Fyodor Baykov

Fyodor Isakovich Baykov(Russian:Фёдор Исакович Байков,c. 1612 – c. 1663) was the firstRussianenvoy toChina(1658). For background seeHistory of Sino-Russian relations.Like many later Russian ambassadors to China (Nicolae Milescu,Sava Vladislavich) he left a detailed account of his journey.

In 1654Tsar Alexissent Baykov to the court of theShunzhi Emperorto negotiate a treaty establishing regular trade betweenMoscowandBeijing.(The first Russian to reach Peking was probablyIvan Petlinin 1618, but he was not properly an ambassador.)

At this time the ManchuQing Dynastyhad just been established and Russian adventurers had just entered theAmur Rivervalley from the north, but the Manchus apparently did not understand that these barbarians from beyond Mongolia were the same as those who wereraiding their northern frontier.The Russians of course knew the connection, but gave Baykov no instructions for dealing with the Amur problem. He was, however, instructed to make obeisance to no one but the emperor himself.

Before leaving Tobolsk, he sentSetkul Ablinahead as messenger. Ablin reached Peking in late 1655, sold his trade goods and returned in the spring of 1656, passing, but not meeting, Baykov's party.

After a long stay atTobolsk,Baykov's mission set out in Juneor autumnof 1654. He traveled up theIrtysh RiveracrossDzungariaand theGobi Desert.In 1655 they reachedKalganon the Great Wall. Here he was stopped by the Chinese who did not know who he was (they thought Ablin had been the real ambassador). After receiving permission, he reached theForbidden Cityon 3 March 1656.

He refused tokowtowat the city gate, but was admitted anyway and was housed by theLi-Fan Yuan.He insisted that his presents and credentials be presented to the emperor himself and in general did not behave with proper submissiveness to the great Chinese emperor. After several months of isolation, he was expelled from China's capital (in 1657or 4 September 1656) and reached Moscow the following year.

References

• Mancall, Mark.Russia and China: Their Diplomatic Relations to 1728.Harvard University Press, 1971.