Home – Home – Jornals – Humanitarian sciences in Siberia 2015 number

It is impossible to study the history of Russian customs service in the XVII century without researching structure of customs administration. The low-level customs authorities rarely attract attention of historians. Most of them, cited in the article, discuss the issues related to the activity of ‘customs chambers’ (‘tamozhennye izby’). Therefore it seems interesting to highlight powers of commandants of the Selenginsky fort as low-level customs officials. Russian colonization of southern Buryatia immediately encountered serious difficulties. Russian people complained about poor conditions for agriculture. Arable lands were first plowed relatively late. Authorities tried to solve these problems by sending a variety of supplies to the fort. Warlike neighbors were another major problem that hampered the Russian colonization of Transbaikalia. The military tension affected administrative reforms, which resulted in creation of the independent Irkutsky “uyezd” including the Selenginsky fort. Despite their tense political relations since the 1670s the trade between Muscovy and China had experienced a surge, as satisfaction of some important Chinese needs brought tangible profits to the Russian merchants. The Fort on the Selenga River was founded on September 27, 1665. Commandants worked hard to strengthen the fort, so the town of. Selenginsk eventually became an important point of caravan trade with China. An official document confirming the existence of territorial authority of Russian customs service in Selenginsk Fort is ‘nakaznaya pamiat’ (Customs Charter) issued by the Irkutsk voivode I.A.Vlasov. It made a boyar’s son’ (officer, nobleman) Ivan Perfirev a newly appointed commandant of Selenginsky fort. In conclusion it is noted that 1) the fort Commandants could serve as the lower level customs officials; 2) it is established that Selenginsky Fort Commandant had had such powers since at least 1671; 3) the exact date of the first charter to the commandant of Selenginsky fort remains unidentified; 4) it is determined that the commandant of Selenginsky fort, perhaps in 1667-1681, served as a low level customs post of the Yeniseisk customs chamber; 5) in April 1681 he was brought under the responsibility of the newly appointed customs head in Irkutsk.