LEVASHOV P.A. (1719?-1820) Tsaresgradskie pis’ma o drevnikh i nyneshnikh turkakh i o sostoyanii ikh voisk, o Tsaregrade i vsekh okrestnostyakh onago, o sultanskom serale ili khareme, o obkhozhdenii Porty s poslami i poslannikami inostrannymi, o lyubovnykh ukhishchreniyakh turkov i turchanok, o nravakh i obraze zhizni ikh, o Dardanellyakh, prolivakh i proch; o tsaredvortsakh, o sultanakh i ikh vazhnykh delakh ot samogo nachala monarkhii ikh po nyne: s obstoyatelnym izvestiem o slavnykh Kastriotovykh podvigakh; o derzhave ikh; o razlichnykh narodakh poraboshchennykh igu ikh i o ikh vere, yazyke i proch; o grecheskikh patriarkhakh i izbranii ikh; o grazhdanskikh, dukhovnykh i voinskikh chinakh i o mnogikh inykh lyubopytnykh predmetakh. [Tsaregrad letters about the ancient and present Turks and the state of their armies, about Tsargrad and all its surroundings, about the Sultan's seraglio or kharem, about the Porte's treatment of foreign ambassadors and envoys, about the amorous tricks of Turks and Turkish women, about their manners and way of life, about the Dardanelles, the straits and so on; about the Sultans and their important affairs from the very beginning of their monarchy to the present day: with a detailed account of the glorious exploits of Kastrioti; of their power; of the various peoples enslaved to their yoke and of their faith, language, etc.; of the Greek patriarchs and their election; of civil, spiritual, and military ranks, and of many other curious subjects.] SPb.: [tip. Bogdanovicha], 1789.

430, [2] pp.; 12°. In full leather period binding. Gold ornamental embossing on the spine. In good condition. Minor scuffing of the binding, loss of small fragments of leather on the spine, pre-revolutionary stamp on the back of the first free leaf, foxing. This anonymous work, attributed to Pavel Artemyevich Levashov (1719?-1820) – a councilor and writer. The stylistic similarity between Tsaresgradskie pis’ma and Levashov’s notes was noted by many researchers and was confirmed with documentary evidence in 1987. P.A. Levashov was the Russian Empire's chargé d'affaires in Constantinople during the Russo-Turkish War of 1768-1774. He was appointed to replace the ill resident A.M. Obreskov. The Turkish Sultan began the Russo-Turkish War by arresting Obreskov during an official audience on September 25, 1768. Levashov’s appointment was accompanied by intrigues from the French ambassador, who discredited him before the Sultan. Levashov was the first to inform the Russian government of the Sultan's plans to start the war. Soon, he too was arrested by the Turks and held with other Russian diplomats at the grand vizier's headquarters. The detained diplomats were moved along with the Turkish army. During his captivity, Levashov kept a diary, which later formed the basis of his memoirs. Levashov was released in May 1771 and returned to Russia in the summer, where he was received with high honors. He was part of the close circle of Prince Grigory Potemkin, Count Panin, the tutor of the future Emperor Paul, Prince Alexander Kurakin, the director of the Imperial Academy of Sciences and Arts, and Catherine II’s friend, Princess Dashkova. The author aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the history and current state of the Ottoman Empire, describing not only finances and court life but also ancient monuments, customs, and the position of the Greek Church. The book is written in the form of "letters," a style popular in Europe since at least the time of Montesquieu. Rarity. Included in the Register of Book Monuments. Bibliography: SK XVIII. No. 8078.