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 Dispatch to the East,” “ROPiT,” and “Eastern Correspondence.”
In the mid-19th century, Russia conducted brisk trade with Turkey, which needed light-industry goods. Turkey was supplied with various textiles, sugar, matches, and so on. In return, it sent to Russia so-called “colonial goods”—coffee, tobacco, spices, etc. Due to the lack of a 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 was established (abbreviated as ROPiT). In 1856, this company was also assigned the functions of the Russian post in Turkey.
ROPiT carried mail between various branches and also forwarded correspondence addressed to Russia via Odessa. In 1863, ROPiT branches received a status similar to ordinary Russian post offices.
Postal agencies were opened in 20 cities of that country, through which mail was handled. 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 known as Levant stamps (for Eastern correspondence).
The first stamp, with a denomination of 6 kopeks per 1 lot (1/32 of a pound, or 12.797 g), was intended for sending printed matter to Turkey by wrapper: newspapers, magazines, books. It appeared in 1863. The rectangular stamp depicted a double-headed eagle in the center, with the circular inscription “wrapper dispatch to the East” around it. 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 issued featuring a steamship and the Tsarist eagle. Instead of the words “postage stamp,” which appeared on all all-Russian stamps, “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 Turkey’s mail and issued the first state stamps with the inscription “Eastern Correspondence,” but without the Tsarist emblem. These postage-payment signs were sold in ROPiT Russian postal agencies and were of various colors. A new price was overprinted on them. They remained in use until 1900. In that year, all-Russian postage stamps were issued with a new value overprinted in paras and piastres. In 1909, such overprints were made on ROPiT jubilee stamps issued in Russian currency, but they did not enter postal circulation.
In 1909–1910, in addition to the overprint of the new value, additional overprints were made on these postage-payment signs with the names of 13 Turkish cities where these stamps were sold.
Subsequently, Turkish-currency overprints were applied to the then-current general-issue stamps of Russia.
Russian post offices were closed due to the outbreak of the World War in 1914, in which Turkey sided against Russia.