126 Since Pick’s attempts did not produce entirely satsisfactory results, General Jacob Bruce was given, in 1717, the task of seeking “suitable assessors among the Swedish prisoners of war, the Livonians, the Estonians, the Ingrians, and the Swedes themselves, who are in the Russian Empire.” 350 It was Heinrich Pick’s suggestion that the tsar consider Swedish prisoners of war.^^^ Pick had written, among other thing, that “unter denen schwedischen Krieges-Gefangenen im Reiche, gibt es viele Peine Leute, welche gute Wissenschaften besitzen, wovon auch bekandtenmassen die Russische Jugend ein vieles bereits erlernet hat.” He pointed out to the tsar that several hundred experienced and able officers would return to their native land once peace was restored, and would thus reinforce the weakened Swedish state. Therefore, according to Pick, it would be suitable to make these prisoners of war Russian subjects in order “zu diesen Reiches werckliches Nutzen im Reiche zu behalten.” The Swedish prisoners of war could be of great use in the colleges. Elsewhere, Pick argued that some of the prisoners of war “were knowledgeable about the Swedish state and knowledgeable in the Russian language, and one of them can be more useful to us than two Germans.” The need for using Swedish prisoners of war also arose from the fact that the share of foreign personnel, just like the size of the personnel in general, grew as the colleges began to become organized. According to the “standard budget” established by Peter in December 1717, four of the listed offices—the vice presidency, one councillorship or assessorship. PSZ, V, no. 3,101, p. 506; ZA (no. 260), 216. That Pick was unable to find competent individuals for the higher positions during his trip through Germany is demonstrated by a letter sent by Peter to Jacob Bruce on June 28, 1717, and published in Golikov (1790—1797), XI, 423: “The above-mentioned Pick has not been able to find assessors anywhere, for which reason there is no other alternative but to look in Livonia and Estonia; and also among the prisoners of war, since many now ask for positions, and even military ones, but they will be much more ready to accept this one, even among the Swedes themselves, I believe; and therefore We shall look among the prisoners of war, for which reason We are sending an ukaz to the Senate so that they will help you, and after you have chosen a suitable person you may start, and in the meanwhile Pick himself can go to Riga and Reval.” However, Peter had observed the possibility of using Swedish prisoners of war in the upcoming reforms even earlier. According to Golikov (1788—1789), IV, 325, Peter sent a letter with the following message to the commandant of Moscow, I. P. Izmailov, in 1714: “Sir Commandant: A list of Swedes who know Russian and whom we can keep in mind is being sent to you, but since there are more than this number, you are to seek them everywhere and collect as many as possible and send them here, and their task shall be to translate books from Swedish into Russian.” Cederberg, Beilage 4, 100. ZA (no. 269), 224. a 50 351 852 853
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