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The Life of a Russian Ambassador in Istanbul in a Historical –Fictional
Context
novel
Poruçaet Rossiya (Russia is Calling for Duty), the Pavlenko’s historical
monograph
Vokrug Ttona (Around the Throne), frequently mentions people who
helped Tolstoy in this matter. Patrick of Jerusalem Dosifey who was commissioned in
Ottoman Empire and his cousin Spiliot were the
people who provided information to the
Russian Ambassador in any matter. After having settled in the mansion allocated for the
Russian embassy in Edirne, Tolstoy’s assistant reverend Timofey finds Serbian
merchant Savva Lukich Vladislavovich who was recommended to them in Moscow.
The embassy decree contains recommendations that “this person was reliable,
knowledgeable and ready to help the Russian” (Fedorov, 1992, p.33).
Although his official visit to the Sultan and Grand Vizier was delayed by
Ottoman administrators, the Russian Ambassador continued to work on the subjects and
questions in the hidden guide which contained 16 items. The
Embassy officers in Russia
were expecting information from him regarding the situation
of the country and whether
the Ottoman has any plans on attacking Russia. Moscow requested him to shed a light
on matters such as the Sultan’s and his “inner circle’s” approach towards war, whether
the government has a say and the financial situation of the treasury. However, given the
conditions of the period, it is possible to understand the Russian government’s interest
in the armed forces of the Ottoman Empire. Senior Embassy Officers requested Tolstoy
to obtain information whether the cavalry, infantry and artillery troops of the Turkish
Land Forces were “trained in European style”. The ambassador sent regular reports
about the Ottoman Fleet and especially the Castles on Black Sea shores. The great
majority of the subjects and questions included in the instruction were related to the
political and economic relations of the Ottoman Empire with other countries.
On 10 November 1702, the Russian Ambassador visited “Daltaban Mustafa
Paşa who was in his fifties and appointed upon the recommendation of the Mufti” at the
court. Despite the Ottoman administrators’ insistence to send Tolstoy back to his
country, cunning ambassador was able to stay in Turkey by bringing forward the
Crimea question.
Following the uprising called “Edirne Incident”, Sultan Ahmet III (1703-
1730), the brother of Sultan Mustafa II, who was enthroned after the nobles’ march to
Edirne, moved the court to İstanbul. Tolstoy and ambassadors of other countries in
Edirne were sent to İstanbul. A few months before this incident, these words were
written in the report sent to Moscow:
“The end of Shaikh al-Islam and his sons will be
possible with the joint uprising of the people and military troops” (Tsentraln y
gosudarstvenn y arhiv drevnih aktov, dosya 2 (1703), h. 396 ).
).
In 1703 which was full of tremor for the Ottoman Empire, Tolstoy also sent his
study entitle
Sostoyanie naroda turetskogo (People’s Situation in Ottoman Empire)
which was based on investigations of a cautious observer to Moscow in addition to his
regular reports. As suggested by Pavlenko, this comprehensive study was like a
comprehensive encyclopaedia which depicts the history, social order and domestic and
foreign affairs of the Ottoman Empire (Pavlenko, 1999, p.289). After having lost the
war against the Holy League (1684-1699), Ottoman Empire was trying to lay the
foundation of a new foreign policy at that time. The fact that Tolstoy included all these
developments in his “People’s Situation in Ottoman Empire” enabled the Russians to
have information about their neighbour in the south (Semevsky, 1884, p.104).
A policy determined in accordance with this information contributed in
solving the problems between these neighbour countries.
148
Emine Inanir
Upon Grand Vizier’s promise to the Russian Ambassador in 1704 that “
his
any need will be fulfilled abundantly since the court sees him as a friend”, “a building
with a wide garden and a fountain in it” was allocated to the Embassy (Pavlenko, 1999,
p.291). Moreover, as Petr Andreevich stated in both his diaries and
Sostoyanie naroda
turetskogo (People’s Situation in Ottoman Empire), Grand Vizier Hasan Pasha gave
special attention to him, sent fruit baskets and flowers to his house when he was sick.
However, when Grand Vizier Ahmet Pasha was appointed in place of Grand Vizier
Hasan Pasha in 1704, the Russian Ambassador faced a different attention. He was under
supervision of the Janissaries once again as he was in Edirne. The reason of this “close
surveillance” as the Ambassador noted was revealed in spring of 1705. According to the
rumour that reached Istanbul, it was understood that the Ottoman Ambassador in
Moscow Mustafa Ağa was “not free and he was arrested” (Pavlenko, 1999, p.296).
However, later it was revealed that this claim was not true.
Although Tolstoy wandered the beaches and marketplaces of this beautiful
city, the dockyards and coffeehouses in Haliç and admired vivid colours, “spring sun”,
“almond trees”, “gardens full of scent of bay leaves”, he missed his country. It is
possible to see this longing in his words to the head of Embassy officers “my stay here
became harder”.
As of 1705, incidents took a different path in the Russian Embassy in
Istanbul. Reverend Timofey was murdered in April. While it was stated that Tolstoy
was forced to poison Timofey who betrayed “Russian State” and his “religious fellows”
(Fedorov, 1992, p.68)
in Y. Fedorov’s Novel
Poruçaet Rossiya (
Russia is Calling for
Duty), Pavlenko preferred to look for the cause of this death in the plots of the French
ambassador.
4. Conclusion
As we stated above, vibrant developments occurred in Istanbul at the beginning of 18
th
century. Embassy activities of the Russian Ambassador and other countries indicate that
Istanbul was in a significant position in that period for both Russia and other European
Countries.
The ambassador chosen by the Tsar, P.A. Tolstoy carried out his mi ssion
in Turkey successfully between 1702 and 1714. These 12 years which was full of
dense relations and difficulties became a centre of interest for both Russian
historians and writers. Tolstoy’s long stay in Istanbul for 12 years indicates that
Russia, which came out of a long war, was in favour of peace with the Ottoman Empire.
However, with the provocation of the British, French and Austrian diplomats, Ottoman
Empire declared war against Russia.
When the war broke out between Turkey and Russia, Tolstoy was imprisoned
in Yedikule Dungeon at the end of 1710. The Ambassador’s reports to Moscow were
interrupted in 1709. As Pavlenko suggested, he might have destroyed the reports of
1710 before being imprisoned and he might have not written
during 1711-1713 since he
was in prison (Pavlenko, 1999, p.309). Russian Ambassador returned to his country in
1714.
As it can be understood from the resources we have researched, when he was
sent to the Ottoman Empire as Ambassador, Tolstoy tried to explain the situation in
Istanbul by showing examples of both positive and negative developments to the
instructions and questions included in the guide prepared by Petro I. The efforts and