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Prince Alexander Nikolayevich Golitsyn (December 19, 1773 – December 4, 1844) was a statesman of the
Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...
, in 1803–1816 he served as
Procurator Procurator (with procuracy or procuratorate referring to the office itself) may refer to: * Procurator, one engaged in procuration, the action of taking care of, hence management, stewardship, agency * Procurator (Ancient Rome), the title of var ...
of the
Most Holy Synod The Most Holy Governing Synod (, pre-reform orthography: ) was the highest governing body of the Russian Orthodox Church between 1721 and 1917. It was abolished following the February Revolution of 1917 and replaced with a restored patriar ...
, and in 1816–1824 he served as
Minister of Education An education minister (sometimes minister of education) is a position in the governments of some countries responsible for dealing with educational matters. Where known, the government department, ministry, or agency that develops policy and deli ...
, an Active Privy Councilor of the 1st Class (1841). The confidant of
Alexander I Alexander I may refer to: * Alexander I of Macedon, king of Macedon from 495 to 454 BC * Alexander I of Epirus (370–331 BC), king of Epirus * Alexander I Theopator Euergetes, surnamed Balas, ruler of the Seleucid Empire 150-145 BC * Pope Alex ...
, who until the end of his life treasured him with "closeness and advice".Russian Portraits of the 18th and 19th Centuries. Volume 2, No. 48. Volume 5, No. 214


Origin and youth

The only son of the captain of the guard, Prince Nikolai Sergeyevich Golitsyn (Alekseevich line), from his third marriage with Alexandra Alexandrovna Khitrovo (1736–1796), the grandson of the Moscow governor Sergei Alekseevich Golitsyn (1695–1758). Widowed two weeks after the birth of her son, the mother in 1776 married retired Major Mikhail Kologrivov. She treated her son strictly and coldly, but the influential court lady Marya Perekusikhina fell in love with the "funny and pungent" boy and, by order of
Catherine II Catherine II. (born Princess Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst; 2 May 172917 November 1796), most commonly known as Catherine the Great, was the reigning empress of Russia from 1762 to 1796. She came to power after overthrowing her husband, Peter III ...
, in 1783 he was enrolled in the
Page Corps The Page Corps (; ) was a military academy in Imperial Russia, which prepared sons of the nobility and of senior officers for military service. Similarly, the Imperial School of Jurisprudence prepared boys for civil service. The present-day equiva ...
moving from Moscow to Saint Petersburg. The main focus was on teaching secular communication, French, fencing, dancing and horseback riding. Thus, from infancy, Prince Golitsyn had access to the courtyard, where at first it was valued as a participant in the children's games of the Grand Dukes –
Alexander Alexander () is a male name of Greek origin. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history. Variants listed here ar ...
and
Constantine Constantine most often refers to: * Constantine the Great, Roman emperor from 306 to 337, also known as Constantine I * Constantine, Algeria, a city in Algeria Constantine may also refer to: People * Constantine (name), a masculine g ...
, and then – as a witty and clever gentleman. His brother (by father) Mikhail Golitsyn, who took the place of the Yaroslavl governor, built the estate of Karabikha (now a museum-reserve) under the city. Another brother (by mother), Dmitry Kologrivov, accompanied the undersized prince Golitsyn in his mischief. Both brothers very skillfully imitated the manners and reprimand of others. Count Fyodor Tolstoy wrote:


Career

After graduating from the Page Corps in 1794, he was received as the
lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...
in the
Preobrazhensky Regiment The Preobrazhensky Lifeguard (military), Life-Guards Regiment (, ''Preobrazhensky leyb-gvardii polk'') was a regiment of the Russian Imperial Guard, Imperial Guard of the Imperial Russian Army from 1683 to 1917. The Preobrazhensky Regiment was ...
. But a year later he returned to the court and became a chamber junker of the small court of Grand Duke Alexander Pavlovich, and in 1796 he was transferred to the large imperial court. In 1799 he received the rank of chamberlain and in the same year became commander of the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem. He was expelled from Saint Petersburg by Emperor
Paul I Paul I may refer to: *Paul of Samosata (200–275), Bishop of Antioch *Paul I of Constantinople (died c. 350), Archbishop of Constantinople *Pope Paul I (700–767) *Paul I Šubić of Bribir (c. 1245–1312), Ban of Croatia and Lord of Bosnia *Paul ...
in the same year for an unknown reason. After the accession to the throne of
Alexander I Alexander I may refer to: * Alexander I of Macedon, king of Macedon from 495 to 454 BC * Alexander I of Epirus (370–331 BC), king of Epirus * Alexander I Theopator Euergetes, surnamed Balas, ruler of the Seleucid Empire 150-145 BC * Pope Alex ...
, Prince Golitsyn, as a person close to him, was appointed first as "Procurator" of the I and later III Departments of the Senate, and then on October 21, 1803, at the insistence of the emperor, assumed the post of
Procurator Procurator (with procuracy or procuratorate referring to the office itself) may refer to: * Procurator, one engaged in procuration, the action of taking care of, hence management, stewardship, agency * Procurator (Ancient Rome), the title of var ...
of the
Holy Synod In several of the autocephalous Eastern Orthodox Churches and Eastern Catholic Churches, the patriarch or head bishop is elected by a group of bishops called the Holy Synod. For instance, the Holy Synod is a ruling body of the Georgian Orthodox ...
. In 1810, while maintaining his former position, he became the head of the foreign confessions, in 1816 – the
Minister of Education An education minister (sometimes minister of education) is a position in the governments of some countries responsible for dealing with educational matters. Where known, the government department, ministry, or agency that develops policy and deli ...
. Partly under the influence of Rodion Koshelev, this
Epicurean Epicureanism is a system of philosophy founded 307 BCE based upon the teachings of Epicurus, an ancient Greek philosopher. Epicurus was an atomist and materialist, following in the steps of Democritus. His materialism led him to religious s ...
and Volterian of Catherine's training, elected in 1806 as a member of the
Russian Academy The Russian Academy or Imperial Russian Academy () was established in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1783 by Empress Catherine II of Russia and princess Dashkova as a research center for Russian language and Russian literature, following the example ...
, turned to piety with a pronounced sentimental-mystical color. He easily undertook to explain to the emperor the most complex theological questions, although he knew the history of religion superficially and considered true Christianity "foggy sentimental
pietism Pietism (), also known as Pietistic Lutheranism, is a movement within Lutheranism that combines its emphasis on biblical doctrine with an emphasis on individual piety and living a holy Christianity, Christian life. Although the movement is ali ...
mixed with Orthodox dogmas, various heretical and sectarian teachings". Moscow Metropolitan Philaret recalled: Having proclaimed piety as the foundation of true enlightenment, Golitsyn headed for the clericalization of education, which under his leadership was zealously pursued by Mikhail Magnitsky and Dmitry Runich. He was suspicious of contemporary literature, which was expressed in the extreme censorship. After in 1817 the departments of spiritual affairs and public education were merged into one ministry – the Ministry of Spiritual Affairs and Public Education – Golitsyn became the head of the latter, but was relieved of the post of Procurator. Since 1810, Alexander Golitsyn was a member of the
Council of State A council of state is a governmental body in a country, or a subdivision of a country, with a function that varies by jurisdiction. It may be the formal name for the cabinet or it may refer to a non-executive advisory body associated with a head ...
, and during 1839–1841 – Chairman of General Meetings. He was one of the few to whom the secret of the abdication of Konstantin Pavlovich was entrusted. He headed the
Philanthropic Society Catch22 is a social business, a not for profit business with a social mission which operates in the United Kingdom (England and Wales). Catch22 can trace its roots back 229 years, to the formation of The Philanthropic Society in 1788. Catch22 desi ...
, took part in the organization of the Guardians of Prisons Society and other philanthropic endeavors. In addition to the reform of theological schools, the establishment of the
Russian Bible Society The Bible Society in Russia () is a Christian non-denominational organization for translating and distributing the Bible in Russia, in languages and formats accessible to anyone. Early history The first attempts to translate books of the Bible into ...
took place under Prince Golitsyn, which, under the presidency of the prince, translated the Bible into Russian and distributed more than 400,000 copies of it. The employees of this society, Popov, Magnitsky, Runich, and Cavelin, were appointed by Golitsyn to direct higher education, where they instilled
clericalism Clericalism is the application of the formal, church-based leadership or opinion of ordained clergy in matters of the church or in broader political and sociocultural contexts. The journalist has stated that clericalism was not part of the Gospe ...
; many professors were fired for lack of piety. Magnitsky demanded to completely close
Kazan University Kazan Federal University (; ) is a public research university located in Kazan, Russia. The university was founded in 1804 as Imperial Kazan University, which makes it the second oldest continuously existing tertiary education institution in Rus ...
ward to him. Although it was customary to associate the triumph of reaction with finding Golitsyn at the helm of the ministry, it was with him that the
Saint Petersburg University Saint Petersburg State University (SPBGU; ) is a public research university in Saint Petersburg, Russia, and one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in Russia. Founded in 1724 by a decree of Peter the Great, the university from the be ...
and the Richelieu Lyceum were established. On August 9, 1821, the Russian Emperor
Alexander I Alexander I may refer to: * Alexander I of Macedon, king of Macedon from 495 to 454 BC * Alexander I of Epirus (370–331 BC), king of Epirus * Alexander I Theopator Euergetes, surnamed Balas, ruler of the Seleucid Empire 150-145 BC * Pope Alex ...
established the Siberian Committee and Count Golitsin was included in its first composition.Siberian Committee //
Great Russian Encyclopedia The ''Great Russian Encyclopedia'' (''GRE''; , БРЭ, transliterated as ''Bolshaya rossiyskaya entsiklopediya'' or academically as ''Bol'šaja rossijskaja ènciklopedija'') is a universal Russian encyclopedia, completed in 36 volumes, publishe ...
: n 35 Volumes/ Editor-in-Chief Yuri Osipov – Moscow: Big Russian Encyclopedia, 2004–2017
To neutralize the influence of Alexander Golitsyn on the emperor, Aleksey Arakcheev led an intrigue under him with the participation of Metropolitan Seraphim and
Archimandrite Photius Archimandrite Photius (, secular name Pyotr Nikitich Spassky, ; Julian calendar: 4 June 1792, Novgorodsky Uyezd – 26 February 1838, Novgorod) was an influential and reactionary Russian Orthodox priest and mystic, appointed in 1822 the Archimandr ...
, who convinced Alexander I that Golitsyn's administration was detrimental to the church and the state. His enemies triumphed on May 27, 1824, when Prince Golitsyn was to resign in both departments, retaining only the title of chief over the postal department. He held the last post under Nicholas I, who valued in Golitsyn "the most faithful friend of his family". Over the years, his religiosity only intensified. A contemporary recalls: In 1843, Count Golitsyn, due to visual impairment, left the capital and retired to Crimea, where he died in his estate of
Gaspra Gaspra (; ; ; from Greek , 'white'), officially transliterated Haspra, is a spa town, an urban-type settlement in Yalta Municipality in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. It is located on the Black Sea coast, west of Yalta, and is a popular ho ...
. In the same Golitsyn Palace,
Leo Tolstoy Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy Tolstoy pronounced his first name as , which corresponds to the romanization ''Lyov''. () (; ,Throughout Tolstoy's whole life, his name was written as using Reforms of Russian orthography#The post-revolution re ...
later wrote the novel "
Hadji Murad Hadji Murad (, ; 1818 – ) was an important North Caucasian Avar leader during the resistance of the peoples of Dagestan and Chechnya in 1811–1864 against the incorporation of the region into the Russian Empire. Life Youth Hadji Murad wa ...
". He was buried in the Balaklava Saint George Monastery.


Personal life

Golitsyn spent his whole life a bachelor and was known for his intimate relationships with men.
Nikolai Yazykov Nikolay Mikhailovich Yazykov (; – ) was a Russian poet and Slavophile who in the 1820s rivalled Alexander Pushkin and Yevgeny Baratynsky as the most popular poet of his generation. Biography Yazykov was born in Simbirsk to an old family of ...
in a letter of 1824 cites an anecdote, "as if the sovereign had called for the famous sodomite Bantysh-Kamensky and ordered him to compile a list of all his acquaintances on this part, that Bantysh-Kamensky presented him with such a list, starting with the Minister of Education, then there was the
chancellor Chancellor () is a title of various official positions in the governments of many countries. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the (lattice work screens) of a basilica (court hall), which separa ...
and so on... After that he had an audience with the emperor and certified him oath in the truth of his report".Nikolay Yazykov. Poems: Poet Library – Soviet Writer, 1988 – Page 515
Alexander Pushkin Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin () was a Russian poet, playwright, and novelist of the Romantic era.Basker, Michael. Pushkin and Romanticism. In Ferber, Michael, ed., ''A Companion to European Romanticism''. Oxford: Blackwell, 2005. He is consid ...
ridiculed Golitsyn in the epigram "Here is the Tail Protector...". The famous memoirist and homosexual Philip Vigel recalls Golitsyn even more biasedly: "Without blushing, you can't talk about him, I won't say anything more: I'm not going to stain these pages with his stupidity, his baseness and vices".


Proceedings

Prince Alexander Golitsyn compiled for Empress Elizabeth Alekseevna "Opinion on the Difference Between the Eastern and Western Churches, with the History of Their Separation", which was published only in 1870.


Encounter with Scottish Missionaries

Source: On May 26, 1818, Dr Robert Ross MD, newly ordained minister representing the Edinburgh (later Scottish) Missionary Society, sailed from Leith with his new wife and other missionaries, Messrs Gray and Liddell and Mr and Mrs Macpherson for
St Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...
, Russia. Robert Ross’s commission was to go to the Kalmut (sic Kalmat) Tartars (sic
Tatars Tatars ( )Tatar
in the Collins English Dictionary
are a group of Turkic peoples across Eas ...
), with the principal object being the translation of the Old Testament into the Tartar (sic) or Turkish language and the revising of the translation of the New Testament for a second edition. It was proposed to set up a printing press at
Astrakhan Astrakhan (, ) is the largest city and administrative centre of Astrakhan Oblast in southern Russia. The city lies on two banks of the Volga, in the upper part of the Volga Delta, on eleven islands of the Caspian Depression, from the Caspian Se ...
for this purpose. They arrived in
Astrakhan Astrakhan (, ) is the largest city and administrative centre of Astrakhan Oblast in southern Russia. The city lies on two banks of the Volga, in the upper part of the Volga Delta, on eleven islands of the Caspian Depression, from the Caspian Se ...
on 14 February 1821. The ultimate objective of Dr Ross going to
Astrakhan Astrakhan (, ) is the largest city and administrative centre of Astrakhan Oblast in southern Russia. The city lies on two banks of the Volga, in the upper part of the Volga Delta, on eleven islands of the Caspian Depression, from the Caspian Se ...
was the eventual sortie into the
Crimean Peninsula Crimea ( ) is a peninsula in Eastern Europe, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, almost entirely surrounded by the Black Sea and the smaller Sea of Azov. The Isthmus of Perekop connects the peninsula to Kherson Oblast in mainland Ukrai ...
to take the good news of the Gospel of Christ into this area. A letter from Prince Galitzin (sic), Minister of State and Religion, and President of the
Russian Bible Society The Bible Society in Russia () is a Christian non-denominational organization for translating and distributing the Bible in Russia, in languages and formats accessible to anyone. Early history The first attempts to translate books of the Bible into ...
, outlined their responsibilities and offered them full support and safe conduct, and also a letter of introduction to the Governor of the
Crimea Crimea ( ) is a peninsula in Eastern Europe, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, almost entirely surrounded by the Black Sea and the smaller Sea of Azov. The Isthmus of Perekop connects the peninsula to Kherson Oblast in mainland Ukrain ...
. In the Prince’s letter, he writes: Further in his letter he wrote: He then goes on to ask as to what name they would call themselves and ends his letter with: As Prince Galitzin (sic) had given his approval for the Academy and the missionaries were under the security of the Russian Government, it was most necessary to adhere to the objects as laid down by the Prince in his letter. Dr Ross and the Rev. Glen and Mr Carruthers postponed their journey as long as they could, but they eventually arrived in Sympheropole (sic Simferopol) on 15 June 1821. By August 1824, the Academy had not been established and Dr Ross had never returned to
Crimea Crimea ( ) is a peninsula in Eastern Europe, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, almost entirely surrounded by the Black Sea and the smaller Sea of Azov. The Isthmus of Perekop connects the peninsula to Kherson Oblast in mainland Ukrain ...
. He wrote from
Astrakhan Astrakhan (, ) is the largest city and administrative centre of Astrakhan Oblast in southern Russia. The city lies on two banks of the Volga, in the upper part of the Volga Delta, on eleven islands of the Caspian Depression, from the Caspian Se ...
of change, as the missionaries were no longer received there, and the people did not accept the printed books and tracts any more. There was change in the Government and in
St Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...
, as Prince Galitzin (sic) was no longer Minister of State or President of the Bible Society. Other churchmen were sent out of the Empire and in June 1825, the missionaries were all in Moscow, and four weeks later they departed from
St Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...
and sailed for Leith.


Awards and honors

;Russian * 1799 – Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, Commander's Cross; * 1804 —
Order of Saint Anne The Imperial Order of Saint Anna (; also "Order of Saint Anne" or "Order of Saint Ann") was a Holstein ducal and then Russian imperial order of chivalry. It was established by Karl Friedrich, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp, on 14 February 1735, in hono ...
, 1st Class; * 1814 —
Order of Saint Alexander Nevsky The Imperial Order of Saint Alexander Nevsky was an order of chivalry of the Russian Empire first awarded on by Empress Catherine I of Russia. History The introduction of the Imperial Order of Saint Alexander Nevsky was envisioned by Emperor ...
; * 1826 —
Order of Saint Vladimir The Imperial Order of Saint Prince Vladimir () was an Imperial Russian order established on by Empress Catherine the Great, Catherine II in memory of the deeds of Vladimir I, Prince of Kiev, Saint Vladimir, the Grand Prince and the Baptizer of ...
, 1st Class; * 1826 — Order of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called; * 1826 – Diamond to the Order of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called; * 1830 – Chancellor of Russian Orders; * 1831 — Order of the White Eagle; * 1831 —
Order of Saint Stanislaus The Order of Saint Stanislaus (, ), also spelled Stanislas, was a Polish order of knighthood founded in 1765 by King Stanisław August Poniatowski of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. It remained under the Congress Poland, Kingdom of Pola ...
, 1st Class; * 1834 – Portrait of the Emperor Sovereign with Diamonds; * 1838 – Badge "For XL Years of Immaculate Service"; * 1842 – Pension According to the Order of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called. ;Foreign * 1842 —
Order of the Black Eagle The Order of the Black Eagle () was the highest order of chivalry in the Kingdom of Prussia. The order was founded on 17 January 1701 by Elector Friedrich III of Brandenburg (who became Friedrich I of Prussia, Friedrich I, King in Prussia, the ...
(Prussia).


References


Sources

*Fedorov
Golitsyn
// Orthodox Encyclopedia – Moscow: Church and Scientific Center "Orthodox Encyclopedia", 2006 – Volume XI – Pages 695–697 – 752 pages – 39,000 copies – *Vladimir Sheremetevsky. Golitsyn Alexander Nikolaevich // Russian Biographical Dictionary: Gogol – Gune. Moscow, 1997. Pages 76–136. *Yuri Bartenev
From the Notes of Yuri Bartenev. Stories of Prince Alexander Nikolayevich Golitsyn
// Russian Archive, 1886 – Book 3 – Issue 6 – Pages 305–333 *Alexander Golitsyn

/ Publication and Сomments by Nikolai Barsov // Russian Antiquity, 1882 – Volume 33 – No. 3 – Pages 765–780 – Under the Title: Prince Alexander Golitsyn and Archimandrite Photius in 1822–1825 *Alexander Golitsyn

// Russian Archive, 1868 – 2nd edition – Moscow, 1869 – Columns 873–877 *Alexander Golitsyn

/ Message by Ivan Zvegintsev // Russian Archive, 1869 – Issue 6 – Columns 943–958 *Alexander Golitsyn

/ Written by Nikolai Kicheev // Russian Antiquity, 1874 – Volume 10 – No. 7 – Pages 621–622 *Yuri Kondakov. The Resignation of Prince Alexander Golitsyn on May 15, 1824 // Russia in the Nineteenth Century: Politics, Economics, Culture – Saint Petersburg, 1996 *Yuri Kondakov. The Personality and Government Activities of Prince Alexander Golitsyn // Personality and Power in the History of Russia in the 19th and 20th Centuries – Saint Petersburg, 1997 *Yuri Kondakov. Prince Alexander Golitsyn: Courtier, Official, Christian: Monograph – Saint Petersburg: ElekSis LLC, 2014 – 284 Pages *Evgenia Nazarenko. Prince Alexander Golitsyn in the Socio-Political and Religious History of Russia in the First Half of the 19th Century: a Monograph – Voronezh: Publishing House of Voronezh State University, 2014 – 188 Pages *Natalia Zazulina. Prince Alexander Golitsyn. Unknown in All Respects – Moscow: Boslen, 2019. 288 Pages.


External links


Profile of Alexander Nikolayevich Golitsyn
on the official website of the
Russian Academy of Sciences The Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS; ''Rossíyskaya akadémiya naúk'') consists of the national academy of Russia; a network of scientific research institutes from across the Russian Federation; and additional scientific and social units such ...
{{authority control 1773 births 1844 deaths Recipients of the Order of St. Vladimir, 1st class Recipients of the Order of the White Eagle (Russia) Recipients of the Order of St. Anna, 1st class Recipients of the Order of Saint Stanislaus (Russian), 1st class Golitsyn family Members of the State Council (Russian Empire) Members of the Russian Academy Nobility from the Russian Empire