2025. no 3. Roman Pochekaev

The Last Crimean khans according to the documents of Russian military leaders

Roman Pochekaev

“Higher School of Economics” University – St. Petersburg

Abstract.The article is an analysis of information on the last rulers of the Crimean Khanate – Shakhbaz Geray and Baht Geray contained in the documents of Russian commanders participated in the Russian-Turkish war of 1787–1791. There is no a lot of attention for these khans (or, rather, pretenders to the throne) was paid in the modern historiography, and we have only a general data on their life and activity. The documents of Russian military leaders, who fought against Shakhbaz Geray and Baht Geray, contain valuable characteristics on them as commanders, statesman, their relations with the Ottoman authorities, population of invaded regions, etc. The source base of the research includes official documents (reports, dispatches, journals of operations) of such famous commanders as G.A. Potyomkin, P.A. Rumyantsev, A.V. Suvorov, M.I. Kutuzov.

Keywords: Crimean Khanate, Russian Empire, Ottoman Empire, Russian-Turkish war 1787–1791

For citation: Pochekaev R.Yu. The Last Crimean khans according to the documents of Russian military leaders. Krymskoe istoricheskoe obozrenie=Crimean Historical Review. 2025, vol. 12, no. 3, pp. 50–60. DOI: 10.22378/kio.2025.3.50-60 (In Russian)

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About the author: Roman Yu. Pochekaev – Dr. Sci. (History), Cand. Sci. (Jurisprudence), Associate Professor, Professor, Head of the Department of Theory and History of Law and State, “Higher School of Economics” University – St. Petersburg (3A, Kantemirovskaya Str., St. Petersburg 194100, Russian Federation); ORCID: 0000-0002-4192-3528; rpochekaev@hse.ru

Received 21.04.2025

Accepted 05.08.2025