Russia and the Ottoman Empire sign the Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca, securing Russian access to the Black Sea and expanding influence over Ottoman territories.
On 21 July 1774, Russian and Ottoman representatives signed the Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca, concluding the Russo-Turkish War of 1768–1774. Negotiated under Catherine II's direction, the treaty proved to be one of the most consequential diplomatic achievements of her reign.
The treaty granted Russia direct access to the Black Sea for the first time, control over key fortresses, and the right to maintain a navy in Black Sea waters. It also established the Crimean Khanate as nominally independent from Ottoman suzerainty—a crucial precursor step to Russia's outright annexation of Crimea in 1783. Additionally, Russia secured the right to represent the interests of Orthodox Christians within the Ottoman Empire, a clause that would be invoked repeatedly in subsequent decades to justify Russian intervention in Ottoman affairs.
The treaty dramatically shifted the balance of power in Eastern Europe and the Black Sea region, marking the decline of Ottoman dominance and the rise of Russia as a major Black Sea and Mediterranean-adjacent power. It exemplified Catherine's assertive foreign policy and her ambitions to expand Russian territory and influence southward, part of her broader vision of Russia as a great European power. The treaty's terms would shape Russo-Ottoman relations and Black Sea geopolitics well into the 19th century.