Bidspirit auction | CATHERINE II THE GREAT: (1729-1796)

CATHERINE II THE GREAT: (1729-1796) - CATHERINE II THE GREAT: (1729-1796) Empress of Russia 1762-96, Catherine the Great. An excellent and very attractive D.S., ` Ekaterina ´, in Cyrillic, one large page, oblong 22 x 18.5 (56 cm x 46.5 cm), Saint Petersburg, Summer 1771, to General Ivan of Cologne, in Cyrillic. The manuscript document bears to the heading the title in large letters stating ` Catherine II, by the Grace of God, Empress and Sovereign of All Russias ´, being a certificate of good behaviour and services given to the Russian Army by an officer, and stating in part ` We certify hereby, as it is universally known, that the bearer of this document, Ivan of Cologne, has been part of our military troops since 1733, and served as Major General of the Livonian regiment since the 3 rd of March 1763, and that during the wars we have been involved in he proved to be a honourable, loyal, and obedient soldier and an experienced officer. On 31 st January 1771 he has been, at his request, discharged from our service with the rank of Chief honorary General, and as a testimony and grant of all said, we issue the present document….´ With blank address leaf, bearing to the verso two annotations. Very small overall minor age wear. G