The 1722 Meeting of Emperor Peter the Great and Kalmyk Khan Ayuka on the Volga: Myths and Reality

Abstract

Introduction. The article deals with an understudied — though essential — episode in the history of the Kalmyk Khanate — the 1722 meeting of Peter I of Russia and Khan Ayuka of Kalmyks on the banks of the Volga. The issue proves not only topical but is also as interesting since personal written memoirs to have somewhat covered the event are scarce enough, even the latter often being controversial. Goals. The article analyzes little known private materials to attempt a clarifying insight into the actual historical circumstances of the meeting. The former are accounts of those to have attended and witnessed the event, such as the Operations Record Book of the 1722 Campaign by Peter the Great, travel notes of J. Bell (a Scotch physician in the Russian imperial service), Kalmyk-to-Russian translator V. Bakunin, and reports by hydrographer and navigator F. Soimonov. Results. The examination of the mentioned private 18th–19th century sources shows those often contradict each other, and eyewitness accounts need further detailed investigation. Unfortunately, such private sources dated to the 18th and 19th centuries provide no clear answers to multiple questions but rather tend to give rise to new ones and complicate any historical reconstruction of the 1722 meeting. However, the source base is extensive enough and requires meticulous analysis. Most significantly, those are archival documents that may contain additional details and put an end to arguments over the revealed controversial facts.