The mission of Turkestan through the eyes of the Pazuhin brothers

After Russia's conquests of Kazan (1552) and Astrakhan (1556), it became a neighboring state to the lands of Turkestan. Following these conquests, Russia sent diplomatic envoys for exploration purposes from the 16th to the 19th centuries to better understand Turkestan and establish diplomatic relations with the region. In this context, Alexei Mikhailovich appointed Boris and Semen Pazuhin between 1669 and 1673 to establish trade relations with Bukhara, Khiva, Balkh, Iran, and India, search for the relics of Saint Simon, and rescue Russian captives. The nakaz (instructions) given to the Pazuhin mission was meticulously prepared, leading to more successful outcomes compared to previous diplomatic missions. Boris and his delegation focused particularly on the rescue of Russian captives. Additionally, they learned the diplomatic rituals of the Turkestan khanates and documented this information in detail. The Pazuhin mission established close relationships with the khan and his inner circle, participated in the festivities at the khan's palace, and gathered extensive information about the court. The knowledge obtained from this mission contributed to the preparation of future envoys and laid the groundwork for Russia's eventual occupation of Turkestan. In this study, we aim to fill the gap in the literature concerning 17th-century Russian-Turkestan Khanate relations by translating the work "Nakaz Borisu i Semenu Pazuhinu, Poslannım v Buharu, Belh i Yurgenç 1669" compiled by A. N. Truvorov from Russian to Turkish.