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Birthday anniversary of Count Yevfimy V. Putyatin, statesman and military figure
8 (20) November 1803 was born statesman and diplomat, Admiral Yevfimy V. Putyatin.
Putyatin spent his childhood in the family estate in the Novgorod province and was educated by his parents - retired Lieutenant Commander Vasily Yevfimievich and Elisaveta Grigorievna, and then entered the Naval Cadet Corps - the oldest naval school in Russia. After graduation in 1822, Putyatin, in the rank of warrant officer, was appointed a member of the crew to the frigate "Cruiser", commanded by the famous Russian naval commander M. P. Lazarev to circumnavigate the globe. During the trip, which lasted about 3 years, the crew of the cruiser visited North and South America, Africa and Southeast Asia. After returning from the voyage midshipman Putyatin was appointed to the battleship "Azov" and took part in the naval battle of Navarino 8 (20) October 1827.
In subsequent years Putyatin’s career was going well: he made several long sea voyages, and was awarded the Order of St. George, 4th degree; in 1834, he was appointed commander of the corvettes "Ifegeniya" and "Agatopol", participated in a number of research trips and soon was promoted to captain of the 1st rank. In 1841 Putyatin temporarily left the army and was sent to England to purchase ships for the Black Sea Fleet. After returning to Russia, he was entrusted with important diplomatic mission to Persia in order to facilitate Russian trade and fisheries in the Caspian Sea. Having brilliantly handled the affair, Putyatin was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral.
In 1843 Putyatin submitted to Nicholas I a memorandum including the elaborated plan of the expedition to the eastern sea borders between China and Japan, but on the advice of the Minister of Finance E. F. Cancrin, it was postponed. In 1849, in the rank of Adjutant General Putyatin entered the retinue of the emperor, and two years later he was promoted to the rank of Vice Admiral. In 1852, Grand Duke Constantin Nikolayevich supported Putyatin’s old plan to strengthen Russia's position in the Far East. Among the members of the expedition to Japan, in addition to Putyatin, were I. A. Goncharov, I. A. Goshkevich and A. F. Mozhayskiy. Journey to the Far East, which lasted about three years, was a success: in 1855, was signed the first diplomatic agreement between Japan and Russia, known as the Treaty of Shimoda, under which "permanent peace and sincere friendship" between the two countries were declared; the boundaries were determined and the most favorable conditions for Russian trade in a number of Japanese ports were guaranteed. In addition, the expedition had made several discoveries and description of the Pacific coast of the Far East. After returning to St. Petersburg, for the successful completion of an important diplomatic mission, Putyatin was granted the title of Count.
In 1857 Putyatin was appointed head of the diplomatic mission to China, which resulted in the signing of the Treaty of Tientsin on 1 (13) June 1858, which extended political and trade rights of Russia in China. During the same trip Putyatin visited Japan for the second time, where he concluded an additional agreement on trading privileges and rights of Russian merchants and settlers. After returning to Russia Putyatin was granted the rank of Admiral, and in 1861 he was unexpectedly appointed Minister of Education.
Putyatin’s short stay in the office was marked by a number of unpopular measures and decrees: he introduced mandatory fees for education, prohibited any student meetings, primary education was completely entrusted to the church. These transformations provoked riots and clashes with police in several universities. Six months after the appointment Putyatin resigned and was appointed a member of the State Council. The last years of his life Putyatin held honorary positions in various committees and societies. In 1883 he was awarded the highest award of the Russian Empire - the Order of St. Andrew The First Called.
Yevfimy Putyatin died on 16 (28) October 1883, in Paris, at the age of 79, and was buried in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra.
Lit.: Гримм Э. Д. Сборник договоров и других документов по истории международных отношений на Дальнем Востоке (1842-1925). М., 1927; Кошкин А. Уступка русского посланника (к 150-летию первого российско-японского договора) // Государственная служба. 2005. № 1(33); Путятин Е. В. Всеподданнейший отчет о плавании отряда военных наших судов в Японии и Китае за 1852-55 гг. СПб., 1857; Он же. Проект преобразования морских учебных заведений, с учреждением новой гимназии. СПб., 1860; Русские Курилы: история и современность. Сборник документов по истории формирования русско-японской и советско-японской границы. М., 1995; Синодский договор между Россией и Японией // Ключников Ю. В., Сабанин А. Международная политика новейшего времени в договорах, нотах и декларациях. Ч. 1. М., 1925.
Based on the Presidential Library’s materials:
Мартенс Ф. Ф. Россия и Китай: историко-политическое исследование. СПб., 1881;
Павлович М. П. Русско-японские отношения. М., 1925;
Сборник договоров России с Китаем. 1689-1881 гг. СПб., 1889;
Трактат о торговле и границах между Россией и Японией (Симодский). 1855.