As part of the Russian plan of defeating the Ottomans, Catherine the Great hoped to inspire the Orthodox peoples of the Balkans, particularly the Moreot Greeks and the Montenegrins, to rise up against their Ottoman overlords alongside the Russian invasion forces.
On 5 August 1769, Prince Yuri Vladimirovich Dolgorukov was sent from Italy by Alexis Orlov, one of Catherine's most prominent generals, to Montenegro in order to expose Šćepan and prepare the Montenegrins for the arrival of additional Russian forces.
Accompanying Dolgorukov were five officers, two noncomissioned officers, one servant and twenty-six Balkan Slavs recruited in Italy.
After a difficult journey constantly under the watch of Venetian informants, Dolgorukov and his party arrived in Montenegro a few days later, where they were provided with carrying aid and supplies by the locals.
On 13 August, Dolgorukov confronted Šćepan at Burčele Monastery near Cetinje.
Dolgorukov had also issued a written proclamation calling on all Montenegrins to send representatives to Cetinje for a great meeting on 17 August.

Šćepan arrived at the Monastery around nine in the morning on 13 August, escorted by a guard of cavalrymen.
Russian sources describe him as young, about thirty years old, with a pale and smooth face, bright black and combed back curly hair, falling loosely behind his ears, and as being of medium height.
His voice is described as "thin", like a woman's voice, and he spoke rapidly.
He was immediately surmised to look nothing like a Russian Tsar, being described as dressing in "Greek style" (wearing a white silk tunic, a red cap on his head which he never takes off and carrying a Turkish pipe).
From his right side to his left shoulder, Šćepan wore a chain from which a pouch containing an icon hung.
Šćepan and Dolgorukov remained together for eight hours, until five in the afternoon, recorded by an anonymous member of Dolgorukov's entourage as "in obscure and giddy conversation which, apart from its inaneness, allowed one to conclude nothing".
The two met again the next day, and though Šćepan was then apparently more humble and respectfull than before, the Russian authors were again unsure if anything was achieved by the meeting.
The Russian presence in Montenegro inflamed local patriotism and small skirmishes soon broke out along the Ottoman border, with Montenegrins engaging in raids.
Fearing a premature uprising, Dolgorukov had to issue a manifesto condemning such activities for the moment.
By his mere arrival in the country, Dolgorukov had provoked a volatile situation which he only had limited control over.

On 15 August he thus preceded to Cetinje, intending to remove the only real central authority in Montenegro, Šćepan, from power.
The meeting called by Dolgorukov convened outside of the city on 17 August after a church service.
Two key figures were notably absent; Prince-Bishop Sava, who faked being ill in order to avoid a potentially harmful situation, and Šćepan, who pondered how to proceed.
Šćepan had tried to discredit the Russians by claiming they were impostors sent by the Venetians to divide the Montenegrin people, but these attempts had failed.
At Cetinje, the Russians implored the Montenegrins to abandon the impostor Šćepan, who they exposed as a fraud, and instead declare loyalty to the real ruler of Russia, Catherine the Great.
A great cry of affirmation rose from the people present and the crowd swore an oath of allegiance to Russia.

Though he believed he had succeeded, Dolgorukov was awakened by the sound of gunshots five in the morning on the next day.
Šćepan arrived at the monastery by the capital where Dolgorukov was staying, together with his mounted guards, and the Montenegrins who had just the previous day seen Šćepan exposed as an impostor and had formally sworn loyalty to Catherine the Great greeted Šćepan with joy and followed him.
Had Šćepan completely avoided the meeting, he would have lost the trust of the Montenegrin people and he had thus decided to play a hero and return to assert his rule.
Šćepan spent several hours outsid
As part of the Russian plan of defeating the Ottomans, Catherine the Great hoped to inspire the Orthodox peoples of the Balkans, particularly the Moreot Greeks and the Montenegrins, to rise up against their Ottoman overlords alongside the Russian invasion forces. On 5 August 1769, Prince Yuri Vladimirovich Dolgorukov was sent from Italy by Alexis Orlov, one of Catherine's most prominent generals, to Montenegro in order to expose Šćepan and prepare the Montenegrins for the arrival of additional Russian forces. Accompanying Dolgorukov were five officers, two noncomissioned officers, one servant and twenty-six Balkan Slavs recruited in Italy. After a difficult journey constantly under the watch of Venetian informants, Dolgorukov and his party arrived in Montenegro a few days later, where they were provided with carrying aid and supplies by the locals. On 13 August, Dolgorukov confronted Šćepan at Burčele Monastery near Cetinje. Dolgorukov had also issued a written proclamation calling on all Montenegrins to send representatives to Cetinje for a great meeting on 17 August. 
Šćepan arrived at the Monastery around nine in the morning on 13 August, escorted by a guard of cavalrymen. Russian sources describe him as young, about thirty years old, with a pale and smooth face, bright black and combed back curly hair, falling loosely behind his ears, and as being of medium height. His voice is described as "thin", like a woman's voice, and he spoke rapidly. He was immediately surmised to look nothing like a Russian Tsar, being described as dressing in "Greek style" (wearing a white silk tunic, a red cap on his head which he never takes off and carrying a Turkish pipe). From his right side to his left shoulder, Šćepan wore a chain from which a pouch containing an icon hung. Šćepan and Dolgorukov remained together for eight hours, until five in the afternoon, recorded by an anonymous member of Dolgorukov's entourage as "in obscure and giddy conversation which, apart from its inaneness, allowed one to conclude nothing". The two met again the next day, and though Šćepan was then apparently more humble and respectfull than before, the Russian authors were again unsure if anything was achieved by the meeting. The Russian presence in Montenegro inflamed local patriotism and small skirmishes soon broke out along the Ottoman border, with Montenegrins engaging in raids. Fearing a premature uprising, Dolgorukov had to issue a manifesto condemning such activities for the moment. By his mere arrival in the country, Dolgorukov had provoked a volatile situation which he only had limited control over.
On 15 August he thus preceded to Cetinje, intending to remove the only real central authority in Montenegro, Šćepan, from power. The meeting called by Dolgorukov convened outside of the city on 17 August after a church service. Two key figures were notably absent; Prince-Bishop Sava, who faked being ill in order to avoid a potentially harmful situation, and Šćepan, who pondered how to proceed. Šćepan had tried to discredit the Russians by claiming they were impostors sent by the Venetians to divide the Montenegrin people, but these attempts had failed. At Cetinje, the Russians implored the Montenegrins to abandon the impostor Šćepan, who they exposed as a fraud, and instead declare loyalty to the real ruler of Russia, Catherine the Great. A great cry of affirmation rose from the people present and the crowd swore an oath of allegiance to Russia.
Though he believed he had succeeded, Dolgorukov was awakened by the sound of gunshots five in the morning on the next day. Šćepan arrived at the monastery by the capital where Dolgorukov was staying, together with his mounted guards, and the Montenegrins who had just the previous day seen Šćepan exposed as an impostor and had formally sworn loyalty to Catherine the Great greeted Šćepan with joy and followed him. Had Šćepan completely avoided the meeting, he would have lost the trust of the Montenegrin people and he had thus decided to play a hero and return to assert his rule. Šćepan spent several hours outsid
Šćepan Mali