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.