Nikolay Petrovich Rezanov

Nikolay Petrovich Rezanov was a Russian trader, diplomat, and administrator who was an important figure in the early history of the Russian-American Company (RAC). Nikolay married the daughter of Grigorii Shelikhov, a Russian fur trading magnate at Russian America, Anna, and from the death of his father-in-law he pursued his dream of a commercial empire in the North Pacific.

Rezanov cultivated influential contacts in St. Petersburg and the links to the Paul I of Russia (r. 1796-1801) what allowed him to pursue the goal of monopoly control over the American fur trade. in 1799 the company was given its first charter and many of the government and court officials became shareholders. The company’s affairs became closely linked with government policy in the Far East and North Pacific.

Rezanov was also involved with Ivan Kruzenshtern’s idea of round-the-world voyages to support and supply Russian America, and to promote trade with China and India. In 1805 Rezanov sailed on a RAC ship to Sitka Sound where he made observations on how to improve Russian colonies and commercial interests in America. He also observed that Russian presence needed to push farther south in order to secure future success.

Rezanov wanted the whole of the central and northern coast of America under Russian control, but his dream of empire was never fulfilled as he died before reaching St. Petersburg to advocate for an expansion of Russian sovereignty to a position of absolute dominance in the North Pacific.