The Greek merchant Nikolai Khristoforov's plan of Istanbul seizure (1644)

The article presents archival documents about plans of a Greek merchant Nikolai Khristoforov to deleverage Constantinople. At homeland, he was engaged in the sale of cattle. This low social status was determined by the legislation of the Ottoman Empire. In 1637 the Cossacks managed to achieve outstanding success. They seized the Turkish fortress of Azov and held it for five years. Capture of Azov wasn’t indifferent to Nikolai Khristoforov. Impressed by the success of the Don and Zaporozhye Cossacks, he formulated own plan to revive the Byzantine Empire. Nikolai Khristoforov visited Orthodox monasteries associated with the Cossacks: Gustynsky and Cathedral Kiev cave monasteries. He found the interpreter from Greek into Slavic languages and visited Zaporozhye Cossacks, perhaps, with the interpreter’s help being able to negotiate with them. After that, Nikolai Khristoforov went to the Don Cossacks and met with their chieftains. At this time, he believed that he had got military power to seize Istanbul. He also sought for the Tsar’s support. The merchant asked for the Tsar’s blessing and a small military aid. He told about a hundred archers and gunpowder. The rest he promised to deliver himself. From Moscow, he planned to go to the Cossacks to start a campaign against Istanbul. The merchant thought, that his great project would be happily supported by the Russian government. He was sure the Tsar would gladly take the opportunity to capture Constantinople. But the authorities’ reaction was just the opposite. While a merchant has reached Russia, there have been major changes. The Russian government decided to return Azov to Turkey. The support of the Cossacks could start the Russian-Turkish war. The Russian government was very afraid of a military confrontation with the Ottoman Empire. After taking Azov, Turkish troops carried out several raids on Russian territory. The devastating raids of the Turkish vassal - Crimean Khanate - also continued. Frightened by these attacks Russian authorities sought for restoring diplomatic -relations with the Ottoman Empire. To establish peace, the Tsar was ready to make any concessions. Russian authorities were extremely scared by this adventurous project. It has threatened with failure of all the negotiations. For fear of worsening the difficult relations with the Ottoman Empire, they chose to send merchant in Mangazeya, to escape from where was impossible. In the far North «the liberator» of Constantinople spent his last days.