Newspaper «Le Moniteur universel» on Russian-Swedish Treaty of Friendship, Commerce and Navigation

The article analyzes the information value of the newspaper «Le Moniteur universel» on Russian-Swedish treaty of friendship, commerce and navigation, as well as the comparative analysis of the French and Russian versions of this agreement. International relations of the past are closely related to the present. They do not become outdated, do not lose their value, while continuing to influence on the political and economic contacts between the two countries. Currently, there is an increasing interest in the history of European politics in Russia, it has been studied extensively by both domestic and foreign scholars. In this regard, there is a neсessity to attract new sources. Expansion of information is possible due to francophone periodicals, in particular thanks to the newspaper «Le Moniteur universel». This is one of those sources, which gives a possibility to glance at Russia and its foreign policy through the eyes of Europeans. The advantage of this periodical is the fact that its materials have not been studied and analyzed by majority of Russian researchers. The newspaper «Le Moniteur universel» paid special attention to the signing of a treaty of friendship, commerce and navigation between Russia and Sweden in March 1801. For the first time the central governmental French newspaper published such a big article about Russia, the whole column in the "foreign state" section was devoted to it. Previously that section covered the political situation in 3 or 4 countries on the principle of the greatest interest or concern of the ruling elite in France on events in one country or another. The Treaty includes a preamble, 36 articles, a joint declaration, Russian and Swedish samples, naval papers that had to regulate the conditions (terms) of mutual control. Comparison of documents in French and Russian languages shows that the French side does not publish the full version, there are no additional samples of naval papers on Russian and Swedish languages, as referred in Article 29. The purpose of this agreement was the regulation of trade relations between Russia and Sweden. The treaty was aimed at providing friendship, peace and harmony between the two countries. It fixed the creation of a free trade zone, unimpeded movement of citizens of the contracting states, regulated the movement of ships. Most probably, the attention of the French ruling circles to the Russian-Swedish trade treaty was connected with a growing maritime conflict between France and England in the northern seas, and with clarifying the international situation in this region of Europe.

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