Raids on Diplomatic Missions in the Steppe and Their Settlement in the 15th–16th Centuries. Russia, Tatar States and Ottoman Empire and the Challenge of Criminal “Free Communities”

Abstract. The purpose of this article is to trace back the history of attacks on diplomatic missions and how states tried to resolve the incidents. The research is based on Embassy documents, published and stored in the Russian State Archive of Ancient Acts. The article reveals that the “field” used by Russian diplomats had a very specific meaning of the territory in the great Steppe (where Cossack communities were formed) which is beyond any jurisdiction. Assaults on diplomatic missions, which were often accompanied by merchant caravans, led to diplomatic conflicts. The injured parties demanded justice, but justice was difficult to implement in reality. As a result, the “great powers” chose to enforce the law only in their jurisdiction. On the other hand, the governments themselves were interested in the Cossacks, as they helped to solve numerous state problems much cheaper and safer.

Keywords: Cossacks, free communities, Azov, diplomatic missions, diplomatic correspondence, crime, ambassadors.