One of the most interesting eras in the controversial history of Muscovy was the time of Peter the Great. About what seemed to be happening then, as well as about the fictional customs of Muscovy, you could find many books. But here's a description of the events on behalf of a real eyewitness is unlikely to fall into your hands. And there are such books, as you understand, and one of such works is: “The diary of a trip to the Moscow state of Ignatius Christopher Gvarient, the ambassador of Emperor Leopold I to the Tsar and Grand Duke Peter Alekseevich in 1698, kept by the secretary of the embassy Johann Georg Korb.”
In fact, this is a collection of travel notes written by the representative of the Austrian diplomatic mission, Johann Georg Korb.
Korb was one of the first authors who described the real state of affairs in Muscovy under Peter the Great. He was even led, if I say so of course, to witness a very dramatic event in the history of Muscovy, namely suppression of the Streltsy uprising of 1698.
Korb's book was exceptionally popular abroad. But when the resident in Vienna P.A. found out about Korb's "Diary" in 1701 Golitsyn, who knew Gvarient directly and considered him the author of this book, he was so beside himself with anger that, having written to F.A. Golovin:
“There has never been such a scoundrel and a scolder for the Muscovite state; since his arrival here, we have been treated as barbarians and are not considered in anything.
book immediately banned , the rest of the circulation, at the insistence of Russian diplomats, was confiscated and destroyed.
Moreover, the Moscow diplomats even managed to remove Gvarient from the re-arrival of the ambassador to Russia, although Gvarient explained to them in a letter that the author of this book was his secretary Korb, “ who could not be forbidden to print anything"because he lives in another area," under the prohibition of other princes "...
Gvarient also stated that in the book " more commendable, except for some ludicrous and false descriptions."
Nevertheless, Gvarient was declared in Muscovy "persona, but grata", and the book was never published in Muscovy. Although the book was well known in Russia, in the middle of the 19th century, the author of The History of the Reign of Peter the Great, N.G. Ustryalov wrote about Korb's work:
« Korb wrote with deep respect for Peter, with love for the truth, and if he was mistaken, it was only because he believed unfounded stories. His own observations are accurate and truthful.
Korb's book reached the Russian reader only at the end of the 19th century. It was first published in full in 1863, and in a more accurate translation by A.I. Malein in 1906.
The work of the Austrian was highly appreciated by the writer A.N. Tolstoy, who very often in his novel "Peter I", used episodes from Korb's "Diary".
Before moving on to the book itself, I would like a little of its author.
Korb was born in Karlstadt am Main, his father was an official of the Prince-Bishop of Würzburg.
In Würzburg, Korb graduated from the Jesuit college and university, and from there he got into the Gvarient embassy.
After his Moscow voyage, he entered the service of the Prince of the Palatinate-Sulzbach.
“In Moscow, everyone, regardless of class, exchanged colored eggs, kissed and said “Christ is risen”!
“Here, the greater the holiday, the stronger the occasion for widespread drunkenness, and women are not inferior to men, and the former, having drunk too much, act outrageously, and in almost every street you can meet these pale yellow, half-naked creatures with shamelessness on their faces.”
“Although the right to sell vodka belongs only to the tsar, however, some of the common people, called Yamsky, sold it in their homes, despite the tsar’s positive prohibition on this subject.”
“At the same time, although worship is not performed in any church, nevertheless, all the bells ring in churches all day long, as if one beating of inanimate air is enough to mark the feast.”
“Almost every year the celebration of the most important holidays is accompanied by fires, which all the more cause disasters to the people, which almost always happen at night and sometimes turn several hundred wooden houses into ashes. On the last fire, which destroyed 600 houses on this side of the Neglinnaya River, several Germans ran to put out the fire. The Muscovites, accusing the Germans of theft in vain, first beat them severely, and then threw them into the flames and, thus, sacrificed their rage and carelessness.
Recording daily events in the "Diary", Johann Korb tells us:
about unscrupulous scribes, who, as punishment, were chained to tables like criminals, so that they would learn to write non-stop day and night
about cutting off the heads of six of his servants for the murder of his master
about the discovery on the street of two corpses with severed heads
that at night, in particular, an incredible multitude of all kinds of robbers roam the city
that the ambassador's servants quarreled with the Muscovites, not knowing about the art of perjury of the latter
that the moral concepts of the Muscovites are so perverted that the art of deceiving is considered by them a sign of high mental abilities
about the tyranny of the ambitious and externally Europeanized Prince Golitsyn, who, cursing cruelly, promised to hang the teacher of his children
about the execution of the captain for cohabitation with an eight-year-old girl
about the mother and daughter who killed their husband and father, who were buried alive up to their necks in the ground, and after death they were hanged “by their feet, upside down”
that Peter once spoke with the same buried woman and, in order to end her torment, ordered the soldier to shoot her, but Lefort considered it unworthy of the soldier to shoot the woman, and Peter agreed with him
that wife-killers are punished only by a fine
about how Peter cut off the head of the rebel from Azov
about his distrust of the reports of Russia's victorious military operations against Turkey in Ochakovo and Azov, in the truth of which Korb does not believe, because: “Muscovites know how to invent stories about their triumphs and the defeat of enemies. Such great warriors are Muscovites, they are gifted with such creative imagination.
about how Peter graciously waved his beards to his boyars, but they did not dare to resist, because they were born to consider it “a sacred duty to sacrifice life by the will or by order of their sovereign.”
about the old-fashioned celebration of the New Year on September 1, when the voivode Shein arranged a royal New Year's feast in his house
about how Peter, unable to endure a dispute about the place at the royal table of the Danish and Polish ambassadors, called both fools, and then, having found out from the soldiers how many Shein had given away officer ranks for money in his absence, in anger “struck his naked sword on the table and cried out : "So I will destroy your regiment!" Waving his sword indignantly, Peter was ready to cut Shein, but, having wounded the boyars defending him, squeezed in his arms by Lefort, he broke free, “strongly grabbed him on the back”, softened and had fun until six in the morning
about reprisals against criminals and archers. 15 people are wheeled, the heads of the under-tortured are cut off. Rebels who do not want to confess are beaten several times with whips, “roasted on fire”, every day in Preobrazhensky “more than thirty bonfires burn”, cut out nostrils, cut off ears, tongues and hang 230 or more people almost daily
about how Peter, not trusting the boyars, interspersing feasts with executions, interrogated himself, sent them on the rack himself, killed five with an ax himself, took on the role of a punisher in the name of protecting his people, as he told the one who came to him with admonitions patriarch
Korb, shocked by the tyranny ruling in Moscow, but believes that justice lies in the actions of the tsar, since:
“The members of the state body are so stricken with disease and subject to incurable decay that nothing remains to preserve the body but to destroy these members with iron and fire.”
Peter got it not only to the rebels, but also to his closest associates, “ whoever is closer to the fire is closer to the fire" Korb writes:
Menshikov for being with a saber at the dance received a slap
Lefort was picked up, thrown to the floor in the midst of the feast and trampled underfoot.
Boyar Golovin, as a punishment for his dislike for seasonings, Peter stuffed salad into his mouth and poured vinegar down his throat until blood gushed out of his nose
Peter forced his close associates to judge and personally execute the criminals and calmly watched with “dry eyes” as they killed 330 people with shaking hands.
“Near the Novodevichy Convent, thirty quadrangular gallows were set up, on which 230 archers ... were hung. The three instigators of the terrible rebellion, who petitioned Sophia to take over the helm of government, are hung on the wall of the Novodevichy Convent under the very windows of Sophia's cell. They put a petition into their hands.”
Day of the Streltsy Execution
Korb calls February 13 the day of the Streltsy's execution on the square in front of the Kremlin "terrible", and writes that this day "should be marked with black paint" because two hundred people were beheaded with an ax on the chopping blocks.
“His Royal Majesty, with Menshikov, whose company he loves the most, arrived there in a carriage.
Meanwhile, the clerk, standing in different parts of the square on a bench that a soldier set up for him, read aloud to the assembled people the sentence on the rebels in order to give greater fame to the immensity of their crime and the justice of the execution he had decided for it.
The people were silent, and the executioner began the tragedy.
The unfortunate had to follow a certain order: they went to the execution one by one, their faces showed neither sadness nor the horror of impending death ...
One of them was accompanied to the block by his wife and children, uttering piercing cries. Before putting his head on the chopping block, he gave as a keepsake to his wife and dear children, who wept bitterly, the gloves and handkerchief that had been left for him.
Another, approaching the chopping block in turn, complained that he must die innocently. The king, who was only one step away from him, answered: “Die, unfortunate one! And if you are innocent, let the guilt of shedding your blood fall on me!”
At the end of the massacre, Peter deigned to dine with General Gordon, but was extremely unhappy and even angry, since one of the criminals, before lying on the block, dared to say to the king: “Step aside, my lord! I should lie down here"…
Peter was so enraged by the impudent behavior of the serf that the next day he himself went to execute the rebels, while declaring that he would execute them in a new way: “not with an ax, but with a sword” ...
“One hundred and fifty rebels have been led to the Yauza. They say that the tsar cut off the heads of eighty-four rebels with a sword, and the boyar Pleshcheev lifted them by the hair so that the blow was more accurate.
A week later, Peter arranged a crowded merry festivity with amusing lights and a comic dedication of the palace, “commonly called the Lefort Palace”, to the god of wine Bacchus.
The procession was led by an imaginary high priest, “his miter was decorated with Bacchus, arousing passionate desires with his nakedness. Cupid and Venus decorated the staff”, behind them the guests carried mugs full of wine, flasks with beer and vodka, “sacrificial vessels filled with tobacco”, and smoked from chibouks equipped with “dignity” powered by smoke.
The priest had two such chibouks and folded them in a cross, like candles, when he approved something.
“Who would really think that the image of the cross, the most precious symbol of our salvation, could serve as a toy!”
Seen in Muscovy carnival Korb could not call it anything other than an "orgy"!
For 8 days in Muscovy (and earlier they walked 14) there is a non-stop shameless revelry, outrages, robbery, "everywhere the most harmful arbitrariness."
Korb became evidence of an unprecedented act for Moscow!
Imagine, on the eve of the 18th century, at a royal dinner in honor of the departure of the Brandenburg ambassador, he saw the king's sister Natalya, a WOMAN who, contrary to centuries-old traditions, was among the guests!
Imagine, Tsar Peter, having corrected the centuries-old traditions of Muscovy, allowed a woman to walk, and did not leave her like a dog at the walls of the house!
In April, there was an uprising in Azov. Seven streltsy regiments exiled there, "calling the Tatars for help" and hoping for the support of other such archers outside the city, decided to "avenge their exile" by rebellion and the capture of the city.
The consequence of these events, coupled with the costly construction of a fleet in Voronezh, was the introduction of a “head salary” for all residents of Moscow, a monopoly on the sale of vodka and a sharp increase in prices for oats and food supplies, also caused by the protest of the peasants who previously imported goods into the city: they are now forced to "throw out the luggage from the carts and put the dead bodies in them" of the executed, forced to dig burial pits, took away the carts, plundered the goods.
And the king, meanwhile, stubbornly built a fleet.
Meanwhile, papers arrived from Vienna ordering the Austrian embassy to return home, which was celebrated with a solemn ceremony on July 2, 1699.
The ambassadors received expensive gifts, and an escort of Moscow soldiers accompanied them "to the borders of Moscow and Lithuania."
Korba's "Diary" does not end there, since he further gives in it "A brief description of the dangerous rebellion of the archers in Muscovy" and "The main events from the internal life of the Muscovites."
In the first chapter, Korb describes the events of the rebellion of the archers, who supported him, how the battle went on near the Jerusalem monastery, what was the role of Sophia and how the rebellion was suppressed, how the archers were executed, how they executed the priests who blessed the archers for a rebellion: the role of the executioner was played by "the court jester in the clothes of a priest" . Peter himself commented on the execution of the latter: “ Yes, henceforth, not a single priest dares to pray to God for the satisfaction of such desires.
The main events from the internal life of Muscovites
Korb considers the main problem of Muscovy: "The restless spirit of the conquered peoples, threatening with the deposition of the conquered regions from the state"!
Petra Korb is highly respected and speaks of him everywhere as a fighter against Moscow backwardness and ignorance.
(The author is a Jesuit! - note)
State Mind of Peter most clearly manifested, according to Korb, in the fact that with what perseverance and determination he put into practice the idea of “educating his subjects” in the name of the development of the mind, the development of science, “ennobling all other people”, thanks to which, according to Peter, “all the good qualities of the soul are fully awakened”!(This is where the origins of Russophobia come from!)
In ignorance and stubborn adherence to the ancient principles, Muscovites owe their pastors, which: " It is not without reason that they are afraid of being finally thrown off the wheel of their happiness”!!!
“They know that they will only reign until then, as long as it will be possible for them to keep the mob and the people in ignorance and in the darkness of error, feeding in them superstitious contempt for science and enlightenment, since development, arousing noble ambition in people, would turn the aspirations of the people to the best and the highest!
Korb calls the main concern of the Moscow priests not the teaching of the Holy Scriptures and prayers, but the obscurantist ritual itself:
"How many fingers to cross over yourself."
"The piety of the priests is purely external, as is the reverence for them by the laity" Korb writes.
The lack of knowledge in Muscovy is noticeable in everything! (* Didn't the obscurantism of Nikon's reforms lead to the suppression of science? -note)
Military strength Muscovites
The troops of the Moscow tsars are terrible only for some Tatars.
In my opinion, Muscovites owe their successes in the war with Poland or Sweden not to their courage, but to some kind of panic fear and misfortune of the defeated peoples. (*This is where the neglect of the Russian military spirit among Europeans comes from - note)
Moscow tsars can easily lead thousands of people against the enemy, but these are only disorderly crowds, already weak due to their immensity, and even having won the battle, these crowds can hardly retain victory over the enemy, but if courage, bravery and knowledge are in the Moscow troops military skills were commensurate with their numbers, physical strength and ability to endure labor, then they would be dangerous to neighboring peoples.
The Muscovites can win battles only by the sheer number of "disorderly crowds" because: " They are weak-minded and habitually enslaved, unable to conceive anything great, nor strive for anything glorious.»!
In 1611, Count Jacob de la Gardie, a general of the Swedish troops, dispersed two hundred thousand Muscovites with eight thousand men. (*reminds of Hitler's speeches? - note)
Peter completely reorganized not only the state, but also the army. He completely destroyed the archery troops, and built a new regular army, for the creation of which he called on foreign masters. (* This is how the Jesuits substantiate the "acts" of Peter. It is precisely such Germans that Peter and his descendants will then invite to write a new story for him - note).
About the Moscow coin
The Muscovite tsars have no mines of gold or silver. Despite the lack of noble metals, the Muscovites always minted their coin from pure and good silver; now, however, the Moscow coin, compared to the former, is less pure and much lighter in weight; an imperial costs fifty or fifty-five kopecks, and one imperial is minted one hundred, sometimes even one hundred and twenty kopecks.
A kopeck, or Moscow kreuzer, is not round, but an oblong and oval coin; on one side of St. George with a spear, in another royal name and the year in which it was minted.
Two kopecks make DINAR, three - altyn, ten - hryvnia, fifty - fifty, one hundred - ruble.
No one can take cash with him out of Muscovy under fear, in case of capture, deprivation of all his estate!
Health care in Muscovy is unenviable - there are only two poorly supplied pharmacies in the whole of Moscow.
Imperial Courtyard
Former great princes dressed in very magnificent clothes and precious jewelry.
They dressed up in robes and attire that served as a sign of high priesthood and royal majesty: they had a miter on their heads, shining with pearls and precious stones, they held the richest rod in their left hand, their fingers were decorated with many golden rings, with them on the throne were on the right side of the icon of Christ, on the left of the Most Holy Virgin, Mother of God.
The present king, far from any pomp and majesty regarding his person, also does not like to be distinguished by the splendor of his court and rarely surrounds himself with this superfluous crowd of servants.
The king in his capital walks the streets, accompanied by two, not more than three or four, simple ministers; even in the dangerous time of the Streltsy troubles, only reverence for the royal greatness served as a guard for the sovereign! (* earlier the author writes about the multitude of robbers, contradiction - note).
“It is only God and the great sovereign knows. We owe our health and all our well-being to the great sovereign.”
In Muscovy, the habit of prostrating himself on the ground and thereby declaring his honor to the tsar, who, accepting such honors, claims to greatness equal to the power of the gods, has still been preserved.
Many nobles, who are called "boyar sons", are in daily service; but there is no decency in the service, no neatness in the servants, and in the severity of morals, alien to any education, and in the vileness of the servants, the Moscow court differs sharply from all other European courts.
The king does not dine alone, but eats and talks with your advisors with German officers, with merchants and even with envoys of foreign sovereigns. Muscovites don't like it very much!
(*very important hint)
What do Muscovites especially care about?
1. According to the Muscovites, the three signs of the fall of Muscovy, predicted by one of their saints, whom the Most High endowed with the ability to see distant events behind the cover of the future, are:
change of faith
dress change
coin change
Muscovites used to dress like Tartars (!!! -prim) , after their dress was more elegant, modeled on the Polish, but now the clothes of the Muscovites are similar to the Ugric ones.
The rules of religion, in which they most differ from the faithful of the Catholic Church, are still adhered to by Muscovites with stubborn superstition. A method of signing the cross, in which almost all of their religion consists.
The coin, minted according to the ancient custom, was preserved even at the time when we were in Muscovy; its actual value changed only sometimes to the detriment of public trade.
I think that some woman, set up by priests, said the above predictions in delirium.
It is not without reason that the priests of Moscow are afraid of being cast down at last from the wheel of their happiness; they know that they will only reign until then, as long as it will be possible for them to keep the mob and the people in ignorance and in the darkness of error, nourishing in them superstitious contempt for science and enlightenment, since development, arousing noble ambition in people, would turn the aspirations of the people to the best and the highest.
2. Other item diligent cares of Muscovites is protection of strong guards of border places and fortresses.
3. In Muscovy, they prevent the rise of any nobleman, due to excessive wealth or power dangerous for the sovereign. Anyone who boasts of his power or flaunts great wealth is in danger of losing his property and life. Thus, those who might be disturbed by the sovereign's great wealth are sent to prison under the pretense of a criminal offense, their property is confiscated, and the owners are subjected to exile or death.
4. The place of the ruler of the region in any part of Muscovy does not last for life, this position is corrected in the course of a few years and no more than a three-year period. The short duration of government is considered very useful for the regions, since neither the rulers use the power entrusted to them for evil, knowing that in a year they will turn into private people, nor the townsfolk are not too attached or afraid of those rulers who are soon dismissed from office.(* remnants of a mining right? - note)
5. Before, Muscovites were not allowed to leave the possessions of their sovereigns for fear that, having looked closely at the happy life of other lands, they would not dare to plan a change in the order of things in Muscovy!
And at present, no one dares to cross the borders of Moscow without royal permission or orders.
6. If those who travel abroad on business do not return within a certain period, then they expect: loss of property, whip and exile.
7. A very important reinforcement of the tsarist military forces are the COSSACKS; therefore, the Muscovites, fearing that they would not be handed over to the Poles and, by falling away, would not deprive the Moscow troops of the main force, curry favor with them with annual awards and try to keep them faithful with flattering promises. This is because: The Cossacks are a powerful people and surpass the Muscovites in courage and knowledge of military art.
8. For the same reason, with caresses, promises, generosity and various artificial means, the Muscovites keep the neighboring Tatars, Circassians, Nagais, Samoyeds and Tunguses under citizenship. They hardly pay any tribute, on the contrary, they themselves claim an annual reward. So, while we were in Moscow, Ayuka, the Kalmyk prince, went over to the Turks with 20,000 subjects.
9. Muscovite tsars are accustomed to disunite even their nobles and nurture disagreement between them. Thus, those who are separated by mutual hatred and who are trying to destroy each other can be more successfully oppressed, observing only a certain decency. Muscovite tsars thus adhere to the old proverb: "Divide and command!"
10. The tsar, leaving Moscow, never entrusts the supreme power to one person, fearing that he would not use it for evil and would not find means in it to rebel against the sovereign himself, therefore the sovereign appoints many as his deputies, and, moreover, those whom he knows that they live unfriendly among themselves, out of innate disgust.
About the Muscovite faith
In Muscovy there are not even such schools in which Muscovites could study what an adult person knows and is decent and necessary for his salvation!
It would be far more useful and salutary to establish schools, to appoint teachers to teach the youth, to enlighten the ignorant, to lead lost people from the path of error to the path of true salvation.
“It is truly remarkable how weak the knowledge of religion among the Muscovites is, and with what pride they abhor to use any kind of science of foreigners.”
“Thus, being ashamed to come out of the darkness of ignorance, they obscure the light for their descendants.”
Holidays
“In Russia, they count almost as many holidays as there are days in a year!”
On holidays, Muscovites indulge in drunkenness, so when Muscovites celebrate a holiday, or, as they say, "moth", you should always expect a fire.
About the morals of Muscovites
“The entire Muscovite people are more subject to slavery than enjoy freedom, all Muscovites, whatever their rank, without the slightest respect for their personality, are under the yoke of the most cruel slavery.”
When addressing a nobleman, it is necessary to assign diminutive names to oneself, for example, Yakov should be signed by Yakushka, not Yakov. You need to call yourself a serf or the meanest, most contemptible slave of the Grand Duke and all your property, movable and immovable, should be considered not yours, but the sovereign's.
The Tsar of Moscow is an excellent exponent of such a concept, he uses his fatherland and its citizens in such a way that his autocracy, which is not limited by any limits, by any laws, clearly manifests itself, for example, in the complete disposal of the estates of private individuals, as if nature were all for him alone and created.
With such concepts of the Muscovites, let the tsar oppress people created for slavery, let them submit to their fate, who cares!
Since Muscovites are strangers to any scientific education, they cannot have those virtues that ennoble a person.
John Barclay, in his picture of the mental qualities of the Muscovite people, writes at length about the morals of the Muscovites:
“This people, created for slavery, hates even the shadow of liberty, this people is meek when it is under oppression, and the most slavish state is not at all disgusting to it, on the contrary, everyone readily admits that they are the sovereign’s serfs.”
The sovereign has full power over their property, person and life.
The Turks themselves show no more disgusting resignation of their humiliation before the scepter of their Ottomans.
The Muscovites also judge other peoples by themselves, and therefore foreigners who arrived in Muscovy by accident or on purpose are subjected to the same yoke and forced to be slaves of their sovereign. And if one of them leaves and is caught, then he is punished as a fugitive.
The nobles, although they themselves are slaves, treat with unbearable pride the lowly and common people, who are usually, out of contempt for them, called the black people and Christians.
“Since Muscovites are deprived of any good rules, then, in their opinion, deceit is evidence of a great mind.
“They are not at all ashamed of a lie, a discovered swindle.”
“The seeds of true virtue are so alien to this country that even vice itself is famous among them as dignity.”
Among so many worthless grasses, useful plants also grow, but there are few of them, among others, stagnant in ignorance and vices. Most of the Muscovites are uneducated, weak and stupid in mind, they sometimes, with their mouths open and eyes wide, look at foreigners with such curiosity that they do not even remember themselves from surprise.
“Memorizing by heart some of the rules of their faith is among the Muscovites the highest degree of education”!
Exercising in the free sciences, as an unnecessary trouble for the youth, is rejected by Muscovites, philosophy is forbidden, astronomers, disgraced by the name of sorcerers, were often punished by a court verdict!
The astronomer Vogt, in his Monthly Book, predicted a revolt in Muscovy in a sentence:
"Moskau wird seinem Ungltick auch nicht entgehen", “Moscow, too, will not escape its misfortune,” for which he brought blasphemy upon himself and the import of this calendar to Muscovy is prohibited.
Muscovites consider astronomy a godless science based on intercourse with unclean spirits, and what astronomers predict the future, the knowledge of which is incomprehensible to the mind of mortals, they consider the prediction and announcement of demons!
Muscovites have a different way, unlike other peoples, to count and represent numbers: for this they use a board containing several rows of grains.
Although the Muscovites have no knowledge of music, though, their musical harmony captivates them.
Muscovites like foreign artists only as long as they play, but as soon as they satisfy them with their play, then stinginess immediately awakens in the patrons of these artists, and Muscovites will never agree to buy pleasure.
In Muscovy, the usual occupations of the nobility are not in use; they do not practice dressage, fencing, dancing, or any other arts. Muscovites value nothing of the kind.
Unbaptized Jews cannot live in Muscovy, because, as the Muscovites say, it would be strange if those Muscovites differed in religion from those whose morals and behavior are no less remarkable cunning and ability to deceive.
It is not clear what exactly constitutes the main character trait of this people: cruelty, intemperance, or debauchery?(* and we are still surprised at the current attitude of the West towards us - note)
Since fornication, adultery and similar depravity exist in Muscovy beyond all possible dimensions, and even the laws hardly determine any punishment for a crime of this kind!
Once a governor said to some captain who was sentenced to death for an unlawful relationship with his eight-year-old daughter: “Why didn’t you look for satisfaction of your whims on the side? After all, you would have as many indecent and debauched women as you would have paid kopecks and altyn.
By right, in Muscovy, slaves can be captured or descended from a slave family. There are also those who sell themselves and become slaves, because they are accustomed to slavery! But even free people who work for pay cannot own will get away from your masters.
The power of the father in Muscovy is considerable and very painful for the son, whom the law allows the father to sell four times: this means that if the father sells his son once, and he, in any way, frees himself or receives liberty from his master, then the father can again sell by parental right and then even once again can make the same sale; but after the fourth sale, the father loses all rights over his son.
“The Muscovites cannot stand liberty, and it seems that they themselves are even ready to oppose their own happiness, since this people is not created for the aforementioned happiness and is unlikely to allow the sovereign’s smart and pious concern for his kingdoms and his subjects to be crowned with complete success” .
It is almost unbelievable what is said about the patience of this people in enduring the most exquisite torments.
“A Muscovite appreciates friendship only on the basis of profit”!
Here is a diary..
After reading which you begin to understand what exactly caused the anger of the Muscovites, and why they demanded the prohibition of the book, not only in Muscovy, but also in the West.
The terrible slavery of the Muscovites is the basis of their way of life! But they understand, they adore, and they cannot think of themselves without it.
To be a soulless property, an eternal serf, the meanest, most contemptible slave of a tsar or master—this is the eternal happiness of a Muscovite.
There is no law in Muscovy, there is only corruption, and the saying: “If you want good in court, add silver” perfectly defines the place of law in Muscovy.
The absence of not only the institution of law, but also the institution of property leaves no room in the minds of the Muscovite for traditional European, civilized values, such as, for example, freedom.
In fact, any vice of a civilized society is famous among Muscovites as a virtue!
The greatest honesty of the Muscovites are: Deception, Lies, Roguery - and they are not ashamed of them, but revere them as a great skill!
Fornication, adultery and similar debauchery exist in Muscovy beyond all possible dimensions, and there are not even laws capable of determining the punishment for a crime of this kind.
Has something changed in 300 years?
Prepared based on the article http://fakeoff.org/history/puteshestvie-na-moskoviyu
For those who want to get acquainted with the book themselves, there is such an opportunity in Russian: Diary of a trip to the Moscow state of Ignatius Christopher Gvarient.
Korb Johann Georg Korb Johann Georg
(Korb) (c. 1670 - c. 1741), Austrian diplomat. In Russia in 1698-99, an eyewitness to the Streltsy uprising and the execution of the Streltsy. Author of the Diary of a Journey to Muscovy (Russian translation, 1867).
KORB Johann GeorgKORB Johann Georg (Korb) (February 8, 1672, Karlstadt am Main - November 15, 1741, Sulzbach, Oberpfalz), Austrian diplomat, author of notes on Russia. His father Johann (died 1674) was an official of the Prince-Bishop of Würzburg. Korb was educated at the Jesuit College of Würzburg (cm. WURZBURG), in 1689 he entered the University of Würzburg. After graduating from the university, he was enrolled as a secretary in the Austrian embassy I.Kh. Gvarient sent to Moscow after the signing of the treaty in 1698 against the Ottoman Empire.
From January 11, 1698 to September 27, 1699, Korb kept notes in which he recorded current events, described the life of the Russian court, paid special attention to the organization of the Russian army, the order of work of orders and public institutions, the state of education, as well as the way of life and customs of the Russian people. Upon returning to Vienna, in late 1700 - early 1701, Korb published the essay “Diary of a Journey to the Moscow State of Ignatius Christopher Gvarient, Ambassador of Emperor Leopold I to the Tsar and Grand Duke Peter Alekseevich in 1698, conducted by the secretary of the embassy, Johann Georg Korb.” In the "Diary" Korb, as an eyewitness, described the events of the Streltsy uprising (1698) and the subsequent massacre of the Streltsy. Korb gave characteristics of Tsar Peter I, his associates, figures of the Petrine era. He personally illustrated a number of subjects with drawings. The book gained fame and caused a negative reaction in Russia. At the insistence of Russian diplomats, the circulation of Korb's book was destroyed.
Shortly before the publication of the book, Korb entered the service of the Palatinate-Sulzbach prince. In 1712 he received the rank of court counselor, in 1732 - chancellor. In 1867 Korb's Diaries were published in Russia. This book was used by V.I. Surikov and A.N. Tolstoy while working on works about the Petrine era.
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Secretary of the embassy sent by Emperor Leopold I to Moscow to Emperor Peter I in 1698 At the head of the embassy was Count Ignatius Christopher von Gvarient and Raalle. I. G. Korb was the first of the foreign authors to describe Russia under Peter I.
Embassy in Russia
The embassy left Vienna on January 10, 1698 and returned on September 27, 1699. The imperial embassy was in Moscow from April 29, 1698 to July 23, 1699. As a secretary, I. G. Korb kept a diary throughout his journey.
During the stay of the embassy in Moscow, a streltsy revolt took place, culminating in repressions, witnessed by I. G. Korb. He described everything he saw in detail in his diary, however, as well as other noteworthy events of that time, since he managed to get to know many associates of Peter I: Golitsyn, Naryshkin, A. D. Menshikov, Romodanovsky and others.
Later career
Diplomatic missions were not the only sphere of activity of I. G. Korb. Since 1700, he moved to the service of the Duke of the Palatinate-Sulzbach, where over time he took a prominent position: from 1705 he was a member of the Sulzbach princely council, from 1712 he was a court adviser, and from 1732 he was chancellor.
In the town hall of Karlstadt, a lifetime portrait of I.G. Korba.
Publications of the diary of I. G. Korb
- Diarium itineris in Moscoviam perillustris ac magnifici domini Ignatii Christophori nobilis domini de Guarient, & Rall, Sacri Romani Imperii, & Regni Hungariae Equitis, Sacrae Caefareae Majestatis Consiliarii Aulico-Bellici ab Augustißimo & Invictißimo Romanorum Imperatore Leopoldo I. ad Serenißimum, ac Potentissimum Tzarum et Magnum Moscoviae Ducem Petrum Alexiowicium anno MDCXCVIII ablegati extraordinarii. Descriptum a Joanne Georgio Korb, p.t. Secretario Ablegationis Caesarae. Viennae Austriae, Voigt, .
Diary of the Journey to Muscovy of the Most Glorious and Noble Lord Ignatius Christopher, Noble Mr. de Gvarient and Rall of the Holy Roman Empire and the Kingdom of the Hungarian Cavalier, Sacred Caesar's Majesty Adviser to the Naval Military from the Most August and Invincible Roman Emperor Leopold I to the Most Serene and Sovereign Tsar and Grand Duke Moscow ovia Petr Alekseevich in 1698, the Ambassador Extraordinary led by Johann Georgy Korb, at that time the Secretary of the Caesar's Embassy. A concise and accurate description of the Return of His Royal Majesty from the European Countries to their own borders, the dangerous Rebellion of the Streltsy and the sentence pronounced against them with the ensuing massacre, as well as outstanding features from the life of Muscovy, etc., have been added. With the Privilege of the Sacred Majesty of Caesar. Vienna: Printing house of Leopold Vogt, university printer, 1700. 252 pp., 19 sheets. illustrations - engravings with a cutter. Bound in late 18th century with gold-embossed author's name and title. Owner's superex libris on covers. 28.5x18.5 cm Diarium Itineris in Moscoviam Perillusstris ac Magnifici Domini Ignatii Christophori Nobilis Domini de Guarient, & Rail, Sacri Romani Imperii, & Regni Hungariae Equitis, Sacrae Caesareae Majestatis Consiliarii Aulico-Bellici A B Augustissimo, & Invietissimo Romanorum Imperatore Leopoldo I. A D Serenissimum, ac Potentissimum Tzarum, & Magnum Moscoviae Ducem Petrum Alexiowicium Anno M DCXCVIII. Ablegati Extraordinarii Descriptium A Joanne Georgio Korb, p.t. Secretario Ablegationis Caesarae. Acsessit Reditus Suae Tzareae Majestatis a Provinciis Europaeis ad proprios limites periculosae Rebellions Streliziorum, & latae in eosdem sententiae cum subsecuta sanguinea Executione, nec non praecipuarum Moscoviae rerum compendiosa, & accurate descriptio &c. Cum Privilegio Sacr & Casare & Majestatis. Viennae Austriae, Typis Leopoldi Voigt, Universit. Typog. Rare first edition!
Korb, Johann Georg(1672 -1741) - Austrian diplomat, author of notes about Russia. The secretary of the embassy and the author of the scandalous book about Muscovy, Johann Georg Korb, was born in the city of Karlstadt am Main on February 8, 1672 (four months earlier than Peter I). His father Johann Korb (d. 1674) was an official of the Prince-Bishop of Würzburg. Young Johann Georg was brought up in the Jesuit College of Würzburg. In 1689, he entered the University of Würzburg, soon after which he was enrolled in the staff of the embassy of I. X. Gvarient to Russia. Returning to Vienna, in late 1700-early 1701 Korb published his diary. Shortly before the publication of the book, Korb entered the service of the Prince of Palatinate-Sulzbach. In 1708 he married Anna Elisabeth Neiser, from whose father he inherited the land. In 1712, Korb received the rank of court councilor, and in 1732 - chancellor, remaining still in the service of the Palatinate-Sulzbach princes. Johann Georg Korb died on November 15, 1741, leaving a son and five daughters (Korb's family was cut short already in the 20th century. In 1968, his last representative Agnes von Korb, who was then in a very old age). Johann Georg Korb crossed the Russian border on March 24, 1698, and left Muscovy sixteen months later, on July 28, 1699.
Korb then served as secretary of the embassy sent by the Roman Caesar Leopold I to Peter the Great after they concluded a military alliance against the Turks in 1697. Throughout the journey, the Austrian diplomat kept a diary, where he entered his impressions of what he saw. Two years after returning to Vienna, he published this diary. Russian coins, monasteries, holidays, public administration, fertility, soil and climate properties, a list of ships of the tsarist fleet - the circle of interests of Korb, an educated, inquisitive and, importantly, observant person, turned out to be very wide. So, after devoting several pages to the discussion “On Women's Splendor”, he came to the conclusion: “Women in Muscovy have an elegant appearance and specious beauty of the face, but their natural beauty is spoiled by useless blush. Since the forms of Moscow women are not constrained by a narrow dress, but can freely grow as they please, it is far from always possible to find that slender and proportionate figure in them, which distinguishes other European women. The secretary of the Austrian embassy narrates about the winter cold, about the clothes of commoners, about the foods loved by the people, about the wealth of the boyars, etc. in the same detail and leisurely. However, first of all, his attention is drawn to the state structure of Russia, its armed forces and, of course, the extraordinary figure of the young tsar, who had just returned from his first trip abroad. About Peter Korb writes: “The current sovereign prefers martial arts, fiery fun, the roar of cannons, the construction of ships, the dangers of the sea and outstanding feats to achieve glory to any pleasant entertainment.
He occupied military positions, starting from the lowest degree, and not earlier wanted to sit on his grandfather's throne and achieve the highest power, than he would pass with commendable zeal all military ranks up to the final honorary title of Voivode. To such an extent, he considers it glorious to first earn an honorary position, and then take it. Separate chapters of the book are devoted to the description of Russian infantry, cavalry, cannon art and even military music. Having caught the very initial stage of the formation of the regular army by Peter, Korb had a very low estimate of the military capabilities of the Russians. According to him, “if the Muscovites were as strong in their strength, courage and military experience, as strong as they are in numbers, bodily strength and endurance to work, then the neighbors would have reason to fear them: but because of their incompetence and habit of slavery, they and do not strive for the great and do not achieve it. A special section also contains notes made by Korb during the days of the massacre of the participants in the streltsy uprising that shocked him. Mass executions of rebels continued throughout October 1698. Korb attended them as a spectator along with other diplomats who were then in Moscow. So, on October 10, he noted: “There weren’t enough executioners for the guilty. Some of the officers came to their aid, forced to do so by the tsar's order. The accused were neither bound nor chained. They had blocks attached to their shoes, which, by mutual collision, interfered with the speed of their legs, but, nevertheless, did not interfere with their normal activities. With voluntary efforts, they climbed the ladders to the crossbar and, having overshadowed themselves on the four cardinal points with the sign of the cross, they themselves closed their eyes and face (this is the custom of this people). Very many, wearing a noose around their necks. headlong rushed from the stage, wanting to hasten their end by hanging.
In total, they counted two hundred and thirty people who atoned for their shame with a noose and hanging. A few days later, other terrible details of the execution attracted his attention: “The executioner broke the extremities of two brothers accused of malicious intent, and then they were alive tied to the wheel and looked with envy at their brother, who was among twenty others, truncated with an ax and stained with their own blood; the living brothers were indignant in a whisper at the fact that a quicker kind of death had torn from them a man connected to them first of all by the bonds of nature, and then by a shameful attachment to crime. Not far from the Novodevichy Convent, thirty gallows in the form of a square were erected, on which two hundred and thirty archers were hanged, and three instigators of disastrous turmoil, who, having submitted a petition to Sophia, invited her to rule the state, were hung near the walls of the named monastery at the very window of Sophia's cell; hanging in the middle between them held a paper folded like a petition and tied to his dead hands; this was probably done so that the consciousness of the past tormented Sophia with constant remorse. However, Korb had to endure the strongest shock on October 27: “Three hundred and thirty people were brought together at once for a mortal blow with an ax and stained the entire plain with criminal blood. All the boyars, senators of the kingdom, duma and clerks were, by royal decree, called to Preobrazhenskoye, where they were ordered to serve as an executioner. Everyone, approaching with trembling hands to a new and unusual position, tried to deliver a sure blow. The boyar acted most unsuccessfully of all, who, having missed, plunged the sword into the back instead of the neck and, having cut the archer in this way almost in half, would have increased his suffering to unbearability, but Aleksashka Menshikov more successfully cut the neck of the unfortunate convict. The king, sitting in an armchair, looked at the whole tragedy.
The publication of Korb's diary caused indignation in Moscow. At the insistence of the Russian government, the Vienna Court, although not immediately, banned the sale of the book and prevented its reprint. “This ban turned out to be so unfortunate,” wrote historian A.I. Malein, who was the first to completely translate Korb's work into Russian, that this book has never been reprinted and is now considered one of the greatest bibliographic rarities. Particularly valuable are copies with a complete set of illustrations. In the copy presented by us, there are all 19 engravings, including the most famous and almost never found - "Execution of Streltsy".
DIARY OF A JOURNEY TO THE MOSCOW STATE
The next essay is “The Diary of a Journey to the State of Moscow by Ignatius Christopher Gvarient, Ambassador of Emperor Leopold I to the Tsar and Grand Duke Peter Alekseevich in 1698, kept by the secretary of the embassy Johann Georg Korb” (Diarum itineris in Moscoviam perillustris as magnifici Domini Ignatii Crictofori hobilis domini de Guarient et Rail Sacri Romani Imperii regni Hungariae equitis, sacrae Caesareae majestatis consiliarii Aulico-Belici ab augustissimo invistissimo Romanorum imperatore Leopoldo I ad serenissimum ac potentissimum tzarum magnum Moscoviae ducem Petrum Alexiowicium anno 1698 ablegati extaordinarii descriptum a Joanne Georgio Korb) - is a sample of travel notes, describing visits of foreign embassies to Russia. A large part of these descriptions was written by diplomats of the Holy Roman Empire, which maintained regular diplomatic relations with Russia from the beginning of the 16th century. The embassy of I. X. Gvarient was sent to Moscow in 1698 after the empire, Venice, Poland and Russia in 1697 signed a treaty directed against Turkey. And although it was not possible to create a pan-European union to repel Turkish aggression, the diplomatic rapprochement between Russia and the countries of Western Europe at the end of the 17th century. was a significant stage in the process of formation of Russia as a world power. In addition to Korb’s essay, Gvarient’s mission is also reflected in the reports of the ambassador himself (dated May 13, August 12, September 16, 1698, February 18, 1699), published by N. G. Ustryalov from the originals stored in the Vienna Imperial Archive ( Ustryalov N. G. History of the reign of Peter the Great. T. III. S.621-631; Adelung F. Critical and literary review of travelers in Russia before 1700 and their writings St. Petersburg. Ch. I-II 1864. S. 240-243.).
Embassy Secretary Johann Georg Korb was born in Karlstadt am Main on February 8, 1672 (four months earlier than Peter I). His father Johann Korb (d. 1674) was an official of the Prince-Bishop of Würzburg. Young Johann Georg was brought up in the Jesuit College of Würzburg. In 1689, he entered the University of Würzburg, soon after which he was enrolled in the staff of the embassy of I. X. Gvarient to Russia. Returning to Vienna, in late 1700-early 1701 Korb published his diary. Shortly before the publication of the book, Korb entered the service of the Prince of Palatinate-Sulzbach. In 1708 he married Anna Elisabeth Neiser, from whose father he inherited the land. In 1712, Korb received the rank of court councilor, and in 1732 - chancellor, remaining still in the service of the Palatinate-Sulzbach princes. Johann Georg Korb died on November 15, 1741, leaving a son and five daughters ( The Korba family died out already in the 20th century. In 1968 its last representative, Agnes von Korb, was still alive, then at a very advanced age (Tagebuch der Reise nach Rusland Ed. and intro Gerhard Korb Graz, 1968 S 8-14). I express my gratitude to M. Yu. Katin-Yartsev for information about the biography of I. G. Korb.).
Korb's book quickly gained great fame. The Russian authorities reacted extremely negatively to it. The resident in Vienna, Prince P. A. Golitsyn, considering the author of the book I. X. Gvarient, wrote to the head of the Ambassadorial order F. A. Golovin (8/8/1701): “The Caesar wants to send an embassy to Moscow, which is achieved by Gvarient, who was before that envoy in Moscow; he issued a book on the state and order of the Muscovite state. Would you please not send him to us: truly, as I heard, such a scoundrel and a scolder did not happen to the Muscovite state; Since his arrival here, we have been treated as barbarians and do not count for anything ... ”Gvarient considered it necessary to justify himself and wrote to F. A. Golovin (12/24/1701):“ I beg you not to blame me for someone else's business. I was not involved in word or deed. This is the work of my secretary, who could not be forbidden ... to print anything, because he is not from this side, but from another region ... ”. In another letter, probably to P.P. Shafirov, Gvarient wrote: “How can I be responsible for a book published not by the royal subjects, but living under the prohibition of other princes? Moreover, in my opinion, it is more commendable, except for some ridiculous and incorrect descriptions ”( Ustryalov N. G. Decree op. S.T. I. S. 328-329.). Nevertheless, Peter's diplomats insisted on Gvarient's removal from appointment as ambassador to Russia and achieved the prohibition of the book and the destruction of the unsold part of the circulation, which made it a bibliographic rarity. Such a painful reaction of Russian diplomacy was caused by the fact that the appearance of Korb's book coincided with the defeat of the Russian troops by Charles XII near Narva, which significantly undermined Russia's international prestige.
Shortly after the publication of Korb's notes, they were translated into Russian in the Posolsky Prikaz ( Smirnov S. K. Materials for Russian history Korba's diary//Russian Bulletin. 1866. V. 66 No. 12. S. 530-531.). In the first years after the death of Peter I, a polemical essay appeared directed against Korb - “A conversation between three friends who met in one city, namely: Menard, Galandr and Waremund” ( Russian messenger. 1841 Vol. 4 No. 12. S. 303-360.). Meanwhile, foreign reviews of the beginning of the XVIII century. positively evaluate Korb's work, paying tribute to its authenticity. At the end of the XVIII century. the first historian of Peter I. I. Golikov, the author of the multi-volume work “Acts of Peter the Great”, turned to this work. Korb's first retelling into Russian was published in 1840 ( Roslavlev A. Moscow in 1698//Essays on Russia published by Vadim Passek. Book. IV. 1840. S. 67-92.).
In the late 50s-early 60s of the XIX century. The fundamental “History of the reign of Peter the Great” was published by N. G. Ustryalov, who highly appreciated the work of the Austrian diplomat: “Korb wrote with deep respect for Peter, with love for the truth, and if he was wrong, it was only because he believed unfounded stories. His own observations are accurate and truthful” ( Ustryalov N. G. Decree. op. T. I. C. LXV.). Ustryalov's work aroused a new wave of interest in Korb's work. In the 60s, M. I. Semevsky and, in parallel with him, S. K. Smirnov published fragments of the “Diary of a trip to Muscovy ...” ( N. T-o, Mikh. Se...vsky. Russia in 1699 (Diary of John George Korb)// Library for reading. T. 159. 1860. S. 1-58; Smirnov S. K. Materials for Russian history (Korba's Diary)//Russian Bulletin. 1866. V. 62. No. 4. C 734-770; Smirnov S. K. Materials for Russian history (Korba's Diary)//Russian Bulletin. 1866. V. 66. No. 12. S. 500-531.). In 1863, it was published in full in the translation of M. I. Semevsky and B. Geneva ( Diary of a trip to the Moscow state by Ignatius Christopher Gvarient, the ambassador of Emperor Leopold I to the Tsar and Grand Duke of Moscow Peter the Great in 1698, kept by the secretary of the embassy John Georg Korb / Per. from lat. B. Geneva and M. Semevsky M., OIDR edition. 1867.). In 1906, a new, most complete and accurate translation was made by A. I. Malein ( Korb I. G. Diary of a trip to Muscovy (1698 and 1699) / Per. and note. A. I. Maleina St. Petersburg, 1906.). This edition was made according to the translation of 1863, but in preparing the reference apparatus, all comments and clarifications made by Malein were taken into account.
Korb's work has been translated into English, French and German languages (Recit de la sanglante revolte des Strelitz en Moscovie par J. G. Korb. Trans. A. golitsine Paris, 1858; Diary of an Austrian Secretary of Legation at the Court of Czar Peter the Great Tranleted from the original latin and edited bu the count Mac Donnel. London, 1863 (reprint - London, 1968); Scenes from the Court of Peter the Great, Based on the Latin Diary of John G. Korb, a Secretary of the Austrian Legation to Peter the Great. New York, 1921; Tagebuch der Reise nach Rusland. Ed. and intro Gerhard Korb. Graz, 1968.). The translation into French, published in 1858, was carried out by Prince Dmitry-Augustin Golitsyn (1770-1840), a representative of the oldest Russian aristocratic family, a Catholic missionary in North America.
Korb was the first of the foreign authors to describe Russia under Peter I. He happened to be a witness to one of the most dramatic events of Peter's reign - the Streltsy uprising of 1698. During his time at the Moscow court, Korb met Peter's associates more than once: L.K. Naryshkin, B. A. Golitsyn, E. I. Ukraintsev, A. D. Menshikov and others, more than once he saw the king and feasted with him at the same table. Among Korb's informants was the famous General P. I. Gordon, who told him the details of the battle with the archers near the Resurrection Monastery. From Gordon, Korb received drawings of military installations, which he cited at the end of his book. Eyewitness observations, reflecting the personality of the young tsar, the life and customs of the Moscow court, the course of reforms and their perception in Russian society, are of great importance. Exceptionally valuable is Korb's description of the terrible "shooter's search", which finds detailed confirmation in Russian sources. People of art who worked on works dedicated to the Petrine era turned to Korb's testimonies. The great Russian artist V.I. Surikov was familiar with the “Diary ...”, who depicted members of the Austrian embassy led by Gvarient in the painting “Morning of the Streltsy Execution”. The poet of the Silver Age, M. A. Voloshin, almost verbatim reproduced one of the episodes described by Korb in the poem “Russia” (“Sagittarius in Moscow on the chopping block says: “Step aside, Tsar, my place is here ...”).
At the same time, Korb's notes are characterized by the same features that distinguish most foreign writings about Russia, primarily a dismissive attitude towards Russians. He has little faith in the success of the transformative policy of the king, whose subjects are sheer barbarians. Korb admires Peter himself; he is attracted by the desire of the Russian sovereign to Western European culture. At the same time, Korb does not close his eyes to the despotism and cruelty of Peter, to the rudeness of his amusements, so that, on the whole, the portrait of the king he painted turned out to be lively and convincing.
Numerous errors crept into Korb's work, related to his ignorance of the language and history of Russia, as well as the fact that he used exclusively oral reports as sources. There is considerable confusion in the geographical names and names given by the author; this is especially true of the lists of foreign officers who served in Russia. In preparing the name index, M. Yu. Michael (1694-1764) ( TsGIAM. F. 2099. Op. 1 D 423.).
Text reproduced from: The Birth of an Empire. M. Sergei Dubov Foundation. 1997
© text - Shokarev S. 1997
© online version - Thietmar. 2005
© OCR - Abakanovich. 2005
© design - Voitekhovich A. 2001
© Sergey Dubov Foundation. 1997
