LETTER FROM PRINCE A. A. VYAZEMSKY TO ETKE BAGADUR EXPRESSING GRATITUDE FOR LOYALTY TO THE RUSSIAN THRONE
January 23, 1787
Honorable Etke Bagadur.
I received your friendly letter with your esteemed Abdrahman, sent from you here for the most humble submission to Her Imperial Majesty our Most Gracious Sovereign, and I had the fortune to report this to Her Majesty. Therefore, Her Most Gracious Majesty, graciously condescending to the request expressed in your aforementioned letter and accepting it as a sign of your most humble loyalty and diligence to Her Sacred Throne, has graciously decided to allow the person sent by you to be received in the presence of Her Imperial Majesty with the highest expression of her mercy, which she usually bestows upon all her subjects out of her inherent humanity. Consequently, Her Majesty has graciously indicated that the Arab sent by you should be accepted for service at Her Imperial Court, as well as three leopard skins and five lynx skins, with a grant of five hundred rubles to you for this, and three hundred rubles as a gift, all of which are sent to you in silver coins along with the aforementioned person sent by you, who was also kindly treated and properly rewarded here with others accompanying him. Thus, honorable Etke Bagadur, you may firmly conclude without any doubt about Her Imperial Majesty's favor and protection towards you and your subjects, assuring you of this by Her Imperial Majesty's highest will, I hope that you, maintaining your diligence and loyalty to the sacred throne of Her Imperial Majesty, will prove this in every useful service to Her Majesty not only with words but also with deeds, and thus make yourself and your subjects worthy of Her High Majesty's mercy in the future.
I remain always benevolent and ready to serve Her Imperial Majesty our Most Gracious Sovereign, actual Privy Councillor, General Prosecutor, and Knight of the Russian Imperial Orders of Saint Andrew the Apostle, Alexander Nevsky, Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir of the First Class, Royal Polish White Eagle, and Holstein Saint Anna.
Signed in original: Prince Alexander Vyazemsky
RPSHA. F.15.D.2. Ch.1U.L.484-493. Dispatch.
Shabdan Baatyr