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Russia & Portugal

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Sergio:


I start this topic to discuss the contacts between Portugal and Russia, the two countries situated in the opposite extremes of Europe.

Sergio:
Contacts between Portugal and Russia

The Tsar Peter I`s voyages to some European countries, in 1697, widened the interests of Russian diplomacy.

The first register of Russians appearance in Portugal was in 1724. By Peter I`s order, a consul was sent to Lisbon to establish commercial relations. It followed a fleet of Russian ships which made a representative visit to Portuguese coastline. Fifteen years later (1739) a commercial caravan arrived at Lisbon with wood, linen and hemp.

The history of the official relations between the two countries started with the first exchange of ambassadors. By decision of Queen Maria I of Portugal, in 1779 arrived at Russia the first Portuguese ambassador, Francisco José da Horta Machado. In 1780 the first Russian ambassador arrived to Lisbon, sent by Empress Catherine II.

Queen Maria I of Portugal


These diplomatic relations were strengthen through a "Treaty of Friendship, Navigation and Trade" (1787 and 1798). From Russia, the merchants took to Portugal: wax, resin, cannon bullets, metal, cloths for sails and ropes for ships. The Portuguese navigators supplied to Russia: wine, sugar, tobacco, fruits, olives and spices.

As the diplomatic and commercial relations intensified, it also increased the contacts in other levels, like cultural ideas.

The relations between Portugal and Russia suffered highs and lows, depending on the international conjuncture.
In 1828, during the Liberal Revolution, the Russian ambassador in Portugal left the country. But in 1842 the diplomatic relations were retaken and in 1851 was signed a "Treaty of Trade and Navigation" between Maria II of Portugal and Nicholas I of Russia.

Queen Maria II of Portugal


During the Russian-Japanese War (1904-05), Portugal declared its neutrality and refused to supply coal and provisions to the Russian fleet that would pass by Lisbon in its voyage from the Baltic sea to the Extreme East. Portugal feared retaliation of the Japanese against Macau.
After the Republic implantation in Portugal (1910), Russia recognized the new regime after some hesitations in 1911. But Portugal did not recognize the bolshevik regime after the October Revolution, which led to the cut of diplomatic relations. In 1918, Batalha Reis, the last Portuguese ambassador in St. Petersburg, abandoned Russia.

After the democratic revolution (April 25, 1974) in Portugal, a delegation of the Portuguese government arrived at Moscow, on December 1974, and signed a commercial treaty. Later with the fall of the USSR, was signed a "Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation" (1994) between Portugal and Russian Federation. The commercial and political contacts still remains in the present.

Sergio:
Devier - First general police chief of St Petersburg

Anton Manuilovich Devier was the Russian name of António Manuel de Vieira (1682–1745) a Portuguese by birth.

He had been a cabin-boy. Invited by Peter I to Russia, he quickly established himself as a general-major. A favourite and close associate of the Russian Tsar, he was made general police chief of St Petersburg in 1718.

All private and public construction works in the city, including the construction of gardens, as well as the organisation of ferries and entertainment activities, were carried out under the direct supervision of Devier.

Market rules set by Devier were observed throughout the 18th century. Under his instruction, commerce taking place until midday was to be regulated by fixed prices, while after midday, a free market was allowed to operate.

In addition, he also developed and commissioned a civil code and a system of penalties for infringements of the social order:
For gambling and drunkenness – whipping and hard labour
For repeated sale of bad products – hard labour
For faulty furnaces – penalty
For dumping dust and sewage into the Neva and other canals - a whip.

As the congestion of population permanently threatened the city with fires, the inhabitants of little wooden houses were prohibited to cook meals or bake bread in their houses in dry weather. The situation went so far that police sealed up stoves in private houses and people had to have meals at special public houses. Naturally, there were always disobedient people who attempted to violate the decrees and to stoke a stove at night. But Devier organized a special "nosing" brigade that patrolled the streets during the night time and literally "smelled out" the lawbreakers by the smell of smoke and stchi (cabbage soup).
As a result of these measures, strict order was established in the capital.

Devier

Sergio:
In 1904, the Emperor Nicholas II sent a letter to King Carlos of Portugal announcing Alexi`s birth.

King Carlos of Portugal

Mike:
A few notes about Russia's links to Portugal:
- Besides Devier, the Peter I's court included Joan Da Costa, who was officially "master of ceremonies" but actually a jester. It seems like both of them were Portugeese Marranos;
- Portugeese writer Camoens was quite popular in the XIX c. Russia and translated by Zhukovsky and Pushkin;
- Portugeese wines - Port and Madeira - were very popular in Russia and widely forfeited. Such fake port was sold under the name "Lissabon" (Lisbon in Russian); it is mentioned in several plays by Ostrovsky et. al.

[size=10]Added later: [/size]
A cheap fortified booze (sometimes with no relation whatsoever to grapes) called Portwein was the favorite drink of the Soviet masses, much cheaper than vodka but strong enough to get drunk fairly quickly. It was also less controlled (e.g. sold until 10 PM compared to 7 PM in the case of vodka) and more "acceptable" by the drinkers' families, female companions and neighbors. It seems unlikely that its many consumers had any idea of the Portwein's Portugeese roots.

At the same time, very decent Port-like wines were produced at Massandra and other Crimean wineries. They were just 2-3 times more expensive than the cheap Portweins and sometimes bought by the same customers who wished to spoil themselves a bit.

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