Albazin Fortress

Albazin* was a fortified Russian town in the Amur River region, which was founded by Yerofey Khabarov in 1651. Before the arrival of the Russians, the town, known as Yagsi (Russian: Якса), was the capital of the Solon Khanate, belonging to one of kingdoms of the Tungusic peoples. Albazin was the first Russian settlement on the Amur River.

In the late 1640s, a team of Russian Cossacks under Yerofey Khabarov arrived to explore Dauria. They needed a foothold on the Amur and, after several clashes with the Daurs headed by Prince Albaza, established a Russian fort of Albazin. Soon it became the settling center of the Russians on the Amur.

In 1664 its population numbered one hundred and twenty military and above five hundred manufacturers and farmers. The town had grain mills, smithiesand potteries. Near the town, which was surrounded by a three verst fortified wall, there towered the Spassky monastery which was visited by pilgrims on holidays and weekends.

Albazin peasants managed to harvest heavy crops that allowed them to sell corn. The Amur corn was delivered to Yakutsk and Nerchinsk provinces. The first Albazin governor Alexey Tolbuzin reported to Moscow with a pride that there were a lot of arable lands and people were rapidly colonizing that territory.

Albazin had its own coat of arms with an eagle on the silver background, holding a bow in one paw and an arrow in the other. Later the town was granted a status of the Albazin province center.

But the fate of this town was predetermined by two reasons: the first one was that the Manchurians were alarmed by the coming of strong and energetic people to the Amur.

The second reason was inefficient reign of Regent Sophia*, because she was engaged in the affairs connected with Sweden, Livonia and Poland. It was too much for her to solve problems with the Manchurians in the Far East.

5. Answer the following questions:

•Why was Albazin founded?

•What was its importance for Russia?

•Who was the ruler of that town before the Russians occupied it?

•What was the number of people living there?

•Was Albazin a town or a village?

•Who was the first governor of Albazin?

•What predetermined its fate?