When the Russians Came

The Remarkable Story of the Friendship Between Imperial Russia and the Union during the Civil War

Vladimir Alexandrov

The surprising and little-known story of how the United States and Russia forged an extraordinary friendship during the Civil War.

In 1863, as the Civil War raged, Russian warships suddenly appeared in New York and San Francisco, sparking celebrations across the North and raising hopes that Russia might support the United States should Britain and France recognize the Confederacy.

In When the Russians Came, Vladimir Alexandrov tells the full story of how Russia’s own tensions with Britain and France in Europe unexpectedly converged with American fears during the Civil War. He expertly traces the episode from high diplomacy to the streets, harbors, and ballrooms where Russians and Americans encountered one another in ways that were often surprising, emotional, and deeply human.

Enthusiasm in the North was heightened by admiration for Russia’s recent emancipation of the serfs, a stark contrast to the bloody struggle over slavery. Lincoln welcomed the Russian officers in Washington, New York staged extraordinary spectacles in their honor, and in San Francisco the visiting squadron won lasting gratitude for its assistance during a period of crisis. The Russian presence in American waters was also watched closely abroad and may have helped caution Britain against further meddling in the war.

Richly researched and vividly told, When the Russians Came recovers a remarkable and largely forgotten chapter of American history—a moment when international politics, wartime anxiety, and human connection inaugurated a period of friendship between the United States and Russia.

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Endorsements & Reviews

"It is a rare thing indeed to find a fresh chapter in civil war history, but Vladimir Alexandrov pulls it off. What emerges is a captivating, compelling, and extraordinary work that is at once mesmerizing and at same time historically significant. This book is a triumph and belongs on the bookshelf of every lover of history and the civil war.” Jay Winik, New York Times bestselling author of April 1865, The Month That Saved America.

“Even for those who think they know everything about the American Civil War, or about Uncle Sam’s original relationship with Mother Russia, this book is bound to open eyes and minds. Vladimir Alexandrov has produced a propulsive, informed narrative—original, scholarly, and sprightly at the same time—that transports readers back to the age of sail, of the seeming enormity of the globe, and of the strange-bedfellow diplomacy that made Russia a crucial Union ally while Confederates were flirting with Britain and France in a quest for recognition. Lincoln talked the talk of Russian 'despotism' but walked the walk of convenient alliance, and this vivid book explains why and how.” Harold Holzer, Winner of the Lincoln Prize, author of Brought Forth on this Continent: Abraham Lincoln and American Immigration

"What turns radically different nations into political allies—even if only for a time? Alexandrov’s wondrously fine-grained account of Russian sympathy for the Union during our Civil War suggests several reasons beyond a shared suspicion of Western Europe on the part of our two immense continental empires. There were parallels between the black slaves of the Confederacy and tsarist Russia’s enserfed peasantry, and between the assassination of Abraham Lincoln in 1865 and the first terrorist attempt on the life of the Emancipator Tsar Alexander II in 1866. The warmth and support soon faded. A mesmerizing read.”

Caryl Emerson (Princeton University)

"Who could have imagined that the Russian Empire would become the Union’s only stalwart friend during the Civil War? Vladimir Alexandrov brings this remarkable and largely forgotten story vividly to life. Drawing on Russian and American first-hand accounts, he captures the excitement surrounding the arrival of Russian naval squadrons in New York and San Francisco in 1863, and takes readers from the intrigues of great-power diplomacy to the personal bonds forged between the visitors and their American hosts. Deeply researched, immersive, and superbly written, this is an unforgettable account of a singular chapter in Russian and American history." David M. Bethea, Vilas Research Professor Emeritus, University of Wisconsin-Madison

"In When the Russians Came, Vladimir Alexandrov set out to ‘tell a fascinating Civil War story.’ He succeeds superbly in his goal. Based on meticulous research, Alexandrov’s fine book reveals how ordinary Russian sailors viewed American attitudes on medicine, manners, and class, among other topics. Despite the warm relations in 1863, the United States and Tsarist Russia were very different societies at that time and would eventually become more antagonistic toward one another. Enthusiasts of the Civil War and readers interested in international politics will both enjoy this book immensely.” John Reeves, author of Grant’s Betrayal: Power, Corruption, and the Theft of the Black Hills

Praise for Vladimir Alexandrov

"The importance of Boris Savinkov and his controversial role in the Russian Revolution and Civil War have been overlooked recently, but this excellent and well-written biography by Professor Alexandrov should do much to reawaken interest in his extraordinary life." Antony Beevor author of Stalingrad and Rasputin (on To Break Russia's Chains)

"Magnetizing and unforgettable . . . In his assiduously researched, prodigiously descriptive, fluently analytical, and altogether astonishing work of resurrection, Alexandrov provides uniquely focused accounts of racial struggles in America and decadence and bloodshed in Europe and Russia while insightfully and dynamically portraying a singular man." Booklist (starred review, on The Black Russian)

"This compelling study distils a great deal of research into a fast-paced narrative [that] reads like a political thriller...it is a story Alexandrov tells with aplomb.” Times Literary Supplement (on To Break Russia's Chains)

"The extraordinary life of Boris Savinkov—revolutionary assassin, self-described terrorist, and novelist—is one of those historical enigmas peculiar to the tragedy of modern Russia. But in the hands of this masterful biographer, Savinkov is resurrected. Vladimir Alexandrov expertly mines the archives to write a spy story filled with intrigue, passion and improbable adventures—and along the way we learn a great deal of history. A formidable achievement." Kai Bird is a Pulitzer Prize winning historian, the Director of the Leon Levy Center for Biography, and the co-author American Scoundrel: Roy Cohn's Dark Journey from Joe McCarthy to Donald Trump (on To Break Russia's Chains)