May 2017 REDISCOVERING BILATERAL RELATIONS THROUGH HISTORY THE IZBORSK FORTRESS HOW THE RUSSIAN NORTH BECAME THE PIONEER MUSEUMS AND FORT ROSS: TERRITORIES THE BIRTHPLACE OF RUSSIAN IN THE US: FOLLOWING THE SUN OF RUSSIANAMERICAN AMERICA AND HOW IT REMEMBERS OVER THE NORTH AMERICAN COOPERATION THIS CONNECTION CENTURIES LATER CONTINENT P. 6, 26 P. 14, 22 P.28 REDISCOVERING BILATERAL RELATIONS THROUGH HISTORY MOST RELEVANT TOPICS: Russia’s national identity Russia’s foreign policy outlook Best Russian studies programs Russia in the Middle East The magnetic push and pull of the Russian economy Terrorism Read in the brochures of International Fort Ross Dialogue Conference GET FULL DIGITAL ACCESS TO OVER 40 ANALYTICAL REPORTS www.russia-direct.org/archive rg.ru/files/california_en rg.ru/files/izborsk_en EDITORS NOTE The Russian Path to America In 2017, two important anniversaries in Russia and America’s shared history will take place: 150 years ago, in 1867, U.S. Secretary of State William Seward signed a treaty to purchase Alaska from Russia, and 200 years ago, in 1817, Russia abandoned Fort Elizabeth, its last settlement in the Hawaiian Islands. Despite the physical departure of the Russian state from North America, the in uence of the Russian America project remains even today, in the memory, history and Alexei Pankin contemporary life of the two countries. Editor Russian and American pioneers began moving towards each other at practically the same time. e bulk of Russian exploration of the Western Hemisphere began from the Siberian town of Tobolsk, which was founded in 1587. ousands of miles to the west, Europeans were also reaching beyond the boundaries of their continent, founding Jamestown, the rst English settlement in North America, in 1607. Moving from east to west and west to east, these two cultures nally met in Alaska, California and Hawaii in the 19th century. Despite our many di erences, one thing Russians and Americans share in common is the drive to explore. To go and discover new lands you need to be courageous, entrepreneurial, full of initiative, able to make decisions quickly and be willing to stand rm in the face of di culty. e history of Russia’s expansion eastward and America’s in Russia Dialogue meeting Ross Fort expansion westward is the story of two great modern nations, economies, national characters and cultures. 1 In this magazine, we will trace the steps of these bold pioneers to Fort Ross, the Russian settlement established in 1812 in Northern California. Just 50 miles north of San Francisco, today it hosts a museum and park where the Russian and American pioneer spirits converge. Fort Ross is an impressive example of Russian-American cooperation. e Fort Ross Dialogue, a conference that brings together cultural and business leaders from both countries, has taken place there since 2012. In 2017, this conference will take place in Russia for the rst time. It will be hosted by Fort Ross’s sister museum, the Izborsk Fortress in the Pskov Region. At the conference, titled Towards Each Other, representatives from both countries will discuss Russian and American history and what the past can teach us today. In particular, participants will talk about the museum collections that carefully preserve this history. Because this year’s dialogue will take place in Russia, much of the conference will focus on the Russian North and Siberia. e main topic of discussion will be what Russian history can teach us about Russian America. Izborsk / May 2017 Frontiers: Russian-American e preservationists and historians of these Russian and American museums also deserve special mention as pioneers. Using the latest technology and innovations, their work both preserves and illuminates this shared history. We look forward to including you in this work. THIS PUBLICATION WAS PREPARED BY THE EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT OF THE ROSSIYSKAYA GAZETA NEWSPAPER AT THE REQUEST OF THE ROSSIYSKAYA GAZETA PUBLISHING HOUSE FOR THE BILATERAL RUSSIAN-AMERICAN FORUM “FORT ROSS DIALOGUE - MEETING IN RUSSIA” (IZBORSK, MAY 28-30, 2017), SPONSORED BY TRANSNEFT. ALEXEI PANKIN — EDITOR LARA MCCOY — ENGLISH-LANGUAGE EDITOR JOE CRESCENTE — PROOFREADER SERGEI TSEYTLIN — TRANSLATOR VLADIMIR DUKELSKY, IRINA RACHEEVA — SCIENTIFIC CONSULTANTS EKATERINA SOBOLEVSKAYA — PROJECT COORDINATOR PHOTOS: RIA NOVOSTI, TASS, АР, REUTERS, DEPOSITPHOTOS, FLICKR (LORENJAVIER, MARIONDOSS), MUSEUMS OF IZBORSK, VELIKY NOVGOROD, TOTMA, VELIKY USTYUG, KARGOPOL, TOBOLSK, TAIMYR, FORT ROSS-IRKUTSK CLUB, VLADIMIR LATYNTSEV, ALEXANDER MOLODIN, FORT ROSS CONSERVANCY, FRIENDS OF SUTTER’S FORT. © COPYRIGHT 2017, ROSSIYSKAYA GAZETA. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ADDRESS 24 PRAVDY STR., BLDG. 4, OFFICE 720. MOSCOW, RUSSIA, 125 993. E-MAIL: [email protected] TЕL.: +7(495) 775 3114; FAX: +7(495) 988 9213 Let’s move towards each other! ti al politi cal, business, cultural and scienti fi c circles from Russia and the U.S. will parti cipate in the event. The fo- rum began at the Fort Ross State Historic Park in Califor- nia, Russian America’s southernmost sett lement on the West Coast. Today, Fort Ross is not only a living symbol of our common history; it is becoming the center of interest in Russian America, a platf orm for comprehensive and ac- ti ve interrelati on among the descendants of Russian im- migrants in parti cular, and for interacti on between Rus- sian and American cultures in general. This magazine is dedicated to the convergence of civiliza- ti ons, as represented by the Russian session of the Fort Ross Dialogue. Its pages elegantly and concisely tell the history of Russian and American pioneers, and the many things that unite the people who conquered the vast ex- panses of Siberia and the American fronti er. The journeys of these pioneers from both East and West, which began DEAR READERS! almost simultaneously in the 16th-17th centuries, fi nally intersected in Alaska, California and Hawaii. Those places You are holding in your hands an unusual publicati on, sti ll retain traces of Russian presence and the memories one dedicated to chapters in Russian and American his- of our countrymen who played an important role in the tory that have been mostly forgott en today. Transneft is history of our two great powers. 2 happy to be a sponsor of this project. It is just one ex- Today, the task of promoti ng mutual understanding be- ample of the many things our company is doing with Rus- tween Russia and the United States faces serious chal- sian and foreign business partners, as well as scienti fi c, lenges. Once again, we must try and move towards each educati onal and cultural organizati ons, to develop infor- other, to search for ways to connect and cooperate in the mal dialogue between Russians and Americans. We are name of the future of our countries and peoples. The suc- working to build constructi ve relati onships across disci- cessful examples from our rich common history should plines — founded on mutual respect and trust, promoted help in this task. by deep knowledge and understanding of our two coun- I am certain that in reading this magazine, Moving To- tries’ histories and cultures. wards Each Other: Russian and American Pioneers, read- These eff orts are bearing fruit. This year, for the fi rst ers will learn about and bett er understand the moments ti me, the Fort Ross Dialogue on U.S.-Russian relati ons will that unite Russian and American cultures. take place in Russia. Representati ves of the most infl uen- I wish you pleasant and engaging reading! Nikolai P. Tokarev President of Transneft Strengthening our understanding of one another through our shared history Throughout my 45-year career, I relati ons. Every year, we send win- have had the opportunity to observe ners of this contest from Russia to the ebbs and fl ows in the U.S.-Russia California to parti cipate in the annu- relati onship. I would characterize al Fort Ross Festi val. Another collab- that relati onship as a near-constant orati on supported by the U.S. Em- balance between cooperati on and bassy took place at Izborsk’s open air competi ti on. We have thrived as museum and medieval fortress, competi tors and as partners, and bringing together museum staff woven throughout that relati onship from Izborsk, Fort Ross and Colonial over the years are our cultural and Williamsburg to discuss historic in- historical ti es, of which Fort Ross is a terpretati on and craft s and explore shining example. future cooperati on. These people- This year marks the 205th anniver- to-people interacti ons help build sary of the establishment of Fort bridges between Russians and Ross, the southernmost Russian set- Americans, strengthening our un- tlement in what is now the United derstanding of one another through States. Located in picturesque our shared history. Northern California, Fort Ross is a Like the Fort Ross Festi val, the Fort testament to the meeti ng of cul- Ross Dialogue is an invaluable forum tures, a landmark that witnessed the for discussing our shared interests intersecti on of Russians, Americans, and discovering our shared values. I Fort Ross Dialogue meeting in Russia Dialogue meeting Ross Fort Spaniards and American Indians. would like to congratulate the orga- As U.S. Ambassador to Russia, one of nizers of the Dialogue and express John F. Tefft 3 my goals is to strengthen the peo- my appreciati on to everyone for Ambassador of the United States to Russia ple-to-people and cultural connec- helping us to strengthen people-to- ti ons between our two countries. A people ti es between our two coun- good example of this is the Fort Ross tries. When our bilateral relati ons Quest Contest, which for the past are so challenged — as they are at three years has highlighted the cul- the moment — it is even more im- tural ti es between Russia and the portant to conti nue to create these United States by inviti ng high school opportuniti es to bring Russians and students to think more about what Americans together to discuss diff er- early life at Fort Ross was like and ences; to enjoy things we have in how the sett lement has contributed common; and to simply embrace to the development of U.S.-Russian our shared culture.