The author analyzes the unique historical experience of utilizing the territory of the Muscovy State as a transit hub for European-Asian trade during the third quarter of the 16th century. Notably, merchants of the English Muscovy Company, benefiting from the favor of Ivan IV, organized several expeditions to Persia along the Great Volga Route and the Caspian Sea. These events are examined within the broader context of the global issue of “Russian transit”, which concerns the role of Russia in facilitating European expansion to the East. During the early modern era, Western representatives demonstrated a keen interest in establishing contacts with Asian countries through Russian territories. One of the least-explored aspects of this topic is the practical reaction of Eastern states to European transit projects. This article attempts to assess the position of the Persian Safavid state regarding the development of trade relations with England along the Volga- Caspian route. Drawing on historical sources and specialized literature, including foreign historiography, the study concludes that the Safavid shahs and their administrations generally lacked strategic interest in the prospects of intercontinental trade through the Russian transit “corridor.” During the period under consideration, the primary routes for Persian exports passed through the domains of the Ottoman Sultan in Anatolia and the Levant. Consequently, it is likely that the Persian side viewed the Volga-Caspian route as merely a supplementary channel. Moreover, the focal point of English activity in Persian markets was not Persia itself, but the semi-independent Khanate of Shirvan. Nevertheless, the Shah’s treasury eventually joined the network of counteragents collaborating with the Muscovy Company. Eastern rulers not only agreed to grant trade privileges to the English but also personally sought information about newly established routes connecting Russia with Western Europe.
history of international trade; “Russian transit”; Muscovy Company; the Great Volga Route; Persia; Safavid dynasty; the Muscovy State; England.