The title of the article contains the title of an archive file that is kept in the "Mission in Tehran" fund of the Archive of Foreign Policy of the Russian Empire (AVPRI) under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation [AVPRI, f. 194, op. 52812, d.97]. The case contains a number of interesting documents from a hundred years ago, related to the period of service in 1901-1908 of a Russian citizen, the Crimean Karaite Serai (Sergey) Markovich Shapshal at the court of the Crown Prince (Valiahd), and then the Persian Shah Mohammed Ali. Many important documents concerning Shapshal or mentioning his name were also found in the funds "Persian Table" [f. 144] and "Consulate in Tavriz" [f. 289].

Today, the name of S. M. Shapshal, a well-known Russian Turkologist, orientalist, public and religious figure, is increasingly mentioned by orientalists in various domestic and foreign publications. A short article in the Soviet Biobibliographical dictionary of domestic Turkologists was devoted to him [Biobibliographical Dictionary, 1974, p. 288]. The famous orientalist academician V. A. Gordlevsky, with whom he collaborated for many decades, wrote a review of S. M. Shapshal's scientific activity in connection with awarding him the degree of Doctor of Philology.

The scientific heritage of S. M. Shapshal, especially his serious studies of the Karaite language, history, culture and religion of the Karaites, has not lost its relevance and is carefully studied by the modern generation of Orientalists. However, the Iranian period of Shapshal's life is still inexcusably little known, and it has hardly been studied by specialists, although it was one of the most important stages of his biography, when Shapshal, being in the thick of the events that shook Persia in the early XX century, to one degree or another could influence their course, guided primarily by interests of the Russian state. The study of the role and extent of Shapshal's involvement in the social and political life of Persia at one of the turning points in its history is based mainly on archival documents, many of which were once classified.

Seraya Shapshal was born in Bakhchisaray on May 8(20), 1873. He was the last, 12th child in the large patriarchal family of the famous Karaite, 61-year-old gardener Mark Shapshal. Seraya did not remember his mother, since she died when he was only nine months old, and the boy was raised by his older sisters and brothers. Until the age of 11, Seraya studied at the Karaite parish school (midrash) in Simferopol. Then his older brother Moshaka (Mikhail), who kept a stable of racehorses in St. Petersburg, brought Seraya to the capital for further training in the gymnasium or cadet corps, which the boy dreamed of. But since Gray practically didn't know

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He had to study Russian for two years at the Okhta vocational school, and only in 1886 he was assigned to the first class of the private gymnasium of Gurevich, because they refused to accept a 13-year-old teenager to other secondary educational institutions.

After graduating from high school, in 1894, S. Shapshal entered the Faculty of Oriental Languages of St. Petersburg University. Seraya was an excellent student and during his years of study, he had two practical training sessions in Turkey. He was also active in the Muslim Charity Society of St. Petersburg, which was headed by the then influential General Sultan-Gazi-Vali Khan, a Kyrgyz by birth. The general was very fond of the young Shapshal and often took him with him on social affairs to the Turkish embassy and the Persian mission [Kefeli, 1992, p.51].

In 1899, S. Shapshal graduated from the university with a 1st degree diploma in the course of Arabic-Persian-Turkish-Tatar languages, and he was offered to stay at the university for teaching activities.

At the end of 1900, when Shapshal was studying at the university at the Department of Turkish-Tatar Literature for the defense of the professorship, the Persian envoy in St. Petersburg, Mirza-Riza Khan Arfaud-Doule, received an assignment from the city of Tabriz (Tabriz) from the heir to the Persian throne, Mohammed Ali, to find a teacher of the Russian language for him.

The background of the appearance of this unusual desire in the heir is very interesting. In 1897, the Seyids organized a pogrom in the Armenian quarter of Tavriz and up to a thousand Armenians took refuge in the Russian Consulate General. The incident threatened unpleasant consequences for the Persian government, but Muhammad Ali managed to hush it up. But since he was known as a hypocritical, treacherous and vindictive person, the Russian Consul General in Tavriz, A. Petrov, had every reason to distrust Valiahd, especially since their relations were rather strained and unpleasant clashes often occurred. At the same time, the consul did not hide from those close to Muhammad Ali that he did not trust his sincerity and good attitude towards the Russians. It was then that Valiahd, wishing to prove to the consul his sympathy for the Russian people, expressed a desire to get acquainted with Russian culture and the Russian language more closely [Atrpet, 1909, p. 86]. But there is another explanation for the heir's desire to learn Russian, which was expressed by Consul General A. Petrov himself [AVPRI, f. 144, op. 488, d. 503, l. 5]. Here is how he writes in his annual report for 1900, submitted to the Russian mission in Tehran: "From a young age, His Highness, under the influence of his father Mozaffer ed-Din Shah, began to show special favor to the Consulate General and all Russians. This attitude grew over the years, especially after the Shah's recent trip and the stories that the heir had heard about the cordiality and hospitality that the Persians had received in Russia, where they spent about two months. The stories of the Shah's retinue made such a charming impression on Valiahd that visiting Russia is now his cherished dream."

In any case, such a desire for the heir to the Persian throne will not seem so unexpected and unusual if you look at it through the prism of Russian-Iranian relations in those years when Persia was a semi-colony of two great powers-Russia and England. Tsarist Russia, using financial, commercial, military, diplomatic and other levers, exerted great influence on the domestic and foreign policy of the Shah's court in Tehran and its governor in Tavriz.

As a result, the Persian envoy in the Russian capital, fulfilling the instructions of the Valiahd, asked for advice from the chairman of the Muslim Charity Society, and the general recommended the well-known Seraya Shapshal to both of them. After that, an official request was made to the rector of St. Petersburg University, and a few days later a brilliant review was received, called Parole.-

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by Resolution No. 147 of December 25, 1900. It said: "I hereby certify that Seraya Markovich Shapshal graduated from the course in 1899 at the Faculty of Oriental Languages with a diploma of the 1st degree. In view of his outstanding achievements in the sciences, brilliant abilities and tireless hard work, he was left at the university to prepare for the professorship.

During his entire stay at the university, his behavior was excellent and can be recommended as a person of high moral qualities.

Signed: Rector of the University A. Golmsten " [AVPRI, f. 194, op. 528/2, d. 97, l. 15]. Shapshal was invited to the First (Asian) Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry, where he received detailed instructions regarding the specifics of working in Persia and relations with Crown Prince Mohammad Ali, who was traditionally the ruler of one of the most important provinces of Persia-Iranian Azerbaijan, from which the Qajar dynasty, which ruled the country for more than a hundred years, originated.

In January 1901. Seraya Shapshal arrived in Tavriz at the disposal of Waliahd Mohammad Ali. He was a short, plump 28-year-old man, married to his cousin, who by that time had two sons: two-year-old Ahmed and one-year-old Mohammed. According to contemporaries, Mohammed Ali Mirza was a self-serving, stingy, suspicious, power-hungry person. He was not popular either among the people or among his entourage. Before Shapshal's arrival, the heir studied French without much success, replacing five French teachers. Therefore, Valiahd entered into a temporary one-year agreement with the newly arrived teacher, under which he put him on a small salary.

No wonder the heir met Shapshal with disbelief. According to Serai Markovich himself, the Persians initially tracked his every move. They were interested in literally all aspects of his personal life, for example, they looked at whether there were any icons and other non-Muslim ritual objects in his home, even checked the departure of natural needs.: whether a foreigner takes paper or a pitcher of water to the toilet, as is customary in Muslim countries. However, with the help of his fellow faculty member Nekrasov, who served as a dragoman (translator) of the Consulate General in Tavriz, he quickly settled into an unfamiliar environment. Soon the erudite, friendly and tactful Shapshal, who also had diplomatic talent and enviable patience, managed to interest his student and win him over. Gradually, not only the Russian language became the subject of their conversations, but also geography, history, elementary mathematics, as well as the economy, culture and customs of Russia [Atrpet, 1909, p.86]. At the same time, the heir showed amazing diligence and diligence, studying for two hours every day, including Fridays and holidays [AVPRI, f. 144, op. 488, d.503, l. 52].

In addition to teaching valiakhd, Seraya Markovich was offered to teach general education subjects and the Russian language at a private privileged school

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Lukmanie. He enthusiastically took up a new business, because he loved children and was a natural teacher. He was struck by the medieval system of punishing students that prevailed in schools. Therefore, Shapshal from the first months of teaching at the school began to persistently persuade the heir to the throne to prohibit cruel corporal punishment of students and, in the end, achieved this [Karaimskaya..., 1995, p. 23].

In addition to teaching, Seraya Shapshal, as a specialist in Turkology, collected and studied the folklore of Iranian Azerbaijanis during all the years of his stay in Tavriz. He managed to publish the collected material only in 1935 in Krakow. This work was the first record of texts in the language of Iranian Azerbaijanis [Karaimskaya..., 1995, p. 26].

In the same period, Shapshal began to collect a collection of religious Muslim images and ancient Oriental coins. Throughout the following years of his life, he added to his rare collection of Muslim rarities and in his declining years bequeathed these unique collections to the State Hermitage Museum in Leningrad.

However, the work in Persia for Shapshal did not become a quiet creative trip of a teacher and scientist to an ancient eastern country. From the very beginning, there was no complete trust in him as a foreigner, especially since Shapshal was a Karaite, and the Persians shunned non-Believers, did not eat with them from the same dishes, avoided giving them a hand, tried not to touch their clothes. Shapshal felt this alienation, but gradually, under the influence of Mohammad Ali, he adopted the customs of the Persians and no longer differed in anything, even in clothes, from the close associates of the Shah's heir (Atrpet, 1909, p. 88).

Valiahd soon recognized Shapshal's virtues and came to respect and trust him. Here is what Consul General A. Petrov reported to the Russian Foreign Ministry in his report dated October 10, 1901: "Having found in Mr. Shapshal an experienced, well-trained and well-versed local languages leader and a person intimately familiar with Muslim life, Valiahd brought him closer to himself, introduced him to the Order of the Lion and the Sun second degree and signed a new three-year contract with him, without waiting for the expiration of the existing one-year agreement, and even doubled his salary" [AVPRI, f. 144, op. 488, d. 503, l. 53]. At the beginning of 1903, Muhammad Ali offered Shapshal to conclude a new additional contract between them for 10 years, although the three-year contract was still one and a half years away. After much hesitation, Seraya Markovich agreed mainly on the urgent advice of I. F. Pokhitonov , the new Consul General who arrived in Tavriz to replace the seriously ill A. Petrov [AVPRI, f. 194, op. 528/2, d. 97, l. 13].

Valiakhd increasingly favored Shapshal, gave him the title of khan and brought him so close to himself that he began to entrust him, to the displeasure of the courtiers, not only with his personal affairs, but also with responsible state tasks. So, when in 1903, the Russians under the leadership of engineer Dedulov began to build a highway

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Tawriz-Julfa, along which it was planned to build a railway later, Mohammed Ali Mirza appointed Shapshal chairman of the evaluation commission (see photo) to acquire the necessary land for the highway [Atrpet, 1909, p. 88].

Perhaps it was for performing such tasks that Valiakhd, one of the first Soviet authors, who in 1925 wrote a history of Persia from the standpoint of the still emerging Marxist-Leninist historiography, and therefore did not skimp on black paint in assessing everything related to tsarist Russia and its politics, called Shapshal "a dark businessman and a hunter for concessions assigned by the Russian government to Mohammad Ali, who eventually fell under his (Shapshal's) full influence" (Gurko-Kryazhin, 1925, p.49).

This assessment once again confirms that Shapshal served Russia faithfully, actively defended its interests and brought a lot of benefits to his country. The attempt of the British - Russia's rivals in the struggle for political, economic, and military influence in this ancient country - to discredit Shapshal is another confirmation of the fruitfulness of Shapshal's work in Iran. A clear idea of this is provided by the correspondence in 1903 between our envoy in Teheran, P. M. Vlasov, and the Consul General in Tavriz, I. F. Pokhitonov. Vlasov sends the consul an inquiry letter expressing concern that in one of the conversations with him, the English envoy in Tehran expressed too warm and, in Vlasov's opinion, "suspicious praise for the intelligence and tact of the Russian language teacher who is attached to Valiahd."

Pokhitonov's reply to Tehran dated 04.08.1903 is the best description of Serai Markovich Shapshal as a person and diplomat, his high moral and business qualities. This report, by the way, speaks in the most flattering terms about the Karaites and their spiritual leader Samuel Pampulov, about the extraordinary honesty of this small people and their loyalty to the throne [AVPRI, f. 194, op. 528/2, d.97, l. 10-14]. Another confirmation of the fact that Shapshal always honestly fulfilled his duty to the Fatherland is his serious attitude to military duty. As follows from the certificate kept in the file under the name "Shapshal Sergey - teacher of valiakhd" [AVPRI, f. 144, op. 488, d. 604, l. 14], after graduating from the university, Shapshal served as a junior non-commissioned officer in the 212th Bakhchisarai reserve battalion and from October 1, 1900 was listed in the reserve in St. Petersburg until 1913. Periodically, he had to pass training camps. But since Shapshal found himself unexpectedly in Persia, he was already forced on December 15, 1901, to appeal to the instance of the 1st Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with a request to postpone the passage of camp fees. And according to archival documents, in January 1902. The War Department granted him such a reprieve. And three years later, this issue was finally resolved by a secret letter dated 15.03.1905 from the Chief of the General Staff to the Minister of Foreign Affairs V. N. Lamzdorff "On the release of the junior UN-

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ter-reserve officer of the army infantry Serai (aka Sergey) Shapshala from conscription in training camps for the entire time, while he will be a teacher of the Russian language under the heir to the Persian throne Prince Mohammed Ali Mirza " [AVPRI, f. 144, op. 488, d. 604, l. 9, 21, 32].

By the way, Shapshal, while serving in Tavriz, did not break ties with his fellow Karaites in the distant Crimea. He helps a well-known Crimean horticulturist, Candidate of Natural Sciences A. I. Pastak organize the delivery of Crimean fruits to the Valiakhd court. And Mohammad Ali Mirza remains so satisfied with his supplier that in 1904, most likely on the advice of Shapshal, he will be awarded the Order of the Lion and the Sun of the 3rd degree [AVPRI, f. 194, op. 528c / 4, d. 287, l. 90]. By this time, Valiahd already had a fair command of the Russian language and even gave up teaching it. We learn about this fact and other details of the life of Muhammad Ali from the secret dispatch of the Russian envoy to Tehran P. M. Vlasov dated 7.04.1904. "And this time the heir to the Persian throne made the most favorable impression on me with his simplicity and ease of manners, simple conversation and warmth of feelings towards Russia shown by him. Little developed scientifically, Valiahd is not devoid of common sense and the ability to quickly navigate in conversation. He looks strong, strong, blooming in health and cheerful (in fact, Muhammad Ali often suffered from severe rheumatic pains in his arms and legs. - O. P-D.). According to his mentor G. Shapshal, the heir leads the most correct and healthy lifestyle, does not allow any excesses, the situation in his Yard is the simplest and most economical: noticing, for example,that 8-course dinners are expensive, he limited his table to six. It is also simple in clothing, and in everything else. At the same time, he is an exemplary family man and a loving father and husband. With only one wife, the daughter of his own uncle Prince Naibus-Saltane, and four children by her, he is never separated from them: even on his hunting excursions. And he brought them here (to Tehran), despite the resistance of the Shah and Veziri Azam. His wife has a very beneficial influence on him. The same valiahd and an exemplary worker, delving into all the details of managing the region. His caution in business goes so far that all encrypted telegrams are typed and parsed only in his presence. Unfortunately, according to Shapshal, the heir during the last year completely abandoned classes with him in the Russian language, which he learned to master quite well " [AVPRI, f. 144, op. 488, d. 604, l. 1].

Shapshal's services to the fatherland did not go unnoticed. However, it was only introduced to the first Russian Order in 1905, when it already had several Persian awards. On March 8, 1905, the new Russian Envoy to Tehran, A. N. Speyer, petitioned the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in St. Petersburg: "Application for awarding the honorary hereditary citizen Serai Shapshal, whose fruitful activity is well known to the Imperial Ministry. It has no Russian insignia. In view of the position he holds under the person of Valiakhd, the Order of St. Stanislaus of the 2nd degree is requested " [AVPRI, f. 194, op. 528c / 4, d. 287, l. 93].

Shapshal not only worked in Tavriz, but also accompanied Valiakhd on all his trips around the country and abroad. Thus, in a secret dispatch dated 14.04.1905, Envoy A. N. Speyer informs the Foreign Ministry about the arrival of Valiahd in Tehran to assume temporary rule of the country during the Shah's trip to Europe: "Along with Valiahd, his mentor S. M. Shapshal also arrived from Tavriz, enjoying his full confidence and sincere disposition." Further, in the dispatch, the envoy raises the issue of awarding valiahd with the Russian order, while simultaneously awarding Shapshal with the Russian badge of distinction [AVPRI, f. 144, op. 488, d. 604, l. 22].

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It should be emphasized that the complexity of Shapshal's work in Persia cannot be fully assessed without taking into account the tense socio-economic situation that developed in the country by the beginning of the XX century. The first decade of the new century in the history of Persia was marked by turbulent political processes that left an imprint on all its further development. In the first years of the new century, a wave of so-called hunger riots swept almost all over the country, caused by a shortage of bread and a rapid increase in prices for it.

In 1901-1903, popular demonstrations were constantly held in Tehran, Tavriz, Isfahan and other cities. The demonstrators protested against the reactionary policies of the Prime Minister, who was accused of selling the country to foreigners, and against new customs conventions with Russia and England. The threatening nature of the unrest forced the Prime Minister to resign in September 1903. But the situation in the country remained tense. In 1904, the situation of the population was further complicated by the cholera epidemic. Patriotic intellectuals and representatives of other strata of the population created secret organizations to fight for the implementation of bourgeois reforms in the country, and first of all for the adoption of the constitution and the convocation of the Mejlis (People's Assembly). The opposition press conducted an active anti-Shah campaign. Often her pen was "driven" by England. Shapshal was also fiercely attacked. The Russian envoy A. N. Speyer reported in a secret dispatch dated June 23, 1905 to the Foreign Ministry that "the British have launched a formal campaign against Shapshal, known to Your Excellency. The foreign Persian newspapers Chikhre-Nema, published in Alexandria, and Hablul-Metin, published in Bombay, contain passionate articles against granting him such a prominent and influential position as that which he occupies under His Highness Valiahd " [AWPRI, f. 144, op. 488, d. 604, l. 24].

In 1905, unrest swept almost the entire country. In November, a mob destroyed the building of the Russian Accounting and Loan Bank, which was under construction in the Tehran bazaar. Protests also increased in other cities, especially in Tavriz, where the influence of the Russian Transcaucasus, with its organized labor movement and active revolutionary propaganda, was felt. Everything testified to the explosive situation that had developed in Persia by the end of 1905. All that was needed was an impetus for individual spontaneous actions to turn into a revolutionary mass movement.

In January 1906, Mozaffar-ed-Din Shah was forced to make concessions, but did not fulfill his promises and began reprisals against the constitutionalists. In response, in June-July 1906, a new wave of popular indignation arose. First in Tehran, and then in Tavriz, a general strike was declared and the country's first elected Council (enjumen) was organized. Then engumens appear in other cities as well [Ivanov, 1978, p.260]. It is impossible not to mention here such a purely Persian means of fighting the Shah as sitting in the best (shelter). In the cities, all shops, bazaars, institutions, and mosques were closed, and citizens went with their carpets and beds, provisions, and hookahs to seek refuge in inviolable territories: in the fences of mosques, around sacred tombs and other holy places, or in the gardens of embassies, foreign consulates, and telegraph offices. For three and a half years (December 1905 - July 1909), the best remained one of the main forms of Persian struggle. And Mozaffar al-Din Shah had neither the courage nor the will to suppress the popular movement. In 1906, he was already decrepit and terminally ill. Besides, he didn't have any money. And his St. Petersburg creditors and allies were also in a difficult position after losing the war with Japan.

In the end, the Shah was forced to convene the Mejlis, the grand opening of which took place in his presence on October 7, 1906 [Berar, 1912, p.287].

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Two months later, in December, the Shah, sensing that his days were numbered, summoned the heir from Tavriz and appointed him regent. Together with Mohammad Ali, he moves to Tehran and his entire court, including Seraya Shapshal.

On December 30, the dying Shah agreed to approve the first part of the Constitution-the Provision on the rights and Powers of the Mejlis.

On January 8, 1907, the Shah died and Mohammad Ali succeeded to the throne. On January 10, 1907, the magnificent coronation of Muhammad Ali took place, to which, for the first time in the history of Persia, foreign guests were invited: ambassadors and journalists. Upon his accession to the throne, Mohammed Ali Shah "...showered Shapshal, who received the title of Edib-us-Sultan, with all sorts of favors, appointed him honorary adjutant General, doubled his salary and entrusted him with the management of the ceremonial part at Court, where he began to play a prominent ostentatious role. Shapshal gradually became an inseparable member of the Shah's family, which had great confidence in him" [AVPRI, f. 144, op. 489, d. 1192b, l. 65].

From the first days of his rule, the new Shah behaved harshly, trying to go on the offensive against the Majlis and the constitutionalists. An ardent supporter of the reactionary, absolutist order, he prepared for a military coup, concentrating military units loyal to him and openly expressing his hostility to the Mejlis. But a new wave of general indignation and protest arose, and in Tavriz it came to an armed uprising. As a result, the Shah was forced to concede and by a special decree confirmed his consent to the introduction of a constitutional system in the country.

However, the lull was short-lived, and already in the spring of 1907, engumens and volunteer armed detachments of Fedai were being created everywhere. The role of" troublemaker " was played by the press - about 350 different newspapers and magazines. Some extremely oppositional publications were published abroad and imported into the country from Egypt, India and other countries. They constantly published articles with harsh criticism of the Shah's court. The confrontation between the Shah and the Majlis escalated.

It is quite obvious that S. Shapshal, being one of the people closest to the Shah, found himself in the epicenter of events and put his life in real danger. This is confirmed by the secret request of the Minister of Foreign Affairs A. P. Izvolsky to the Russian mission in Tehran dated 31.05.1907 about the degree of danger of public protests against Shapshal and other Russians. In a reply telegram, the envoy N. G. Hartwig reported that for eight months now, the revolutionary leaflets have been periodically attacking both Shapshal and other foreigners [AVPRI, f. 194, op. 528/b, d.120, l. 66, 67].

The development of revolutionary events in Persia forced Russia and England to put aside their contradictions and sit down at the negotiating table to resolve issues of protecting their interests. On August 31, 1907, an agreement was signed between them on the division of spheres of influence in Persia, according to which Russia became the absolute mistress in the north of the country, and England in the south. The agreement was primarily directed against

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the revolutionary movement allowed these countries to step up their interference in the internal affairs of Persia, which caused a new wave of popular indignation in the country. The Majlis protested against the division of Persia into spheres of influence, and Mohammad Ali Shah, taking advantage of the support of Russia, pulled troops to Tehran.

On December 2, at the direction of the Shah, armed detachments and regular troops that supported him gathered in the capital's central Tupkhane Square. They were ordered to disperse the enjumens and Majlis. The events of those days are described in detail in the report of the 1st dragoman G. D. Batyushkov to the Russian envoy N. G. Hartwig about the results of his confidential meeting with Mohammed Ali Shah, which was also attended by S. Shapshal, referred to in the report as Edib-us-Sultan [AVPRI, f. 194, op. 528/b, d. 120, l. 1]. In response, the enjumens of many cities called for the overthrow of the Shah and began to create armed detachments. The situation was not in favor of the Shah, and he was forced to come to an agreement with the Majlis. Thus ended the revolutionary year 1907 , the first year of the reign of Mohammad Ali Shah.

Shapshal, although a monarchist by conviction, did not sympathize with the Shah's extreme measures. He was opposed to many of the medieval orders that prevailed at the Shah's court and in the country [Atrpet, 1909, p. 89]. However, as a man devoted to his fatherland and the emperor (the Karaites were distinguished by their loyalty at all times), he first of all thought that Russia's interests would not suffer as a result of the rapidly developing revolutionary events in Iran.

Shapshal's position at court was special, and he sometimes even abused the Shah's friendly disposition towards him. Shapshal favourably distinguished himself from the shah's entourage not only by his intelligence and cunning, but also by the determination and courage that great Russia, which stood behind him, gave him in addition to his innate qualities. Confidence in his abilities was also given to him by an irresistible appearance, which had a hypnotic effect not only on women, but also on men. And Shapshal skillfully used his charm, often acting through women who could not refuse him anything. Shapshal was a welcome guest not only for the Shah's family, but also for the family of the Russian envoy N. G. Hartwig, with whom they discussed all Shapshal's actions against the Shah and whom Seraya Markovich promptly informed about all important events at the Shah's court with the help of his famous short notes [AVPRI, f. 340, op. 584, d. 103, l. 137, 138, 484].

Such a bright and extraordinary personality as Shapshal, who quickly rose up the hierarchy to the very top and enjoyed the special trust of all the Russian envoys in Tehran, the imperial Foreign Ministry, and the Shah, could not but arouse the envy of some of his colleagues from the Russian mission, hostility among individual members of the Shah's retinue, and open hatred among many opponents of Mohammed-Ali Shah, who saw Shapshal as a Russian agent.

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It can be assumed that it was then, after the turbulent events of 1907, that Shapshal began to think about resigning. He undertook to put his financial affairs in order, which is confirmed by a very interesting document dated 31.01.1908, in which the Russian Minister of Finance agrees with the Shah's request to transfer Shapshal's debt of 14,000 tumans to the Accounting and Loan Bank to the account of the shah's own loans, since the money was used for his shah's needs [AVPRI, f. 194, op. 528 / v, d. 130, l. 7].

On February 28, 1908, an assassination attempt was made on Mohammad Ali Shah during a country walk. The attackers threw two bombs at its crew. The Shah himself was not injured, but 10 people were wounded, and three guards and one passerby were killed. At this tragic moment, Seraya Shapshal quickly organized the evacuation of the Shah from the scene of the terrorist attack and at the same time behaved so courageously and resourcefully that he literally saved the Shah's life. N. G. Hartwig reported on the details of the assassination attempt by a secret telegram to St. Petersburg with a request for awarding Shapshal [AVPRI, f. 194, op. 528/2, d. 134, l. 19]. For his courage, Shapshal was awarded the Order of St. Anna, 2nd class. Mohammad Ali Shah awarded him the highest Persian award: the Order of Timsal 1st class with a portrait of the Shah trimmed with diamonds, and a gold weapon with diamond ornaments. By this time, Shapshal already has such high awards of Persia as the golden badge of National Enlightenment of the 1st degree, the Orders of the Lion and Sun of the 2nd and 1st degrees with a green ribbon and the Emir Tumane star.

With each passing day, the confrontation between the Shah and the Majlis increased. After the assassination attempt, the Shah stepped up his actions against the constitutionalists. In Tehran, at the instigation of the Shah's court, the outrages of the Shah's followers increased. In May, the Enjumens of Tehran, joined by Qajar princes in opposition to Mohammed Ali Shah, led by Azad El-Molk, an elder of the Qajar tribe, demanded that the Shah remove from his entourage six of the most loyal people, including Shapshal, as the most active in their "reactionary" activities. The Shah made concessions, temporarily dismissing six of his close associates on 20.05.1908 [Ivanov, 1957, p. 268], including Edib-us-Sultan, who had just celebrated his 35th birthday.

But on June 22, the Shah declared martial law in the city and ordered the commander of the Persian Cossack brigade, Colonel Lyakhov, to occupy the buildings of the Mejlis and the nearby Sepehsalar mosque and disarm the defenders of the constitution gathered there. The Cossack brigade subjected the Mejlis, the Azerbaijani Enjumen and the mosque to a massive artillery bombardment and brutally suppressed the resistance of their defenders. More than three hundred people were killed, many deputies were arrested, shackled and thrown into prison, where they were subjected to sophisticated torture. About 30 of the most famous defenders of the Majlis were brought in chains to the country residence of Shah Baghishah. They were brutally murdered there. By order of Mohammed-

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Ali Shah was executed by the editor of a popular newspaper, a famous orator, and other leaders of the constitutionalist movement.

Received May 20, 1908, 6 1/2 p.m.

Dear Nikolay Genrikhovich,

The Shah has completely lost his head, and ropes are being twisted out of him. The gathering took on a grand scale. Akhdet Mulki has many famous Persians, princes (led by Djelal) and other Qajars. Horribly wicked Shah; I think it's the end of him. Emir Zheng will join us at best, and the others will follow. You will learn everything from him, he will be here at 8 o'clock.

Deeply devoted to you S. Shapshal.

S. M. Shapshal's report to the Russian Envoy N. G. Hartvig

The Shah's relationship with Shapshal became complicated. Shapshal had already become so familiar with the role of the Shah's chief adviser and close friend that sometimes, inexcusably forgetting himself, he allowed himself to give advice to the Shah on issues of public administration and even politics...reprimand the monarch in the presence of strangers, reproaching His Majesty with indecision, then hypocrisy. Only an old attachment to Shapshal, a deep belief in his truly sincere loyalty to the Qajar House made the Shah condescend to these rude tricks of Edib-us-Sultan, " N. G. Hartwig, the envoy in Tehran, wrote in a secret dispatch to St. Petersburg dated 7.08.1908 [AVPRI, f. 144, op. 489, d. 1192b, l. 64-65].

From the same document, we also learn the details of the last days of Serai Markovich's stay in the service of the Shah: "Shapshal's position at court has not changed for the better even after experiencing serious troubles together. On the contrary, personal relations with some of the members of the retinue even seemed to have worsened. I therefore took advantage of the first opportunity when Mr. Shapshal lamented his fate and complained of the Shah's indifference to him, in order to encourage him to voluntarily leave the service in Persia. There was also a good excuse: he had not received a salary for more than four months, which was a breach of contract. Shortly thereafter, Shapshal submitted his resignation. The Shah very graciously offered him some time to reflect, saying that he still loved him, trusted him, and would never forget the services rendered to His Majesty. Shapshal insisted on his decision and at the end of last month parted from the Shah and left Persia under the most favorable conditions of his own free will. It is fair to say that during his stay in the country, especially in the early years, S. M. Shapshal brought undoubted benefits to the Russian cause in Persia. The Shah himself and those persons who did not have personal clashes and misunderstandings with him will remember Edib-us-Sultan as honest, truthful and loyal.-

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to his duty as a Russian man who managed to inspire his royal pupil with good feelings for Russia."

St. Petersburg agreed to the dismissal of Shapshal [AVPRI, f. 194, op. 528/2, d. 13, l. 127]. He began to prepare to leave. But leaving Tehran wasn't a big deal for him. First, the Shah owed Shapshal a few months ' salary, and under the terms of the contract, when it was terminated, Shapshal was to be paid a full-term salary. But the shah did not want to pay a very large sum, and Shapshal did not want to be left without money. Therefore, the bargaining between the shah and the dragoman of the Russian mission, G. D. Batyushkov, who was authorized to represent Shapshal's interests, was long and difficult. Secondly, the duties of Shapshal, which were determined by his special relationship with the Shah and his position as an intermediary between the Shah and the Russian envoy, now passed to Captain Konstantin Smirnov, who appeared in Tehran in July 1907 as the tutor of the infant heir of Ahmed Mirza. It's hard to say why their relationship didn't work out right away. Perhaps because K. N. Smirnov was a young but professional intelligence officer who had just arrived, and S. M. Shapshal was primarily a scientist and teacher who had been continuously working for Russia for 7 years alongside his heir and later Shah Mohammad Ali. Perhaps because Shapshal was not Orthodox, but of the Karaite faith. In any case, they were both hot-headed, ambitious, and self-confident (sometimes to the point of self-confidence) men who vied with each other for influence over the Shah.

Since there was information that an assassination attempt was being prepared on Shapshal in Baku [AVPRI, f. 144, op. 488, d.604, l. 62], he left Tehran on July 20, i.e. three days earlier than the stipulated deadline [Ter-Oganov, 2004, p. 131].

He left Persia not alone, but with his young wife, a Karaite Vera Kefeli. Shapshal's marriage is another amazing page in his biography. When the wife of Shah Mohammad Ali was diagnosed with cataracts, the question arose about an ophthalmologist, who had to be not only an excellent specialist, but also a woman, since no man had the right to touch the Shah's wife and see her face. Apparently, at the suggestion of Shapshal, they found an eye surgeon-Karaite Vera Kefeli (Egiz), a wonderful ophthalmologist who worked in Odessa and in Paris. She was invited to Tehran. After a successful operation, the shah decided to favor an unmarried Karaite woman and "gave" her a husband in the person of Karaite Serai Shapshal, ordering them to marry. Since they liked each other, the extravagant benevolence of the Shah eventually helped Shapshal become a family man [Chopp, 2002, pp. 21-22]. They officially formed their relationship in Russia in 1909 and remained faithful to each other for the rest of their long lives. But unfortunately, they had no children.

Journalists immediately found out about Shapshal's arrival in Russia. In the article "Adjutant-General Shapshal in Moscow "[Birzhevye Vedomosti, 07.08.1908], the newspaper men wrote:: "Yesterday, a well-known Persian figure, General Shapshal, was passing through Moscow. In an interview with newspaper employees, G. Shapshal said that the dispersed Persian parliament was not the true representative of the country's needs." He explained his claim in detail and expressed his hope... that the new Parliament will be the true voice of the whole of Persia, and that it will be able to enforce the law. Expressing such views, Mr. Shapshal assured that he himself was a true supporter of constitutionalism, although, in his opinion, Persia had not yet grown up to this. A return to the past, in any case, is impossible, Mr. Shapshal concluded."

In St. Petersburg, Shapshal was hired by the Foreign Ministry as a translator and teacher of the Azerbaijani language. He followed the development closely

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during the events in Persia, he worried about the fate of the Shah, offered his services in correspondence with him and even sent him expensive gifts. On February 10, 1909, Shapshal wrote to the Shah: "Taking advantage of the departure to Tehran of one of the employees of the Accounting and Loan Bank, presenting two silver cigarette cases and an amber mouthpiece with gold ornaments to Your Majesty's feet, I take the liberty of writing a few words about myself.

During my two-month stay in St. Petersburg, I repeatedly visited the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, met with the Minister, and had the pleasure of being introduced to His Majesty the Emperor.

His Majesty has been very gracious to me, and has been pleased to inquire about Persia for about half an hour, and I have informed His Imperial Majesty of Your Majesty's sincere and real devotion to him, and of your good intentions.

His Imperial Majesty has been pleased to show you his great attention and affection, and has ordered me to send you his thanks in writing on occasion.

I am now, by the highest permission, assigned to the service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and, perhaps, will soon leave for Turkey "[AVPRI, f. 144, op. 488, d. 604, l. 91].

Shapshal was indeed accepted for service in the Foreign Ministry in February 1909, at first without a corresponding order and without excessive publicity. And only in the summer of the same year it was officially registered [AVPRI, f. 194, op. 488, d. 604, l. 88]. At the beginning of 1909, when Shapshal started working at the Foreign Ministry, he could not yet imagine that he would soon have to meet with Muhammad Ali again, this time in Russia.

As a result of the ongoing armed struggle in Persia and the offensive of the Rasht revolutionary troops and Bakhtiar detachments in June 1909. Tehran was captured by the constitutionalists after a four-day battle. The Shah boarded the best at the Russian mission. The Extraordinary Supreme Council, which met on June 3(16), 1909, announced the deposition of Mohammed Ali Shah and proclaimed his 11-year-old son Sultan Ahmed as the new shah, and appointed the pro-English-minded Qajar prince Azad El-Molk as regent. Three days later, the minor Ahmed Shah was recognized by both Russia and England. And the deposed Muhammad Ali, who was sitting in the Russian legation with countless servants and a military detachment, tearfully begged the Russian envoy to allow him to send a telegram to St. Petersburg for help in the hope that Russia would return him the crown [Shitov, 1933, p. 130].

From the new authorities, the former shah received as compensation 100 thousand tumans of annual pension and permission to go abroad. On August 27, he left under the protection of a Russian convoy for Russia, having previously sent a letter to Shapshal requesting a meeting.

In Odessa, where Muhammad Ali arrived with his numerous retinue on September 22, 1909, he was given a solemn reception. A luxurious spacious house with a sea view and a garden for walking in the harem was very much liked by the former shah, who, under the impression of a solemn reception, asked to send a telegram to Emperor Nicholas II with an expression of gratitude for such generous hospitality [Shitov, 1933, p.142].

On the same day, at 8 p.m., Mohammad Ali received Seraya Shapshal in his new shelter, who had specially stopped by Odessa on his way from vacation in the Crimea to meet (with the permission of the Foreign Ministry) with the former shah, talk with him and learn about his future plans. Shapshal had to listen to the Shah's complaints about his fate and his ungrateful subjects for a long time. Muhammad Ali still hoped that Russia would help him regain the throne, and asked Shapshal to convey his request to the Russian government and the Emperor. Their conversation continued the next day. About everything you've heard from the former shah, with your own thoughts added

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Shapshal described it in detail in a memorandum submitted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on September 30, 1909 [AVPRI, f. 340, op. 584, d. 86, l. 2-3].

Mohammad-Ali lived in Odessa for more than a year. October 26, 1910 He secretly left Odessa for Vienna, then visited Rome and, after traveling through Italy and France, stopped in Berlin on December 24 (Shitov, 1933, p.192).

The former shah nevertheless carried out his intention to return to Persia again. A few months after a trip to Europe, he organized a campaign against Tehran in order to regain the Shah's throne. Russia helped him in this. With the connivance and secret assistance of the tsarist authorities, Muhammad Ali crossed the Caspian Sea on the Russian steamer "Christopher" and on July 4, 1911 landed on the south-eastern coast in Gyumyushtepe with a false passport in the name of a Baghdad merchant. He was accompanied by a Russian officer named Gabaev, and weapons were brought in boxes marked "Mineralnye Vody". With the help of Turkmen leaders, Mohammad Ali managed to recruit several thousand people and move them to Tehran. At the same time, his brothers Salar-ed-Doule and Shoa-os-Soltan, as well as some khans, performed. The Mejlis declared Tehran under martial law, and appointed a fee of 100 thousand tumans for the head of the former shah.

Initially, military operations developed with success for Mohammed Ali, who in a short time took possession of a significant territory. But in the autumn, after bloody battles, the detachments of the former Shah and his supporters were defeated by the combined forces of government troops and volunteers, and Mohammad Ali was forced to flee Iran again in early 1912. In November 1911, Russia sent large military units to Iran's Azerbaijan, Gilan and Khorasan, which suppressed the revolution in the north of the country. So did the British forces in southern Persia. At the same time, in December, a counter-revolutionary coup was carried out in Tehran. The Mejlis was dissolved, and the enjumens and left-wing newspapers were closed. The Iranian revolution was suppressed [Grantovsky, 1977, p. 288].

Mohammad Ali has returned to Russia once again to his large and beautiful home in Odessa. And here again fate brought him together with Shapshal. This happened thanks to Emperor Nicholas II in the early evening of June 2, 1914 in Odessa, where the autocrat stopped on his way to the Crimea. This meeting between the Russian monarch and the former shah is described in a secret telegram, through which Shapshal immediately reported to the Foreign Ministry about the results of the highest rendezvous.: "Today at 6 1/2 o'clock in the evening, the Sovereign Emperor was pleased to receive Mohammed Ali Shah, who brought His Imperial Majesty the most lively gratitude for the constant high attention to him. Mohammad Ali Shah is very pleased with the gracious reception. The conversation was private. No political issues were raised. Signed Shapshal " [AVPRI, f. 144, op. 489, d. 1192b, l. 20].

Shapshal's date with the ex-shah was far from the last. The First World War, which began a month and a half later, changed the lives of millions of people. Captain Gabaev (Khabaev), who served under Mohammad Ali, was recalled to the army, and Seraya Markovich was summoned by telegram to take his place: "To the adviser of the Central Asian Department, Court Adviser Shapshal. Saint Petersburg 5.08.1914 In view of Khabayev's departure to the active army, you are assigned to be temporarily attached to Mohammed Ali Shah. Khabaev will provide you with his apartment. The arrival of the Shah will take place on August 7, after which you should write to Khabaev about the time of your arrival in Odessa " [AVPRI, f. 144, op. 489, d. 1192b, l. 28].

A year later, on September 3, 1915, after visiting Odessa, Shapshal again saw the ex-shah twice. Whether this meeting was the last in their lives, the documents are silent. Muhammad Ali spent the last years of his life in Europe and died in 1925 at the age of 53 in the Italian resort town of Sanremo.

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Seraya Markovich Shapshal devoted himself to teaching and social activities. He became a member of the Russian Archaeological and Geographical Societies, and was elected Vice-president of the Society of Russian Orientalists. In 1915, at the Karaite congress in the Crimea, Shapshal was elected gakham, i.e., the highest secular and spiritual head of the Karaites, whose residence was located in Yevpatoria. In March 1919, he was forced to secretly leave his homeland and move across the Caucasus to Istanbul, where he served as a translator in a bank and helped Turkish linguists to reform the Turkish language. Thanks to Shapshal, 330 Karaite words were introduced as native Turkic instead of foreign borrowings eliminated from the language [Karaimskaya..., 1995, p. 25]. In 1928, at the invitation of the Polish and Lithuanian Karaites, who chose him as their gakham, he moved to Vilnius, where he taught Turkish at the Vilnius Higher Political School. In 1939, the Council of the Faculty of Philology of Vilnius University elected Shapshal as an extraordinary Professor of the Department of Oriental Languages. In the post-war years, he worked as a senior researcher at the Institute of History of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences and organized an ethnographic museum of Karaite life based on his rare collections.

Professor Serai Markovich Shapshal's career ended in Vilnius on November 18, 1961, at the age of 89. He left behind many works on Karaite studies, Oriental studies and linguistics, a unique ethnographic museum of Karaite history and culture in the Lithuanian city of Trakai and a bright memory in the hearts of all who knew him. And they know and remember him in many parts of our big planet as one of the best sons of the small but ancient Karaite people.

list of literature

Archive of Foreign Policy of the Russian Empire (AVPRI). Arabajyan Z. A. Iran. Power, reforms, revolution (19-20 centuries). Moscow, 1991. Atrpet. Mamed Ali Shah. Popular movement in the land of the Lion and the Sun. Alexandropol, 1909. Berar V. Persia and the Persian Troubles, St. Petersburg, 1912.
Biobibliographical dictionary of domestic Turkologists. Pre-October period, Moscow, 1974. Exchange statements. 7.08.1908. N 10644. Grantovsky E. A. Istoriya Irana [History of Iran], Moscow, 1977. Gurko-Kryazhin V. Kratkaya istoriya Persii [Brief History of Persia], Moscow, 1925. Ivanov M. S. Iranskaya revolyutsiya 1905 - 1911 gg. [The Iranian Revolution of 1905-1911]. Moscow, 1957. Ivanov M. S. Istoriya Irana [History of Iran], Moscow, 1978. Karaite Folk Encyclopedia, vol. 1, Moscow, 1995. Kefeli V. I. Karaites. Pushchino, 1992.

Ter-Oganov N. K. New information about domestic figures of the Iranian history of the early XX century // East (Oriens). 2004. N 3.

Chopp I. Karaites of southern Ukraine. Odessa Karaites. Odessa, 2002. Shitov G. V. Persia under the rule of the last Qajars. l., 1933.

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