The House of Sviatopolk-Mirsky ( be, Святаполк-Мірскі, Sviatapolk-Mirski, russian: Святополк-Мирский, pl, Światopełk-Mirski, also transliterated using ''Swiatopolk'' or ''Mirskii'') is a family of

Russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...

and Lithuanian nobility that originated from present-day northwestern

Belarus Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by ...

. They first appeared in the

Grand Duchy of Lithuania The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a European state that existed from the 13th century to 1795, when the territory was partitioned among the Russian Empire, the Kingdom of Prussia, and the Habsburg Empire of Austria. The state was founded by Lit ...

in the late 15th century as "Mirski" – the name probably derived from the town of Miory in the former

Kievan Rus' Kievan Rusʹ, also known as Kyivan Rusʹ ( orv, , Rusĭ, or , , ; Old Norse: ''Garðaríki''), was a state in Eastern and Northern Europe from the late 9th to the mid-13th century.John Channon & Robert Hudson, ''Penguin Historical Atlas of ...

principate of

Polotsk Polotsk (russian: По́лоцк; be, По́лацк, translit=Polatsk (BGN/PCGN), Polack (official transliteration); lt, Polockas; pl, Połock) is a historical city in Belarus, situated on the Dvina River. It is the center of the Polotsk Dist ...

, although it is possible that the family had been local rulers for some centuries beforehand. The memoirs of Prince

Pyotr Vladimirovich Dolgorukov Prince Pyotr Vladimirovich Dolgorukov (russian: link=no, Князь Пётр Владимирович Долгоруков) (1816–1868) was a Russian historian and journalist known for his genealogical research and as a critic of the Imperial Ru ...

assert that the Svyatopolk-Mirsky family were nobility descending from Rurik who submitted to

Gediminas Gediminas ( la, Gedeminne, ; – December 1341) was the king or Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1315 or 1316 until his death. He is credited with founding this political entity and expanding its territory which later spanned the area ranging from t ...

(Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1316 to 1341) and became magnates. The '' Genealogical Handbook of the Nobility'' ('' :de:Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels'') states that the Svyatopolk-Mirsky family descends from a younger branch of the

Princes of Turov A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...

. Two members of the family – Bogusław and Stanisław – were representatives at the

Great Sejm The Great Sejm, also known as the Four-Year Sejm ( Polish: ''Sejm Wielki'' or ''Sejm Czteroletni''; Lithuanian: ''Didysis seimas'' or ''Ketverių metų seimas'') was a Sejm (parliament) of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth that was held in War ...

in 1791. Tomasz Bogumił Jan Światopełk-Mirski (1788–1868) fought in the Polish 1830 November Uprising near

Suwałki Suwałki ( lt, Suvalkai; yi, סואוואַלק) is a city in northeastern Poland with a population of 69,206 (2021). It is the capital of Suwałki County and one of the most important centers of commerce in the Podlaskie Voivodeship. Suwałki ...

and fled into exile in Paris, where he both represented the interests of the exiled Poles in France and attempted to seek pardon from the tsar. He became an active participant in the French colonization of Algiers, where he received a large grant of land and allegedly suggested the formation of the

French Foreign Legion The French Foreign Legion (french: Légion étrangère) is a corps of the French Army which comprises several specialties: infantry, Armoured Cavalry Arm, cavalry, Military engineering, engineers, Airborne forces, airborne troops. It was created ...

in order to reduce the burden of Polish exiles on the French state. He converted to Orthodoxy from Roman Catholicism, and his fellow-Polish rebels regarded him as a traitor for his outspoken support of

Pan-Slavism Pan-Slavism, a movement which crystallized in the mid-19th century, is the political ideology concerned with the advancement of integrity and unity for the Slavic people. Its main impact occurred in the Balkans, where non-Slavic empires had rule ...

. Eventually allowed to return to Russia, he remained under house arrest there until his death. His sons

Dmitry Dmitri (russian: Дми́трий); Church Slavic form: Dimitry or Dimitri (); ancient Russian forms: D'mitriy or Dmitr ( or ) is a male given name common in Orthodox Christian culture, the Russian version of Greek Demetrios (Δημήτρι� ...

(1825—1899) and Nikolai (1833–1898) were educated as members of the Russian nobility and had distinguished military careers. Tomasz Bogumił claimed a Rurikid descent: according to his claim the Mirskis descended from

Sviatopolk I of Kiev Sviatopolk I Vladimirovich (''Sviatopolk the Accursed'', the ''Accursed Prince''; orv, Свѧтоплъкъ, translit=Svętoplŭkŭ; russian: Святополк Окаянный; uk, Святополк Окаянний; c. 980 – 1019) was the ...

(died 1019), but leading genealogists of Poland and Russia in the 19th century rejected these claims. Despite this, his pro-Russian attitudes and allegiance to the Tsars earned his branch of the family the confirmation of their dubious princely title by Emperor Alexander II of Russia in 1861 (the Senate of the Polish Kingdom had previously confirmed it in 1821). Nikolai bought the historic castle of Mir in 1895 due to its name, the family having no historic connection with it. Other branches of the family remained in Poland by choice and retained estates near Braslaw and Miory until 1940. Adam Napoleon Mirski of Zawier

and his sister Maria were painted by

Jan Rustem Jan Rustem ( hy, Յան Ռուստամ; 1762 – 21 June 1835) was a painter of Armenian ethnicity who lived and worked in the territories of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Primarily a portrait painter Portrait Painting is a genre ...

in 1808. The painting, "Portrait of Maria Mirska, Adam Napoleon Mirski and Barbara Szumska" is on display at the

National Museum in Warsaw The National Museum in Warsaw ( pl, Muzeum Narodowe w Warszawie), popularly abbreviated as MNW, is a national museum in Warsaw, one of the largest museums in Poland and the largest in the capital. It comprises a rich collection of ancient art ( Eg ...

. Tomasz (d. 1852) was an officer in

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

's Grand Duchy of Warsaw cavalry. Catholic Father Eugeniusz Światopełk-Mirski was murdered by the

Bolsheviks The Bolsheviks (russian: Большевики́, from большинство́ ''bol'shinstvó'', 'majority'),; derived from ''bol'shinstvó'' (большинство́), "majority", literally meaning "one of the majority". also known in English ...

Mogilev Mogilev (russian: Могилёв, Mogilyov, ; yi, מאָלעוו, Molev, ) or Mahilyow ( be, Магілёў, Mahilioŭ, ) is a city in eastern Belarus, on the Dnieper River, about from the border with Russia's Smolensk Oblast and from the bor ...

in 1918; Father Antoni Swiatopelk-Mirski (1907–1942) was martyred at Auschwitz by the

Nazis Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in N ...

and ha
recently been advanced
by the

Vatican Vatican may refer to: Vatican City, the city-state ruled by the pope in Rome, including St. Peter's Basilica, Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museum The Holy See * The Holy See, the governing body of the Catholic Church and sovereign entity recognized ...

as a candidate for

beatification Beatification (from Latin ''beatus'', "blessed" and ''facere'', "to make”) is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a deceased person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in their nam ...

. Two teenage members of the family, Krzysztof Światopełk-Mirski and Michał Światopełk-Mirski, were killed in the 1944

Warsaw Uprising The Warsaw Uprising ( pl, powstanie warszawskie; german: Warschauer Aufstand) was a major World War II operation by the Polish underground resistance to liberate Warsaw from German occupation. It occurred in the summer of 1944, and it was led ...

. The most notable Svyatopolk-Mirsky members are in the Russian branch: * Tomasz Bogumił Jan Światopełk-Mirski (1788—1868) — ambassador of the

Polish Diet The Sejm (English: , Polish: ), officially known as the Sejm of the Republic of Poland (Polish: ''Sejm Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej''), is the lower house of the bicameral parliament of Poland. The Sejm has been the highest governing body of t ...

to Russia. **

Dmitry Ivanovich Svyatopolk-Mirsky Prince Dmitry Ivanovich Svyatopolk-Mirsky (russian: Дмитрий Иванович Святополк-Мирский, 1825–1899) was an Imperial Russian Army general, a politician and a member of the princely Svyatopolk-Mirsky family. Bac ...

(1825—1899), son of Tomasz — Russian Infantry General and politician, hero of the

Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, mainly comprising Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia (country), Georgia, and parts of Southern Russia. The Caucasus Mountains, including the Greater Caucasus range ...

and Russo-Turkish wars, member of the

State Council of Imperial Russia The State Council ( rus, Госуда́рственный сове́т, p=ɡəsʊˈdarstvʲɪn(ː)ɨj sɐˈvʲet) was the supreme state advisory body to the Tsar in Imperial Russia. From 1906, it was the upper house of the parliament under the ...

Short biography
*** Pyotr Dmitrievich Svyatopolk-Mirsky (1857—1914), son of Dmitry Ivanovich — the governor of

Penza Penza ( rus, Пе́нза, p=ˈpʲɛnzə) is the largest city and administrative center of Penza Oblast, Russia. It is located on the Sura River, southeast of Moscow. As of the 2010 Census, Penza had a population of 517,311, making it the 38th-la ...

and

Vilna Vilnius ( , ; see also #Etymology and other names, other names) is the capital and List of cities in Lithuania#Cities, largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the munic ...

gubernia A governorate, gubernia, province, or government ( rus, губе́рния, p=ɡʊˈbʲɛrnʲɪjə, also romanized ; uk, губернія, huberniia), was a major and principal administrative subdivision of the Russian Empire. After the empire ...

Minister of the Interior An interior minister (sometimes called a minister of internal affairs or minister of home affairs) is a cabinet official position that is responsible for internal affairs, such as public security, civil registration and identification, emergency ...

of Russia
mini-profile
**** Dmitry Pyotrovich Mirsky (1890—1939, pen name D. S. Mirsky), son of Pyotr Dmitrievich — Russian writer, historian and essayist ** Nikolai Svyatopolk-Mirsky (1833—1898), a younger brother of Dmitry Ivanovich — hero of the

and Russo-Turkish wars, ataman of the

Don Cossack Voisko Don Cossacks (russian: Донские казаки, Donskie kazaki) or Donians (russian: донцы, dontsy) are Cossacks who settled along the middle and lower Don. Historically, they lived within the former Don Cossack Host (russian: До ...

, member of the

References

Prince Alexandre Dimitrievitch Sviatopolk-Mirsky, Alfonso XIII 276, Madrid, Espagne

External links

Genealogical tree
— Russian

— in Russian
Biography of Dmitry Petrovich Sviatopolk-Mirskii
— in English

{{Authority control Russian noble families Polish noble families Surnames Ruthenian noble families Russian people of Belarusian descent Polish people of Belarusian descent Compound surnames Surnames of Belarusian origin