Dagger of Admiral Count Orlov

Dagger with sheath, part of an officer's formal uniform. It bears a gold and silver handle in the shape of a whale/huge fish vomiting Jonah from its mouth. Around the base of the handle lies the inscription: When I was in its belly I was calling your name. According to tradition it is an offering by Admiral Count Orlov to the Monastery of the Theologian. Russian Count Alexei Grigoryevich Orlov (1737–1808) rose to prominence during the reign of Catherine the Great and was involved in military operations during the Russo-Turkish War of 1768-74. He was appointed commander-in-chief of the fleet sent against the Turks, winning the Battle of Chesme against the Ottoman navy (1770), a victory connected with the Orlov Revolt in Greece and the conquest of the Greek Archipelago. During that time, the island of Patmos was held by the Russians, and eventually -after the signing of the Treaty of Kuchuk-Kainarji- the Patmian shipowners expanded their commercial activities by building ships and using the russian flag. The Monastery holds a significant number of russian dedications from the 18th century, a period marked by the growing Russian activity in the Eastern Mediterranean aimed at the protection of Orthodox Christians and the strengthening of the Russian fronts.