Gold of the Emir of Bukhara history is different. Sayyid Mir Mohammed Alim Khan: biography of Alimkhan Emir of Bukhara

Sayyid Mir Muhammad Alim Khan(Pers.; Uzbek Said Mir Muhammad Olimxon; January 3, 1880, Bukhara, Bukhara Emirate - May 5, 1944, Kabul, Kingdom of Afghanistan) - the last emir of the Bukhara Emirate, who ruled before the capture of Bukhara by the Red Army on September 2, 1920, a representative of the Uzbek dynasty of the Turkic clan Mangyt.

Although the Bukhara Emirate since 1868 had the status of a vassal state Russian Empire, Alim Khan led internal affairs his state as an absolute monarch.

Biography

Seyid Mir Muhammad Alim Khan was born on January 3, 1880 in the capital of the Bukhara Emirate - Bukhara. His father was the emir Seyid Abdulahad Khan, who ruled the Emirate of Bukhara in 1885-1910. Grandfather - Sayyid Muzaffaruddin Bahadur Khan, Emir of the Bukhara Emirate in 1860-1885.

In 1893, at the age of thirteen, Alim Khan was sent by his father, Seyid Abdulahad Khan, to St. Petersburg for three years to study the science of state administration and military affairs. He received his general education in the Nikolaev cadet corps. On April 23, 1896, he was promoted to cornet with enrollment in the Terek Cossack army. In the same year he returned to the Bukhara Emirate, having received confirmation of the status of the Crown Prince of Bukhara in Russia.

Two years later, he took the post of governor of Nasef (present-day Karshi), having spent twelve years there. For the next two years, he ruled the northern province of Karmana (the current territory of the Karmaninsky fog of the Navoi region of Uzbekistan and its surroundings), until the death of his father in 1910. In 1910, the Russian Emperor Nicholas II granted the Khan the title of Highness. In 1911 he was promoted to the Retinue of His Imperial Majesty, Major General.

He solemnly ascended the throne in 1910. The beginning of the reign was promising: he announced that he did not accept gifts, and categorically forbade officials and officials to take bribes from the people and use taxes for their own purposes. However, over time, the situation has changed. As a result of intrigues, supporters of democratic reforms were defeated and were exiled to Moscow and Kazan, and Alim Khan continued his rule in the traditional style, strengthening the dynasty and power.

Among the famous people who were surrounded by the emir until the spring of 1917 was one of the first Uzbek generals of the tsarist army of Russia, Mir Haydar Mirbadalev.

With the money of the Emir of Bukhara, the St. Petersburg Cathedral Mosque and the House of the Emir of Bukhara were built in St. Petersburg. On December 30, 1915, he was promoted to lieutenant general in the Tersk Cossack army and appointed adjutant general.

When the Red Army occupied Bukhara, he fled to the east of the Bukhara Emirate, and then to the Kingdom of Afghanistan, where he received refuge.

In emigration he earned his living by trading in karakul; according to some sources, he supported the Basmachi. By old age, almost blind, his bank accounts in the Russian State Bank were blocked at the insistence of the USSR authorities. According to some reports, the emir kept about 27 million rubles in gold in this bank, and about 7 million more - in private commercial banks Russia. It is also known that in the summer of 1917, through the mediation of a Russian resident in Bukhara, Miller, and an industrialist I. Stakheev, Emir Seyid Alim Khan deposited 150 million rubles in French and British banks. In the same way, another 32 million rubles were later transferred. He bequeathed to write on his grave: “An emir without a homeland is pitiful and worthless. A beggar who died at home is truly an emir. " He died in Kabul on May 5, 1944.

He was awarded the orders of St. Alexander Nevsky and St. Vladimir (in the above color photograph, the star of this order with the motto "Benefit, honor and glory" is clearly visible on the emir's robe).

Descendants

Numerous offspring of the emir (about 300 people) are scattered all over the world: they mainly live in the USA, Turkey, Germany, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran and other states.

One of the sons of the Bukhara emir, Shakhmurad (took the surname Olimov), renounced his father in 1929. He served in the Red Army, participated in the Great Patriotic War(on which he lost a leg), was awarded the Order of the Red Banner, after the war he taught at the V.V.Kuibyshev Military Engineering Academy.

Awards

• Order of St. Stanislaus 1st Art. with diamonds (1901)
• Checker with diamonds (1902)
• Order of St. Anne 1st class (1906)
• Order of St. Vladimir, 2nd class. (1910)
• Order of the White Eagle with Diamonds (1911)
• Portrait of an imp. Nicholas II with diamonds to be worn on the chest (1913)
• Order of St. Alexander Nevsky (1916)

ALARM NIGHT
Bukhara, 1920.
The time was about two in the morning, but the Emir of Bukhara Said Alimkhan could not sleep. For the second night he was overcome by insomnia. And there was a very good reason for that.
Throwing a night gown trimmed with gold threads over his shoulders, the emir left the bedroom. He was a man with a handsome face, a neat beard and a protruding belly. He was not yet forty.
On either side of the bedroom door were sentries with guns. The corridor was lit by English lamps installed in the wall niches. Hearing the creak of the door, the guards shuddered. Immediately everyone raised their heads and stretched out.
- Are you sleeping? The ruler asked in a displeased tone.
“Not at all, our esteemed sir,” the guards answered hastily, one after another.
“I think you were asleep.
- What are you, our sovereign, how can we, we just bowed our heads, - assured the elder.
Being an unforgettable person, the emir quickly calmed down. “Of course, soldiers cannot sleep while standing,” he told himself. "And yet they don't belong near my bedroom, let them serve in another part of the palace."
He went out onto the porch of his palace and began to descend. The guardsmen of the personal guard, standing in two rows at the entrance, instantly took a stand "at attention!" Their thirty-year-old commander, who was a close relative of the emir, stepped forward, saluting.
The emir stopped beside him and said:
- Ahmad, change the guard at my bedroom door: I don't like them.
- It will be fulfilled, Your Majesty, right now.
- Something does not sleep, everything is disturbing, I can not fall asleep in any way. Only fools think it is so easy to be a ruler. I will take a walk in the garden, but let your people stand at a distance from me, so as not to interfere with me and not to anger me.
- Your pretentiousness, I understand you.
It was cool in the garden, and the grass smelled moisture. The emir, putting his hands behind his back, began to pace slowly along the alley from one tree to another. Sometimes he stopped in thought. Then he moved again until he sat down on the bench. He seemed to be frozen with his head down. What was the ruler so worried about? The Bukhara Khanate was surrounded by the Bolsheviks. Soviet power was established all around, and the ring of troops was still tightening, although the Bolsheviks swear to the emir that they would not violate the peace and did not intend to attack sovereign Bukhara, which was not part of the Russian Empire even under the Russian tsar. However, this is only in words, but in fact the Red Army men are getting closer and closer to the borders of the emirate and recently captured Karshi, the second city of the Bukhara Khanate. Now the emir had no doubts: very soon the Red Army men would move to Bukhara. Moreover, this time they were well prepared - his loyal people from Soviet Turkestan report about this. An inner feeling prompts Said Alimkhan, and his military adviser Nikolayev also speaks about this, that they will not be able to hold the city. The Bukhara army is clearly weaker. This means that the state treasury must be immediately taken out of Bukhara. However, this is not easy to do, because there are tens of tons of gold in the basement. On the way, gangs of robbers may attack, having heard about the golden caravan. And yet, despite the danger, it must be taken out. But where? And who should be entrusted with the state treasury?
This is what the emir was thinking about in the garden, sitting on a bench. It was possible, of course, to send gold to its neighbors in Afghanistan, Iran, but this is not very reliable. And after long deliberation, he abandoned this thought: “Gold should be sent to India, under the auspices of the British, who rule this country. Although the path is not close, it will be safer this way. By their nature, the British are an honest people, they can be entrusted with the treasury if they agree to accept it for safekeeping. We must not refuse, because they are helping us in the fight against the Bolsheviks. So - the British, especially since Nikolaev and I have friendly relations with their consul Esserton. All this will play a role. "
After such reflections, the emir sighed with relief: "Ugh!", And his soul felt a little relieved.

SECRET ORDER
One of the trusted servants of the Emir of Bukhara arrived on horseback at a small caravanserai, an inn surrounded by a clay wall. He was a middle-aged man wearing a new summer robe and a snow-white turban. The gates of the caravanserai were wide open. The courtyard was almost empty, except for two hired laborers who were covering the parts of the wall that had fallen off with clay. This year the spring was very rainy, and the clay houses of the townspeople were badly damaged.
- Hey, mardikors, where is the owner of the caravanserai? The courtier asked in a confident voice.
Taking him for an important person, the mardikors immediately threw clay on the ground and ran up to him, bowing low.
“The venerable owner of this establishment is in that cell over there,” said one of them, and pointed a finger at her. - But now he should not be disturbed, he is at prayer.
The courtier jumped off his horse and hurried to the cells, which stretched in a row under the awning. He opened the door of one of them, where old leather boots and galoshes were lined at the threshold. The bright light instantly illuminated the semi-dark room with a domed vault, and from there immediately breathed coolness. Along brick walls the dervishes were sitting with their legs tucked under them, so that only the heels were sticking out. As usual, they all wore unkempt beards, dressing gowns that were always worn to holes, and coarse pointed hats. These wandering beggars were revered by the people as God's children who completely renounced worldly goods, so that everyday vanity would not distract them from constant prayers for the glory of Allah the Great. Therefore, the dervishes lived on alms alone, wandering around the cities of Turkestan, and in their long prayers brought themselves to religious ecstasy. At these moments it seemed to them that their souls were floating in heaven near the palace of the Almighty.
In the semi-dark cell the voice of some dervish sounded, who from memory, almost in a chant, recited suras from the Koran. At the same time, the hookah, filled with hashish, passed from one hand to another. Thick smoke stood over the heads of the worshipers. They listened to the sacred words of the Quran with bowed heads and swayed from side to side. Although the pilgrims did not understand Arabic, this did not prevent them from communicating with God. Even when the door of the cell opened and the head of a court servant appeared, the dervishes did not move. It seemed that they were in another, sweet, world and did not want to return from there.
- Venerable Davron-aka, may you, - in a quiet voice, as if apologizing for the trouble, the courtier turned to the reader, whose turban and robe were almost new. He was in his forties, maybe more.
The reader's voice gradually faded away; then he rose from his seat and, before leaving the meeting, said: "O my brothers, suddenly urgent matters have arisen, and therefore I ask you to continue our charitable work without me."
The owner of the caravanserai went outside and closed the sash door behind him. His eyes were red. However, at the sight of the man, Emir Davron quickly came to his senses. He realized that something important had happened, that His Majesty urgently needed it. Over trifles, the ruler did not bother him, the head of the local dervishes. What happened this time?
“I have come for you,” the messenger said quietly as they greeted each other. - The emir himself is waiting for you in the palace.
- I'm ready. We can hit the road right now.
After some time, together with the courtier, he left the caravanserai on a Turkmen horse. And on the way, Davron continued to reflect on the upcoming meeting in the palace: "Why did the ruler need me, what a need this time, because only the day before yesterday I passed on the information collected by my dervishes in neighboring states that two years ago they became Soviet?" True, Davron told the emir some rather unpleasant news: the Bolsheviks captured Karshi - Big City Bukhara Emirate. The ruler flew into a rage and in anger began to curse these atheists - the Bolsheviks. They have been threatening sacred Bukhara for a long time and once already tried to seize the city. In addition, they are helped by corrupt local Bolsheviks, calling on the people of Bukhara to overthrow the sovereign. In return, they promise an earthly paradise where the poor will rule the country. “What nonsense, - and now Davron was indignant to himself, following the courtier through the city, - is it really conceivable that the poor ruled an entire country? This has never happened in our history. Is it possible for an ignorant person to command so many people? No, this is just crazy. It is impossible without a king, chaos will begin, and people will kill each other. Our emir is doing the right thing to throw these troublemakers into the zindan and put them to death. And yet our emir lacks determination, he must be firmer. "
In such matters Davron sometimes rendered services to the emir, raising the common people to fight against the Young Bukharians, who wanted to see Bukhara as a secular state, with a constitution and parliament, although such plans are incomprehensible to the uneducated crowd. And then religious fanatics attacked the houses of the Young Bukharians, sometimes even beat them with sticks, threw stones at them.
Driving past the market square, Davron noticed a revival: there were more people. This always happens - with the onset of warm days, when the first apricots, greens, early vegetables appear, people rush to the market. And on such days they approach the shops of permanent merchants less often, more often they reach for the farmers, who sit in a long row, spreading their goods on the ground or in buckets. And each of them praises their product in different ways.
There were many dervishes in the bazaar: you can always feed yourself here. Even greedy traders never refuse them mercy, fearing the curses of these hermits. People believe that the words of the dervishes come true, it is not for nothing that they are called God's children. Although dervishes are different, many zealously serve their Teacher and fanatically cherish the honor of their Order.
Davron knew almost all of his dervishes by sight and had already noticed some of them in the market crowd. They wandered among the merchants, started talking about religion, weather and prices, and quietly started talking about the unreasonable policies of the emir. Considering that the merchants are simple and chatty people, the calculation was correct: some agreed and themselves told something about politics. And why be afraid of these people, withdrawn in themselves! This is how the dervishes learned the names of the Young Bukharians or people who were simply dissatisfied with the power of the emir. All this information was deposited in their memory, and with the onset of darkness they returned to Davron's caravanserai to transmit the collected conversations to him. Davron, on the other hand, wrote down the most valuable of them in his cell by the lamp. Further, a list with the names of unreliable people and their statements was delivered to the head of the city guard Tursun-bek, a close relative of the emir. And he, with a smile on his wide face, handed Davron a bag of gold coins for the needs of his community. Davron bowed restrainedly, putting his hand to his chest, and hiding the money in his bosom. He sincerely served the ruler and considered the Young Bukharians as enemies of the Bukhara people. And this money was not so important to him, he had much more from his caravanserai.
Following the emir's courtier, Davron soon found himself at the entrance to the Ark - the palace part of the city, surrounded by high walls. The emir stayed there with his entourage. There was also his residence and the state treasury. As soon as the horsemen approached the massive wooden gate, three guards with long rifles immediately stepped aside, recognizing the court emir. Usually Davron was summoned to the palace at nightfall, but now it was light, which means that something very important had happened.
The riders rode near a large reservoir with clear water, along which peacocks strutted about with an important look. Then they walked around the front door of the Emir's office and entered from back side... There was a small door guarded by two squatting guards. Seeing the court emir, they quickly got up and drew themselves to attention.
The men quickly slipped inside and climbed the half-dark staircase upstairs. So they ended up in a spacious room - the reception office.
Seeing them, the young secretary in a turban and a bright dressing gown immediately got up from the table:
- Venerable Davron-aka, please, they are waiting for you. - The secretary went to one of the carved doors and opened it: - Please!
Davron's companion remained in the waiting room, while the dervish entered a large room furnished in European style: a large crystal chandelier, two cupboards with amazing dishes. In the middle of the room, at a round table, sat Emir Alimkhan and Colonel Nikolayev, in a Russian military uniform with round shoulder straps and a saber on the side. They did not notice the dervish who entered. The interlocutors bent over the table, and the colonel was explaining something to the emir, drawing a pencil over the map. Davron had no choice but to stand by the door and wait for attention. And so that these important gentlemen would not think that he was listening to their conversation, Davron began to examine the room. When Davron got into this office for the first time, it seemed to him that he found himself in another world, in the abode of the kafirs. As then, he was perplexed: why would a Muslim ruler need such luxury, especially Christian items. What did the emir find beautiful in them? Maybe this room is intended for Russian guests who often came to Bukhara before the revolution, and some stayed here for years, like this colonel? Davron often saw this Russian, and not only in the palace, but also in the bazaar, in the steppe among the military. He taught military art to Bukhara soldiers.
“You wanted to see me, my lord,” Davron finally broke down, daring to speak - after all, you might have thought that he was really listening. At the same time, the dervish respectfully pressed both hands to his chest.
The emir raised his head:
- You're already here? And we are waiting for you. Come in, Davron, don't be shy, sit down next to me, on this sofa.
It was unusual for Dervish to sit on a velvet sofa with silk cushions on the sides - he considered such a luxury unnecessary. Excessive wealth corrupts the souls of true Muslims, distracts from the true faith. Davron once mentioned this in a conversation with the emir, when he summoned him for a sincere conversation. And then the lord gave the dervish a reasonable explanation. It turns out that the beauty of the palaces and chambers is needed only to show foreign guests the wealth and power of the Bukhara Emirate. Therefore, he is forced to build such expensive palaces and invite masters from Europe, wanting to look no worse than others. Then Davron remained silent, but remained unconvinced, although he did not condemn the emir.
Before starting the conversation, Alimkhan said a short prayer for the glory of Allah, after which everyone held their palms in front of their faces with the words: "Amin." Then, as custom requires, they asked each other about their well-being. When Davron asked about the health of the Russian colonel, he received an answer in Uzbek: "Thank you, glory to Allah, alive and well." Davron was surprised: it turns out that Russian speaks their language. He liked it.
- Yes, I want to introduce you to this man, - said the emir, - the name of the Russian colonel is Viktor Nikolaev. He's my military advisor. His knowledge will protect us from the Bolsheviks. It is to him that we should be grateful for the fact that our army was able to defeat the "Reds" under the command of the boastful commissar Kolesov and save Bukhara. Victor is my old, loyal friend and not only in the struggle against the Bolsheviks. We met about thirty years ago in Moscow. Then I was still quite young, and my father - God bless him - sent me to study military science in the cadet corps, wanting to see his son a strong ruler. My father was right, I learned a lot there that our military men could not give. There I became friends with Victor, we studied in the same class. Davron, know that I trust him completely. Even more than his relatives. Do you know why? He does not aim at my throne.
Remembering his youth, the emir glanced at the colonel, and both smiled. Apparently, they had something to remember. However, the face of the ruler quickly changed and became serious:
- And now about the case. That's why I called you. I want to entrust you with a very important matter. No living soul should know about this. I have never doubted your loyalty to the Bukhara throne, and you have proven this more than once. If my memory serves me, you and I have been friends for more than ten years, even from Shakhrisabz, do you remember, I was then the bek of this region?
“For twelve years already, Your Majesty,” the dervish specified, putting his hand to his chest with respect.
“You are truly a holy man, and I greatly appreciate your devotion. There would be more such reliable people ... And now about the case. Davron, I am sending you to Kashgar to our friend Esserton, the English consul. Take him a letter. But first I want to know: have you ever been to Kashgar, do you know the way there?
- My wanderings somehow led me to this city, however, it was ten years ago. My brothers in faith and I went to those places, wishing to honor the grave of Saint Suleiman. I did not forget the way there, but the way is not close, it will take fifteen days.
Then Nikolaev spoke:
“But this time the road will be much longer. As you know, the Fergana Valley is occupied by the Bolsheviks, and you must get there through the Pamir Mountains. So your path will be longer, but safer. Unfortunately, we have very little time, and you will have to ride day and night.
However, Davron did not agree with him:
- If you will allow me, I will try to slip through the valley: the Bolsheviks will not search the dervish. Now they have no time for the holy hermits, now they are concerned only with how to protect the occupied cities from the attacks of the popular fighters, whom they call the Basmachi. What nonsense, because they themselves are mere robbers!
- No, - the emir firmly objected, - this is a very secret assignment. The letter should in no case fall into the hands of the Bolsheviks, as well as to other people. If there is even the slightest threat to this report, you must destroy it by any means. Therefore, let's not risk it - go through the Pamir. Of course, it will take one more week of travel, but it is calmer this way. You understood me?
- Yes, lord. As far as I understand, on the way back I have to bring an answer to this letter?
- You think correctly. Once again, I want to remind you: in case of danger, if you fail to burn the letter, you must tear the envelope to shreds and swallow it.
- I understood everything, Your Majesty, when will you order to set off?
“Right now,” and the emir opened the red folder with the golden emblem of the emirate, which lay in front of him, and took out an envelope sealed with sealing wax. - This is the letter. Sew it into the lining of your robe.
Davron hid the letter in the inside pocket of his robe. Then the emir gave the dervish a bag of gold coins with the words: “This is for your journey. Don't be sorry for money, you never know what might happen on the way. "
“And this is from me,” said Nikolaev and handed him the revolver. - This is in case the robbers attack. Nowadays they are spread everywhere.
Davron was confused, because he had never used such a weapon, and looked inquiringly at the emir.
The emir nodded his head:
- Take it. It is much easier to get rid of enemies with such a weapon than with a knife. Remember, this is a very important matter, so try to fulfill my order as soon as possible.
- I am your servant, lord, everything will be done.
- I don't have the slightest doubt. Now, my brothers, let us pray before the road. But first I want to ask you, Davron, is it true they say that you know the entire Koran by heart?
Dervish bowed his head modestly, showing the humility of a Muslim.
- I envy you. This must be the most sincere service to Allah! - the emir decided to cheer up the dervish with such praise, although he himself was not particularly distinguished by piety.

DANGEROUS ROAD
Davron left the ruler's office and saw the same courtier in the waiting room. He was sitting on the sofa and quietly talking with the secretary, telling some funny story... Both were smiling. Seeing Davron, the servant immediately got up and approached him with the words:
“Oh, sir, I have been ordered to accompany you.
They left the emir's residence through the same half-dark corridor and found themselves in the backyard. The guards did not immediately notice their appearance and for some time, squatting, chatted about something.
- Why are you sitting here? - the courtier said with displeasure, and they immediately jumped up. “You are not in a cotton field, but in the service of His Majesty. I will convey this impermissible liberty to the ears of your commander.
- Have mercy, sir! We have families, children. We will not allow this in the future, ”the young guards shouted.
“Okay, forgive me this time. Remember my kindness, ”the courtier said more gently.
Jumping into the saddle, Davron looked with interest at the servant, who looked so important as if he was a great boss here. He did not like this young man, and the dervish remarked to himself: “A true Muslim should be more modest, even if he is the most trusted person of the ruler. Although, whatever you say, he is still a servant, and servants should know their place. To each his own, and this is predetermined from above, so that there is order on earth. "
The courtier said goodbye to the dervish, and he rode away.
Davron hastily returned to his caravanserai. As he entered the courtyard, he saw two servants under the vineyard. They sat on an old rug and talked among themselves, sipping hot green tea... These people usually guarded the property and goods of the guests, who became less and less every month. The reason was that the Bolsheviks closed their southern borders and declared all merchants enemies of Soviet power.
Seeing the owner, the servants jumped up and bowed. Concerned Davron did not even look in their direction and went into his cell. The dervishes were gone, and only the young assistant was sweeping the room. It was his nephew, whom he brought from his native village and forced him to study in a madrasah as a theologian. Davron's family was in one of the villages, near the Pamir foothills, where he was from. The young man lived in his uncle's cell, helping him with the housework.
- Where is Ahad, why can't I see him? Davron asked his nephew.
“He went to see our brothers off and said that at the same time he would make some purchases at the bazaar.
- Tell Ahad, I will be away for several days, let him regularly serve in my absence.
Davron went to a niche in the wall and began to put things in a khurjun.
- If anyone asks about me, tell me: my uncle went to Kabul.
“It will be done,” the assistant answered and, leaving the broom, took the khurjun from his uncle’s hands.
They went out into the yard. The bright sun blinded my eyes. The nephew threw the bag over the back of the horse, which was tied to a tree.
By nature, Davron was laconic, loved to think, and therefore dryly said goodbye to his nephew and galloped along the wide street.
Before the long road, it was necessary to stock up on food, and Davron drove into a noisy bazaar. At the gate, he dismounted, walked along the shops and bought cakes, nuts, raisins, dried apricots. He put the bags of dried fruit in khurjun and quickly left the bazaar. Then he went to one of the city gates. Approaching there, Davron noticed that now the gates of the city were guarded by a whole detachment of soldiers armed with English rifles. They sat against the wall, hiding in the shade, and out of idleness looked at passers-by, farmers from the nearest villages. They had already sold their goods, made purchases and returned home. Slowly riding among the crowd, Davron looked up and saw two sentinel soldiers with binoculars on the roof of the tower. One of them peered into the steppe, from where Russian soldiers could suddenly appear from the direction of Samarkand. The second, still very young, amused himself with the miracle technique, looking through the binoculars of the townspeople and their courtyards. At the same time he smiled enthusiastically. “Apparently he saw a friend,” Davron decided to himself. - What a fool, but how can you put such unreasonable in such important places, when the enemy can attack at any moment? This will have to be brought to the attention of the emir. " The behavior of the stupid soldier clearly upset the dervish, and he spat to the side in hearts. However, an indignant voice immediately sounded nearby:
- Hey, dervish, why are you spitting on my bull, what did he do you bad? an old man asked indignantly, barely keeping up with his animal and holding it on a taut leash.
- Oh, father, a thousand apologies, I did not notice him.
- I would not jinx the bull, because I just bought it.
“Oh, father, don't worry. Believe me, the dervish's drool is almost sacred, because we are God's children.
The disgruntled old man said nothing, and Davron relaxed the reins, quickening his horse's pace.
Finding himself outside the city gates, Davron galloped along the Karshi steppe, which led in the direction of Afghanistan and the Pamir foothills.
After three days of travel, he was already approaching his native village Durmen. His elderly parents, wife and six children lived in a large courtyard with a house with several rooms. In addition to a good house, there were horses, three cows, five bulls and about a hundred rams. The family's life proceeded in great prosperity, because Davron was the owner of a caravanserai in the capital itself. In addition, his Order received substantial donations from wealthy citizens. However, the head of the dervishes himself, following the commandments of the community, led a modest lifestyle and demanded the same from his relatives.
When Davron drove into the courtyard of his house, his soul immediately felt better. As usual, he stayed at home for no more than a week, until the household bored him, and then returned to the city to his brothers. The first to see him were two young grandchildren playing with nuts, knocking them out of the circle. With joyful shouts: “Grandpa has arrived! Grandpa has arrived! " they ran up to him, knowing that he would certainly treat him to sweets. Grandfather hugged them, and a slight smile appeared on his face, which rarely happened to him. Having received the lollipops, the children ran into the house with joyful shouts to tell the good news. The wife, daughters, sons and their wives immediately left the rooms.
Later Davron gave his wife a bag of silver coins. He set the same amount for the dastarkhan in front of his father, while the daughters-in-law were preparing pilaf in the courtyard. Davron and his sons settled down on the couch opposite their parents, who anxiously asked him about the turbulent events in Bukhara, as well as in neighboring lands, where the power of the Russian tsar fell and in some strange way passed into the hands of a new tsar named Lenin.
- They say that the new king is from a poor family and wants to make all poor people happy. Is it true son? - asked the father.
- Do not believe these conversations. Such false rumors with malicious intent are spread by the Bolsheviks themselves, and the local atheists help them in this. They sold themselves to Lenin. They want to do the same with us: to kill our emir, endowed with power from above, and to transfer the throne into the hands of this shaitan Lenin. Don't believe them. Are the Bolsheviks human if they shoot even mullahs? There can be nothing better than royal power, only the fact is that some rulers are kind, while others are greedy and cruel. Our emir is fair, I know him well.
- Oh, my son, do you personally know the emir? - the old man was extremely amazed, widening his eyes, and after him the rest of his relatives.
Davron bit his tongue, realizing that in the heat of anger at these damned kafirs he blabbed. Only a few knew about his trusting relationship with the ruler. And no one at all about what orders the emir gives to the dervish. Of course, you can trust your relatives, but among them there is always a chatterbox who wants to boast of such important relatives.
Frozen in anticipation, everyone's gaze was turned to Davron.
“Of course, I personally do not know the emir,” Davron had to lie with difficulty.
Dervish understood that deceiving was unworthy of a true Muslim. But such a deception is allowed if it is done for the good of the ruler. And since the power of the emir was given from above, the sin is not so great.
“I have seen His Majesty more than once in the mosque, in the bazaar,” explained Davron. - Living in the capital, it is impossible not to know about the affairs of the ruler.
- My son! You probably already know: the other day the Soviets captured Karshi, and now these kafirs are already around. We are afraid that they might come here. What will happen to us? They say that the Soviets do not like the rich and take everything away from them, and throw the dissatisfied into zindan.
- Most importantly, do not get involved in politics. Hide the money in a safe place. The Bolsheviks rob not only the rich, but also the wealthy farmers take money, flour, cattle. Therefore, I told my eldest son to sell half of our bulls and rams and convert all the money into gold coins. Be careful.
- Maybe we should leave the village before their invasion?
- Do not. The village has less politics and is not as dangerous as the city. In addition, it may happen that Bukhara will be in the hands of the "Reds" tomorrow. The furnishings are not at all good. So sit here for now. But smart people say that the Soviets will not be able to stay in power for long because the people are against them. Don't talk to anyone about our conversation. More often turn your eyes to the chambers of the Almighty and pray for our emir. Yes, now dress poorer, let people think that luck has turned away from us, and my income has completely dropped ... So they brought pilaf, let's talk about something else.
The young daughters-in-law brought in three dishes of pilaf, over which the steam rose. Children and the rest of the household came running for the women.
After the dinner, the women went to the kitchen, followed by the children, who found the conversations of adults boring.
Davron talked a little more with his father and decided to go to his place:
- Father, tomorrow at dawn I must set off on a long journey on an important matter. Read the prayer, and I will go and rest before the road.
After the prayer, Davron got up from the kurpachi, went down from the couch and, after a little hesitation, turned to his parent:
- Father, know that your son is an important person, although he wears the clothes of a beggar. Clothes for me are just a rag that covers my nakedness.
- My son, I can feel it in your conversations. And in last years your income has grown a lot. So you became an important person there.
In response, Davron only smiled slightly and went to his room.
With the onset of dawn, he saddled his beloved horse, threw the khurjun over the saddle and galloped towards the Pamir Mountains.
He was accustomed to such travels. I spent the night wherever it happened. If in the mountains, then under a rock or tree. If in the steppe - next to the horse under open air, and in kishlaks he found refuge in a teahouse.
The further he went into the depths of the high mountains, the less often he came across villages. But the mountain dwellers, for all their poverty, were very kind to him, especially because of their knowledge of the Koran.
On the eighth day, he began to meet strange mountaineers - kafirs, they did not accept Islam and retained some kind of their ancient faith. Davron did not respond to their hospitality: he did not go into their stone houses and take food.
High in the mountains, near the long tongues of the glacier, it was already cold, and at night they had to hide in a crevice of some rock, covered with a thin woolen blanket. At the same time, the dervish ate only dried fruits and stale cakes, soaking them in a seething stream, which rolled down the boulders with a crash. This way of life did not bother the dervish in the least. On the contrary, in these moments he felt closer to God. And when it was necessary to relax from a long exhausting drive, Davron turned off the road, hiding behind a rock, lay down on a rock, throwing a black ball of hashish under his tongue, and read a prayer to himself. After a while, he set off again, feeling a surge of strength throughout his body.
Only after eighteen days he reached Kashgar, the Chinese land, where many Muslims from Turkestan lived.
Behind a low hill appeared the city with its walls, minaret and roofs of clay houses. Davron sighed with relief and stopped the horse. Then, closing his eyes, he said a prayer of thanks and moved forward. The city gates were already visible, and it was only a little before them, when some horsemen, about twenty people, overtook it in the steppe. They silently surrounded him, and the dervish had to stop. Davron was calm, although he guessed that they were local robbers. The inhabitants of the villages told about them, which they sometimes attacked, taking away livestock, flour, money. But what to take from a beggar wanderer!
“Hey, beggar, get off your horse and come to me,” one of them shouted, wearing a black hat.
From his behavior it was noticeable - this is the leader. Thirty years old, wearing a new robe. The rest are much younger, in shabby clothes and unusual triangular felt hats. These people looked more like Mongols.
Davron slowly dismounted from his horse, went up to the leader and politely greeted, pressing his palm to his chest. There was no fear in Davron's eyes: he was sure that the dervish would not be robbed, otherwise it would be a great sin for any Muslim. “However, robbers are different, but what if they set out to search me and find a letter in the lining of my robe? - flashed through the dervish's head, and he felt scared. - Is it possible in such a situation to destroy the envelope imperceptibly? I won't even have time to swallow it. "
- Hey, dervish, where are you coming from and where are you going?
- I am a pilgrim from noble Bukhara and came here to pray at the grave of Saint Suleiman.
Mentioning the name of the local saint, Davron said "Amin".
The leader was a little at a loss at these words, but he intended to search the dervish and take away the last one, if any was found. This foreigner turned out to be the most devout Muslim if he dared to come from distant Bukhara only to honor the saint known to every Kashgarian. The leader thought: “It looks like this is a true dervish and you shouldn't offend him. What if in his prayers he complains about me to our Saint Suleiman, and he will send some misfortune or illness on my head? However, he has a good horse ":
- Hey, dervish, where did you get such a thoroughbred horse? Do you not think that it is not for a beggar to have such wealth?
- And you wanted me to go on such a long journey on a donkey?
- Of course not, but not on a Turkmen horse, which has a rather high price. By chance, did you steal it from some rich man?
“Don't let your tongue make such impudent speeches, for God can punish you.
- Okay, I will not touch the holy beggar, but I will take the horse all the same: it is clearly not yours. And we can't just let you go - it's not in our rules. You are still lucky with us.
The robbers agreed with the leader and nodded their heads approvingly, smiling broadly. Then the leader signaled to one of them. He approached the horse, threw the khurjun to the ground and climbed onto the horse. Then they rode off.
Davron watched the retreating horsemen with their gaze. Then he squatted down to read a prayer and thanked the Almighty for his saved life: “If Allah left me alive, then I am engaged in a godly deed. Perhaps the robbers were right: I shouldn't have embarked on such a dangerous journey on an expensive horse. " These thoughts made my soul feel light, because he was on the right path. And Davron threw the bag over his shoulder and walked towards the city.
Finding himself outside the city gates, among the noisy crowd, he went to the bazaar. Here, besides the Chinese, there were many of his fellow countrymen: Tajiks and Uzbeks.
Having tasted the Uighur lagman, Davron went to the jeweler's shop. The merchant turned out to be a Jew. This was noticeable not only in his big nose but also along a coarse hairline yellow color, encircling a robe, and a small black cap. According to Muslim law, Jews were obliged to wear these distinctive signs, so that they would not accidentally be mistaken for a Muslim, because the Jews were called "a filthy people" because they did not want to convert to Islam. “And even here they are, and they are also jewelers,” the dervish was surprised. The jeweler smiled at him like any customer, although in his heart he hated these fanatics dervishes. From such Jews more than once got. But they were reassured by one thing: the common people were tolerant of them.
The appearance of the dervish in the jeweler's shop looked rather strange: what could this beggar need here? Maybe he wants to order a diamond ring? And the jeweler chuckled inwardly.
- Where is the house of the main Englishman? You should know, ”Davron said to him.
- Why does a foreigner, especially a dervish, need an Englishman? The Jew asked in a low voice and became wary: “I don’t like this beggar, what if he’s some kind of spy?”
Davron was used to the fact that the Jews in his country were defenseless and did not dare to dare, but this one turned out to be arrogant. He leaned over to the merchant and said roughly:
- Look, I would not cut off your tongue for your daring questions!
The frightened jeweler began to make excuses:
- Oh, venerable dervish, you misunderstood me. I had no desire to offend you, let alone a guest. I just thought: now are turbulent times, and you ask me about the Englishman - this is already politics. And we, the Jews, do not need this at all, we want to live ...
- Tell me, where is the Englishman's house? - interrupted Davron.
- I'll tell you. The consul's house is located on the outskirts of the city, not far from a Buddhist monastery, everyone knows it, you just have to ask.
“That's better, and don't forget who you are,” the dervish said angrily and hastily left the shop.
Davron did not like Jews for a long time: he could not understand how this people could live peacefully on the land of Muslims, continuing to believe in their god Yahweh. “There can be nothing better in the world than Islam. Our faith is the righteous and purest, he told himself. - How these fools cannot understand that Islam is the true faith. Why love Jews if they are not able to understand this and do not want to accept Islam? Then let them get out of these lands. If it were his will, he would not stand on ceremony with them: he would either force them to change their faith, or drive them out. Even in his youth, together with other dervishes, Davron twice staged attacks on the houses of wealthy Jews, while beating them and taking away their property with the words: "Jews should not be richer than Muslims." It was in Karshi. But one day he decided to perpetrate a pogrom in the Jewish quarter of Bukhara. But as soon as they arrived at the Jewish mahalla with sticks, there they were met by the Emir's soldiers and directed their long guns at the dervishes. Davron had no choice but to leave, pick up, hello. Then Davron was greatly offended by the ruler. He could not figure out to himself why the emir could not understand him. The next day, two soldiers appeared in Davron's cell. As the organizer of the riots, he was brought to the palace. At this time, the ruler sat in a chair by the pool and threw slices of bread into the water. Red and black fish immediately pounced on the food, trying to snatch it from each other. Watching the struggle of these creatures, the emir smiled. They reminded him of his subjects, who, trying to be closer to him, behave just like these beautiful fish. When the chief of security brought Davron to the emir, the ruler's face frowned. Davron greeted and bowed his head apologetically before the ruler. “Davron, remember,” the emir said then, “Jews are also a useful people for Bukhara, and I will not allow them to offend. They are hardworking and bring considerable profit to our treasury ”. Dervish wanted to object and give his reasons, they say, they secretly prepare wine, vodka and sell it to Muslims. But the sovereign, as if reading his thoughts, said:
- And don't our people secretly prepare wine, sell drugs? They also corrupt our people, but you do not attack them, although you know their names.
After these words, the emir turned away from the dervish and began to throw pieces of bread into the water again. The head of the dervishes realized that the conversation was over.
- Yes, here's another thing, - added the emir, when the dervish was about to leave, backing away and bowing low, - do not abuse my trust in you, Davron. The master of Bukhara is the emir, not the dervishes.
The dervish remembered this story as he walked through the noisy bazaar. But even now he has not changed his mind.
From the jeweler he went to the second part of the bazaar, where horses and livestock were sold. There he took a liking to a strong horse, and without bargaining with a talkative second-hand dealer, he counted out the gold coins and put it in his palm. The reseller's face beamed, and he thought to himself: “Where does this beggar get so much money? Must have robbed someone. But that's none of my business. "
Riding a horse through the narrow streets with squalid houses Davron set off towards a Buddhist monastery. The benevolent townspeople who spoke the Turkic language, like in his homeland, showed him the way.
The city turned out to be small, and soon Davron drove up to a Chinese-style monastery. From there, one could already see a low European building enclosed by a white wall. There was no doubt that this was the British consulate. Dervish sighed with relief: "Glory to Allah, at last," - and galloped to the small gate. He was met by security - four local dark-skinned soldiers. They were dressed in English trousers and a shirt, but each had a turban on their heads. The soldiers pointed their guns towards the dervish and became alert.
“I need your master, the Englishman Esserton,” Davron uttered his overseas surname with difficulty and dismounted.
The guards looked at each other in surprise.
- Why did the dervish need our master? one of them, apparently the senior in rank, asked in Turkic.
- I'm a messenger. Tell him that I brought a letter for him from Bukhara itself.
“Give me the letter, I’ll give it to the Englishman,” said the elder.
- No. I have to hand it myself, personally. This is what my master ordered.
- And who is your master, the same dervish?
The guards chuckled, and the youngest laughed aloud.
“Soldier, you are asking many unreasonable and unnecessary questions. Look, no matter how later you have to repent, because due to excessive curiosity, you can lose your service.
The guards looked at each other - in the words of this dervish there was a hidden power: it turns out that this beggar is not so simple. Then the elder nodded to the youngest, and he hurriedly went into the courtyard, throwing his gun behind his back.
Soon a European of about forty appeared at the gate: a freckled face, red hair, dressed like the Russians - a light suit and a strange hat, as if he had put a deep cup on his head. "How ridiculous and ugly the outfits of these Englishmen are," flashed through the dervish's head.
- Did you ask me that? - the Englishman was surprised, although his face remained calm. “I'm Pat Esserton, Consul of the British Empire. Listen to you.
The Englishman spoke Persian, and this astonished the messenger. Dervish carefully examined the consul and quickly became convinced that this was the right person. The emir described him in almost the same way: tall, lips thin to the point of unpleasantness, yellow hair, thin mustache, gray eyes. Esserton visited Bukhara more than once, and, according to the emir, they developed friendly relations.
- I brought a letter from the Emir of Bukhara.
- Well, come on, - said the consul, unable to hide his mistrust.
- It is sewn inside the robe.
The consul thought for a moment: “Should I believe this beggar, what if it’s a sent mercenary? The murder of the British diplomat may now be very useful - it will complicate the already difficult situation in this region. Maybe search him before you bring him into the residence? " But he immediately abandoned this thought - otherwise they would consider him a coward. And Esserton replied:
- Escort the guest to my office, - he ordered the soldiers and let the messenger go ahead, so that in case of something he could not attack him from behind. He himself paused near the senior guard, and then followed the dervish. This precaution was clearly not superfluous here.
Accompanied by two soldiers, the dervish walked along the sand path towards a large, solid house, on the roof of which some kind of flag was hoisted. “Apparently English,” the messenger decided. Walking between the soldiers, he looked around: a garden was laid out around the house, the decorations of which were two reservoirs and white flower beds. Even this beauty did not touch the dervish's heart, because he saw true beauty only in prayers, in communion with God.
The guest was brought to the consul's spacious office, but no further entrance doors... The guards stayed close. The consul himself went up to the massive writing table and, leaning against its edge, turned to the dervish. Behind the owner of the study stood two casements filled with books and folders, porcelain figurines and crockery.
Davron silently took off his robe, then pulled a knife from his boot and cut the lining. When the dervish took out the envelope, the consul himself went up to him and took the letter from his hands. Returning to the table, Esserton sat down in a chair. Then he opened the envelope with scissors and took out a paper with the emblem of Bukhara. Now there was no doubt that this man was the emir's messenger. Then the consul gestured to the guest to sit down on one of the chairs along the wall.
Esserton opened the letter. It was written in English, and Pat guessed at once: it was written by Victor, a Russian colonel. The consul was not very surprised - in recent years he had close ties with the emir, established in the course of the struggle against the Bolsheviks. Before he even started reading, he thought: "Apparently, Alimkhan's business is very bad and he needs a weapon again." Without doubting this, he set to work on the letter, the content of which began as follows:
“Honorable friend Pat, who represents the mighty empire - Great Britain! The emir of glorious Bukhara is addressing you with an unusual request and counts on the support of the British crown. As you know, after the revolution in Russia, our countries have become much closer, and in recent years Great Britain has helped us not only morally, but also sent caravans with weapons. For which we are very grateful. With the help of this weapon, we managed to defend Bukhara from the attack of the hated Bolsheviks and even defeat the army of Commissar Kolesov.
But for recent times the political life of our fertile land has been greatly shaken. This Russian shaitan, Lenin, sent a large army of his Red Army men from Russia to our borders. You probably already know that they recently took Karshi, and the ring around Bukhara is shrinking, although the Bolsheviks themselves constantly declare that they have no hostile intentions against Bukhara. I don't believe them. Now in Samarkand they are creating a large army of Muslims of Russia, who are preparing to seize Bukhara. Our scouts are reporting this. They also informed us that in two months the Bolsheviks would launch an offensive against Bukhara. Now we are not sure if we can stop the Russians. Therefore, I must now secure the Bukhara treasury - and this is a huge amount of gold. The treasures of the Bukhara Khanate, which were accumulated by my ancestors-mangits for about two hundred years, should not fall into the hands of the Bolsheviks. Even if they take over my country, it will be a temporary success, because the Bolsheviks will not last long in power. The people will surely see the light and throw these robbers off the throne. Then our treasury will return to Bukhara again.
My friend Pat, I ask you and in your person the British Empire to take the gold of Bukhara for temporary preservation. I must hurry, the road to Iran is already closed by the Bolsheviks, only the Pamirs and Afghanistan remain. If you give the go-ahead, then in a month and a half the caravan with gold will arrive in Kashgar, at the residence of the English consul. In this case, I will be your personal debtor and, of course, your service will be rewarded very generously.
This letter is to be delivered by my faithful servant Davron, a dervish with a large black mole under his right ear. This is his omen. He will also deliver your answer to us.
Greetings from your friend Nikolaev.
Waiting for an answer. His Majesty the Emir of Bukhara Said Alimkhan ”.

the last emir of the emirate of Bukhara Seyid Mir Muhammad Alim Khan

The Kherson Museum refused to sell a unique saber, even for 100 thousand dollars. A Damascus steel saber with a hilt and a silver scabbard, decorated with the most skillful engraving of Kubachi jewelers, was made in the nineteenth century personally for the Emir of Bukhara Seyid Khan.

Gold of the Emir of Bukhara

Scientists have discovered an amazing document - professor historical sciences N. Nazarshoev and Associate Professor of Historical Sciences A. Gafurov - while working in the Russian State Archive of Social and Political History (former archive of the Central Committee of the CPSU). The inventory, typed on a typewriter, with a volume of 48 sheets, listed the material values ​​of the Bukhara emir.

Emir of Bukhara Mir-Seid-Abdul-Ahad surrounded by Russian officers

Emir of Bukhara and his retinue in Moscow in 1896. Photo of the State Historical Museum.

Almost every year, articles by writers, publicists, scientists and simply history buffs appear in the media and on the Internet, in which they express hypotheses and assumptions about the location of the gold of the Mangyt dynasty. This topic has been relevant since the overthrow of the last Bukhara emir Said Mir Alimkhan. Moreover, the authors of the articles try, as a rule, to attribute to the emir as much wealth as possible. But everyone, as a rule, writes that before his flight from Bukhara, he had taken out 10 tons of gold in advance, worth 150 million Russian rubles at that time, which today is equivalent to 70 million US dollars.

Order of Noble Bukhara, gold; 2 - the same order of the lowest degree, silver (State Historical Museum); 3 - gold badge of the same order (?); 4-5 - Order of the Crown of the State of Bukhara; 6-8 - medals for diligence and merit (6 - gold; 7-8 - silver and bronze, from the collection of the State Historical Museum).

All this treasure was allegedly hidden somewhere in the caves of the Hissar range. At the same time, according to one of the versions, Said Alimkhan got rid of unnecessary witnesses according to the classic scenario: the drivers who knew about the valuable cargo were destroyed by the emir's confidant, the dervish Davron and his assistants. Then the latter were deprived of their lives by the personal bodyguard of the emir Karapush with the guards, and soon Karapush himself, who reported to the emir about the successful completion of the operation and dedicated his lord to the secrets of burying the treasure, was strangled by the personal executioner of the emir on the same night in the palace bedchamber. The guards also disappeared - they were also killed.

At 20-30. groups of armed horsemen, numbering dozens or even hundreds of people, infiltrated the territory of Tajikistan in order to search for the treasure. However, all these forays were in vain. The search for the treasure continued illegally in subsequent years. But the treasure was never found.

So there was still a treasure, walled up in the Hissar ridge? Having asked this question, the authors of this article decided to conduct their own investigation. And we started by looking for archival documents that could open the veil of secrecy.

In the course of our work in the Russian State Archive of Social and Political History (the former archive of the Central Committee of the CPSU), we found an interesting document. Printed on a typewriter, 48 sheets in volume, it described the material values ​​of the Bukhara emir.

So…

December 22, 1920, i.e. Almost four months after the emir was overthrown, members of the State Commission for the Accounting of Values ​​of the Bukhara People's Soviet Republic (BNSR) Khairulla Mukhitdinov and Khol-Khoja Suleimankhodjaev were taken by train to Tashkent and deposited with the People's Commissariat of Finance of the Turkestan ASSR. Bukhara Emir.

After the delivery of the valuable cargo, the State Commission drew up the relevant Act in two copies, one of which was transferred to the Commissariat of Finance of the Turkestan Republic, and the second to the Nazirat of Finance of the BNSR.

The values ​​that were indicated in the Act had 1193 serial numbers (No. 743 repeated twice), packed in chests and bags. When opened, they turned out to be clogged with precious stones, money, gold, silver, copper, clothing. Of all this treasure, we will list only those that, in our opinion, are of undoubted interest.

Precious stones were represented by diamonds, diamonds, pearls, coral. Of these: 53 large diamonds (weight not specified), 39 large diamonds (138 carats), more than 400 medium-sized diamonds (450 carats), 500 smaller diamonds (410 carats), small diamonds (43 carats). Total gemstones: 1,041 carats, excluding 53 large diamonds.

Most of the precious stones are inlaid in gold items: 1 sultan with diamonds and pearls, 4 crowns, 3 pairs of earrings, 8 brooches, 26 rings, 26 ladies' watches, 37 orders, 11 bracelets, 53 cigarette cases, 14 belts with badges, 7 stars (with 5 large and medium diamonds and 30 small ones), 43 women's mirrors, the Order of the White Eagle with 13 diamonds, a bust portrait of the Garden of Alimkhan with 10 large and 20 small diamonds, a plaque with 59 diamonds, the Order of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called with 20 diamonds, 2 orders Vladimir I degree with 20 diamonds and two attachments with 10 diamonds, 5 orders of Stanislav I degree with 13 diamonds, the Order of Alexander Nevsky with diamonds, Danish Cross with 14 diamonds, Serbian Eagle with 5 diamonds, sign "For 25 years of service" with 6 diamonds, 3 silver Persian stars with diamonds, 18 silver checkers with stones and enamel, silver buckle with 21 diamonds.

In addition, there were jewelry of coral beads weighing 12 pounds (1 lb. = 0.409 kg), pearl beads framed in gold - 35 pounds.

Gold is presented in the form of various decorations - 14 pounds (1p. = 16kg), placers - 10 pounds and 4 lbs. scrap with a total weight of 4p. and 2 lbs., 262 ingots - 12p. and 15 pounds, Russian coins of various denominations for a total of 247,600 rubles, Bukhara coins for a total of 10,036 rubles, foreign coins (1 p.). In general, the mass of gold in jewelry, placers, scrap, ingots, coins, orders amounted to 688, 424 kg.

Silver is presented in the form of various objects and kitchen utensils: vases, caskets, brothers, samovars, trays, buckets, jugs, teapots, cup holders, glasses, plates, coffee pots, decanters, dining tables, dessert and tea spoons, forks, knives. As well as a music box, various women's jewelry with stones (not specified, with which: precious or not), table calendars, a telescope, Bukhara orders and medals, saucers, figurines, candlesticks, bowlers, bracelets, plaques, cigarette cases, gargles, watches floor, dining room clocks, chessboard with figures, tureens, milk jugs, wine glasses, cups, albums, mugs, sugar bowls, women's hats, rings with stones, scabbards, necklaces, most of which were covered with enamel of different colors, horse harnesses with badges.

But most of the silver was presented in the form of bars and coins in 632 chests and 2364 sacks with a total weight of 6417 points and 8 pounds, which corresponds to about 102.7 tons.

Paper money was packed in 26 chests: Russian Nikolaev for a total of 2010 111 rubles, Russian Kerensky - 923,450 rubles, Bukhara - 4,579,980 tills.

In 180 large chests there was a manufactory: 63 robes with fur, 46 cloth robes, 105 - silk, 92 - velvet, 300 - brocade, 568 - paper, 14 different fur skins, 1 coat with a collar, 10 carpets, 8 felt felt, 13 rugs , 47 cloth cuts, 2897 silk cuts, 52 velvet cuts, 74 brocade cuts, 78 wool cuts, 1156 cuts of paper material, 415 turbans, 596 different blankets, 278 wide trousers, 1004 shirts, 436 tablecloths, 1228 shawls, 76046 skullcaps, 6 pairs of shoes.

Copper money and tableware were packed in 8 chests, with a total weight of 33 p. And 12 lb.

There is an appendix to the Act, according to which all gold items and gems passed peer review to determine their quality and weight. The assessment was given by the jeweler Danilson. However, interestingly, the weight of the precious stones, gold and silver identified by Danilson is understated compared to that given in the Act itself.

We also did our calculations. According to our data, according to the Act and at the current exchange rate, the price of Emir's gold (1 troy ounce, or 31.1 grams = $ 832), if it is completely converted into scrap (688, 424 kg), is more than 18 million US dollars. For all the silver, if it is also scrapped (102, 7 tons), on the world markets today they could give more than 51 million dollars (1 gram = $ 2). For 1,041 carats of diamonds at Sotheby's or Christie's trading auctions, you can earn about $ 34 million (1 carat = $ 32.5 thousand).

In general, the cost of only this part of the treasury of Mangit's treasures totals about 103 million dollars, which at least by a third exceeds the calculations of the search engines of the emir's treasure.

However, we are powerless to estimate the cost of 53 large diamonds (weight not specified), coral and pearl beads with a total weight of over 19.2 kg.

As for diamonds, they are the hardest, most beautiful and most expensive of all gemstones. In the four "higher" stones (diamond, sapphire, emerald, ruby), he is in first place. Diamonds have always been insanely prized not only for their beauty and rarity, but also for the mystical properties that they supposedly possessed. The most expensive diamonds are 1/1, that is, no color, no defects. From antiquity, the name for such stones "diamonds of pure water" came from. to distinguish a natural crystal from a fake, it was thrown into clean water, and it was lost in it. Consequently, in our opinion, only the diamonds of the Bukhara Emir in their value could surpass all other treasury values.

Is it possible at all to appreciate gold jewelry with precious stones, because they all have great artistic value. What is the Russian Order of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called? In 2006, at the Sotheby's auction, 428 thousand dollars were given for this order. Or the one-of-a-kind portrait of Said Alimkhan, framed with 10 large and 20 small diamonds.

And all this valuable cargo from Bukhara was delivered to Tashkent. And he, no doubt, was part of Said Alimkhan's treasury. However, these data do not answer the question: is this the complete state of the emir, or is it only a part of it? The fact is that the entire treasury of the Bukhara Emirate consisted, according to various estimates, of 30-35 million till, which corresponded to approximately 90-105 million Russian rubles. Adventurers estimate 10 tons of gold at the rate of 1920 at 150 million Russian rubles. It turns out that they overestimated the state of the emir by 1.5 times. Why is there such a discrepancy?

We will try to understand this issue. Returning to the beginning of our story, we know that, according to some authors, the emir took out and hid his entire treasury in the mountains - 10 tons of gold. Could he have done this, involving a couple of dozen people for this operation. I think not. Firstly, in order to take out such a load, at least a hundred horses are needed, not counting the cavalry guards. And this is already a whole caravan. Unnoticed, he could not have walked a short distance, not to mention the fact that the cargo was hidden in the spurs of the Hissar mountains.

Secondly, having returned to Bukhara, the emir, having destroyed all the witnesses, for some reason did not tell his relatives about where the treasure was hidden. But he had to do it in case of overthrow or even worse - murder. After all, the sons had to replace him on the throne, and they needed the sovereign's treasury. The Emir could not help but understand this.

Thirdly, having fled to Gissar after the overthrow, the emir began to recruit the local population into the army. But to fully arm everyone, he did not have enough funds. To do this, he imposed additional levies on the inhabitants of Eastern Bukhara, but managed to arm only a third of his new army.

Fourth, Alimkhan did not give up hope for help from abroad. So, in a letter to the King of Great Britain on October 12, 1920, he wrote that he hoped for the support of His Majesty and expects help from him in the amount of 100 thousand pounds sterling, 20 thousand guns with ammunition, 30 guns with shells, 10 airplanes and 2 thousand Anglo soldiers -Indian army. However, England, which did not want to go to a direct aggravation with the Bolsheviks, fearing that they could continue their offensive and establish Soviet power in Afghanistan, did not help the emir.

Fifth, Said Alimkhan did not try, as some imagine, to transport his supposedly hidden gold reserve in the Hissar mountains to Afghanistan, because he did not trust any of his kurbashis, not even Enver Pasha and Ibrahimbek. In addition, even if the emir had entrusted them with this mission, it would have been doomed to failure, since such a caravan could not be led unnoticed through Soviet territory, moreover, it could not have been transported across the Pyanj. For this it was necessary to prepare a large-scale military operation. But for its implementation, as history has shown, the emir had neither the strength nor the means.

Sixth, if the emir still had hidden treasures, then in the 20-30s he could try to take them out with the help of foreign countries and international organizations. But even in this case, he did not make a single attempt. There are several known intercepted letters from Said Alimkhan addressed to foreign politicians, but in none of them does he mention the presence of a gold cache.

Seventh, the lack of cash did not allow the Bukhara emir to provide material assistance to his kurbashi. So, after the detention of the supreme kurbashi Ibrahimbek on the territory of Tajikistan, he, during interrogation on July 5, 1931 in Tashkent, admitted with undisguised indignation that in December 1930 he wrote to Emir Alimkhan: “Seven years (meaning the period 1920-1926 - ed. .) by your order, I fought against Soviet power with his own means and efforts, constantly receiving all kinds of promises of help, but he did not wait for their fulfillment. "

Thus, all of the above leads to the idea that the emir's gold with a mass of 10 tons, as we think, did not exist. At the same time, Said Alimkhan, of course, had his own treasury, which he managed to take out of Bukhara. After all, it is no coincidence that during his escape from Bukhara, he was accompanied by at least a thousand guardsmen. However, as you know, you cannot carry much on horseback. The emir could not attract camels for this purpose, since, although they are carrying capacity, they are very slow-moving. And the emir needed a mobile group so that in case of a chase he would not have to abandon the caravan. Said Alimkhan needed the financial resources and jewelry he took away, I think, this is 15-20 percent of the total part of the treasury for the most necessary expenses: monetary allowances for the guards, the purchase of weapons, the maintenance of his administrative apparatus and the newly recruited harem, etc.

In addition, one should not discount the argument that the emir did not intend to leave Bukhara for a long time and was waiting for an opportunity to take revenge for the defeat. After all, it is no coincidence that in Eastern Bukhara, he announced mobilization and addressed a memorandum to the League of Nations on the forced declaration of war on the Bolsheviks.

But time worked against Said Alimkhan. The Bolsheviks, having taken power in Bukhara, also seized most of the remaining treasury of the Mangit dynasty. These treasures were transferred to the People's Commissariat of Finance of the Turkestan ASSR.


We failed to trace the further fate of the Bukhara Emir's treasury, delivered to Tashkent. However, it is easy to guess that soon the jewelry was sent to Moscow. Civil War in Russia was still going on, and in order to supply the Red Army with everything necessary, the treasures of the Bukhara Emir came in very handy. For this, precious stones were removed from gold jewelry, and the latter were melted into metal. Thus, things that were of high artistic and historical value were lost forever. Although some rare copies could have been "lost" during transportation, and are now kept in some collections, the owners of which, for personal safety, usually remain incognito.

Penjikent is an ancient city located in the mountains of Tajikistan. Bukhara is very close, the border with Kyrgyzstan is nearby, the deserts of Turkmenistan are close at hand. Until 1920, all these lands were part of the Bukhara Emirate. In the bottomless cellars of the Ark, a fortress that reigns over the city, innumerable riches have accumulated over hundreds of years. Each of the three million subjects of the emir had to pay taxes to the treasury. But most of all gold came to the treasury from the emir's mines on the banks of the Zeravshan. Over thirty million gold tilpya were received in the underground storage facilities of the Bukhara fortress over the course of a year. And the expenses of the emirate for the same period amounted to only three million - mainly for the army and the purchase of weapons. The difference remained in the treasury of the emir.
In August 1920, the emirate fell on hard times. The events in Russia shook the masses of the people. An uprising was being prepared. In the sky over Bukhara, reconnaissance airplanes with red stars on their wings appeared more and more often. And once even the four-engine "Ilya Muromets" flew in - the Red Army was approaching. It was necessary not only to carry off our feet, but also to export the wealth accumulated by the Mangyt dynasty ...

DESCENDER OF AN OLD KIND

The first time I met Masoud in Penjikent was almost twenty years ago. He was engaged in excavations of an ancient settlement here. From him I learned what the further fate of the Bukhara treasures was ...
- Emir Sid Alimkhan had a trusted person - the dervish Davron. Once he was brought to the palace at night so that unnecessary eyes would not see. In the chambers of the sovereign, besides the lord himself, the dervish met another person - the emir's bodyguard, Colonel Txobo Kalapush. There was also the head of the emir's artillery topchibashi Nizametdin. But the emir hid him in the next room. Invisible, he heard the whole conversation.
Deciding how to save the treasure. There was so much gold that a caravan would need about a hundred pack horses, each of which could carry khurjins with five pounds of gold in each. The total value of the emir's property exceeded 150 million gold rubles at the prices of that time.
Where to drive the caravan? To Kashgar? There is an English consulate, headed by an old acquaintance of the Emir - the consul Mr. Esserton. But the dervish Davron had already visited Kashgar, and the news he brought back was disappointing. The emir's letter simply frightened the consul. What is the British Consulate in Kashgar? Small house in a shady garden on the outskirts of Urumqi. All his guards are the British flag and several sepoys armed with rifles. And all around there are bandit gangs terrorizing Kashgar, the uprising in Xinjiang, the war in Turkestan, general instability. To accept a caravan with gold in such conditions means to bring misfortune to your quiet abode.
Esserton was a professional diplomat and made, as it seemed to him, a wise decision: let the authorities think and decide. In Delhi, in the palace of the Viceroy of India, an encrypted message was sent out with a statement of the situation.
But there were also officials in Delhi. And they also understood the full risk and responsibility associated with such a case. If they agree, it will turn out that the British government guarantees the safety of the emir's treasury. And if the bandits get it? We'll have to pay the entire cost of the lost to the emir at the expense of the British Empire. No, the Viceroy of India could not take such a risk. Therefore, the English consul wrote a letter to the emir in the most refined terms. In it, he swore an ardent friendship and wished all the best, only at the end - with great regret - he noticed that he could not accept and keep the treasury of the ruler of Bukhara.
Now those gathered in the palace that night had to decide where to send the caravan - to Iran or Afghanistan. It was dangerous to go with such a caravan to Iran, to Mashhad - the situation in the Caspian Sea remained tense. We made a different decision. In the first decade of September 1920, at night, a caravan of several hundred horses and camels, loaded with Bukhara's treasures, water and food supplies, moved south. The guard was made up of the emir's guards, commanded by Taxobo Kalapush. Next to him, stirrup to stirrup, rode the dervish Davron.
Near the town of Guzar they turned sharply to the left and near Langar they went deep into the foothills of the Pamirs.
The caravan split up. Armed guards led by Kalapush, pack animals with supplies and water remained in the valley. Camels and horses, laden with gold, and their accompanying drivers, went deep into one of the mountain crevices. Davron and two more dervishes rode ahead.
A day has passed since the departure of Davron and his companions, then the second. Alarmed, Kalapush raised his men and followed the trail of the caravan. After walking several kilometers along a narrow winding cleft, the riders found several corpses. They were the drivers. And after a while they stumbled upon Davron himself and two of his companions. All three were injured. Davron told what happened. Some of the drivers found out what was in the saddlebags and packs, and informed his comrades. They decided to kill Davron and his companions and take possession of the treasure. There was a fight, but Davron and his friends managed to fight back. Despite the wounds, they hid the packs of gold in an inconspicuous cave. Kalapush examined her and was pleased. Not trusting anyone, the emir's bodyguard himself filled up the entrance to the cave with stones and drove the horses and camels back into the valley.
They bandaged the dervishes and put them on horses. Now only they and Kalapush knew where the emir's values ​​were hidden. When the mountains were left behind, Davron felt very bad and wanted to drive into his native village - it was almost on the way. Kalapush generously agreed, but in the morning, when the hour of prayer came, the three figures did not rise from the ground. Davron and his dervish friends stayed there forever. Faithful Kalapush fulfilled the secret order of the emir: no one should know the secrets of the treasure.
“You know so well what happened in these places eighty years ago,” I said to Masood. - Where?
- I myself am from these places. And Davron was one of my ancestors. This story has been passed down from generation to generation in our family. As a boy, I heard it and then swore to myself that I would find this treasure, although it brought so much misfortune to our family.

THE FATE OF THE TREASURE

“As an archaeologist, I could search without arousing suspicion in anyone,” Masood continued. - I'll tell you what happened next ...
On the fourth day, the caravan returned to Bukhara. In Karaulbazar, the tired horsemen were joyfully greeted by the treadmills of Nieametdin and his warriors. After pilaf and green tea, we went to bed in order to arrive early in the sacred Bukhara. However, in the morning the horses were saddled only by the soldiers of the commander of the emir's artillery. All of Kalapush's companions - except himself - were killed.
The Emir graciously greeted his bodyguard. He asked in detail about the road, how they found the secret place, how they hid the treasure and disguised the cache. The overlord was especially interested in whether there were living witnesses. “No, answered Kalapush, - now on earth only two know the secret: the lord and me. But Vladyka does not doubt my loyalty ... "
Of course, the emir did not doubt ... that the secret, known to two, is not half a secret. And on the same night, Kalapush, who was treated kindly by the emir, was strangled by the palace executioner.
Only two days have passed since the day of his death, horses began to be saddled in the palace stables - the emir decided to flee. Nobody even remembered his former bodyguard. Now the chief of artillery, Nizametdin, rode next to the emir.
A day later, somewhere in the steppe, a shot rang out from the emir's retinue. Topchibashi fell to the ground. There was no one left, except for the former ruler of sacred Bukhara, who would know something about the caravan with gold.
With a detachment of a hundred sabers, he crossed the border into Afghanistan. Of the entire multimillion-dollar treasure, only two horses remained, laden with saddle bags with gold bars and precious stones.
The years passed. The emir lived in Kabul, but the treasure left behind by Pyanj kept him awake. All twenties almost every month to the territory Central Asia the Basmachi gangs penetrated. Many of them rushed to the area where the treasure was hidden. But the Basmachi were unlucky. After destroying crops and killing several activists, they returned to Afghanistan. However, the emir did not calm down. In 1930, Ibrahim-bek's gang crossed the border. He had five hundred sabers with him. But, captured, he was executed, his severed head was sent in 1931 to Moscow, to the Cheka.
The surviving members of the defeated gang of Ibrahim-bek continued to search for the treasure. Someone decided that the secret place should be known by the relatives of Davron or Kalapush. And they began to die. After torture, almost all of Davron's brothers and sisters were killed. The kishlak, where the relatives of Kalapush lived, was burned, all of its inhabitants were massacred.
“Davron was a relative of my grandfather,” Masud recently confessed to me. - From him I learned the whole story. And now there are people interested in my search. At first (I was younger then and more naive) a certain Timur Pulatov from Bukhara rubbed around me. He climbed out of his skin, trying to help in my search. And it ended with the fact that he stole several schemes of routes already passed and fled with them, oddly enough, to Moscow. I recently met him on the street. You know this company that sits on the sidewalks in oriental robes, begging for alms. So their leader Pulatov, nicknamed "The Ishach Count" ...
After the theft, I began to divide my schemes into several parts and hide them in different places. The main thing, of course, I keep in my head. After all, the area where the treasure is hidden occupies only 100 square kilometers. For two decades I have studied it in great detail.
- And found it? ..
Masood is mysteriously silent. Then he says:
“You know, ten tons of gold is hard to find, but it was hard to hide it either. There was little time left for this. Shallowly hidden. This means that sensitive devices will find it. And I already have them. Only the time is hectic now. Now it's dangerous to meddle in there ...
This man, possessed by his passion, went through a difficult life. He has almost achieved success, but is forced to stop at the very doorstep. Only I am sure - not for long.

Bukhara Emir did not have 10 tons of gold - Tajik scientists

An amazing document was discovered by Tajik scientists - Professor of Historical Sciences Nazarsho Nazarshoev and Associate Professor of Historical Sciences Abdullo Gafurov - while working in the Russian State Archive of Social and Political History (the former archive of the Central Committee of the CPSU). The 48-sheet typewritten inventory listed the material assets of the Bukhara Emir, Asia-Plus reported.

Almost every year in the media and on the Internet there are articles by writers, publicists, scientists and simply history buffs, in which they express hypotheses and assumptions about the whereabouts of the gold of the Mangyt dynasty. This topic has been relevant since the overthrow of the last Bukhara emir Said Mir Alimkhan. Moreover, the authors of the articles try, as a rule, to attribute to the emir as much wealth as possible. But everyone, as a rule, writes that before his flight from Bukhara, he had taken out 10 tons of gold in advance, worth 150 million Russian rubles at that time, which today is equivalent to 70 million US dollars.

All this treasure was allegedly hidden somewhere in the caves of the Hissar range. At the same time, according to one of the versions, Said Alimkhan got rid of unnecessary witnesses according to the classic scenario: the drivers who knew about the valuable cargo were destroyed by the emir's confidant, the dervish Davron and his assistants. Then the latter were deprived of their lives by the personal bodyguard of the emir Karapush with the guards, and soon Karapush himself, who reported to the emir about the successful completion of the operation and dedicated his lord to the secrets of burying the treasure, was strangled by the personal executioner of the emir on the same night in the palace bedchamber. The guards also disappeared - they were also killed.

At 20-30. groups of armed horsemen, numbering dozens or even hundreds of people, infiltrated the territory of Tajikistan in order to search for the treasure. However, all these forays were in vain. The search for the treasure continued illegally in subsequent years. But the treasure was never found.

So there was still a treasure, walled up in the Hissar ridge? Having asked this question, the authors of this article decided to conduct their own investigation. And we started by looking for archival documents that could open the veil of secrecy.

In the course of our work in the Russian State Archive of Social and Political History (the former archive of the Central Committee of the CPSU), we found an interesting document. Printed on a typewriter, 48 sheets in volume, it described the material values ​​of the Bukhara emir.

December 22, 1920, i.e. Almost four months after the emir was overthrown, members of the State Commission for the Accounting of Values ​​of the Bukhara People's Soviet Republic (BNSR) Khairulla Mukhitdinov and Khol-Khoja Suleimankhodjaev were taken by train to Tashkent and deposited with the People's Commissariat of Finance of the Turkestan ASSR. Bukhara Emir.

After the delivery of the valuable cargo, the State Commission drew up the relevant Act in two copies, one of which was transferred to the Commissariat of Finance of the Turkestan Republic, and the second to the Nazirat of Finance of the BNSR.

The values ​​that were indicated in the Act had 1193 serial numbers (No. 743 repeated twice), packed in chests and bags. When opened, they turned out to be clogged with precious stones, money, gold, silver, copper, clothing. Of all this treasure, we will list only those that, in our opinion, are of undoubted interest.

Precious stones were represented by diamonds, diamonds, pearls, coral. Of these: 53 large diamonds (weight not specified), 39 large diamonds (138 carats), more than 400 medium-sized diamonds (450 carats), 500 smaller diamonds (410 carats), small diamonds (43 carats). Total gemstones: 1,041 carats, excluding 53 large diamonds.

Most of the precious stones are inlaid in gold items: 1 sultan with diamonds and pearls, 4 crowns, 3 pairs of earrings, 8 brooches, 26 rings, 26 ladies' watches, 37 orders, 11 bracelets, 53 cigarette cases, 14 belts with badges, 7 stars (with 5 large and medium diamonds and 30 small ones), 43 women's mirrors, the Order of the White Eagle with 13 diamonds, a bust portrait of the Garden of Alimkhan with 10 large and 20 small diamonds, a plaque with 59 diamonds, the Order of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called with 20 diamonds, 2 orders Vladimir I degree with 20 diamonds and two attachments with 10 diamonds, 5 orders of Stanislav I degree with 13 diamonds, the Order of Alexander Nevsky with diamonds, Danish Cross with 14 diamonds, Serbian Eagle with 5 diamonds, sign "For 25 years of service" with 6 diamonds, 3 silver Persian stars with diamonds, 18 silver checkers with stones and enamel, silver buckle with 21 diamonds.

In addition, there were jewelry of coral beads weighing 12 pounds (1 lb. = 0.409 kg), pearl beads framed in gold - 35 pounds.

Gold is presented in the form of various decorations - 14 pounds (1p. = 16kg), placers - 10 pounds and 4 lbs. scrap with a total weight of 4p. and 2 lbs., 262 ingots - 12p. and 15 pounds, Russian coins of various denominations for a total of 247,600 rubles, Bukhara coins for a total of 10,036 rubles, foreign coins (1 p.). In general, the mass of gold in jewelry, placers, scrap, ingots, coins, orders amounted to 688, 424 kg.

Silver is presented in the form of various objects and kitchen utensils: vases, caskets, brothers, samovars, trays, buckets, jugs, teapots, cup holders, glasses, plates, coffee pots, decanters, dining tables, dessert and tea spoons, forks, knives. As well as a music box, various women's jewelry with stones (not specified, with which: precious or not), table calendars, a telescope, Bukhara orders and medals, saucers, figurines, candlesticks, bowlers, bracelets, plaques, cigarette cases, gargles, watches floor, dining room clocks, chessboard with figures, tureens, milk jugs, wine glasses, cups, albums, mugs, sugar bowls, women's hats, rings with stones, scabbards, necklaces, most of which were covered with enamel of different colors, horse harnesses with badges.

But most of the silver was presented in the form of bars and coins in 632 chests and 2364 sacks with a total weight of 6417 points and 8 pounds, which corresponds to about 102.7 tons.

Paper money was packed in 26 chests: Russian Nikolaev for a total of 2010 111 rubles, Russian Kerensky - 923,450 rubles, Bukhara - 4,579,980 tills.

In 180 large chests there was a manufactory: 63 robes with fur, 46 cloth robes, 105 - silk, 92 - velvet, 300 - brocade, 568 - paper, 14 different fur skins, 1 coat with a collar, 10 carpets, 8 felt felt, 13 rugs , 47 cloth cuts, 2897 silk cuts, 52 velvet cuts, 74 brocade cuts, 78 wool cuts, 1156 cuts of paper material, 415 turbans, 596 different blankets, 278 wide trousers, 1004 shirts, 436 tablecloths, 1228 shawls, 76046 skullcaps, 6 pairs of shoes.

Copper money and tableware were packed in 8 chests, with a total weight of 33 p. And 12 lb.

There is an appendix to the Act, according to which all gold items and precious stones have passed an expert assessment to determine their quality and weight. The assessment was given by the jeweler Danilson. However, interestingly, the weight of the precious stones, gold and silver identified by Danilson is understated compared to that given in the Act itself.

We also did our calculations. According to our data, according to the Act and at the current exchange rate, the price of Emir's gold (1 troy ounce, or 31.1 grams = $ 832), if it is completely converted into scrap (688, 424 kg), is more than 18 million US dollars. For all the silver, if it is also scrapped (102, 7 tons), on the world markets today they could give more than 51 million dollars (1 gram = $ 2). For 1,041 carats of diamonds at Sotheby's or Christie's trading auctions, you can earn about $ 34 million (1 carat = $ 32.5 thousand).

In general, the cost of only this part of the treasury of Mangit's treasures totals about 103 million dollars, which at least by a third exceeds the calculations of the search engines of the emir's treasure.

However, we are powerless to estimate the cost of 53 large diamonds (weight not specified), coral and pearl beads with a total weight of over 19.2 kg.

As for diamonds, they are the hardest, most beautiful and most expensive of all gemstones. In the four "higher" stones (diamond, sapphire, emerald, ruby), he is in first place. Diamonds have always been insanely prized not only for their beauty and rarity, but also for the mystical properties that they supposedly possessed. The most expensive diamonds are 1/1, that is, no color, no defects. From antiquity, the name for such stones "diamonds of pure water" came from. to distinguish a natural crystal from a fake, it was thrown into clean water, and it was lost in it. Consequently, in our opinion, only the diamonds of the Bukhara Emir in their value could surpass all other treasury values.

Is it possible at all to appreciate gold jewelry with precious stones, because they all have great artistic value. What is the Russian Order of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called? In 2006, at the Sotheby's auction, 428 thousand dollars were given for this order. Or the one-of-a-kind portrait of Said Alimkhan, framed with 10 large and 20 small diamonds.

And all this valuable cargo from Bukhara was delivered to Tashkent. And he, no doubt, was part of Said Alimkhan's treasury. However, these data do not answer the question: is this the complete state of the emir, or is it only a part of it? The fact is that the entire treasury of the Bukhara Emirate consisted, according to various estimates, of 30-35 million till, which corresponded to approximately 90-105 million Russian rubles. Adventurers estimate 10 tons of gold at the rate of 1920 at 150 million Russian rubles. It turns out that they overestimated the state of the emir by 1.5 times. Why is there such a discrepancy?

We will try to understand this issue. Returning to the beginning of our story, we know that, according to some authors, the emir took out and hid his entire treasury in the mountains - 10 tons of gold. Could he have done this, involving a couple of dozen people for this operation. I think not. Firstly, in order to take out such a load, at least a hundred horses are needed, not counting the cavalry guards. And this is already a whole caravan. Unnoticed, he could not have walked a short distance, not to mention the fact that the cargo was hidden in the spurs of the Hissar mountains.

Secondly, having returned to Bukhara, the emir, having destroyed all the witnesses, for some reason did not tell his relatives about where the treasure was hidden. But he had to do it in case of overthrow or even worse - murder. After all, the sons had to replace him on the throne, and they needed the sovereign's treasury. The Emir could not help but understand this.

Thirdly, having fled to Gissar after the overthrow, the emir began to recruit the local population into the army. But to fully arm everyone, he did not have enough funds. To do this, he imposed additional levies on the inhabitants of Eastern Bukhara, but managed to arm only a third of his new army.

Fourth, Alimkhan did not give up hope for help from abroad. So, in a letter to the King of Great Britain on October 12, 1920, he wrote that he hoped for the support of His Majesty and expects help from him in the amount of 100 thousand pounds sterling, 20 thousand guns with ammunition, 30 guns with shells, 10 airplanes and 2 thousand Anglo soldiers -Indian army. However, England, which did not want to go to a direct aggravation with the Bolsheviks, fearing that they could continue their offensive and establish Soviet power in Afghanistan, did not help the emir.

Fifth, Said Alimkhan did not try, as some imagine, to transport his supposedly hidden gold reserve in the Hissar mountains to Afghanistan, because he did not trust any of his kurbashis, not even Enver Pasha and Ibrahimbek. In addition, even if the emir had entrusted them with this mission, it would have been doomed to failure, since such a caravan could not be led unnoticed through Soviet territory, moreover, it could not have been transported across the Pyanj. For this it was necessary to prepare a large-scale military operation. But for its implementation, as history has shown, the emir had neither the strength nor the means.

Sixth, if the emir still had hidden treasures, then in the 1920s and 1930s he could try to take them out with the help of foreign countries and international organizations. But even in this case, he did not make a single attempt. There are several known intercepted letters from Said Alimkhan addressed to foreign politicians, but in none of them does he mention the presence of a gold cache.

Seventh, the lack of cash did not allow the Bukhara emir to provide material assistance to his kurbashi. So, after the detention of the supreme kurbashi Ibrahimbek on the territory of Tajikistan, he, during interrogation on July 5, 1931 in Tashkent, admitted with undisguised indignation that in December 1930 he wrote to Emir Alimkhan: “Seven years (meaning the period 1920-1926 - ed. .) by your order, I fought against the Soviet regime with my own means and forces, constantly receiving all kinds of promises of help, but I did not wait for their fulfillment. "

Thus, all of the above leads to the idea that the emir's gold with a mass of 10 tons, as we think, did not exist. At the same time, Said Alimkhan, of course, had his own treasury, which he managed to take out of Bukhara. After all, it is no coincidence that during his escape from Bukhara, he was accompanied by at least a thousand guardsmen. However, as you know, you cannot carry much on horseback. The emir could not attract camels for this purpose, since, although they are carrying capacity, they are very slow-moving. And the emir needed a mobile group so that in case of a chase he would not have to abandon the caravan. Said Alimkhan needed the financial resources and jewelry he took away, I think, this is 15-20 percent of the total part of the treasury for the most necessary expenses: monetary allowances for the guards, the purchase of weapons, the maintenance of his administrative apparatus and the newly recruited harem, etc.

In addition, one should not discount the argument that the emir did not intend to leave Bukhara for a long time and was waiting for an opportunity to take revenge for the defeat. After all, it is no coincidence that in Eastern Bukhara, he announced mobilization and addressed a memorandum to the League of Nations on the forced declaration of war on the Bolsheviks.

But time worked against Said Alimkhan. The Bolsheviks, having taken power in Bukhara, also seized most of the remaining treasury of the Mangit dynasty. These treasures were transferred to the People's Commissariat of Finance of the Turkestan ASSR.

We failed to trace the further fate of the Bukhara Emir's treasury, delivered to Tashkent. However, it is easy to guess that soon the jewelry was sent to Moscow. The civil war in Russia was still going on, and in order to supply the Red Army with everything necessary, the treasures of the Bukhara Emir came in very handy. For this, precious stones were removed from gold jewelry, and the latter were melted into metal. Thus, things that were of high artistic and historical value were lost forever. Although some rare copies could have been "lost" during transportation, and are now kept in some collections, the owners of which, for personal safety, usually remain incognito.