Nikolaï Nikolaïevich Muravyov, count Amursky (also written Nikolai Nikolaevich Muraviev-Amurskiy ) () (August 11th (August 23rd in the Calendar Julien), 1809 - November 30th (18) 1881) was a statesman and diplomatic Russian, which played a determining role in the expansion of the Russian Empire to the coasts of the Pacific Ocean.

Youth and beginnings

Nikolaï Muravyov was born with Saint-Pétersbourg. It left the Corps Page in 1827. It took part in the Siège of Varna at the time of the Russo-Turkish Guerre of 1828-1829, in 1828 - 1829, then with the repression of the Insurrection of November in Poland in 1831. It withdrew army in 1833, because of health issues and turned over at his place to take the continuation of the paternal company. However, it took again service in 1838, like Assistance-of-camp of the Golovine general, to be useful in the the Caucasus. During one of these campaigns against the people of the mountains Muravyov was wounded.

In 1840, Muravyov was named to order one of the sections of the lines of defense on the coasts of the Black Sea, it is at the time that it took part in the massacre of the Ubykh.

Muravyov was promoted with the Major general row of , in 1841, but had definitively to withdraw army because of a disease. It was transferred to the ministry for the Interior and was named civil and military governor of the province of Toula, in 1846. Eager to improve the general economy of the province, he proposed to establish an agricultural company provincial. Muravyov was the first governor to suggest with the Tsar Nicolas Ier abolishing the Servage by a motion signed by nine local landowners. The tsar did not take account of the petition, but since this day he spoke about Muravyov like " libéral" and of a " démocrate".

Government of Eastern Siberia

The September 5th 1847, Muravyov was named general governor of Irkoutsk and Yeniseysk (Eastern Siberia). Its nomination was the subject of a controversy, indeed it was unusual for a person of this age (38 years at the time) to be seen entrusting a so vast territory. Contrary to the ideas of Karl Nesselrode, the Foreign Minister, Muravyov was personally charged by Nicolas Ier with making pressure on the China. The first action of Muravyov, as a general governor was to put an end to the wasting public funds. It made compulsory the training of the Russian in the schools for the Siberian ones. It continued the exploration and the colonization of the territories in the north of the Amour, by having often recourse to exiled political. It made much to extend the trade in the areas more to the west. Seeing the religion like a powerful means of controlling the local population, it supported the construction of churches and encouraged the local beliefs like the Shamanisme and the Bouddhisme.

Following the Treated of Nertchinsk, in 1689, Russia lost the right to sail on the Amour river. However, China never claimed the low part of the river. Muravyov insisted on the need for leading an aggressive policy vis-a-vis China in spite of important the reserve of the diplomats with Saint Pétersbourg, who feared a deterioration of the relations between the two countries. However, owing to the fact that the Russians asserted the lower part of the Amour river, several forwardings, organized by Gennady Nevelskoy, had been approved by the government. In 1851 - 1853, several forwardings were sent in the estuary of the Amour river and with Sakhaline, and of the Russian colonies were established in the zone.

The December 31st 1853, the tsar Nicolas Ier granted to Muravyov the right to carry out negotiations with the Chinese concerning the establishment of a border along the Amour river, and to transport troops in the estuary. In 1854 - 1858, Muravyov helped Gennady Nevelskoy to fulfill its mission. The first forwarding left in May 1854. A fleet of 77 barges and rafts, carried out by the steamer Argun , went up the estuary. Because of the Crimean War, part of the fleet was sent in the Baie of Avatcha, in the peninsula of Kamtchatka, where series of pieces of artillery were installed to protect the peninsula. This artillery played a big role in the defense of the town of Petropavlovsk (see Siège of Petropavlovsk), which was attacked by the Franco-British forces. The forwarding of 1855, transported the first Russian colonists in the estuary of the Love. Muravyov began the negotiations with the Chinese at that time.

The Treaty of Aigun

During last forwarding in 1858, Muravyov concludes the Traité from Aigun with the government Qing of China. In the beginning, the Chinese were against the fact of establishing borders on the Amour river, preferring the status quo, which guaranteed a control common to the China and the Russia of the adjacent territories. Muravyov, however succeeds in persuading the Chinese who the intentions of Russia were peaceful and constructive. The Treaty of Aigun recognized indeed the Amour river like border between Russia and the Qing Empire, guaranteeing an access to the Pacific Ocean in Russia. In thanks, Muravyov accepted the title of count Amursky, i.e. " Amour" river;. The signature of the treaty was celebrated by imposing illuminations with Beijing and festivities in the main cities of Siberia. The territories lately acquired by Russia included/understood Priamurye, Sakhaline, and the majority of the territories of the current Krai S of Primorsk and Khabarovsk.

The Treaty of Aigun was confirmed and extended by the Traité of Beijing of 1860, which granted to Russia the Krai de Primorsk and the South of Primorye.

As a general governor of Eastern Siberia, Muravyov made many attempts at colonization of the banks of the Amour river. These attempts were unfruitful, because very few people were eager to voluntarily move in this moved back area. Muravyov had to transfer several detachments from Cosaques of Baïkal to populate the area. Among his other unfruitful attempts, one can announce the failures in the installation of a grid system per steamer on the Love and in the installation of a postal road.

The principal objections of the members of the government of Saint-Pétersbourg against the catch of left bank of the Love was the lack of men to defend these new territories, Muravyov-Amursky addressed a petition to release the peasants of Nertchinsk obligatory work in the mines. With its people, a body of 12.000 Cosaques of the Love was created and envoy to colonize the area, the military role being reserved with the Cosaque S transferred from Transbaïkalie.

Muravyov-Amursky gave its resignation of the general governor position in 1861 after its proposal to divide Eastern Siberia into two general governorships had been refused. It was named member of the Council of State. In 1868, it left for Paris, where it lived until its death in 1881, returning to Russia of time to others to take part in the meetings of the Council of State.

Commemorations

In 1891, a statue out of bronze of Muravyov was set up on a cliff of the Amour river close to Khabarovsk. In 1929, it was unbolted and replaced by a statue of Lénine, which remained in place until in 1989.

In 1992, ashes of Muravyov-Amursky were transferred from Paris to be D-buried in the center of Vladivostok. A monument in the honor of Muravyov-Amursky with Khabarovsk was restored in 1993.

This monument, with the Bridge of Khabarovsk on the river Love, is represented on the tickets of 5000 Rouble S emitted by the Central Bank of the Federation of Russia the July 31st 2006.

References

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