Medal Awarded to Captain Matvei Simontov for Building the Harbour in Taganrog in 1709
Medallist: I. P. 1709
- Silver. 42 x 38. Total weight: 34.81 g.
- Мед.А-3697
The Italian Matvei Simont (Simontov) came to Russia in 1698 with the task of teaching 10 Russians “shipping and maritime military affairs.” Peter the Great commissioned the Italian to supervise construction of a harbour in the mouth of the Mius River. Subsequently, when it turned out to be impossible to build a harbour on the selected site, it was decided to build a harbour next to Taganrog. This was accomplished based on technical drawings prepared by Simontov. In May 1709, when the tsar arrived to Taganrog, the harbour construction was almost complete, and Peter ordered that a gold medal be awarded to the engineer. On June 2, 1709 Admiral Fyodor Apraksin, who was in control of the Mint, wrote to the tsar: “I will instantly initiate the production of the medal for Matvei Simontov, with an image of Your Majesty on one side, and a depiction of the harbour on the other side, along with the inscription that you have ordered. I will send it to Your Majesty the moment it is ready.” Initially, a single gold medal was produced to be awarded to Simontov, but subsequently more copies of it were made with different metals. Apart from the medal’s original dies made by S. Gouin, we are aware of at least four pairs of renewed dies made in the 18th and 19th centuries.