The military significance of Nerchinsk as a Russian outpost in the south of the Far East in the second half of the XVII – early XVIII centuries

The aim of the article is to assess the military significance of Nerchinsk in the period from 1658 to 1727. During the study, various historical methods were used: historical-narrative, historical-genetic, statistical, chronological and the method of historical periodization. In the course of the study, the author examines the perception of Nerchinsk as a military outpost by the central government, as well as the formation of its garrison and the supply of weapons and military supplies as a marker of its military significance. For the first time in historiography, three main periods have been identified during which the significance of Nerchinsk as a military center changed. At the end of 1650s – early 1670s, it acted primarily as a border outpost, the main purpose of which was the collection of yasak. In the early 1670s – 1689, it was the center for the accumulation and distribution of armed forces sent to Amur region. In 1689–1727, it was considered by the Russian government as a key center in the defense of both Eastern Transbaikalia and the entire south of the Russian Far East.