RUSSIANS’ RULE

Taranaki Daily News, 23 February 1935, Page 19 (Supplement)

RUSSIANS’ RULE

NORTH AMERICAN ACTIVITIES. LOST RECORDS DISCOVERED. A number of gaps in the history of Russia’s activities in North America have been filled by the recovery of the personal archives of the founder of the Russian-America Company, a corporation established by the Imperial Russian Government in 1799 to regulate the trade ahd government of its American possessions. Which then included Alaska and parts of What is now Canada, says the Christian Science. Monitor. The Soviet Academy, of Sciences has now Examined several thousand of the documents found in a market gardener’s barn at Vologda. The Russian-America Company was formed after Russian private traders ahd private companies had so abused the American Indians that many Serious revolts had resulted in world-wide protests. The company was granted _ a charter for 20 years, which Was twice renewed, and expired in 1861, When a Russian civil governor was appointed. Six yba'fs later Russia sold Alaska to the United States. The company’s official archieves have been lost. In 1870 the directors Pffered to turn them over tb the Imperial Government, but there was a dispute concerning expenses of 100 rubles, and eventually the company’s archives Were distributed among the families of various directors. Recent research indicates that the official archives from 1799 toi 1825 had been destroyed ih the revolution bf 1825. The documents now recovered are the personal archives of G. L. . Shelekoff, organiser of the Russian-America. Company, and of M.M. Buldakbff, one bf the original directors. They cover the period from 1799 to 1828, and include copies bf treaties made by the company with China and other countries, correspondence among the directors, and a fairly complete copy « the company’s books. The documents apparently ate sufficiently complete - to enable historians tb reconstruct the early history of the company’s existcrico* - * Altogether about 5000 documents have been recovered, and a historical research worker sent to Vologda last June has selected about 100 of these as of exceptional historical interest. The latter haVe been taken to Leningrad, and will be thoroughly edited and published. The remaining documents are being preserved in the Soviet Aeadeniy s archives at Leningrad and at Vologda.