Siamese prince and Russian officer. How the relations between Russia and Thailand were born

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In 2017, 120 marks the years of diplomatic relations between Russia and Thailand. In Soviet times, for ideological reasons, Thailand was not a close partner of our state. During the Second World War, Thailand took the side of Japan, then became a loyal ally of the United States. But the last one and a half decades have been marked by the rapid development of ties between the two countries. Today, Thailand is one of the most popular holiday destinations for Russian tourists, many Russians have practically moved to this country for permanent residence. The new level of relations between the two countries makes us remember the period when it was Russia, and not Western countries, that was perceived in Thailand (then - Siam) as the closest ally. It is about twenty years - from 1897 to 1917. - when Russian-Siamese relations were particularly warm.

The nature of the development of diplomatic relations between Russia and Siam at the end of the 19th century was largely predetermined by the specifics of the political situation in Indochina. France and Great Britain competed for political supremacy in this region of the world. Burma eventually ended up under British control, and France subjugated Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. Siam, thanks to its geographical position in the center of Indochina, turned out to be a buffer country, dividing French and British colonial possessions. Since the Russian Empire in the 1880-ies. was in allied relations with France, for St. Petersburg seemed more advantageous approval of French, rather than British influence in Indochina. Therefore, when France pressed on Siam to build a canal between the Gulf of Siam and the Andaman Sea, Russia gave France direct support. In 1882, the Pacific Squadron was sent to the Gulf of Siam, headed by the chief commander of all Russian naval forces in the Pacific Ocean, Rear Admiral Abraham Aslanbegov (Ibrahim Bey Allahverdi Bek Oglu Aslanbekov). He visited Bangkok, where he met with representatives of the authorities of Siam, who offered the Russian admiral to conclude a trade agreement. But the contract was never concluded.



In 1891, the future emperor Nikolai Alexandrovich went on a journey through the countries of the East, visiting Egypt, India, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Vietnam, China, and Japan. Was in the list of countries visited and Siam. He was very warmly received by the Siamese king Chulalongkorn, the crown prince was given rich gifts, but the cooperation agreement with Siam was not concluded this time either. True, in the summer of 1891, the first high-ranking Siamese guest visited Russia - Prince Damrong, brother of the Siamese King Chulalongkorn, who was received by Russian Emperor Alexander III, arrived in St. Petersburg.

However, at the end of the 1890s, the Russian Empire itself drew attention to Siam, which was facilitated by a new deterioration in Russian-British relations. In turn, in Siam they were interested in developing relations with the Russian Empire as a great power, not directly related to the colonial disputes in Southeast Asia and capable of becoming the patron saint and protector of Siam in international politics.

At the end of the 19th century, King Rama V Chulalongkorn (1853-1910), who ascended the throne in 1868 and reigned forty-two years, was in power in Siam. Chulalongkorn pursued a policy aimed at the economic and cultural modernization of Siam, knowing full well that only profound changes in the life of the state can protect the country from colonization by the Western powers. In fact, it was Chulalongkorn who managed to save Siam from conquest by France or Great Britain, since the final colonial division of Indochina fell on the years of his reign. In 1896, Siam’s independence was literally in the balance. In London, an agreement was signed, which provided for the division of the country into three zones - the British and French spheres of influence and a neutral buffer territory. In this situation, King Chulalongkorn did not lose his head - he set off on a long journey through Europe, seeking not only to settle relations with potential colonialists by England and France, but also to enlist the support of powers not participating in the colonial section of Southeast Asia - Austria-Hungary, Germany, Italy, Russia.

Siamese prince and Russian officer. How the relations between Russia and Thailand were born
- Nicholas II and Rama V Chulalongkorn

19 June (1 July) 1897, the king of Chulalongkorn, arrived in the Russian Empire. By this time, Nicholas II was already in power, with whom the Siamese king had met six years earlier - during the visit of the Tsarevich to Siam. The meeting of two monarchs turned out to be much more productive than previous acquaintances of Russian and Siamese high-ranking officials. King Chulalongkorn and Emperor Nikolai agreed to establish diplomatic relations between the Russian Empire and Siam. In addition, the fundamental basis for the further development of friendly relations was the agreement to come to Russia to receive military education from the son of the Siamese king, Prince Chakrabon.

- Prince Chakrabon with his parents

Prince Chakrabon (1883-1920), by then - a fourteen-year-old boy, was the favorite child of the Siamese king. In 1896, Chakrabon, who completed the elementary education course in Siam, was sent to study in the UK. After the visit of his father to Russia, the prince began to prepare for a quick departure to continue education in the Russian Empire. Even during his stay in England, he was chosen as a teacher of the Russian language - he became a historian Pavel Nikolaevich Ardashev (1865-1922) - a graduate of the historical-philological faculty of Moscow University, who from 1896 was on probation in France and, at the same time, visited and the UK. Ardashev began teaching Russian to Prince Chakrabon, gave initial ideas about stories and the culture of the Russian state. So the Siamese prince became one of the first inhabitants of Siam, who mastered the Russian language.

In the summer of 1898, Prince Chakrabon arrived in St. Petersburg. He was assigned to the Corps of Pages, where he studied for four years. The Siamese prince became the best student of the Russian Passion Corps, helped by his natural abilities and thirst for knowledge. 10 (23) August 1902, Prince Chakrabon, was promoted to cornet in the Hussar Life Guards Regiment. So a native of distant Siam became a Russian hussar officer. For some time he continued to serve in the hussar regiment with the aim of training and further improvement of military knowledge.

A young man with an exotic look for Russia of that time, charming and well-mannered, was popular with the female sex. In 1904, a young hussar officer met 18-year-old Ekaterina Desnitskaya (1886-1960) - the daughter of State Counselor Ivan Stepanovich Desnitsky. Father died when Catherine was only three years old. The girl received an education in Fundukleevskoy female gymnasium, then she studied at the courses of sisters of mercy. In 1904, Ekaterina Desnitskaya set off as a sister of mercy to the Far East, where the Russian-Japanese war was going on. From there, a very young girl returned with awards, including the Insignia of the Order of St. George. Naturally, such an extraordinary lady attracted the attention of a Siamese prince. The touching love story of Prince Chakrabon to Catherine Desnitskaya formed the basis of many works of art. The Siamese royal family was very wary of the prince’s relationship with the Russian girl — despite the friendly relations with Russia, it seemed too risky to take a wife from a completely different and incomprehensible people to the king and queen who were contrary to tradition. But Prince Chakrabon was adamant.

- Prince Chakrabon with his family

In 1907, he married Ekaterina Desnitskaya in Constantinople, becoming her official husband. To this end, the prince, apparently, had to accept Orthodoxy (then, however, the prince returned to Theravada Buddhism). After this step, the royal family of Siam expelled Chakrabon from the number of potential heirs to the royal throne. However, the disgraced prince and his wife returned to Siam, where they settled in one of the royal palaces. The prince's relations with his parents, King Chulalongkorn and Queen Saovabha Phongsi, gradually recovered. 28 March 1908 was born in Bangkok in the family of Chakrabon and Ekaterina Desnitskaya a boy, who was named Chula (1908-1963).

In 1910, King Chulalongkorn passed away in the 58 year of life. On the throne of Siam under the name of Rama VI ascended his childless eldest son Vachiravud (1881-1925). Since Vachiravuda had no children, the status of the heir to the throne returned to Prince Chakrabon. By this time, Chakrabon served as chief of the General Staff of the Siamese army and was engaged in the modernization of the national armed forces, including the Russian model. At first, Chakrabon wanted to equip the Siamese royal guard into a military uniform of the Russian hussars type, but then he decided that the hussar uniform in Siam would look too exotic. As a result, the Russian cavalry uniform was adopted as the basis for the dress uniform of the Siamese cavalry. It was Chakrabon who initiated the creation of his own air force in Siam, founded the national military academy, so the prince’s contribution to strengthening the country's defense capability was very significant.

- King Vachiravud

Thus, by 1910. between Russia and Siam there were already not just developed political relations, but in a literal sense, related relations - a member of the royal family of Siam studied and lived in Russia, served in the Russian army, found a Russian wife. This contributed to the further strengthening of interest in Russia in Siamese society. In 1911, Chakrabon again visited Russia - this time, having traveled through the Far East and Siberia to the European part and then to Great Britain - to George V.'s coronation. During his second visit to Russia, Nicholas II conferred on Prince Chakrabon, who wore a Russian hussar colonel , rank of general from cavalry.

16 November 1911. The famous cruiser Aurora arrived in Siam. It was visited by a Russian official delegation led by Grand Duke Boris Vladimirovich, the uncle of Nicholas II, who was to represent Russia at the coronation of the new King of Siam Vachiravud. The Russian delegation stayed in the country until December 10, taking part in ceremonial events on the occasion of the coronation. At the beginning of 1917, Siam entered the war against Germany and her allies on the side of the Entente - by the way, Prince Chakrabon, who was considered the head of the pro-Russian party in the Siamese political elite, also had a hand.

The end of the first stage in Russian-Thai relations began after the October Revolution. Although in Siam they perceived the revolution itself as neutral, as an internal affair of the Russian state, the royal family was greatly impressed by the destruction of the Romanov family in 1918. Relationships of Siam and Soviet Russia have virtually ceased. A very symbolic event was the subsequent divorce of Prince Chakrabon and Catherine Desnitskaya in 1919. After the separation from Chakrabon, the Russian wife of the Siamese prince left for Shanghai, where her relatives lived. There, she remarried - the American citizen Harry Clinton Stone, and then the couple moved to Paris. As regards Chakrabon, who was born in marriage, Chakrabon, Prince Chula, was left with his father in Siam. In the 1920 year, at the age of 37 years, Prince Chakrabon himself passed away. The prince of Chula, who was left without paternal care, was sent to study in the UK - at Harrow School for Men, then at Trinity College at Cambridge University. In 1938, the prince of Chula married an Englishwoman, Elizabeth Hunter, in a marriage with whom he had a daughter in 1956, Narisa Chakrabon.

- Chula Chakrabon and Elizabeth Hunter

As for relations with the Soviet Union, in 1918-1941. they were absent. Only in 1941, a few months before the start of World War II, were diplomatic relations with the Soviet state restored. But the diplomatic representation of the USSR in Thailand did not have time to open due to the outbreak of the war. Then Thailand was actually occupied by Japanese troops, the pro-Japanese part of the political elite won in the country, after which Thailand entered the Second World War on the side of the Axis countries. Only after the Great Victory was the Soviet Union and Thailand able to establish full-fledged diplomatic relations. By the way, despite the fact that Thailand during the Second World War collaborated with Japan, it was the efforts of the USSR and the USA that it was included in the number of countries - the winners - because by 1945, the anti-Japanese trend had already won it. However, during the Cold War, the USSR and Thailand again appeared to be on opposite sides of the barricades, although economic and cultural relations between the two countries continued.

In Indochina, Thailand played the role of the main ally of the United States, taking part in supporting American troops in Vietnam, in Laos and Cambodia, helping the anti-communist formations of these countries. In turn, the Communist Party of Thailand waged a long civil war against the royal government, albeit from the 1960's. KPT was focused on China and, accordingly, no longer had the support of the Soviet Union. Naturally, both the alliance with the USA and the anti-communist ideology of the Thai government reflected on the nature of Soviet-Thai relations. Only at the end of 1980's. they became stronger, and in 1990, 2000, A new era has come in the development of bilateral relations between Russia and Thailand.
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  1. +1
    10 February 2017 07: 42
    As a result, the Russian cavalry guard uniform was adopted as the basis of the parade uniform of the Siamese cavalry.
    ..If I'm not mistaken, the dress uniform of the Thai guard and now resembles the form of cavalry guards ... Thank you Ilya ...
    1. +1
      10 February 2017 21: 45
      Ilya, thanks for another story about Thailand, the story of which we now know much better. The stories of other neighboring states are also recalled. Such a large picture on an oriental theme.
  2. +1
    10 February 2017 16: 44
    Ilya, thank you for the story. As a child, I read something about Prince Chakrbon and his Russian wife, it seems in Around the World. Later in the "Travelers Club" showed the house of this prince. And King Rama was well done: pulled his nose to the paddles and the English
  3. +1
    10 February 2017 20: 05
    Dear Ilya and readers of “VO”, I published an article in “VO” “The operation that failed” is an excerpt from my novel “The Royal Princess”. The story of the marriage of Katya Desnitskaya and Prince Chakrabon is very interesting. If possible, the work of the tsarist special services to make Katya and the prince Head of a friendly country in the east failed. Who cares to read. I have the honor.

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