The State Collegium of Foreign Affairs (KID) appeared in Russia during the reign of Peter I. The people called it the “foreign collegium” for short. Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin also served in this department. Was he a secretary or did he actually work as a spy? But first, let's figure out what a KID is.
Collegium of Foreign Affairs
During the implementation of Peter's reforms, the Collegium of Foreign Affairs appeared. This was the name of the foreign policy department, formed in 1717 by embassy order to regulate and control relations between the Russian state and other countries. The control center was in Moscow. In 1720, a special regulation was established - a document that listed the capabilities and functions of the department, its work plan. In 1802, the KID came under the control of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and existed until 1832.
KID Composition
There were two leading positions in the College of Foreign Affairs: the president was called the chancellor, and his deputy was called the vice-chancellor. In addition, the department included privy councilors and the sovereign himself, who was present at the time of writingespecially important rescripts, resolutions and declarations for foreign ministers.
Nobles and children of clerks over 17 years old, who received a university education and speak foreign languages, were accepted into the department. Copyists and clerks also served here.
KID structure
The College of Foreign Affairs was divided into 2 departments. The first was divided into 4 expeditions, each headed by a secretary. The first expedition was profiled in affairs with Asia, the second was in charge of correspondence on internal affairs with Constantinople, the third was in charge of correspondence with foreign and Russian ministers, which was conducted in French, the fourth controlled notes and notes from foreign ministers.
The second department monitored the treasury of the department and the money that was credited to the collegium by order of the minister. It was not divided into expeditions.
In 1798, the College opened the School of Foreign Languages, which taught students Chinese, Manchurian, Persian, Turkish and Tatar languages. And in 1811, a commission was established in Moscow, which was engaged in printing state letters and contracts.
In addition, two foreign affairs archives were set up in Moscow and St. Petersburg to store documents on Russia's foreign policy.
Board functions
KID functions were:
- issuance of foreign passports and passports for foreigners residing in the territory of the state (a kind of residence permit);
- mail control;
- governance of Kalmyks and Cossacks;
- management and control of Little Russia.
Alexander Pushkin's Service in KID
Not only senators were called to serve in the Collegium of Foreign Affairs. One of the writers who worked for the department was Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin. The College of Foreign Affairs appointed him to the post of translator with the rank of collegiate secretary. On June 15, 1817, after the oath to Alexander I, Alexander had access to the secret office.
In the writer's biography, the main emphasis is always on his work. We know that he spoke several languages, communicated with representatives of different religious denominations, and was a member of the Academy of Sciences. Work in KID was also important. It can be assumed that the writer carried out important assignments for Moscow.
Some documents relating to Pushkin are still hidden from the public eye under the heading "secret". We can only assume the importance of the writer's work, based on the existing facts. Alexander was offered a salary of 700 rubles a year. This amount of payments received the ranks of the 10th class. Given that there were 14 ranks, we can conclude that Pushkin was not the last person in the College.
Given that control over the department was transferred to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and correlating the scope of work in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we conclude that the employees of the Chancellery were also engaged in foreign intelligence.
It is known that the 1st department of the Collegium was divided into 4 expeditions. Information about which particular Pushkin served,unknown. The fact remains that the writer worked under the command of Ivan Antonovich Kapodistrias, whose position was connected with foreign policy, especially with relations between Russia and the Ottoman Empire, Eastern and Western countries.
There are facts about Alexander's urgent trip to see General Inzov. He gave instructions to appoint General Inzov as governor of Bessarabia (the region joined Russia in 1818 and, as an important form post for conducting foreign policy, was directly controlled by Kapodistrias). The letter also included a reference to Pushkin.
After a week, the writer suddenly falls ill with a "fever" and goes to the Caucasus for treatment with General Raevsky. The route for the trip was chosen very interesting. The writer went through Stavropol, Vladimir redoubt, Strong trench, Tsaritsyno redoubt, Temizhbek, Caucasian fortress, Kazan redoubt, Tiflis redoubt, Ladoga redoubt, Ust-Labinsk fortress, Quarantine redoubt, Ekaterinodar, Temryuk, Peresyp, Sennaya, Taman, Kerch, Feodosia, Gurzuf, Y alta, Bakhchisarai.
Is it a coincidence that after the writer's return, the CID officials responsible for the resettlement of people in the areas visited by Alexander were fired, and he himself received a vacation by order of the emperor?
There are also questions about Pushkin's trip to Chisinau. At that time, a wing of the Decembrists was formed in the city. There is evidence from witnesses that the writer constantly changed his appearance, dressing up in Serbian, Moldavian and other costumes.
Pushkin waspatriot. And although the official work as a "secretary" did not last long (he stopped working in the department in 1824), already in retirement, during the war with the Ottoman Empire, the writer worked in the field office, which, in fact, was counterintelligence, moreover, under the bosses of Count Nesselrode, who headed political intelligence in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The proposal came from an official of the 3rd department of the Ivanovsky Office A. A. This is known from the correspondence between the writer and the official.
There are many other facts, but already on the basis of these we can come to the conclusion that during Pushkin's service in the Collegium of Foreign Affairs and after his resignation, the writer was not a simple secretary who knows a foreign language.
