The Russian Embassy posted a fascinating note on its Telegram page today, detailing the Russian King Alexander II’s efforts to protect the United States Union from the Confederacy and its French and British imperial backers. The Russian-language post reads in machine-translation:
“On October 6, 1863, at the height of the American Civil War, a squadron under the command of Rear Admiral S.S. Lesovsky arrived in New York. Almost simultaneously, a squadron under the command of Rear Admiral A.A. Popov arrived in San Francisco.
“Russia became one of the few countries that unconditionally sided with the North in the war against the South and in its struggle to abolish slavery. The appearance of Russian military squadrons was intended to demonstrate support for the Lincoln government and prevent interference in the affairs of the United States by London and Paris, which supported the southerners and were preparing a military intervention in the United States.
“Despite the fact that Russia acted from the position of armed neutrality, the arrival of Russian squadrons played an important role in strengthening the international position of the North and contributed to the success of the Union of the Northern States in the Civil War.
