From Europe to Asia (July-September, 1880)

Diplomacy: Afghanistan]

The British suffered a defeat at the hands of Abdur Rahman Khan's Afghan guerrillas on July 22 in the Maiwand region of southern Afghanistan. This obviously accelerated the talks between Russia and the United Kingdom, under the Anglo-Russian treaty on the region certain points were established:

* Foreign policy would remain in the hands of the Emir (Abdur Rahman Khan) and Afghanistan would undoubtedly be an independent state (not a protectorate, sphere of influence, etc).

* Neither power would have an envoy in Kabul.

* The Russians would get their share of the Pamirs.

** The Russians would get a plea as to whether one of the northern regions of Afghanistan (which offered to join Russia) really wants to join the Russian Empire or not.

* The British would extend the British Raj into an area east of Afghanistan (the Durand line). And most important, get our of Afghanistan.

The treaty would be ratified 5 days later on July 27 and Abdur Rahman Khan triumphantly entered Kabul recognized as Emir of Afghanistan, without foreign interference (precisely as he wanted).

However he had to agree to cede territory to the British Raj and the possibility that northern territory would be lost. The Kyrgyz of the Pamir accepted and some of the tribes of the region, but the Wakhan corridor was left as a space between the British Raj and Russian Central Asia.

The mountainous and desert geography of the region was already an impediment, but a truly neutral and independent buffer state helps.

Diplomacy: Aceh]

The Sultan of Aceh Alauddin Muhammad Da'ud Syah II Johan Berdaulat and the Russian Empire led by Alexander III, through channels in the Kingdom of Rattanakosin began to discuss deeper diplomatic and political ties.

With your free hand, while William IV reigned, you obviously had to plan ahead and other maneuvers relatively delicately.

Before Aceh became a Russian protectorate the ground had to be prepared, so the Sultan and the Tsar through diplomatic channels discussed how such a protectorate would be over Aceh while waiting for the best moment.

In the Pacific the Russian Empire also continued its trade with the Kingdom of Bali, and obviously the growing relations between Russia and still independent Pacific states increased the interest of Russian merchants in other independent regions, tribes and kingdoms that could buy Russian technology.

It also helped that other Europeans (Austrians, Germans, English, and potentially French) had potential interests in the Pacific region and expanding their colonies.

Russia had a reputation that made these Pacific states trust them a little more, for the good treatment of Aceh and Bali, relations with the natives, etc.

Everything grows with time.

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[Diplomacy: Korea]

The Russian Empire was about to finish its great project (the Trans-Siberian railway) although obviously many workers would go to other railway projects in Russia, the Russian Empire of Alexander III began to discuss with King Gojong of the Joseon dynasty, the possibility of that some were destined to expand the railways of the Joseon dynasty (railways aligned with Russian commercial interests).

Korea discussed what this entailed on an economic and infrastructure level with Russia, but the offer to Joseon was a unique and special offer, the Trans-Siberian railway would be finished soon and if the Koreans did not accept the Russian workers and experts they could go on to other projects.

An opportunity that the reformists, Russian-trained Koreans, and Russian-aligned politicians did not want to miss.

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[Change of ministers]

On July 22 (OS, NS dies in early August), Railways Minister Pavel Petrovich Melnikov dies on his estate in Lyuban, causing Alexey Pavlovich Bobrinsky to become Minister of Railways.

From among the civil service administration, Sergei Yulyevich Witte is promoted to deputy minister of railways, bringing greater prestige, rights and responsibilities for the 39-year-old nobleman.

Right now the Russian Empire is about two months away from finishing the Trans-Siberian Railway, so the time of mourning for ex-minister Melnikov is considerably short.

The Ministry of Railways went almost immediately to work to complete the final sections that would connect the Trans-Siberian from Moscow to Vladivostok.

The foreign and native people of the Sankt-Peterburgskaya Universal'naya Vystavka even took some time to go see the final arrangements of the Russian mega-project.

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[St. Petersburg Circus]

The first brick and stationary circus of the Russian Empire was considerably 'recent' at the time of the Sankt-Peterburgskaya Universal'naya Vystavka. This was the Bolshoi State Circus of Saint Petersburg (historically also called Circus Ciniselli, or Цирк Чинизелли and later Great State Circus of Saint Petersburg).

Owned by the family of Italian origin, Ciniselli (Gaetano Ciniselli 1815-1881, Andrea Ciniselli 1840-1891 and Scipione Ciniselli 1864-1938 being the first three and best known of the dynasty) since 1877, and it became a popular event for people of all the social classes of Saint Petersburg, including the growing middle class, poor, bourgeois, rich and noble.

This was part of a pseudo-natural process that occurred in the Russian Empire, the various European cities already had established circuses, and Russia was no exception.

"So look, the tsar has this proposal." A delegate of Tsar Alexander III explains to old Gaetano and his children. "The tsar helps to expand the Ciniselli circus to the universal exposition, he helps with the expansion of the circus infrastructure and both groups earn money, the state only needs to have an administrative part of the function."

Gaetano is already 65 years old, during which time he has had a lot of experience as a rider, circus animal trainer, director and teacher.

The men of the Ciniselli family discuss it. "Okay, the circus accepts the offer."

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The Bolshoi State Circus of Saint Petersburg took a few weeks, but in record time it began to carry out private functions to the public during the Sankt-Peterburgskaya Universal'naya Vystavka until December (end of the exhibition).

Clowns, horses, dancers, elephants, etc.

The circus was a notable success among the Russian, Italian and French audiences present at the great exhibition, in part due to the tradition and origins of the Ciniselli circus as well as years of experience.

These events served to attract more attention and money towards the universal exhibition, but it could also attract tourism to Russia and its institutions (some ancient, others more modern, etc.), such a large country obviously had a remarkable tourist potential.

It also served the Ciniselli circus, although a famous circus, it was impossible to know how long the stability of the circus would last with old Gaetano and his health problems.

Also the universal exposition attracted talent from various parts of the world to join the St. Petersburg circus, which was always good, fresh talent, more staff meant more attractions to attract people, etc.

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[Sport culture: Semifinals]

*Arkhangelsk vs Moscow: 2-1 (Arkhangelsk win).

*Saint Petersburg vs Grozny: 0-3 (Grozny win).

The semifinals of the third edition of the Russian Soccer League are tense (for foreigners at least), there is a predominantly Christian (Orthodox) white team against a mainly Caucasian and predominantly Sunni Muslim team, which in European eyes of the time is a problem.

The Russians themselves take little notice of these details at the moment, more excited about futball, although obviously popularity polls would incline the Arkhangelsk team over the Grozny team (since the Arkhangelsk city team was the most old, present in the first edition of the Russian Soccer League, and appealed to the demographic majority of the Empire for being a Slavic-Orthodox team).

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[Tea]

A duo of English gentlemen entered one of the tea establishments in the city of Moscow, the first quite cheerful and the second without much expectation.

"Come on, it can't be that bad." The first one mentions his grumpiest friend.

The second one accepted and decided to try some Russian tea. "... You know, maybe you're right. It's not that bad ... It doesn't mean I admit it's good!" The second admits after one cup, and after the next.

Russian tea was not getting much fame yet, but it was growing in quality comparable to its early years, and foreigners obviously noticed that.

Some were interested in black tea, others in 'Russian yellow tea' or 'Russian imperial tea', a descendant of Qing yellow tea and Korean hwangcha that began to be produced in Russia. Extremely rare for the western world in general.

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[International]

On July 14, the Austro-Hungarians, following the example of other colonial powers before them, form a penal colony in North Borneo.

On July 27, the Second Anglo-Afghan War ends, defining the borders between the British Raj, the Russian Empire and the Emirate of Afghanistan.

On August 14, the Cologne Cathedral in Germany is finished, after it started about 632 years ago (in the year 1248), well, it took its time but it was completed.

August 24, the German navy creates a huge base in Southeast Asia, where commercial companies from Hamburg and other parts of Germany reign with some oversight from the Berlin government.

Raw materials from the colony are beginning to flow to the German Empire and other markets, but of course there are certain problems, the native opposition. For this reason, bodies of the German 'marines' form the police force and the military corps of the colony with respect to "defending private property" and German commercial interests.

Also obviously the Germans aim to defend their colony from possible foreign interests.

August 26, two other rebel armies are formed and join the war in Albania against the Ottoman armies, effectively marking a serious loss of popularity for Sultan Abdul Hamid II among Albanians (although there are still Albanians in the sultan's government). .

Other foreign powers view this with some concern, partly because of the Ottoman state, partly because of possible Russian intervention, and partly because of concern that Batak or the like will be repeated.

On September 1, Frederick Temple Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood Dufferin became Viceroy of India after obvious failures in foreign diplomacy by his predecessor (although he was popular in India).