Russian colonies were once both in America and in Africa. Some believe that the short-sightedness of the Russian leadership led to the fact that they were sold, while others say that all the same, there was nothing good for us there.
1. Hawaii
In 1815, the Russian-American Company (RAC), which was in charge of Alaska and Kamchatka, reached an agreement with the leader of the Hawaiian island of Kauai. Under the agreement, he, along with the population subject to him, entered under the patronage of Russia. Georg Anton Scheffer, a German in the Russian service, was in charge of the arrangement of the new colony.
In 1816-1817, local residents built three fortresses named after Alexander I, his wife Empress Elizabeth and Barclay de Tolly (only the remains of the stone foundation of the Elizabethan fortress have survived to this day).
The Hanapepe River was renamed Don. Local leaders received Russian surnames (Platov, Vorontsov). Unfortunately, the central government did not appreciate the importance of the new acquisition. The following verdict came from St. Petersburg: "The Emperor will deign to believe that the acquisition of these islands and their voluntary entry into his patronage not only can not bring Russia any significant benefit, but, on the contrary, in many respects is associated with very important inconveniences."
So, the Russian colony, created in record time, was actually abandoned to the mercy of fate. Unlike Tsar Alexander I, the Americans even appreciated the importance of the islands, and began to actively survive from there for the Russians. In the village of Vaimea, American sailors attempted to lower the Russian flag, but Hawaiian soldiers defended the banner. On June 17 (29), 1817, after an armed clash in which three Russians and several Hawaiians were killed, the Russian colonists were forced to leave Hawaii and return to Alaska.
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2. Fort Ross
The Russian colonies in Alaska - territories with a harsh climate - suffered from food shortages. To improve the situation, expeditions to California were organized in 1808-1812 to search for fertile lands. Finally, in the spring of 1812, a suitable location was found.
On August 30 (September 11), 25 Russian colonists and 90 Aleuts founded a fortified settlement named Ross. At that time, California was owned by the Spaniards, but the territories were practically not colonized by them. So, San Francisco, located 80 km south of the Russian colony, was just a small Catholic mission.
The real masters of the territory in which the Russians settled were the Indians. It was from them that the land was bought for three pairs of pants, two axes, three hoes and several strings of beads. Fortress Ross was the southernmost Russian settlement in North America. Russian names began to appear in the vicinity: the Slavyanka River (modern Russian river), Rumyantsev Bay (modern Bodega Bay). Over the entire period of its existence, the fortress has never been attacked: the Spaniards, and since 1821 there were practically no Mexicans nearby, and more or less peaceful relations were maintained with the Indians. Throughout its existence, the colony was unprofitable for the Russian-American company, and in 1841 it was sold to a Swiss citizen of Mexico, John Sutter.
3. Russian Somalia
On December 10, 1888, a steamer sailed from Odessa with 150 Terek volunteer Cossacks on board. The detachment was led by the adventurer Nikolai Ashinov. The purpose of the expedition was to accompany a spiritual mission to Christian Abyssinia (Ethiopia).
In 1883, Ashinov already visited Abyssinia: posing as a representative of the Russian emperor, he negotiated with the Ethiopian Negus (emperor) regarding the political and church rapprochement of the two countries.
On January 6, 1889, Ashinov's detachment landed on the coast of French Somalia (present-day Djibouti). The French believed that the goal of the Russian expedition was indeed Abyssinia, and did not interfere with the Russian detachment. But, to their surprise, Ashinov found an abandoned Egyptian fort Sagallo in the vicinity and began to settle down there. The fort was renamed New Moscow or the village of Moscow, and the land fifty miles along the coast and a hundred miles inland was declared Russian territory.
The French officer who arrived at the fortress demanded to leave Sagallo as soon as possible. Ashinov refused. France was then in allied relations with Russia, and the local authorities did not dare to take independent actions to expel from their territory, albeit uninvited, representatives of a friendly power.
Correspondence between Paris and Petersburg began. Emperor Alexander reacted rather harshly to Ashinov's adventure: "We must certainly remove this cattle of Ashinov from there as soon as possible … he only compromises us, and we will be ashamed of his activities." Ashinov's gamble could hinder the successfully developing process of Russian-French rapprochement. The French government was informed that Russia would not mind if France took measures to expel the Russian detachment from its territory.
Having received carte blanche from the Russian government, the French sent a squadron to Sagallo consisting of a cruiser and three gunboats. After Ashinov, obviously not understanding the seriousness of the situation, again refused to obey the demands of the French, they began shelling the fortress. Several Russians were killed and wounded. Finally, Ashinov's shirt was raised over Sagallo as a white flag. The settlers were handed over to the Russian warship Zabiyaka, who arrived for them, and took them home.
4. Yever
On the shores of the North Sea is the small German town of Jever, where the tart beer Jever Pilsener is brewed.
YEVER 1/2 TALERA 1798 RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT.
This beer could well have the inscription "Made in Russia" - the fact is that once this city belonged to the Russian Empire. Since the 17th century, the city was in the possession of the Anhalt-Zerbst princes. Sophia Augusta Friderica, better known in our country as the Russian Empress Catherine II, belonged to the same family. Therefore, when the last prince of Anhalt-Zerbst died in 1793, Yever was inherited by his only sister, Queen Catherine. The city became part of the Russian Empire. The city remained under the Russian crown until 1807, when Napoleon occupied it. In 1813, French troops were expelled from the city, and it became Russian again. But not for long: in 1818 Alexander I ceded it to his relatives - the dukes of neighboring Oldenburg.