Acquisition of land in Palestine by the Russian Empire (1857–1860)

The acquisition of lands in Palestine by the Russian Empire began after the Crimean War and continued until 1917. The first period of this process was 1857-1860. associated with the name B.P. Mansurova (1828-1910). In 1856, he was sent by Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich to Palestine in order to prepare the ground for the start of the activities of the Russian Shipping and Trade Society. Following this, the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs A.M. Gorchakov achieved the resumption of the activities of the Spiritual Mission in Jerusalem. Its head, Bishop Kirill (Naumov), was entrusted with acquiring land for the construction of infrastructure for pilgrims. Kirill failed to cope with this task. As a result, purchase agreements were concluded by Mansurov under extremely difficult conditions. Their legal registration took place in 1859-1860. under the leadership of the Palestinian Committee.The laws of the Ottoman Empire prohibited the sale of land to foreigners. Therefore, the first purchases had to be made through dummies. The first plots for the Russian Empire, at the request of the consul, were acquired by Count N.A. Kushelev-Bezborodko. Their registration as state property required a lot of money, time and effort. The first section in Kaifa B.P. Mansurov managed to acquire it in 1858. The purchase process moved forward after the pilgrimage trip of Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich to Jerusalem. The site, donated by the Sultan of Russia in memory of the visit of the Grand Duke, became the basis of Russian Palestine. After this, the restriction on the purchase of land near the walls of Jerusalem was lifted. By 1860, the registration of lands into Russian ownership was completed and the construction of infrastructure for pilgrims began. Thanks to Mansurov’s efforts, the following were acquired: a plot inside Jerusalem adjacent to the complex of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and several adjacent plots near the walls of the city.