Michał Kazimierz Ogiński ( – ) was a Polish nobleman, politician, musician, composer and military officer.

Biography

He began his political career at the age of 18, when he became the Field Writer of Lithuania, a mid-level position in the administration of the State. In 1764 he became one of Russia's candidates for the Polish throne. When

Stanisław August Poniatowski Stanisław II August (born Stanisław Antoni Poniatowski; 17 January 1732 – 12 February 1798), known also by his regnal Latin name Stanislaus II Augustus, and as Stanisław August Poniatowski (), was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuani ...

was chosen instead, he was made

Palatine A palatine or palatinus (Latin; : ''palatini''; cf. derivative spellings below) is a high-level official attached to imperial or royal courts in Europe since Roman Empire, Roman times.

(or Voïvode) of

Vilnius Vilnius ( , ) is the capital of and List of cities in Lithuania#Cities, largest city in Lithuania and the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, most-populous city in the Baltic states. The city's estimated January 2025 population w ...

. In 1768 he was nominated to the rank of the Grand Hetman of Lithuania, thus becoming one of two highest-ranking military commanders in the Polish–Lithuanian state. He later joined the anti-Russian

Bar Confederation The Bar Confederation (; 1768–1772) was an association of Polish nobles (''szlachta'') formed at the fortress of Bar, Ukraine, Bar in Podolia (now Ukraine), in 1768 to defend the internal and external independence of the Polish–Lithuanian C ...

. After some initial successes, he was defeated in September 1771 by the Russian forces under

Alexander Suvorov Count Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov-Rymniksky, Prince of Italy () was a Russian general and military theorist in the service of the Russian Empire. Born in Moscow, he studied military history as a young boy and joined the Imperial Russian ...

in the Battle of Stołowicze, forcing him into exile, notably in Paris between 1772 and 1774, and his properties were confiscated. He was allowed to return in 1774, and three years later Russia returned some of his properties to him. During the

Great Sejm The Great Sejm, also known as the Four-Year Sejm (Polish language, Polish: ''Sejm Wielki'' or ''Sejm Czteroletni''; Lithuanian language, Lithuanian: ''Didysis seimas'' or ''Ketverių metų seimas'') was a Sejm of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwea ...

of 1788–1791, Ogiński was a member of the Patriotic Party. However, following the defeat of his faction in the

Polish–Russian War of 1792 The Polish–Russian War of 1792 (also, War of the Second Partition, and in Polish sources, War in Defence of the Constitution) was fought between the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth on one side, and the Targowica Confederation (conservativ ...

, he resigned his post and retired to his family manor in Słonim. Apart from his political and military career, he was a noted engineer and musician. He helped to establish the Pińsk–

Volhynia Volhynia or Volynia ( ; see #Names and etymology, below) is a historic region in Central and Eastern Europe, between southeastern Poland, southwestern Belarus, and northwestern Ukraine. The borders of the region are not clearly defined, but in ...

road, the

arsenal An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...

in Vilnius, and the Oginski Canal, which joined the watersheds of the

Neman Neman, Nemunas or Niemen is a river in Europe that rises in central Belarus and flows through Lithuania then forms Lithuania–Russia border, the northern border of Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia's western exclave, which specifically follows its s ...

and

Dnieper The Dnieper or Dnepr ( ), also called Dnipro ( ), is one of the major transboundary rivers of Europe, rising in the Valdai Hills near Smolensk, Russia, before flowing through Belarus and Ukraine to the Black Sea. Approximately long, with ...

rivers (1765-1784). He also founded numerous factories and foundries in the lands belonging to his family. He was also a noted musician and composer, as well as a benefactor of artists. At his court in Słonim he held two theater groups (Italian and Polish), a printing house and orchestra. He also modified the design of the

harp The harp is a stringed musical instrument that has individual strings running at an angle to its soundboard; the strings are plucked with the fingers. Harps can be made and played in various ways, standing or sitting, and in orchestras or ...

and wrote several musical compositions. He was among two Polish scholars (alongside Jan Szczepan Kurdwanowski) who contributed to the French ''

Encyclopédie , better known as ''Encyclopédie'' (), was a general encyclopedia published in France between 1751 and 1772, with later supplements, revised editions, and translations. It had many writers, known as the Encyclopédistes. It was edited by Denis ...

''. He was a cousin of Andrzej Ignacy, the father of composer

Michał Kleofas Ogiński Michał Kleofas Ogiński (25 September 1765 – 15 October 1833) was a Polish diplomat and politician, Grand Treasurer of Lithuania, and a senator of Tsar Alexander I. He was also a composer of late Classical and early Romantic music. Early ...

, and it is possible that many of the

polonaise The polonaise (, ; , ) is a dance originating in Poland, and one of the five Polish folk dances#National Dances, Polish national dances in Triple metre, time. The original Polish-language name of the dance is ''chodzony'' (), denoting a walki ...

s composed by him can be attributed to Michał Kazimierz, including the famous ''Farewell to My Homeland''. Michał Kazimierz Ogiński was the first owner of Rembrandt's painting ''

The Polish Rider '' The Polish Rider '' is a seventeenth-century painting by Rembrandt, usually dated to the 1650s, of a young man traveling on horseback through a murky landscape, now in The Frick Collection in New York City, New York. When the painting was sol ...

''.

Honours

* Order of the White Eagle, Poland *

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 ...

, Poland * Order of St. Andrew, Russian Empire * Order of Saint Alexander Nevsky, Russian Empire *

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

Works

He was the author of literary works published under the pseudonym ''Słonimski''. *''Żarty dowcipne dla czytelnika z różnych autorów zebrane'' (1780) *''Xiążka in Octavo majori'' (1781) *''Powieści historyczne i moralne'' (1782) *''Bayki i niebayki'' (1788) *''Noc Jungia'' – poem (1788) Comedies: *fr.: ''La fête du jour de nom'' (pol.: ''"Uczta imieninowa"'') - 1784 Operas: *''Opuszczone dzieci'' – 1771, Słonim *''Filozof zmieniony'' – 1771, Słonim *''Telemak'' – 1780 *''Kondycje stanów'' – 1781, Słonim *''Pola Elizejskie'' – drama with composed music – 1781, Słonim *''Cyganie'' – 1786, Siedlce *''Mocy Świata'' – before 1788, Słonim Songs: *''Do Temiry'' – 1788

References

External links

Works by Michał Kazimierz Ogiński
in digital library

Polona Polona is a Polish digital library, which provides digitized books, magazines, graphics, maps, music, fliers and manuscripts from collections of the National Library of Poland and co-operating institutions. It began its operation in 2006. Colle ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Oginski, Michal Kazimierz Candidates for the Polish elective throne Generals of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth Nobility from Warsaw 1720s births 1800 deaths Great Hetmans of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania Bar confederates Michal Kazimierz Polish composers Contributors to the Encyclopédie (1751–1772) 18th-century composers 18th-century male musicians Voivode of Vilnius Recipients of the Order of the White Eagle (Poland)

Biography

Honours

Works

See also

References

External links