Russian-Persian negotiations over financial help during the reign of Mikhail Fyodorovich Romanov: history, patterns, outcomes

The article deals with a notable episode in the Russian-Persian relations in the XVII century regarding the history of a money loan given by the Persian Shah Abbas I to the Russian Tsar Mikhail Fyodorovich Romanov. Research into Iranian and Russian historiography, as well as the analysis of the sources preserved among the files of the Posolsky Prikaz (the Ambassadorial Bureau) from fund 77 of the Russian State Archive of Ancient Acts enables to investigate the history and circumstances of this loan. It is established that out of all the embassies sent by the Russian Tsar to Shah Abbas in order to receive money, only the 1616 mission led by F. I. Levontiev achieved partial success. Shah Abbas sent 7000 rubles in silver ingots to the Russian Tsar. The author dismisses the existing concept that regards this money as a simple gift, but interprets it, judging by the texts of the studied sources, as a loan that was given amid the refusal of many other countries to help the Russian Tsar.