Les caravanes russes à Pékin au XVIIIe siècle

La Revue Russe. 2021. No. 57. P. 15–29.

Platonova N.

Since the Treaty of Nertchinsk signed in 1689, which was followed by the Treaty of Kiakhta in 1728, Russia and the Qing Empire inaugurated their diplomatic and economic relations. Tsar Peter I then took the initiative of establishing a continental caravan traffic in order to connect the capitals of the two vast empires. Despite the ups and downs of Russian-Chinese relations, the complex management and the risks involved in long-distance transportation of the shipments of goods, across the whole Siberia, the Russians were able to organize sixteen major caravans to trade in Beijing between 1698 and 1755.These caravans were sent on behalf of the Crown who holds the monopoly on trade with China. The purpose of this paper is to shed a particular light on the activities of these caravans, the actors who are involved in these exchanges and their results, which makes it possible to better understand the specific nature of such trade. Due to the significant role that caravans played in establishing of economic relations between Russia and the Qing Empire, they have also proved to be an unprecedented human and intercultural experience in the history of the two countries.

Keywords: экономическая история России, История России XVIII в., русско-китайские отношения, Russian economic history, russian history of the 18th century, Russian-Chinese relations