CATHERINE II THE GREAT: (1762-1796)

CATHERINE II THE GREAT: (1762-1796) Empress of Russia 1762-96, Catherine the Great. Attractive D.S., `Ekaterina´, in Cyrillic, a bold and good signature example, one large page, vellum, oblong 16 x 10.5, (40cm x 26.5cm), Saint Petersburg, 31 December 1781, in Cyrillic. The document bears the heading `By the Grace of God, We Catherine II, Empress and Autocrat of all the Russias...", being a title given, appointing Captain Vasily Selevin to a higher rank, and stating `Let it be known and understood by all that We have graciously appointed and established by Vasily Selevin, who served as Our Captain, as Our Second Major on the first day of January in the year one thousand seven hundred and eighty two, for his zeal and diligence in Our service; as We hereby grant and establish, commanding all to duly recognise and honour the aforementioned Vasily Selevin as Our Second Major: whereupon We hope that he will act as faithfully and diligently in this new rank graciously bestowed upon him by Us as befits a faithful and good Officer. In witness whereof, We have signed this with Our own hand and commanded it to be sealed with the state seal.´ Countersigned by Count Valentin Musin-Pushkin. With the red support of the wax seal still present, but not the seal itself. Overall age wear and creasing, otherwise G

Count Aleksei Ivanovich Musin-Pushkin (1744-1817) Statesman, Historian and renowned Art Collector. His vast collection of antiquities included the Laurentian Codex of the Russian Primary Chronicle. Mussin-Pushkin's entire library was burned in the great Moscow fire of 1812 during the Napoleonic occupation.