Pavel Gagarin

Prince Pavel Pavlovich Gagarin (russian: Павел Павлович Гагарин; 4 (15) March 1789 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 ...

– 21 February (4 March) 1872 in

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 ...

) was a Russian statesman from the

Rurikid The Rurik dynasty ( be, Ру́рыкавічы, Rúrykavichy; russian: Рю́риковичи, Ryúrikovichi, ; uk, Рю́риковичі, Riúrykovychi, ; literally "sons/scions of Rurik"), also known as the Rurikid dynasty or Rurikids, was ...

Gagarin family The House of Gagarin (russian: Гага́рин) is the name of a Russian princely family descending from sovereign rulers of Starodub-on-the-Klyazma. Origins The descendant of the Great Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich, the Christianizer of Ru ...

. He was the posthumous child of Prince Pavel Sergeyevich Gagarin (1747–89), the Commander of the

Moscow Kremlin The Kremlin ( rus, Московский Кремль, r=Moskovskiy Kreml', p=ˈmɐˈskofskʲɪj krʲemlʲ, t=Moscow Kremlin) is a fortified complex in the center of Moscow founded by the Rurik dynasty. It is the best known of the kremlins (R ...

. After his mother's death in 1800, Pavel and his elder brother Andrew were brought up at a private boarding school in Moscow. He started his career as an aide-de-camp to

Mikhail Miloradovich Count Mikhail Andreyevich Miloradovich (russian: Граф Михаи́л Андре́евич Милора́дович, sh-Cyrl, Гроф Михаил Андрејевић Милорадовић ''Grof Mihail Andrejević Miloradović''; – ...

and other notable commanders but, citing ill health, moved to the civil service in 1809. He married Maria, the only daughter of Georg Johann von Glasenapp, Vice-Roy of Siberia. She became known as "the Princess Termagant" for her dreadful character and haughty manners. As a senior member of the

Governing Senate The Governing Senate (russian: Правительствующий сенат, Pravitelstvuyushchiy senat) was a legislative, judicial, and executive body of the Russian Emperors, instituted by Peter the Great to replace the Boyar Duma and laste ...

in the reign of Nicholas I, Prince Gagarin inspected several governorates and led a commission investigating the activities of

Dostoyevsky Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky (, ; rus, Фёдор Михайлович Достоевский, Fyódor Mikháylovich Dostoyévskiy, p=ˈfʲɵdər mʲɪˈxajləvʲɪdʑ dəstɐˈjefskʲɪj, a=ru-Dostoevsky.ogg, links=yes; 11 November 18219 ...

and other members of the

Petrashevsky Circle The Petrashevsky Circle was a Russian literary discussion group of progressive-minded intellectuals in St. Petersburg in the 1840s. It was organized by Mikhail Petrashevsky, a follower of the French utopian socialist Charles Fourier. Among the memb ...

. Many years later, Gagarin was also responsible for investigating Dmitry Karakozov's attempt to assassinate

Alexander II of Russia Alexander II ( rus, Алекса́ндр II Никола́евич, Aleksándr II Nikoláyevich, p=ɐlʲɪˈksandr ftɐˈroj nʲɪkɐˈlajɪvʲɪtɕ; 29 April 181813 March 1881) was Emperor of Russia, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Fin ...

. After Alexander's accession to the throne, Gagarin was involved, together with Yakov Rostovtsev, in the activities of a secret committee that prepared the

Emancipation Reform of 1861 The emancipation reform of 1861 in Russia, also known as the Edict of Emancipation of Russia, (russian: Крестьянская реформа 1861 года, translit=Krestyanskaya reforma 1861 goda – "peasants' reform of 1861") was the first ...

. Always keen to support the party of wealthy landowners, Gagarin was made Chairman of the

Committee of Ministers The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe ( French: ''Comité des ministres du Conseil de l'Europe'') or Committee of Ministers ( French: ''Comité des ministres'') is the Council of Europe's decision-making body. It comprises the Forei ...

in 1864. He was also in charge of the State Council during Count Bludov's final illness and for several months following his death. He had eight children, including Sergey, the governor of Archangel, and Varvara, the wife of Dmitry Sontsov. {{DEFAULTSORT:Gagarin, Pavel Pavlovich 1789 births 1872 deaths Politicians of the Russian Empire Members of the State Council (Russian Empire) Active Privy Councillors, 1st class (Russian Empire) 19th-century politicians from the Russian Empire