Dmitry I. Gots Russia-Venice Relations in the Late 18th Century: Imperial Ambitions and Political Realities

Abstract
The article is devoted to the study of the history of relations between the Russian Empire and the Venetian Republic in the 1780s. The research is based on materials from the Archive of Foreign Policy of the Russian Empire (АВПРИ) and dispatches of the Venetian envoy in St. Petersburg, Ferigo Foscari. In 1783, the two states conducted a mutual accreditation of envoys for the first time. The Collegium of Foreign Affairs believed that establishing permanent diplomatic contacts would contribute to the formation of a military-political alliance. St. Petersburg’s victory in the Russo-Turkish War (1768–1774) opened prospects for solving strategic tasks related to the development of Black Sea trade and the expansion of Russian influence in the Mediterranean. An alliance with Venice could positively affect the implementation of these projects. An analysis of the prevailing conditions makes it possible to formulate the aim of the study: comparing the expectations of the authorities of the Russian Empire with the political realities of Europe. To achieve this, the international situation is examined, the strategies of interaction between St. Petersburg and Venice analyzed, and the stages of the formation of the personality of Count Semyon Romanovich Vorontsov (the Russian envoy to Venice), his role in the development of bilateral relations, and the problems he faced during his service are considered. S.R. Vorontsov sought from the Venetian authorities the establishment of a ceremonial protocol appropriate for the reception of envoys of the second rank. The diplomat insisted on the correct use of the monarch’s title in official correspondence, emphasizing the importance of this requirement for bilateral relations. The envoy defended the interests of Greeks — citizens of the Republic — who sought to strengthen Russian positions in Venice. Count Vorontsov also focused his efforts on establishing an alliance with the Republic. In conclusion, the author comes to the conclusion that the tasks formulated by the imperial government were difficult to realize.

Keywords:
Venice; Russian-Venetian relations; S.R. Vorontsov; F. Foscari; Mediterranean Sea; Russian foreign policy in the XVIII century

For citation:
Dmitry I. Gots. Russia-Venice Relations in the Late 18th Century: Imperial Ambitions and Political Realities // The Historical Reporter. 2026. Vol. 57. P. 70–97. DOI:

Dmitry I. Gots
C.Sc. (History), Junior Research Associate, Center «Russia in International Relations», Institute of Russian History, Russian Academy of Sciences. Moscow, Russian Federation.
e-mail: idgots@gmail.com

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