Count Nikolay Semyonovich Mordvinov (russian: Николай Семёнович Мордвинов) (17 April 1754 – 30 March 1845) was one of the most reputable

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 ...

n political thinkers of

Alexander I Alexander I may refer to: * Alexander I of Macedon, king of Macedon 495–454 BC * Alexander I of Epirus (370–331 BC), king of Epirus * Pope Alexander I (died 115), early bishop of Rome * Pope Alexander I of Alexandria (died 320s), patriarch of A ...

's reign. He is associated with the reforms of

Mikhail Speransky Count Mikhail Mikhailovich Speransky (russian: Михаи́л Миха́йлович Спера́нский; 12 January 1772 – 23 February 1839) was a Russian reformist during the reign of Alexander I of Russia, to whom he was a close advisor. ...

, who he advised on the ways to improve the performance of the national economy. Mordvinov was an admiral's son and started his career in the Navy at an early age. He started his service in 1766 in the rank of midshipman.The Black Sea Encyclopedia. By Sergei R. Grinevetsky, Igor S. Zonn, Sergei S. Zhiltsov, Aleksey N. Kosarev, Andrey G. Kostiano

/ref> An

Anglophile An Anglophile is a person who admires or loves England, its people, its culture, its language, and/or its various accents. Etymology The word is derived from the Latin word ''Anglii'' and Ancient Greek word φίλος ''philos'', meaning "fr ...

like his peer

Chichagov Chichagov or Chichagof(f) (masculine) or Chichagova (feminine) is a Russian surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Pavel Chichagov (1767–1849), a Russian military and naval commander in the Napoleonic Wars * Seraphim Chichagov (b.? - ...

, he spent three years – from 1774 to 1777 – serving on English ships in

British North America British North America comprised the colonial territories of the British Empire in North America from 1783 onwards. English colonisation of North America began in the 16th century in Newfoundland, then further south at Roanoke and Jamestow ...

. In 1783, he accompanied Chichagov during his expedition into the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on ...

. However, he felt ill at ease with

Potemkin Prince Grigory Aleksandrovich Potemkin-Tauricheski (, also , ;, rus, Князь Григо́рий Алекса́ндрович Потёмкин-Таври́ческий, Knjaz' Grigórij Aleksándrovich Potjómkin-Tavrícheskij, ɡrʲɪˈɡ ...

's and De Ribas's management of 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 ...

and retired in the late 1780s. His career took a leap forward under Emperor Paul, who shared his intense dislike of Potemkin's coterie and recalled Mordvinov to service with the rank of admiral. In 1799, he was appointed Vice-President of the

Admiralty Admiralty most often refers to: *Admiralty, Hong Kong *Admiralty (United Kingdom), military department in command of the Royal Navy from 1707 to 1964 *The rank of admiral *Admiralty law Admiralty can also refer to: Buildings * Admiralty, Traf ...

. Three years later, when the Admiralty was transformed into the Navy Ministry, he became the first Navy Minister of Imperial Russia, but ceded this post to Pavel Chichagov within three months. Mordvinov's independent-mindedness and Anglophile way of life made him a darling of the Muscovite society. In 1806, the Muscovite nobility elected him to lead a volunteer corps rallied against

Napoleon 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 wh ...

. He became particularly popular with young liberals, who admired his courage to oppose the government when needed. Both

Kondraty Ryleev Kondraty Fyodorovich Ryleyev, also spelled Kondraty Feodorovich Ryleev (, September 29 (September 18 O.S.), 1795 – July 25 (July 13 O.S.), 1826) was a Russian poet, publisher, and a leader of the Decembrist Revolt, which attempted to overt ...

and

Alexander Pushkin Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin (; rus, links=no, Александр Сергеевич ПушкинIn pre-Revolutionary script, his name was written ., r=Aleksandr Sergeyevich Pushkin, p=ɐlʲɪkˈsandr sʲɪrˈɡʲe(j)ɪvʲɪtɕ ˈpuʂkʲɪn, ...

dedicated enthusiastic poems to him. He considered

serfdom Serfdom was the status of many peasants under feudalism, specifically relating to manorialism, and similar systems. It was a condition of debt bondage and indentured servitude with similarities to and differences from slavery, which develop ...

to be the main obstacle to the successful economic development of Russia, and wrote that "Freedom, property, enlightenment and justice are the main and only origins of wealth". He also advocated free enterprise, principles of private property and, like Vorontsov, defended a

protectionist Protectionism, sometimes referred to as trade protectionism, is the economic policy of restricting imports from other countries through methods such as tariffs on imported goods, import quotas, and a variety of other government regulations. ...

customs

tariff A tariff is a tax imposed by the government of a country or by a supranational union on imports or exports of goods. Besides being a source of revenue for the government, import duties can also be a form of regulation of foreign trade and p ...

. In 1823, Mordvinov was elected President of the

Free Economic Society Free Economic Society for the Encouragement of Agriculture and Husbandry (russian: Вольное экономическое общество) was Russia's first learned society which formally did not depend on the government and as such came to b ...

, a high-profile position which he filled for 17 years. During his term in office, he outlined his economic views in a number of writings. Mordvinov died at the age of 90 in

St 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 ...

Honours and awards

* Order of St. Andrew * Order of St. Alexander Nevsky * Order of St. Vladimir, 1st class * Order of St. Anne, 1st class

References

*Ikonnikov V.S. ''Граф Н.С. Мордвинов''. Saint Petersburg, 1873. {{DEFAULTSORT:Mordvinov Imperial Russian Navy admirals Counts of the Russian Empire Russian economists Politicians of the Russian Empire Members of the State Council (Russian Empire) Members of the Russian Academy Honorary members of the Saint Petersburg Academy of Sciences Mordvin people 1754 births 1845 deaths Recipients of the Order of St. Vladimir, 1st class Recipients of the Order of St. Anna, 1st class Burials at Lazarevskoe Cemetery (Saint Petersburg)