Prince Mikhail Mikhailovitch Golitsyn or Galitzin (russian: Михаи́л Миха́йлович Голи́цын) (1 November 1684 – 25 March 1764) was a Russian

admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet ...

and

diplomat A diplomat (from grc, δίπλωμα; romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state or an intergovernmental institution such as the United Nations or the European Union to conduct diplomacy with one or more other states or interna ...

Biography

Born in

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

, he was the youngest son of Mikhail Andreyevich Golitsyn and his wife Prascovia Nikitichna Kaftyriova. In 1703 he began a career in the

Imperial Russian Navy The Imperial Russian Navy () operated as the navy of the Russian Tsardom and later the Russian Empire from 1696 to 1917. Formally established in 1696, it lasted until dissolved in the wake of the February Revolution of 1917. It developed from ...

. From 1708 to 1717 he studied seamanship in the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

and the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...

. In 1717 he returned to

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...

and participated in the

Great Northern War The Great Northern War (1700–1721) was a conflict in which a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in Northern, Central and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the anti-Swe ...

, during which he distinguished himself in the Battle of Grengam, commanding a detachment of rowing fleet that defeated a Swedish squadron. In 1726 he became an advisor to the

Board of Admiralty The Board of Admiralty (1628–1964) was established in 1628 when Charles I put the office of Lord High Admiral into commission. As that position was not always occupied, the purpose was to enable management of the day-to-day operational requi ...

and was made a

Lieutenant commander Lieutenant commander (also hyphenated lieutenant-commander and abbreviated Lt Cdr, LtCdr. or LCDR) is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander. The corresponding ran ...

. In 1728 he became privy councilor and

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 in 1727 he was named president of the

College of Justice The College of Justice includes the Supreme Courts of Scotland, and its associated bodies. The constituent bodies of the national supreme courts are the Court of Session, the High Court of Justiciary, the Office of the Accountant of Court, an ...

. Together with his brother, also Mikhail Mikhailovitch, he participated in the events surrounding the coronation of Empress Anna Ivanovna. In 1732 he returned to the navy with the rank of vice admiral but in 1741 Empress Elizabeth came to the throne and he was recalled to politics, again becoming a privy councilor in 1745. He was appointed ambassador to Persia from 1745 to 1748, and brought

peach The peach (''Prunus persica'') is a deciduous tree first domesticated and cultivated in Zhejiang province of Eastern China. It bears edible juicy fruits with various characteristics, most called peaches and others (the glossy-skinned, n ...

trees back to his greenhouse, resulting in the first crop of peaches harvested in Russia. In 1746 he was promoted to the rank of admiral, from 1748 he was commander of the Russian Navy, and in 1750 he was appointed Chairman of the Board of Admiralty. He is one of the admirals credited for the development of the Russian art of naval warfare. In December 1752, he was appointed supreme commander of

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

, a post he held until May 1754. In 1756, Golitsyn was elevated to the rank of admiral-general, He was the third person to hold this position, and the last one who was not a member of the royal family. He retired in 1762 and died on 25 March 1764 in Moscow. He was buried there in the Epiphany Monastery.

Marriages

First marriage

His first wife was Maria Dmitrievna Golovina (d. 1721). They had no children.

Second marriage

On January 22, 1722, he married Tatiana Kirillovna Naryshkyna (1704–1757), daughter of the governor of Moscow, Kirill Alekseyevich Naryshkin. They had eight children: * Alexandr Mikhailovich (1723–1807) * Ekaterina Mikhailovna (1725–1744) * Sergei Mikhailovich (1727–1806) * Anastasia Mikhailovna (1728–1779) * Elizaveta Mikhailovna (1730–1795) * Mikhail Mikhailovich (1731–1804) * Dmitry Mikhailovich (1735–1771) * Pyotr Mikhailovich (1738–1775)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Golitsyn, Mikhail Mikhailovich (admiral) Imperial Russian Navy admirals 1684 births 1764 deaths Diplomats from Moscow Mikhail Mikhailovich 17th-century Russian military personnel 18th-century military personnel from the Russian Empire Politicians of the Russian Empire Members of the Supreme Privy Council Active Privy Councillor (Russian Empire) Ambassadors of the Russian Empire to Iran Russian princes Military personnel from Moscow