CATHERINE THE GREAT’S PISTOLS
An ornate pair of firearms
Catherine II (r.1762-96) was the most accomplished empress in Russian history. Better known as Catherine the Great, she began life as a minor German princess but became empress of Russia after overthrowing her husband Tsar Peter III in a coup d’état. Catherine was subsequently fortunate to be assisted by talented generals and admirals, which resulted in many victories, such as the Russo-turkish War (1768-74). During her reign, the empire grew by 520,000 square kilometres with new Russian territories including the Crimea, Belarus, Lithuania, Northern Caucasus, parts of Ukraine, Latvia and even Alaska. She also quelled internal risings, including Pugachev’s Rebellion of Cossacks during 1773-75.
Although Catherine left campaigning to her commanders she had her own warrior spirit. She trained herself to use a sword when she was a child and even duelled with a female cousin before she left for Russia. As empress, she commissioned many uniforms for herself and participated in diverse military activities such as attending parades, exercises, inspecting fortifications and travelling with her fleet.
These pistols would therefore have been an ideal gift for Catherine. Manufactured in 1786, they are predominately made of ivory and have the initial ‘E’ (for ‘Ekaterine’) on the escutcheons of the grips. They were part of a decorative set of firearms that included a shotgun and rifle. Catherine eventually gave this set to her favourite Prince Stanisław August Poniatowski, who later became king of Poland. The irony of the pistols is that, despite their lavish decorations, they were no longer in vogue when they were produced. Ivory firearms were out of fashion in Western Europe by the later 18th century but they would have still been popular in the extravagant Russian court.