History of Russia: "The 1783 Year’s Crimea Joining to the Russian Empire" Exhibition in Moscow

Dedicated to the 131st anniversary of the Historical Museum opening in Moscow "The 1783 Year’s Crimea Joining to the Russian Empire" Exhibition has opened as an addition to the 27th hall permanent exhibition.

The exhibition presents signed on April 8, 1783, by Catherine the Second manifesto of Crimea and Kuban Taman joining to Russia. It was announced on June 28 during Crimean nobility’s oath to Russia. The manifesto assured Crimean residents "to keep them even with our native citizens, to protect and defend their persons, property, temples and their innate faith, piously and steadfast from the throne successors and ourselves".

Of great interest is the autograph of His Serene Highness Prince G. A. Potemkin-Tauride - the draft page of notes on the Tauris area development from 1784, which he submitted to the Empress Catherine the Second as Novorossiysk and Tauride governor. The notes contain his thoughts on the fortresses construction in Crimea. "The major and the only fortress is Sevastopol," - emphasizes His Serene Highness Prince.

"Rural dean or police regulation" stated in Tatar from 1780 - early 1790s is an evidence of drawing Crimean nobles to the local government work.

The all-Russian coin minting, which had begun issuing by Crimea Mint in Feodosia, are presented along with the documents, as well as so-called "Taurida coins" minted to mark Catherine’s the Second voyage to the Crimea in 1787. The plots of set above the showcase paintings are also associated with this event - an allegory for the journey and recently attributed painting of "Fireworks in Kanev" lighted by order of the Polish king Stanislaw August Poniatowski in honor of traveling to the Crimea Catherine the Second. This is the end of XVIII century copy from the royal painter’s J. B. Plersch original work belonging to Lviv Art Gallery.

Made of silver and decorated with corals kaptorga - the traditional Muslim case for storing the citations from the Koran, the sacred prayers from XVIII century - complements the exposition.