ANNA OF RUSSIA: (1693-1740) Anna Ivanovna, Empress of Russia 1730-40. D.S., `Anna´, one page, folio, 25th April 1732, in Cyrillic. The handwritten document is a decree to the Military Collegium referring to the Polish borders, the situation of them and its improvement in order to prevent people escaping, and states in part `A line and an abatis had been built along the Polish border in order to prevent peasants from escaping. Regiments outposts have been established in appropriate locations, but we do not know in what condition the line and the abatis are. Therefore, for its full examination, send officers from the Military Collegium, who are to be instructed to inspect the whole boundary line and abatis, make a thorough plan of the actual description of the situation and measures… That is to say, in which conditions and under whose custody the line and the abatis are, so that, according to that thorough plan, it can be possible to do an exhaustive evaluation to renew the line and the abatis to prevent runaways from escaping. Bring that plan and description immediately to my cabinet…´ The document has been professionally restored to the left edge. Extremely small hole and very small crease to the upper left corner, not affecting the signature, otherwise G The abatis were the ramparts of felled trees bound together and placed with their branches outwards which were used on the boundaries.