Count Alexander Romanovich Vorontsov (russian: Алекса́ндр Рома́нович Воронцо́в) (4 February 17412 December 1805) was the

Chancellor of the Russian Empire Chancellor of the Russian Empire (russian: канцлер Российской империи) was a civil position (class) in the Russian Empire, according to the Table of Ranks introduced by Peter the Great in 1722. Chancellor was a civil rank o ...

during the early years of Alexander I's reign. He began his career at the age of fifteen in the Izmailovsky regiment of the Guards. He was the son of Russian General-in-chief

Roman Illarionovich Vorontsov Count (1760) Roman Illarionovich (Larionovich) Vorontsov (1717–1783) was a Full Chamberlain (1746), General-Chef (1761), Senator (1760), Vladimir, Penza and Tambov Governor-General (1778–1783), one of the first figures of Russian Freemason ...

(1707—1783) and Marfa Ivanovna Surmina (1718—1745). In 1759, Alexander's uncle, the grand chancellor Mikhail Illarionovich Vorontsov, sent him to

Strasbourg Strasbourg (, , ; german: Straßburg ; gsw, label=Bas Rhin Alsatian, Strossburi , gsw, label=Haut Rhin Alsatian, Strossburig ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est region of eastern France and the official seat of the Eu ...

, Paris and Madrid to train him in diplomacy. Under

Peter III Peter III may refer to: Politics * Peter III of Bulgaria (ruled in 1072) * Peter III of Aragon (1239–1285) * Peter III of Arborea (died 1347) * Peter III Aaron (died 1467) * Pedro III of Kongo (ruler in 1669) * Peter III of Russia (1728–1762) * ...

, who was in love with his sister Elizabeth, he represented Russia for a short time at the

court of St James's The Court of St James's is the royal court for the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. All ambassadors to the United Kingdom are formally received by the court. All ambassadors from the United Kingdom are formally accredited from the court – & ...

. Catherine II created him a

senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

and president of the Board of Trade; but she never liked him, and ultimately (1791) compelled him to retire from public life. In 1802, Alexander I summoned him back to office and appointed him imperial chancellor. This was the period of the triumph of the Vorontsovs, who had always insisted on the necessity of a close union with Austria and Great Britain,Карабанов П. Ф. Списки замечательных лиц русских / �оп.: П. В. Долгоруков — М.: Унив. тип., 1860. — 112 с. — (Из 1-й кн. «Чтений в О-ве истории и древностей рос. при Моск. ун-те. 1860») in opposition to Nikita Panin and his followers, who had leaned on France or Prussia till the outbreak of the French Revolution made friendship with France impossible. Vorontsov was also an implacable opponent of

Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

, whose "topsy-turvyness" he was never weary of denouncing. The rupture with Napoleon in 1803 is mainly attributable to him. He also took a leading part in the internal administration and was in favour of a thorough reform of the Governing Senate and the ministries. He retired in 1804. A lifelong bachelor, he possessed an extraordinary memory and a firm and wide grasp of history. His ''Memoirs of My Own Times'' is printed in vol. VII of the ''Vorontsov Archives''.

Family members

* Vorontsov - his family * Mikhail Illarionovich Vorontsov - his uncle * Ekaterina Romanovna Vorontsova-Dashkova - his sister * Elizaveta Vorontsova - his sister * Semyon Romanovich Vorontsov - his brother *

Mikhail Semyonovich Vorontsov Prince Mikhail Semyonovich Vorontsov (russian: Князь Михаи́л Семёнович Воронцо́в, tr. ; ) was a Russian nobleman and field-marshal, renowned for his success in the Napoleonic wars and most famous for his participati ...

- his nephew.

References

External links

Online Museum of the Vorontsov Family
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vorontsov, Alexander Romanovich Senators of the Russian Empire Foreign ministers of the Russian Empire Chancellors of the Russian Empire Members of the State Council (Russian Empire) Counts of the Russian Empire 1741 births 1805 deaths Ambassadors of the Russian Empire 18th-century people from the Russian Empire Alexander Ambassadors of the Russian Empire to the United Kingdom