Cryptography of V. M. Tyapkin

In October 1673, the steward and colonel Vasily Mikhailovich Tyapkin was appointed permanent ambassador from the Russian Court to the King of Poland and the Grand Duke of Lithuania. He was already on his way when in Moscow they received news of the death of the Polish king Mikhail Vishnevetsky . Since the king had no heirs , a diet was to be convened in Warsaw to discuss the issue of who should be the king. This question was of particular interest to Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich , because the Sejm had already once advocated the election of one of his sons (future Peter I ) as king. The imperial messenger caught Tyapkin in Orsha and handed him the imperial letter . The tsar instructed Tyapkin, "when the election diet is about to be conducted, by all means, which courtyards of foreign envoys will offer their sovereigns to the Kingdom of Poland , which of the senators will assist them, which bribes will be used." In general, he had to find out about everything and more often write to Moscow in cryptography , "with which the signs were forwarded to him." This cryptography was compiled personally by the sovereign.

The expectations of the king did not materialize. The Polish king was elected governor Jan Sobieski . Tyapkin then remained at the Polish Court and for five years sent secret reports written in a "closed letter" to Moscow.

This correspondence aroused suspicion in Jan Sobieski that Tyapkin was setting the tsar of Moscow against him. When Aleksei Mikhailovich died and Tyapkin appeared with his retinue in the Royal Castle in a black "plaintive" dress , Jan III angrily expressed his displeasure to him, reproaching Tyapkin for writing "quarrelsome and fanciful letters to the late tsar, from which until now “our troops have not joined, and the mutual friendship between us cannot be established.”

Tyapkin was never able to assure Jan Sobieski that he did not send “discordant letters” to Moscow, but judging by his last report, also written in cryptography, the Polish king reproached the tsar himself for “suspecting him” and mistrust. ”

From all this it is clear that the secret letters of the Russian resident were illustrated by the Poles and read.