In 1888, imperial magazines were excited to report about the installation of a Russian African Colony, New Moscow (in modern-day Djibouti), which Nikolai Ashinov established to attain Russia a strong foothold in the Indian Ocean and ultimately “annex” which is close to Ethiopia.
The colony was short-lived as the French kicked it out in 1889, but it was sufficient to spark the imperial imagination. The press dreamt about the possibilities of having Russia’s coffee, the Russian colony of Africa and the spread of tradition on the continent.
Asimov’s colonial expedition obtained support from some top public figures and senior officials, including Alexander III.
After its failure, the government renounced its involvement.
Instead, it switched to setting up Russia’s informal empire in Ethiopia.
At the turn of the century, Tsarist Russia put great efforts into bolstering its “friendship” with Ethiopia. in public, it always emphasized that Russia helped safeguard Ethiopia against colonial dominations.
This was when Russia’s “anti-colonial” eloquence got into full swing.
The Foreign Ministry’s confidential correspondence gives a different picture. Russia’s consul Petr Vlasov called Ethiopia “an obedient weapon in our hands,” only valid as leverage over other colonial powers, especially in case of war.
He speculated about turning it into a ” colony in the wider sense of the word” by military subjection but advised against it for pragmatic reasons. The ministry itself envisaged economic exploitation of the country in the future. This is where the man in the photograph steps in.
Nikolai Leont’evLeont’ev, known in Ethiopia as Count Abai, led a research expedition to the country in 1894, won Menelik II’s trust and helped Ethiopia fend off the Italians, which earned him the office of Governor-General of Equatorial regions (which he created).
Leont’evLeont’ev was obsessed with the idea of exploiting the country’s mineral riches and, in 1902, requested Nicholas II to take over “his rights to these regions” because of the “unavoidable partition” of Ethiopia. This meant a colonial intervention.
Russia’s resident minister supported the idea of pursuing economic interests in Ethiopia, hoping this would force the empire to meddle in the country’s internal affairs. These plans never succeeded, and Russia lost its power over Ethiopia.
This shows us that the intention to colonize Africa was never absent in the mind of Tsarist Russia. It only lacked means.
