Nikolay Leontiev

Nikolay Stepanovich Leontiev, 1st Count of Abai, (Russian: Никола́й Степа́нович Леонтьев; 26 October 1862 – 1910) was a Russian military officer, geographer and traveler, explorer of Africa, writer, and veteran of the Boxer Rebellion, and the Russo-Japanese War.

Leontiev in Ethiopia, Right

Biography

Leontiev was born on 25 February 1862 to a noble family in Kherson Province. He studied in Nikolaev's Cavalry military school, then served in the Uhlan Leib Guard regiment. In 1891, he became esaul of a military reserve force of the Umansk regiment of the Kuban Cossack army.[1][2]

Like Mashkov and Ashinov before him, Leontiev had dreamed of going to Ethiopia and for many years he collected information about the country. Finally, Leontiev was able to go to Ethiopia on a research trip. Famous scientists, the Science Academy and the Russian Geographical Society took great interest in this programme. But the main task of the Leontiev expedition was to establish friendly relations between Russia and Ethiopia.[3][4]

Leontiev was the chief of the eleven-man Russian scientific trip; stabskapitan Zviagin was his deputy. The meeting between Leontiev and the Ethiopian emperor Menelik II set up the foundation for their mutual friendship. When Leontiev decided to go home, Menelik sent his first diplomatic mission to Russia with him, and in doing so abrogated an agreement with Italy that forbade such diplomatic missions. Leontiev escorted the Ethiopian mission to Saint Petersburg where they met Tsar Nicholas II, the Tsar assured the Ethiopian mission that they would never recognize an Italian protectorate over Ethiopia.[5]

According to some Italian diplomats, Leontiev led a small team of Russian advisers and volunteers at the Battle of Adwa. However, historian Richard Pankhurst asserts that Leontiev did not in fact participate in the battle, rather he visited Ethiopia first unofficially in January 1895, and then officially as a representative of Russia in August 1895, but then left later that year, returning only after the Battle of Adwa.[6][7] According to Paul B. Henze, despite missing the Battle of Adwa, he busied himself as a self appointed Ethiopian emissary to Italy, the Tsar and various other European dignitaries during the war and only returned to Ethiopia in the spring of 1897.[8]

In accordance with the order of emperor of Ethiopia, Directly Nikolay Leontiev participated in one of the military expeditions of the Ethiopian army to the region of Lake Rudolf alongside several thousand Ethiopian soldiers, but the Cossacks there were most exotic of all. A brigade lost 216 persons as killed or injured, Shedevr was injured and the Cossack Gogasov perished. Leontiev was able to solemnly report to the emperor Menelik II, how the young romantic poruchik Shedevr solemnly raised the flag of Ethiopia above one of banks of Lake Rudolf.[9][10]

Leontiev organized the first modern battalion of the regular Ethiopian army and presented it to Menelik in February 1899. Leontiev formed the first regular battalion, the kernel of which became the company of volunteers of former soldiers he invited from Senegal, who were trained by Russian and French officers. The first Ethiopian military orchestra was organized at the same time.[11][12] However, Leontiev attempted to trick the Emperor into signing a document that allowed him a concession to prospect the empire for gold. Menelik II was outraged and ordered Leontiev to leave the country, thus ending his career in Ethiopia.[13]

Leontiev was in Peking with the Russian contingent in 1900 during the Boxer Rebellion. Later, he took part in the Russo-Japanese War.

Leontiev died in Paris in 1910, but his body is buried in Saint Petersburg.