Alexander Ivanovich Dmitriev-Mamonov (Russian: Александр Иванович Дмитриев-Мамонов; 24 December 1787 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 ...

– 9 December 1836 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 ...

) was the commander of a Belarusian

Hussar A hussar ( , ; hu, huszár, pl, husarz, sh, husar / ) was a member of a class of light cavalry, originating in Central Europe during the 15th and 16th centuries. The title and distinctive dress of these horsemen were subsequently widely ...

regiment and a battle painter.

Biography

He was born into a noble family and was the son of Major-General Ivan Dmitriev-Mamonov (1754-1812). His mother, Mariya (1768-1794), died when he was only seven and his father remarried into the Tolstoy family.Ivan Dmitriev-Mamonov
@ Geni.com. Most sources say that his father's second wife, Yelena (1772-1855), was his mother. After 1806, he served as an

actuary An actuary is a business professional who deals with the measurement and management of risk and uncertainty. The name of the corresponding field is actuarial science. These risks can affect both sides of the balance sheet and require asset man ...

at the

Collegium of Foreign Affairs The Collegium of Foreign Affairs (russian: Коллегия иностранных дел или иностранная коллегия Российской империи) was a Collegium (ministry), collegium of the Russian Empire responsible ...

, then moved to the State Chancellery.Brief biography
@ Napoleonic.ru. In 1812, he joined the People's Militia in Moscow. He received the rank of Lieutenant and served in the battles of Ostrovno, Valutino,

Borodino The Battle of Borodino (). took place near the village of Borodino on during Napoleon's invasion of Russia. The ' won the battle against the Imperial Russian Army but failed to gain a decisive victory and suffered tremendous losses. Napole ...

and Krasnoi. In 1813, he was assigned to a Hussar regiment, commanded by General Pyotr Palen, that followed Napoleon's retreating army and participated in numerous battles before reaching Paris.

In 1816, he became an

adjutant Adjutant is a military appointment given to an officer who assists the commanding officer with unit administration, mostly the management of human resources in an army unit. The term is used in French-speaking armed forces as a non-commission ...

to General

Nikita Volkonsky Prince Nikita Grigorievich Volkonsky (9 July 1781, Moscow, Russian Empire - 6 December 1844, Assisi, Italy) was a Russian general from the Volkonsky family. He took part in the Napoleonic wars and later converted from Orthodoxy to Roman Catholi ...

and promotions followed rapidly. By 1823, he had been promoted to Colonel and left the General's service. He had several friends among the

Decembrists The Decembrist Revolt ( ru , Восстание декабристов, translit = Vosstaniye dekabristov , translation = Uprising of the Decembrists) took place in Russia on , during the interregnum following the sudden death of Emperor Al ...

and the courage to speak out on behalf of those who had been exiled or placed in custody. In 1827, he was given command of a Hussar regiment and, in 1830, took part in suppressing the

November Uprising The November Uprising (1830–31), also known as the Polish–Russian War 1830–31 or the Cadet Revolution, was an armed rebellion in the heartland of partitioned Poland against the Russian Empire. The uprising began on 29 November 1830 in W ...

. The following year, he was promoted to Major-General. Over the next few years, he commanded

light cavalry Light cavalry comprised lightly armed and armored cavalry troops mounted on fast horses, as opposed to heavy cavalry, where the mounted riders (and sometimes the warhorses) were heavily armored. The purpose of light cavalry was primarily rai ...

and

Uhlan Uhlans (; ; ; ; ) were a type of light cavalry, primarily armed with a lance. While first appearing in the cavalry of Lithuania and then Poland, Uhlans were quickly adopted by the mounted forces of other countries, including France, Russia, Pr ...

regiments, as well as the Hussars. In addition to his military activities, he was an amateur artist and brought back numerous sketches from the battles he had seen during the Napoleonic campaigns. In 1820, he was one of the founders of the

Imperial Society for the Encouragement of the Arts The Imperial Society for the Encouragement of the Arts (Russian: Императорское общество поощрения художеств (ОПХ)) was an organization devoted to promoting the arts that existed in Saint Petersburg from 182 ...

, together with Ivan Gagarin and Pyotr Kikin. Seven years later, he established a drawing school. Many of his sketches and watercolors are displayed in the buildings at

Tsarskoye Selo Tsarskoye Selo ( rus, Ца́рское Село́, p=ˈtsarskəɪ sʲɪˈlo, a=Ru_Tsarskoye_Selo.ogg, "Tsar's Village") was the town containing a former residence of the Russian imperial family and visiting nobility, located south from the cen ...

. In 1835, he moved into the civil service and became a

State Councillor A state councillor () is a high-ranking position within the State Council, the executive organ of the Chinese government (comparable to a cabinet). It ranks immediately below the Vice-Premiers and above the ministers of various departments. ...

at the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The awards he received during his military career include the

Order of Saint Vladimir The Imperial Order of Saint Prince Vladimir (russian: орден Святого Владимира) was an Imperial Russian order established on by Empress Catherine II in memory of the deeds of Saint Vladimir, the Grand Prince and the Baptize ...

Order of Saint Anna The Imperial Order of Saint Anna (russian: Орден Святой Анны; 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 Hol ...

, the Medal "For the Capture of Paris" and the order

Pour le Mérite The ' (; , ) is an order of merit (german: Verdienstorden) established in 1740 by Frederick the Great, King Frederick II of Prussia. The was awarded as both a military and civil honour and ranked, along with the Order of the Black Eagle, the Or ...

. His wife, Sofia, was

maid of honor Bridesmaids are members of the bride's party in a Western traditional wedding ceremony. A bridesmaid is typically a young woman and often a close friend or relative. She attends to the bride on the day of a wedding or marriage ceremony. Tradit ...

to Maria Feodorovna. His son, Emmanuil, was a portrait painter, art historian and noted Slavophile.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dmitriev-Mamonov, Alexander 1787 births 1836 deaths Military art 19th-century military personnel from the Russian Empire Recipients of the Pour le Mérite (military class) Russian Imperial Hussars officers Hussars Imperial Russian Army personnel Recipients of the Order of St. Anna Recipients of the Order of St. Vladimir Artists from Saint Petersburg Military personnel from Saint Petersburg