Afanasy Ordin-Nashchokin

Afanasy Lavrentievich Ordin-Nashchokin (Russian: Афанасий Лаврентьевич Ордин-Нащокин) (1605–1680) was one of the most important Russian statesmen of the 17th century. His career represented a landmark in Russian history, as he was the first junior noble to attain the boyar title and highest offices of state not as a result of family connections but due to his personal capabilities and achievements. In many things he anticipated Peter the Great.

Afanasy Ordin-Nashchokin was the son of a poor official from Pskov, who saw to it that his son was taught Latin, German and mathematics. Ordin-Nashchokin began his public career in 1642 as one of the officials involved in determining the new Russo-Swedish frontier after the peace of Stolbovo. By that time, he had gained a reputation in Russia as having a thorough understanding of "German ways and things". He was one of the first Muscovites who diligently collected foreign books; it was said that as many as sixty-nine Latin works were sent to him at one time from abroad.

Ordin-Nashchokin attracted the attention of the young Tsar Alexis because of his resourcefulness during the Pskov rebellion of 1650, which he succeeded in bringing under control through his personal efforts. At the beginning of the Russo-Swedish War (1656-1658), Ordin was appointed to a high command, in which he displayed strong capabilities.

In 1657 Ordin-Nashchokin was appointed minister plenipotentiary to treat with the Swedes on the Narva River. He was regarded as the only Russian statesman of the day with sufficient foresight to grasp the fact that the Baltic seaboard, or even a part of it, was worth more to Russia than ten times the same amount of territory in Lithuania, and, despite opposition from a number of his colleagues, in December 1658 he succeeded in concluding a three-year Treaty of Valiesari whereby the Russians were left in possession of all their conquests in Livonia.

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