The Editions of the Official of the Foreign Affairs’ Collegi um I. M. Tsebrikov’s “Notes” on the Events of the Russian-Turkish War and the Ac cession of Crimea in 1768–1787

The article examines a handwritten autobiographical work titled “The Notes, or a Journal Kept by State Councilor Ivan Tsebrikov from 1768 Regarding the Beginning of the Russo-Turkish War between Russia and the Ottoman Porte, about the Crimea and the Four Nogai Hordes, and Other Things”. The author, Ivan Maksimovich Tsebrikov, served as a collegiate registrar and worked in the regimental chancellery of Count P. A. Rumyantsev-Zadunaisky. As an eyewitness and participant in the Russo-Turkish War of 1768–1774 and the events surrounding the Russian Empire’s annexation of Crimea, I. M. Tsebrikov provides a detailed account of his experiences. This study presents a previously unknown version of the work, preserved in the State Historical Museum (SHM), alongside a corresponding copy in the Archive of the Foreign Policy of the Russian Empire (AFPRE). The objective of the research is to clarify the nature of the relationship between the two texts: whether they are copies of a single work, two editions, or entirely independ ent literary pieces. A codicological and textual comparison of the two manuscripts indicates that they are simultaneous authorial editions intended for different audiences. The manuscript from the AFPRE is regarded as the official version created for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, while the “Notes...” from the SHM were directed toward descendants and include portraits of the Tsebrikov brothers set against the backdrop of significant national events. The “Notes…” of I. M. Tsebrikov represent a remarkable instance in Russian memoir literature from the late 18th to the early 19th century, showcasing two simultaneous authorial editions of the exact text.