The State Collegium of Foreign Affairs (CID) appeared in Russia during the reign of Peter I. The people called it abbreviated as “foreign collegium”. Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin also served in this department. Was he a secretary or was he really a scout? But let's first understand what KID is.
College of Foreign Affairs
During the Petrine reforms, the College of Foreign Affairs appeared. That was the name of the foreign ministry, formed in 1717 by an 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, KID came under the control of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia and lasted 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 secret advisers and the sovereign himself, who was present at the time of writing particularly important rescripts, resolutions and declarations for foreign ministers.
The department accepted the nobles and children of clerical servants over 17 years of age who received university education and spoke foreign languages. 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 of them was led by a secretary. The first expedition was profiled on 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 accrued to the board on the orders of the minister. He did not share on the expedition.
In 1798, the College of Foreign Languages opened at the College, which taught students Chinese, Manchu, Persian, Turkish and Tatar languages. And in 1811, a commission was established in Moscow, which was engaged in printing state letters and treaties.
In addition, two archives of foreign affairs were created in Moscow and St. Petersburg, in which documents on Russian foreign policy were stored.
College Functions
KID functions included:
- issuance of passports and passports for foreigners residing in the territory of the state (a kind of residence permit);
- mail control;
- Kalmyk and Cossack administration;
- management of Little Russia and control over it.
Service of Alexander Pushkin in KID
Not only senators were called up for service in the College of Foreign Affairs. One of the writers who worked for the department was Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin. The College of Foreign Affairs appointed him to the post of translator with the rank of college secretary. June 15, 1817, after the oath to Alexander I, Alexander was given access to the secret chancellery.
In the biography of the writer, the main emphasis is always placed on his work. We know that he spoke several languages, spoke with representatives of various religious faiths, and was a member of the Academy of Sciences. Work at KID was also important. It can be assumed that the writer carried out important tasks for Moscow.
Some documents relating to Pushkin are still hidden from the public eye under the heading "secret." We can only speculate on the importance of the work of the writer, based on existing facts. Alexander was offered a salary of 700 rubles a year. This amount of payments received rank 10 class. Given that there were 14 ranks, it can be concluded that Pushkin was not the last person in the College.
Given that the 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 College was divided into 4 expeditions. Information about which particular Pushkin served was unknown. The fact remains that the writer worked under the command of Kapodistrias John Antonovich, 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 General Inzov. He gave instructions to appoint General Inzov as governor of Bessarabia (the region joined Russia in 1818 and, as an important outpost for foreign policy, was directly controlled by Kapodistrias). The letter included a description of Pushkin.
After a week, the writer suddenly becomes ill with a “fever” and sets off for treatment in the Caucasus with General Raevsky. The route for the trip was chosen extremely interesting. The writer went through Stavropol, Vladimir redoubt, Durable trench, Tsaritsyn redoubt, Temizhbek, Caucasian fortress, Kazan redoubt, Tiflis redoubt, Ladoga redoubt, Ust-Labin fortress, Quarantine redoubt, Yekaterinodar, Temryuk, Peresyp, Sennaya, Taman, Kerchiye, Kerch, Fier Gurzuf, Yalta, Bakhchisarai.
Is it a coincidence that after the writer returned, KID officials who were responsible for the resettlement of people to those areas that Alexander visited were dismissed, and he himself received leave on the orders of the emperor?
There are questions about Pushkin’s trip to Chisinau. At that time, the Decembrist wing was formed in the city. There is evidence from witnesses that the writer constantly changed appearance, dressing up in Serbian, Moldavian and other costumes.
Pushkin was a patriot. And although the official work of the “secretary” did not last long (he stopped working in the department in 1824), already retired during the war with the Ottoman Empire, the writer worked in the camp office, which, in fact, was counterintelligence, besides under the administration of Count Nesselrode, who led the political intelligence at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The proposal came from an official of the 3rd branch of the Office of Ivanovsky A. A. This is known from the correspondence between the writer and the official.
There are many other facts, but on the basis of these we can come to the conclusion that during the service of Pushkin in the College of Foreign Affairs and after his resignation, the writer was not a simple secretary who knew a foreign language.