Nikolai Ashinov and the 1889 Russian Orthodox Mission to Africa

The article examines the activities of Nikolai Ashinov, including his role in organizing and conducting the Russian religious mission to the Somali Peninsula in January 1889. The expedition led by Ashinov effectively became one of Russia’s first attempts to establish a foothold on the Red Sea coast. It was assumed that in the future, in the area of Russian settlers’ landing, if the situation developed favorably, a coal station (warehouse) could be created to meet the needs of the Russian military and commercial fleet, which corresponded to the interests of some circles of the political and military elite of the Russian Empire. In addition, the base in this area could later be used to advance into the interior of the continent, including for the purpose of establishing and developing political and religious ties with the key country of the region, Ethiopia. The main inspirer and organizer of these undertakings, Nikolai Ashinov, is, in most historical, journalistic, and literary works, characterized as a reckless adventurer who has caused much harm to Russia’s interests through his actions. However, it seems that such an opinion is shaped by a biased view on the events and facts and is the result of an insufficient study of archival materials directly related to the organization and consequences of Ashinov’s African expeditions. The paper evaluates the alignment of domestic forces and the informational background during the preparation for the expedition and immediately after its unsuccessful conclusion. The author considers the events in question in the context of a large-scale scramble for the continent, which the leading European powers were engaged in during that historical period, analyzing the reasons for the failure of this mission, both internal and external. The paper also offers some local viewpoints on the events, learned by the author during his long-term work in Djibouti and, later, in the course of his multiple visits to this country from 2009 to 2023.