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 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 brisk trade with Turkey, which needed light-industry goods. Turkey was supplied with various textiles, 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 was organized (abbreviated as ROPiT). In 1856, the functions of the Russian post in Turkey were also assigned to this company.
ROPiT carried mail between various branches and also forwarded correspondence destined for Russia via Odessa. In 1863, ROPiT branches received a status similar to that of regular 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 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 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 appeared, depicting a steamship and the imperial eagle. Instead of the words “postage stamp,” which were on all empire-wide 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 over all mail in Turkey and issued the first state stamps with the inscription “Eastern Correspondence,” but without the imperial emblem. These postage-payment labels were sold at ROPiT Russian postal agencies and were of various colors. They received an overprint with a new price. They remained in use until 1900. In that year, empire-wide Russian postage stamps were issued with an overprint showing the new price 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, on these postage-payment labels, 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 general-issue stamps of Russia.
Russian postal offices were closed with the outbreak of the World War in 1914, in which Turkey took the side against Russia.