Russian Presence in Ottoman Empire Through Post Offices

The Russian presence in the Ottoman Empire was not just limited to military conquests and diplomatic relations. Russian post offices were established in various cities across the empire, facilitating communication and trade between the two nations.

These post offices were strategically located in major cities such as Constantinople, Bursa, and Adrianople.

The first Russian post office in the Ottoman Empire was opened in 1830 in Constantinople.

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In the early 19th century, the Russians established shipping routes in the Eastern Mediterranean and provided a mail service.

Russian postal service in the Ottoman Empire began in 1856, operated by the Russian Company of Trade and Navigation (ROPiT).

ROPiT handled mail service between the various offices and forwarded mail to Russia through Odessa, receiving a status equivalent to regular Russian post offices in 1863.

Russian post offices existed in Akko (1868-1873), Haifa (1859-1860, 1906-1914), Jaffa (1857-1914), and Jerusalem (1901-1914).

A postcard mailed on June 29, 1905, from Ekaterinoslav to Jerusalem by the Zionist leader M. Usishkin shows the Russian postal service in action.

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The postcard was underpaid 1 Kop, so an encircled "T" was applied, probably by the office of origin.

It also features an Odessa transit mark on July 1, and "ROPIT JERUSALEM" arrival dated July 19, 1905.

This shows the efficiency of the Russian postal service in delivering mail across the Ottoman Empire.

A postcard mailed in September 1913, bears a 2 Kop stamp and shows clear signs of another stamp which is missing.

The postcard was taxed due to the missing stamp, which suggests that the postcard rate was 4 Kop and the tax of 4 Kop is twice the missing 2 Kop.

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The Russian post office in the Ottoman Empire was established in 1856 by the Russian Company of Trade and Navigation, also known as ROPiT.

ROPiT handled mail service between various offices and forwarded mail to Russia through Odessa, with their offices receiving a status equivalent to regular Russian post offices in 1863.

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Russian post offices existed in Akko from 1868 to 1873, Haifa from 1859 to 1860 and 1906 to 1914, Jaffa from 1857 to 1914, and Jerusalem from 1901 to 1914.

These offices were part of a larger network that included mail service between St Petersburg and Constantinople, which began using handstamped postal markings around 1830.

In 1856, the Russian Steam Navigation and Trading Company took over postal operations, handling mail service between offices and funneling mail to the rest of Russia through Odessa.

The ROPiT offices received a status equivalent to regular Russian post offices in 1863, marking a significant milestone in the development of Russian post offices in the Ottoman Empire.

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Russia maintained post offices in the Ottoman Empire, with the authority based on treaties that ended with the signing of the Treaty of Lausanne in 1923.

The foreign post offices were closed on October 27, 1923, marking the end of Russian postal services in the Ottoman Empire.

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General issues were in use throughout the period of Russian post offices in the Ottoman Empire.

Local overprints were introduced in 1909 for offices at Mytilene, Salonika, and Mount Athos, among others.

Russian post offices in Greece were also established, including those at Kandia, Volos (Thessaly), Port Lagos (Thrace), Khios, and Rhodes.

These Russian post offices in Greece were run by Р.О.П.и.Т., Русское общество пароходства и торговли (ROPiT - Russian Steam Navigation and Trading Company).