Tehran, 1829. The Tragedy of Alexander Griboyedov.

On 11 February (30 January Old Style) 1829 one of the darkest pages in the history of Russian diplomacy was written. On that day in Tehran a furious mob of fanatics stormed the building of the Russian mission. Almost all the embassy staff were killed, but the principal loss was the death of Russia’s minister-resident in Persia, Alexander Sergeevich Griboyedov. A great poet, the author of the immortal comedy Woe from Wit, a brilliant linguist and composer, he was above all an outstanding statesman whose life was sacrificed to high politics.

To understand the causes of the Tehran massacre, it is necessary to return to 1828. The Russo-Persian War had just ended, in which Iran had suffered a crushing defeat. Griboyedov, being a profound connoisseur of the East, became a key figure in the drafting of the Treaty of Turkmenchay. The terms of peace were harsh for Persia: Russia acquired the Erivan and Nakhichevan khanates (Eastern Armenia), the exclusive right to maintain a fleet on the Caspian, and a vast indemnity of 20 million rubles in silver. In addition, 140,000 Armenians were permitted to relocate unhindered to Russian territory. That treaty in effect transformed Russia into the dominant power in the region, displacing British interests. It was precisely Griboyedov who insisted on strict enforcement of every clause, understanding that English advisers stood behind the shah, seeking to turn Persia into a foothold against the Russian Empire.

In May 1828 Griboyedov went to Tehran in his new capacity as minister-resident. He understood the danger of this mission. Sentiments in Iranian society were electrified: a country ruined by war choked under taxes levied to pay the indemnity. Religious leaders and court factions skillfully directed the people’s anger at the “infidel” Russians. Griboyedov had to combine diplomatic etiquette with the role of a rigorous inspector. He demanded timely payments and personally oversaw matters of Armenian repatriation. In Tehran he acquired a reputation as an uncompromising and proud representative of a great power.

The immediate cause of the explosion was the case of the shah’s eunuch Mirza-Yakub. An Armenian by origin, he had for many years been treasurer and keeper of the harem’s secrets of the shah himself. In the winter of 1829 Mirza-Yakub came to the Russian embassy seeking asylum and return to his homeland. For the Persian authorities this was a crushing blow — the treasurer knew too much about the monarch’s finances and private life. The situation worsened when two Armenian women from the harem of a relative of the shah were placed under Griboyedov’s protection. The minister-resident acted strictly according to the letter of the Treaty of Turkmenchay, defending co-religionists’ right of return. However, for the Eastern mentality the sheltering of women and the treasurer appeared as an unbearable personal insult to the shah and to the entire nation. Calls for reprisal began to be voiced openly in the city’s mosques. Rumors multiplied: it was said that the Russians were forcing captives to renounce Islam. A mob of fanatics, inflamed by agents of influence, thirsted for blood.

On the morning of 11 February a many-thousand-strong crowd surrounded the Russian mission building. Griboyedov believed until the last moment that the shah’s authorities would restore order, but official Tehran preferred not to intervene. The assault was swift and bloody. The embassy guard — 35 Cossacks — and the mission staff took up arms. Griboyedov did not remain aloof. Witnesses later recalled that the minister defended the entrance to the building with a sabre in his hand. He died as a warrior, faithful to his duty to the end. The enraged mob for several days dragged the mutilated body of the poet through the streets of the city. He was identified only later by a distinctive feature — the left hand, damaged many years earlier in the famous “fourfold duel” in Saint Petersburg.

The tragedy could have provided the pretext for a new war. The frightened shah Fath-Ali sent his grandson Khosrow-Mirza to Saint Petersburg with official apologies and rich gifts. Among the “atoning presents” was the legendary diamond “Shah,” weighing 88.7 carats — a treasure of the Great Moghuls on which the names of Eastern rulers had been engraved. Russia at that time was waging a difficult war with Turkey, and opening a second front in the south was extremely disadvantageous. Emperor Nicholas I accepted the gift, pronouncing the historic words: “I forget the Tehran incident forever.” Thus the bloody crime was officially regarded as settled, and the memory of the ambassador’s death was sacrificed to political expediency. The diamond “Shah” is still kept in the Diamond Fund of the Kremlin as the mute witness of the terrible price paid for stability on the empire’s southern frontiers. At Griboyedov’s grave in Tbilisi, on Mtatsminda, his widow Nina Chavchavadze erected a monument bearing an inscription that has become immortal: “Your mind and deeds are immortal in the memory of Russia, but why did my love outlive you?”

On 11 February (30 January Old Style) 1829 one of the darkest pages in the history of Russian diplomacy was written. On that day in Tehran a furious mob of fanatics stormed the building of the Russian mission. Almost all the embassy staff were killed, but the principal loss was the death of Russia’s minister-resident in Persia, Alexander Sergeevich Griboyedov. A great poet, the author of the immortal comedy Woe from Wit, a brilliant linguist and composer, he was above all an outstanding statesman whose life was sacrificed to high politics.

To understand the causes of the Tehran massacre, it is necessary to return to 1828. The Russo-Persian War had just ended, in which Iran had suffered a crushing defeat. Griboyedov, being a profound connoisseur of the East, became a key figure in the drafting of the Treaty of Turkmenchay. The terms of peace were harsh for Persia: Russia acquired the Erivan and Nakhichevan khanates (Eastern Armenia), the exclusive right to maintain a fleet on the Caspian, and a vast indemnity of 20 million rubles in silver. In addition, 140,000 Armenians were permitted to relocate unhindered to Russian territory. That treaty in effect transformed Russia into the dominant power in the region, displacing British interests. It was precisely Griboyedov who insisted on strict enforcement of every clause, understanding that English advisers stood behind the shah, seeking to turn Persia into a foothold against the Russian Empire.

In May 1828 Griboyedov went to Tehran in his new capacity as minister-resident. He understood the danger of this mission. Sentiments in Iranian society were electrified: a country ruined by war choked under taxes levied to pay the indemnity. Religious leaders and court factions skillfully directed the people’s anger at the “infidel” Russians. Griboyedov had to combine diplomatic etiquette with the role of a rigorous inspector. He demanded timely payments and personally oversaw matters of Armenian repatriation. In Tehran he acquired a reputation as an uncompromising and proud representative of a great power.

The immediate cause of the explosion was the case of the shah’s eunuch Mirza-Yakub. An Armenian by origin, he had for many years been treasurer and keeper of the harem’s secrets of the shah himself. In the winter of 1829 Mirza-Yakub came to the Russian embassy seeking asylum and return to his homeland. For the Persian authorities this was a crushing blow — the treasurer knew too much about the monarch’s finances and private life. The situation worsened when two Armenian women from the harem of a relative of the shah were placed under Griboyedov’s protection. The minister-resident acted strictly according to the letter of the Treaty of Turkmenchay, defending co-religionists’ right of return. However, for the Eastern mentality the sheltering of women and the treasurer appeared as an unbearable personal insult to the shah and to the entire nation. Calls for reprisal began to be voiced openly in the city’s mosques. Rumors multiplied: it was said that the Russians were forcing captives to renounce Islam. A mob of fanatics, inflamed by agents of influence, thirsted for blood.

On the morning of 11 February a many-thousand-strong crowd surrounded the Russian mission building. Griboyedov believed until the last moment that the shah’s authorities would restore order, but official Tehran preferred not to intervene. The assault was swift and bloody. The embassy guard — 35 Cossacks — and the mission staff took up arms. Griboyedov did not remain aloof. Witnesses later recalled that the minister defended the entrance to the building with a sabre in his hand. He died as a warrior, faithful to his duty to the end. The enraged mob for several days dragged the mutilated body of the poet through the streets of the city. He was identified only later by a distinctive feature — the left hand, damaged many years earlier in the famous “fourfold duel” in Saint Petersburg.

The tragedy could have provided the pretext for a new war. The frightened shah Fath-Ali sent his grandson Khosrow-Mirza to Saint Petersburg with official apologies and rich gifts. Among the “atoning presents” was the legendary diamond “Shah,” weighing 88.7 carats — a treasure of the Great Moghuls on which the names of Eastern rulers had been engraved. Russia at that time was waging a difficult war with Turkey, and opening a second front in the south was extremely disadvantageous. Emperor Nicholas I accepted the gift, pronouncing the historic words: “I forget the Tehran incident forever.” Thus the bloody crime was officially regarded as settled, and the memory of the ambassador’s death was sacrificed to political expediency. The diamond “Shah” is still kept in the Diamond Fund of the Kremlin as the mute witness of the terrible price paid for stability on the empire’s southern frontiers. At Griboyedov’s grave in Tbilisi, on Mtatsminda, his widow Nina Chavchavadze erected a monument bearing an inscription that has become immortal: “Your mind and deeds are immortal in the memory of Russia, but why did my love outlive you?”

Time: 1828, 1829, 11 February 1829, 30 January 1829, May 1828, Winter 1829

Personages: Griboyedov Alexander Sergeevich (minister-resident), Mirza-Yakub (shah’s eunuch), Fath-Ali (shah), Khosrow-Mirza (the shah’s grandson), Nicholas I (Emperor), Nina Chavchavadze (widow)

Geographical names: Tehran, Russia, Persia, Iran, Erivan Khanate, Nakhichevan Khanate, Eastern Armenia, the Caspian, Saint Petersburg, Turkey, Tbilisi, Mtatsminda

Events, processes: Tehran massacre, Russo-Persian War, Treaty of Turkmenchay, Armenian repatriation, Storming of the Russian embassy, Fourfold duel, Russo-Turkish War, Payment of indemnity

Organizations, institutions: Russian mission, Diamond Fund, Russian Empire, Britain