In the context of the reunification of Crimea with Russia, anti-Russian forces repeatedly made statements that initially Crimea was not Russian territory, but was annexed by the Russian Empire as a result of the annexation of the Crimean Khanate. Accordingly, it is emphasized that the Russians are not the indigenous people of the peninsula and cannot have priority rights to this territory. It turns out that the peninsula is the territory of the Crimean Khanate, the historical heirs of which are the Crimean Tatars and Turkey, which is the successor of the Ottoman Empire, the suzerain of the Bakhchisarai khans. However, at the same time, it is somehow forgotten that before the appearance of the Crimean Khanate, the peninsula was Christian, and its population was made up of Greeks, Crimean Goths, Armenians and the same Slavs.
For the sake of restoring historical justice, it is worth paying attention to the events that took place in Crimea five centuries ago. The Crimean Tatars, today positioning themselves as the indigenous people of the peninsula, then were just beginning their journey through this blessed land. For almost three centuries, from the beginning of the XIII century to the turn of the XV-XVI centuries, the Orthodox principality of Theodoro existed on the territory of the Crimea. Its glorious history and tragic end testify to the true fate of the indigenous inhabitants of the peninsula better than any rantings of committed politicians.
The uniqueness of the principality of Theodoro is that this small state in terms of area and population appeared on the ruins of the Byzantine Empire, which fell under the blows of Western European crusaders. That is, it belonged to the "Byzantine tradition", the official successor of which for all subsequent centuries was considered the Russian state with its fundamental idea "Moscow - the Third Rome".
Theodoro's history dates back to the very beginning of the XIII century, when the former Byzantine possessions in the Crimea were divided. Some fell under the rule of the Genoese and turned into colonies of the flourishing Italian trading city of Genoa at that time, and some, which managed to defend their independence and preserved the Orthodox faith, ended up under the rule of a princely dynasty of Greek origin. Historians have not yet come to a common conclusion as to which particular dynasty the rulers of the Feodorite state belonged to. It is known that in the veins of many of them flowed the blood of such illustrious dynasties as the Comnenos and Palaeologus.
Territorially, the lands in the southern mountainous part of the Crimean peninsula were under the rule of the Theodorite dynasty. If you designate the territory of the principality on a modern map, it turns out that it stretched approximately from Balaklava to Alushta. The fortress city of Mangup became the center of the state, the ruins of which still delight tourists, remaining one of the most attractive destinations for routes through the historical monuments of mountain Crimea. In fact, Mangup is one of the oldest medieval cities in Crimea. The first information about it dates back to the 5th century AD, when it bore the name "Doros" and served as the main city of the Crimean Gothic. Already in those ancient times, several centuries before the baptism of Rus, Doros - the future Mangup was one of the centers of Crimean Christianity. It was here in the VIII century that the uprising of local Christians broke out against the power of the Khazar Kaganate, which for some time managed to subjugate the mountainous regions of Crimea.
The uprising was led by Bishop John, who was later canonized as Saint John of Gotha. By origin, John was a Greek - the grandson of a Byzantine soldier who moved to the Crimea from the Asia Minor coast. From his youth, choosing for himself the path of a clergyman, in 758, John, being at that time on the territory of Georgia, was ordained a bishop and, returning to his homeland, headed the diocese of Gotthia. When in 787 a powerful anti-Khazar uprising took place in the Crimea, the bishop took an active part in it. However, the troops of the kaganate, temporarily driven out of the mountainous regions, soon managed to gain the upper hand over the rebels. Bishop John was captured and thrown into prison, where he died four years later.
Remembering Bishop John, one cannot fail to mention that in the midst of the confrontation between iconoclasts and icon-worshipers, he sided with the latter and contributed to the fact that icon-worshipers - priests and monks began to flock from the territory of Asia Minor and other possessions of the Byzantine Empire to the southwestern coast of Crimea who created their monasteries and made a huge contribution to the establishment and development of Orthodox Christianity on the Crimean peninsula. Most of the famous cave monasteries of the mountainous Crimea were created by the icon-worshipers.
In the 9th century, after the Khazar Kaganate finally lost its political influence in the mountainous part of the Crimean peninsula, the latter returned to the rule of the Byzantine emperors. Kherson, as the ancient Chersonesos was now called, became the location of the strategist who controlled the Byzantine possessions on the southern coast of Crimea. The first collapse of the Byzantine Empire in the XII century affected the life of the peninsula by the fact that it was in the sphere of influence of one of its three parts - Trebizond, which controlled the central part of the southern Black Sea region (now the Turkish city of Trabzon).
Numerous political upheavals in the life of the Byzantine Empire could not but affect its real role in the management of the Crimean coast. Gradually based in Kherson, representatives of the imperial power - strategists, and then archons, lost their real influence on the local feudal rulers. As a result, the princes of Theodorites reigned in Mangup, as Doros was now called. Historians draw attention to the fact that even before the appearance of the principality of Theodoro, the Mangup rulers bore the title of toparch. It is quite possible that one of them was exactly the toparch whom the Kiev prince took under his patronage (according to some sources - Svyatoslav, according to others - Vladimir).
There is a version that the princely family of Theodoro belonged to the Byzantine aristocratic family of Gavras. This ancient aristocratic family, in the X-XII centuries. who ruled Trebizond and the surrounding territories, was of Armenian origin. This is not surprising - after all, "Great Armenia", the eastern lands of the Byzantine Empire, were of great importance for the latter, since they were at the forefront of the struggle against the eternal rivals of Constantinople - first the Persians, then the Arabs and the Seljuk Turks. Some historians believe that it was one of the representatives of the Gavrasov surname who was sent to Crimea by the referee rulers as a governor and, subsequently, headed his own state.
The most famous representative of this family was Theodore Gavras. Without exaggeration, this person can be called a hero. In 1071, when the Byzantine army suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the Seljuk Turks, he was only a little over twenty years old. However, a young aristocrat of Armenian descent managed, without the help of the Byzantine emperor, to gather a militia and recapture Trebizond from the Seljuks. Naturally, he became the ruler of Trebizond and the surrounding territories and for about thirty years led the Byzantine troops in battles against the Seljuk sultans. Death lay in wait for the commander shortly before he was supposed to be fifty years old. In 1098, Theodore Gavras was captured by the Seljuk and was killed for refusing to accept the Muslim faith. Three centuries later, the referee ruler was canonized by the Orthodox Church.
Funa fortress
Representatives of the Gavrasov surname, of course, were proud of their famous relative. Subsequently, the referee surname was divided into at least four branches. The first ruled in Trebizond until the accession of the Comnenus dynasty that replaced them. The second held important government posts in Constantinople. The third headed Koprivstitsa - a feudal possession on the territory of Bulgaria, which existed until the end of the 18th century. Finally, the fourth branch of the Gavrases settled on the southwestern coast of the Crimea. Who knows - were they not destined to lead the state of the Theodorites?
Be that as it may, the establishment of political ties between Russia and the Crimean principality with the capital in Mangup also goes deep into those troubled times. As a fragment of the Byzantine Empire, the principality of Theodoro played a rather important role in the system of dynastic ties between the Orthodox states of Eastern Europe and the Black Sea region. It is known that Princess Maria Mangupskaya (Paleologue), the wife of Stephen the Great, ruler of Moldova, came from the Theodorite ruling house. Another Mangup princess married David, the heir to the refectory throne. Finally, Sophia Palaeologus, the sister of Maria Mangupskaya, became neither more nor less - the wife of the Moscow sovereign Ivan the Third.
Several Russian noble families have their roots in the principality of Theodoro. So, at the end of the XIV century, part of the princely family of Gavrasov moved from Theodoro to Moscow, giving rise to the old boyar dynasty of the Khovrins. For a long time, it was this Crimean surname that was entrusted with the most important position of treasurer for the Moscow state. Since the 16th century, two other noble Russian surnames originated from the Khovrins surname, which played an important role in Russian history - the Golovins and the Tretyakovs. Thus, both the role of the feodorites in the development of Russian statehood and the historical presence of the "Russian world" on the southwestern coast of the Crimean peninsula are unquestionable.
It should be noted that it was during the period of the existence of the state of the Theodorites that the southern coast of Crimea experienced a real economic and cultural flourishing. In fact, the rule of the Theodorite dynasty was comparable in its importance for the Crimea with the Renaissance in European states. After the rule of the Khazars and long-term political turmoil caused by internal strife in the Byzantine Empire, two centuries of the existence of the principality of Theodoro brought long-awaited stability to the southwestern coast of Crimea.
It was for the period of existence of the state of Theodoro, i.e. in the XIII - XIV centuries, there is the heyday of Orthodoxy and Orthodox statehood on the southwestern coast of Crimea. Theodoro was a kind of center of Orthodoxy in the Crimea. Many Orthodox churches and monasteries operated here. After the conquest of the eastern part of Byzantium by the Seljuk Turks, monks from the famous Orthodox monasteries of mountainous Cappadocia found refuge in the territory of the Crimean principality.
Ani Armenians, residents of the city of Ani and its environs, who were subjected to a devastating attack by the Seljuk Turks, also migrated to the territory of Crimea, including the settlements that were part of the Feodoro principality. The Ani Armenians brought with them wonderful trade and craft traditions, opened parishes of the Armenian Apostolic Church in many cities and towns of both the Genoese and Theodorite parts of Crimea. Along with the Greeks, Alans and Goths, the Armenians became one of the main components of the Christian population of the peninsula, remaining so even after the final conquest of Crimea by the Ottoman Turks and their vassal, the Crimean Khanate.
Agriculture, the basis of the economy of the feodorites, was distinguished by a high degree of development. The inhabitants of the southwestern Crimea have always been excellent gardeners, gardeners and winegrowers. Winemaking has become especially widespread in the principality, becoming its hallmark. The finds of archaeologists in the fortresses and monasteries of the former Theodoro testify to the high development of winemaking, since practically in every settlement there were necessarily grape presses and wine storage facilities. As for the crafts, Theodoro also provided himself with pottery, blacksmiths and weaving products.
The construction craft reached a high level of development in Feodoro, thanks to the possession of which local craftsmen erected wonderful monuments of serf, church-monastery and economic architecture. It was the Feodorite builders who erected the fortifications that for two centuries protected the principality from numerous external enemies who encroached on its sovereignty.
During its heyday, the principality of Theodoro had at least 150 thousand people. Almost all of them were Orthodox. Ethnically, Crimean Goths, Greeks and descendants of Alans prevailed, but Armenians, Russians and representatives of other Christian peoples also lived on the territory of the principality. The Gothic dialect of the German language was widespread on the territory of the principality, which remained on the peninsula until the final dissolution of the Crimean Goths in other ethnic groups of the Crimea.
It is noteworthy that Theodoro, despite his small size and small population, repeatedly rebuffed the enemy, which was superior in strength. So, neither the hordes of Nogai, nor the army of Khan Edigei could take the small mountain principality. Nevertheless, the Horde managed to gain a foothold in some areas previously controlled by the Mangup princes.
The Christian principality on the southern coast of Crimea, which was a fragment of the Byzantine Empire and maintained ties with the rest of the Orthodox world, was a bone in the throat for both the Genoese Catholics, who also created a number of strongholds on the coast, and for the Crimean khans. However, it was not the Genoese or the Khans who put an end to the history of this amazing state. Although armed clashes with the Genoese happened more than once, and the rulers of the Crimean horde looked predatory towards the prosperous mountain state. The peninsula aroused interest in its southern overseas neighbor, which was gaining strength. Ottoman Turkey, which defeated and completely conquered the Byzantine Empire, now considered the former lands of Byzantium, including the Crimea, as the territory of its potential expansion. The invasion of the Ottoman troops on the Crimean peninsula contributed to the rapid establishment of the vassalage of the Crimean Khanate in relation to Ottoman Turkey. The Turks also managed to overcome the resistance of the prosperous Genoese trading posts on the Crimean coast by armed means. It is clear that a similar fate awaited the last Christian state of the peninsula - the principality of Theodoro.
In 1475, Mangup was besieged by the army of many thousands of Gedik Ahmed Pasha, the commander of Ottoman Turkey, who, of course, was assisted by the vassals of Istanbul - the Crimean Tatars. Despite the multiple military superiority over the Theodorites, for five months the Ottomans could not take the fortified Mangup, although they concentrated numerous military forces around the mountain fortress - almost all the elite units that participated in the conquest of Crimea.
In addition to the residents and the princely squad, the city was also defended by a detachment of Moldovan soldiers. Let us recall that the Moldavian ruler Stephen the Great was married to the Mangup princess Maria and had his own ancestral interests in the Crimean principality. Three hundred Moldovans, who arrived together with Prince Alexander, who recently occupied the Mangup throne, became the “three hundred Spartans” of Crimea. Theodorites and Moldavians managed to destroy the elite of the then Ottoman army - the Janissary corps. However, the forces were too unequal.
In the end, Mangup fell. Unable to defeat the small forces of its defenders in a direct battle, the Turks starved out the city. Enraged by the many months of furious resistance of its inhabitants, the Ottomans destroyed half of its 15,000 population, and the second part - mainly women and children - was taken into slavery in Turkey. In captivity, Prince Alexander died - the last ruler of Theodoro, who managed to correct an extremely short time, but proved himself to be a great patriot and a brave warrior. Other members of the ruling family also died there.
Having survived the much more powerful Constantinople and Trebizond, the small Crimean principality became the last bastion of the Byzantine Empire, which fully resisted the onslaught of the enemy. Unfortunately, the memory of the feat of the inhabitants of Mangup has practically not been preserved. Modern Russians, including residents of Crimea, are little aware of the tragic history of the small mountainous principality and the brave and hardworking people who inhabited it.
For a long time after the fall of Theodoro, a Christian population lived in the territory that was once part of this principality. Greek, Armenian, Gothic cities and villages remained the breadbasket of the Crimean Khanate, since it was their inhabitants who continued the wonderful traditions of gardening and viticulture, sowing bread, and engaged in trade and crafts. When Catherine II made the decision to resettle the Christian population of Crimea, primarily Armenians and Greeks, to the Russian Empire, this was a severe blow to the economy of the Crimean Khanate and ultimately contributed to its destruction no less than direct military actions of Russian troops. The descendants of the Crimean Christians, including the inhabitants of the principality of Theodoro, gave rise to two remarkable ethnic groups of Russia and Novorossia - the Don Armenians and the Azov Greeks. Each of these peoples has made and continues to make a worthy contribution to Russian history.
When the current champions of Ukrainian "independence" talk about the indigenous and non-indigenous peoples of the peninsula, one cannot but remind them of the tragic story of the end of the last Orthodox principality on the territory of Crimea, recall the methods by which the Crimean land was freed from its real indigenous inhabitants, who defended their home to the last your faith.
