Ruslan Aleksandrovich Davydov,
Candidate of Historical Sciences, N. Laverov Federal Center for Integrated Arctic Research of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Arkhangelsk, Russia, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
M.K. Sidorov’s Accusation of the Arkhangelsk Military Governor R.P. Boyle of Treason: Was It Fair?
DOI: 10.31518/2618-9100-2023-6-6
The article is devoted to the activities of the Arkhangelsk military governor, chief commander of the Arkhangelsk port, Vice Admiral R.P. Boyle during the Crimean War. on organizing the defense of the Arkhangelsk province – the largest province in the European part of the empire, with a long sea coast, vulnerable to enemy squadrons. In Russian pre-revolutionary historiography, the personality and activities of R.P. Boyle in 1854 were evaluated diametrically opposite. According to the first (official) point of view, R.P. Boyle did everything possible to defend the northern outskirts of Russia. According to the second, which became widespread thanks to the merchant M.K. Sidorov, R.P. Boyle treated his duties either formally or was at one with the enemy. Soviet historians shared exactly this point of view. Those who accused R.P. Boil of betrayal believed that his origin (R.P. Boil’s father was accepted in Russia as a lieutenant in the Navy “from the British service”) prevented him from fulfilling his official duty in the war against former compatriots. As an argument, supposedly confirming the guilt of R.P. Boyle, his conflict with bishop of Arkhangelsk and Kholmogy Varlaam was usually indicated. In 1854 this conflict became known in the War Ministry, the Holy Synod, even Emperor Nicholas I was notified about it. The article cited sources from the funds of the State Archives of the Arkhangelsk Region. It was concluded that suspicions and accusations against R.P. Boyle’s betrayal is not confirmed by available documents.
Publishing: 28/12/2023
The article has been received by the editor on 03/12/2023
How to cite: Davydov R.A. M.K. Sidorov’s Accusation of the Arkhangelsk Military Governor R.P. Boyle of Treason: Was It Fair? // Historical Courier, 2023, No. 6 (32), pp. 72–94. [Available online: http://istkurier.ru/data/2023/ISTKURIER-2023-6-06.pdf]
Links: Issue 6 2023
Keywords: the Crimean War; the Russian North; Arkhangelsk; Governor R.P. Boyle; merchant M.K. Sidorov