In the Trans-Baikal Territory, among the vastness of the taiga, there is a small railway station Erofei Pavlovich. Not all passengers of express trains passing by her guess that her name, as well as the name of one of the largest cities in the Far East - Khabarovsk - memorialized the famous Russian explorer, whose name was Erofei Khabarov. What did this man discover and what is his merit? These issues will be the topic of our conversation.
Hike for a happy share
Historical information about his childhood is very limited. It is known that he was born and raised in Ustyug, and, having reached adulthood, settled in Solvychegorsk, where he was engaged in salt mining. But either things didn’t work out, or the young guy got bored with the monotonous gray life, and only Yerofey left his settled place and went to look for adventure, and if it succeeds, then happiness, to distant lands, beyond the "Stone Belt" - the Great Ural Range.
Well, we won’t talk about happiness, but adventures did not take long. First, on the Yenisei, and then on the banks of the Lena overgrown with taiga forests, a new settler led a sable trade. The fur of the Siberian beast was in price, and hunting brought a fair profit, but once having stumbled upon salt keys in the forest, Khabarov again set about his usual business - salt cooking. In addition, he plowed empty coastal meadows and took up farming. The matter seemed right, because no one could do without bread and salt ...
Dream born in prison
However, the future explorer Erofei Khabarov was mistaken this time. The Yakutsk governor, taking advantage of the government’s lack of control at that time, took away arable land, salt cooking, and all harvested crops — three thousand pounds of bread. The farmer himself, who tried to resist his arbitrariness, was hidden in a prison, where he stayed with the taiga robbers and murderers.
But the time spent behind bars was not in vain. From his cellmates - seasoned people who came out taiga along and across - he heard stories about the Amur lands and their inexhaustible wealth. What Yerofei Khabarov dreamed of in those days, what he discovered for himself in conversations with other prisoners is not known, but, having gone free, a ruined man with no penny bravely embarked on a desperate enterprise.
At the head of a group of explorers
By that time, fortunately, his offender was no longer in Yakutsk. Either he went to jail, or went to increase (which is more likely), but a new governor Frantzbekov was appointed to his post. He turned out to be an official who was ill not only for his own pocket, but also for the interests of the state, and therefore eagerly agreed to Khabarov’s proposal to send him with a detachment of Cossacks to the banks of the Amur - to open new lands for Russia and look for sources of income for the treasury. Moreover, the governor instructed Erofei to select suitable people for the expedition, and to lead the detachment himself.
At this stage, the first difficulties began. Many Cossacks were frightened off by the stories of the companions of Poyarkov, the explorer who had previously visited the Siberian lands inhabited by the Tungus, Daurians, Achans, and other wild taiga tribes. The risk associated with this trip was too great. Erofei Khabarov’s campaign was in jeopardy. Only with great difficulty did he manage to recruit eighty people, as desperate adventurers as he himself.
The path from Yakutsk to Amur
The governor, a sensible and far-sighted person, instructed him not only to collect yasak from the tribes on the way (a quitrent in the form of fur of animal fur), but also to compile a description of new lands, and most importantly - to put them on a map. And in the summer of 1649, having served a parting prayer in God's church and blessing, the detachment came out of Yakutsk.
In the XVII century, the only transport arteries of Siberia were rivers, so the journey of Erofei Khabarov and his daredevils began with the fact that, moving up the Lena, they reached the mouth of its largest tributary, Olekma. Overcoming its rapid course and numerous rapids, in late autumn, the Cossacks reached yet another taiga river - the Tugir, on the banks of which they borrowed.
In January, the journey continued. Moving through deep snow and dragging moving sledges loaded with boats and all other property, the expedition overcame the Stanovoi Range. People were extremely tired, as strong winds and a snowstorm prevented the heavy load from being pulled up the slope. But, having appeared on the opposite side of the ridge, Khabarov and his detachment, having descended along the Urke River, reached the goal of travel - the Amur.
First meetings with taiga residents
Even in its upper reaches, the Cossacks met the settlements of local residents - Daurov. They were real fortresses surrounded by log walls and surrounded by moats. However, to everyone's surprise, they turned out to be deserted. Their inhabitants fled, frightened by the approach of the Cossacks.
Soon the first meeting with the local prince took place. Khabarov really hoped for it. Erofei Pavlovich, through an interpreter, spoke about the purpose of the detachment's arrival and suggested starting joint trade. At first, his interlocutor nodded his head, but the yasak met the demand to pay the treasury with hostility and, angrily glancing at Khabarov, left.
Strengthening the Cossack detachment
In the same year, Khabarov, not risking to go deeper into the taiga with a small group, returned to Yakutsk for help, leaving the bulk of the detachment on the Amur. The voivode, having listened with interest to his message about the new lands and the prospects associated with them, put at his disposal one hundred and eighty people. Returning to his comrades, Khabarov found them in good health, but exhausted by the constant raids of the Daur. However, from these clashes the Cossacks, armed with guns, always emerged victorious, for they fled their opponents who did not know firearms.
When the discoveries of Erofei Khabarov and his Cossacks became known in Moscow, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich ordered additional forces to be sent to help him. In addition, he sent over the Urals trading people with a hefty supply of lead and gunpowder. Already in the summer of 1651, a large and well-armed detachment commanded by Khabarov went down the Amur. Erofei Pavlovich and his people, bringing Daurian tribes into obedience, sent to the treasury a rich tribute from the skins of fur-bearing animals.
Clashes with Achans and Manchu troops
But the tribes of the Achans, who also inhabited that region, were brave and warlike. They showed fierce resistance to the Cossacks and more than once attacked their camps. However, the advantage of firearms over the bows of savages affected this time. The taiga residents fled in panic, barely hearing the shots. Having no strength to cope with the aliens, they called for help from the Manchu merchants, armed by that time with guns, but the Cossacks took this squad to flight.
Despite victories in local clashes and additional help sent from Yakutsk, it was dangerous to continue collecting yasak. It was possible to learn from local residents that the offensive of a large Manchu army was being prepared, which was sent to prevent the penetration of Russians into the Amur region. I had to stop on the Zeya River and establish a settlement there.
Riot suppression and massive influx of settlers
In the same period, part of the Cossacks rebelled, trying to get out of submission. And this rebellion was forced to suppress Erofei Khabarov. His biography contains information about this sad episode. Subsequently, he was often accused of excessive cruelty. Perhaps this was so, because the years of life of Erofei Khabarov, spent in severe taiga conditions, left their imprint on the character and behavior of this person.
Soon, according to the royal decree, the Daurian Voivodeship was formed, where specially appointed officials and service people went. These years in the history of Siberia were marked by a large influx of immigrants who had heard about the wealth of the region and sought on the banks of the Amur. The government was forced to establish a special outpost to restrict entry.
Hobbies and intrigues
Khabarov’s further stay on the Amur was overshadowed by the intrigues and intrigues of officials who had arrived by then. They removed him from real power and even tried to accuse him of abuse. Arrested, he was taken to Moscow. But it all ended happily. The capital knew very well who Erofei Khabarov was, what he discovered and did for Russia, what his merits were. Generously rewarding, the traveler with honor was allowed to go home. Justified, he returned to Siberia.
The subsequent years of the life of Erofei Khabarov left no traces on the pages of history. The date of his death is unknown, as well as the year of birth. But the reports were preserved, which described in detail all the lands annexed to the Russian state, and those wealth that the country gave Erofei Khabarov. What this man discovered in his travels is repeatedly described by the researchers of his life. The name Erofei Pavlovich and the city of Khabarovsk retained his name for posterity.