practically no roads in Alaska. People reach few settlements either by air or by water. The railway here passes through only five cities. In total, six hundred thousand people live in this state.

In Washington, 150 years ago, an agreement was signed on the sale of Alaska to America by Russia. There have been fierce debates about why this happened and how this event should be treated for many years. During the discussion organized by the Foundation and the Free Historical Society, doctors of historical sciences and Yuri Bulatov tried to answer questions arising in connection with this event. The discussion was moderated by a journalist and historian. publishes excerpts from their speeches.

Alexander Petrov:

150 years ago, Alaska was ceded (that’s what they said then - ceded, not sold) to the United States. During this time, we went through a period of rethinking what happened; different points of view were expressed on both sides of the ocean, sometimes diametrically opposed. Nevertheless, the events of those years continue to excite public consciousness.

Why? There are several points. First of all, a huge territory was sold, which currently occupies key positions in the Asia-Pacific region, largely due to the development of oil and other minerals. But it's important to note that the deal wasn't just about the United States and Russia. It involved such players as England, France, Spain, and various structures of these states.

The procedure for selling Alaska itself took place from December 1866 to March 1867, and the money came later. These funds were used to build railways in the Ryazan direction. Dividends on the shares of the Russian-American Company, which controlled these territories, continued to be paid until 1880.

The origins of this organization, created in 1799, were merchants, and from certain regions - the Vologda and Irkutsk provinces. They organized the company at their own peril and risk. As the song goes, “Don't be a fool, America! Catherine, you were wrong." Catherine II, from the point of view of the merchants Shelekhov and Golikov, was indeed wrong. Shelekhov sent a detailed message in which he asked to approve the monopoly privileges of his company for 20 years and to give an interest-free loan of 200 thousand rubles - huge money for that time. The Empress refused, explaining that her attention was now drawn to the “midday actions” - that is, to today's Crimea, and she was not interested in a monopoly.

But the merchants were very persistent, they somehow ousted their competitors. In fact, Paul I simply fixed the status quo, the formation of a monopoly company, and in 1799 granted it rights and privileges. The merchants sought both the adoption of the flag and the transfer of the main administration from Irkutsk to St. Petersburg. That is, at first it was truly a private enterprise. Subsequently, however, representatives of the navy were increasingly appointed to replace the merchants.

The transfer of Alaska began with the famous letter from Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich, brother of Emperor Alexander II, to the Minister of Foreign Affairs that this territory must be ceded to the United States. Then he did not accept a single amendment and only strengthened his position.

The deal itself was completed secretly from the Russian-American company. After this, the approval of the Governing Senate and the Sovereign Emperor on the Russian side was a pure formality. It’s amazing but true: Konstantin Nikolaevich’s letter was written exactly ten years before the actual sale of Alaska.

Yuri Bulatov:

Today, the sale of Alaska is receiving a lot of attention. In 1997, when Great Britain transferred Hong Kong to China, the systemic opposition decided to promote itself: since Hong Kong was returned, we also need to return Alaska, which was taken from us. We didn’t sell it, but ceded it, and let the Americans pay interest for the use of the territory.

Both scientists and the general public are interested in this topic. Let us remember the song that is often sung on holidays: “Don’t be a fool, America, give away the land of Alaska, give back your dear one.” There are a lot of emotional and interesting publications. Even in 2014, after the annexation of Crimea to Russia, a live broadcast of an interview with our president took place, in which, in light of what happened, he was asked the question: what is the prospect of Russian America? He responded emotionally, saying, why do we need America? No need to get excited.

But the problem is that we lack documents that would allow us to find out what really happened. Yes, there was a special meeting on December 16, 1866, but the phrase “special meeting” always sounds bad in our history. All of them were illegitimate, and their decisions were illegal.

It is necessary to find out the reason for the mysterious sympathy for America of the Romanov dynasty and the secret of the sale of Alaska - there is a secret here too. The document on the sale of this territory stipulated that the entire archive that existed at that time in Russian America would go undividedly to the United States. Apparently, the Americans had something to hide, and they wanted to hedge their bets.

But the sovereign’s word is a golden word, if you decide that you need to sell, then you need to. It was not for nothing that in 1857 Konstantin Nikolaevich sent a letter to Gorchakov. While on duty, the Minister of Foreign Affairs was supposed to report on the letter to Alexander II, although previously he had avoided this issue in every possible way. The emperor wrote on his brother’s message that “this idea is worth considering.”

The arguments that were presented in the letter, I would say, are still dangerous today. For example, Konstantin Nikolaevich was the chairman, and suddenly he makes a discovery, saying that Alaska is very far from the main centers of the Russian Empire. The question arises: why should it be sold? There is Sakhalin, there is Chukotka, there is Kamchatka, but for some reason the choice falls on Russian America.

Second point: The Russian-American company allegedly does not make a profit. This is incorrect, since there are documents that say that there were incomes (maybe not as much as we would like, but there were). The third point: the treasury is empty. Yes, indeed it was so, but 7.2 million dollars did not make a difference. After all, in those days the Russian budget was 500 million rubles, and 7.2 million dollars was a little more than 10 million rubles. Moreover, Russia had a debt of 1.5 billion rubles.

The fourth statement: if some kind of military conflict arises, we will not be able to retain this territory. Here the Grand Duke is being dishonest. In 1854, the Crimean War was fought not only in Crimea, but also in the Baltic and the Far East. In Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, the fleet under the leadership of the future admiral Zavoiko repelled the attack of the joint Anglo-French squadron. In 1863, by order of Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich, two squadrons were sent: one to New York, where they stood in the roadstead, the other to San Francisco. In doing so, we prevented the American Civil War from becoming an international conflict.

The last argument is disarming in its naivety: if we sell it to the Americans, then we will have wonderful relations with them. It was probably better then to sell it to Great Britain, because at that time we did not have a common border with America, and it would have been more profitable to conclude a deal with the British.

Such arguments are not only frivolous, but also criminal. Today, on their basis, any territory could be sold. In the west - the Kaliningrad region, in the east - the Kuril Islands. Far? Far. No profit? No. Is the treasury empty? Empty. There are also questions about retention during a military conflict. The relationship with the buyer will improve, but for how long? The experience of selling Alaska to America has shown that it will not last long.

Alexander Petrov:

There has always been more partnership than conflict between Russia and the United States. It is no coincidence that, for example, historian Norman Saul wrote the work Distant Friends. For a long time after the sale of Alaska, Russia and the United States had practically friendly relations. I wouldn't use the word "rivalry" in relation to Alaska.

As for Konstantin Nikolaevich’s position, I would call it not criminal, but untimely and inexplicable. Criminal is when a person violates certain norms, rules and guidelines that existed in the society of that time. Formally, everything was done correctly. But the way the deal was signed raises questions.

What was the alternative then? Provide opportunities for the Russian-American company to continue operating in the region, allow it to populate this region with immigrants from Siberia and the center of Russia, develop these vast spaces as part of the continuation of the peasant reform, the abolition of serfdom. Whether there would be enough strength for it or not is another matter.

Yuri Bulatov:

I doubt that relations between the two countries were friendly, and this is evidenced by the facts and the speed with which this deal was finalized.

Here is an interesting example: in 1863, Russia signed an agreement with the Americans on the construction of a telegraph through Siberia with access to Russian America. But in February 1867, a month before the deal on the sale of Alaska, the American side canceled this agreement, declaring that they would run a telegraph across the Atlantic. Of course, public opinion reacted extremely negatively to this. For four years the Americans were actually engaged in intelligence activities on our territory, and in February 1867 they suddenly abandoned the project.

Photo: Konrad Wothe / Globallookpress.com

If we take the agreement on the transfer of Alaska, then it is an agreement between the winner and the loser. You read six of his articles, and the wording simply hits your head: America has rights, and Russia must fulfill the specified conditions.

So the top of the Romanov dynasty had mercantile relations with the United States, but not friendly ones. And our society didn’t know what was happening. The Chairman of the Council of Ministers, Prince Gagarin, the Minister of Internal Affairs, Valuev, and the Minister of War, Milyutin, had no idea at all about the deal and learned about all this from the newspapers. Since they were bypassed, it means they would be against it. Relations between the two countries were not friendly.

From this article you will learn who sold Alaska to America, under what conditions and when it happened. Over the years, such an interesting event has become overgrown with myths and speculation. Let's try to figure out what's what.

The sale of Alaska to the Russian Empire took place in 1867. The sale amounted to just over seven million US dollars. Alaska was sold to the North American United States. The area of the territory sold was just over 1,500,000 square kilometers.

The reason Alaska was sold

Naturally, such a sale has its own purpose and reason. The thing is that at the beginning of the nineteenth century, Alaska generated significant income through the fur trade. However, by the middle of this century it turned out that the costs in the future would be much greater than the potential profits. The costs were the banal maintenance and protection of this territory, which, moreover, was very remote.

The very first time, the initiative to sell Alaska was made by N. Muravyov-Amursky, in 1853. This man was the governor-general of Eastern Siberia. In his opinion, such a deal was inevitable. Four years later, Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich, who was the brother of Alexander II, initiated the sale of Alaska. Formally, the proposal came from Eduard Stekl, a famous Russian diplomat.

Negotiations on the sale took place precisely at a time when Great Britain was making claims to this territory. Here is another reason why it was beneficial for the Russian Empire to get rid of Alaska.

The issue of selling Alaska was postponed several times. First they waited for the expiration of the privileges of the RAC (Russian-American Company), then the end of the civil war in the United States. However, on March 18, 1867, President Johnson of the United States of America signed special powers to William Seward. Literally immediately after this, negotiations took place, during which an agreement was agreed upon to purchase Alaska from the Russian Empire for 7 million US dollars.

Direct sale and transfer of Alaska

The signing of the contract itself took place in 1867 on March 30, in the city of Washington. The purchase and sale agreement was signed in the so-called diplomatic languages - French and English. Interestingly, the official text of the agreement simply does not exist in Russian. Under the terms of the treaty, the entire Alaska Peninsula, as well as a 10-mile wide coastal strip south of Alaska, passed to the United States.

Although the Senate of the United States of America doubted the advisability of such a purchase, the majority of members nevertheless supported the deal.

On October 18, 1967, Alaska was officially transferred to America. On the Russian side, the protocol on the transfer of territory was signed by A. A. Peschurov. This man was a special government commissioner, a captain of the second rank. Interestingly, the Gregorian calendar was introduced right on the same day. Thanks to this, Alaskans woke up on October 18th, although they went to bed on October 5th.

So who exactly sold Alaska?

Alaska was sold by Alexander II. That's who sold Alaska to America. The agreement was signed by Eduard Stekl. By the way, as a token of gratitude, Alexander II awarded the Russian diplomat Stekl the Order of the White Eagle, as well as a one-time reward of twenty-five thousand rubles and a pension of six thousand rubles every year.

There are a number of popular myths regarding the sale of Alaska that are not true:

“Alaska was sold by Catherine the Second.” This could not have happened, if only because the agreement was signed in 1867, and Catherine the Second died in 1796;
“Alaska was leased, not sold.” A myth of pure water. After all, there are documents confirming the opposite;
“In Alaska, after some time, a gold deposit was discovered in the Klondike. Thanks to this gold, all expenses of the Americans were reimbursed many times over.” There is no need to even comment on this, since the Klondike is located in Canada.

Alaska once belonged to the Russian Empire. But due to certain circumstances, Russia was forced to sell the territory of Alaska to America. Many people mistakenly assume that Catherine II sold Alaska. This is a false statement that gained popularity due to one popular song, “Don't Be a Fool, America,” by the Lube group. From this article you will find out who gave Alaska to America.

How the deal went

It is well known that in 1867, on October 18, Alaska was officially given to the United States for seven million US dollars. The protocol on the transfer of land to American ownership was signed by Russian Commissioner Peshchurov on board the American ship Ossipee. Immediately on this day, the Gregorian calendar was introduced, which synchronized time with the Western Territory of the United States. That's why people in Alaska went to bed on October 5th and woke up immediately on October 18th. After which American troops were brought into possession, who evicted the local residents and resettled their own citizens.

Why Alaska was given to the USA

signing of an agreement between the United States and Russia on the sale of Alaska

The idea of selling Alaska did not arise for the first time, but it became urgently necessary during the Crimean War. During this period, Russia's enemy, Britain, demanded its rights to own Alaska. The United States was also concerned that Great Britain could seize the northern continent of America in order to advance to the states. The government of the Russian Empire considered it unprofitable to keep its possessions in Alaska. Therefore, Emperor Nicholas II (great-grandson of Catherine II) decided to sell Alaska to the US government. Russian diplomat Eduard Stekl was appointed as the person directly responsible for negotiations on the sale of Alaska.

On March 30, 1867, an agreement was signed between Russia and America on the sale of Alaska. The value of the transaction was about 7.2 million dollars in gold, which is approximately 108 million dollars in gold today. However, the treaty had to be approved by the US Senate. At first, many senators had doubts about spending so much money on acquiring an unknown piece of land, given that the country had recently ended a difficult civil war. But still, the agreement was adopted on May 3. And a couple of months later Alaska was transferred to America.

Thus, it turns out that Nicholas 2 is the one who officially gave Alaska to America. Although the idea of selling was not his personal initiative, but other people’s.

The vast territory of Alaska accommodates three Frances. There are gold deposits, tungsten ore, platinum, mercury, molybdenum, coal. Oil reserves have been discovered and are being developed. And this, for a minute, is about 20%...

Many in Russia are sure that Catherine II sold Alaska. This opinion is especially strong after the famous group “Lube” performed a song about Alaska. The youth then decided that the Great Queen had made the wrong move.

A long time ago, the Bering Strait, with a crust of Arctic ice, connected two continents - Asian and American. There was no difficulty in moving from one bank to the other using dog sleds.

The width of the strait between the continents is only 86 kilometers. The Indians, moving to the north, were the first to explore Alaska. But the cold climate squeezed them out of the territory, and the Indians reached the Aleutian islands and settled there.

The Russian Empire was actively advancing eastward beyond the Ural Mountains and into Siberia. Encouraged by the Russian tsars, brave, courageous people headed not to the hot southern countries, but to the North and Far East.

1732 for Russia was the year of the annexation of Alaska. But the discovery of new lands is one thing, the development of new lands is quite another. Russian explorers began settling in Alaska at the end of the eighteenth century.

Immediately this area became a source of enrichment. There were a lot of fur-bearing animals there, and fur was equal to gold. Hunters caught animals, and merchants bought them, taking them to the continent. At the beginning of the exploration of Alaska, the Russians jealously guarded the territory.

But gradually the population of fur-bearing animals fell. The hunt was carried out without any rules and the animals disappeared, finding new habitats for life. Many species were on the verge of extinction. Fur production has decreased greatly.

The Russians had no intention of exploring new lands. It was cold there. The hunters hoped only for the fur trade. This was the primary reason why the territory of Alaska was sold to America. Business circles called the territories unprofitable.

The ruling emperor gradually came to the conclusion that the lands of Alaska would only bring headaches. Industrialists believed that by investing money in an unprofitable region, you could lose everything. The payback is zero.

Russia already has Siberian, Altai and Far Eastern territories. The climatic conditions there are better. This is how the lack of geological surveys in remote areas created the conditions for the loss of the richest territories.

During these years, the Crimean War pumped huge amounts of money out of the Russian treasury. Emperor Nicholas I died and was succeeded by Alexander II. The country's population expected a change in policy, the abolition of serfdom, and freedoms. But, as always, there was no money in Russia.

It was not Catherine who signed the Alaska Treaty. When it came to such a deal, her great-grandson, Alexander II, was on the throne. Those who believe that Alaska was given to tenants for 99 years are also mistaken.

You can often read in literature that the queen did not speak Russian well. And she signed the Alaska document without understanding well enough what it was about. So no. She spoke Russian better than many courtiers.

These events began several decades after the death of Catherine. Russian problems required an immediate solution, but, as always in Russia, there was no money. Alexander II did not immediately rush to sell the Northern Territory.

Another ten years passed before the situation turned out for the worse. Selling land is a shameful fact for any country. Who wants to talk about the weakness of the ruling cabinet, which is incapable of governing the territory? But the treasury was in dire need.

Purchase and sale

Silence and secrecy shrouded the deal. There was no television or internet. The Russian Government sent a representative at large to the US Congress. The proposal took place in 1866.

Although times were difficult in America, they quickly realized the significance of owning an entire continent. The Civil War had just ended in America, and the country's treasury was depleted to the limit.

In ten years, the Russian authorities could get much more for Alaska. But they agreed on the amount of seven million, two hundred thousand dollars in gold equivalent. Russia urgently needed money; America had no money.

Today it amounts to half a billion dollars. No one else would have bought these lands. They were most convenient only for America. The reader must agree that Alaska is immeasurably more expensive.

To preserve diplomatic relations between the countries, a year after the sale of the territories, America loudly proposed to Russia to sell Alaska.

The secret visit of the Russian representative was forgotten. It was believed that America itself offered Russia to buy Alaska from it. Russia's dignity was preserved. 1867 marked the official annexation of Alaska to America.

Food for thought

You can argue for a long time about selling or leasing Alaska. But let us remember, reader, that the recent abolition of serfdom, the lost Crimean War - all this placed enormous pressure on the country.

Deprived of a stable income from the serfs, the landowners expected payment of money from the state, which pledged to compensate for the losses. Tens of millions of gold rubles flowed from the treasury.

The tsarist government was forced to make loans from foreign banks. Many countries gave loans to Russia with great pleasure. A rich country - Russia - possessed untold wealth.

But the current situation required immediate capital. Every ruble was on the emperor's personal account. The sale of Alaska became an urgent necessity. Its territories did not bring a penny of income to the treasury.

The entire business and financial world had an idea about this. No other country would buy Alaska. Russia did not notice the sale of the Northern Territories. Many citizens had no idea about it. The American Congress was also against the purchase.

When gold was found in Alaska, the emperor was ridiculed by all and sundry. But finance and politics do not have a subjunctive mood. But at that moment the Russian emperor made the only right decision.