Karadağ’da Küçük Stepan (Sahte Rus Çarı III. Petro) Dönemi (1767-1773)
Stephen the Little (Fake Russian Tsar Pedro the Third) Era in Montenegro (1767-1773)

Summary/Abstract: In 1766, a person appeared in Montenegro claiming to be Peter III, the Russian Tsar who was murdered in 1762. He never called himself Peter III in official documents and used the name Stepan Maliy. The presence of Stepan Maliy, particularly due to his proximity to its borders, alarmed Venice and prompted them to take action. The Venetians sent troops to Montenegro in April 1768 and October 1768. Stepan had to flee to the mountains. The Venetians occupied villages and punished those who supported Stepan Maliy. The Ottoman Empire sent its armies to Montenegro as they did not pay the jizya (tax paid by non-Muslim populations to their Muslim rulers) and attacked Muslims in the region. In the battle with the Ottoman Empire on September 5, 1768, Stepan Maliy's army was surrounded and defeated. Stepan Maliy barely escaped. Russia sent Prince Dolgorukov to Montenegro in 1768 to declare Stepan Maliy as an impostor and to gain support in the war with the Ottoman Empire. Although Dolgorukov initially had Stephen the Little arrested, he later released him to take advantage of him in the fight against the Ottoman Empire. Despite the interventions of Venice, the Ottoman Empire, and Russia, Stepan Maliy continued to rule Montenegro. Stepan Maliy was blinded by the premature explosion of gunpowder while supervising the construction of a road in 1770. He continued to rule the country from the Brceli monastery. In August 1773, he was murdered in his monastery by a Greek hired by the Ottoman Governor of Iskodra. From the first moments of his reign, Stepan Maliy tried to end internal conflicts and restore order, not only by persuading his subjects but also by resorting to drastic measures. Consequently, he was able to bring peace and harmony to society. The foundations of the legislature and judiciary were laid for the first time in Montenegro, thanks to him.

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