What unknown territories has Russia lost . What territories could gain and lose Russia

If we do not take into account the decay Russian Empire and the collapse of the USSR, then the most famous (and largest) territorial loss of Russia is Alaska. But our country was losing other territories as well. These losses are rarely remembered today.

Southern coast of the Caspian (1723-1732)

Having cut through, as a result of the victory over the Swedes, "a window to Europe", Peter I began to cut a window to India. For this purpose, he undertook in 1722-1723. campaigns in strife-torn Persia. As a result of these campaigns, the entire western and southern coast of the Caspian Sea came under Russian rule.

But Transcaucasia is not the Baltics. It turned out to be much easier to conquer these territories than the Baltic possessions of Sweden, but it was more difficult to keep. Due to epidemics and constant attacks by the highlanders, the Russian troops were reduced by half.

Russia, exhausted by Peter's wars and reforms, could not keep such a costly acquisition, and in 1732 these lands were returned to Persia.

Mediterranean: Malta (1798-1800) and the Ionian Islands (1800-1807)

In 1798, Napoleon, on his way to Egypt, defeated Malta, which was owned by the knights of the Order of the Hospitallers, founded back in the days of crusades. Having come to their senses after the pogrom, the knights elected the Russian Emperor Paul I as the Grand Master of the Order of Malta. The emblem of the Order was included in the State Emblem of Russia. This, perhaps, limited the visible signs that the island is under Russian rule. In 1800, the British captured Malta.

Unlike the formal possession of Malta, Russian control over the Ionian Islands off the coast of Greece was more real.

In 1800, the Russian-Turkish squadron under the command of the famous naval commander Ushakov captured the island of Corfu, which was heavily fortified by the French. The Republic of the Seven Islands was established, formally, as a Turkish protectorate, but in fact, under Russian rule. According to the Treaty of Tilsit (1807), Emperor Alexander I secretly ceded the islands to Napoleon.

Romania (1807-1812, 1828-1834)

The first time Romania (more precisely, two separate principalities - Moldavia and Wallachia) was under the rule of Russia in 1807 - during the next Russian-Turkish war (1806-1812). The population of the principalities was sworn allegiance to the Russian emperor; direct Russian rule was introduced throughout the territory. But the invasion of Napoleon in 1812 forced Russia to conclude an early peace with Turkey, according to which only East End Principality of Moldavia (Bessarabia, modern Moldova).

The second time Russia established its power in the principalities during the Russian-Turkish war of 1828-29. At the end of the war, the Russian troops did not leave, the Russian administration continued to manage the principalities. Moreover, Nicholas I, who suppressed any sprouts of freedom inside Russia, gives his new territories a Constitution! True, it was called "organic regulations", since for Nicholas I the word "constitution" was too seditious.

Russia would willingly turn Moldavia and Wallachia, which it actually owned, into its de jure possessions, but England, France and Austria intervened in the matter. As a result, in 1834 the Russian army was withdrawn from the principalities. Russia finally lost its influence in the principalities after the defeat in the Crimean War.

Kars (1877-1918)

In 1877, during the Russian-Turkish war (1877-1878), Kars was taken by Russian troops. According to the peace treaty, Kars, together with Batum, went to Russia.

The Kars region began to be actively populated by Russian settlers. Kars was built according to the plan developed by Russian architects. Even now Kars with its strictly parallel and perpendicular streets, typical Russian houses, erected in the con. XIX - beginning. XX centuries., in sharp contrast with the chaotic buildings of other Turkish cities. But it is very reminiscent of the old ones. Russian cities.

After the revolution, the Bolsheviks gave the Kars region to Turkey.

How many lost cities exist on our planet, no one knows for sure. But those that archaeologists manage to discover invariably arouse great interest, both among specialist historians and ordinary lovers of everything unusual. Here are some of the largest lost cities.

(Total 20 photos)

1. Tikal, Guatemala

Tikal is one of the largest Mayan city-states. It was built in the 7th century BC, and during its heyday, its population reached 200 thousand people. The history of Tikal was full of dramatic moments, and after numerous wars and uprisings, people finally left it. It happened at the end of the 10th century, and since then Tikal has remained a ghost town.

2. Ctesiphon, Iraq

In the period from the 2nd to the 7th centuries, Ctesiphon was the capital of the first Parthian kingdom, and then the Sassanid one. The brick buildings of Ctesiphon that have survived to this day still amaze the imagination with their magnificence and size.

3. Great Zimbabwe

Ruins are called Great or Great Zimbabwe ancient city located in the South African state of Zimbabwe. According to archaeologists, this city appeared in 1130 and for three centuries was considered the main shrine of the Shona people. Behind the high stone walls of the city, about 18,000 people could simultaneously live. Today, the city walls are one of the most amazing monuments of Great Zimbabwe. They are built without the use of any mortar, and their height reaches five meters.

4. Mohenjo-Daro, Pakistan

Related to the Indus civilization, the city with the gloomy name of Mohenjo-Daro (which translates as "The Hill of the Dead") appeared in the Indus Valley on the territory of modern Pakistan more than four and a half thousand years ago. He is a contemporary Egyptian pyramids and one of the first cities in South Asia. The city prospered for almost a thousand years, but still, in the end, the inhabitants left it. Archaeologists suggest that the reason for this was the invasion of the Aryans.

5. Bagerhat, Bangladesh

This city, standing at the confluence of the Ganges and Brahmaputra, was built in the 15th century. During its heyday there were 360 mosques. But after the death of the founder, Bagerhat fell into decay, and it was almost completely swallowed up by the jungle. Today, part of the city has been cleared, and excursions for tourists are conducted here.

6. national park Mesa Verde, USA

V national park Mesa Verde (Colorado) has many ruins of ancient cities built by the Anasazi Indians in the 6th-13th centuries. The largest building in the park is the magnificent "Rock Palace", which attracts more than 700 thousand tourists every year. The city was abandoned by the inhabitants around 1300. The reasons why people abandoned their homes are still unclear, but there are suggestions that a prolonged drought is to blame.

7. Vijayanagar, India

Once Vijayanagar was the capital of a powerful empire that occupied the entire south of the Indian subcontinent. Today, on the site of the City of Victory (as the name Vijayanagar is translated) is the village of Hampi. True, here today, in addition to the majestic ruins, there are also many active Hindu temples, including the famous Pampapatha temple, which is even older than Vijayanagara itself.

8. City of Ani, Turkey

Ani is the capital of the ancient Armenian kingdom, located on the territory of modern Turkey. Once the population of this ancient city exceeded 100 thousand people, and thanks to the abundance of temples, it was known as the city of 1001 churches. The ruins of many Armenian churches of the 11th-13th centuries and the Seljuk palace have survived to this day. But all these monuments are in a terrible state - the homeless live in them, and careless tourists have picnics on their territory. The authorities do not show due attention to the protection of this historical monument.

9. Thebes, Egypt

The first human settlements on the territory of this city date back to 3200 BC. In 2000 BC about 40,000 people lived in Thebes, making it the largest city of that time. status of big city Thebes retained the world until 1000 BC. Even today, the ruins left from its former splendor are amazing. The most famous monuments of Thebes are the Temple of Luxor, the Temple of Karnak (which is the largest temple complex ancient egypt) and the tomb of Tutankhamen.

10. Carthage, Tunisia

Throughout its long history Carthage was the capital of various states. At first it was a Phoenician state, which was also called Carthage. In 146 BC. both the state and the city were completely destroyed by the Romans, but pretty soon the Romans themselves rebuilt Carthage. After the fall of Rome, Carthage became the capital of the Vandal kingdom. The final fall of the great city took place in the 7th century, when the city was destroyed by the Arabs. But still, many ruins, mainly of the Roman period, have survived to our time.

11. Persepolis, Iran

The founder of the magnificent city of Persepolis was the Persian king Cyrus the Great. The city was founded around 560 BC. Over the centuries, the city passed from hand to hand, while retaining the status of the capital and the great city. But during the Arab conquest, Persepolis was completely reduced to ruins. by the most famous monument of the city is the huge palace of Apadana.

12. Ephesus, Turkey

It was in this city in the VI century BC. the legendary temple of Artemis was built, which was one of the seven wonders of the world. The city prospered as long as the sea was nearby. But when it retreated far from the city walls, trade gradually died out, and with it the magnificent city disappeared, leaving behind only ruins.

13. Palenque, Mexico

In the III-VIII centuries, Palenque was of great political and cultural importance for the Mayan civilization. Many magnificent stone buildings dating back to 600-800 years have survived to our time, including the Temple of the Sun, the Temple of the Cross and the Temple of the Inscriptions. The city fell into disrepair long before the arrival of Columbus, probably as a result of tribal wars.

14. Pompeii and Herculaneum, Italy

These two died as a result of a volcanic eruption. cities are probably some of the most famous disappeared cities. When on August 24, 79 A.D. a catastrophic eruption of Vesuvius began, most of the inhabitants of Pompeii died suddenly, and then the city was completely buried under a many-meter layer of volcanic ash. The inhabitants of Herculaneum were more fortunate - many of them managed to leave the city before it disappeared under the hot ash.

15. Petra, Jordan

In ancient times, the city of Petra stood at the crossroads of important trade routes, which brought him untold wealth. But over time, the Romans mastered the waterway, which greatly weakened land trade. Gradually, the inhabitants left the city, and it was swallowed up by the sands of the Arabian Desert. Today you can see well-preserved magnificent ancient buildings here.

16. Angkor, Cambodia

Angkor was the capital of the Khmer Empire from the 9th to the 15th centuries. Today it is one of the most grandiose historical sights in the world. The area of this temple city exceeds 400 square kilometers, and the magnificence of the sculptures of its Hindu temples is absolutely amazing.

17. Ciudad Perdida, Colombia

The name Ciudad Perdida is translated from Spanish as "the lost city". This city is almost 700 years older than the famous Machu Picchu. In 1972, Ciudad Perdida was accidentally discovered by local tomb robbers. When the trade in archaeological treasures from this city took on a large scale, the Colombian authorities finally became interested, and the city was discovered after a full-scale survey. In this area there are constantly fighting between government forces and various armed groups, so tourists are quite at risk, going even along the officially proposed routes, which are guarded by the Colombian military. The road itself to Ciudad Perdida is also quite difficult and requires good physical preparation.

18. Machu Picchu, Peru

The ancient city of Machu Picchu in 2007 received the title of New Wonder of the World. The city appeared around 1440 and flourished until the mysterious and sudden disappearance of all its inhabitants in 1532. The city escaped the attack of the conquistadors and destruction, but for some reason the inhabitants left it.

19. Chichen Itza, Mexico

Chichen Itza is one of the largest cities of the Maya civilization. It was founded in the 7th century, and in 1194 the inhabitants left it for unknown reasons. The Spanish conquerors destroyed a huge number of Mayan manuscripts, so archaeologists are unable to find out the real reason for the decline of the great city.
Today, crowds of tourists are attracted by the superbly preserved pyramids and temples of Chichen Itza.

20. Xanadu, Mongolia

Xanadu is the summer residence of the legendary Mongol Khan Kublai Khan, who is better known in the West as Kubla Khan. In 1275, Marco Polo described this place as a magnificent marble palace, decorated with gold. But only ruins have survived to this day.

If we do not take into account the collapse of the Russian Empire and the collapse of the USSR, then the most famous (and largest) territorial loss of Russia is Alaska. But our country lost other territories as well. These losses are rarely remembered today.

1. Southern coast of the Caspian (1723-1732)

Ships of the Azov Fleet of Peter.

But Transcaucasia is not the Baltics. It turned out to be much easier to conquer these territories than the Baltic possessions of Sweden, but to keep it was more difficult. Due to epidemics and constant attacks by the highlanders, the Russian troops were reduced by half.

Russia, exhausted by Peter's wars and reforms, could not keep such a costly acquisition, and in 1732 these lands were returned to Persia.

2. East Prussia (1758-1762)

During the Seven Years' War (1756-1763), in 1758 Russian troops occupied Koenigsberg and all of East Prussia. By decree of Empress Elizabeth, the region was turned into a Russian governor-general, and the Prussian population was sworn into Russian citizenship. The famous German philosopher Kant also became a Russian subject. A letter has been preserved in which Immanuel Kant, a loyal subject of the Russian crown, asks the Empress Elizaveta Petrovna for the position of an ordinary professor.

The sudden death of Elizabeth Petrovna (1761) changed everything. The Russian throne was occupied by Peter III, known for his sympathy for Prussia and King Frederick. He returned to Prussia all the Russian gains in this war and turned his weapons against his former allies. overthrown Peter III Catherine II, who also sympathized with Frederick, confirmed the peace and, in particular, the return of East Prussia.

3. Mediterranean: Malta (1798-1800) and the Ionian Islands (1800-1807)

Unlike the formal possession of Malta, Russian control over the Ionian Islands off the coast of Greece was more real.

4. Romania (1807-1812, 1828-1834)

Church of the Archangels Michael and Gabriel, Romania

5. Kars (1877-1918)

The assault on the Kars fortress on June 23, 1828

In 1877, during the Russian-Turkish war (1877-1878), Kars was taken by Russian troops. According to the peace treaty, Kars, together with Batumi, went to Russia.

The Kars region began to be actively populated by Russian settlers. Kars was built according to the plan developed by Russian architects. Even now Kars with its strictly parallel and perpendicular streets, typical Russian houses, erected in the con. XIX - early. XX centuries., in sharp contrast with the chaotic buildings of other Turkish cities. But it is very reminiscent of the old Russian cities.

After the revolution, the Bolsheviks gave the Kars region to Turkey.

6. Manchuria (1896-1920)

Russians in Manchuria

In 1896, Russia received from China the right to build railway through Manchuria to connect Siberia with Vladivostok - the Chinese Eastern Railway (CER). The Russians had the right to lease a narrow territory on both sides of the CER line. However, in fact, the construction of the road led to the transformation of Manchuria into a territory dependent on Russia, with a Russian administration, army, police and courts. Russian settlers poured in there. Russian government began to consider the project of incorporating Manchuria into the empire under the name "Zheltorossiya".

As a result of Russia's defeat in Russo-Japanese War, the southern part of Manchuria fell into the sphere of influence of Japan. After the revolution, Russian influence in Manchuria began to wane. Finally, in 1920, Chinese troops occupied Russian facilities, including Harbin and the Chinese Eastern Railway, finally closing the Zheltorossiya project.

Thanks to heroic defense Port Arthur, many people know that this city belonged to the Russian Empire before the defeat in the Russo-Japanese War. But less well known is the fact that at one time Port Arthur was part of the USSR.

After the defeat of the Japanese Kwantung Army in 1945, Port Arthur, under an agreement with China, was transferred to Soviet Union for a period of 30 years as a naval base. Later, the USSR and the PRC agreed to return the city in 1952. At the request of the Chinese side, due to the difficult international situation (Korean War), the Soviet military establishment stayed in Port Arthur until 1955.

If we do not take into account the collapse of the Russian Empire, and then the USSR, then the most famous (and largest) territorial loss of Russia is Alaska. But our country lost other territories as well. These losses are rarely remembered today.

Southern coast of the Caspian (1723-1732)

Having cut through the "window to Europe" as a result of the victory over the Swedes, Peter I began to cut a window to India. For this purpose, he undertook in 1722-1723. campaigns in strife-torn Persia. As a result of these campaigns, the entire western and southern coast of the Caspian Sea came under Russian rule. It turned out to be much easier to conquer these territories than the Baltic possessions of Sweden, but it was more difficult to keep. Due to epidemics and constant attacks by the highlanders, the Russian troops were reduced by half. Russia, exhausted by Peter's wars and reforms, could not keep such a costly acquisition, and in 1732 these lands were returned to Persia.
East Prussia

As a result of the Second World War, part of East Prussia with Koenigsberg went to the USSR - now it is Kaliningrad with the same name region. But once these lands were already under the citizenship of Russia. During the Seven Years' War (1756-1763), in 1758 Russian troops occupied Koenigsberg and all of East Prussia. By decree of Empress Elizabeth, the region was turned into a Russian governor-general, and the Prussian population was sworn into Russian citizenship. The famous German philosopher Kant also became a Russian subject. A letter has been preserved in which Immanuel Kant, a loyal subject of the Russian crown, asks the Empress Elizaveta Petrovna for the position of an ordinary professor. The sudden death of Elizabeth Petrovna (1761) changed everything. The Russian throne was occupied by Peter III, known for his sympathy for Prussia and King Frederick. He returned to Prussia all the Russian gains in this war and turned his weapons against his former allies. Catherine II, who overthrew Peter III, also sympathized with Frederick, confirmed peace and, in particular, the return of East Prussia.
Malta and the Ionian Islands

In 1798, Napoleon, on his way to Egypt, defeated Malta, which was owned by the knights of the Order of the Hospitallers, founded back in the days of the Crusades. Having come to their senses after the pogrom, the knights elected the Russian Emperor Paul I as the Grand Master of the Order of Malta. The emblem of the Order was included in the State Emblem of Russia. This, perhaps, limited the visible signs that the island is under Russian rule. In 1800, the British captured Malta. Unlike the formal possession of Malta, Russian control over the Ionian Islands off the coast of Greece was more real. In 1800, the Russian-Turkish squadron under the command of the famous naval commander Ushakov captured the island of Corfu, which was heavily fortified by the French. The Republic of the Seven Islands was established, formally, as a Turkish protectorate, but in fact, under Russian rule. According to the Treaty of Tilsit (1807), Emperor Alexander I secretly ceded the islands to Napoleon.
Romania

The first time Romania, or rather then two separate principalities - Moldavia and Wallachia - came under Russian rule in 1807, during the next Russian-Turkish war (1806-1812). The population of the principalities was sworn allegiance to the Russian emperor, and direct Russian rule was introduced throughout the territory. But the invasion of Napoleon in 1812 forced Russia to conclude an early peace with Turkey, instead of two principalities, contenting itself with only the eastern part of the principality of Moldavia (Bessarabia, modern Moldova). The second time Russia established its power in the principalities during the Russian-Turkish war of 1828-29. At the end of the war, the Russian troops did not leave, the Russian administration continued to control the principalities. Moreover, Nicholas I, who suppressed any sprouts of freedom inside Russia, gives his new territories a Constitution! True, it was called "organic regulations", since for Nicholas I the word "constitution" was too seditious. Russia would willingly turn Moldavia and Wallachia, which it actually owned, into its de jure possessions, but England, France and Austria intervened in the matter. As a result, in 1834 the Russian army was withdrawn from the principalities. Russia finally lost its influence in the principalities after the defeat in the Crimean War.
Kars

In 1877, during the Russian-Turkish war (1877-1878), Kars was taken by Russian troops. According to the peace treaty, Kars, together with Batumi, went to Russia. The Kars region began to be actively populated by Russian settlers. Kars was built according to the plan developed by Russian architects. Even now Kars with its strictly parallel and perpendicular streets, typical Russian houses, erected in the con. XIX - beginning. XX centuries., in sharp contrast with the chaotic buildings of other Turkish cities. But it is very reminiscent of the old Russian cities. After the revolution, the Bolsheviks gave the Kars region to Turkey.
Manchuria

In 1896, Russia received from China the right to build a railway through Manchuria to connect Siberia with Vladivostok - the Chinese Eastern Railway (CER). The Russians had the right to lease a narrow territory on both sides of the CER line. However, in fact, the construction of the road led to the transformation of Manchuria into a territory dependent on Russia, with a Russian administration, army, police and courts. Russian settlers poured in there. The Russian government began to consider the project of incorporating Manchuria into the empire under the name "Zheltorossiya". As a result of Russia's defeat in the Russo-Japanese War, the southern part of Manchuria fell into the sphere of influence of Japan. After the revolution, Russian influence in Manchuria began to wane. Finally, in 1920, Chinese troops occupied Russian installations, including Harbin and the CER, finally closing the Zheltorossiya project.
Soviet Port Arthur

Thanks to the heroic defense of Port Arthur, many people know that this city belonged to the Russian Empire before the defeat in the Russo-Japanese War. But less well known is the fact that at one time Port Arthur was part of the USSR. After the defeat of the Japanese Kwantung Army in 1945, Port Arthur, under an agreement with China, was transferred to the Soviet Union for a period of 30 years as a naval base. Later, the USSR and the PRC agreed to return the city in 1952. At the request of the Chinese side, due to the difficult international situation (Korean War), the Soviet armed forces were delayed in Port Arthur until 1955.
Andrey Dubrovsky http://nethistory.su/blog/43160378387/POTERYANNYIE-TERRITORII?utm_campaign=transit&utm_source=main&utm_medium=page_6&domain=mirtesen.ru&paid=1&pad=1

After the large-scale loss of land in 1991, it seemed - everything, but no, the outlines of the territory of Russia continue to change. On the one hand, Russia has grown Crimea, correcting the voluntaristic decision taken once. But on the other hand, its territory is decreasing - sometimes explicitly, and sometimes hidden. Of course, the country is "limitless", but it is worth remembering 1917 and the loss western territories, it is worth remembering 1991, when the territory decreased by a quarter. And it is worth remembering, perhaps, the 2000s, when the prerequisites for the fragmentation of the Russian state were laid.

The reduction of Russian lands is carried out both through the direct transfer of lands within the framework of interstate agreements, and through the provision of territories for economic management. And if the first is on a small scale and already affects the present, then the second brings investments to the country in the short term, and creates threats to territorial integrity in the long term.

LATENT "SALE" OF LAND

The most dangerous was the process of latent surrender of Russian lands, which acquired a large-scale character. Territories transferred to temporary economic management by foreigners, especially in border areas, are actually lost lands with a delayed transition lag under foreign jurisdiction. And if the transfer of land is isolated cases, then economic management is already a widespread practice in the East of the country. In 2004, three islands were transferred to China - Tarabarov, parts of the Big Ussuri Island in the Khabarovsk Territory and Bolshoy Island in the Chita Region, which were objects of strategic importance, despite their small size. A large fortified area and a frontier post were located on Bolshoi Ussuriysky, over Tarabarov - the trajectory of take-offs of military aircraft of the 11th Army of the Air Force and Air Defense, as well as farmland of local residents - dachas, hayfields. There was a frontier post on Bolshoi Island and drinking water was taken for part of the region. But the islands were given away as part of the resolution of the so-called territorial dispute.

In 2010, Russia gave part of the Barents Sea to Norway. In 2011, the Federation Council ratified the agreement between the Russian Federation and Norway on the delimitation of spaces in the Barents Sea and the Arctic Ocean. It was on this land that 2 billion barrels of hydrocarbons, estimated at $30 billion, were found. According to some estimates, Russia produced 60% of the catch in the Barents Sea in this area. The concession to Norway is not only the loss of Russian territory, but also a threat to the advancement of NATO, which received the opportunity to track the submarines of the Russian Northern Fleet.

However, the largest losses occur in that part of the country, for the development of which there was traditionally not enough budget funds. These are the territories Far East, which formally belong to Russia, but in fact, through the procedures of economic management, are gradually transferred in parts to China and Japan. In 2015, the authorities of Transbaikalia leased 150,000 hectares to China for 49 years. Interestingly, in 49 years, will anyone remember that this is Russian land? Does anyone recognize Russian land in it? China was supposed to invest 24 billion rubles in this piece of land. in the development of poultry and animal husbandry, the cultivation of grain and fodder crops. But after the "Chinese technologies" of land cultivation, as Russia's experience has shown, only scorched earth remains. The agreement was signed, on the one hand, by the Chinese company Zoje Resources Investment, on the other hand, by the government Trans-Baikal Territory. That is, the issue of "transfer" of Russian lands is decided at the level of regional authorities, and not the federal center.

If we add to this the fact that the Chinese work in logging and sawing Russian timber, and also work in other territories of the Far East, then the figure of 150 hectares will seem insignificant against the background of what is really happening. In 2015, the government of Buryatia signed an agreement with a Chinese company under which water from Lake Baikal will be exported to China. By 2020, the design capacity of the plant should be 2 million tons of water per year. Such a project can lead to a decrease in the water level in the lake. And this is not only the destruction of the Baikal ecosystem, but also, as shown by the decrease in the water level in 2015, a factor in creating a fire hazard. Then the shallowing of the lake led to the fact that water disappeared from the wells of coastal villages and peat bogs dried up, which caused numerous fires in the region in spring and summer. But the authorities of Buryatia, having no substantiated studies, said that this project would not harm the ecology of the lake. According to the latest reports, the launch of the enterprise was postponed by the investor to 2018. Local residents oppose this initiative of the authorities. On the website change.org, a petition to cancel the decision to build the plant has already gained over 365,000 votes. But the most interesting thing is that there should be several such factories. One of them in Severobaikalsk will be designed to supply water to South Korea.

The factor of Chinese managers on Russian soil is dangerous because, firstly, the land will work for the needs of the Chinese economy. Secondly, long-term economic development is essentially a hidden expansion, when Chinese workers will settle in the region with their families, building houses and forming their settlements. Before the expiration of the lease, China will present territorial claims to these lands, declaring them disputed territories, and liberal Russia, in the same scenario, will agree to their surrender, stating that the lands are Chinese, since they are inhabited by the Chinese. Considering that even now in the Russian Railways of the Baikal direction and in the Irkutsk region Russian inscriptions are duplicated in Chinese, it is not necessary to deny the fact of the still mild Chinese expansion. The scenario for the formation of such disputed territories has already been tested by China, which for several years covered the Kazakevich channel in the Khabarovsk Territory with soil and flooded a barge with stones in it. As a result, the Kazakevich channel became unnavigable, and the construction of 600 kilometers of dams gradually led to a change in the fairway of the river, as a result of which a “territorial dispute” arose - a claim to Russia from China. Third, Chinese expansion will harm Russian ecology, leaving behind burnt lands, cut down forests and, in fact, shallow Baikal.

The situation is similar with the Kuriles. The parties came up with a formula for the joint economic development of the Kuriles, which involves Japan's investment in the infrastructure and economy of the islands. By the way, the status is unconstitutional. Since 2011, Russia has been offering Japan joint development of oil and gas fields located in the Kuril Islands. An invitation to develop territories by a country that previously declared its sovereignty over them, in fact, means that Putin is quietly giving away Russian lands without making too much noise. Economically prosperous Japan in a matter of years will create colonies of its settlers on the islands, as China does in the Far East.

The latest initiative of the authorities - the transfer of a hectare of land in the Far East to ownership after economic development is more and more reminiscent of the voucher privatization of the 90s, when concentration schemes will be behind the free distribution land plots owned by individual latifundists. It is not difficult to understand which country they will be from. In the context of the joy of the authorities for collective applications, there are more and more fears that a number of wealthy individuals have already started the concentration of the lands of the Far East in their hands. Well, then the land will become a marketable commodity. Entire regions of the Far East could become under the control of individuals who would certainly create successful land transfer schemes for economic development by the Chinese. For example, you can register land on nominees in the framework of collective applications. To develop them, and after that, each figurehead, who will receive land as property, will allegedly sell his plots to the one who stands behind these names.

The facts cited above indicate that through someone else's efforts, Russia is beginning to trade not only its subsoil, but also its lands, thereby violating clause 3. article 4 of the Russian constitution that "the Russian Federation ensures the integrity and inviolability of its territory." In Putin's liberal Russia, neither the voice of the people nor the letter of the law counts.

WHY IS THAT?

The transfer of territories is carried out by the federal authorities, the decision is approved by the parliament by a majority vote, regardless of the minority that votes against. As a rule, the Communist Party of the Russian Federation opposes the transfer of land, while the Liberal Democratic Party and United Russia vote synchronously. If we are talking about the economic development of land, then the decision is made local authorities authorities in accordance with Article.72 paragraph 1. Constitutions that in joint jurisdiction Russian Federation and the subjects of the Russian Federation are "coordination of international and foreign economic relations of the subjects of the Russian Federation, the implementation of international treaties of the Russian Federation." In other words, the decision on the fate of the Russian territories is determined by the will of temporary hired managers, and in no way reflects the opinion of the people. This system of transferring territories is due to several reasons. First, the simplicity of the land transfer procedure.

The opinion of the majority of legislators is enough for the issue to be resolved. However, it would be more fair for such a practice to make a decision through a popular referendum. But the Russian authorities consider such issues to be technical procedures and do not bother to coordinate the decision with the people. That is why people often come out with protests in the hope of being heard. For example, local residents opposed the plant pumping water from Lake Baikal for export to China. All this could have been avoided if this decision had been made taking into account the opinion of the people. Nobody asked the Russians when they transferred the lands to Norway, having lost their positions on Svalbard. They did not ask when the three islands were given to China. One of them is only half. Apparently, it was saved by the fact that the regional authorities took care of this in advance. By that time, the Governor of the Khabarovsk Territory, V. Ishaev, had built a pontoon bridge connecting Khabarovsk with about. Bolshoi Ussuriysky, where he erected the chapel of the martyr-warrior Victor in memory of those who died defending the Far Eastern borders of Russia. This half remained part of Russia, while Putin voluntarily handed over the other half to China.

Secondly, the transfer of territories is essentially a deal, when Russia exchanges territories for the inflow of investments. The investment problem is especially acute for the regions, which, in the face of a shortage of subsidies and an increase in the social burden on the regional budget, are trying to attract investment at any cost. In the context of the suffocating subversive policy of the Central Bank, a tight monetary policy and an increase in the burden on business, one cannot count on domestic investment. Under Putin, there is no way out of Putinism. Therefore, bet on foreign investment. The federal center made mistakes twice. When he created unfavorable economic conditions in the country. And when he refused to analyze the transactions concluded by the regions related to the economic management of land, natural resources and bowels

Thirdly, although the year of ecology in Russia is now underway, this issue has traditionally been given the least attention. It is enough to look at the forest fires of Transbaikalia, where even in protected natural reserves, forests are extinguished only if they threaten locality. Or look at the massive deforestation, which in many ways provokes fires. Russian timber is being sacrificed for the Chinese woodworking industry. Instead of following the example of China to impose a ban on commercial logging, the Kremlin only increases the supply of timber to China. Yes, and the admission of the Chinese to Russian farmland with their technology of cultivating the land suggests that environmental issues will never be raised where there is a prospect of large investments. Or bribes, hypothetically explaining what is happening with the Russian territory. The processes taking place in this area are generated by a number of traditional Russian approaches:

The justification that there is a lot of land in Russia will not diminish from the transfer of one piece of territory;

Lack of investment and focus on a foreign investor who will come and develop territories that our hands did not reach;

Refusal to analyze the consequences of such a transaction. For example, after the transfer of the territory of the Barents Sea, Norway discovered oil reserves, while the Russian side did not conduct appropriate exploration work. Or, for example, no one assessed the state of the ecosystem of Lake Baikal when making a decision to pump out water for China;

Focusing on the effect in the current moment, when foreign investment becomes more important than national interests and issues of security and sovereignty. The desire to resolve controversial issues in favor of the opposite side has already led to the loss of the islands. To which the president replied: "We did not give anything away, these were territories that were disputed and in respect of which we have been negotiating with the People's Republic of China for 40 years." This is according to Putin-did not give? According to this logic, China has not acquired anything?

During this entire period, Russia acquired only Crimea, inhabited by Russians. It was this event that dramatically increased the president's rating. Based on this, it would be natural to assume that the loss of lands and the refusal to protect the Russian ethnos should have undermined the authority of the Russian leader. That is why the facts of the transfer of the territory in the media are spoken of as an ordinary technical issue, the solution of which will lead to an increase in foreign investment. They don't speak at all. Therefore, the transfer of land for economic use is covered exclusively as the creation of jobs through foreign investment, silent about the fact that there is a hidden transfer of land to foreigners to serve the needs of the economy of a non-Russian state. In the future, these are new territorial disputes and yet another concessions to our “partners”.

MORE RELATED