Topographical description on the Black Sea straits made by Russian naval officers during the Bosphorus expedition of 1833 (to the 190th anniversary of the expedition)

The Bosphorus expedition of the Russian fleet in 1833 was a unique phenomenon in the history of Russian-Turkish relations throughout their existence. Never before had the Russian navy entered the Black Sea straits at the invitation of the Ottoman authorities, and its troops were not stationed on the shores of the Bosphorus. However, when describing the actions of the Russians, “internal” expeditions along the Straits that were made by the officers of the Russian fleet during its stay near Constantinople still remain ignored. The “small” expeditions of A.O. Dugamel along the Dardanelles and A.I. Menda along the Bosphorus were designed to compile a topographic description of the area adjacent to the Straits, measure their depth and currents, evaluate Turkish weapons in the fortresses - both in the Straits themselves and at the mouth of the Dardanelles. All these documents, received by topographical engineers and naval officers in the form of maps and detailed descriptions, were transferred to the General Staff and classified as the most valuable information about the state of Turkish weapons and the features of the natural landscape of one of the most important political and strategic regions, which attracted close attention of European powers.