Prince Pavel Dmitrievich Dolgorukov (, tr. ; 21 Nay 1866 – June 9, 1927) was a Russian landowner and aristocrat who was executed by the

Bolsheviks The Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, were a radical Faction (political), faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP) which split with the Mensheviks at the 2nd Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party, ...

in 1927.

Biography

Prince Pavel Dolgorukov was born in 1866. He was a member of the Dolgorukov family, one of the oldest branches of the Russian aristocracy during the Tsarist era. He inherited great wealth and was involved in the work of the zemstvo (regional councils), particularly in the

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

region, where he owned an estate. Prior to the 1905 revolution, he identified himself primarily with the liberals. In 1905, he helped to found the Cadet party, and served as Chairman of its central committee from 1911 to 1915. At one point, he was a member of the Duma in St Petersburg and led the Cadet faction there, but he preferred to work in his own constituency in Moscow. Before the outbreak of

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, Dolgorukov had shown some interest in the pacifist movement, but once Russia joined the war, he became a fervent supporter of the military effort. He was in charge of a Red Cross unit on the Galician front. After the Bolsheviks swept to power in 1917, Dolgorukov was arrested in Petrograd and was imprisoned for a while in the fortress of Peter and Paul. Like the rest of his social class, he had lost all his wealth in the revolution. He made his way to the south and joined the

White movement The White movement,. The old spelling was retained by the Whites to differentiate from the Reds. also known as the Whites, was one of the main factions of the Russian Civil War of 1917–1922. It was led mainly by the Right-wing politics, right- ...

, first under the leadership of Kornilov and then under Denikin. According to an anecdote, he would proudly display a suit that a tailor had made for him from old sacks. His military fervour never left him; even after Denikin was in full retreat and the White cause was lost, he would preach resistance to anyone who would listen. He went with General Wrangel to 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 ...

, and after further defeats, took to the

Balkans The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throug ...

where he lived for several years as a penniless refugee. In 1925, having grown sick and tired of exile, he slipped across the Russian border disguised as a peasant. The Cheka arrested him but, failing to recognize their prisoner, released him. The following year, he was again wandering about southern Russia but this time he was detected and re-arrested by the Cheka. On June 9, 1927, he was executed along with 19 other former officers and members of the Tsarist aristocracy. The Cheka had charged them with the assassination of Ambassador Voikov in

Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...

. They were shot without trial. Pavel Dolgorukov had a twin brother named Pyotr, who lived on until 1951.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Dolgorukov, Pavel 1866 births 1927 deaths People from Pushkin, Saint Petersburg People from Tsarskoselsky Uyezd

Pavel Pavel ( Bulgarian, Russian, Serbian: Павел; Czech, Slovene, and (although Romanian also uses Paul); ; ; ) is a male given name. It is a Slavic cognate of the name Paul (derived from the Greek Pavlos). Pavel may refer to: People G ...

Russian Constitutional Democratic Party members Members of the 2nd State Duma of the Russian Empire Russian Constituent Assembly members 19th-century landowners from the Russian Empire 20th-century Russian landowners Imperial Moscow University alumni Russian people of World War I Russian refugees Prisoners of the Peter and Paul Fortress White movement people executed by the Soviet Union