Russian Post in the Ottoman Empire was a postal service of the Russian Empire that operated in various cities of the Ottoman Empire from the 18th century until September 1914. According to L. L. Lepeshinsky (1967), a total of 73 postage stamps of the Russian Post in the Ottoman Empire were issued; according to the Scott catalog, 231 stamps. The postage stamps of the Russian Post in the Ottoman Empire bore the inscriptions “Wrapper item to the East,” “ROPiT,” and “Eastern Correspondence.”
In the mid-19th century, Russia conducted lively trade with Turkey, which needed light-industry goods. Turkey was supplied with various fabrics, sugar, matches, etc. In return it sent to Russia so-called “colonial goods”—coffee, tobacco, spices, and so on. Because there was no direct railway route, cargo was transported across the Black Sea. But Turkey had almost no merchant fleet. Then the Russian Steam Navigation and Trading Company (abbreviated ROPiT) was established. In 1856, this company was also entrusted with the functions of the Russian postal service in Turkey.
ROPiT carried mail between various offices and also forwarded correspondence destined for Russia via Odessa. In 1863, ROPiT offices received a status similar to ordinary Russian post offices.
Postal agencies were opened in 20 cities of this country, through which mail was routed. All postal items (wrappers, letters, parcels, money orders, etc.) were paid for with special stamps, the revenue from which went to Russia. Special stamps were also issued for sending mail to Turkey. They are called Levant stamps (for Eastern correspondence).
The first stamp, with a face value of 6 kopecks per 1 lot (1/32 of a funt, or 12.797 g), was intended for sending printed matter to Turkey by wrapper: newspapers, magazines, books. It was issued in 1863. The rectangular stamp depicted a double-headed eagle in the center, and around it, in a circle, the inscription “wrapper item to the East.” The same stamp, printed in a different color, was issued a second time in 1866.
Several stamps were issued for sending letters from Turkey. Thus, in 1865 two miniature stamps of original designs were released depicting a steamship and the imperial eagle. Instead of the words “postage stamp,” which appeared on all all-Russian stamps, the text “ROPiT” was printed. Stamps with this inscription were issued two more times in 1866 and 1867. They were sold for Turkish currency, but their value was not indicated.
From 1868, the tsarist government took full control of all mail in Turkey and issued the first state stamps with the inscription “Eastern Correspondence,” but without the imperial emblem. These postage-payment stamps were sold at ROPiT Russian postal agencies and came in various colors. They were overprinted with a new price. They remained in use until 1900. In that year, all-Russian postage stamps were issued with an overprint showing the new price in paras and piastres. In 1909, such overprints were applied to ROPiT jubilee stamps issued in Russian currency, but they did not enter postal circulation.
In 1909–1910, on these postage-payment stamps, in addition to the overprint of the new price, additional overprints were made with the names of 13 Turkish cities where these stamps were sold.
Later, overprints in Turkish currency were applied to the then-current nationwide stamps of Russia.
Russian post offices were closed with the outbreak of the World War in 1914, in which Turkey opposed Russia.