Prince Dmitry Vladimirovich Golitsyn (russian: Князь Дмитрий Владимирович Голицын; 29 October 177127 March 1844,
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
) was an Imperial Russian
cavalry
Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry ...
general
A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry.
In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...
prominent during the
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...
, statesman and military writer.
Biography
He was born in the
Golitsyn family
The House of Golitsyn or Galitzine was one of the largest princely of the noble houses in the Tsardom of Russia and Russian Empire. Among them were boyars, warlords, diplomats, generals (the Mikhailovichs), stewards, chamberlains, the richest me ...
of
Knyaz
, or ( Old Church Slavonic: Кнѧзь) is a historical Slavic title, used both as a royal and noble title in different times of history and different ancient Slavic lands. It is usually translated into English as prince or duke, dependi ...
Vladimir Borisovich Golitsyn
Prince Vladimir Borisovich Golitsyn (russian: Владимир Борисович Голицын; 21 June 1731 – 25 December 1798) was a Russian statesman.
Early life
21 June 1731. He was the son of Admiral Prince Boris Vasilevich Golitsyn (17 ...
(1731–1798) and his wife
Natalie Chernyshova, nicknamed ''La Princesse Moustache'', or ''
the Queen of Spades'', who was portrayed as a central character in
Pushkin
Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin (; rus, links=no, Александр Сергеевич ПушкинIn pre-Revolutionary script, his name was written ., r=Aleksandr Sergeyevich Pushkin, p=ɐlʲɪkˈsandr sʲɪrˈɡʲe(j)ɪvʲɪtɕ ˈpuʂkʲɪn, ...
's story (and
Tchaikovsky
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky , group=n ( ; 7 May 1840 – 6 November 1893) was a Russian composer of the Romantic period. He was the first Russian composer whose music would make a lasting impression internationally. He wrote some of the most popu ...
's opera) of the same name. She was known as a learned woman, a gambler, a good dancer and served Catherine the Great. His siblings were
Boris Vladimirovitch Golitsyn
Prince Boris Vladimirovich Golitsyn (; 6 January 1769, Moscow - 6 January 1813, Vilnius) was a Russian aristocrat from the Moscow branch of the House of Golitsyn, who fought in the Napoleonic Wars and rose to the rank of lieutenant general.
Lif ...
,
Ekaterina Vladimirovna Apraksina
Ekaterina Vladimirovna Apraksina (nee Golitysna; Russian - Екатерина Владимировна Апраксина; 30 May 1770, Moscow - 14 March 1854) was a Russian noblewoman.
Life
The eldest daughter of prince Vladimir Borisovich Goli ...
and
Sophie Stroganov.
In 1774 Golitsyn was enrolled in the
Leib Guard
The Russian Imperial Guard, officially known as the Leib Guard (russian: Лейб-гвардия ''Leyb-gvardiya'', from German ''Leib'' "body"; cf. Life Guards / Bodyguard) were military units serving as personal guards of the Emperor of Russi ...
Preobrazhensky regiment
The Preobrazhensky Life-Guards Regiment (russian: Преображенский лейб-гвардии полк, ''Preobrazhensky leyb-gvardii polk'') was a regiment of the Imperial Guard of the Imperial Russian Army from 1683 to 1917.
The Pr ...
and received his first rank of
sergeant
Sergeant (abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other uni ...
in 1777. He continued his education in
Strasbourg
Strasbourg (, , ; german: Straßburg ; gsw, label=Bas Rhin Alsatian, Strossburi , gsw, label=Haut Rhin Alsatian, Strossburig ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est region of eastern France and the official seat of the Eu ...
in 1782. He travelled in Germany and France with the family. In 1786 the Golitsyns settled in Paris, where Dmitry and his brother Boris studied
military science
Military science is the study of military processes, institutions, and behavior, along with the study of warfare, and the theory and application of organized coercive force. It is mainly focused on theory, method, and practice of producing mil ...
at the
École Militaire
École may refer to:
* an elementary school in the French educational stages normally followed by secondary education establishments (collège and lycée)
* École (river), a tributary of the Seine flowing in région Île-de-France
* École, Savoi ...
. On 14 July 1789 Dmitry was somehow involved in the
Storming of the Bastille
The Storming of the Bastille (french: Prise de la Bastille ) occurred in Paris, France, on 14 July 1789, when revolutionary insurgents stormed and seized control of the medieval armoury, fortress, and political prison known as the Bastille. At t ...
.
[Rzewski V.S. & V.A. Chudinov Russian "members" of the French revolution // French Yearbook 2010: Sources of the history of the French revolution of the XVIII century and the era of Napoleon. M.C. 6-45.] He wrote his mother about the activities of the
National Assembly (France)
The National Assembly (french: link=no, italics=set, Assemblée nationale; ) is the lower house of the bicameral French Parliament under the Fifth Republic, the upper house being the Senate (). The National Assembly's legislators are known a ...
. In 1791 the Golitsyns returned to Imperial Russia and he entered the cavalry. During the
Kościuszko Uprising
The Kościuszko Uprising, also known as the Polish Uprising of 1794 and the Second Polish War, was an uprising against the Russian Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia led by Tadeusz Kościuszko in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Pr ...
he fought under
Aleksandr Suvorov
Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov (russian: Алекса́ндр Васи́льевич Суво́ров, Aleksándr Vasíl'yevich Suvórov; or 1730) was a Russian general in service of the Russian Empire. He was Count of Rymnik, Count of the Holy ...
and on 24 October 1794 distinguished himself at the
Battle of Praga
The Battle of Praga or the Second Battle of Warsaw of 1794 was a Russian assault on Praga, the easternmost suburb of Warsaw, during the Kościuszko Uprising in 1794. It was followed by a massacre (known as the Massacre of Praga) of the civilian ...
and earned his first
Order of St. George
The Order of Saint George (russian: Орден Святого Георгия, Orden Svyatogo Georgiya) is the highest military decoration of the Russian Federation. Originally established on 26 November 1769 Julian (7 December 1769 Gregorian) a ...
of the 4th degree.
During the reign of 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 ...
he was quickly promoted, first to
colonel
Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...
(on 2 May 1797), then to
Major General
Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...
(on 5 August 1798), and finally to
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...
(on 21 August 1800). He meanwhile received the
Order of St. Anne 4th class, and also became a member of the
Knights Hospitaller
The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem ( la, Ordo Fratrum Hospitalis Sancti Ioannis Hierosolymitani), commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller (), was a medieval and early modern Catholic Church, Catholic Military ord ...
. He also married
Tatiana Vasilyevna Vasilchikova in 1800.
Portrait by ">François Nicholas Riss
Golitsyn fought bravely during the
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...
. In 1805, during the War of the
Third Coalition
The War of the Third Coalition)
* In French historiography, it is known as the Austrian campaign of 1805 (french: Campagne d'Autriche de 1805) or the German campaign of 1805 (french: Campagne d'Allemagne de 1805) was a European conflict spanni ...
, his regiment started the campaign in the corps of Count
Bennigsen in
Silesia
Silesia (, also , ) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at around 8,000,000. Silesia is split ...
. In December 1806 he led the 4th division at the
Battle of Golymin
The Battle of Golymin took place on 26 December 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars at Gołymin, Poland, between around 17,000 Russian Empire, Russian soldiers with 28 guns under Prince Dmitriy Vladimirovich Golitsyn, Golitsyn and 38,000 First Fr ...
. This victory and success of Bennigsen at the
Battle of Pułtusk
A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...
stopped the French forces. After that, Golitsyn commanded the cavalry of the left wing. His forces took part in all major actions – at
Eylau,
Heilsberg and
Friedland. For this campaign he received numerous Russian and foreign awards: the
Order of St. George
The Order of Saint George (russian: Орден Святого Георгия, Orden Svyatogo Georgiya) is the highest military decoration of the Russian Federation. Originally established on 26 November 1769 Julian (7 December 1769 Gregorian) a ...
3rd class (on 21 January 1807), the
Order of St. 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 ...
2nd class, the
Prussia
Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an em ...
n
Order of the Red Eagle
The Order of the Red Eagle (german: Roter Adlerorden) was an order of chivalry of the Kingdom of Prussia. It was awarded to both military personnel and civilians, to recognize valor in combat, excellence in military leadership, long and faithful se ...
(on 18 May 1807), the
Order of the Black Eagle
The Order of the Black Eagle (german: Hoher Orden vom Schwarzen Adler) 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, King ...
(on 25 June 1807), and a gold sword with diamonds with the inscription ''For Bravery.''
After a brief participation in the
Finnish War
The Finnish War ( sv, Finska kriget, russian: Финляндская война, fi, Suomen sota) was fought between the Gustavian era, Kingdom of Sweden and the Russian Empire from 21 February 1808 to 17 September 1809 as part of the Napoleonic ...
- proposing entering Sweden over the frozen
Bothnian Gulf - Golitsyn resigned his commission on 18 April 1809 and travelled in Germany. He listened to lectures at different universities. Upon returning to Russia he lived on his
Viaziomy Manor near Moscow. Dmitry spoke French most of the time, his knowledge of the Russian language was limited.
![Borovikovsky Golitsyn family](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/eb/Borovikovsky_Golitsyn_family.jpg)
On 31 August 1812 (
New Style
Old Style (O.S.) and New Style (N.S.) indicate dating systems before and after a calendar change, respectively. Usually, this is the change from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar as enacted in various European countries between 158 ...
) he entered military service again.
Kutuzov
Prince Mikhail Illarionovich Golenishchev-Kutuzov ( rus, Князь Михаи́л Илларио́нович Голени́щев-Куту́зов, Knyaz' Mikhaíl Illariónovich Goleníshchev-Kutúzov; german: Mikhail Illarion Golenishchev-Kut ...
entrusted him with leading the cavalry of the 2nd Western Army and the 1st and 2nd Cuirassier Divisions that were not assigned to any cavalry corps, at which he excelled at
Battle of Tarutino
The Battle of Tarutino (russian: Тарутинo) was a part of Napoleon's invasion of Russia. In the battle Russian troops under the command of Bennigsen defeated French troops under the command of Joachim Murat.
The battle is sometimes cal ...
,
Vyazma
Vyazma (russian: Вя́зьма) is a town and the administrative center of Vyazemsky District in Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Vyazma River, about halfway between Smolensk, the administrative center of the oblast, and Mozhaysk. Throu ...
, and
Krasny. In 1814 he was promoted to the rank of full
General of the Cavalry General of the Cavalry (german: General der Kavallerie) was a General officer rank in the cavalry in various states of which the modern states of German and Austria are successors or in other armies which used the German model. Artillery officers o ...
.
He governed
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 ...
as military Governor from 1820 and put much effort in rebuilding the city after the
Fire of Moscow (1812)
Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material (the fuel) in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products.
At a certain point in the combustion reaction, called the ignition point, flames are ...
. In 1829 he founded a committee aimed at the protection of prisoners and supported
Friedrich Joseph Haass
Dr. Friedrich Joseph Haass (russian: Фёдор Петрович Гааз, ''Fyodor Petrovich Gaaz''; 10 August 1780 – ) was the "holy doctor of Moscow". Born in Bad Münstereifel, as a member of Moscow's governmental prison committee, he spent ...
.
In the late 1830s Golitsyn fell seriously ill and from 1838 he received medical treatment for the
urolithiasis
Kidney stone disease, also known as nephrolithiasis or urolithiasis, is a crystallopathy where a solid piece of material (kidney stone) develops in the urinary tract. Kidney stones typically form in the kidney and leave the body in the urine s ...
. On 16 April 1841 Golitsyn received the title of
''Serene Prince'' for his great merits. He died in Paris on 27 March 1844, a few months before the 25th anniversary of his service as Governor of Moscow.
Works
Dmitriy Golitsyn wrote several military books, including:
* ''Essai sur le 4-eme livre de
Vegece'' (1790)
* ''Manuel du volontaire en campagne'' (1794)
* ''Опыт наставлений, касающийся до экзерсиций и манёвров кавалерийского полка'' (1804)
He also sponsored the ''Bulletin du Nord'' described Russia for foreign readers.
References
Dictionary of Russian Generals* Families of the nobility of the Russian Empire. Vol. II "Princes". Saint Petersburg, 1995. P. 42.
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Golitsyn, Dmitry Vladimirovich
1771 births
1844 deaths
Dmitriy Vladimirovich
Imperial Russian Army generals
Governors-General of Moscow
Members of the State Council (Russian Empire)
Recipients of the Order of St. George of the Third Degree
Russian commanders of the Napoleonic Wars
Military writers from the Russian Empire
Russian princes