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Prince Dmitrii Petrovich Maksutov
Prince Maksutov, Russian Governor of Alaska, 1863-1867, Alaska State Library P297-251 and P297-253
Prince Dmitri Petrovich Maksutov was the final chief manager of Russian America and served in the Imperial Russian Navy during the Crimean War. Makstuov was born to a noble family of Tartar ancestry near the Ural Mountains. As a child, he enrolled into the Sea Cadet Corps and at the age of 15 he was promoted to midshipman in the Baltic Fleet. During the Battle of Petropavlovsk, Prince Makstuov excelled at repelling the French advancement. In 1859, Dmitri was appointed assistant chief manager to Governor Furujhelm and was promoted to chief manager in 1863. Maksutov was quite vocal about his apprehension concerning the American purchase of Alaska, and after the Transfer he remained in Sitka until 1869 finishing up business with the Russian American Company. Upon his return to Russia, Dmitri was assigned to the 8th Naval Crew and served on commercial vessels. On May 17, 1882, the day of his resignation, he was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral.
During his time in Russian America, Dmitri was a 1st Rank Captain in the Navy. A majority of the
photos of him during time show him in undress uniform, which consisted of: a frock coat, belt, trousers
and tall boots. Imperial Navy undress coats during this time were double-breasted and made of dark
green cloth. They were fitted to the waist and cinched with a belt. Captains serving the Russian
American Company did not have embroidered standing collars or sleeves on their undress coats.
Trousers are of matching dark green cloth with a button front fly.
(L) Example of a 1st Rank Captain epaulet and (R) Depiction of an 1860s Naval Officer in undress uniform
(Note: the bright color green seen in this drawing is not accurate, but would have rather been a deep
green like that seen in the below image).
Shoulder epaulettes for a 1st Rank Captain consisted of gold brocade on cardboard shoulder
boards with gold fringe (bullion) secured by a single small button and gold stitched straps secured to the
tunic. The waist is cinched by a black leather sword belt. This is an undress uniform and because of that
the sword belt is empty of its sword. The belt plate features a standing anchor with a crown cipher, all of
this is framed by an oak branch and an olive branch tied together with a bow at the bottom. In 1851, it
was declared that all navy personnel serving the Russian American Company wear brass buttons with
the letters A K above crossed admiralty anchors on a lined or dotted background.
The Order of St. George medal is present on his right side (in the yellow oval). Maksutov
was awarded the Order of St. George 4th Class medal after the Siege of Petropavlovsk during
the Crimean War in 1854. The medal is characterized as a gold-trimmed, white-enamel cross
pattée (in this case the shape is a variant of the St. George cross). A center medallion, within a
gold trimmed wreath frame) depicts St. George mounted on a horse while slaying a dragon.
Fourth class medals were worn suspended from a silk ribbon with gold and black stripes.
The medal in the center of his chest (in the red oval) is an Order of St. Vladimir 4th class
medal. The badge is a cross pattée framed in gold trim and outlined in black enamel and filled
with red enamel. A center medallion depicts a crowned ermine in a mantle with a monogram of
St. Vladimir. Two gold swords meet in the center of the badge. The medal is suspended from a
black and red striped silk ribbon fashioned into a bow.
On his left side (in the green oval) is a commemorative medal in memory of the Crimean
War 1853-1856. Maksutov’s service qualified him for a light bronze medal suspended from a St.
George medal ribbon of gold and black. In the center of the obverse side there are two
crowned ciphers H and A for Nicholas I and Alexander II surmounted by the All-Seeing Eye set
on sun rays. The dates ‘1853-1854-1855-1856’ curved along the bottom. On the reverse is the
inscription:
НА ТЯ We have set our hopes in Thee O Lord, Let us never be
ГОСПОДИ ashamed [Eng. Trans.]
УПОВАХОМЪ, ДА
НЕ ПОСТЫДИМСЯ
ВО ВѢКИ.
Dmitrii was granted a 2nd class medal of the Order of St. Stanislaus of the Russian Empire after
the Crimean War. The medal is attached to a silk red and white striped ribbon around the neck either on
the inside or on the outside of the standing collar – Dmitri is photographed wearing the medal both
ways. The medal is framed in gold with a red enamel Maltese cross. Gold Imperial eagles are present on
each arm. A white enamel medallion stamped with SS (for St. Stanislaus) is present in the center, the
front is encircled with a green enamel laurel wreath.
Shirts worn under the undress coat varied in materials, either flannel or linen, depending on the
season and rank. Based on photos of Maksutov, he is seen wearing a white shirt with a standing collar
that can be seen at V-opening at the collar of the undress coat. It is blurred due to his St. Stanislaus
medal ribbon. In the photo below, Dmitrii is seen wearing a watch chain attached to his second right
button.
Boots for officers were black and constructed of thin leather. Boots came up high on the calf.
Toes are flat but not completely squared. Boots were meant to be worn on either foot.
Selected Bibliography
Rokot, Vladimir
2007 Kniaz' Russkoi Ameriki: D.P. Maksutov [Prince of Russian America: D.P. Maksutov].
Tsentrpoligraf, Russia.
Dotsenko, V.D.
1994 Russkii Morskoi Mundir 1696-1917 [Russian Naval Uniforms 1696-1917]. LOGOS, St. Petersburg,
Russia.