Prince Viktor Pavlovich Kochubey (); ( – ) was a Russian statesman and close aide of
Alexander I of Russia
Alexander I (; – ) was Emperor of Russia from 1801, the first King of Congress Poland from 1815, and the Grand Duke of Finland from 1809 to his death. He was the eldest son of Emperor Paul I and Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg.
The son of ...
. Of
Ukrainian
Ukrainian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Ukraine
* Something relating to Ukrainians, an East Slavic people from Eastern Europe
* Something relating to demographics of Ukraine in terms of demography and population of Ukraine
* So ...
origin, he was a great-grandson of
Vasily Kochubey
Vasily Leontiyevich Kochubey (russian: Василий Леонтьевич Кочубей, uk, Василь Леонтiйович Кочубей) (c. 1640 – 15 July 1708) was a Cossack-born Russian state figure of Crimean Tatar descent. He was ...
. He took part in the
Privy Committee
The Privy Committee (russian: Негласный комитет; also referred to as the Unofficial Committee) was an unofficial consultative body during the reign of Alexander I in Russia.
The Private Committee was operational from June 1801 unt ...
that outlined
Government reform of Alexander I. He served in London and Paris embassies as counsel, then as Ambassador to Turkey. In 1798 he was appointed to the board of College of Foreign Affairs and was made Count next year, but then
Paul I of Russia
Paul I (russian: Па́вел I Петро́вич ; – ) was Emperor of Russia from 1796 until his assassination. Officially, he was the only son of Peter III of Russia, Peter III and Catherine the Great, although Catherine hinted that he w ...
exiled him. At the start of the reign of Alexander I, he joined the liberal Privy Committee that outlined
Government reform of Alexander I. He was the Minister of Foreign Affairs in 1801–1802 and also Minister of the Interior until 1812, then in 1819–1825. Since 1827 he was the President of the
State Council State Council may refer to:
Government
* State Council of the Republic of Korea, the national cabinet of South Korea, headed by the President
* State Council of the People's Republic of China, the national cabinet and chief administrative auth ...
and Chairman of the
Committee of Ministers
The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe ( French: ''Comité des ministres du Conseil de l'Europe'') or Committee of Ministers ( French: ''Comité des ministres'') is the Council of Europe's decision-making body. It comprises the Forei ...
. In 1834, he was granted the rank of
Chancellor of the Russian Empire
Chancellor of the Russian Empire (russian: канцлер Российской империи) was a civil position (class) in the Russian Empire, according to the Table of Ranks introduced by Peter the Great in 1722. Chancellor was a civil rank o ...
.
Biography
Early years
Kochubey was born in
Poltava province, in the ancestral homestead of
Dykanka
Dykanka ( uk, Диканька) is an urban-type settlement and formerly the administrative center of Dykanka Raion. It is now administrated under Poltava Raion of Poltava Oblast in central Ukraine. Population:
The settlement is located away f ...
, in the family of Pavel Kochubey (1738–1786) and Ulyana Andreevna Bezborodko (1742–1777). The great-grandson of the general scribe
Vasily Kochubey
Vasily Leontiyevich Kochubey (russian: Василий Леонтьевич Кочубей, uk, Василь Леонтiйович Кочубей) (c. 1640 – 15 July 1708) was a Cossack-born Russian state figure of Crimean Tatar descent. He was ...
, who was executed in 1708 on charges of denunciation of
myrmidon in the pursuit of treason.
Pavel Kochubey, who headed the Poltava court, gave his sons the ancient names of Apollo and Victor. Their childless uncle
Alexander Bezborodko, who was actually in charge of Russia's foreign policy at the time, took care of their upbringing and education. In 1775 he invited his nephews to
St. Petersburg.
Viktor studied at the private boarding House de Villeneuve, at the same time in 1776 was recorded for service in the Preobrazhensky Lab-Guard regiment. Bezborodko destined for his nephew's diplomatic career. To finish his education, he was sent to
Geneva
Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...
, where he was under the supervision of Italinsky.
In 1784, Kochubey briefly served as an adjutant of
Potyomkin. In the same year, he began his diplomatic career in the Russian mission in Sweden. He found time to attend lectures at
Uppsala Universitet
Uppsala University ( sv, Uppsala universitet) is a public research university in Uppsala, Sweden. Founded in 1477, it is the oldest university in Sweden and the Nordic countries still in operation.
The university rose to significance during ...
.
In September 1786 he received the court title of chamber-junkie and was a member of
Catherine II's entourage during her trip to
Crimea
Crimea, crh, Къырым, Qırım, grc, Κιμμερία / Ταυρική, translit=Kimmería / Taurikḗ ( ) is a peninsula in Ukraine, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, that has been occupied by Russia since 2014. It has a pop ...
.
Early career
In 1788 he was assigned to a mission in London under the direction of Count Vorontsov. Having been allowed to travel to Europe to continue his education, he visited Switzerland, Holland and France.
In early 1791, against the will of Bezborodko, he made a trip to Paris, where he listened to lectures by
Jean-Francois de La Harpe and watched the events of the
revolution
In political science, a revolution (Latin: ''revolutio'', "a turn around") is a fundamental and relatively sudden change in political power and political organization which occurs when the population revolts against the government, typically due ...
. In the same year he participated in the signing of the Yas peace. In 1792 he became close to the Great Prince
Alexander Pavlovich.
From October 11, 1792, to 1797, he was an extraordinary envoy to
Constantinople
la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه
, alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...
.
The accession to the throne of
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 ...
did not entail the opals of Bezborodko (as happened with the majority of people who used the location of the late Empress) and therefore, in October 1798, his protege and nephew became vice-chancellor and vice-president of the College of Foreign Affairs. At the age of thirty he was made into active secret advisers, and on April 4, 1799 he was elevated to the counties dignity of the Russian Empire.
As a diplomat, Kochubey held on to a 'national system based on Russia's good,' wanted 'all powers to cherish its friendship' and fear territorial increments. He was a supporter of strengthening relations with the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
.
In September 1799, immediately after the death of his uncle, Kochubey became disunity and he was exiled to the village: the emperor wanted to marry himself in favor to
Anna Lopukhina
Princess Anna Petrovna Lopukhina (russian: Анна Петровна Лопухина) (8 November 1777 – 25 April 1805) was a royal mistress to Emperor Paul of Russia. In 1798, she replaced Catherine Nelidova as the chief mistress.
Family
...
, but married Maria Vasilchikova instead.
In the spring of 1800 he went abroad, but after receiving the news of the death of Paul I in
Dresden
Dresden (, ; Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; wen, label=Upper Sorbian, Drježdźany) is the capital city of the German state of Saxony and its second most populous city, after Leipzig. It is the 12th most populous city of Germany, the fourth larg ...
, he returned to
St. Petersburg in April 1801.
Upon his accession to the throne, Alexander I was appointed as president of the College of Foreign Affairs and a senator in June 1801. Much more important was the fact he became one of the closest advisers to the emperor and joined the Unspoken Committee, designed to prepare the transformation of the state system of Russia.
On December 12, 1801, Count Kochubey was appointed a member of the Essential Council, and on September 8, 1802, he became the first
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.
When discussing the peasant issue, he opposed the liberation of peasants without land and the practice of transferring them to the yard; the same position was defended in the Committee on the Arrangement of The Aesthetic and Lifland Peasants, of which Kochubei had been chairman since 1803. In the area of political transformation, Kochubey advocated the separation of powers while maintaining the inviolability of
autocracy
Autocracy is a system of government in which absolute power over a state is concentrated in the hands of one person, whose decisions are subject neither to external legal restraints nor to regularized mechanisms of popular control (except perh ...
.
In the early 19th century, the Ministry of the Interior was responsible for economic and transport issues. Kochubey focused on the development of the newly annexed southern lands and spared no expense for the development of
Novorossiya, especially
Odessa
Odesa (also spelled Odessa) is the third most populous city and municipality in Ukraine and a major seaport and transport hub located in the south-west of the country, on the northwestern shore of the Black Sea. The city is also the administrativ ...
. He presented a report on the shortcomings of the southern lands of Russia to the previous emperor.
Kochubey was one of the first to notice
Speransky's talent and brought him to his service. In 1806, during his illness, Kochubey sent Speransky instead of himself with a report to the emperor. This acquaintance was important for the history of Russia.
Moreover,
Alexander I Alexander I may refer to:
* Alexander I of Macedon, king of Macedon 495–454 BC
* Alexander I of Epirus (370–331 BC), king of Epirus
* Pope Alexander I (died 115), early bishop of Rome
* Pope Alexander I of Alexandria (died 320s), patriarch of ...
accumulated disagreements with 'young friends.' Anglophile Kochubey considered the conclusion of the
Tilsit
Sovetsk (russian: Сове́тск; german: Tilsit; Old Prussian: ''Tilzi''; lt, Tilžė; pl, Tylża) is a town in Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia, located on the south bank of the Neman River which forms the border with Lithuania.
Geography
Sov ...
world the collapse of all Russian foreign policy, desisting the bloody wars of the previous years, and several times asked the emperor to resign. But only his fourth request was granted, on November 24, 1807.
Upon his dismissal from his post as Minister, Kochubey sent 'circular letters to all the governors in which, breaking up with them, he thanked him for his hasty duties with their active work', and left as a private citizen to Paris, where he met with the Minister of Police, Fouche, and other figures of the First Empire.
1810 War
After returning from vacation, in 1810 Kochubey joined the Council of State. In early 1812 he was appointed Chairman of the Department of Laws of the Council of State. Supported Speransky's proposal for financial reform and the
Senate
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
. He maintained a good relationship with him, even when the reformer was disgraced.
During the
Patriotic War and the Overseas Campaign was under the emperor. He facilitated Kutuzov's appointment as commander-in-chief. In 1813 he headed the Central Council for the Management of German Lands. He was offered the position of ambassador to England, which he refused because he did not want to leave Russia at such a difficult time (liked to repeat that a long stay outside the fatherland was against his rules).
Filed to the Emperor 'Note of Gr. V. Kochubey on the state of the empire and measures to end the unrest and introduce a better arrangement in the various industries, the government constituents,' in which Kochubey proposed to merge the Ministry of Police with the Ministry of the Interior, as well as to create the Ministry of Spiritual Affairs and Public Education, prompted Alexander to appoint him in 1816 as chairman of the Department of Civil and Spiritual Affairs of the State Council (until 1819).
From 1817-1818 Count Viktor Kochubey lived in Paris.
He was second appointed Minister of the Interior on November 4, 1819. On August 30, 1821, he received a St. Andrew's star. In the same year, the emperor ordered to move to the semicircular square in front of his tsarist palace cast-iron gates with the inscription ''A mes chers compagnons d'armes'' ('To my beloved colleagues')''.''
In 1819, Kochubey purchased a plot on the banks of the
Fontanka
The Fontanka (russian: Фонтанка), a left branch of the river Neva, flows through the whole of Central Saint Petersburg, Russia – from the Summer Garden to . It is long, with a width up to , and a depth up to . The Moyka River for ...
from Prince
Lobanov-Rostovsky
The House of Lobanov-Rostovsky is a branch of the House of Rurik whose male-line ancestors ruled the Principality of Rostov in present-day Russia.
History
It originated with Prince Ivan (nicknamed Loban for his wide forehead), who lived at ...
and ordered the architect Montferran to build a mansion for his family. At the entrances and amateur performances in this house, there was the best of the capitalist society. At the Carnival of 1827, M. I. Glinka sang here the women's part of
Don Giovanni
''Don Giovanni'' (; K. 527; Vienna (1788) title: , literally ''The Rake Punished, or Don Giovanni'') is an opera in two acts with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to an Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. Its subject is a centuries-old Spanis ...
. The Kochubeyev Balls entered the proverb, where the entire highest aristocracy, as well as the imperial family, gathered on them.
On July 28 (August 9) 1821,
Emperor Alexander I was established by the Siberian Committee and V. P. Kochubey became its first chairman.
During the four years in which Kochubey was running the ministry, the Department of Commerce and Manufacturers, to whom he was most interested, was removed from its membership, then the management of the communications routes was removed. Meanwhile, Kochubey was not happy about joining the functions of the former police ministry, as he was not involved in the investigation.
Having surrendered the ministry's management on February 25, 1823 (officially removed from office on June 28, 1823), Kochubey turned his attention to his youngest daughter's illness. After hearing the advice of doctors, the dignitary decided to take her not to foreign waters, but to the south of Russia, to
Theodosia, which was then a wonder. With the onset of spring from St. Petersburg, he set off on the way with water, canals, then on the Volga descended to
Tsaritsyn, from there he reached the Don on horseback and then again with water to Crimea; he spent the winter in Odessa.
Chancellor of Russia and Death
Notes and References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kochubey, Viktor Pavlovich
1768 births
1834 deaths
Ukrainian people in the Russian Empire
Counts of the Russian Empire
Foreign ministers of the Russian Empire
Chancellors of the Russian Empire
Members of the State Council (Russian Empire)
Russian people of Ukrainian descent
Burials at Lazarevskoe Cemetery (Saint Petersburg)
Burials at the Dukhovskaya Church
Ambassadors of the Russian Empire to the Ottoman Empire
Russian princes