Caspian campaigns of Peter I briefly. Peter the First. Persian campaign. Territory of military operations

At the beginning of the 18th century, Persia intensified its activities in the Eastern Caucasus, and soon all the coastal possessions of Dagestan recognized its power over them. Persian ships were complete masters in the Caspian Sea and controlled its entire coastline. But the arrival of the Persians did not put an end to civil strife between local owners. There was a fierce massacre in Dagestan, into which Turkey, which was at enmity with Persia, was gradually drawn into.

The events that took place in Dagestan could not help but alarm Russia, which was actively trading with the East through its lands. Trade routes from Persia and India through Dagestan were essentially cut off. Merchants suffered huge losses, and the state treasury also suffered.

As soon as it emerged victorious from the Northern War, Russia, proclaimed an empire, began preparing for a campaign in the Caucasus. The reason was the beating and robbery of Russian merchants, organized by the Lezgin owner Daud-bek in Shemakha. There, on August 7, 1721, crowds of armed Lezgins and Kumyks attacked Russian shops in the Gostiny Dvor, beat and dispersed the clerks who were with them, and then plundered goods totaling up to half a million rubles.

At the beginning of 1722, the Russian emperor learned that the Persian Shah was defeated by the Afghans near his capital. The country began to be in turmoil. There was a threat that, taking advantage of this, the Turks would strike first and appear on the coast of the Caspian Sea before the Russians. It became risky to further postpone the campaign to the Caucasus.

Preparations for the campaign began in the winter of 1721−1722. In the Volga cities (Nizhny Novgorod, Tver, Uglich, Yaroslavl), the hasty construction of military and cargo ships began.

About 50 thousand people took part in the Persian campaign, including 5 thousand sailors, 22 thousand infantry, 9 thousand cavalry, as well as irregular troops (Cossacks, Kalmyks, etc.).

On May 15, 1722, Peter set out from Moscow on a campaign. He sailed on a plow called “Moskvoretskaya” along the Moscow River, Oka, and Volga. To speed up the voyage, alternating rowers were prepared along the entire route. On May 26, Peter I was already in Nizhny Novgorod, on June 2 - in Kazan, on June 9 - in Simbirsk, on June 10 - in Samara, on June 13 - in Saratov, on June 15 - in Tsaritsyn, on June 19 - in Astrakhan.

The departure of ships with troops and ammunition from Nizhny Novgorod to Astrakhan took place on June 2. The ships were divided into five detachments, sailing one after another. In all detachments there were 45 last ships and up to 200 island boats, each of which carried about 40 people. In the first half of July, all ships and troops arrived in Astrakhan.

On July 18, the entire flotilla of 274 ships went to sea under the command of Admiral General Count Apraksin. At the head of the vanguard was Peter I, who was Apraksin’s junior flagship. On July 20, the fleet entered the Caspian Sea and followed the western coast for a week.

2 Endirei

On July 27, 1722, Peter I landed in the Agrakhan Bay and set foot on Dagestan soil for the first time. On the same day, he sent a detachment under the command of Brigadier Veterani to occupy Endirei. On the approach to the village in the gorge, the detachment was suddenly attacked by the Kumyks. The mountaineers, hiding in the rocks and behind the trees, disabled 80 soldiers and two officers with well-aimed rifle fire and arrows. But then the Russians, having recovered from the surprise, went on the offensive themselves, defeated the enemy, captured the village and turned it into ashes.

Unlike the Endireevsky ruler Aidemir, the rest of the North Kumyk rulers - the Aksaevsky, Kostekovsky and Tarkovsky shamkhals expressed their readiness to be in Russian service.

On August 13, the Russian regiments solemnly entered Tarki, where they were greeted with honor by the Shamkhal. Aldy-Girey gave Peter a gray argamak in a golden harness. Both of his wives paid a visit to Catherine, presenting her with trays of the best grape varieties. The troops received food, wine and fodder.

Later, Russian troops entered the small Utamysh possession, located near Derbent. There they were attacked by a 10,000-strong army led by the local ruler Sultan Mahmud. After a short battle with the Russians, the attackers were put to flight, and their village was put on fire.

3 Derbent

Having put an end to the Utamysh uprising, Tsar Peter headed to Derbent. The Russian emperor's loyalty to the submissive and his cruelty to those who resisted soon became known throughout the region. Therefore, Derbent did not resist. On August 23, its ruler with a group of eminent townspeople met the Russians a mile from the city, fell to his knees and presented Peter with two silver keys to the fortress gates. Peter kindly received the delegation and promised not to send troops into the city. He kept his word. The Russians set up a camp near the city walls, where they rested for several days, celebrating a bloodless victory.

Such a warm welcome to Peter I was provided not by all residents of Derbent, but only by the Shiite part of the city’s population, which, being the support of Safavid dominance in the region, occupied a privileged position. By the time the Russian troops arrived, Derbent had already been under siege for several years. The rebels, led by Haji-Davud, constantly threatened the city, intending to clear it of the occupying Persian-Kyzylbash authorities.

For the peaceful surrender of the fortress, Imam-Kuli-bek was appointed ruler of the city by Peter I, awarded the rank of major general and a constant annual salary.

On August 30, Russian troops approached the Rubas River and founded a fortress in the immediate vicinity of Tabasaran territory, designed for a garrison of 600 people. Many villages of the Tabasarans and Kyura Lezgins came under the rule of the Russian Tsar. Within a few days, the entire environs of Derbent and Muskur, lying between the Yalama and Belbele rivers, also came under the control of Russian Empire.

Thus, in a relatively short period of time, Russia subjugated a significant part of the Caspian lands from the mouth of Sulak to Myushkur.

The reaction of Hadji-Davud and other feudal rulers of Dagestan to the appearance and actions of Russian troops in the Eastern Caucasus was very different. Haji-Davud himself, knowing that he was called by Peter I the main “rebel”, to punish whom he undertook his campaign, began to intensively prepare for the defense of his possessions. His allies Surkhay and Ahmed Khan took a wait-and-see attitude, trying to sit out in their possessions. Haji-Davud understood that he could not resist Russia alone, so at the same time he attempted to improve relations with the Turks, Russia’s main rivals in the Caucasus.

Peter I's plans included the annexation of not only Caspian Dagestan, but also almost the entire Transcaucasus. Therefore, the Russian army, having captured Derbent, was preparing for further advance to the south.

This effectively ended the 1722 campaign. Its continuation was prevented by autumn storms in the Caspian Sea, which complicated the delivery of food by sea. The leak in the ships partially spoiled the flour supplies, which put the Russian army in a difficult situation. Then Peter left a garrison in Derbent under the command of Colonel Juncker, and he and his troops moved on foot back to Russia. On the road near the Sulak River, the tsar founded a new fortress, the Holy Cross, to cover the Russian border. From there Peter went to Astrakhan by sea.

After Peter's departure, the command of all Russian troops located in the Caucasus was entrusted to Major General M. A. Matyushkin, who enjoyed the special trust of the emperor.

4 Rasht

In the fall of 1722, the Persian province of Gilan was under threat of occupation by Afghans, who entered into a secret conspiracy with Turkey. The provincial ruler, in turn, turned to the Russians for help. M.A. Matyushkin decided not to miss such a rare opportunity and forestall the enemy. Within a short time, 14 ships were prepared for sailing, and two battalions of soldiers with artillery boarded them. The squadron of ships was commanded by captain-lieutenant Soimanov, and the infantry detachment was commanded by Colonel Shipov.

On November 4, the squadron left Astrakhan and a month later entered the Anzeli raid. Having landed a small landing party, Shipov occupied the city of Rasht without a fight.

In the spring of the following year, reinforcements were sent to Gilan from Astrakhan - two thousand infantry with 24 guns, commanded by Major General A. N. Levashov. With combined efforts, Russian troops occupied the province and established control over the southern coast of the Caspian Sea. Their separate detachments infiltrated deep into the Caucasus, frightening the vassals of Persia, the Sheki and Shirvan khans.

5 Baku

While still in Derbent, Peter I sent Lieutenant Lunin to Baku on August 24, 1722 with “a manifesto inviting the city to surrender. But the Baku residents, incited by Daud-bek’s agents, did not let Lunin into the city and replied that they did not want Russian help,” although shortly before this a letter was received from the city rulers, which stated that the Baku residents were ready “by your Majesty’s decree and serve the manifesto and remain in obedience according to our desire.”

June 20, 1723 Russian fleet under the command of Major General Matyushkin, he left Astrakhan and headed for Baku. 15 gekbots, field and siege artillery and infantry took part in the campaign.

Upon arrival, Matyushkin sent Major Nechaev to the city with a letter from the Persian ambassador Izmail Bek to the Sultan, in which the ambassador tried to persuade the Sultan to surrender the city. However, the Baku Sultan, who was under the influence of Haji Dawood, refused to allow Russian troops into Baku. Having received a refusal, the Russians began a siege of the fortress, which lasted for seven days.

Meanwhile, in the city itself, Sultan Mohammed Hussein Beg was captured by supporters of Russian orientation and thrown into prison. Power in the city passed to Yuzbashi Dergakh-Kuli-bek, who then wrote a letter to Matyushkin stating that the new authorities agreed to surrender the city.

On July 28, Russian battalions entered Baku. Welcoming them, the city authorities presented Matyushkin with four keys to the city gates. Having occupied the city, Russian troops settled in two caravanserais and took control of all important strategic points.

Having learned that the Sultan was in contact with Hadji Dawood and was going to surrender the city to him, Matyushkin ordered Mohammed Hussein Bek to be taken into custody. Then the Sultan and his three brothers with all their property were sent to Astrakhan. Dergakh-Kuli-bek, elevated by the Russian command to the rank of colonel, was appointed ruler of Baku. Prince Baryatinsky became the commandant of the city.

The Russian occupation of Baku allowed them to capture almost the entire Caspian coast of the Eastern Caucasus. This was a serious blow to the positions of Haji Dawood. The loss of the Caspian provinces significantly complicated the task of recreating a strong and independent state on the territory of Shirvan and Lezgistan. The Turks, under whose citizenship Haji-Davud was at that time, did not help him in any way. They were busy solving their own problems.

Preparations for the campaign began in the winter of 1721–1722. In the Volga cities (Nizhny Novgorod, Tver, Uglich, Yaroslavl), the hasty construction of military and cargo ships began, and by July 1722, up to 200 island boats and 45 fin ships were built and concentrated in Nizhny Novgorod. By this time, the troops necessary for the campaign had been gathered in Nizhny Novgorod, including two guards regiments. About 50 thousand people took part in the Persian campaign, including 5 thousand sailors, 22 thousand infantry, 9 thousand cavalry, as well as irregular troops (Cossacks, Kalmyks, etc.). In the summer of 1722, the Russian army led by Peter I left Astrakhan on ships, and the cavalry set off on foot from Tsaritsyn.

The primary objective of the military campaign of 1722 was the capture of Shamakhi, the key point of Russian-Turkish Caspian conflicts. Derbent and Baku were also of no small importance, and the Russian army had to occupy these two cities on its own, and Shemakha with the possible assistance of Georgian and Armenian detachments. The Kartlian king Vakhtang VI was supposed to come out at the head of these combined forces (totaling more than 40 thousand people) and open military operations against Haji-Davud, the ruler of Shirvan. Next, the Caucasian allies were supposed to take Shamakhi, then make their way to the shores of the Caspian Sea and link up with the Russian army. The unification of armies was supposed to take place between Derbent and Baku.

The deep essence of Peter’s strategic plan was to establish himself on the western and southern coasts of the Caspian Sea and, together with Georgian-Armenian troops, liberate Eastern Transcaucasia from Persian domination, while defeating the rebels of Daud-bek and Surkhai.

Beginning of the invasion (1722)

On July 27, 1722, Peter I landed in the Agrakhan Bay and set foot on Dagestan soil for the first time. On the same day, he sent a detachment under the command of Brigadier Veterani to occupy Endirei. But this detachment, having been ambushed, was forced to retreat with heavy losses. Then Colonel Naumov was sent to Endirei with a large army, who “rushed against Andreev’s village, captured it and turned it into ashes.” Unlike the Endireevsky ruler Aidemir, the rest of the North Kumyk rulers - the Aksaevsky, Kostekovsky and Tarkovsky shamkhals - expressed their readiness to be in Russian service.

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Later, Russian troops entered the small Utamysh possession, located near Derbent. There they were attacked by a 10,000-strong army led by the local ruler Sultan Mahmud. After a short battle with the Russians, the attackers were put to flight, and their village was put on fire. Having put an end to the Ustamysh uprising, Tsar Peter headed to Derbent. On August 23, Russian troops occupied this city without a fight. The city at that moment was ruled by Naib Imam-Kuli-bek, who met the Russian army as liberators: “a mile from the city; The naib fell to his knees and presented Peter with two silver keys to the city gates.”

Note that such a warm welcome to Peter I was provided not by all residents of Derbent, but only by the Shiite part of the city’s population, which, being the support of Safavid dominance in the region, occupied a privileged position. By the time the Russian troops arrived, Derbent had already been under siege for several years. The rebels, led by Haji-Davud, constantly threatened the city, intending to clear it of the occupying Persian-Kyzylbash authorities. For the peaceful surrender of the fortress, Imam-Kuli-bek was appointed ruler of the city by Peter I, awarded the rank of major general and a constant annual salary.

On August 30, Russian troops approached the Rubas River and founded a fortress in the immediate vicinity of Tabasaran territory, designed for a garrison of 600 people. Many villages and Kyura Lezgins came under the rule of the Russian Tsar. Within a few days, the entire environs of Derbent and Muskur, lying between the Yalama and Belbele rivers, also came under the rule of the Russian Empire. Thus, in a relatively short period of time, Russia subjugated a significant part of the Caspian lands from the mouth of Sulak to Myushkur.

The reaction of Hadji-Davud and other feudal rulers of Dagestan to the appearance and actions of Russian troops in the Eastern Caucasus was very different. Haji-Davud himself, knowing that he was called by Peter I the main “rebel”, to punish whom he undertook his campaign, began to intensively prepare for the defense of his possessions. His allies Surkhay and Ahmed Khan took a wait-and-see attitude, trying to sit out in their possessions. Haji-Davud understood that he could not resist Russia alone, so at the same time he attempted to improve relations with the Turks, Russia’s main rivals in the Caucasus. Peter I's plans included the annexation of not only Caspian Dagestan, but also almost the entire Transcaucasus. Therefore, the Russian army, having captured Derbent, was preparing for further advance to the south.

This effectively ended the 1722 campaign. Its continuation was prevented by autumn storms in the Caspian Sea, which complicated the delivery of food by sea. The leak in the ships partially spoiled the flour supplies, which put the Russian army in a difficult situation. Then Peter left a garrison in Derbent under the command of Colonel Juncker, and he and his troops moved on foot back to Russia. On the road near the Sulak River, the tsar founded a new fortress, the Holy Cross, to cover the Russian border. From there Peter went to Astrakhan by sea. Further military operations in the Caspian Sea were led by General Matyushkin.

In September, Vakhtang VI and his army entered Karabakh, where he fought against the rebel Lezgins. After the capture of Ganja, Armenian troops led by Catholicos Isaiah joined the Georgians. Near Ganja, waiting for Peter, the Georgian-Armenian army stood for two months, however, having learned about the departure of the Russian army from the Caucasus, Vakhtang and Isaiah returned with their troops to their possessions. In some fortresses, in particular in Derbent, on Rubas and Darbakh, garrisons of Russian troops were left. After the departure of the main forces of the Russian army, these garrisons found themselves in an extremely difficult situation. Haji Dawood, Ahmed Khan and some other mountain feudal lords launched constant attacks on these fortresses, trying to drive Russian troops out of them.

Soon, the rebels managed to regain control of all the lands around Derbent, which gave the opportunity to Hadji-Davud and Ahmed Khan, at the head of a united army, to attack the Derbent fortress itself and keep it under siege for a week. Famine began in Derbent.

The invasion of Russian troops and their occupation of the Caspian territories further aggravated the already difficult political situation in the region. Russia's intervention and establishment of control over these territories radically influenced the further course of events in the region and pushed the Ottoman Empire to a military invasion. The goal of the Turks was to oust the Russians.

In preparation for the invasion, the Turkish Sultan accepted Haji Dawood into Ottoman citizenship, hoping to use him to his advantage. He was given the title of khan and power over Shirvan, Lezgistan and Dagestan as the supreme ruler. The approval of Haji-Davud as the khan of Shirvan greatly hurt the proud and ambitious Surkhay. From this moment on, Surkhay from Haji-Davud's main ally turns into his ardent opponent. He did everything to wrest power from the hands of Haji Dawood and become the ruler of Shirvan himself.

Surkhai made several attempts to become a Russian citizen, but the Russians rejected him in every possible way. In the end, in pursuit of his personal interests, Surkhai completely deviated from the original course and actually found himself on the other side. He began to wage an independent war against Haji Dawood, raiding Shirvan, Sheki and Ganja. By the end of 1722, the anti-Safavid coalition of mountain feudal rulers, formed at one time thanks to the efforts of Haji Dawood, practically collapsed. Of the major feudal rulers, only Ali Sultan Tsakhursky continued to support Hadji Dawood.

Meanwhile, events occurred in Persia itself that then put an end to more than 200 years of Safavid rule. On October 22, 1722, Afghans led by Mir Mahmud, after a six-month siege, captured the capital of the Safavid state, Isfahan. Shah Sultan Hussein, appearing at Mir Mahmud's camp along with his courtiers, handed over his crown to him. Mir Mahmud declared himself Shah of Iran. The Safavid nobility swore allegiance to him. Following Isfahan, the Afghans captured Kashan, Qom, Qazvin and other cities of central Iran.

At that time, the son of Sultan Hussein, Tahmasp, was in the northern provinces of Iran, having fled from the besieged capital to gather an army to fight the invaders. After the fall of Isfahan, he also declared himself Shah of Iran, and anti-Afghan elements began to gather around him. However, for a number of reasons, Tahmasp was never able to recruit an army sufficient to fight the Afghans.

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Colonel Prince Fyodor Pereslavsky was up to his ears busy with staff work. They were about to set out for the Caspian Sea, the Tsar, as always, was in a hurry. It was necessary to make calculations for support, for additional recruitment, and for the required amount of forces and resources. In addition, Fedor did not forget that he himself was included in the active army.
The events that took place in Dagestan could not help but alarm Russia, which was actively trading with the East through its lands. Trade routes from Persia and India through Dagestan were essentially cut off. Merchants suffered huge losses, and the state treasury also suffered.

The reason was the beating and robbery of Russian merchants, organized by the Lezgin owner Daud-bek in Shemakha. There, on August 7, 1721, crowds of armed Lezgins and Kumyks attacked Russian shops in the Gostiny Dvor, beat and dispersed the clerks who were with them, and then plundered goods totaling up to half a million rubles (quite a lot).

About 50 thousand people took part in the Persian campaign, including 5 thousand sailors, 22 thousand infantry, 9 thousand cavalry, as well as irregular troops (Cossacks, Kalmyks, Tatars, a detachment of Kabardians, etc.), their exact number is unknown , but very numerous. Supply issues were not easy, given the state of the roads there, so most sent along the Volga and Caspian Sea.

The army left sometime in May. Fedor took his horse, taken last year in Kizlyar, a proven stallion of the Kabardian breed Nalchanin, brave, dark bay with a white muzzle, loyal, sensitive and obedient; saber), which caused interested glances from his colleagues. In addition, there was a black burka, an extremely practical product that replaced a raincoat, fur coat and tent. Fedor, as a person who visited the Caucasus, understood this. I took my Caucasian clothes just in case.
Princess Elena rushed around the house, getting ready for the hike. It helped that Fedor agreed with one of the transport chiefs to place some of the things, otherwise even the hardy Nalchanin would not have been able to pull it off.

There was a fierce massacre in Dagestan, into which Turkey, which was at war with Persia, was gradually drawn into. The events that took place in Dagestan could not help but alarm Russia.
The main gathering point for troops was Astrakhan.

The tsar himself and his command sailed along the Volga. Vessels such as bots (or sometimes plows). There are five squads in total. There are approximately forty people on each ship. The royal plow had alternating rowers. He walked faster than everyone else.
This fleet was commanded by the great General Admiral Fyodor Apraksin. Although in fact the king was in command.

The bulk of the infantry and cavalry marched along the Caspian coast. Masses of Cossack and Kalmyk cavalry were approaching, Kabardian detachments were expected. Strong army.
Fedor rode in the cavalry formation, standing out with his black Caucasian burka over his standard uniform, as well as his Kizlyar saber instead of his proper sword. However, in those days the weapons were quite varied. It got to the point that experienced soldiers had their own molds in the form of tongs for casting bullets suitable for the caliber. But when necessary, they shot everything, even stones. And the caliber should have been a little more than nineteen millimeters (however, such terms were not yet known before Napoleon).
It was much more comfortable in a burka than in a cape required by law. The gunpowder and the musket itself were heated there. Then he changed into Caucasian clothes into his light beshmet and dark brown Circassian coat with silver gazyrs, left over from last year’s reconnaissance; he had a black hat, not too shaggy, instead of a uniform cocked hat. He hung himself with weapons on a silver belt (saber and dagger).

Large masses of cavalry formed, there was not enough forage. The hardiest of all were the Kalmyk horses, which (being unshod, taking into account the soft steppe, could suffer on rocky roads) dug the rocky soil, obtaining food. People understood and tolerated, but this cannot be demanded of horses.

Cavalry is generally an order of magnitude more complex than infantry.
Fedor came to receive the Kalmyk Khan Ayuka. He immediately accepted it.
- Mister Khan, I am concerned about the condition of the cavalry. Yours and the Cossack's. Your horses urgently need to be shod for rocky roads and trails. In addition, there is not enough food. The front ones will eat everything, the rest will not get it.

Khan Ayuka was broad-faced and narrow-eyed. Kalmyk. He had a very independent and unpredictable policy.
- I understand this, Mr. Officer, but how to do this? They didn’t tell us anything before the hike, but where are we going to get so many horseshoes now? And where will we feed the horses, ours and the Cossacks? Thanks for the advice. You help me with them, but sometimes they betray your own. Remember the Khoshut Taisha Ablai. Oh.
- In the city that we occupied, there are many forges. Talk to Prince Apraksin, or even the Tsar, you need to forge the horses, otherwise you’ll lose your hooves on the rocky paths. We won’t find that many horseshoes; we’ll have to forge them with whatever we can find. If only there were enough nails. I am a former blacksmith myself. I'll try to talk to the locals about the food.
Khan Ayuka looked at Fedor with some hope.

Present during the conversation were Ataman Grigory Semenov, as well as the head of the Tatar cavalry, Khan Ulmasbay himself, and the arriving chiefs of the Kabardians, Murza Cherkassky and Aslan-Bek. After they separated, Ulmasbay called Fedor.
- Do you see what our horses have become? We walked the dry steppes to help you. They need to be fattened and watered. The Kalmyks and Cossacks have better horses, but not for long. What are we without horses? I'll talk to Khan Matyushkin. Do something.
Then Fedor received a corresponding order from General Matyushkin. He received a good, hardy horse from the Tatars, loaded it with his cargo, attached it to the saddle and on his Nalchanin, went to an aul familiar from last year’s reconnaissance, leading an equestrian army. However, the horse walked obediently, Fyodor stopped tying it. The Nalchanin sometimes strove to perch on her, fulfilling his foal desires, to which Fyodor waved his hand, remembering his exploits.

Fedor walked ahead. A line of horsemen stretched out behind him, sometimes leading tired horses up the hill. The cavalry army was exhausted. We need to get to good pastures.
The places were already familiar to Fedor from last year. There were Avar villages here. Mariam, his Masha, lived here.
And the variegated cavalry army followed him, believing and executing orders.

Mountain paths leading up to snowy peaks. Noisy waterfalls, mountain rivers. In the Caucasus, rivers overflow not in the spring, as in Russia, but in the middle of summer, when glaciers melt. As the pine forests with large, sometimes bizarre-shaped trees rose, there became fewer, and there were more grasses in the alpine meadows. The grass became taller and thicker, which was what was required.

They made long stops, but the grass was quickly eaten up and there was not enough for the horses. We moved along familiar paths, Fedor was our guide. Then, on the rocks, some horsemen were seen, who pointed their whips at this equestrian armada, then disappeared. Fyodor ordered his men to wait, and he himself rode forward alone. Horsemen were sitting behind the rocks with guns sticking out. Fyodor waved his hand from afar. The trunks dropped. An old acquaintance, Niyaz, came out to meet me, leaving his gun behind.
- Is it you, Russian Prince Fyodor? What army is coming after you?
- They are not coming to conquer you, Niyaz. Do you see how many horses there are? Need pastures. Accompany me, I want to speak with Prince Akhmet. The rest will wait here.

He made a sign to his friends not to move and, accompanied by a group of horsemen, went to a familiar Avar village. Here it is, the tower, here is the mosque. Sakli, located in ledges along the mountainside. The men poured out to meet them, forming a semblance of a formation, the women crowded behind, looking incredulously and curiously.
However, the lamb was already being slaughtered.

Prince Akhmed came down from the porch. The mullah ran up, which was somewhat indecent for his rank. Everyone was happy to see Fedor. Everyone remembered him, his last year’s exploits against the abreks. There was a bustle with setting the tables, cheeses, herbs, intoxicating ayran, buza, and fried lamb quickly appeared.
But Prince Akhmed was restless.
- You have a large army of horsemen standing below. They will tear us to pieces right away. What is some village to them? Then there will be war.
- As long as I am alive and strong, there will be no war. Believe me, prince, I know war and my hands are in blood. I don't love her. I hate this blood, and also this shit, sorry.
The prince nodded his hat forgivingly. Fedor continued:
- We are moving on to Derbent, or wherever. There are powerful infantry and artillery down there, and many troops are sailing on ships. The white king himself floats there.
Prince Amhet thought about it. Then he answered:
- You know how to be friends. There are people who know how to be friends. Friendship is a feeling that is given selflessly. And then there is love. An even more stupid ridiculous feeling, which is given disinterestedly, without hope of gratitude. Not everyone can do this. There are ice people. Snow queens. They can only love themselves. Forgive me for this speech, it somehow slipped out. I understand. I will give you guides and they will lead your cavalry to the upper pastures. Let them eat off. This is better than if they eat themselves up here, with us. The grass will grow quickly, it will be fresher, and the water flows all the time. Fedor, please. So that our women are not attacked. Our horsemen will help you.

In the evening, Ataman Grigory Semenov said:
- Why, let’s scatter their village quickly. There will be production.

Fyodor shook his head negatively.
- Everything is dry from below. And we have a lot of horses. We will go to the upper pastures, there is a lot of grass there and it is fresh. If you don't offend the shepherds, they will show you the way. There's nothing to do here.

Everyone agreed. The next morning, a powerful chain of horsemen stretched up the slope, led by local horsemen.
Higher up the mountainside the path was hidden in a layer of clouds, where the cavalry went and also hid.

But Fedor stayed. He approached Prince Akhmet.
- Mister Prince, how is Mariam?
He did not look at Fyodor.
- Mariam is not here. They kidnapped her like an enviable bride. Old, over thirty years old, with a scar on her face. She's beautiful in her own right, of course. The children, Ibrahim and Umar, were taken by relatives. Go to her hut, you will see everything for yourself.
- But who could do this?
- Oh, over there behind the mountain there are already Dargin villages. There is one prince there. But he's not human. For some reason, he or his son liked her, so he kidnapped her. He neither asked me nor her.
- Mister Prince, why is he not a man?
- Sometimes he flies like an eagle, sometimes like a horned mountain goat, and then like normal person. He can perform all sorts of miracles. Name is Prince Mirza. Don't go there, don't.

In the evening Fyodor went into Mariam’s hut. Her brother and his wife were in charge there. His name was Kasim. Little (but grown up) Ibrahimchik and Umarchik rushed to hug him, complaining how boring it was without their mother and uncle Fyodor. The new owners received the guest very kindly and, as usual, did not let him go without a good table. Then, when they had eaten and drank well, Fyodor began asking the owner about the road. Kasim shook his head doubtfully.
- You can go to these Dargins, you are Russian, and what an army of yours went to the mountains! Anyone will be afraid. I'll show you the way, but I won't go myself, I can't. And why do you need our old sister with the scar, there are so many beautiful girls here!
Fyodor politely explained to Kasim that he still had a wife in St. Petersburg, but this did not bother him at all.
- Take a second wife, your relatives will accept it as an honor. Russian prince! They will give it to you without a bride price.
- Sorry, dear Kasym, please, tomorrow show me the way to the Dargin village.
“I’ll show you the way, but be afraid of Prince Mirza.” He's not human.
- I heard about him. I saw both people and non-humans. I'm not afraid of them.
Kasym looked at him with respect and offered him a place to stay for the night. The next morning they harnessed the horses (Kasim was jealous of his Nalchanin) and drove off. Through the clouds and fog we saw the tail of a powerful cavalry column that was climbing up the slope. But their path was further.

Next was the Dargin aul, which differed little from the previous Avar one. Only on a flatter mountain. There was a tower, a mosque. Fyodor, a warrior, had the idea that such a tower could be completely demolished by modern mountain artillery. But he drove this thought away from himself. These people didn't do anything wrong. It is impossible to organize artillery preparations against them. Fedor somehow got used to them. He simply went to the village alone. Kasim stayed and turned back.

No one. Only beautiful mountains around. Below there was a rustling river, into which a stream flowed, its banks covered with forest. Yes, a huge black mountain eagle was flying above. Then he sat down in front on a stone, somehow lowered his wings and curled up. Fedor approached. He stood up, straightened his shoulders, threw back his cloak, straightened his Circassian cap and dagger. He was a black-bearded, strong, slender man with a sharp, attentive gaze.
Fedor got off his horse:
- Hello, Prince Mirza. I've heard about you.
- Just don’t pretend to be an Avar. You are Russian. Look, what a huge army went to the mountains, to pastures. I saw everything from above. How did you come here alone? Not afraid?
- I am not afraid of anything. I came as a guest.
- Well, come, you will be a guest. There is a convenient path over there.
Then he wrapped himself in a cloak, then spread his wings and flew away like a huge eagle.

And Fedor went along the indicated path. In the village he was greeted with distrust. The men were looking at weapons. But when Fyodor was met by Prince Mirza himself, the people relaxed and began to prepare the inevitable table.
The women fussed about, the men sat down respectably. Prince Fyodor was seated in a place of honor. Mirza and the mullah sat down nearby. They slaughtered the obligatory lamb, brought salted cheese, herbs, pies, everyone rubbed their hands in anticipation of the feast. No one was afraid of Fedor anymore. Him too. There were khinkali, aromatic khash, and cheese pieces, so breaded in breadcrumbs, mmm, you couldn’t tear yourself away. There was buza, ayran, even grape wine. It turned out to be a whole feast.
But Mirza glanced at Fedor. Then he asked:
- What brought you to our village forgotten by the Almighty? Your main Russian army is marching along the old road along the coast, your cavalry has gone to the upper pastures to graze, and you?
- Mariam.

Prince Mirza thought about it. He answered seriously.
- Mariam is with my son, Kudrat. I didn’t know everything, but he and his kunaks kidnapped her from our village and she’s with him now. You are a Russian prince and my guest, talk to Kudrat, I will tell him that you should meet Mariam.

They met. She was thinner, but somehow prettier. They stood near the saklya, without touching each other. They just looked attentively and tenderly into the eyes. Kudrat stood nearby and nervously rattled his dagger.
- Masha, how are you?
- Oh, Fedya, how I yearn and miss the children, Ibrahimchik and Umarchik. But here, even though I’m someone else’s Avar, I found my destiny. I won't be able to get married anywhere. And then I was kidnapped, and I myself helped in this. What else to do? But I will never forget you. I love you.
- The children are with your brother Kasim. They won't give them here. But don't worry about their fate. Kasym good man, will take care of them. I love you too, Masha.

Kudrat heard this. He frowned and began to fiddle with the dagger for some reason. The next morning this is what happened.
Kudrat appeared in the hut, wearing only a shirt and holding a saber in his hand.
-Hey, Russian, take a saber, come out and fight. Do you think Mariam is yours? You're wrong to think.
Fyodor shook off the sleep, took out his saber, and also walked out in his shirt. There his opponent Kudrat was waiting for him, playing with his blade.
And then Fyodor’s last remnants of sleep flew away. He stood ready. Kudrat walked forward, making sharp, unexpected attacks. Fedor had not yet attacked, making circular defensive movements, studying the enemy’s tactics.
And the tactics were sharp, unexpected, unpredictable. Kudrat fenced masterfully. Strikes from above, below, stabbing. Fedor, thanks to many years of experience, managed.

Then the flapping of huge wings was heard, and a huge eagle landed behind. He unwrapped his burka, lifted his hat and looked with attentive eyes. It was Prince Mirza.
- Hey, son, move away from the guest. If you make such antics, I will deal with you like a father, like a man. Put away your saber, young fool.
Kudrat nodded his head obediently and immediately became like an obedient donkey. He lowered his weapon and went to the hayloft. Mirza said:
- Don't be angry with this young man. And Mariam herself will figure out who she needs. Nothing threatens you and your horse here. Good night.

And he wrapped himself in a cloak, spread his wings, flew somewhere, an eagle.
But the formidable Kudrat was not so easy to stop. He waited until the eagle prince flew away and shouted:
- Russian! If you are not a coward, we will fight without weapons.

Fyodor was not a coward, they went out into the courtyard and stood opposite each other. Fight. Kudrat was strong and agile. Fedor, with his ancient technique, threw him over his hip, so that he did not immediately get up. Residents began to gather around, watching the fight between Kudrat and the Russian prince. Mariam stood in the crowd, holding a scarf.

Kudrat grabbed Fedor well by the arm, Fedor crouched down, turned over, grabbed his opponent, threw him over his shoulder, and sharply threw him against the stones. He couldn't get up. They picked him up and carried him away. Fyodor was given clothes. “You won fair and square. Help yourself.” A treat appeared. We sat down on the carpets.
Such a competition of pahlavans is always an event. And for a Russian prince to participate, for the first time.

Then the black eagle descended, narrowed its circles and crouched. Everyone around fell silent. The eagle folded his wings, hid them in a shaggy black cloak, pulled up his hat, and approached the feasting people. It was Prince Mirza.
He threw off his black cloak and sat down good-naturedly cross-legged (like everyone else). He was given a bowl of lagman, then the lamb arrived. And cheese and herbs were present in large quantities. Then Mirza, having eaten and drunk like everyone else, got up and called Fyodor to follow him. They stepped aside.
- Russian Prince Fyodor. Do you understand that my son Kudrat kidnapped Mariam? I couldn't help it. But now Prince Akhmed will gather his Avars, there will be war. You saw Kudrat in battle, I myself cannot control him. Thank you for leaving him alive. I saw everything from above.

Then they, thinking and pulling up their hats, went apart. Fyodor, after the conversation, refreshments and this stupid fight, went to Mariam’s hut. She was standing on the threshold. They entered together, she threw herself on his neck. She buried her face in his chest. She whispered:
- Have you seen the children, Ibrahimchik and Umarchik lately?
- Just recently, when we grew up, they asked about you.
- Oh, melancholy. Let's go, I'll show you your daughter.
They went into the interior, where the child lay peacefully sleeping in a hanging cradle. Girl. Mariam:
- Do you remember last year, our nights? Her name, like mine, is Mariam. Your daughter. In Russian Maria. Or Masha. I wanted the name to sound good in Dagestan and Russian. Oh, if only there was no war. But Prince Akhmed, my father, will not forgive, there will be war. I'll be to blame! When Kudrat and the horsemen tied me up, at first I fought and screamed, then I submitted and became quiet. They didn't even close my mouth. They gave me a mare and she went with them herself. But they knew what I was carrying from you.
Laughed:
- So now, dear, you are like a relative to us. And for me as a husband. I'm your concubine. And I will behave like a concubine.
- Masha, let’s go to the far corner, while Kudrat is recovering after this fight with Grandma Radziyat.
In the far corner, Masha completely undressed, she and Fedor hugged, just like last year. Then Masha decisively, sharply in Caucasian style, sat down on all fours and pulled Fyodor onto herself. Moaned:
- Take me.
Fyodor took it.
When naked Masha lay exhausted on the bed next to her, the door of the saklya opened and at the entrance there was a male figure in the usual Caucasian attire (black Circassian coat and beshmet). The gazyrs on the chest glittered with silver.
Prince Mirza. The saber and dagger on his belt glittered with silver, and his intelligent eyes shone with black coals. The hat fluttered.
Masha immediately woke up and rushed to get dressed, to which the prince waved his hand.
Fyodor, sensing some kind of threat, jumped up with a dagger, but the prince suddenly threw out his hand, palm forward, and Fyodor felt some soft, unknown blow of force and fell back onto the bed.

He came to his senses when the prince was drinking water from a ladle. Masha lay nearby, carefully covered with a blanket.
- Forgive me, Russian prince, for not treating you like a guest. But you are not just a guest. You have now known Mariam. I knew her before, she was your concubine. And we know whose child it is. But my son Kudrat took it. You even had a duel, you don’t need that anymore. He had the right to challenge you to a fight that is unnecessary and dangerous for us. You understand, now because of this Mariam and my young fool Kudrat, a war with the Avars is coming. We won't give it to Mariam. Prince Ahmed of Avar will not give up her children either. Neither the mullah nor I considered Mariam a legitimate wife, otherwise the Avars had been here for a long time. That's why you didn't break our laws. I do not know what to do.
He sat down, took off his hat, and thought.
Fyodor also sat down resolutely. I drank some water and came to my senses. I thought about the prince’s words.
Answered.
“We won’t bring Miriam’s boys back here.” We can't. Prince Akhmed will not give them up. Let Kudrat make others for her. There will be no war.
- How will you do it, Russian prince? You can not. Even I, the mountain eagle, cannot prevent this battle.
- I can. Just let me talk to Maria. And so that Kudrat does not get into a fight.
- It won’t fit. How are you feeling?
After the invisible blow, Fedor felt unwell. Mirza shook his head.
-Will you get on a horse?
- Will try.
- Get dressed, follow me. It will be better now.

Fyodor, with the help of Masha, got dressed. The Nalchanin has already been harnessed. Contrary to his custom, Mirza did not turn into an eagle, but mounted a black horse and moved along an inconspicuous path. Fyodor followed him. The path went through beautiful but wild places where trees grew between the rocks. We saw a stream with some orange banks.
“Iron oxide,” determined Fedor. A stream flowed out of the rock like a small waterfall. Mirza gave Fedor a ladle.
- Drink this water.
The water was cool and had a salty taste and an unusual smell. Everything came out with bubbles. However, Fedor tried it on the second ladle and liked it.
Mirza said:
- Enough, no more. Let's move on.

Now Fyodor mounted his horse more vigorously.
The path on the rocky soil was almost invisible. Then again the sound of water was heard ahead, and they drove out into a clearing surrounded by bushes.
Rather, it was a flat stone (rock), in the center of which something like a bathtub was hollowed out, in which a stream of water with bubbles swelled and a stream flowed out. Mirza said:
- Undress, lie down. Just don't drink this water.
The water was warm, softly tickling and tingling with bubbles.
Mirza stood nearby and grinned good-naturedly:
- Look how big it is! She was being hammered by huge people unknown to us. I saw their graves. You are a child compared to them. Now quickly get out and run to those bushes.
Why the bushes, Fyodor thought, but suddenly his stomach told him that he needed to go to the bushes immediately.

Having dressed, Fyodor jumped on his horse very briskly, and generally felt cheerful and fresh. Mirza rode nearby:
- Nobody knows where these giants came from and where they went. Do you think I would have been able to fly like an eagle if not for these sources? Do you think I'm afraid that you will bring your army here? I can change the road so that even those who have been here will not find anything. Or it will go to poisoned sources. But don't be afraid. You will feel the strength. One of these is buried nearby. I can show you if you're not afraid.

Fyodor wanted to take a look. Then Mirza turned his horse, ordered Fedor to follow him and rode to a huge mountain that was nearby. The path on the stones is not visible. On the rock there were drawings where huge people with spears were hunting a mammoth. Then they had to lead the horses along a narrow rocky ledge above the cliff, pressing against the rock, where the river roared far below. Mirza said:
- Don't look down.

Then they saw the entrance to the cave. We went in and brought in the horses, which felt uneasy. We moved on. The eyes quickly got used to the darkness, especially since light was breaking through a crack from above and falling on the stone shelf.

Fyodor shuddered. There was a skeleton on the shelf. He was huge, twice as big larger than a person, more than two fathoms. An elongated skull of a strange shape. A man from another world. Fyodor approached cautiously. He looked, numb. Mirza touched his sleeve.
- Let's go, time is running out. And he has eternity. There are still such graves, but they are far away.

The way back was no easier. We drove past the springs again, and Fyodor experienced a surge of strength. But he was thoughtful, silent, pondering what he had seen.

The next day, Fedor, taking a compass, sextant, paper and pencils, set off for Nalchanin (which his owners carefully harnessed). The path followed sheep (or animal) paths to the mountain. By selecting comfortable spot, Fedor determined the coordinates, sketched the calculations, and then admired the mountains. Rocks, then snowy peaks in the distance. But I noted and noticed something for myself. Yes, there will be a fight between the Avars and Dargins, which is unnecessary. To prevent it, strength is needed. Great power.

I went down to the village and Fyodor was greeted warmly. Nalchanin, who had eaten his fill at the mountain herbalists, was once again well fed. Everyone praised Fedor for his horse, but here they knew a lot about it. They also fed Fyodor himself well, as an honored guest. Prince Mirza was friendly, but gloomy.
- Prince Fyodor, the Avars are coming. Our horsemen look and speak. I saw it myself from above. For now they are just getting ready. There will be many of them.

This is what Fedor imagined as he fiddled with his instruments, map and pencil. So, now, as long as ours manage to arrive on time. Let's figure it out. While the Dargin horsemen were arming themselves and saddled their horses. Women and children gathered in towers, others in shelters. Cattle were driven behind the walls. And Fedor looked at his compass and watch. I regretted that there was no intercom to communicate with my friends.
Haven't figured it out yet. He felt that in the distant future it would be greatly needed. To speak at a distance so that the connection between close people, relatives, and the connection of times is not interrupted.

Local horsemen scattered on foot through the bushes, to familiar places. But from above, from the mountainside, hats and gun barrels appeared. Now something will happen. Fyodor was touched on the shoulder. It was Mirza.
- There are Avars there. It's about to start.
- It won't start. Look up.

A powerful column of cavalry appeared from above the slope. Good well-fed horses, here and there banners, here and there bunchuks. Cossacks, Kalmyks, Tatars, Kabardians. A cavalry army resting on the upper pastures. And the gun barrels somehow immediately disappeared from behind the rocks.

A horseman in Caucasian garb rode forward. Black-bearded, with a bold face. Ataman Grigory Semenov. Strong, good.
He also recognized Fedor.
- Hey, Mr. Colonel, are you planning to fight here? He looks like an abrek himself, God forgive me.
We drove up and hugged. Semenov said:
- We loaded a lot of hay onto spare horses. And so, we ate. Upper pasture lambs are inexpensive. We ate ourselves and stocked up.
Indeed, many of the second horses were hiding under a shock of hay, from which their neighbors were trying to grab a clump. Ataman continued:
“We need to connect with the main army, we need convenient routes, we need guides, and we don’t need to fight with the locals.”
- I know the convenient roads here. I carried out exploration last year. I will be the guide myself. Let's go to the main road near the Caspian Sea, further to the south. There we will meet the main army.

And their army, without entering the villages, moved after Fedor. Finally Mirza said:
- The Avars are no longer visible. They understood what was happening. I will meet and talk with Prince Akhmed, there, shalik-mashlyk. And I will always be grateful to you for everything. Come to our region. Look how beautiful it is here. What air, what water! You go to the plain, there are always clouds, fog, and the air is somehow humid. It's good here!

Fyodor thanked Mirza heartily, but the cavalry column paused, waiting for him. And he galloped forward, showing familiar roads. The road sometimes became steep, the horses rested their hooves, from under which stones fell. Feodor confidently led his army until the sea shone in the distance. And sometimes a black eagle appeared from above.

Troops were moving along the road along the Caspian coast. Infantry with folded banners, artillery with gunners sitting on carriages and charging boxes, baggage carts. Everyone there perked up, even the cannons quickly and skillfully unharnessed and began to turn towards the cavalry. Fyodor commanded loudly:
- Unfold banners, horsetails, everything you have.

The cavalry stopped. Fedor, Semenov, Ayuka, some of the Tatars and Kabardians galloped forward. One of the Cossacks put a white rag on a pike and waved it. The rest waited on the mountainside, displaying their pennants and peaceful intentions. And a mounted group of officers rode out to meet Fedor and his negotiating group. They stopped, and the entire ground army, convoys and artillery also stopped. Then the general and his retinue arrived and slowly headed towards the cavalry. It was Major General Mikhail Afanasyevich Matyushkin himself, very familiar to Prince Fedor. They recognized each other. And in Poltava and in the unfortunate Prut campaign and in work at the Military Collegium.

Historical reference.
Matyushkin was the Tsar's second cousin. Once upon a time he was his steward. One of the first to enter the amusing schools. He enjoyed the trust of the king. In battles against the Swedes he showed himself to be a hero. After leaving the active forces in the Caucasus, he assumed overall command. Subsequently, he experienced the death of the Emperor as a personal grief.

Colonel Prince Pereslavsky? You are just like a Circassian robber. Hello, Semenov, Ayuka, Ulmasbai. Lucky you have arrived. We were seriously short of cavalry. How are you? The horses are good, I see. Were there any clashes or losses?
- No, your Excellency, it was not. The locals were very helpful.
- Okay, otherwise look, the owner of the Lezgin land, Daud-bek, and the governor of the Kazikumyk district, called Surkhai, are not asleep. They have given in to the Turks and are gathering every army against us.
And Fyodor noticed a huge black eagle in the sky, which was leisurely describing circles around them.
The army began to move. They stretched out along the old Caspian road, now the arriving cavalry went forward.

And in the evening Fyodor had a confidential conversation with Matyushkin. Matyushkin spoke.
- What were these khans Haji-Daud and Sukhray doing in Shamakhi? Our merchants and clerks were robbed, beaten, goods worth many...millions were taken away. The Emperor commanded that this should not be forgiven. Yes, and trade routes are needed. So that our Russia is not locked into a land bag! I read your note last year after your Caucasian reconnaissance about the importance of the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus and Persia. You did a great job. That's why I need you.
- Thank you, Your Excellency. Allow me to be in the vanguard, to receive people under my command, I myself will select from my own, fire supplies, food, and the grass here, frankly speaking, is not like in the upper pastures. Our great armada will eat it all. Rivers and streams also seem to be drying up. But cavalry is not an easy matter. The horses, okay, you don’t have to wash them for a while, although that’s not the case, but you always need to water them. And here is such an army! I have trusted local people who will lead our horsemen through the nearby pastures. They will help!
- Don’t get excited, Prince Fyodor. You have gone wild in these mountains. He completely became a local bearded abrek.
- Excuse me, Your Excellency. Allow me to change into my uniform and begin my clerical duties.

Matyushkin looked at him critically.
- No, dear Fedor. Stay as you are. For reconnaissance, this is what you need. Gather your detachment of cavalry, just don’t take all our cavalry with you, you need reconnaissance and laying out the path. You speak Avar and Dargin quite well, I felt it. You know the ways, the local people. You know how to talk to them. Smorty, our fleet is coming here, the Emperor himself is there. We need to prepare the landing site and secure it. Don't lose sight of our army. I order. Carry out reconnaissance, combat security and preparation of a bridgehead for landing. Try to avoid clashes with locals. And remember our enemies who gave in to the Turks, especially Hadji Daoud and Suhrai. The immediate main goal is Derbent. Next is the way to Baku.

Fedor selected good fighters on good horses. Cossacks, Tatars, Kalmyks, Kabardians. Reliable, experienced, proven people who became friends on the road and in battle. Great squad. A hundred people, like a Cossack hundred. Squadron. Dressed differently. Cossacks in caftans, Kalmyks in robes, Kabardians in Circassian coats. The weapons were also varied. This was worse. Fyodor gave them a review. The drill training consisted of soldiers on foot somehow holding a chain of rifles, and in horse formation keeping the horse formation, like a Cossack lava. But the people were experienced.
Fedor took his musket ball.
I started walking through the rows and trying them on the trunks. But it didn’t fit everywhere. At that time, caliber accuracy was not always observed (as was bullet size). And in battle, such a bullet will jam in the barrel when loaded or fired!
There will be trouble. Fedor went to the convoy, demanded pieces of lead, then from his soldiers molds for casting bullets, which everyone had. Then there was a hot fire, melting lead and tin, and casting bullets. They repaired harness, strengthened and renewed horseshoes.
The gunpowder was good. The rest is also ok.

In the remaining time, Fedor diligently sharpened and edited his wonderful saber.
The army was being built, stretched out in a column along the narrow Caspian road. It turned out that Prince Fyodor seemed to be leading the vanguard. The difficulty was that it was impossible to break away from the main forces, and the infantry was moving too slowly. They found a way out: a group of horsemen rode forward for reconnaissance, and a similar group followed behind to communicate with the army. There, too, they understood the problem and groups of cavalry appeared from there to support Fedor’s detachment. Fedor constantly looked through the telescope back, forward and at the sea. And there appeared numerous sails. This was the fleet of Peter the Great.

Finally, on July 27, 1722, Peter I landed in the Agrakhan Bay and set foot on Dagestan soil for the first time.

Peter was impatient. On the same day, detachments were sent. The fighting began. But the majority of the North Kumyk rulers - the Aksaevsky, Kostekovsky and Tarkovsky shamkhals - expressed their readiness to be in Russian service.
The main battle took place near the large village of Utamysh, where the army was attacked by Shamkhal Sultan-Mahmud at the head of ten thousand soldiers. As a result, the attacks were repulsed, and the enraged Russians burned down the village of Utamysh.
The next ruler, the shamkhal of the village of Tarki Adil-Girey, shocked by what had happened, prepared a camp site for the army, offered three hundred carts for the convoy, two hundred and fifty head of cattle and kindly asked the king to be his guest, which made him happy.

Then the path went to Derbent. The services of Prince Fyodor were no longer particularly needed, there was no more resistance or attacks, the locals greeted with bows and swore friendship, showed the way, however, it had already existed for thousands of years and was known.
And the ruler of Derbent, Naib Imam-Kuli-Bek, wrote a letter (also signed by the most noble people and clergy) and sent it towards the Russian army. There he asked for help, swore allegiance and obedience, there was a traditional request not to send troops into the city in order to avoid atrocities.

Fedor understood the naib’s behavior. The surrounding Sunnis, supported by the Turks (the same Sunnis), continuously besieged the predominantly Shiite Derbent and the Shiites hoped for help from the Russians. Naib Imam-Quli-Bek met the Russian army a mile from the city and on his knees presented the king with two silver keys to the city. Local people expressed genuine joy at the arrival of the Russian army. There was one hitch. The main honorary gate, where a whole delegation was waiting for the tsar and generals, was on the other side of the city, and Peter, as usual, was impatient. He pointed to the nearest gate and ordered it to be opened. They politely and carefully pointed out to him that these gates were intended for caravans and donkeys and did not lead to the best part of the city. It is shameful for a ruler to enter them. To which Peter replied:
“I can’t be disgraced by some gate.”

Historical reference.
For the peaceful surrender of the fortress, Imam-Kuli-bek was appointed ruler of the city by Peter I, awarded the rank of major general and a constant annual salary.

Fedor, together with his detachment, were located outside the city walls in tents. The hobbled horses grazed closer, although they gnawed all the grass and brought hay from the wagon train. And there was enough water, streams with clean water flowed. Fyodor inspected his weapons, which he did not really need in this war, cleaned the barrels again, lubricated the locks, changed the flints, adjusted the saber and dagger. Then he went out, sat down, took out paper and a pen and wrote his travel notes (a diary with some important information).
Derbent was noisy nearby. A large city that has been blocking the Caspian gates since the times of the Great Silk Road. The army was resting and preparing for a further march to the south. The fleet, having lowered its sails, stood at anchor in the vicinity.

On the twenty-eighth of August, Fyodor was sitting near the tent in the same evening, but something alerted him. The horses behaved restlessly. Dogs started barking in the city. A damp wind blew. The sky was overcast. Ataman Semenov approached.
- It seems there will be a storm. I ordered the tents to be secured. Here the autumn storms begin, there will be no shortage of them.

The gust of wind was like a blow. The tents were torn off and they flew like birds. Hats flew off the jumping people. The Caspian Sea thundered with waves. Fedor saw how his Nalchanin was rushing about with tangled legs. He shouted to his people:
- Get down, get down!
He rushed to Nalchanin, forced him to lie down, and lay down next to him, snuggling.
The storm ended by morning.

People got up, collected things, set up tents, in a word, restored the camp. A lot came from Derbent local residents, began to help. But what’s worse is that some of the ships were thrown ashore, and some disappeared.
The management called a meeting.
The sovereign's adjutant (whom he habitually called his orderly) ran to Fyodor.
- Your Excellency, Mr. Colonel, you are called to the military council.

It’s clear that he is now a Caucasian intelligence officer and is needed.
He belted his Circassian coat, did not take his weapon, and went to the hastily restored headquarters tent. The generals had already gathered there, and soon the Emperor himself came and began asking about the losses from the storm.
Admiral General Fyodor Matveevich Apraksin stood up:
- Sire, losses in the ground forces are insignificant, but the fleet suffered heavy losses. Transport ships with valuable cargo were sunk. The worst thing is that we brought food by sea, and now it is gone. Almost all the flour on the surviving ships is spoiled.
General Matyushkin:
- There are no more provisions left for a month, then there will be no army. Worse than the Prut campaign.

The king thought. For a long time. Everyone was silent. Then Peter said:
- No more Prut. We retreat to Astrakhan. We leave a garrison here. The local khan and residents favor us.

Fedor raised his hand. Peter:
- Oh, it’s you, Mister Colonel. I didn't recognize you with a beard right away. If I had caught you in 1998, I would have ordered you to shave me. Okay, we'll talk in St. Petersburg. What do you have?
- Sire, the ordered campaign against Astrakhan will be difficult. The horses ate all the grass along the way, and there will be food shortages. We will lose many. I propose to lead most of the cavalry through the mountain pastures along the paths I have explored.
-Have you heard that we have provisions for a month? Enough for Astrakhan. Stop reasoning. Listen to my command. Matyushkin will command the rest. You, Apraksin, organize the unloading of the remaining supplies and take the ships there. If it is possible. You, Colonel Pereslavsky, look like a Circassian, and you know the local languages. You will stay here for mining exploration. You're doing well. You will report to Matyushkin, and if necessary, do not be shy about me personally.

The Tsar shook the heap of cards and notes lying in front of him, written by Fyodor.
- Take action!

Everyone dispersed, and the camp began to move. Many locals came to help. They unloaded everything they could from the beached ships, loaded them onto carts and carts, and closed down a huge parking lot. Yes, the lessons of the Prut in 1711 were not in vain for the tsar. Fedor sympathized with the garrisons who remained here, since it would be difficult for them. And he himself, following the royal order, began to saddle Nalchanin and the Tatar filly. I checked the horseshoes, they were in order, I took spare ones with nails, mountain roads are no joke. The orderly Ivan turned to him.
- Your Honor, where are you going without me? Alone again? Is it easy?

Fyodor thought about it. Ivan Shapovalov is an experienced soldier, masters a horse and a weapon, is brave and loyal, proven in campaigns and battles.
-Ivan, aren’t you afraid?
-Your Honor, there’s no fear with you.
-Okay, Ivan, thank you. It's more fun together.

And Fyodor went to Ataman Semenov and begged for a good Don horse with a saddle and harness. Since Semenov already knew Prince Fedor well, he did not refuse.

Fyodor and Ivan loaded the horses, Nalchanin, a Tatar filly, which was never named, and a Donchak horse, which Ivan saddled. And such a caravan went to the mountains. Semenov, Murza Cherkassky, Aslan-Bek, Ayuka, Ulmasbay and others came out to see them off.
Semenov crossed Fedor onto the road.
- God bless you, Mister Colonel.
- God bless you, Ataman Gregory. Take care of people and horses.
And Aslan-Bek said:
- Beware of Hadji-Davud, Suhrai and their people. May Allah protect you.

We hugged, said goodbye and went on our way.

Research

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"Oriental

Peter's campaign I ».

Completed by: history teacher

Chalabieva P.M.

Table of contents:

Introduction……………………………………………………………………………….3 1. Reasons and goals of the Caspian campaign……………… ……………………………………5 2. Russia’s struggle for mastery of the Caspian regions……………………………..7 3.Campaign of Peter I of 1723………………………………………………………………..12

Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………14 References……………………………………………………… ………………………………………………15

Introduction.

An important step in the development of Russian-Dagestan relations, is associated with the name of Peter I,who in 1722 made a campaign known in historical literature as the Caspian, Eastern, Persian.Its result was the annexation of the city of Derbent and the coastal regions of Dagestan to Russia, and the economic and cultural development of the Dagestan peoples accelerated. Since the campaign of Peter I, a comprehensive survey of the region began. Participants in the Caspian campaign left important descriptions and materials related to Dagestan. F.I. Soimonov compiled the book “Description of the Caspian Sea”. D. Kantemir gave a description of Derbent. I. Gerber left a description of the peoples of the western shore of the Caspian Sea, which contains valuable information about the Dagestan peoples.
During this campaign, three miles from Tarki, Peter I set up his camp, which was surrounded on three sides by an earthen rampart and stuck a pole with the imperial standard into the ground - “where once the Russian flag is raised, it should not be lowered!” The flag was not lowered to this day, but in this place today the petals of the quarters of the pearl of the Caspian Sea - the Dagestan Makhachkala - have blossomed. Subsequently, this place was known as Petrovskaya Gorka.

Dagestan was saved as a people. By defending Russia, its culture was saved from absorption by Turkey and Iran, and the previously fragmented region became united for many centuries.

Relevance The theme is that this year marks the 200th anniversary of the annexation of Dagestan to Russia. And this event became an important milestone in the history of development, both for our republic and for the entire Russian state.

This could have happened much earlier, but the government of Peter I, busy with the war with Sweden since 1700, did not have the opportunity to actively intervene in Caucasian affairs, although it constantly and closely monitored them.

Target – show place and rolePeter I in the annexation of Dagestan to Russia.And trace this historical process, while clarifying the main interests of Russia in relation to Dagestan.

Tasks :

carry out search, selection and analysis historical sources and literature on the chosen topic;

analyze the reasons for the Caspian campaign;

show how relations developed between Dagestan and Russia;

determine the historical role of PeterIin the annexation of Dagestan to Russia;

create a computer presentation using a programPowerPoint, to illustrate the provisions of the project.

In the course of this work, I became acquainted with the works of V.G. Gadzhiev. “The Role of Russia in the History of Dagestan”, which presents the history of the relationship between Russia and Dagestan and Razakov R.Ch-M. "History of Dagestan". With the works of Solovyov S.M. and Golikov I.I., with an article in the magazine “Country of Mountains, Mountain of Languages” // Our power: deeds and faces, etc.

The role of Peter I in the emergence and development of the south of Russia is very great. It is known that Peter I founded two capitals. One in the north - St. Petersburg, the second in the south, calling it Port - Petrovsk (as Makhachkala was called until 1921). Peter was the first to draw attention to the fact that the Caspian Sea (a sea that does not freeze) could play a big role in the development of trade and interstate relations with Russia’s southern neighbors. Also, Peter I, having built two capitals, protected the country from enemies, both from the south and in the northwest.

Reasons and goals of the Caspian campaign.

From the beginning of the 18th century. Russia is becoming an empire. If before this the southern interests of Russia were reduced mainly to liberation from the Crimean Khanate, then Peter sharply intensified Russian policy in this direction. Even then, there was a clear desire of Russia to move south, to the warm seas. IN late XVII- beginning XVIII centuries Dagestan remained a fragmented country into a number of feudal possessions - shamkhalates: the possessions of Zasulak Kumykia, the Utsmiystvo of Kaitag, the Derbent possession, the Maisumsty of Tabasaran, the Avar Khanate, etc., as well as unions of rural societies. During this period, relations between Russia and Turkey worsened due to their influence in the Caucasus. At the end of the 17th century. Russian state launched military operations against the Ottoman Empire. In 1696, Russian troops took Azov and created navy with the aim of ousting Turkey from the North Caucasus.

In the first decade of the 18th century. The military-political expansion of the Ottoman Empire in the Caucasus, including Dagestan, intensified. In 1710, the Porte started a war with Russia and, according to the Treaty of Prut, Russia ceded Azov. The current situation was favorable to the aggressive plans of the Sultan. At the beginning of the 18th century. part of the territory of the Eastern Caucasus, captured during the period of the power of the Persians, was still under their influence. In the areas of coastal and southwestern Dagestan, fortifications with military garrisons erected by the Safavids during the period of their power are still preserved. These fortresses and fortifications impeded the free movement of the population and the development of trade and economic ties between Dagestan and Transcaucasia.

The fortresses and fortifications that were strongholds of the Safavids in the Eastern Caucasus could be used by the Persians for new invasions. The Safavid shahs continued to consider Dagestan their territory and interfered in the internal affairs of some feudal estates. Thus, they repeatedly made attempts to subordinate the unions of rural societies of the Samur Valley to their power.

The Safavid governors and other members of the Iranian administration arbitrarily increased taxes during collection. The exploitation of peasants by local rulers also intensified. The increase in the tax burden, arbitrariness and violence on the part of the Shah and local authorities could not but cause legitimate protest from the masses.

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1 Golikov I.I. Acts of Peter the Great, the wise transformer of Russia. M., 1938 T. IX. P.48.

Thus, Safavid Iran and at the beginning of the 18th century. represented a force for the peoples of Dagestan that threatened national independence and contributed to the strengthening of social oppression. Sultan's Türkiye at the beginning of the 18th century. did everything to expel Iran from Transcaucasia and prevent the growth of Russian influence in the Caucasus.

Volynsky, well informed in the affairs of the Caucasus, advised Peter I to begin military operations and annex the Caspian provinces of the Caucasus to Russia. In turn, the far-sighted Peter I declared: “We will be in dire need to take control of the Caspian Sea before... it is impossible for us to allow the Turks here.”

In an environment of aggressive aspirations of the leading states, the feudal rulers of Dagestan, as well as the entire Caucasus, based on their selfish interests, focused on Russia, Turkey or Iran. Thus, the Dagestan shamkhal, which Persian sources call “vali”, i.e. the ruler of all Dagestan, they say, had a seal, on one side of which he was listed as a slave of the Shahin Shah of Iran, and on the other as a slave of the Tsar of Moscow. His double position was well known in Moscow, Isfahan, and Istanbul, respectively, but they treated it calmly, understanding what the position of such a “double slave” actually was. Thus, at the turn of the XVII-XVIII centuries. Dagestan, which occupied a convenient geographical and military-strategic position in the Caucasus, attracted the attention of Iran, Turkey and Russia.

At the end of the 17th - beginning of the 18th century. Russia has become significantly stronger in socio-economic and political terms, and its international authority has grown.

Considering the growing economic ties with the countries of the East, the Russian government showed concern for expanding shipping along the Volga and Caspian Sea. Peter I drew attention to the Caspian Sea, because here he “saw the true focus or hub of the entire East.” The Russian state was also seriously concerned about the threat to its interests in the Caucasus from Turkey.

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2 Gadzhiev V.G. The role of Russia in the history of Dagestan. M., 1965 P.59.

Russia's struggle to conquer the Caspian regions.

Russia's struggle to seize the Caspian regions was dictated by military-political considerations, since the southeastern borders of the state were easily vulnerable in the event of an attack from the outside. Access to the Caspian Sea was important for Russia. From the beginning of the 18th century. the general direction of expansion of the Russian Empire was steadily shifting from West to East: the Baltic states, Poland, the Balkans, the Caucasus, middle Asia, Far East. Thus, during the reign of Peter I, the policy of the tsarist government changed and its goal became the real annexation of certain territories to Russia. In 1721, after the victory over Sweden and the conclusion of the Treaty of Nystad, Peter I intensified preparations for a campaign on the Caspian coast. The political situation in the Middle East and the Caucasus was favorable to the preparation of military operations in the south.

Astrakhan Governor A.V. Volynsky, in a report to the Tsar, spoke in favor of opening military operations in 1722. Peter I decided to begin military operations in the summer of this year in order to prevent Turkish intervention and annex the Caspian lands of the Caucasus to Russia. On May 15, 1722, Peter I went to Astrakhan. Thus began Peter’s land and sea campaign, which took a year and a half (1722-1723).

On July 18, 1722, the fleet of Peter I under the command of Admiral General Count Apraksin left Astrakhan for the Caspian Sea. Three days before the campaign, Peter I published a manifesto in local languages ​​and sent it to Tarki, Derbent, Shemakha and Baku, residents of the Caspian regions. The manifesto indicated that the Shah's subjects - Daud Beg and Surkhai Khan - rebelled, took Shamakhi and carried out a predatory attack on Russian merchants, causing Russia great material losses and infringing on its dignity as a great power. In view of Daud Beg’s refusal to give satisfaction, “we are forced,” said Peter, “to bring an army against the predicted rebels and all the evil robbers,” and the rest of the population was guaranteed safety.

After a two-day voyage, Peter I and his flotilla arrived at the mouth of the Terek. He ordered the flotilla to move closer to the mouth of the Sulak. On July 27, 1722, the fleet landed on the Agrakhan Peninsula and began building a fortified camp. At the same time they moved here ground troops walking along the Astrakhan steppes. Having crossed the Sulak River, Peter I entered Dagestan. Some Dagestan rulers resisted the tsarist forces. Thus, the ruler of Enderey opposed the troops of Peter I. Colonel Naumov took possession of the village of Enderi and turned it to ashes.

The rulers Kostekovsky, Aksaevsky and Shamkhal Tarkovsky expressed their allegiance to Russia. Shamkhal Adil-Girey hastened to assure Russia of his benevolence.

On August 6, 1722, not far from Aksai, Peter I was greeted with gifts: Shamkhal Tarkovsky gave Peter I 600 bulls harnessed to carts, and 150 for food for the troops, three Persian horses and a saddle decorated with gold. Shamkhal Adil-Girey announced that until now he had served the Russian sovereign faithfully, and now he would “serve especially faithfully” and offered his troops to help Peter.

On August 12, the advanced units of the Russian army reached the city of Tarka, where the shamkhal met Peter with bread and salt. Peter set up camp about three versts from Tarkov. On August 18, Peter I and his retinue visited the shamkhal in Tarki. He, accompanied by three dragoon companies, went for a walk in the Tarkov mountains, examined the ancient tower and other sights. The services provided by Shamkhal and his faithful service were noted by Peter. A Russian honor guard of non-commissioned officers, a drummer and 12 privates was assigned to the shamkhal.

IN At this time, the Georgian and Armenian rulers, aware of Peter’s arrival in Dagestan, were preparing for the meeting. The Georgian king Vakhtang with a 40,000-strong army headed to Ganja and began to wait for the arrival of Russian troops in Shirvan, where both armies were supposed to meet for a joint fight against the Iranian-Turkish oppressors.

On August 16, the army of Peter I set out from Tarki towards Derbent, which was the most important object of the campaign of 1722. Then the Russian army, led by Peter I himself, entered the land of Sultan Mahmud of Utamysh. However, the Cossacks sent on reconnaissance were attacked by a detachment of the Sultan. The village of Utamysh, which consisted of 500 houses, was reduced to ashes, and 26 prisoners were executed. Having easily defeated the detachment of the Utamysh Sultan, Peter I continued his journey south.

Utsmiy Kaitagsky Ahmed Khan and the ruler of Buinaksky turned to Peter I with an expression of submission. Having passed through the possessions of Utsmi Kaitagsky, on August 23, the ground forces of Peter I approached Derbent. The Derbent naib Imam-Kulibek met the emperor a mile from the fortress.

“Derbent,” the naib said in his welcoming speech, “received its foundation from Alexander the Great, and therefore there is nothing more decent and just than a city founded by a great monarch to be transferred to the power of another monarch, no less great.”

Arrival of Peter I in Tarki in August 1722.

Then one of the oldest and most honorable residents of the city presented Peter I with the city keys on a silver platter covered with rich Persian brocade. The Derbent naib presented the Russian Tsar with the precious manuscript “Derbent-name” (a 16th-century manuscript), which was an important source on the history of Derbent, Dagestan and other individual regions of the Caucasus. The Russian army entered Derbent without a fight. The population of the city enthusiastically greeted Peter I. On August 30, Peter reached the Rubas River, where he founded a fortress for a 600-man garrison. This was the extreme point to which Peter I personally brought his troops. A few days later, all the surrounding areas of Derbent recognized the power of Peter I. He informed the Senate that “they have become firmly established in these parts.” In Derbent, Peter I examined the main fortress wall of Dag-Bari, the city and its environs, visited the citadel and the palace of the Sultan. Having taken measures to improve the city and strengthen trade ties with Russia, Peter appointed Colonel Junker as commandant of the fortress. To commemorate the ceremonial meeting, the city cannons saluted the Russian troops with three volleys. In a letter sent from here to the Senate, Peter I enthusiastically noted the warm welcome received in the city. “The mayor of this city,” Peter I wrote to the Senate, “met us and brought us the key to the gate. It is true that these people accepted us with unfeigned love and were so glad to see us, as if they had rescued their own from a siege.”

For the peaceful surrender of the city and declaration of submission, Peter I granted the Derbent naib Imam Kuli the rank of major general and established a monetary allowance at the expense of the treasury.

The feudal rulers of Dagestan and other regions of the Caucasus began to turn to Peter in Derbent. Thus, Rustem-kadi of Tabasaran turned to Peter I with a request to send troops to occupy and strengthen Khuchnya. In his letter to Peter I, Rustem-kadi reported on the historically established friendly ties of Tabasaran with Russia, on the disasters and devastation inflicted on him by Daud-bek and Surkhay Khan for refusing to oppose Persia. Further, in his letter, Rustem asked Peter I to provide assistance in restoring the capital of Khuchni, destroyed by Daud-bek, and, if necessary, to instruct the Derbent governor “to help with his troops,” for his part, Rustem-kadi promised his “subjects not to leave him in need.” . From Peter’s letter, dated September 1, 1722, we learn that Peter I promised Rustem to satisfy his request: to restore his destroyed residence, supply him with weapons and ammunition against the traitors, and send an engineer “to better build the city.” Representatives of various segments of the population of Baku, Shamakhi, Salyan, Rasht, Tiflis, and Yerevan came to Peter I in Derbent with a request to be granted Russian citizenship. King Vakhtang VI of Kartli went to Ganja. In a letter to Peter I, he reported that he had arrived there to unite his troops with the Azerbaijani and Armenian troops. The Ganja and Karabakh militias, consisting of Azerbaijanis and Armenians, together with the Georgians, were preparing to move towards the Russian troops in order to jointly oppose the Turkish and Iranian conquerors.

However, in the same year, Peter I had to temporarily interrupt his campaign for a number of reasons: the Russian army, concentrated in the Caspian region, experienced great difficulties in supplying food and fodder. In addition, during the campaign to the south, there was a threat of renewed war with Sweden. Which could not but worry the Russian government. On August 29, 1722, Peter convened a military council in Derbent, at which it was decided to suspend the campaign, and gave the order to return part of the army to Russia, leaving garrisons in the conquered regions. On September 7, Peter I set out for Astrakhan. By order of Peter, the garrison in Tarki was retained, and the fortress of the Holy Cross was founded on the Sulak River, of which Lieutenant Colonel Soimonov was appointed commandant. As a result of the Caspian campaign of 1722, the Agrakhan Peninsula, the fork of the Sulak and Agrakhan rivers (the fortress of the Holy Cross) and the entire coastal Dagestan, including Derbent, were annexed to Russia. Russia has not abandoned its plans regarding Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia. This is clearly evident from the letter in which Peter I assured supporters of the Russian orientation in Transcaucasia that “having started this business, he will not deign to leave.”

Responding to Vakhtang VI’s requests for help, Peter I wrote: “When Baki is taken, it will be, and we will strengthen ourselves on the Caspian Sea, then we will not leave our troops to help him, as many as necessary... Our first interest is to establish on the Caspian Sea, without which nothing can be done."

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3 Razakov R.Ch-M. History of Dagestan. Makhachkala, 2011 P. 80.

Campaign of Peter I of 1723.

Russia's successes have caused great concern in Turkey. To restore the highlanders against Russia, she used a variety of means: bribery, intimidation and, above all, the Muslim religion, trying to drive a wedge between Muslims and Christians of the Caucasus. Taking advantage of the departure of the main part of the Russian army, in the winter of 1722-1723. the Crimean Khan and the Turkish Sultan tried to raise a rebellion in Tarki and Derbent. Letters were sent to Shamkhal and the Naib of Derbent, in which it was reported that the Sultan had allegedly sent an army with artillery to help Daud Beg and suggested that the Naib and Shamkhal should abandon Russia and submit to Turkey. Sultan Turkey, after the departure of Peter I, openly declared its intention to establish a protectorate over Dagestan. The Sultan's troops, moving towards the Caspian Sea, came close to the borders of Dagestan. The Crimean khans and Turkish sultans began to openly lay claim to Shirvan, Dagestan and Kabarda. Peter I, with his order to resident Neklyuyev, made it clear to Turkey that Russia’s interests “in no way allow any other power, no matter who it is, to establish itself in the Caspian Sea.” In connection with the growing real threat of Turkey's seizure of the western coast of the Caspian Sea, Peter took diplomatic steps and outlined a campaign for 1723 and a plan for subsequent years. In particular, measures were taken to strengthen the Caspian flotilla in Astrakhan and the naval base on the Caspian Sea. In Dagestan, the most important event aimed at consolidating the conquered positions was the strengthening of the fortresses of the Holy Cross and Derbent. Two infantry battalions and 20 cast iron cannons were sent to Derbent.

The capture of the city of Baku and the strengthening of the Baku fortress were important. Thanks to the measures taken by Peter I, Gilan and Mazandaran were taken after the city of Baku in 1723. Strengthening Russia's position in the Caucasus ran counter to the interests and calculations of England and France. They intensified their actions in every possible way aimed at inciting Turkey to go to war against Russia. Anglo-French diplomats acted in relation to the Caucasian mountaineers as organizers of wars of conquest in the Caucasus. England, interested in strengthening its position in the East, itself sought to enslave the highlanders and turn the Caucasus into its colony, using Turkey.

The British ambassador to Turkey, pitting Turkey against Russia, frightened it, declaring that if Russia strengthens, “it will be bad for both England and the Porte.” The ambassador tried to convince the Sultan that “the war with Russia is not dangerous” and that Turkey must stop the Russian success in the East with weapons. In the spring, Turkish troops invaded the Caucasus and gradually began to advance towards the borders of Dagestan.

“Since the settlement of Russians in those parts,” admits the historiographer and minister of the Turkish court, Cevdet Pasha, “was contrary to the interests of the high government,” then in the spring of 1723 it hastened “to take possession of the capital of Gyurjistan - Tiflis, and installed a ruler in Shamakhi.” The armed invasion of the Turkish invaders into the Caucasus, accompanied by terrible cruelties, met stubborn resistance from the Georgian, Azerbaijani, Armenian and Dagestan peoples. This struggle of the peoples of the Caucasus against the Sultan's invaders was supported by Russia, its army, parts of which were located in various regions of the Caucasus.

The invasion of Turkish troops into the Caucasus extremely strained Russian-Turkish relations. The Turks, threatening war, demanded that Russia abandon all possessions in the Caucasus. Attempts by the Turks to take control of the Caspian regions and push Russian troops out of here failed.

In September 1723, at the proposal of the Shah's Iran, frightened by the invasion of Turkish troops in the Caucasus, an agreement was signed between Russia and Persia. According to the terms of the St. Petersburg Treaty, concluded in1723The Shah recognized the Caspian regions of the Caucasus as Russia's. The Dagestan coast of the Caspian Sea and Baku came into the possession of Russia. Thus, the Caspian campaign of Peter I ended with the annexation of the Caspian regions, including Dagestan, to Russia. This led to a sharp deterioration in relations between Russia and Turkey. The hostile attitude of the reactionary circles of Turkey towards Russia was still fueled by the Western European powers. England tried in every possible way to provoke a Russian-Turkish war in order to, taking advantage of the weakening of Russia and Turkey, strengthen its positions throughout the East. The struggle for the Caspian regions intensified. The advance of the Turkish army posed a serious threat to the interests of the Russian state. But Russia, having just finished the war with Sweden, could not enter into a new war. The Russian government considered it necessary to make peace with Turkey. But this was prevented by England and France, who put pressure on the Sultan, and peace negotiations dragged on.In 1724 a treaty was concluded with the Porte, according to which the Sultan recognized Russia’s acquisitions in the Caspian region, and Russia recognized the Sultan’s rights to Western Transcaucasia. Later, due to the deterioration of Russian-Turkish relations, Russian government, in order to avoid a new war with Ottoman Empire and interested in an alliance with Persia, according to( g.) and( d.) returned all the Caspian regions of Persia.

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4 Russian-Dagestan relations of the 17th - first quarter of the 18th century. Makhachkala, 1958. P. 68.

Conclusion.

Thus, the annexation of part of the territory of Dagestan to the Russian Empire, although it brought a new burden to its population - the heavy colonial oppression of tsarism, nevertheless, it objectively opened up prospects for the subsequent socio-economic development of the Caspian region; contributed to the strengthening of Russia's military-political relations with the backward peoples of the Caucasus and the strengthening of the pro-Russian foreign policy orientation here. The military-political consequences of the Caspian campaign of Peter I for both Russia and the peoples of the Caucasus are indisputable and obvious. As a result, the security of the south-eastern outskirts of Russia was ensured and the prospect of economic and cultural development of Dagestan was opened. In matters relating to the long-term orientation of the national development of the peoples of Dagestan, one must be realistic. The alliance with the Russian people for the Dagestan peoples had mainly only positive meaning.

In memory of the Emperor's stay in Dagestan, Peter I Square appeared in Makhachkala in July 2005, and in 2006 Peter I Avenue appeared, which starts from this square.BesidesOn March 6, 2006, a monument to the emperor was unveiled (“From the grateful Dagestan people to the founder of the city”). By the way, a smaller copy of it is available in the Museum of the History of Makhachkala, which is located in Ak-Gol Park.

The opening ceremony of the monument was attended by the leaders of Dagestan and representatives of the two capitals of Russia. The bronze monument was cast in St. Petersburg.Sculptor .
It is interesting that the monument to Peter I in St. Petersburg faces the West, while in Makhachkala the emperor’s gaze is directed to the South.Therefore, there was enough time for us to understand and realize that Russia played a huge positive role in the fate of Dagestan as an autonomous state and its multinational peoples. It should be emphasized that the absolute majority of Dagestanis realized this and are grateful to Russia. They cannot imagine Dagestan without Russia and outside Russia, which is their common Motherland.

In conclusion, I want to say that Russia is our common Home, without which our life is unthinkable, and all conscious Dagestanis are interested in its development and flourishing. I want to believe that all the difficulties experienced by the country will be overcome, and the life of all peoples, including Dagestanis, will become more prosperous, highly cultural and moral.

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5 Country of mountains, mountain of languages ​​// Our power: deeds and faces. 2006 P.10.

LITERATURE

1. Golikov I.I. Acts of Peter the Great, the wise transformer of Russia. M., 1938 T. IX.

2. Gadzhiev V.G. The role of Russia in the history of Dagestan. M., 1965

3. History, geography and ethnography of Dagestan XVIII-XIX centuries. M., 1958

4. Internet resource

5. Russian-Dagestan relations of the 17th - first quarter of the 18th century. Makhachkala, 1958

6. Razakov R.Ch-M. History of Dagestan. Makhachkala, 2011

7. Solovyov S. M. History of Russia since ancient times. In 15 books. M., 1963

V on Peter's Square.

And here is the square itself. This is a view towards Rasul Gamzatov Avenue.

Mount Tarki-tau

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Caspian campaign of Peter I

The Caspian or Persian military campaign of Peter the Great lasted a year from 1722 to 1723. The main objectives of this operation were to strengthen Russian influence in the East and seize rich trade routes, most of which at that time passed through the territory of Persia. At the same time, the king personally led the campaign. But first things first.

Reasons for the Caspian campaign of Peter I

In 1721, the Russian Empire triumphantly ended the Northern War with Sweden, which lasted for twenty-one years. Due to the absence of serious external enemies on the horizon, the sovereign decides to implement a plan to annex the lands located next to the Caspian Sea. Modern historians identify the following factors as the main reasons for the Caspian Campaign:

• protection of Orthodox residents of the Caucasus;
• the desire to exercise control over the trade routes of Asia and India passing through the Caspian Sea;
• the desire by all means to weaken the power position of the Ottoman Empire in the East.

The beginning of the Caspian campaign

The Persian campaign of Peter the Great began on July 18, 1722. It is on this day that two hundred and seventy-four ships descend into the Caspian Sea down the Volga. The Tsar entrusted the command of the fleet to Admiral Apraksin, who showed excellent results in naval battles against Sweden in the Northern War. On the twentieth, the Russian fleet goes to sea and continues to move along coastline.

Peter chose the city of Derbent as the first target, where the infantry and ships moved. In total, the infantry numbered twenty-two thousand people, which were based on regular Russian army, as well as Tatars, Kabardians, Cossacks and Kalmyks.

The first battle happens a month later. On August 19, near the town of Utemysh, Russian troops repulse the onslaught of Sultan Magmud. During the same period, the Kumyk Shah Adil Giray, allied with Russia, captured the cities of Baku and Derbent. Peter's troops enter this city on August 23rd without fighting or losses.

However, further movement of the army to the south was stopped, because the Russian fleet supplying it was defeated as a result of the storm. Peter the Great leaves his army and urgently leaves for Astrakhan, where he begins preparations for a military campaign that will begin in 1723. Thus, the first stage of the hike is completed.

Progress of hostilities

In the second stage of the Caspian campaign, Perth the First entrusts command of the army to Matyushkin. The Russian troops set out in the direction of Baku on the twentieth of June and reached their goal on the sixth of July. The siege of the city immediately begins, because the townspeople rejected the commander’s offer to surrender and open the gates. The plan for the siege of the city prepared by the sovereign was simple, but very effective:

• The infantry took up positions and was ready to repel enemy attacks at the first order. The first such sortie took place the day after the siege began.
• The Russian fleet anchors near the fortress and begins regular shelling, which completely eliminated the enemy artillery and partially destroyed the fortress wall.
• As soon as the enemy positions were weakened, Russian troops began the assault.

Thanks to strict adherence to each point of the plan Persian campaign had a fairly high chance of success. The commander sets the start of the assault on Baku on the twenty-fifth of July, making the fleet, which was supposed to deliver the main blow to the fortress, the main key figure. However, strong winds prevented the plan from being implemented and the operation was cancelled. On July 26, 1723, the fortress surrendered without a fight.

Results of the Caspian campaign

This victory was a huge success for Russia and no less a huge failure for its enemy Persia, which, given the current situation, had to look for a reason to conclude a peace agreement with Peter the Great.

Peter's Persian or Caspian campaign officially ends on September 12, 1723, when a peace treaty between Russia and Persia is signed in St. Petersburg, which will go down in history as the Persian Peace of 1723. According to the text of the terms of this document, Rasht, Derbent, Baku, as well as other settlements located along the southern coastline of the Caspian Sea, were transferred to the Russian Empire. The ruler of Russia was able to implement only one of many ideas and was not going to stop there.

As we already mentioned at the beginning, historians agree that Emperor Peter the Great did a very important thing by deciding to annex the Eastern territories to the Russian Empire. However, unfortunately, his successors, who ascended to Russian throne were unable to maintain these positions. According to the treaties of 1732 and 1735, the ruler of Russia, Empress Anna, returns all the Caspian lands to Persia, thus negating all the efforts and efforts expended by Peter.

Thus the history of the Caspian campaign of Peter the Great was completed.

Scheme: goals and results of the Caspian campaign of Peter I

Historical table: Caspian campaign of Peter I

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