The article is devoted to a previously unknown dramatic episode from the history of the Russo-Turkish War of 1768–1774 – the fate of a large group of ethnic Moldovans from the left bank of the Dniester river in captivity in the Russian Empire. In October 1769, during military actions near the Bendery Fortress, Russian troops devastated the villages inhabited by Moldovans on the left bank of Dniester, which were under the jurisdiction of the Crimean Khanate. About a thousand of their inhabitants, including women and children, were taken prisoner and taken away to Russia. The commander of the advanced Russian corps, Major General Count Ch.L.K. zu Sayn-Wittgenstein, under the pretext of saving these people from starvation, distributed them among the officers of his troops, effectively turning them into serfs. This decision not only did not comply with the European laws and customs of war of that time, but also ran counter to the interests of the state policy of Russia in the context of the struggle with the Ottoman Empire, contradicted specific orders of the supreme power regarding people from Moldova. The circumstances of this case soon became known to various state institutions of the Russian Empire, which entailed a long interdepartmental discussion, which revealed a number of obvious abuses and affected the interests of a number of influential people in the state. Ultimately, with respect to at least some of the captured Moldovans, it was possible to achieve justice and compliance with the law, which became one particular example of overcoming and eliminating archaic and barbaric practices of waging wars in Russia in the 18th century. The article is written on the basis of archival documents of the military and diplomatic departments of the Russian Empire, introduced into scientific circulation for the first time.
Vasiliy B. Kashirin (Wed,) studied this question.