On 4 August, while fighting a Turkish landing force on a Crimean mountain pass near the village of Shumy, Lieutenant Colonel Mikhail Kutuzov was the first to lead his battalion in an attack and was severely wounded in the head—a bullet entered through his left temple and came out near his right eye. To the doctors’ surprise, Kutuzov survived. Catherine II ordered that the hero be given 1,000 chervonets, awarded the Order of St. George, 4th class, and “dismissed for the healing of his wounds to the warm waters for a year without deduction of pay.” Later, despite his mutilation, Kutuzov returned to service.
Crimea was declared independent of Turkey; Russia received Greater and Lesser Kabarda, Azov, Kerch, Yenikale, and Kinburn with the adjacent steppe between the Dnieper and the Bug; Russian ships could sail freely in Turkish waters; Russian subjects received the right to enjoy all the advantages that the peoples allied to the Turks enjoyed within Turkey; the Porte recognized the title of the Russian emperors and undertook to call them padishahs, granted amnesty and freedom of religion to the Balkan Christians, allowed Russia’s representatives to assume the role of protectors of the Slavs and to petition on their behalf. The Porte also undertook to extend amnesty to Georgia and Mingrelia and to take from them no further tribute in youths and maidens. Russian subjects received the right, without any payment, to visit Jerusalem and other holy places. Russia, for its part, expressed its consent to have at the sultan’s court an envoy or plenipotentiary minister of the second rank and consuls with interpreters to safeguard the interests of Russian merchants in various cities of Turkey. Further, Russia undertook to withdraw its troops from Georgia and Mingrelia, on the condition that the local fortresses be guarded not by Turkish but by native garrisons. For war expenses, Turkey undertook to pay Russia 4.5 million rubles.
The Pugachev rebellion began to subside, but Bibikov died of exhaustion, and the revolt flared up again: Pugachev seized Kazan and crossed to the right bank of the Volga. Bibikov’s place was taken by Count P. Panin, but he did not replace him. Mikhelson defeated Pugachev near Arzamas and barred his path to Moscow. Pugachev rushed south, took Penza, Petrovsk, and Saratov, and everywhere hanged noblemen. From Saratov he moved toward Tsaritsyn, but was beaten off, and near Chernoy Yar he was again defeated by Mikhelson. When Suvorov arrived with the army, the impostor was barely holding on and was soon handed over by his accomplices.