By the grace of God, we, Nicholas I, Emperor and Autocrat of all Russia, Tsar of Moscow, Kiev, Vladimir, Novgorod, Tsar of Kazan, Tsar of Astrakhan, Tsar of Poland, Tsar of Siberia, Tsar of the Chersonese of Taurida, Lord of Pskov and Grand Duke of Smolensk, Lithuania, Volhynia, Podolia, and Finland, Duke of Estonia, Livonia, Courland, and Semigallia, Samogitia, Białystok, Karelia, Tver, Yugra, Perm, Vyatka, Bulgaria, and others; Lord and Grand Duke of Novgorod, ruler of the lower lands of Chernihiv, Ryazan, Polotsk, Rostov, Yaroslavl, Belozersk, Udorsk, Obdorsk, Kondiya, Vitebsk, Mstislavl, and ruler of all the northern countries, and lord of the Iversk, Kartli, Georgian, Kabardian lands, and the Armenian regions, hereditary lord and ruler of the Circassian and Mountain Princes and others; heir of Norway, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein, Stormarn, Ditmarschen, and Oldenburg, and so on and so forth…
We declare by this, to whom it may concern, that on the 2nd of September 1829, between our imperial majesty and His Imperial Majesty the Ottoman Emperor, the most eminent sultans, the great and most honored, the most noble king of Mecca and Medina, and protector of the holy Jerusalem, king and emperor of the vast provinces populated in the countries of Europe and Asia, and on the White and Black Seas, the most illustrious, the most powerful, and the great emperor, sultan, son of sultans, and king, son of kings, Sultan Mahmud Khan, son of Sultan Abdul Hamid Khan, by virtue of the given powers on both sides, namely: on our side—to the most illustrious and most excellent Count Ivan Ivanovich Dibich-Zabalkansky, our General-Field Marshal and General-Adjutant, Commander-in-Chief of our 2nd Army, Chief of the infantry regiment bearing his name, Member of the State Council and Knight of all our orders, as well as of the imperial Austrian orders of Maria Theresa (Lesser Cross), likewise of the Leopold (Great Cross), and of the Royal Prussian Orders of the Black Eagle, the Red Eagle of the 1st Class, and of Military Merit; bearer of a gold sword adorned with diamonds inscribed with “For Bravery,” medals for the campaign of 1812, for the capture of Paris in 1814, and for the Persian War of 1826, 1827, and 1828; and on the side of His Imperial Majesty the Ottoman Emperor—to the excellent and highly esteemed gentlemen: Mehmet Said Efendi, the actual Grand Defterdar of the Sublime Ottoman Porte, and Abdul Kadir Bey, the Kaziasker of Anatolia—a treaty of eternal peace has been established and concluded between the two empires, consisting of sixteen articles, which state word for word as follows:
In the Name of Almighty God
His Imperial Majesty, the most illustrious, most powerful, great sovereign Emperor and Autocrat of all Russia, and His Imperial Majesty, the most illustrious and most powerful great Ottoman Emperor, moved by a mutual desire to put an end to the calamities of war and to restore peace, friendship, and good relations between their states on a firm and unshakable foundation, have unanimously decided to entrust this salutary task to the oversight and guidance of their mutual plenipotentiaries, namely: His Imperial Majesty the Emperor of All Russia has appointed and designated as plenipotentiary from the Russian Imperial Court the most illustrious and most excellent Count Ivan Ivanovich Dibich-Zabalkansky, His Imperial Majesty’s General-Adjutant, General of Infantry, Commander-in-Chief of the 2nd Army, Chief of the infantry regiment bearing his name, Member of the State Council, Knight of all Russian orders, of the Imperial Austrian Orders: Maria Theresa (Lesser Cross), Leopold (Great Cross), and of the Royal Prussian Orders of the Black Eagle, the Red Eagle of the 1st Class, and Military Merit; bearer of a gold sword inscribed “For Bravery,” adorned with diamonds, and medals for the 1812 campaign, the capture of Paris in 1814, and the Persian War of 1826, 1827, and 1828; who, by the authority granted to him, has appointed and named as plenipotentiaries from the Russian Imperial Court the most illustrious and honorable gentlemen: Count Alexey Orlov, His Imperial Majesty’s General-Adjutant, Lieutenant General, Commander of the 1st Cuirassier Division, Knight of the Russian Orders of St. Anna of the 1st Degree adorned with diamonds, of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir of the 2nd Degree, of the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George of the 4th Degree, and bearer of a gold sword “For Bravery” adorned with diamonds; of the Imperial Austrian Order of Leopold of the 3rd Class; of the Royal Prussian Orders: the Red Eagle of the 1st Class, “For Merit” and the Iron Cross; of the Royal Bavarian Order of Maximilian of the 3rd Class, and bearer of silver and bronze medals for the 1812 campaign and another silver one for the capture of Paris in 1814; and Count Fyodor Pahlen, Privy Counselor and Knight of the Russian Orders of St. Alexander Nevsky, St. Anna of the 1st Degree, and St. John of Jerusalem; and His Imperial Majesty the Ottoman Emperor has appointed and named as plenipotentiaries the most excellent and honorable gentlemen: Mehmed Said Efendi, the actual Grand Defterdar of the Sublime Ottoman Porte, and Abdul Kadir Bey, the Kaziasker of Anatolia.
These plenipotentiaries, having gathered in the city of Adrianople, and having exchanged their credentials, have decided upon the following articles.
Article I
All hostilities and disagreements that have existed between the two empires shall cease on land and at sea from this moment forward; and may peace, friendship, and goodwill prevail forever between His Imperial Majesty, the Tsar of All Russia, and His Imperial Majesty, the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, their heirs, and successors, as well as between their empires. Both high contracting parties shall particularly strive to prevent anything that could rekindle animosity between their mutual subjects. They shall strictly fulfill all the conditions of this peace treaty and will ensure that it is not violated either directly or indirectly.
Article II
His Imperial Majesty, the Tsar of All Russia, desiring to affirm his sincere friendly disposition towards His Imperial Majesty, the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, hereby returns to the Sublime Porte the Principality of Moldavia within the borders it had before the war, which has been ended by this peace treaty. His Imperial Majesty also returns the Principality of Wallachia and the Banat of Craiova without any exception, Bulgaria and the land of Dobruja from the Danube to the sea, including Silistra, Hirsova, Măcin, Isaccea, Tulcea, Babadağ, Bazardjik, Varna, Pravady, and other towns, townships, and villages within that land, all the territory of the Balkan range from Emine-Burun to Kazan, and all lands from the Balkans to the sea, as well as Selimno, Yamboli, Aydos, Karnabat, Mesembria, Anchialo, Burgas, Sozopol, Kirkklisi, the city of Adrianople, Lule-Burgas, and finally all cities, townships, and villages, and in general all places occupied by Russian troops in Rumelia.
Article III
The border between the two empires shall continue to be the Prut River from its entry into Moldavia to its confluence with the Danube. From there, the border shall follow the course of the Danube to where the St. George branch flows into the sea, with all the islands formed by the different branches of this river belonging to Russia; while the right bank of the river shall remain under the possession of the Ottoman Empire as before. It is further agreed that this right bank, starting from the point where the St. George branch separates from the Sulina branch, shall remain uninhabited at a distance of two hours’ journey from the river, and no establishments shall be permitted on it. Similarly, no establishments or fortifications, except quarantine stations, shall be allowed on the islands that pass into the possession of the Russian Empire. Merchant ships of both empires are granted free navigation along the entire course of the Danube, with the understanding that those under the Ottoman flag may freely enter the Kilia and Sulina branches, and that the St. George branch shall remain open to both military and merchant flags of both empires. However, Russian warships shall not sail up the Danube beyond the point where it meets the Prut River.
Article IV
Georgia, Imeretia, Mingrelia, Guria, and many other regions of the Caucasus have long been annexed to the Russian Empire for all eternity. Additionally, the Iravan and Nakhchivan khanates were ceded to Russia through the treaty concluded with Iran at Turkmenchay on February 10, 1828. Therefore, both high contracting parties have deemed it necessary to establish a clearly defined border between their respective territories along this entire line, which will prevent any future misunderstandings. They have also considered measures to effectively stop the raids and thefts by neighboring tribes, which have so often disrupted the relations of friendship and good neighborliness between the two empires.
As a result, it has been agreed that the border between the territories in Asia of the Russian Imperial Court and the Sublime Ottoman Porte will now be defined by a line that, starting from the current border of Guria on the Black Sea, rises to the boundary of Imeretia, and from there in a straight direction to the point where the border of the Akhaltsikhe and Kars Pashaliks meets the Georgian border. In this way, the cities of Akhaltsikhe and the fortress of Akhalkalaki will remain to the north of this line and at a distance no closer than two hours’ journey from it.
All lands lying to the south and west of the aforementioned border line, towards the side of the Kars and Trebizond Pashaliks, along with a large part of the Akhaltsikhe Pashalik, will remain in the eternal possession of the Sublime Porte. The lands lying to the north and east of this line, towards Georgia, Imeretia, and Guria, as well as the entire coast of the Black Sea from the mouth of the Kuban River to the harbor of St. Nicholas inclusively, will remain in the eternal possession of the Russian Empire. Consequently, the Russian Imperial Court cedes and returns to the Sublime Porte the remaining part of the Akhaltsikhe Pashalik, the city of Kars with its pashalik, the city of Bayazid with its pashalik, the city of Erzurum with its pashalik, and all other places occupied by Russian troops that are located outside the aforementioned boundary line.
Article V
Since the principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia have submitted themselves to the supreme authority of the Sublime Porte under special capitulations, and since Russia has taken upon itself the guarantee of their well-being, all the rights, privileges, and benefits granted by those capitulations, as well as by the treaties concluded between the two imperial courts, or by the hatt-i sharifs issued at various times, are now preserved for them. Therefore, these principalities are granted freedom of worship, complete security, self-governing administration, and the right to engage in trade without hindrance. Additional articles, supplementary to previous treaties and deemed necessary to ensure that these regions fully benefit from their rights, are laid out in a separate act, which is considered and will be regarded as an integral part of this treaty, equal in force to the other provisions.
Article VI
The circumstances that followed the Akkerman Convention did not allow the Sublime Porte to immediately implement the provisions of the Separate Act concerning Serbia, which was attached to Article V of that convention. Therefore, the Porte solemnly commits to executing these provisions without the slightest delay and with the utmost precision. Specifically, it will immediately return to Serbia the six districts that were separated from this territory, thus ensuring the peace and well-being of the loyal and obedient Serbian people forever. A firm decree (firman), confirmed by hatt-i sharif, will be issued to implement the aforementioned provisions and will be officially communicated to the Imperial Russian Court within one month from the signing of this peace treaty.
Article VII
Russian citizens shall enjoy complete and perfect freedom of trade throughout the Ottoman Empire, both on land and at sea, as granted to them by the treaties concluded between the two high contracting powers to date. This freedom of trade shall not be infringed upon or restricted under any circumstances or pretext, whether through prohibitions or limitations, nor through any internal administrative or legislative measures. Russian citizens, their ships, and goods shall be protected from all forms of violence and claims; the former shall be exclusively subject to the judicial and police jurisdiction of the Russian minister and consuls, and Russian ships shall not be subject to any internal inspection by Ottoman authorities, whether on the open sea, in ports, harbors, or roadsteads of the Turkish Empire. Goods and supplies of any kind belonging to Russian citizens, upon payment of the customs duties established by the tariffs, may be freely sold, stored on the shore in the warehouses of their owners or their agents, or transshipped to another vessel of any nationality without requiring Russian citizens to notify local authorities or seek their permission. Furthermore, it is stipulated that these privileges extend to the trade in grain exported from Russia, and no obstacles or impediments shall ever be placed on its free transport under any pretext.
In addition, the Sublime Porte undertakes to ensure that trade, and particularly navigation on the Black Sea, is not subjected to any hindrances. To this end, it recognizes and declares that passage through the Constantinople Channel and the Dardanelles Strait shall be entirely free and open for Russian ships under the merchant flag, whether laden or in ballast, sailing from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean or from the Mediterranean to the Black Sea. These ships, provided they are merchant vessels, regardless of their size or the quantity of their cargo, shall not be subjected to any stoppage or harassment, as stipulated above. Both imperial courts shall agree on the most convenient means to prevent any delays in supplying ships with the necessary provisions for their departure.
On this basis, and under the same conditions as those established for ships under the Russian flag, passage through the Constantinople Channel and the Dardanelles Strait is declared free and open for merchant ships of all states that are friendly with the Sublime Porte, whether these ships are bound for Russian ports on the Black Sea or returning from there with cargo or ballast.
Finally, the Sublime Porte, by granting the Imperial Russian Court the right to enjoy such complete freedom of trade and navigation on the Black Sea, solemnly declares that it will never oppose this right in any way. The Porte specifically promises never to detain or stop ships, whether laden or in ballast, belonging to Russia or any other state with which the Ottoman Empire is not at declared war, when these ships pass through the Constantinople Channel or the Dardanelles Strait, either from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean or from the Mediterranean to Russian Black Sea ports. And if (which God forbid) any of the provisions of this article are violated, and no full and prompt satisfaction is given in response to the representations of the Russian minister, the Sublime Porte acknowledges in advance that the Imperial Russian Court shall have the right to consider such a violation as a hostile act and immediately take retaliatory measures against the Ottoman Empire.
Article VIII
The provisions made in Article VI of the Akkerman Convention regarding the determination and satisfaction of mutual subjects’ claims for compensation for losses incurred at various times since the war of 1806 have not yet been implemented, and the Russian merchants, after the conclusion of the aforementioned convention, suffered further significant losses due to measures taken concerning navigation through the Bosphorus. Therefore, it has now been recognized and decided that the Ottoman Porte, in compensation for the aforementioned damages and losses, will pay the Imperial Russian Court one million five hundred thousand Dutch ducats within 18 months and at the terms that are to be determined subsequently. The payment of this sum will put an end to all mutual claims and demands between the contracting parties regarding the aforementioned circumstances.
Article IX
Since the continuation of the war, which is brought to a successful conclusion by this peace treaty, has caused significant expenses to the Imperial Russian Court, the Sublime Porte acknowledges the necessity of providing appropriate compensation to this court. Therefore, in addition to the concession of a small tract of land in Asia mentioned in Article IV, which the Russian Court agrees to accept as part of the said compensation, the Sublime Porte also undertakes to pay a sum of money, the amount of which will be determined by mutual agreement.
Article X
The Sublime Porte, declaring its full agreement with the provisions of the treaty concluded in London on June 24/July 6, 1827, between Russia, Great Britain, and France, also adheres to the act that was established by the mutual consent of these powers on March 10/22, 1829, based on the aforementioned treaty, which contains a detailed outline of the measures relating to its final implementation. Immediately after the exchange of ratifications of this peace treaty, the Sublime Porte will appoint representatives to negotiate with the plenipotentiaries of the Imperial Russian Court, as well as those of the British and French courts, regarding the implementation of these measures and provisions.
Article XI
Following the signing of this peace treaty between the two empires and after the exchange of ratifications by both sovereigns, the Sublime Porte will immediately proceed with the prompt and precise implementation of the provisions contained therein, specifically: Articles III and IV regarding the borders that are to divide the two empires in Europe and Asia, and Articles V and VI concerning the principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia, as well as Serbia. As soon as these various articles are recognized as having been fulfilled, the Imperial Russian Court will begin to withdraw its troops from the territories of the Ottoman Empire in accordance with the principles outlined in a separate act, which constitutes an integral part of this peace treaty. Until the complete evacuation of the occupied lands, the administration and order currently established there under the authority of the Imperial Russian Court will remain in force, and the Sublime Ottoman Porte shall in no way interfere with it.
Article XII
Immediately after the signing of this peace treaty, orders will be given to the commanders of both armies to cease military actions on land and at sea. Any actions that occur after the signing of this treaty will be considered as if they never happened and will not cause any changes to the provisions contained therein. Similarly, everything that is conquered by the armies of either of the high contracting powers during this interim period will be returned without the slightest delay.
Article XIII
The high contracting powers, renewing the bond of sincere friendship between them, grant a general pardon and complete amnesty to all their subjects, of whatever rank, who during the course of the war, now successfully concluded, participated in actions or demonstrated through their behavior or opinions allegiance to either of the two contracting powers. Therefore, none of these individuals will be disturbed or persecuted for their actions, either in person or in property. Each of them is granted the right to reclaim ownership of their former property, to peacefully enjoy it under the protection of the law, or, without fear of any claims or harassment, to sell it within eighteen months if they wish to relocate with their family and movable property to another country of their choice. Furthermore, subjects of both powers residing in the territories returned to the Sublime Porte or ceded to the Imperial Russian Court are also granted an eighteen-month period, starting from the exchange of ratifications of this peace treaty, during which they may, if they deem necessary, make arrangements regarding property acquired before or after the war and relocate with their capital and movable property to the dominions of either of the contracting powers.
Article XIV
All prisoners of war, regardless of their nationality, rank, or gender, who are currently held in both empires, must be released and returned immediately after the exchange of ratifications of this peace treaty, without any ransom or payment. The exceptions to this are Christians who have voluntarily converted to the Muslim faith within the territories of the Sublime Porte and Muslims who have voluntarily converted to Christianity within the Russian Empire.
The same procedure will apply to Russian subjects who, after the signing of this peace treaty, may have been captured and are held in the territories of the Sublime Porte. The Imperial Russian Court promises to do the same for the subjects of the Sublime Porte.
No payment will be demanded for the expenses incurred by either contracting party for the maintenance of prisoners. Each power will provide the necessary provisions for the prisoners’ travel expenses to the border, where they will be exchanged by mutual commissioners.
Article XV
All treaties, conventions, and agreements that have been made and concluded at various times between the Imperial Russian Court and the Sublime Ottoman Porte, except for the articles annulled by this peace treaty, are confirmed in their entirety and remain in full force. Both high contracting parties commit to uphold these agreements faithfully and inviolably.
Article XVI
This peace treaty will be ratified by both high contracting courts, and the exchange of ratifications between their plenipotentiaries will take place within six weeks or sooner if possible.
This peace treaty, which contains sixteen articles and will be finally confirmed by the exchange of mutual ratifications within the stipulated period, has been signed by us by virtue of our powers, sealed with our seals, and exchanged for a similar document signed and sealed by the above-mentioned plenipotentiaries of the Sublime Ottoman Porte.
