Prince Alexander Andreyevich Bezborodko (Russian: Алекса́ндр Андре́евич Безборо́дко) (1747–1799) was the Grand Chancellor of Russia and chief architect of Catherine the Great's foreign policy after the death of Nikita Panin. Portrait of Prince Bezborodko This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... // Events January 31 - The first venereal diseases clinic opens at London Dock Hospital April 9 - The Scottish Jacobite Lord Lovat was beheaded by axe on Tower Hill, London, for high treason; he was the last man to be executed in this way in Britain May 14 - First battle of Cape... 1799 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Catherine II (Екатерина II Алексеевна: Yekaterína II Alekséyevna, April 21, 1729 - November 6, 1796), born Sophie Augusta Fredericka, known as Catherine the Great, reigned as empress of Russia from June 28, 1762, to her death on November 6, 1796. ... Count Nikita Ivanovich Panin (Никита Иванович Панин) (September 18, 1718 - March 31, 1783) was an influential Russian statesman and political mentor to Catherine the Great for the first eighteen years of her reign. ...

Ukrainian origins

A Ukrainian by birth, Bezborodko was born at Glukhov on the 14th of March 1747, and educated at home and in the seminary at Kiev. He entered the public service as a clerk in the office of Count P. A. Rumyantsev, then governor-general of Ukraine, whom he accompanied to the Turkish War in 1768. He was present at the engagements of Larga and Kagul, and at the storming of Silistria. Hlukhiv, Old East Slavic and Russian Glukhov, is a historic city in Sumy region of Ukraine, just south from the Russian border. ... // Events January 31 - The first venereal diseases clinic opens at London Dock Hospital April 9 - The Scottish Jacobite Lord Lovat was beheaded by axe on Tower Hill, London, for high treason; he was the last man to be executed in this way in Britain May 14 - First battle of Cape... A seminary is a specialized university-like institution for the purpose of instructing students in religion, often in order to prepare them to become members of the clergy. ... Motto: Oblast Municipality Municipal government City council (Київська Міська рада) Mayor Oleksandr Omelchenko Mayor-elect Leonid Chernovetsky Area 800 km² Population  - city  - urban  - density 2,660,401 100% 3,299/km² Founded City rights around 5th century 1487 Latitude Longitude Area code +380 44 Car plates AA (before 2004: КА,КВ,КЕ,КН,КІ) Sister cities Athens, Brussels... The Rumyantsev family were the Russian counts prominent in the imperial politics of the 18th and early 19th century. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...

On the conclusion of the peace of Kuchuk-Kainarji (1774) the field marshal recommended him to Catharine II, and she appointed him in 1775 her petition-secretary. He thus had the opportunity of impressing the empress with his brilliant gifts, the most remarkable of which were exquisite manners, a marvellous memory and a clear and pregnant style. At the same time he set to work to acquire the principal European languages, especially French, of which he became a master. It was at this time that he wrote his historical sketches of the Tatar wars and of Ukraine. The Treaty of Kuchuk-Kainarji (Küçük Kaynarca) was signed on July 21, 1774, between Russia (represented by Field-Marshal Rumyantsev) and the Ottoman Empire after the Ottoman Empire was defeated in the Russo-Turkish War of 1768-1774. ... Catherine II of Russia Catherine II the Great (Russian: Екатерина II Великая or Yekaterina II Velikaya, 2 May 1729 — 6 November [O.S. 17 November] 1796), born Sophie Augusta Fredericka of Anhalt-Zerbst) — sometimes referred to as an epitome of the enlightened despot — reigned as Empress of Russia for more than three...

His activity was prodigious, and Catharine called him her factotum. In 1780 he accompanied her on her journey through Novorossiya, meeting the emperor Joseph, who urged him to study diplomacy. On his return from a delicate mission to Copenhagen, he presented to the empress "a memorial on political affairs" which comprised the first plan of a partition of Turkey between Russia and Austria. This document was transmitted almost word for word to Vienna as the Russian proposals. He followed this up by Epitomised Historical Information concerning Moldavia. For these two state papers he was rewarded with the posts of "plenipotentiary for all negotiations " in the foreign office and postmaster-general. Factotum is a novel in which Henry Chinaski, Bukowskis alter ego, gets and loses jobs. ... Novorossiya (Russian: , literally New Russia) is a historic area now mostly located in southern Ukraine, and partially in southern Russia. ... Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II Joseph II (March 13, 1741 – February 20, 1790) was Holy Roman Emperor from 1765 to 1790. ... Copenhagen ( (help· info) IPA: ) is the capital of Denmark, and the name of the municipality (Danish, kommune) in which it resides. ... The Eastern Question, in European history, encompasses the diplomatic and political problems posed by the decay of the Ottoman Empire (Turkey). ... Vienna (German: Wien ; Bosnian, Croatian, and Serbian: Beč, Czech: Vídeň, Hungarian: Bécs, Romanian: Viena, Romani: Bech or Vidnya, Russian: Вена, Slovak: Viedeň, Slovenian: Dunaj) is the capital of Austria, and also one of the nine States of Austria. ... Moldavia (Moldova in Romanian) was a Romanian principality, originally created in the Middle Ages, now divided between Romania, Moldovan Republic and Ukraine. ...

His career under Catherine II

From this time he was inseparably associated with Catharine in all important diplomatic affairs, though officially he was the subordinate of the vice-chancellor, Count Ivan Osterman. He wrote all the most important despatches to the Russian ministers abroad, concluded and subscribed all treaties, and performed all the functions of a secretary of state. He identified himself entirely with Catharine's political ideas, even with that of re-establishing the Greek empire under her grandson Constantine. The empress, as usual, richly rewarded her comes with pensions and principalities. In 1786 he was promoted to the senate, and it was through him that the empress communicated her will to that august state-decoration. In 1787 he accompanied Catharine on her triumphal progress through South Russia in the capacity of minister of foreign affairs. At Kanev he conducted the negotiations with the Polish king, Stanislaus II, and at Novaya Kaidaniya he was in the empress's carriage when she received Joseph II. Count Ivan Andreyevich Osterman (Russian: Иван Андреевич Остерман) (1725 - 1811) was a Russian statesman, son of Andrei Osterman. ... Byzantine Empire (Greek: Βυζαντινή Αυτοκρατορία) is the term conventionally used since the 19th century to describe the Greek-speaking Roman Empire during the Middle Ages, centered at its capital in Constantinople. ... Constantine was known for his repugnant physical features which resembled those of his father, Emperor Paul. ... A senate is a deliberative body, often the upper house or chamber of a legislature. ... Kaniv (Polish: Kaniów) is a town on the Dnipro River in Ukraine where the Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko is buried. ... For other persons named Stanisław Poniatowski, see Stanisław Poniatowski. ... Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II Joseph II (March 13, 1741 – February 20, 1790) was Holy Roman Emperor from 1765 to 1790. ...

The second Turkish War (1787-92) and the Swedish war with Gustavus III (1788-90) heaped fresh burdens on his already heavily laden shoulders, and he suffered from the intrigues of his numerous jealous rivals, including the empress's latest favorite, A. M. Mamonov. All his efforts were directed towards the conclusion of the two oppressive wars by an honorable peace. The pause of Verela with Gustavus III (14th of August 1790) was on the terms dictated by him. On the sudden death of Potemkin he was despatched to Jassy to prevent the peace congress there from breaking up, and succeeded, in the face of all but insuperable difficulties, in concluding a treaty exceedingly advantageous to Russia (9th of January 1792). For this service he received the thanks of the empress, the ribbon of St Andrew and 50,000 roubles. The Russo-Turkish War of 1787-1792 was a futile attempt by the Ottoman Empire to regain lands lost to Russia in the course of the Russo-Turkish War, 1768-1774. ... Gustav IIIs Russian War, also known as the Russo-Swedish War, was fought between Sweden and Russia from June 1788 to August 1790. ... Gustav III (13 January 1746 (O.S.) (24 January 1746 (N.S.))–March 29, 1792) was the King of Sweden from February 12, 1771 until his death. ... This ended Gustav IIIs Russian adventure on the terms favorable to Russia ... Potemkin can refer to: Piotr Ivanovich Potemkin Prince Grigori Aleksandrovich Potemkin Potemkin village Russian battleship Potemkin Battleship Potemkin mutiny The film by Sergei Eisenstein, The Battleship Potemkin Potemkin, A character in the Guilty Gear series of fighting games. ... County IaÅŸi County Status Municipality Mayor Gheorghe Nichita, since 2003 Area 93. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Collar and Breast Star of the Order of St. ...

On his return from Jassy, however, he found his confidential post of secretary of petitions occupied by the empress's last favorite, Prince Zubov. He complained of this "diminution of his dignity" to the empress in a private memorial in the course of 1793. The empress reassured him by fresh honors and distinctions on the occasion of the solemn celebration of the peace of Jassy (2nd of September 1793), when she publicly presented him with a golden olive-branch encrusted with brilliants. Subsequently Catharine reconciled him with Zubov, and he resumed the conduct of foreign affairs. He contributed more than any other man to bring about the downfall and the third partition of Poland, for which he was magnificently recompensed. A secretary is an office/administrative support position. ... Coat of arms of the Zubov family Zubov was a Russian noble family which rised to the highest offices of state in the 1790s, when Platon Zubov succeeded Count Orlov and Prince Potemkin as the official favourite of Catherine II of Russia. ... The Partitions of Poland (Polish: Rozbiór Polski or Rozbiory Polski; Lithuanian: Padalijimas) took place in the 18th century and ended the existence of the sovereign Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. ...

Grand Chancellor of the Russian Empire

But diplomacy by no means exhausted Bezborodko's capacity for work. He had a large share in the internal administration also. He reformed the post-office, improved the banking system of Russia, regulated the finances, constructed roads, and united the Uniate and Orthodox churches. On the death of Catharine, the emperor Paul entrusted Bezborodko with the examination of the late empress's private papers, and shortly afterwards made him a prince of the Russian empire, with a correspondingly splendid apanage. On the retirement of Osterman he received the highest dignity in the Russian empire - that of imperial chancellor. Small-town post office and town hall in Lockhart, Alabama Suburban post office in Cupertino, California A post office is a facility (in most countries, a government one) where the public can purchase postage stamps for mailing correspondence or merchandise, and also drop off or pick up packages or other... Several Christian Churches or church bodies are commonly referred to as Orthodox. Most of them are identifiable as part of Eastern Christianity. ... Imperial Russia is the term used to cover the period of Russian history from the expansion of Russia under Peter the Great, through the expansion of the Russian Empire from the Baltic to the Pacific Ocean, to the deposal of Nicholas II of Russia, the last tsar, at the start...

Bezborodko was the only Russian minister who retained the favor of Paul to the last. During the last two years of his life the control of Russia's diplomacy was entirely in his hands. His programme at this period was peace with all the European powers, revolutionary France included. But the emperor's growing aversion from this pacific policy induced the astute old minister to attempt to "seek safety in moral and physical repose." Paul, however, refused to accept his resignation and would have sent him abroad for the benefit of his health, had not a sudden stroke of paralysis prevented Bezborodko from taking advantage of his master's kindness. He died at St Petersburg on the 6th of April 1799. The period of the French Revolution in the history of France covers the years between 1789 and 1799, in which democrats and republicans overthrew the absolute monarchy and the Roman Catholic Church perforce underwent radical restructuring. ... Saint Petersburg (Russian: Санкт-Петербу́рг, English transliteration: Sankt-Peterburg), colloquially known as Питер (transliterated Piter), formerly known as Leningrad (Ленингра́д, 1924–1991) and Petrograd (Петрогра́д, 1914–1924), is a city located in Northwestern Russia on the delta of the river Neva at the east end of the Gulf of Finland... 1799 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...

Personal qualities

In private life Bezborodko was a typical Catharinian, corrupt, licentious, conscienceless and self-seeking. But he was infinitely generous and affectionate, and spent his enormous fortune liberally. His banquets were magnificent, his collections of pictures and statues unique in Europe. He was the best friend of his innumerable poor relatives, and the Maecenas of all the struggling authors of his day. Sycophantic he might have been, but he was neither ungrateful nor vindictive. His patriotism is as indisputable as his genius.

References

• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.

Encyclopædia Britannica, the 11th edition The Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1910–1911) is perhaps the most famous edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica. ... The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ...

External link

• Bezborodko's dacha in St Petersburg

Russian and Soviet Foreign Ministers

Ivan Viskovatyi | Vasily and Andrey Shchelkalov | Ivan Gramotin | Pyotr Tretyakov | Almaz Ivanov | Afanasy Ordin-Naschokin | Artamon Matveyev | Vasily Golitsyn | Emelian Ukraintsev | Lev Naryshkin | Fyodor Golovin | Peter Shafirov | Gavrila Golovkin | Andrey Osterman | Alexey Bestuzhev-Ryumin | Mikhailo Vorontsov | Nikita Panin | Ivan Osterman | Alexander Bezborodko | Feodor Rostopchin | Nikita Panin Jr. | Viktor Kochubey | Alexander Vorontsov | Adam Jerzy Czartoryski | Andrei Budberg | Nikolay Rumyantsev | John Capodistria | Karl Robert Nesselrode | Alexander Gorchakov | Nicholas de Giers | Alexis Lobanoff de Rostoff | Nikolay Shishkin | Mikhail Muravyov | Vladimir Lambsdorff | Alexander Izvolsky | Alexander Sazonov | Nikolay Pokrovsky | Pavel Milyukov | Mikhail Tereshchenko | Leon Trotsky | Georgy Chicherin | Maxim Litvinov | Vyacheslav Molotov | Andrey Vyshinsky | Dmitri Shepilov | Andrey Gromyko | Eduard Shevardnadze | Aleksandr Bessmertnykh | Boris Pankin | Andrey Kozyrev | Yevgeny Primakov | Igor Ivanov | Sergey Lavrov This page lists foreign ministers of Russian Empire, Soviet Union, and Russian Federation: // Heads of Posolsky Prikaz, 1549-1699 Ivan Viskovatyi 1549-70 Brothers Vasily and Andrey Shchelkalov 1570-1601 Ivan Gramotin 1605-06, 1610-12, 1618-26, 1634-35 Pyotr Tretyakov 1608-10, 1613-18 Almaz Ivanov 1635-67... Image File history File links Russia_coa. ... Ivan Mikhailovich Viskovatiy (Viskovatov) (Иван Михайлович Висковатый (Висковатов) in Russian) (? - 25. ... Vasily Yakovlevich Shchelkalov (Василий Яковлевич Щелкалов in Russian) (? – 1610 or 1611) and Andrey Yakovlevich Shchelkalov (Андрей Яковлевич Щелкалов) (? - c. ... Ivan Taraseivich Gramotin (? - 1638) was a Russian diplomat and head of the Posolsky Prikaz. ... Almaz (Yerofey) Ivanovich Ivanov (Алмаз (Ерофей) Иванович Иванов in Russian) (? — April 27 (May 7), 1669) was a Russian statesman. ... Afanasy Lavrentievich Ordin-Naschokin (1605 - 1680) was one of the greatest Russian statesmen of the 17th century. ... Artamon Sergeyevich Matveyev (Артамон Сергеевич Матвеев in Russian) (1625 - 1682) was a Russian statesman, diplomat and Ukraine and took part in some of Russias wars with Poland. ... Peter I permitted the Galitzines to take an emblem of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania as their coat of arms Galitzine, more correctly Golitsyn (Russian: Голицын), is one of the largest and noblest princely houses of Russia. ... Emelian (also spelled Yemelian) Ignatievich Ukraintsev (Емельян Игнатьевич Украинцев in Russian) (1641 - September 12(23), 1708) was a Russian diplomat and statesman. ... Count Feodor Alekseyevich Golovin (1650 - 1706) was the last Russian boyar and the first Russian chancellor. ... Baron Peter Pavlovich Shafirov (1670 - 1739), Russian statesman, one of the ablest coadjutors of Peter the Great, was of obscure, and in all probability of Jewish, extraction. ... Count Gavrila Ivanovich Golovkin (Гаврила Иванович Головкин in Russian) (1660 - January 20, 1734) was a Russian statesman who formally presided over foreign affairs of the Russian Empire from 1706 until his death. ... Andrey Ivanovich Ostermann (1686-1747) Count Andrei Ivanovich Osterman (June 9, 1686 _ May 31, 1747) was a German-born Russian statesman who came to prominence under Tsar Peter I of Russia (Peter the Great) and served until the accession of the Tsesarevna Elizabeth. ... Count Aleksei Petrovich Bestuzhev-Ryumin (Алексе́й Петро́вич Бесту́жев-Рю́мин) (1693 - 1768), Grand Chancellor of Russia, who was chiefly responsible for the Russian foreign policy during the reign of Empress Elizaveta Petrovna. ... Count Mikhail Illarionovich Vorontsov (Михаи́л Илларио́нович Воронцо́в) (1714 - 1767) was a Russian statesman and diplomat. ... Count Nikita Ivanovich Panin (Russian: ) (September 18, 1718–March 31, 1783) was an influential Russian statesman and political mentor to Catherine the Great for the first eighteen years of her reign. ... Count Ivan Andreyevich Osterman (Russian: Иван Андреевич Остерман) (1725 - 1811) was a Russian statesman, son of Andrei Osterman. ... Prince Alexander Andreyevich Bezborodko (1747-1799) was the Grand Chancellor of Russia and chief architect of the Catherine the Greats foreign policy after the death of Nikita Panin. ... Count Fyodor Vasilievich Rostopchin (Фёдор Васильевич Ростопчин in Russian) (3. ... Count Nikita Petrovich Panin (Russian: Ники́та Петро́вич Па́нин) (1770 - 1837), a famous Russian diplomat, vice-chancellor, State Chancellor 6 Oct 1799 - 18 Nov 1800 (acting). ... Count Viktor Pavlovich Kochubey Russian: (1768-1834) is Russian statesman and a close aide of Alexander I of Russia. ... Count Alexander Romanovich Vorontsov (Russian: ) (1741–1805) was the Russian imperial chancellor during the early years of Alexander Is reign. ... Prince Adam Jerzy Czartoryski, in English: Adam George Czartoryski (January 14, 1770 — July 15, 1861), Polish szlachcic, statesman and author, son of Prince Adam Kazimierz Czartoryski and Izabela Fleming (it is rumoured he was a fruit of her liaison with Russian ambassador to Poland Nikolai Repnin[1]). He was known... The Rumyantsev family were the Russian counts prominent in the imperial politics of the 18th and early 19th century. ... John Capodistria John Capodistria (in Greek Ioannis Kapodistrias or Ιωάννης Καποδίστριας, and in Italian Giovanni Capo dIstria, Count Capo dIstria) (February 11, 1776 – October 9, 1831) was a Greek-born diplomat of the Russian Empire and later first head of state of independent Greece. ... Count Karl Robert Nesselrode (December 14, 1780 - March 23, 1862) was a Russian diplomat and a leading European conservative statesman of the Holy Alliance. ... Pushkins portrait of Alexander Gorchakov Alexander Mikhailovich Gorchakov (1798-1883) was a Russian statesman from the Gorchakov princely family. ... Nikolay Karlovich Giers (1820-1895) was a Russian Foreign Minister during the reign of Alexander III. He was one of the architects of the Franco-Russian Alliance, which was later transformed into the Triple Entente. ... Prince Aleksey Borisovich Lobanov-Rostovsky (December 30, 1824 - August 30, 1896) was a Russian statesman, probably best remembered for having published the Russian Genealogical Book (in 2 volumes). ... See also: Mikhail Muravyov Count Mikhail Nikolayevich Muraviev (Михаил Николаевич Муравьёв in Russian) (April 19, 1845 - June 21, 1900) was a Russian statesman who advocated transfer of Russian foreign policy from Europe to the Far East. ... Count Vladimir Nikolayevich Lambsdorff or Lamsdorf (1845 – 1907) was Russian foreign minister (1901 – 1906). ... Alexander Petrovich Izvolski (1856 – Russian diplomat. ... Sergey Dmitrievich Sazonov (1860 – 1927) was Russian foreign minister (1910 – 1916). ... Nikolai Nikolayevich Pokrovsky (Russian: Николай Николаевич Покровский) (1865, St Petersburg - December of 1930) was a Russian politician and the last foreign minister of the Russian Empire. ... Pavel Nikolayevich Milyukov (Cyrillic: Павел Николаевич Милюков) (1859-1943) was (alongside Vladimir Lenin and Peter Stolypin) the greatest Russian politician of pre-revolutionary years. ... Mikhail Ivanovich Tereshchenko (Russian: ) (March 18, 1886, Kiev – April 1, 1956, Monaco) was a foreign minister of Russia from May 5 of 1917 to October 25 of 1917. ... (Russian: Лев Давидович Троцкий; also transliterated Leo, Lev, Trotskii, Trotski, Trotskij, Trockij and Trotzky) (November 7 [O.S. October 26] 1879 – August 21, 1940), born Lev Davidovich Bronstein (Лев Давидович Бронштейн), was a Bolshevik revolutionary and Marxist theorist. ... Georgy Vasilyevich Chicherin (Russian: Георгий Чичерин) (1872–1936) was Peoples Commissar of Foreign Affairs in the Soviet government from 1918 to 1930. ... Maxim Litvinov Maxim Maksimovich Litvinov (ru: Макси́м Макси́мович Литви́нов) (July 17, 1876–December 31, 1951) was a Russian revolutionary and prominent Soviet diplomat. ... Vyacheslav Molotov Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Molotov (Russian: ) (March 9 [O.S. February 25] 1890 –November 8, 1986), Soviet politician and diplomat, was a leading figure in the Soviet government from the 1920s, when he rose to power as a protege of Joseph Stalin, to the 1950s, when he was dismissed from... Andrey Yanuaryevich Vyshinsky (Андре́й Януа́рьевич Выши́нский) (December 10 [November 28, Old Style], 1883–November 22, 1954), also spelt Vishinsky, Vyshinski, was a Soviet jurist and later diplomat. ... Dmitri Shepilov Dmitri Trofimovich Shepilov (Russian: Дмитрий Трофимович Шепилов) (23 October 1905 (Old Style, Askhabad — 8 August 1995, Moscow) was a Soviet politician and foreign minister who joined the abortive plot to oust Nikita Khruschev from power in 1957. ... Andrei Andreyevitch Gromyko (Андре́й Андре́евич Громы́ко) (July 5, 1909 – July 2, 1989) was foreign minister and chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union. ... Eduard Amvrosiyevich Shevardnadze (Georgian: ედუარდ შევარდნაძე, Russian: Эдуа́рд Амвро́сьевич Шевардна́дзе; pronounced ed-oo-ard am-vro-see-ye-vitch she-va-rd-nad-zuh) (born 25 January 1928) is a Georgian politician. ... Aleksandr Bessmertnykh (Александр Бессмертных in Russian) (born 1933) briefly served as foreign minister of the USSR during 1991. ... Boris Pankin was a Russian Foreign Minister in 1991. ... Andrey Vladimirovich Kozyrev (born March 27, 1951) was the foreign minister of Russia under Boris Yeltsin from October 1990 until his dismissal in January 1996. ... Yevgeny Primakov Yevgeny Maksimovich Primakov (Евгений Максимович Примаков) (born October 29, 1929) is a former Chairman (predsedatel) of the government of the Russian Federation. ... Igor Sergeyevich Ivanov (Russian, Игорь Сергеевич Иванов) became Russias Minister of Foreign Affairs in 1998, succeeding Yevgeny Primakov. ... Sergey Viktorovich Lavrov, in Russian Сергей Викторович Лавров, is the minister of foreign affairs of the Russian Federation. ...