Afanasy Nikitin, merchant from Tver. He is rightfully considered not only the first Russian merchant who visited India (a quarter of a century before the Portuguese Vasco da Gama), but also the first Russian traveler in general. The name of Afanasy Nikitin opens the list of brilliant and most interesting sea and land Russian explorers and discoverers, whose names are inscribed in golden letters on the world history of geographical discoveries.

The name of Athanasius Nikitin became known to contemporaries and descendants due to the fact that he kept a diary, or rather travel notes, throughout his stay in the East and India. In these notes, he described with many details and details the cities and countries he visited, the way of life, customs and traditions of peoples and rulers ... The author himself called his manuscript "Journey beyond the three seas." The three seas are Derbent (Caspian), Arabian (Indian Ocean) and Black.

Quite a bit did not reach on the way back A. Nikitin to his native Tver. His comrades handed over the manuscript of "Journey beyond the Three Seas" into the hands of the clerk Vasily Mamyrev. From him she got into the annals of 1488. Obviously, contemporaries appreciated the importance of the manuscript, if they decided to include its text in the historical chronicles.

N. M. Karamzin, the author of the “History of the Russian State”, at the beginning of the nineteenth century, accidentally stumbled upon one of the chronicles of the “Journey ...”. Thanks to him, the journey of the Tver merchant A. Nikitin became public knowledge.

The texts of A. Nikitin's travel notes testify to the broad outlook of the author, his good command of business Russian speech. When reading them, you involuntarily catch yourself thinking that almost all the author's notes are completely understandable, although they were written more than five hundred years ago!

Brief information about the journey of Afanasy Nikitin

Nikitin Afanasy Nikitich

Tver merchant. Year of birth unknown. Place of birth too. He died in 1475 near Smolensk. The exact start date of the trip is also unknown. According to a number of authoritative historians, this is most likely the year 1468.

Purpose of Travel:

an ordinary commercial expedition along the Volga as part of a caravan of river boats from Tver to Astrakhan, establishing economic ties with Asian merchants trading along the Great Silk Road passing through the famous Shemakha.

This assumption is indirectly confirmed by the fact that Russian merchants went down the Volga accompanied by Asan bey, ambassador of the sovereign Shamakhi, Shirvan Shah Forus-Esar. Shemakhan's ambassador Asan-bek was on a visit to Tver and Moscow with the Grand Duke Ivan III, and went home after the Russian ambassador Vasily Papin.

A. Nikitin and his comrades equipped 2 ships, loading them with various goods for trade. The commodity of Afanasy Nikitin, as can be seen from his notes, was junk, that is, furs. Obviously, ships and other merchants sailed in the caravan. It should be said that Afanasy Nikitin was an experienced, courageous and resolute merchant. Before that, he visited distant countries more than once - Byzantium, Moldova, Lithuania, Crimea - and safely returned home with overseas goods, which is indirectly confirmed in his diary.

Shemakha

one of the most important points throughout the Great Silk Road. Located on the territory of present-day Azerbaijan. Being at the crossroads of caravan routes, Shemakha was one of the major trade and craft centers in the Middle East, occupying an important place in the silk trade. Back in the 16th century, trade relations between Shemakha and Venetian merchants were mentioned. Azerbaijani, Iranian, Arab, Central Asian, Russian, Indian and Western European merchants traded in Shamakhi. Shemakha is mentioned by A. S. Pushkin in “The Tale of the Golden Cockerel” (“Give me a girl, the Shemakhan queen”).

A. Nikitin's caravan enlisted travel letter from Grand Duke Mikhail Borisovich to move around the territory of the Tver principality and grand ducal travel charter abroad, with which he sailed to Nizhny Novgorod. Here they planned to meet with the Moscow ambassador Papin, who was also on his way to Shemakha, but did not have time to capture him.

Departed from the Savior of the holy golden-domed and succumbed to his mercy, from his sovereign from Grand Duke Mikhail Borisovich Tversky ...

It is interesting that initially Afanasy Nikitin did not plan to visit Persia and India!

Historical setting during the journey of A. Nikitin

The Golden Horde, which controlled the Volga, was still quite strong in 1468. Recall that Rus' finally threw off the Horde yoke only in 1480, after the famous “standing on the Ugra”. In the meantime, the Russian principalities were in vassal dependence. And if they regularly paid tribute and "did not show off", then they were allowed some freedoms, including trade. But the danger of a robbery always existed, so the merchants gathered in caravans.

Why does a Russian merchant address Mikhail Borisovich, Grand Duke of Tverskoy, as a sovereign? The fact is that at that time Tver was still an independent principality that was not part of the Muscovite state and was constantly fighting with it for primacy in the Russian lands. Recall that finally the territory of the Tver principality became part of the Moscow kingdom under Ivan III (1485).

P consolation A. Nikitin can be divided into 4 parts:

1) travel from Tver to the southern shores of the Caspian Sea;

2) the first trip to Persia;

3) a trip to India and

4) the return journey through Persia to Rus'.

Its entire path is clearly visible on the map.

So, the first stage is a journey along the Volga. It went well, right up to Astrakhan. Near Astrakhan, the expedition was attacked by robber gangs of local Tatars, the ships were sunk and looted

And I passed Kazan voluntarily, we didn’t see anyone, and I passed the Horde, and Uslan, and Saray, and I passed the Berekezans. And we drove to Buzan. Then three filthy Tatars ran into us and told us false news: "Kaisym Saltan guards the guests in Buzan, and with him three thousand Tatars." And the ambassador of the Shirvanshin Asanbeg gave them a single coat and a linen to take them past Khaztarakhan. And they, filthy Tatars, took one by one, but they gave the news to Khaztarakhan (Astrakhan) king. And the yaz left his ship and climbed on the ship for a word and with his comrades.

We drove past Khaztarakhan, and the moon was shining, and the tsar saw us, and the Tatars called to us: "Kachma, don't run!" And we didn’t hear anything, but we ran like a sail. Because of our sin, the king sent his entire horde after us. Ini overtook us on Bohun and taught us to shoot. And we shot a man, and they shot two Tatars. And our smaller ship was on the move, and they took us and plundered us that hour , and mine was small junk all in a smaller vessel.

The bandits took away from the merchants all the goods, bought, obviously, on credit. Returning to Rus' without goods and without money threatened with a debt hole. Comrades Athanasius and himself, in his words, " crying, yes, they dispersed in different directions: whoever has something in Rus', and he went to Rus'; and who should, and he went where his eyes carried.

Reluctant traveler

Thus, Afanasy Nikitin became an unwilling traveler. The way home is booked. Nothing to trade. There was only one thing left - to go to intelligence in foreign countries in the hope of fate and one's own enterprise. Having heard about the fabulous riches of India, he directs his steps precisely there. through Persia. Pretending to be a wandering dervish, Nikitin stops for a long time in each city, and shares his impressions and observations with paper, describing in his diary the life and customs of the population and rulers of those places where his fate brought him.

And the tongue went to Derbent, and from Derbent to Baka, where the fire burns unquenchable; and from Baki you went across the sea to Chebokar. Yes, here you lived in Chebokar for 6 months, but in Sarah lived for a month, in the Mazdran land. And from there to Amily, and here I lived for a month. And from there to Dimovant, and from Dimovant to Ray.

And from Drey to Kashen, and here I was a month, and from Kashen to Nain, and from Nain to Ezdei, and I lived here for a month. And from Dies to Syrchan, and from Syrchan to Tarom .... And from Torom to Lara, and from Lara to Bender, and here there is a refuge of Gurmyz. And here is the Indian Sea, and in the Parsian language and Gondustanskadoria; and from there go by sea to Gurmyz 4 miles.

The first journey of Athanasius Nikitin through the Persian lands, from the southern shores of the Caspian Sea (Chebukara) to the shores of the Persian Gulf (Bender-abasi and Hormuz), lasted more than a year, from the winter of 1467 to the spring of 1469.

Russian travelers and pioneers

Again Travelers of the Age of Discovery

Interesting facts from the life of a Tver merchant and traveler are presented in this article.

Afanasy Nikitin interesting facts

1. Afanasy Nikitin was the first Russian traveler to visit Persia and India. Returning from these countries, the traveler visited Turkey, Somalia and Muscat.

2. Nikitin discovered the eastern countries 25 years before the travels of Vasco da Gama and many other travelers.

3. Afanasyev's well-known travel notes "Journey Beyond Three Seas" is a wayward reference book that describes in detail the way of life, as well as the political structure of countries in the East. In Rus', these manuscripts were the first to describe the sea for the purpose of narrating about trade. Interestingly, the author considered his notes a sin.

4. Three years of travel for Afanasy Nikitin were not in vain - he learned foreign languages. In his notes there are Persian, Arabic and even Turkic words.

5. Nikitin's personal life is still a mystery to scientists. It is unknown if he had a wife and children.

6. Nikitin is not the name of a traveler at all. There were no surnames back then. This is his patronymic, that is, Athanasius, son of Nikita.

7. He described Calcutta, Ceylon and Indochina, which were not previously known.

8. Afanasia Nikitin came from a poor family. And the main reason why he went on trips was to improve the financial situation of the family through trade with foreign merchants.

Afanasy Nikitin (born unknown, death possibly 1475) - navigator, trader, merchant. The first European to visit India. He discovered India 25 years before other Portuguese navigators. He made a trip in 1468-1474. Persia, India and the Turkish state. In his travel notes "Journey Beyond the Three Seas", he describes in detail the life and political structure of the eastern countries.

The mysterious identity of the merchant

There are many mysterious personalities in Russian history. And perhaps the most mysterious of them is the personality of the Tver merchant Afanasy Nikitin. And was he a merchant? And by whom, if not a merchant? The fact that there was a traveler and a writer is understandable: he made his “Journey beyond the Three Seas” and also described it, so much so that to this day, after more than 500 years, it is interesting to read. But what this merchant traded is unknown. Why did he himself ride on one ship, and carry goods on another? And why did he take books with him - a whole chest? There are more questions...

Traveler's Notes

The notes of Athanasius Nikitin were acquired in 1475 by Vasily Mamyrev, the clerk of the Grand Duke of Moscow, from some merchants who came to Moscow. “I acquired the writing of Ofonas Tveritin a merchant who was in Yndei for 4 years, and they say he went with Vasily Papin,” a meticulous official wrote the acquired “notebooks” of the traveler, specifying at the same time that the above-named ambassador went then to Shirvan Shah (that is, to the ruler of Azerbaijan) with a party of gyrfalcons (famous hunting birds of the Russian North), which were intended as a gift to the eastern ruler, and later took part in the Kazan campaign, where he was killed by a Tatar arrow. Already such a preface speaks of the close interest of the highest Kremlin official in this document (a clerk is a position that corresponded to the status of a minister).

Journey of Athanasius Nikitin

And the document is really curious. Here is what follows from it. When in 1466 the Grand Duke of Moscow Ivan III sent his ambassador Vasily Papin to the court of the Shah of Shirvan, a merchant from Tver, Afanasy Nikitin, who was going on a trading trip to the East, decided to join this embassy. He prepared thoroughly: he got travel letters from the Grand Duke of Moscow and from the Prince of Tver, letters of protection from Bishop Gennady and governor Boris Zakharyevich, stocked up with letters of recommendation to the governor of Nizhny Novgorod and the customs authorities.

In Nizhny Novgorod, Athanasius learned that Ambassador Papin had already passed the city to the lower reaches of the Volga. Then the traveler decided to wait for the Shirvan ambassador Hasan-bek, who was returning to the court of his sovereign with 90 gyrfalcons - a gift from Ivan III. Nikitin placed his goods and belongings on a small ship, and he himself, with his traveling library, settled on a large ship with other merchants. Together with the retinue of Hasan-bek, baptismal workers and Afanasy Nikitin, more than 20 Russians, Muscovites and Tverites, went to the Shirvan kingdom. What Athanasius wanted to trade, he does not specify anywhere.

Travel of Athanasius Nikitin to India

In the lower reaches of the Volga, the caravan of the Shirvan ambassador ran aground. There he was attacked by the dashing people of the Astrakhan Khan Kasim. The travelers were robbed, one of the Russians was killed and a small ship was taken from them, on which were all the goods and property of Athanasius. At the mouth of the Volga, the Tatars captured another ship. When the navigators were moving along the western coast of the Caspian to Derbent, a storm came up - and another ship was wrecked near the Dagestan fortress of Tarki. Kaytaki, the local population, plundered the cargo, and the Muscovites and Tverites were taken away with them in full ...

The voyage was continued by the only surviving ship. When, in the end, they arrived in Derbent, Nikitin, finding Vasily Papin, asked him and the Shirvan ambassador to help in the release of the Russians driven away by the kaitaks. They listened to him and sent a runner to the headquarters of the sovereign Shirvan, and he sent an ambassador to the leader of the kaitaks. Soon Nikitin met the liberated countrymen in Derbent.

Shirvanshah Farrukh-Yasar received precious Russian gyrfalcons, but spared a few gold coins to help the naked and hungry people return to Rus'. Nikitin's comrades were saddened "and they dispersed in some places." Those who did not have debts for goods taken in Rus' wandered home, others went to work in Baku, and some remained in Shamakhi. Where did Afanasy Nikitin go, robbed, without goods, money and books? “But I went to Derbent, and from Derbent to Baku, and from Baku I went across the sea…” Why did I go, why, with what funds? This is not mentioned...

1468 - he ended up in Persia. Where and how he spent a whole year - again, not a word. The traveler has very few impressions from Persia, where he lived for another year: “I went from Ray to Kashan and there was a month. And from Kashan to Nayin, then to Yazd, and here he lived for a month…” Having left Yezd, the Tver merchant reached the city of Lara, inhabited by merchants and sailors, whose rulers depended on the sovereign of the powerful White Sheep Turkmen state. “From Sirjan to Tarum, where they feed cattle with dates…”

“And here is the Gurmyz refuge and here is the Indian Sea,” the traveler wrote in the spring of 1469 in his “notebook”. Here, in Ormuz, on the coast of the Persian Gulf, the robbed Athanasius suddenly turned out to be the owner of a thoroughbred stallion, which he was going to profitably sell in India. Soon, Nikitin, along with his horse, was already on a sailing ship without an upper deck, transporting live cargo across the sea. Six weeks later, the ship anchored in Chaul Harbor on the Malabar Coast, in western India. Transportation cost 100 rubles.

India occupies a significant place in Nikitin's diaries. “And here there is an Indian country, and people walk around all naked, but their heads are not covered, and their chests are bare, and their hair is braided in one braid, and everyone walks around with their belly, and children are born every year, and they have many children. And the men and women are all naked, and all are black. I go where I go, sometimes there are many people behind me, but they marvel at the white man ... ”the wanderer wrote with surprise.

Nikitin's travel map

About a month Afanasy Nikitin rode on his horse to the city of Junnar (Junir), apparently making frequent stops along the way. He indicated in his diary the distances between cities and large villages. Junir, which was possibly part of a Muslim state, was ruled by the governor Asad Khan, who, as Athanasius wrote, having many elephants and horses, nevertheless "ridden people."

The merchant continued his journey. Arriving in the city of Bidar, the capital of the Muslim state of the Deccan, where slaves, horses, and golden fabrics were traded. “There is no goods on the Russian land,” the navigator wrote with chagrin. As it turned out, India is not as rich as the Europeans thought about it. Examining Bidar, he described the war elephants of the decan sultan, his cavalry and infantry, trumpeters and dancers, horses in golden harness and tame monkeys. He was struck by the luxurious life of the Indian "boyars" and the poverty of rural workers. Getting acquainted with the Indians, the traveler did not hide the fact that he was Russian.

In what language could Nikitin communicate with the local population? He spoke Persian and Tatar languages ​​excellently. Apparently, the local dialects were also easily given to him. The Indians themselves volunteered to escort Nikitin to the temples of Sriparvata, where he was struck by the huge images of the god Shiva and the sacred bull Nandi. Conversations with those praying at the shrines of Sriparvata gave Athanasius the opportunity to describe in detail the life and rituals of the worshipers of the god Shiva.

At this time, a guide appeared in Nikitin's diary indicating the distances to Calicut, Ceylon, the kingdom of Pegu (Burma) and China. Nikitin wrote down what goods were exported through the Indian ports of Kambai, Dabul, Calicut. Gems, fabrics, salt, spices, crystal and rubies of Ceylon, and yahontas of Burma were listed.

Monument to Afanasy Nikitin (in Tver and Feodosia)

Return trip

... 1472, spring - the merchant firmly decided, by all means, to return to Rus'. He spent 5 months in the city of Kulour, where the famous diamond mines were located and hundreds of jewelers worked. I also visited Golconda, which already at that time was famous all over the world for its treasures, in the former capital of the Deccan, Gulbarga, and went to the seashore in Dabul. The captain of a deckless sailboat, setting off for Hormuz, took two gold coins from the traveler. A month later, Afanasy Nikitin went ashore. It was Ethiopia. Here the wanderer stayed for about a week, he spent another three weeks on the island of Hormuz, and then went to Shiraz, Ispahan, Sultania and Tabriz.

In Tabriz, Athanasius visited the headquarters of Uzun-Khasan, the sovereign of the White Sheep Turkmen state, who then ruled almost all of Iran, Mesopotamia, Armenia and part of Azerbaijan. What could connect the powerful eastern ruler with the Tver traveler, about which Uzun-Khasan talked with him, the diaries are silent. He stayed with the Turkmen king for 10 days. He went to Rus' in a new way, through the Black Sea.

New trials awaited Afanasy Nikitin from the Turks. They shook all his possessions and took them to the fortress, to the governor and commandant of Trebizond. Rummaging through the things of the navigator, the Turks were looking for some letters, perhaps taking the Tver merchant for the Moscow ambassador to the court of Uzun-Khasan. By the way, it is not known where, when and how the aforementioned letters received by him in Moscow and Tver before being sent to Shirvan could disappear.

Where did he die?

Through the third sea, the wanderer went to the city of Cafe (now it is Feodosia), a colony of Genoese merchants, where he landed in November 1472. However, the end of Athanasius Nikitin's travels is not very clear. “They say that, before reaching Smolensk, he died,” says the preface to “Journey Beyond the Three Seas,” acquired by deacon Mamyrev.

It is also not clear what the curious merchant was doing while staying in India for 4 years. And why, after all, some lines and pages of the diary are not written in Russian, although in Russian letters. A version was even put forward that these were some kind of cipher texts. But translations from the Persian and Tatar languages ​​showed that Athanasius' thoughts about God, about fasting and prayers were written in these languages...

One thing is certain: no matter who Afanasy Nikitin was - a merchant, a scout, a preacher, an ambassador, or just a very inquisitive wanderer - he was a talented writer and a person, no doubt, charming. Otherwise, how could he have crossed the three seas?