Description:

Catherine the Great
St. Petersburg, Russian Empire, January 22?, 1789
Catherine II Boldly Signed 7th Russo-Turkish War-Dated Doc Re: "wages to Carpenters at the Kherson Admiralty" Addressed to Ex-Lover Potemkin
MDS
A 1p manuscript document in Russian signed by Empress Catherine II (1729-1796) as "Ekaterina" at center right. Catherine's signature is truly enormous, measuring approximately 4.375" x 2.75" alone. January (?) 22, 1789. St. Petersburg, Russian Empire. Secretarially inscribed in Cyrillic lettering on watermarked laid bifold paper. Docketed along the bottom margin. Expected wear including light flattened folds. A series of six tiny holes runs vertically along the hinge of the outside leaf, possibly suggesting that it was at one time bound together with other documents no longer present. The innermost and outer pages are blank. Else near fine and very legible. 7.75" x 12.125." Accompanied by a complete translation.

Empress Catherine II addressed this document to Prince Grigory Aleksandrovich Potemkin (1739-1791). Potemkin's importance to Catherine, both personal and political, cannot be underestimated. A career officer of the Imperial Russian Army, Potemkin had helped Catherine II seize power in 1762, and afterward become Catherine's lover and possibly even her secret consort. Their friendship lasted decades and even when no longer lovers, Potemkin remained in a position of trust and authority. Catherine relied on Potemkin as a political ally and military adviser, now during the Seventh Russo-Turkish War more than ever.

Catherine wrote in part:

"Prince Grigory Aleksandrovich

For the issuance of wages to Carpenters at the Kherson Admiralty for the month of February of this year the required fifteen thousand rubles We will release to your department notes from St. Petersburg for the residual sums of the Treasury, entrusting you with the receipt and use of them to make an order written down from you.

Ekaterina

Saint Petersburg
January (?) 22 [illegible]
1789."

The 15,000 rubles-monthly budget allocated to pay wages to the "Carpenters at the Kherson Admiralty" was almost certainly related to the Seventh Russo-Turkish War (1787-1792), the latest conflict being waged between those bitter and longstanding enemies, the Turks and the Russians. (From the 16th century to the 20th century--from Ivan the Terrible to Nicholas II--the Russians and Turks fought a total of 12 different wars mostly arising from territorial disputes.) The Seventh Russo-Turkish War had been precipitated when the Turks, angry about territorial losses from the Sixth Russo Turkish War (1768-1774), had tried to regain lost ground in modern day Ukraine and Moldavia. The Russians ultimately won the Seventh Russo-Turkish War and solidified their territorial gains, completely annexing the Yedisan territory (in modern day southern Ukraine) where Odessa would be founded in 1794. The carpenters at the Kherson Admiralty could have been tasked with constructing admiralty buildings, or perhaps shipbuilding or ship repairs.

Kherson, located on the Dneiper River above the Black Sea, was a critically important Imperial Russian port city at this time. The city had been founded in 1778, thanks to Sixth Russo-Turkish War gains. Kherson quickly became a shipbuilding hub as well as the headquarters of the Black Sea Fleet, a convoy formed in the mid-1780s. In 1785, the Black Sea Fleet was comprised of 13,500 sailors; 20 frigates; 12 ships of the line; 5 schooners; and 23 transport ships. Kherson was on the front lines of the Seventh Russo-Turkish War. Catherine would appoint Potemkin Grand Admiral just 18 months after issuing this directive, in May 1790. The position granted Potemkin direct control over the Black Sea Fleet.

Potemkin has a very interesting posthumous connection with the city of Kherson. After his sudden death at Ia?i (historically known as Jassy) in modern day Moldavia at age 52 in October 1791, Potemkin's remains were relocated to St. Catherine's Cathedral in Kherson. Over 230 years later, in October 2022, the Russians took control of Kherson during the Russo-Ukrainian War. In December 2022, a Russian spokesman reported that Potemkin's body had been moved to Russia. Potemkin is a military idol of current Russian President Vladimir Putin. Many viewed the relocation of Potemkin's body as a way to draw attention to Russia's historical ties to Ukraine.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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  • Dimensions: 7.75" x 12.125"
  • Medium: MDS

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