Birkin's Ambassadorial Mission

Birkin's ambassadorial post in Kakheti (1587–1588) was the first official Russian embassy to the Kingdom of Kakheti.

A patronage treaty was signed between Russia and the Kingdom of Kakheti. The embassy was headed by Rodion Birkin and Peter Pivov. The ambassadors were accompanied to Kakheti by 50 riflemen.

On August 26, 1587, the embassy was officially presented to the King of Kakheti, Alexander II. Negotiations began on August 29 and ended on September 29, 1587, with the acceptance by King Alexander of the oath of allegiance to the Russian Tsar Feodor I (the text of the oath was drawn up in Moscow). King Alexander II (with his children and closest relatives) confirmed by oath that he had appealed to the Russian Tsar with a request to take Kakheti under his patronage. The document stated that the Russian Tsar ordered the protection of Kakheti from all enemies.

The King of Kakheti would do nothing harmful to Russia, he would accept the enemy of the Russian Tsar as his enemy, and the friend as his friend. The King of Kakheti intended to send an annual tribute to the Tsar. During the negotiations, the last point caused a particular dispute. The Russian side demanded that Kakheti supply food to the army that would be stationed in a fortress built by the river Tergi to defend Kakheti. The King of Kakheti agreed to replace this obligation with an annual tribute.

Birkin’s embassy remained in Kakheti until the end of the spring of 1588 and returned to Russia on October 13 of the same year.

Source: Белокуров С. А., Сношения Росии с Кавказом, в. 1 (1578 – 1613), М., 1889.

Literature: ბ ე რ ძ ე ნ ი შ ვ ი ლ ი  ნ., რუსეთ-საქართველოს ურთიერთობის ისტორიიდან XVI – XVII საუკუნეთა მიჯნაზე, წგ.: საქართველოს ისტორიის საკითხები, წგ. 4, თბ., 1967; П о л и е в к т о в  М. А., Европейские путешественники XIII – XVIII вв. По Кавказу, Тфл., 1935.

N. Asatiani