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Pg. 17
REIGN OF THE SOVEREIGN EMPRESS ELIZAVETA PETROVNA
1743 yr.
23. -- December 2. Personal –
On the expulsion from both the Great Russia’s, and from the Little Russia’s (or Russia Minor
1
)
cities, villages and hamlets, of all the Jews, no matter of what their title and status may be, with all of
their belongings, abroad and without a possibility of return back to Russia in the future, except for
those wanting to accept the Christian faith of Greek confession.
As it is not more than once by our ancestors in different years, and lately in the accompli decree
(in the last year of 1727, in the day of April 26*), by the blessed and forever dignified in memory all-
dearest Our Mother, Empress Catherine Alexeyevna, in all of Our Empire, as in the Great Russia’s, so
in the Little Russia’s cities the Jews are prohibited to settle. But We know now that it perpetrated so,
that these Jews are still in Our Empire, and chiefly in the Little Russia [Ukraine] under the various
pretenses, be it bargains or running taverns and potatory (drinking) houses, they continue their
residence. In it there is no benefit, but from the haters of Christ the Savior an utmost harm to Our loyal
subjects should be expected. Inasmuch Our Merciful motherly intention is to ward off and protect Our
loyal subjects and Our Empire from all anticipated harmful consequences which can possibly befall
onto them. For this purpose, We wish not to leave this in oblivion, and all-mercifully order: with an
announcement of Our Supreme Decree, from all Our Empire, both from the Great Russia’s, and from
the Little Russia’s cities, villages and hamlets, all the male and female Jews of any rank and title, with
all their possessions shall be immediately sent abroad; and henceforth they shall not be allowed back
into Our Empire under any pretense; unless some of them want to be baptized into the Christian faith of
Greek confession. Baptize them in Our Empire and let them live here, but without permission to leave.
Those unbaptized (non-baptized), as was noted above, should not be kept here under any pretext. By
the force of the mentioned above decree of Our Mother Empress, while releasing them through our
borders, they must be warned and watched firmly, that they not export from Russia abroad gold ducats
and Russian silver coins and Efimky gold and silver coins are found in their possession, those should
be taken away and instead should be given to them Russian copper coins of small currency of five and
half kopeks, which they can in Our Empire exchange for the Wechsels [valuable papers/exchange
Bills/banknotes]. The Provinces’ Governors and the Magistrates in all provinces and in the cities, and in
the Little Russia - the assigned commanders and higher ranks of the army regiments must follow this
order firmly, under the fearof Our Supreme anger and severe punishment in case of a failure to comply.
To insure the awareness about Our Merciful behest to all Our loyal subjects of any rank and
status, we ordered Our Supreme decree to be printed and published in all of Our Empire. (П. П. С. 3.,
т. XI, № 8,673).
1Left bank Ukraine, later the gubernii of Chernigov and Poltava and surrounding areas.
Translation by Anastasia SavenkoMoore and Rick Moore, Eugene OR.
Funded by the Memorial Foundation for Jewish Culture NYC, http://mfjc.org/.
Copyright easteurotopo.org 2019.