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About formation of Russian orthodox diaspora in China 
 
A.R.Artemyev 
Institute of history, archeology and ethnography of peoples of Far
East DVO the Russian Academy of Science, Vladivostok 
 
 
In the domestic literature the beginning of active formation of
Russian orthodox diaspora in manchurian China traditionally connect
with the first osadoj Albazinskogo a jail in June, 1685 that does not
correspond to the validity. 
 
As is known, osada by manchurians Albazina in 1685 it was prolonged
not for long. On June, 12 the fortress has been besieged by an army
number more than 10 thousand person with 200 downs, and on June, 16
the enemy has undertaken resolute storm of a jail. During him it was
found out, that nucleus 'prolomnyh' guns of manchurians easily punch
walls of a jail. Nevertheless, having lost 100 person from 450,
albazintsy, having in the order only three downs and about 300
arquebuses, have beaten off an attack. After that attacking have
imposed walls of a fortress with brushwood and podozhgli. Fiery arrows
of manchurians sozhgli also barns and church, stocks of gunpowder and
lead were on an outcome. So voevoda A.L.Tolbuzin has been compelled to
begin negotiations about capitulation. On its conditions survived
albazintsy free have left to Nerchinsk, and 45 person, poddavshihsja
on arrangements of manchurians, have agreed to proceed in manchurian
citizenship. We shall note, that number 45 appears only in the Chinese
sources. Therefrom it has got on pages of works of N.Schukin (1848),
A.Sgibneva (1860), N.Bantysh-Kamenskogo (1882), ieromonaha Nikolay
Adoratskogo (1887), and then and in works of other authors. Meanwhile,
according to the document which has been found out by V.S.Mjasnikovym
in RGADA, the quantity of deserters made only two persons. In the
formal reply published still in 1872 albazinskogo voevody
A.L.Tolbuzina the fact of change not only does not prove to be true,
and stability of Russian people which, ' pamjatuja orthodox Christian
belief and great sovereigns premnoguju favour, both to the Lord to the
God and to great sovereign the promise and God tselovanie, on their
charm have not surrendered, on the contrary, is outlined, and
Bogdojskomu them I reign to serve have not gone: '. To not trust
A.L. Tolbuzinu in this question there are no bases as if change took
place, to not report on it it, first, could not, and, second,
undoubtedly, would make it that still though something to explain
unsuccessful defense of a fortress. 
 
How have got mentioned 45 albazintsev and among them priest Maxim
Leontev to manchurians? The documents narrating about it, are
published in 10 and 11 volumes ' Additions to certificates historical
' (1867, 1869), but for some reason till now did not involve attention
of researchers of Orthodoxy in China. On July, 17, 1684 salesman
Albazinskogo ostoroga I.Semyonov has sent on r. Amgun in Dukinskoe
zimovyo desjatnika Grishku Samoilov in the chapter of group from 20
cossacks whom 47 industrial people have joined and among them priest
Maxim Leontev, that is only 68 person (on their other data was -
73). On July, 27 in one and a half days of a way is lower than a mouth
r. Zeya the group has met the big manchurian army. Manchurians have
artfully invited G.Samoilov ' to themselves to honour of bread is '
and, when it with ten cossacks and about. Maxim has arrived to them,
have captured them. G.Samoilov managed to warn the group about danger,
but not all have believed in a reality of threat. In a result only 23
persons hastily ran overland in Selembinsky a jail, and then is
farther in Udsky. Thus, it is possible to assert, what exactly these
captivated on Amur in 1684 45 albazintsev and were the center of
Russian orthodox diaspora in Beijing. 
 
To these people it is necessary to add also Russian sluzhilyh and the
industrial people captured at a capture by manchurians in the summer
of 1684. Tugurskogo a jail which is taking place on running in sea of
Okhotsk r. Tugur. Their number, by documents with the offer to
exchange captured, sent by manchurians reached 60, that, probably, is
exaggeration. By our sources, them was no more than 11 person. 
 
In this diaspora arrived in China a number of deserters will join
different years also. The first and the most known among them was
Anashka Uruslanov - kreshchyonyj the Crimean Tatar, the former person
Yakut voevody Dmitry Frantsbekova, sent him to Amur in group to
E.P.Habarovu in 1651. First it has been attributed to mouth Gudei in a
post of the assistant to the company commander, and since 1685 has
been enlisted in hereditary company commanders. The quantity of these
deserters does not give in to exact calculation, but it is known, that
during stay in Beijing in 1676 of embassy led by N.G.Spafariem, there
there were 13 Russian people, two of which have been captured, and the
others were deserters. 
 
New updating Russian captives will arrive to Beijing after osady
Albazinskogo a jail of 1686-1687. Then even prior to the beginning of
heroic defense of a fortress some tens sluzhilyh people protecting
approaches to Albazinu have been captured. 
 
Final registration of Russian orthodox diaspora in manchurian China
has taken place after signing russko-Chinese Nerchinskogo contracts of
1689 as exchange captured as it could be expected, on his conditions
it was not supposed. An aggregate number of the Russian people which
have made in Beijing under the decree of emperor separate mouth of one
of eight, yellow with kajmoj of banner tsinskih of armies, it is
possible to define approximately in 100 person.