Skarżyński
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Skarżyński (; ; ) was an ancient noble
Slavic Slavic, Slav or Slavonic may refer to: Peoples * Slavic peoples, an ethno-linguistic group living in Europe and Asia ** East Slavic peoples, eastern group of Slavic peoples ** South Slavic peoples, southern group of Slavic peoples ** West Slav ...
family in the
Grand Duchy of Lithuania The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a sovereign state in northeastern Europe that existed from the 13th century, succeeding the Kingdom of Lithuania, to the late 18th century, when the territory was suppressed during the 1795 Partitions of Poland, ...
, the
Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, also referred to as Poland–Lithuania or the First Polish Republic (), was a federation, federative real union between the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland, Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania ...
,
Russian Russian(s) may refer to: *Russians (), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *A citizen of Russia *Russian language, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages *''The Russians'', a b ...
and
First French Empire The First French Empire or French Empire (; ), also known as Napoleonic France, was the empire ruled by Napoleon Bonaparte, who established French hegemony over much of continental Europe at the beginning of the 19th century. It lasted from ...
s. The family descends from the
Olgovichi The Olgovichi or Olhovychi were one of the four dominant princely clans of Kievan Rus' in the 12th and 13th century. First mentioned in the Hypatian Codex, Hypatian continuation of the ''Primary Chronicle'' (PVL) under the year 1116 and literally m ...
of the
Rurik dynasty The Rurik dynasty, also known as the Rurikid or Riurikid dynasty, as well as simply Rurikids or Riurikids, was a noble lineage allegedly founded by the Varangian prince Rurik, who, according to tradition, established himself at Novgorod in the ...
. They are also the relatives of
Natalya Naryshkina Natalya Kirillovna Naryshkina (; 1 September 1651 – 4 February 1694) was the Tsaritsa of Russia from 1671–1676 as the second spouse of Tsar Alexis I of Russia, and regent of Russia as the mother of Tsar Peter I of Russia twice. She firs ...
who is the mother of Tsar
Peter I of Russia Peter I (, ; – ), better known as Peter the Great, was the Tsar of all Russia from 1682 and the first Emperor of all Russia from 1721 until his death in 1725. He reigned jointly with his half-brother Ivan V until 1696. From this year, ...
. This makes the Skarzhinsky family descendants of the House of
Romanov The House of Romanov (also transliterated as Romanoff; , ) was the reigning dynasty, imperial house of Russia from 1613 to 1917. They achieved prominence after Anastasia Romanovna married Ivan the Terrible, the first crowned tsar of all Russi ...
.The Skarzynski family has a very complex ancestral heritage with the family having multiple branches throughout Europe. One branch of the family was
Cossack The Cossacks are a predominantly East Slavic Eastern Christian people originating in the Pontic–Caspian steppe of eastern Ukraine and southern Russia. Cossacks played an important role in defending the southern borders of Ukraine and Rus ...
. This branch would form three lineages in
Lubny Lubny (, ) is a city in Poltava Oblast, central Ukraine. It serves as the administrative center of Lubny Raion. It also hosts the administration of , one of the hromadas of Ukraine. Population: History Lubny is reputed to be one of the oldes ...
,
Chernihiv Chernihiv (, ; , ) is a city and municipality in northern Ukraine, which serves as the administrative center of Chernihiv Oblast and Chernihiv Raion within the oblast. Chernihiv's population is The city was designated as a Hero City of Ukraine ...
, and
Kherson Kherson (Ukrainian language, Ukrainian and , , ) is a port city in southern Ukraine that serves as the administrative centre of Kherson Oblast. Located by the Black Sea and on the Dnieper, Dnieper River, Kherson is the home to a major ship-bui ...
in Ukraine. The Skarżyński family originates from
Trakai Voivodeship Trakai Voivodeship, Trakai Palatinate, or Troki Voivodeship (, , ), was a unit of administrative division and local government in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania from 1413 until 1795. History Trakai Voivodeship together with Vilnius Voivodeship wa ...
,
Grand Duchy of Lithuania The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a sovereign state in northeastern Europe that existed from the 13th century, succeeding the Kingdom of Lithuania, to the late 18th century, when the territory was suppressed during the 1795 Partitions of Poland, ...
with strong ancestral ties to the
Principality of Turov The Principality of Turov, later called the Principality of Turov and Pinsk (; ; ), also known as Turovian Rus', was a medieval principality of Kievan Rus' from the 10th century on the territory of modern-day Belarus and northern Ukraine. The pri ...
,
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
,
Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...
,
Belarus Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Belarus spans an a ...
, and the
Upper Oka Principalities In Russian historiography the term Upper Oka Principalities () traditionally applies to about a dozen tiny and ephemeral polities situated along the upper course of the Oka River at the turn of the 14th and 15th centuries. They were reigned b ...
. Other branches of the family have origins in the territories that were once known as
Prussia Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a Germans, German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussia (region), Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, ...
. Records indicate a strong presence in
Mazovia Mazovia or Masovia ( ) is a historical region in mid-north-eastern Poland. It spans the North European Plain, roughly between Łódź and Białystok, with Warsaw being the largest city and Płock being the capital of the region . Throughout the ...
.Kosiński, p. 91. The family has a deep military tradition. The Orthodox branch of the Skarzhinsky family played a prominent role in the history of
Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
, and
Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...
.Comp. Count Alexander Bobrinsky. Noble families included in the General Armorial of the All-Russian Empire: in 2 volumes - St. Petersburg, type. M. M. Stasyulevich, 1890 Author: Bobrinsky, Alexander Alekseevich (1823-1903). Skarzhinsky. Part II. p. 160.https://pamyat-naroda.ru/ The family has become well represented spreading all over the world especially Europe and the United States. The Skarzynski family have had a strong presence in the Grodno Region,
Belarus Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Belarus spans an a ...
and
Pinsk District Pinsk district (; ) is a districts of Belarus, district (raion) of Brest region in Belarus. Its administrative center is Pinsk, which is administratively separated from the district. As of 2024, it has a population of 40,741. Demographics At the ...
, Brest Region,
Belarus Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Belarus spans an a ...
since the 1600s. The Skarzynski family is from the same genus as the noble Russian bloodlines of Baryatinsky,
Obolensky The House of Obolensky () is an ancient Russian princely family, claiming descent from the Olgovichi branch of the Rurik dynasty. History Their name is said to derive from the town of Obolensk in the Upper Oka Principalities near Moscow. ...
, Shcherbatov,
Dolgorukov The House of Dolgorukov ( rus, Долгору́ков, p=dəlɡɐˈrukəf) is a princely Russian family of Rurikid stock. They are a cadet branch of the Obolenskiy family (until 1494 the rulers of Obolensk, one of the Upper Oka Principaliti ...
,
Repnin The House of Repnin (), is an ancient Russian princely family, claiming descent from the Olgovichi branch of Rurik dynasty. They held the hereditary title of Knyaz in the Empire of Russia. History The family traces its name to Prince Ivan Mikh ...
and
Volkonsky The House of Volkonsky, also spelled Volkonski or Wolkonsky and later times Wlodkowski is an ancient Russian princely family, part of the Russian nobility. History The family claims descent from the Rurik dynasty, in particular from the Princ ...
. They are the descendants of Chernigov Prince Oleg Svyatoslavich founder of the
Olgovichi The Olgovichi or Olhovychi were one of the four dominant princely clans of Kievan Rus' in the 12th and 13th century. First mentioned in the Hypatian Codex, Hypatian continuation of the ''Primary Chronicle'' (PVL) under the year 1116 and literally m ...
. This would put the Skarzhinsky families initial origins most likely in
Polesia Polesia, also called Polissia, Polesie, or Polesye, is a natural (geographic) and historical region in Eastern Europe within the East European Plain, including the Belarus–Ukraine border region and part of eastern Poland. This region shou ...
,
Novgorod Veliky Novgorod ( ; , ; ), also known simply as Novgorod (), is the largest city and administrative centre of Novgorod Oblast, Russia. It is one of the oldest cities in Russia, being first mentioned in the 9th century. The city lies along the V ...
,
Rostov, Yaroslavl Oblast Rostov Veliky ( rus, Ростов Великий, p=rɐˈstof vʲɪˈlʲikʲɪj, ''Rostov the Great'') is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, town in Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia, one of the oldest in the country and a tourist center of the ...
or
Pskov Pskov ( rus, Псков, a=Ru-Псков.oga, p=psˈkof; see also Names of Pskov in different languages, names in other languages) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city in northwestern Russia and the administrative center of Pskov O ...
. The family is of
Bończa coat of arms Bończa is a Polish coat of arms. Notable bearers Notable bearers of this coat of arms include: * House of Badeni * Stanisław Chomętowski * Stefan Chmielecki * House of Fredro **Aleksander Fredro * Józef Ignacy Dyga Polish National Army, vi ...
. The family has many branches all over
Eastern Europe Eastern Europe is a subregion of the Europe, European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural and socio-economic connotations. Its eastern boundary is marked by the Ural Mountain ...
. Since the early 1600s, the Skarzhinsky family owned land in the Turov Voivodeship. The family also owned land in the
Pyetrykaw District Pyetrykaw district or Pietrykaŭ district (; ) is a district (raion) of Gomel region in Belarus. Its administrative center is Pyetrykaw. As of 2024, it has a population of 25,531. Notable residents * Aleś Dudar (1904, Navasiolki village – ...
, Gomel Region, Belarus. The Orthodox branch of the Skarzhinsky family belonged to the richest land owning Russian
nobility Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally appointed by and ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. T ...
and played a prominent role in the history of
Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
, and
Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...
. They owned thousands of acres of land throughout the territory of the
Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...
from western
Belarus Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Belarus spans an a ...
to central and southern regions of Ukraine. The family owned hundreds of acres of land in
Mglin Mglin (, ) is a town and the administrative center of Mglinsky District in Bryansk Oblast, Russia, located on the Sudynka River west of Bryansk, the administrative center of the oblast. Population: History Mglin was first mentioned in 1389, ...
, Russia where Alexander Matveyevich Skarzhinsky was leader of the Mglinsky nobility. His ancestor Anastasy Ivanovich Skarzhinsky was the founder of the
Bryansk Oblast Bryansk Oblast (), also known as Bryanshchina (, ), is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is the city of Bryansk. As of the 2021 Census, its population was 1,169,161. Geography Bryansk Oblast lies in weste ...
branch of the Skarzhinsky family. The family also owned land in the
folwark ''Folwark'' is a Polish word derived from the German ''Vorwerk''. A Folwark or Vorwerk is an agricultural estate or a separate branch operation of such an estate, historically a serfdom-based farm and agricultural enterprise (a type of latif ...
estate in Kamenka near
Ashmyany Ashmyany or Oshmyany is a city in Grodno Region, Belarus. It is located from Vilnius in Lithuania, and serves as the administrative center of Ashmyany District. The river Ashmyanka passes through the city. As of 2025, it has a population of 16 ...
,
Belarus Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Belarus spans an a ...
.CPAH of Lithuania in Vilnius, f. 391, issue 1, no. 1553, pp. 258-260 The family set forth a detailed history of the members of family for the purpose of establishing themselves in the nobility at the
Ashmyany Ashmyany or Oshmyany is a city in Grodno Region, Belarus. It is located from Vilnius in Lithuania, and serves as the administrative center of Ashmyany District. The river Ashmyanka passes through the city. As of 2025, it has a population of 16 ...
City Court.http://www.nobility.by/families/s/index.shtml The Skarżyńskis also owned land in Paszkiszki village, Grodno Region, Belarus. There is a Skarzhinsky branch in
Minsk Minsk (, ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach (Berezina), Svislach and the now subterranean Nyamiha, Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is the administra ...
, Belarus. The Skarżyńskis also had a strong presence in
Vilnius Region Vilnius Region is the territory in present-day Lithuania and Belarus that was originally inhabited by ethnic Baltic tribes and was a part of Lithuania proper, but came under East Slavic and Polish cultural influences over time. The territory ...
, Lithuania. The Skarżyńskis also owned land in
Kherson Governorate Kherson Governorate, known until 1803 as Nikolayev Governorate, was an administrative-territorial unit ('' guberniya'') of the Russian Empire, with its capital in Kherson. It encompassed in area and had a population of 2,733,612 inhabitants. At t ...
, Ukraine. A branch of the Skarzhinsky family owned the county of
Elisavetgrad uezd The Elisavetgrad uezd was a county (''uezd'') of the Kherson Governorate of the Russian Empire, with its administrative center in Yelisavetgrad (modern Kropyvnytskyi). It bordered the Zvenigorodka and Chigirin uezds of the Kiev Governorate to the ...
in the
Kherson Governorate Kherson Governorate, known until 1803 as Nikolayev Governorate, was an administrative-territorial unit ('' guberniya'') of the Russian Empire, with its capital in Kherson. It encompassed in area and had a population of 2,733,612 inhabitants. At t ...
of the Russian Empire until 1909. Trikraty, Ukraine was originally named Velyka Skarzhynka in honor of noble Viktor Petrovich Skarzhinsky. The Skarzhynskis also had branches in
Poltava Poltava (, ; , ) is a city located on the Vorskla, Vorskla River in Central Ukraine, Central Ukraine. It serves as the administrative center of Poltava Oblast as well as Poltava Raion within the oblast. It also hosts the administration of Po ...
,
Chernihiv Chernihiv (, ; , ) is a city and municipality in northern Ukraine, which serves as the administrative center of Chernihiv Oblast and Chernihiv Raion within the oblast. Chernihiv's population is The city was designated as a Hero City of Ukraine ...
,
Odessa ODESSA is an American codename (from the German language, German: ''Organisation der ehemaligen SS-Angehörigen'', meaning: Organization of Former SS Members) coined in 1946 to cover Ratlines (World War II aftermath), Nazi underground escape-pl ...
,
Kiev Kyiv, also Kiev, is the capital and most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city of Ukraine. Located in the north-central part of the country, it straddles both sides of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2022, its population was 2, ...
,
Mykolaiv Mykolaiv ( ), also known as Nikolaev ( ) is a List of cities in Ukraine, city and a hromada (municipality) in southern Ukraine. Mykolaiv is the Administrative centre, administrative center of Mykolaiv Raion (Raions of Ukraine, district) and Myk ...
,
Cherkasy Cherkasy (, ) is a city in central Ukraine. Cherkasy serves as the administrative centre of Cherkasy Oblast as well as Cherkasy Raion within the oblast. The city has a population of Cherkasy is the cultural, educational and industrial centre ...
, and along the
Dnieper The Dnieper or Dnepr ( ), also called Dnipro ( ), is one of the major transboundary rivers of Europe, rising in the Valdai Hills near Smolensk, Russia, before flowing through Belarus and Ukraine to the Black Sea. Approximately long, with ...
in many villiages. Another branch of the family was established in
Khmelnytskyi, Ukraine Khmelnytskyi (, ) is a city in western Ukraine. Located on the Southern Bug, it serves as the administrative centre of Khmelnytskyi Oblast as well as Khmelnytskyi Raion within the oblast. With a population of Khmelnytskyi is the second-large ...
. The family has also had a strong presence in
Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...
, Russia,
Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...
, Russia,
Bryansk Oblast Bryansk Oblast (), also known as Bryanshchina (, ), is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is the city of Bryansk. As of the 2021 Census, its population was 1,169,161. Geography Bryansk Oblast lies in weste ...
, and the
Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region spanning Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is situated between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, comprising parts of Southern Russia, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. The Caucasus Mountains, i ...
. The family owned a gothic style mansion in
Kislovodsk Kislovodsk (; ; ) is a spa city in Stavropol Krai, in the North Caucasus region of Russia which is located between the Black and Caspian Seas. It is part of the Caucasian Mineral Waters region. Demographics Population: Etymology The Rus ...
, Russia. Another Skarzynski branch resided in Germany. The genus is still strongly represented throughout Poland, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, England, France, and the United States. The family has a history of nobility in Poland, Lithuania, France,
Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...
, Russia, and Belarus.Часть 12 Общего Гербовника Дворянских Родов Всероссийской Империи, стр. 68
/ref> The Catholic branch of the Skarzynski family played a significant role in the history of Poland and France. Two members of the family, General Ambroży Mikołaj Skarżyński and Generał Kazimierz Skarzynski, served in the
First French Empire The First French Empire or French Empire (; ), also known as Napoleonic France, was the empire ruled by Napoleon Bonaparte, who established French hegemony over much of continental Europe at the beginning of the 19th century. It lasted from ...
's
Grande Armée The (; ) was the primary field army of the French Imperial Army (1804–1815), French Imperial Army during the Napoleonic Wars. Commanded by Napoleon, from 1804 to 1808 it won a series of military victories that allowed the First French Empi ...
under the leadership of French Emperor
Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...
. The two Skarzynski brothers were awarded French decorations
Chevalier de l'Empire As Emperor of the French, Napoleon I created titles in a newly established ' (imperial nobility) to institute a stable elite in the First French Empire, after the instability resulting from the French Revolution. Like many others, both befo ...
and
Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...
for their service to France.Poles decorated with the Légion d'honneur 1803 - 1823, S. Loza, Zamosc 1923 Colonel
Stanisław Skarżyński Stanisław Jakub Skarżyński (1 May 1899 − 26 June 1942) was a lieutenant colonel in the Polish Air Force and aviator famous for his transatlantic solo flight in 1933. Early military career In 1916–17 Skarżyński was a member of the Poli ...
was a legendary pilot in the Polish Air Force. Initially he was an infantryman in the Polish army. He would have a highly decorated military career. He was also decorated with the French decoration Legion of Honour. Another branch of the family took Russian citizenship after the
partitions of Poland The Partitions of Poland were three partition (politics), partitions of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth that took place between 1772 and 1795, toward the end of the 18th century. They ended the existence of the state, resulting in the eli ...
, but remained Polish and Catholic. Also, some Skarzhinsky Catholics after the Partitions turned out to be subjects of
Prussia Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a Germans, German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussia (region), Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, ...
. In 1820, the Vilnius herald recognized several of the Skarżyńskis "as native and ancient Polish nobility", bringing their names to the first part of the gubernial books of nobility. In 1844, the
Vilnius Vilnius ( , ) is the capital of and List of cities in Lithuania#Cities, largest city in Lithuania and the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, most-populous city in the Baltic states. The city's estimated January 2025 population w ...
herald recorded in the Trakai district Ignacy other members of the Skarżyński family. The Skarzynski family is also listed in Part 12, page 68 of the General Armorial of the Noble Families of the All
Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...
. The family intermarried with many noble Ukrainian officer families of the 18th — 19th centuries, in particular, such as the Skoropadsky, Zakrevsky, Znachko-Yavorsky, Miloradovich, Miklashevsky, Sudienko and others. Anastasiy Ivanovich Skarzhinsy began civil service in 1794. In 1828, he became the Mglinsky district treasurer. He lived in
Mglin Mglin (, ) is a town and the administrative center of Mglinsky District in Bryansk Oblast, Russia, located on the Sudynka River west of Bryansk, the administrative center of the oblast. Population: History Mglin was first mentioned in 1389, ...
, Russia. Matvey Ivanovich Skarzhinsky, who began his civil service in 1788, was promoted to titular councilor in 1815, was awarded the
Order of St. Vladimir The Imperial Order of Saint Prince Vladimir () was an Imperial Russian order established on by Empress Catherine II in memory of the deeds of Saint Vladimir, the Grand Prince and the Baptizer of the Kievan Rus'. Grades The order had four ...
of the 4th class. In the late 1800s, Alexander Matveyevich Skarzhinsky, at the age of 28, became the Leader of the Mglinsky nobility. In 1900, the Skarzhinsky brothers Matvey, Vasily and Ivan jointly owned 779 acres of land in the
Mglinsky District Mglinsky District () is an administrativeLaw #13-Z and municipalLaw #3-Z district (raion), one of the twenty-seven in Bryansk Oblast, Russia. It is located in the west of the oblast. The area of the district is . Its administrative center is the ...
, Russia. Some members of the Skarzhinsky family were politicians. Tadeusz Mieczysław Skarżyński was a member of the Second Russian State Duma in 1907. Pyotr Mikhailovich Skarzhinsky would become governor of
Caucasian Governorate Caucasus Governorate () was an administrative division ('' guberniya'') of the Russian Empire, which existed from 1802 until 1822. Its seat was located in Georgiyevsk. The governorate was located in the south of the European part of the Russian E ...
1793-1796. Viktor Pyotrovich Skarzhinsky was Provincial Leader of the Nobility in
Kherson Kherson (Ukrainian language, Ukrainian and , , ) is a port city in southern Ukraine that serves as the administrative centre of Kherson Oblast. Located by the Black Sea and on the Dnieper, Dnieper River, Kherson is the home to a major ship-bui ...
. Pyotr Vasilyevich Skarzhinsky was Governor of
Volyn Volhynia or Volynia ( ; see below) is a historic region in Central and Eastern Europe, between southeastern Poland, southwestern Belarus, and northwestern Ukraine. The borders of the region are not clearly defined, but in Ukraine it is roughly ...
. Pavel Matveevich Skarzhinsky served in the judicial department of
Kharkov Kharkiv, also known as Kharkov, is the second-largest List of cities in Ukraine, city in Ukraine.
, Ukraine. Some descendants of the Skarzhinsky/Skarżyński bloodline, in the United States, carry the surname of Brunett and Stephenson.


Origin and history

The family originated in the
Trakai Voivodeship Trakai Voivodeship, Trakai Palatinate, or Troki Voivodeship (, , ), was a unit of administrative division and local government in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania from 1413 until 1795. History Trakai Voivodeship together with Vilnius Voivodeship wa ...
of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The family has initial origins in the
Upper Oka Principalities In Russian historiography the term Upper Oka Principalities () traditionally applies to about a dozen tiny and ephemeral polities situated along the upper course of the Oka River at the turn of the 14th and 15th centuries. They were reigned b ...
in western Russia.Family Tree DNA Russian Nobility Project Other branches of the family have origins in
Prussia Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a Germans, German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussia (region), Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, ...
. Records indicate a strong presence in
Mazovia Mazovia or Masovia ( ) is a historical region in mid-north-eastern Poland. It spans the North European Plain, roughly between Łódź and Białystok, with Warsaw being the largest city and Płock being the capital of the region . Throughout the ...
. They are the descendants of the Russian
Princes of Chernigov 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 fe ...
. The family descends from the Olgovichi branch. The family has branches or estates in Żuków, Chodaków, Drozdy, Konarów,
Brzeziny Brzeziny (; , ''Brezin'') is a town in Poland, in Łódź Voivodeship, about east of Łódź. It is the capital of Brzeziny County and has a population of 12,326 as of December 2021. It is situated on the Mrożyca River within the historic Łęcz ...
,
Sochaczew Sochaczew () is a town in central Poland, with 33,456 inhabitants (as of 2023). In the Masovian Voivodeship (since 1999), formerly in Skierniewice Voivodeship (1975–1998). It is the capital of Sochaczew County and is located approximately west ...
,
Rypin Rypin is a town in north-central Poland, in Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, about 50 km east of Toruń. It is the capital of Rypin County. Population is 16,528 (2010). History Rypin was founded in the Middle Ages, and was part of Poland ...
,
Sierpc Sierpc ( Polish: ) is a town in north-central Poland, in the north-west part of the Masovian Voivodeship, about northwest of Warsaw. It is the capital of Sierpc County. Its population is 18,368 (2010). Sierpc is a member of Cittaslow. History ...
, Gójsk, and Szczutowo in
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
. Jan Skarzynski founded Skarzyn, Masovian Voivodeship in the early 1400s. The family was granted the land on a knightly right from
Bolesław IV Bolesław or Boleslav may refer to: People * Bolesław (given name) (also ''Boleslav'' or ''Boleslaus''), including a list of people with this name Geography * Bolesław, Dąbrowa County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Poland * Bolesław, Olkusz Coun ...
, Prince of Mazovia. Other family members have roots in
Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...
,
Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
and
Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...
, Russia.Compiled By Count Alexander Bobrinsky. Noble families, included in the General Armorial of the All-Russian Empire: in 2 vols. - St. Petersburg, type. M. M. Stasyulevich, 1890 Author: Bobrinsky, Alexander Alekseevich (1823-1903). Skarzyński. Part II. p. 160. Marcin Skarżyński, in the 1600s, owned a lot of land in Trakai District,
Lithuania Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...
. The family has a deep military tradition serving
Prussia Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a Germans, German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussia (region), Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, ...
,
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
,
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
,
Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...
,
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
, and the
Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
with some family members being highly ranked and highly decorated as well. The Skarżyński family produced at least five high-ranking generals that served Poland, France, and the Russian Empire. One relative of Skarzhinsky being
Mikhail Miloradovich Count Mikhail Andreyevich Miloradovich (, , ; – ), spelled Miloradovitch in contemporary English sources, was a Russian general prominent during the Napoleonic Wars. On his father’s side, Miloradovich descended from the Serb noble family ...
who played a prominent role in the defeat of
Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...
during the
Patriotic War of 1812 The French invasion of Russia, also known as the Russian campaign (), the Second Polish War, and in Russia as the Patriotic War of 1812 (), was initiated by Napoleon with the aim of compelling the Russian Empire to comply with the continent ...
. Many family members who served the Soviet Union were officers or NCOs. Most of them serving in famous major battles on the eastern front of World War Two.


Russian military service

Mikhail Kazimierz Skarzhinsky entered Russian military service in 1733. Mikhail was a centurion of the 1st Lubny Regimental Hundred (1737-1750) as a language translator. Mikhail Mikhailovich Skarzhinsky (1742 - 1804) began his service in 1761 as a military clerk, a centurion of the 2nd Lubny regimental hundred (1765-1773), from 1783 onward a bunchuk comrade of the Lubny regiment. Ivan Mikhailovich Skarzhinsky (1749 - 1806?) began his service in 1769 as a clerk, a cornet of the Lubny Regimental Hundred (1773 - 1787), Zolotonosha District Marshal of the Nobility, since 1780 a Bunchuk comrade. He was married to Elena Grigorievna Zakrevskaya. Major General (1747 - 1805) was born in the
Poltava region Poltava Oblast (), also referred to as Poltavshchyna (), is an oblast (province) of central Ukraine. The administrative center of the oblast is the city of Poltava. Most of its territory was part of the southern regions of the Cossack Hetmanate. ...
and devoted his life to military service. General Pyotr Mikhailovich Skarzhinsky would be decorated with the
Order of St. Vladimir The Imperial Order of Saint Prince Vladimir () was an Imperial Russian order established on by Empress Catherine II in memory of the deeds of Saint Vladimir, the Grand Prince and the Baptizer of the Kievan Rus'. Grades The order had four ...
of the 2nd degree and the
Order of St. George The Order of Saint George () is the highest military decoration of the Russian Federation. It was originally established on 26 November 1769 Julian (7 December 1769 Gregorian) as the highest military decoration of the Russian Empire for commiss ...
of the 4th degree which was the highest military decoration of the
Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...
. In 1787, Pyotr Skarzhinsky showed extraordinary courage when, in early October, Suvorov's troops defeated the Turks, taking the fortress near Ochakov. The commander of the 2nd Bug Regiment, Colonel Pyotr Mikhailovich Skarzhinsky, was seriously wounded in the chest. Having recovered from his wounds, a year later he again distinguished himself under the banner of Suvorov during the assault on Ochakov, for which he was awarded the
Order of St. George The Order of Saint George () is the highest military decoration of the Russian Federation. It was originally established on 26 November 1769 Julian (7 December 1769 Gregorian) as the highest military decoration of the Russian Empire for commiss ...
. He was also Commander of the Astrakhan Cossack Regiment. He served in the Russian-Turkish war of 1768-1774 and the Russian-Turkish war of 1787-1791. He would later become the Governor of
Caucasian Governorate Caucasus Governorate () was an administrative division ('' guberniya'') of the Russian Empire, which existed from 1802 until 1822. Its seat was located in Georgiyevsk. The governorate was located in the south of the European part of the Russian E ...
1793-1796. In 1775, Pyotr Mikhailovich Skarzhinsky received from
Catherine the Great Catherine II. (born Princess Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst; 2 May 172917 November 1796), most commonly known as Catherine the Great, was the reigning empress of Russia from 1762 to 1796. She came to power after overthrowing her husband, Peter I ...
more than 6000 acres of land in the Russian Empire for his service to Russia. There was also a monument to Pyotr in
Odessa ODESSA is an American codename (from the German language, German: ''Organisation der ehemaligen SS-Angehörigen'', meaning: Organization of Former SS Members) coined in 1946 to cover Ratlines (World War II aftermath), Nazi underground escape-pl ...
. Mikhail Mikhailovich Skarzhinsky (1742 - 1804) began his Russian military service in 1761 as a military clerk, centurion of the 2nd Lubensky Regimental Hundred (1765-1773), from 1783 a bunchuk-comrade of the Lubensky regiment. Ivan Mikhailovich Skarzhinsky (1749 - 1806?) began his Russian military service in 1769 as a clerk, cornet of the regimental Lubensky hundred (1773 - 1787), Zolotonosha district leader of the nobility and since 1780 Bunchuk comrade.
Nikolai Petrovich Skarzhinsky Nikolai or Nikolay is an East Slavic variant of the masculine name Nicholas. It may refer to: People Royalty * Nicholas I of Russia (1796–1855), or Nikolay I, Emperor of Russia from 1825 until 1855 * Nicholas II of Russia (1868–1918), or Niko ...
- second lieutenant of the Life Guards of the Izmailovsky Regiment, mortally wounded in the
battle of Kulm The Battle of Kulm was fought near the town Kulm () and the village Přestanov in northern Bohemia. It was fought on 29–30 August 1813, during the War of the Sixth Coalition. A French corps under General Dominique Vandamme attacked Ale ...
(August 17, 1813), his name is listed on one of the marble plaques on the walls of the
Cathedral of Christ the Savior The Cathedral of Christ the Saviour (, ) is a Russian Orthodox cathedral in Moscow, Russia, on the northern bank of the Moskva River, a few hundred metres southwest of the Kremlin. With an overall height of , it is the third tallest Orthodox C ...
in Moscow. For the
Battle of Borodino The Battle of Borodino ( ) or Battle of Moscow (), in popular literature also known as the Battle of the Generals, took place on the outskirts of Moscow near the village of Borodino on 7 September 1812 during Napoleon's invasion of Russia. ...
, Nikolai Skarzhinsky received a high award - a golden sword with the inscription "For bravery", as well as promotion to the rank of second lieutenant. During the
Patriotic War of 1812 The French invasion of Russia, also known as the Russian campaign (), the Second Polish War, and in Russia as the Patriotic War of 1812 (), was initiated by Napoleon with the aim of compelling the Russian Empire to comply with the continent ...
, was one of the first to form a militia of peasants, arming at his own expense a detachment of about 111 people, who replenished the number of light cavalry squadrons with volunteers. It was called Skarzhinsky's Squadron. Initially the Squadron performed reconnaissance in the areas around the towns of
Priluki Pryluky ( ) is a city and municipality located on the Udai River in Chernihiv Oblast, north-central Ukraine. It serves as the administrative center of Pryluky Raion (district). Located nearby is the Pryluky air base, a major strategic bomber b ...
and Samokhvalovka along with Don Cossacks. They covered almost 240 miles prior to being assigned to the Russian Army. And in the fall, the Squadron under the command of 24-year-old Viktor Petrovich joined the Southern Army. It played a significant role driving
Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...
's army out of Europe serving in the battles of
Lahoysk Lahoysk is a town in Minsk Region, Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Lahoysk District. As of 2025, it has a population of 15,567. History First chronicled in 1078, Lahoysk was the centre of a small 12th-century principalit ...
,
Orsha Orsha (; , ; ) is a city in Vitebsk Region, Belarus. It is situated on the fork of the Dnieper, Dnieper River and Arshytsa River, and it serves as the administrative center of Orsha District. As of 2025, it has a population of 101,662. History ...
, and
Borisov, Belarus Barysaw or Borisov (, ; , ) is a city in Minsk Region, Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Barysaw District. It is located on the Berezina River and north-east from the capital Minsk. As of 2025, it has a population of 134,732. ...
. On 17 November 1812 Skarzhinsky's Squadron defeated multiple units of French troops in the town of Pleshchenitsa. On 19 November 1812 the Squadron played a role in the liberation of
Molodechno Maladzyechna, or Molodechno, is a town in Minsk Region, Belarus. It serves as the administrative centre of Maladzyechna District (and formerly of Molodechno Region from 1944 to 1960). Maladzyechna is located northwest of Minsk. In 2006, it had an ...
. On 21 November 1812 the Squadron took part in the assault on
Borisov, Belarus Barysaw or Borisov (, ; , ) is a city in Minsk Region, Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Barysaw District. It is located on the Berezina River and north-east from the capital Minsk. As of 2025, it has a population of 134,732. ...
. Heavy losses were inflicted on Polish and Lithuanian troops defending the city amounting to around 3,000 casualties. The Squadron captured two artillery guns during this particular battle. Skarzhinsky's Squadron took part in battles at Elijah, Preny, Iglishki, Mikhalishki,
Góra Kalwaria Góra Kalwaria (; "Calvary Mountain", , ''Ger'') is a town on the Vistula River in the Masovian Voivodeship, in east-central Poland. It is situated approximately southeast of Warsaw and has a population of around 12,109 (as of 2019). The town has ...
, Wilkowiszki, Lyudinovo, and
Prudnik Prudnik (, , , ) is a town in southern Poland, located in the southern part of Opole Voivodeship near the border with the Czech Republic. It is the administrative seat of Prudnik County and Gmina Prudnik. Its population numbers 21,368 inhabitant ...
during the month of December of the same year. Skarzhinsky's Squadron especially distinguished itself during the capture of Vilnius on December 10, 1812, when about 15,000 French soldiers (including 7 generals and 242 officers) were captured. The soldiers of the Skarzhinsky squadron captured 18 French officers. At the end of October 1812, Field Marshall Kutuzov, in a letter to
Emperor Alexander I Alexander I (, ; – ), nicknamed "the Blessed", 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 in 1825. He ruled Russia during the chaotic period of the Napoleo ...
, called the deeds of Viktor Petrovich and his volunteers "a true feat, both civil and military, worthy of all praise and awards..." Viktor Petrovich was awarded two orders for bravery, including the
Order of St. Vladimir The Imperial Order of Saint Prince Vladimir () was an Imperial Russian order established on by Empress Catherine II in memory of the deeds of Saint Vladimir, the Grand Prince and the Baptizer of the Kievan Rus'. Grades The order had four ...
with bows. He was also awarded the Order of St. Anna II degree with diamonds. The final battle for Skarzhinsky's Squadron would be the fortress of Thorn(Turon) where 3,620 enemy troops were garrisoned. The Squadron took part in repelling enemy sorties from the fortress in February 1813. The memory of the squadron is noted in the main temple of the Russian Orthodox Church – the Church of Christ the Redeemer in Moscow. In this temple, erected in memory of soldiers who died in World War II, marble plaques with the names of military formations are installed on the walls. On plate 27, among others, the squadron of Viktor Petrovich Skarzhinsky is immortalized on a marble plaque. In 1820, Viktor Petrovich Skarzhinsky was elected Provincial Leader of the Nobility of the
Kherson Governorate Kherson Governorate, known until 1803 as Nikolayev Governorate, was an administrative-territorial unit ('' guberniya'') of the Russian Empire, with its capital in Kherson. It encompassed in area and had a population of 2,733,612 inhabitants. At t ...
for six years. On June 16, 1872, a monument to Viktor P. Skarzhinsky was solemnly unveiled in the
Odessa ODESSA is an American codename (from the German language, German: ''Organisation der ehemaligen SS-Angehörigen'', meaning: Organization of Former SS Members) coined in 1946 to cover Ratlines (World War II aftermath), Nazi underground escape-pl ...
City Garden to commemorate his great services to Russia. Created of white marble, it stood until the 30s of the last century. The Skarzynski line produced two other Russian Major Generals Vasily Anastasievich Skarzhinsky(1834-1914) and Nikolai Georgievich Skarzhinsky(1849-1910). In 1900, brothers Alexander and Pavel Skarzhinsky jointly owned 665 acres of land in the Mglinsky district, Russia. During
World War 1 World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, Russian soldier Lieutenant Ignatiy Skarzhinsky was awarded the
Order of Saint Anna The Imperial Order of Saint Anna (; 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 Holstein-Gottorp, on 14 February 1735, in hono ...
IV degree with the inscription "For bravery",
Order of Saint Vladimir The Imperial Order of Saint Prince Vladimir () was an Imperial Russian order established on by Empress Catherine the Great, Catherine II in memory of the deeds of Vladimir I, Prince of Kiev, Saint Vladimir, the Grand Prince and the Baptizer of ...
, Equal-to-the-Apostles, IV degree with swords and bow. He served in the 150th Taman Infantry Regiment. During World War 1, Russian soldier Lieutenant Anastasiy Skarzhinsky was awarded the
Order of Saint Catherine The Imperial Order of Saint Catherine () was an award of Imperial Russia. Instituted on 24 November 1714 by Peter the Great on the occasion of his marriage to Catherine I of Russia. For the majority of the time of Imperial Russia, it was the onl ...
and the
Order of Saint Anna The Imperial Order of Saint Anna (; 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 Holstein-Gottorp, on 14 February 1735, in hono ...
of the II degree. He served in the Kyiv Military District. During World War 1, Russian soldier Vasiliy Skarzhinsky was awarded the
Order of Saint Stanislaus The Order of Saint Stanislaus (, ), also spelled Stanislas, was a Polish order of knighthood founded in 1765 by King Stanisław August Poniatowski of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. It remained under the Congress Poland, Kingdom of Pola ...
III class and the
Order of Saint Catherine The Imperial Order of Saint Catherine () was an award of Imperial Russia. Instituted on 24 November 1714 by Peter the Great on the occasion of his marriage to Catherine I of Russia. For the majority of the time of Imperial Russia, it was the onl ...
. He served in the Russian 44th Army Corps. During World War 1, Russian soldier Bronislav Skarzhinsky was awarded
Order of Saint Catherine The Imperial Order of Saint Catherine () was an award of Imperial Russia. Instituted on 24 November 1714 by Peter the Great on the occasion of his marriage to Catherine I of Russia. For the majority of the time of Imperial Russia, it was the onl ...
and
Order of Saint Stanislaus The Order of Saint Stanislaus (, ), also spelled Stanislas, was a Polish order of knighthood founded in 1765 by King Stanisław August Poniatowski of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. It remained under the Congress Poland, Kingdom of Pola ...
III degree. During
World War Two World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Axis powers. Nearly all of the world's countries participated, with many nations mobilisi ...
,
Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
soldier Nikolay Vladimirovich Skarzhinsky was awarded the
Order of Glory The Order of Glory () was a military decoration of the Soviet Union established by Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet on November 8, 1943. It was awarded to soldiers and non-commissioned officers of the Red Army as well as to aviation ...
, for bravery, during combat operations. During World War Two, Soviet soldier Private Timofey Aleksandrovich Skarzhinsky was declared missing in action during combat. During World War Two, Soviet soldier Ivan Zakharovich Skarzhinsky took part in the
Battle of Berlin The Battle of Berlin, designated as the Berlin Strategic Offensive Operation by the Soviet Union, and also known as the Fall of Berlin, was one of the last major offensives of the European theatre of World War II. After the Vistula–Od ...
. He was killed in action. During World War Two, Soviet soldier Senior Lieutenant Matvey Isaakovich Skarzhinsky was awarded the military decoration
Medal "For Battle Merit" The Medal "For Battle Merit" () was a Soviet military medal awarded for "combat action resulting in a military success", "courageous defense of the state borders", or "successful military and political training and preparation". It was created on ...
,
Medal "For the Capture of Budapest" The Medal "For the Capture of Budapest" () was a World War II campaign medal of the Soviet Union established on 9 June 1945 by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR to satisfy the petition of the People's Commissariat for Def ...
,
Order of the Patriotic War The Order of the Patriotic War () is a Soviet Union, Soviet military Order (decoration), decoration that was awarded to all soldiers in the Soviet armed forces, security troops, and to Partisan (military), partisans for heroic deeds in the Easte ...
, II degree, and the
Medal "For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" The Medal "For the Victory Over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" () was a military decoration of the Soviet Union established on May 9, 1945, by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR to denote military partici ...
during World War Two. He served in the Red Army's 333rd Rifle Division and
84th Rifle Division The 84th Rifle Division () was an infantry division of the Red Army before and during World War II. History Prewar The 84th Rifle Division was formed in 1923 at Tula as one of several Red Army territorial divisions, assigned to the Moscow M ...
. During World War Two, Soviet soldier Vsevolod Vladimirovich Skarzhinsky was awarded the
Order of the Red Star The Order of the Red Star () was a military decoration of the Soviet Union. It was established by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of 6 April 1930 but its statute was only defined in decree of the Presidium of the ...
and the Medal "For Courage." During World War Two, Soviet soldier Lieutenant Colonel Stanislav Yanovich Skarzhinsky was awarded the Order of the Red Star and Medal "For Battle Merit" during World War Two. He served in the Red Army's
4th Rifle Division (Soviet Union) The 4th Rifle Division was an infantry division of the Soviet Union's Red Army, formed three times. It was first formed in 1919 from the remnants of the Lithuanian Rifle Division and fought in the Defence of Petrograd during the Russian Civil War ...
. He served at the
Battle of Berlin The Battle of Berlin, designated as the Berlin Strategic Offensive Operation by the Soviet Union, and also known as the Fall of Berlin, was one of the last major offensives of the European theatre of World War II. After the Vistula–Od ...
. Prior to that he participated in the liberation of Warsaw. Soviet Marine Corporal Grigoriy Vasilevich Skarzhinsky served at the
Siege of Leningrad The siege of Leningrad was a Siege, military blockade undertaken by the Axis powers against the city of Leningrad (present-day Saint Petersburg) in the Soviet Union on the Eastern Front (World War II), Eastern Front of World War II from 1941 t ...
during World War Two with the 260th Separate Marine Brigade. He was awarded Medal "For the Defense of Leningrad" and listed in the Book of Memory of the Siege of Leningrad. In 1944, Soviet soldier Junior Lieutenant Dmitriy Frantsevich Skarzhinsky was awarded
Order of the Red Star The Order of the Red Star () was a military decoration of the Soviet Union. It was established by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of 6 April 1930 but its statute was only defined in decree of the Presidium of the ...
and the Order of the Patriotic War, First Class. During World War Two, Soviet soldier Sergeant Major Nikolay Ivanovich Skarzhinsky was awarded military decorations Medal "For Courage"",
Order of the Red Star The Order of the Red Star () was a military decoration of the Soviet Union. It was established by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of 6 April 1930 but its statute was only defined in decree of the Presidium of the ...
(3), and
Order of Glory The Order of Glory () was a military decoration of the Soviet Union established by Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet on November 8, 1943. It was awarded to soldiers and non-commissioned officers of the Red Army as well as to aviation ...
3rd degree while serving with the 338th Guards Rifle Regiment of the 117th Guards Rifle Division,
1st Ukrainian Front The 1st Ukrainian Front (), previously the Voronezh Front (), was a major formation of the Red Army during World War II, being equivalent to a Western army group. They took part in the capture of Berlin, the capital of Nazi Germany. Wartime ...
. During World War Two, Soviet soldier Colonel Evgeniy Ignatievich Skarzhinsky was awarded the
Order of the Red Banner The Order of the Red Banner () was the first Soviet military decoration. The Order was established on 16 September 1918, during the Russian Civil War by decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee. It was the highest award of S ...
three times, Order of Red Star three times, and the Medal "For Military Merit" two times. He served in the
Battle of Stalingrad The Battle of Stalingrad ; see . rus, links=on, Сталинградская битва, r=Stalingradskaya bitva, p=stəlʲɪnˈɡratskəjə ˈbʲitvə. (17 July 19422 February 1943) was a major battle on the Eastern Front of World War II, ...
, Belgrade offensive and
Siege of Budapest The siege of Budapest or battle of Budapest was the 50-day-long encirclement by Soviet and Romanian forces of the Hungarian capital of Budapest, near the end of World War II. Part of the broader Budapest Offensive, the siege began when Budapes ...
. In 1945, Soviet soldier Junior Sergeant Anatoly Ivanovich Skarzhinsky was awarded military decoration
Medal "For Courage" (Russia) The Medal "For Courage" or Medal "For Valour" () is a state decoration of the Russian Federation that was retained from the Soviet awards system following the dissolution of the USSR. Award history The Medal "For Courage" was created by the dec ...
. Anatoly captured 42 Nazi soldiers during a combat operation. He took part in the
Battle of the Dnieper The Battle of the Dnieper was a military campaign that took place in 1943 on the Eastern Front of World War II. Being one of the largest operations of the war, it involved almost four million troops at one point and stretched over a front. Ov ...
and the
Battle of Kiev (1943) The Second Battle of Kiev was a part of a much wider Soviet offensive in Ukraine known as the Battle of the Dnieper involving three strategic operations by the Soviet Red Army and its Czechoslovakia, Czechoslovak units and one operational cou ...
. During World War Two, Soviet soldier Ivan Filippovich Skarzhinsky was awarded combat decoration
Medal "For Battle Merit" The Medal "For Battle Merit" () was a Soviet military medal awarded for "combat action resulting in a military success", "courageous defense of the state borders", or "successful military and political training and preparation". It was created on ...
. He served with the
1st Ukrainian Front The 1st Ukrainian Front (), previously the Voronezh Front (), was a major formation of the Red Army during World War II, being equivalent to a Western army group. They took part in the capture of Berlin, the capital of Nazi Germany. Wartime ...
,
95th Guards Rifle Division The 95th Guards Rifle Division was reformed as an elite infantry division of the Red Army in May 1943, based on the 1st formation of the 226th Rifle Division, and served in that role until well after the end of the Great Patriotic War. It ended the ...
. He participated in many of the major battles of the Eastern Front including the
Battle of Berlin The Battle of Berlin, designated as the Berlin Strategic Offensive Operation by the Soviet Union, and also known as the Fall of Berlin, was one of the last major offensives of the European theatre of World War II. After the Vistula–Od ...
. He also served in the largest tank battle in history known as the
Battle of Kursk The Battle of Kursk, also called the Battle of the Kursk Salient, was a major World War II Eastern Front battle between the forces of Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union near Kursk in southwestern Russia during the summer of 1943, resulting in ...
and the famous
Battle of Prokhorovka The Battle of Prokhorovka was fought on 12 July 1943 near Prokhorovka, Belgorod Oblast, Prokhorovka, southeast of Kursk, in the Soviet Union, during the Second World War. Taking place on the Eastern Front (World War II), Eastern Front, the e ...
. During World War Two, Soviet soldier Captain Ivan Aleksandrovich Skarzhinsky served in the 1st Guards Motor Rifle Division. He participated at the
Battle for Moscow The Battle of Moscow was a military campaign that consisted of two periods of strategically significant fighting on a sector of the Eastern Front during World War II, between October 1941 and January 1942. The Soviet defensive effort frustrated H ...
among others. He was wounded in battle. He also participated in the
Continuation war The Continuation War, also known as the Second Soviet–Finnish War, was a conflict fought by Finland and Nazi Germany against the Soviet Union during World War II. It began with a Finnish declaration of war on 25 June 1941 and ended on 19 ...
against
Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...
. He also served in the
Petsamo–Kirkenes offensive The Petsamo–Kirkenes offensive was a major military offensive during World War II, mounted by the Red Army against the ''Wehrmacht'' in 1944 in the Petsamo region, ceded to the Soviet Union by Finland in accordance with the Moscow Armist ...
as part of the Soviet 14th Army. During World War Two, Soviet soldier Private Ivan Romanovich Skarzhinsky was killed during combat operations while serving in the Soviet 214th Rifle Division. During World War Two, Soviet Senior Sergeant Vladimir Igorovich Skarzhinsky served with the 46th Guards Rifle Division. He was awarded
Order of Glory The Order of Glory () was a military decoration of the Soviet Union established by Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet on November 8, 1943. It was awarded to soldiers and non-commissioned officers of the Red Army as well as to aviation ...
Third Class, Medal "For Courage", and Medal "For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945." He served in
Operation Bagration Operation Bagration () was the codename for the 1944 Soviet Byelorussian strategic offensive operation (), a military campaign fought between 22 June and 19 August 1944 in Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, Soviet Byelorussia in the Eastern ...
. During this operation, the Soviet Union would destroy 28 German divisions which led to the destruction of German
Army Group Center Army Group Centre () was the name of two distinct strategic German Army Groups that fought on the Eastern Front in World War II. The first Army Group Centre was created during the planning of Operation Barbarossa, Germany's invasion of the So ...
. It is the largest defeat in German military history. During World War Two, Soviet Junior Sergeant Lavrentiy Lukich Skarzhinsky was award military decoration
Order of the Red Star The Order of the Red Star () was a military decoration of the Soviet Union. It was established by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of 6 April 1930 but its statute was only defined in decree of the Presidium of the ...
while serving with the
1st Ukrainian Front The 1st Ukrainian Front (), previously the Voronezh Front (), was a major formation of the Red Army during World War II, being equivalent to a Western army group. They took part in the capture of Berlin, the capital of Nazi Germany. Wartime ...
participating in many major combat operations including the
Battle of Berlin The Battle of Berlin, designated as the Berlin Strategic Offensive Operation by the Soviet Union, and also known as the Fall of Berlin, was one of the last major offensives of the European theatre of World War II. After the Vistula–Od ...
. He served under legendary Soviet generals
Georgy Zhukov Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov ( 189618 June 1974) was a Soviet military leader who served as a top commander during World War II and achieved the rank of Marshal of the Soviet Union. During World War II, Zhukov served as deputy commander-in-ch ...
and
Ivan Konev Ivan Stepanovich Konev ( rus, Ива́н Степа́нович Ко́нев, p=ɪˈvan sʲtʲɪˈpanəvʲɪtɕ ˈkonʲɪf, links=no; 28 December 1897 – 21 May 1973) was a Soviet general and Marshal of the Soviet Union who led Red Army forc ...
. During World War Two, Soviet soldier Luka A. Skarzhinsky served in the Soviet Union's
6th Guards Army The 6th Guards Army was a Soviet Guards formation which fought against Nazi Germany during World War II under the command of General Ivan Chistyakov. The Army's chief of staff was General Valentin Antonovich Penkovskii. The 6th Guards Army was ...
. He served at the
Battle of Kursk The Battle of Kursk, also called the Battle of the Kursk Salient, was a major World War II Eastern Front battle between the forces of Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union near Kursk in southwestern Russia during the summer of 1943, resulting in ...
, Belgorod-Kharkov Offensive,
Operation Bagration Operation Bagration () was the codename for the 1944 Soviet Byelorussian strategic offensive operation (), a military campaign fought between 22 June and 19 August 1944 in Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, Soviet Byelorussia in the Eastern ...
and
Courland Pocket The Courland Pocket was a Pocket (military), pocket located on the Courland Peninsula in Latvia on the Eastern Front (World War II), Eastern Front of World War II from 9 October 1944 to 10 May 1945. Army Group North of the ''Wehrmacht'' were ...
. During World War Two, Soviet soldier Private Mikhail Grigorevich Skarzhinsky served with the Soviet Union's 81st Howitzer Regiment. During World War Two, Red Army soldier Vasiliy Semenovich Skarzhinsky served with the Soviet 15th Reconnaissance Reserve Aviation Regiment. He is missing in action. During World War Two, Soviet soldier Private Anatoly Sidorovich Skarzhinsky was taken prisoner, during combat operations, by German forces. During World War Two, Corporal Zygmunt Antonovich Skarzhinsky served with the
1st Tadeusz Kościuszko Infantry Division The Polish 1st Tadeusz Kościuszko Infantry Division () was an infantry division in the Polish armed forces formed in 1943 and named for the Polish and American revolutionary Tadeusz Kościuszko. Formed in the Soviet Union, it was the first ...
,
First Polish Army (1944–1945) The Polish First Army (, 1 AWP for short, also known as Berling's Army) was an army unit of the Polish Armed Forces in the East. It was formed in the Soviet Union in 1944, from the previously existing Polish I Corps in the Soviet Union, as part ...
where he would be killed during combat operations that liberated
Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...
. During World War Two, Soviet Marine Pavel Ivanovich Skarzhinsky served with the Soviet
Black Sea Fleet The Black Sea Fleet () is the Naval fleet, fleet of the Russian Navy in the Black Sea, the Sea of Azov and the Mediterranean Sea. The Black Sea Fleet, along with other Russian ground and air forces on the Crimea, Crimean Peninsula, are subordin ...
. He went missing in action during the
Siege of Sevastopol (1941–1942) The siege of Sevastopol, also known as the defence of Sevastopol () or the Battle for Sevastopol (; ), was a military engagement that took place on the Eastern Front of the Second World War. The campaign was fought by the Axis powers of Germa ...
During World War Two, Soviet soldier Private Viktor Pavlovich Skarzhinsky would be captured by German forces while serving with the Soviet 264th Artillery Regiment. He would eventually be released. During World War Two, Soviet soldier Sergeant Vladimir Dmitrievich Skarzhinsky was killed in action while serving with the
Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...
's 35th Rifle Regiment, 30th Rifle Division(later renamed
55th Guards Rifle Division The 55th Guards Rifle Division was a Red Army military unit, engaged in the Second World War. Its full name was the 55th Guards Rifle Irkutsk-Pinsk Order of Lenin, Order of the October Revolution, three Red Banner, Order of Suvorov 2nd degree divi ...
). During World War Two, Soviet soldier Private Mikhail Ivanovich Skarzhinsky was killed in action while serving with the Red Army's 327th Rifle Division. During World War Two, Soviet soldier Anton Lavrentevich Skarzhinsky served at the
Siege of Leningrad The siege of Leningrad was a Siege, military blockade undertaken by the Axis powers against the city of Leningrad (present-day Saint Petersburg) in the Soviet Union on the Eastern Front (World War II), Eastern Front of World War II from 1941 t ...
. He is listed in the Book of Memory of the Siege of Leningrad. During World War Two, Soviet soldier Corporal Petr Pavlovich Skarzhinsky was awarded the Medal for Courage(2 times) and the
Order of the Red Star The Order of the Red Star () was a military decoration of the Soviet Union. It was established by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of 6 April 1930 but its statute was only defined in decree of the Presidium of the ...
. He served in the Red Army's 118th Artillery Regiment, 69th Rifle Division. He served in the battle at Kursk and at the battle of Berlin. During World War Two, Soviet soldier Lieutenant Anton Ivanovich Skarzhinsky served with the
1st Belorussian front The 1st Belorussian Front (, ''Pervyy Belorusskiy front'', also romanized " Byelorussian"), known without a numeral as the Belorussian Front between October 1943 and February 1944, was a major formation of the Red Army during World War II, bein ...
. He served in the Red Army's 130th Rifle Division. He was twice awarded the Soviet Military Merit Medal. During World War Two, Soviet Private Georgiy Ivanovich Skarzhinsky became a casualty of the war. He is listed as missing in action. During World War Two, Soviet Sergeant Major Andrey Ilyich Skarzhinsky became a casualty of the war. He is listed as missing in action. He is listed in the Book of Remembrance. During World War Two, Soviet Ignat Vasilevich Skarzhinsky became a casualty of the war. He is listed as missing in action. He served in the Red Army's 170th Rifle Regiment, 58th Rifle Division and the
108th Rifle Division 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to sp ...
. During World War Two, Soviet soldier Private Ivan Nikolaevich Skarzhinsky was awarded the Order of the Patriotic War, II degree. During World War Two, Soviet soldier Private Adam Vekentyevich Skarzhinsky served with the Red Army's 75th Reserve Rifle Regiment of the 34th Reserve Rifle Division. During World War Two, Soviet soldier Private Viktor Antonovich Skarzhinsky served in the Red Army's 584th Rifle Regiment, 199th Rifle Division. He was killed during combat operations during
Operation Bagration Operation Bagration () was the codename for the 1944 Soviet Byelorussian strategic offensive operation (), a military campaign fought between 22 June and 19 August 1944 in Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, Soviet Byelorussia in the Eastern ...
. During World War Two, Soviet soldier Sergeant Yakov Vasilevich Skarzhinsky was declared missing in action during combat operations in 1944. He was born in Zhytomyr region, Korosten district, Shatrishche village in Ukraine. During World War Two, Soviet soldier Ivan Ivanovich Skarzhinsky was declared missing in action during combat operations. He was born in Ukrainian SSR, Amur-Nizhnednepropetrovsk district,
Dnipro Dnipro is Ukraine's fourth-largest city, with about one million inhabitants. It is located in the eastern part of Ukraine, southeast of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on the Dnieper River, Dnipro River, from which it takes its name. Dnipro is t ...
. During World War Two, Boris Ivanovich Skarzhinsky served in the Soviet
Black Sea Fleet The Black Sea Fleet () is the Naval fleet, fleet of the Russian Navy in the Black Sea, the Sea of Azov and the Mediterranean Sea. The Black Sea Fleet, along with other Russian ground and air forces on the Crimea, Crimean Peninsula, are subordin ...
. During World War Two, Soviet soldier Lukyan Lukyanovich Skarzhinsky was declared missing in action while serving with the Soviet Red Army's 76th Infantry Division during combat operations. During World War Two, Dmitry Fedorovich Skarzhinsky was awarded the
Order of the Red Banner of Labour The Order of the Red Banner of Labour () was an order of the Soviet Union established to honour great deeds and services to the Soviet state and society in the fields of production, science, culture, literature, the arts, education, sports ...
for the efficient production of armaments as the chief engineer of the plant No 69.


Polish military service

Colonel
Stanisław Skarżyński Stanisław Jakub Skarżyński (1 May 1899 − 26 June 1942) was a lieutenant colonel in the Polish Air Force and aviator famous for his transatlantic solo flight in 1933. Early military career In 1916–17 Skarżyński was a member of the Poli ...
was a legendary pilot in the Polish Air Force. Initially he began his military service as an infantryman in the
Polish army The Land Forces () are the Army, land forces of the Polish Armed Forces. They currently contain some 110,000 active personnel and form many components of the European Union and NATO deployments around the world. Poland's recorded military histor ...
. Early in his military career he fought in the Polish-Soviet war where he was wounded in the battle of Radzymin. He suffered from a badly wounded leg which led to his transfer to an aviation arm. He had numerical heroic feats during his military service. He was awarded the
Virtuti Militari The War Order of Virtuti Militari (Latin: ''"For Military Virtue"'', ) is Poland's highest military decoration for heroism and courage in the face of the enemy at war. It was established in 1792 by the last King of Poland Stanislaus II of Poland, ...
5th class (for the Polish-Soviet war),
Cross of Independence Cross of Independence () was the second highest Polish military decoration between World Wars I and II. It was awarded to individuals who had fought actively for the independence of Poland, and was released in three classes. History The Cr ...
,
Order of Polonia Restituta The Order of Polonia Restituta (, ) is a Polish state decoration, state Order (decoration), order established 4 February 1921. It is conferred on both military and civilians as well as on alien (law), foreigners for outstanding achievements in ...
4th class,
Krzyż Walecznych The Cross of Valour () is a Polish military decoration. It was introduced by the Council of National Defense (Poland), Council of National Defense on 11 August 1920. It is awarded to an individual who "has demonstrated deeds of valour and courage ...
(four times), Golden and Silver Cross of Merit, the French
Legion d'Honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and civil. Currently consisting of five classes, it was ...
and the Brazilian
Order of the Southern Cross The National Order of the Southern Cross () is a Brazilian Orders, decorations, and medals of Brazil, order of chivalry founded by List of monarchs of Brazil, Emperor Pedro I of Brazil, Pedro I on 1 December 1822. The order aimed to commemorate ...
. The FAI awarded him the Louis Blériot medal (1936) of which he was one of the first recipients. Stefan Skarżyński was a Major in the Polish army during World War Two. Stanisław Jakub Skarżyński was a Major and a pilot in the Polish military during World War Two. Antoni Skarzyński was a Lieutenant in the Polish military.


French military service

Generał Kazimierz Jerzego Skarzynski(1792-1856) the brother of Ambroży Mikołaj Skarżyński. He began his military service in 1806, as a second lieutenant in the French
Grande Armée The (; ) was the primary field army of the French Imperial Army (1804–1815), French Imperial Army during the Napoleonic Wars. Commanded by Napoleon, from 1804 to 1808 it won a series of military victories that allowed the First French Empi ...
of the
First French Empire The First French Empire or French Empire (; ), also known as Napoleonic France, was the empire ruled by Napoleon Bonaparte, who established French hegemony over much of continental Europe at the beginning of the 19th century. It lasted from ...
. As a staff officer of Marshal
Jean Lannes Jean Lannes, 1st Duke of Montebello, Prince of Siewierz (; 10 April 1769 – 31 May 1809), was a French military commander and a Marshal of the Empire who served during both the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. He was one of Napol ...
, he fought in the
War of the Fourth Coalition The War of the Fourth Coalition () was a war spanning 1806–1807 that saw a multinational coalition fight against Napoleon's First French Empire, French Empire, subsequently being defeated. The main coalition partners were Kingdom of Prussia, ...
in Pomerania. In 1807 he joined the Army of the
Duchy of Warsaw The Duchy of Warsaw (; ; ), also known as the Grand Duchy of Warsaw and Napoleonic Poland, was a First French Empire, French client state established by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1807, during the Napoleonic Wars. It initially comprised the ethnical ...
. Lieutenant in
Jan Henryk Dąbrowski Jan Henryk Dąbrowski (; also known as Johann Heinrich Dąbrowski (Dombrowski) in German and Jean Henri Dombrowski in French; 2 August 1755 – 6 June 1818) was a Polish general and statesman, widely respected after his death for his patri ...
's staff. In the
Austro-Polish War The Austro-Polish War or Polish-Austrian War was a part of the War of the Fifth Coalition in 1809 (a coalition of the Austrian Empire and the United Kingdom against Napoleon's French Empire and allied states). In this war, Polish forces of ...
of 1809 and the
French invasion of Russia The French invasion of Russia, also known as the Russian campaign (), the Second Polish War, and in Russia as the Patriotic War of 1812 (), was initiated by Napoleon with the aim of compelling the Russian Empire to comply with the Continenta ...
he was an adjutant to General Aleksander Rożniecki. As a squadron chief of the 6th Uhlan Regiment, he fought at
Battle of Leipzig The Battle of Leipzig, also known as the Battle of the Nations, was fought from 16 to 19 October 1813 at Leipzig, Saxony. The Coalition armies of Austria, Prussia, Sweden, and Russia, led by Tsar Alexander I, Karl von Schwarzenberg, and G ...
,
Battle of Aspern-Essling In the Battle of Aspern-Essling (21–22 May 1809), Napoleon crossed the Danube near Vienna, but the French and their allies were attacked and forced back across the river by the Austrians under Archduke Charles. It was the first time Napoleo ...
and in the French campaign of 1814. From 1815 he served in the Army of the Kingdom of Poland, Lieutenant Colonel of exemplary mounted riflemen. From 1818 he was commander of the 2nd Regiment of Mounted Rifles. After the outbreak of the uprising of 1830 he commanded the 6th Cavalry Brigade. He distinguished himself at Grochów. From March 1831 he was a brigadier general and commander of the reserves of the Cavalry Division. He fought at Ostrołęka, then in the protection of the Narew and Bzura lines. Before the final collapse of the uprising, he resigned and emigrated to
Boulogne-sur-Mer Boulogne-sur-Mer (; ; ; or ''Bononia''), often called just Boulogne (, ), is a coastal city in Hauts-de-France, Northern France. It is a Subprefectures in France, sub-prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Pas-de-Calais. Boul ...
, France where he died. He was buried in the Père-Lachaise cemetery. He was awarded the
Order of Virtuti Militari The War Order of Virtuti Militari (Latin: ''"For Military Virtue"'', ) is Poland's highest military decoration for heroism and courage in the face of the enemy at war. It was established in 1792 by the last King of Poland Stanislaus II Augustus ...
, the
Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...
, and the
Order of Saint Vladimir The Imperial Order of Saint Prince Vladimir () was an Imperial Russian order established on by Empress Catherine the Great, Catherine II in memory of the deeds of Vladimir I, Prince of Kiev, Saint Vladimir, the Grand Prince and the Baptizer of ...
, 4th class. He was a member of the Freemasons' lodge United Brethren in the first Degree of the Rite. General
Ambroży Mikołaj Skarżyński Baron Ambroży Mikołaj Skarżyński of Bończa (1787–1868) was a Napoleonic officer, Chevalier de l'Empire and later in his career he would become a Polish general. He was born in Gawłów, Masovian Voivodeship, Poland. He began his career ...
would become a legendary general under French military and political leader
Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...
and his
First French Empire The First French Empire or French Empire (; ), also known as Napoleonic France, was the empire ruled by Napoleon Bonaparte, who established French hegemony over much of continental Europe at the beginning of the 19th century. It lasted from ...
's
Grande Armée The (; ) was the primary field army of the French Imperial Army (1804–1815), French Imperial Army during the Napoleonic Wars. Commanded by Napoleon, from 1804 to 1808 it won a series of military victories that allowed the First French Empi ...
. He began his career serving in the Prussian army and opposing Napoleonic France in numerous battles.https://web.archive.org/web/20151125090203/http://zychlin-historia.com.pl/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/1863.VI_.05-Ambro%C5%BCy-Skarzy%C5%84ski.pdf At the beginning of the 19th century, he was the commander of Napoleon's
Imperial Guard An imperial guard or palace guard is a special group of troops (or a member thereof) of an empire, typically closely associated directly with the emperor and/or empress. Usually these troops embody a more elite status than other imperial force ...
(
Polish 1st Light Cavalry Regiment of the Imperial Guard The 1st Polish Light Cavalry Lancers Regiment of the Imperial Guard (; ) was a foreign Polish light cavalry lancers regiment which served as part of Napoleon's Imperial Guard during the Napoleonic Wars. The regiment fought in many battles, disti ...
) and he led the defense of Napoleon himself during the
battle of Arcis-sur-Aube The Battle of Arcis-sur-Aube (20–21 March 1814) saw an Imperial French army under Napoleon face a much larger Allied army led by Karl Philipp, Prince of Schwarzenberg during the War of the Sixth Coalition. On the second day of fighting, E ...
.Letter to A.Niegolewski, Ambrozy Mikolaj Skarzynski, Poznan 02.02.1855. He also took part in the battles of
Wagram Deutsch-Wagram (literally "German Wagram", ), often shortened to Wagram, is a village in the Gänserndorf District, in the state of Lower Austria, Austria. It is in the Marchfeld Basin, close to the Vienna city limits, about 15 km (9 mi) north ...
,
Somosierra Somosierra is a municipality in the Community of Madrid, Spain, located at 83 km north of Madrid, in the mountain pass with the same name, at an elevation of 1433 metres above sea level, being the northernmost town of Community of Madrid ...
and
Berry-au-Bac Berry-au-Bac () is a commune in the department of Aisne in Hauts-de-France in northern France. Population See also * Communes of the Aisne department The following is a list of the 796 communes in the French department of Aisne. T ...
. For his bravery at Wagram he was awarded with a title of
Chevalier de l'Empire As Emperor of the French, Napoleon I created titles in a newly established ' (imperial nobility) to institute a stable elite in the First French Empire, after the instability resulting from the French Revolution. Like many others, both befo ...
in 1811 and a hereditary rent amounting to 500 francs a year and for his achievements at Berry-au-Bac he received a hereditary title of a
Baron Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often Hereditary title, hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than ...
of the French Empire in 1814, which was later confirmed by the Polish parliament in 1820. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the
Legion of Honor The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and civil. Currently consisting of five classes, it was ...
. Promoted to captain 17 February 1811. In August 1812, during the
French Invasion of Russia The French invasion of Russia, also known as the Russian campaign (), the Second Polish War, and in Russia as the Patriotic War of 1812 (), was initiated by Napoleon with the aim of compelling the Russian Empire to comply with the Continenta ...
, he moved to the 3rd Lithuanian Cavalry Regiment, which was being formed at that time, and was promoted to the head of the squadron on 11 August 1812. In the battle of Slonim, the units of this regiment fell into a Russian ambush, from which only Ambroży Skarżyński's squadron survived. After this defeat, the regiment was not reconstituted, and the remnants were incorporated into the regiment of 1st cavalrymen. Participation in the
War of the Sixth Coalition In the War of the Sixth Coalition () (December 1812 – May 1814), sometimes known in Germany as the Wars of Liberation (), a coalition of Austrian Empire, Austria, Kingdom of Prussia, Prussia, Russian Empire, Russia, History of Spain (1808– ...
(battle of Weimar,
battle of Hanau The Battle of Hanau was fought from 30 to 31 October 1813 between Karl Philipp von Wrede's Austro-Bavarian corps and Napoleon's retreating French during the War of the Sixth Coalition. Following Napoleon's defeat at the Battle of Leipzig ...
,
battle of Dresden The Battle of Dresden (26–27 August 1813) was a major engagement of the Napoleonic Wars. The battle took place around the city of Dresden in modern-day Germany. With the recent addition of Austria, the Sixth Coalition felt emboldened in t ...
, and the
battle of Leipzig The Battle of Leipzig, also known as the Battle of the Nations, was fought from 16 to 19 October 1813 at Leipzig, Saxony. The Coalition armies of Austria, Prussia, Sweden, and Russia, led by Tsar Alexander I, Karl von Schwarzenberg, and G ...
). On 28 November 1813 he received the Officer's Cross of the
Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...
and in 1814 the
Order of the Reunion The Order of the Reunion () was an order of merit of the First French Empire, set up to be awarded to Frenchmen and foreigners to reward services in the civil service, magistracy and army, particularly those from areas newly annexed to France, such ...
. In the
Six Days' Campaign The Six Days Campaign (10–15 February 1814) was a final series of victories by the forces of Napoleon I of France as the Sixth Coalition closed in on Paris. The Six Days Campaign was fought from 10 February to 15 February during which time Na ...
, he took part in the
battle of Montmirail The Battle of Montmirail (11 February 1814) was fought between a French force led by Emperor Napoleon and two Allied corps commanded by Fabian Wilhelm von Osten-Sacken and Ludwig Yorck von Wartenburg. In hard fighting that lasted until even ...
, Battle of Château-Thierry,
battle of Champaubert The Battle of Champaubert (10 February 1814) was the opening engagement of the Six Days' Campaign. It was fought between a French army led by Emperor Napoleon and a small Russian corps commanded by Lieutenant General Count Zakhar Dmitrievich ...
,
battle of Montereau The Battle of Montereau (18 February 1814) was fought during the War of the Sixth Coalition between an Imperial French army led by Emperor Napoleon and a corps of Austrians and Württembergers commanded by Crown Prince Frederick William of ...
, battle of Reims, battle of Berry-au-Bac,
battle of Arcis-sur-Aube The Battle of Arcis-sur-Aube (20–21 March 1814) saw an Imperial French army under Napoleon face a much larger Allied army led by Karl Philipp, Prince of Schwarzenberg during the War of the Sixth Coalition. On the second day of fighting, E ...
, and
battle of Saint-Dizier The Battle of Saint-Dizier was fought on 26 March 1814, between the Russian Army under Ferdinand Wintzingerode and The French Army, also known as ‘La Grande Armée’ commanded by Napoleon Bonaparte. The battle was part of Napoleon's Cam ...
. At the
Battle of Berry-au-Bac The Battle of Berry-au-Bac was fought on 5 March 1814 at Berry-au-Bac, northern France, between French cavalry under the command of Emperor Napoleon and the Cossacks of Russian general Ferdinand von Wintzingerode. During the engagement, the F ...
(5 March 1814), a squadron commanded by Skarżyński captured the bridge leading to the capture of the Russian troops, which opened the way for the French army. In the
Battle of Arcis-sur-Aube The Battle of Arcis-sur-Aube (20–21 March 1814) saw an Imperial French army under Napoleon face a much larger Allied army led by Karl Philipp, Prince of Schwarzenberg during the War of the Sixth Coalition. On the second day of fighting, E ...
, Skarżyński's squadron protected Napoleon from the attack of enemy cavalry. On 31 March 1814, while performing his last mission, at the head of the squadron of the 3rd Eclair Regiment, Capt. Skarżyński arrived, escorted by Emperor Napoleon, to the palace in Fontainebleau, where he signed his abdication.


German military service

In the 1800s Fortunat Skarzynski served in the German Army in Reg Uhlan 4.Ancestry DNA Vinzent Skarzynski served in the Imperial German Army's
Luftstreitkräfte The ''Deutsche Luftstreitkräfte'' (, German Air Combat Forces)known before October 1916 as (The Imperial German Air Service, lit. "The flying troops of the German Kaiser’s Reich")was the air arm of the Imperial German Army. In English-langu ...
during World War One. Ewald Skarzinski served in the Heer during World War Two. He was KIA in the initial stages of the
Battle of France The Battle of France (; 10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign (), the French Campaign (, ) and the Fall of France, during the Second World War was the Nazi Germany, German invasion of the Low Countries (Belgium, Luxembour ...
.


U.S. military service

Some descendants of the Skarzhinsky bloodline, served in the
United States Armed Forces The United States Armed Forces are the Military, military forces of the United States. U.S. United States Code, federal law names six armed forces: the United States Army, Army, United States Marine Corps, Marine Corps, United States Navy, Na ...
, but carry the surname of Brunett. They are the descendants of Walter Skarzynski of
Rypin Rypin is a town in north-central Poland, in Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, about 50 km east of Toruń. It is the capital of Rypin County. Population is 16,528 (2010). History Rypin was founded in the Middle Ages, and was part of Poland ...
, Poland. During the
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...
,
United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...
Corporal Donald Louis Brunett served at Da Nang as a combat engineer. During the
Gulf War , combatant2 = , commander1 = , commander2 = , strength1 = Over 950,000 soldiers3,113 tanks1,800 aircraft2,200 artillery systems , page = https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-PEMD-96- ...
, U.S. Army Specialist Donald Richard Brunett served in Task Force 1-41 with the U.S. 2nd Armored Division(FWD). He was an artilleryman who served at the
Battle of 73 Easting The Battle of 73 Easting was fought on 26 February 1991, during the Gulf War, between Coalition armored forces ( US VII Corps and UK 1st Armoured Division) and Iraqi armored forces (Republican Guard and Tawakalna Division). It was named for a ...
and the
Battle of Norfolk The Battle of Norfolk was a armored warfare, tank battle fought on February 27, 1991, during the Persian Gulf War, between armored forces of the United States and United Kingdom, and those of the Republican Guard (Iraq), Iraqi Republican Guard in ...
. He was awarded an
Army Achievement Medal The Achievement Medal is a military decoration of the United States Armed Forces. The Achievement Medal was first proposed as a means to recognize outstanding achievement or meritorious service of military personnel who were not eligible to rece ...
and Certificate of Commendation for serving with distinction during combat operations. Don was the co-owner and Vice President of a warehousing and consulting company.


Russian nobility

When submitting documents (February 1686) for entering the genus into the Velvet Book, the pedigree of the Skarzhinsky family list was provided and the colonel of the Reitar system, Pyotr Grigorievich Skarzhinsky, submitted (April 1686) to the Ambassadorial Order for translation into Russian two "certified sheets" of Polish ambassadors and nobles about the Skarzhinsky gentry. In the same year, Pyotr Skarzhinsky filed a petition in which he asked to send translations from the "sheets" to the Chamber of genealogical affairs and attach them to the genealogy of the Skarzhinsky family, which was done (August 31, 1686). Viktor Viktorovich Skarzhinsky was a nobleman in
St Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...
, Russia 1869-1920. He owned a mansion on the
English Embankment The English Embankment (; ''Angliyskaya Naberezhnaya'') or English Quay is a street along the left bank of the Bolshaya Neva River in Central Saint Petersburg. It has been historically one of the most fashionable streets in Saint Petersburg, and ...
in central St Petersburg. The ancestors of this family owned an immovable estate in the Trotsky Voivodeship (1628) and were awarded various ranks by Polish kings for their services. Anthony-Alexander Skarzhinsky, who came from this family, entered the Russian service (1733) and, when he converted to the Orthodox faith, was called Mikhail Kazimirovich Skarzhinsky. He settled in the
Poltava region Poltava Oblast (), also referred to as Poltavshchyna (), is an oblast (province) of central Ukraine. The administrative center of the oblast is the city of Poltava. Most of its territory was part of the southern regions of the Cossack Hetmanate. ...
. Skarżyński, who settled in the Rav Voivodeship. Of these, Alexander, Lovčij Brzezinski, owned the estates of Studzenice and Laziska (from 1755). Yuri Skarzhinsky, podstarosta Sochaczewski, was granted (1790) a knight of the Order of St. Stanislaus. The coat of arms of the Skarzhinsky family is included in Part 12 of the General Armorial of the Noble Families of the All-Russian Empire, page 68.


Agriculture

Viktor Petrovich Skarzhinsky was also a Russian Activist of the village of Kh-va. In his estate "Trikraty", near the city of Voznesensk, Kherson. He organized an advanced farm, in which he improved crop rotations, grass sowing, built more than 40 dams and irrigated meadows. Laid down a pomology. Garden (221 cultivars), dendrological a garden (281 species) with a mulberry plantation (150 hectares) and an orchard with a vineyard (100 hectares). He organized forest nurseries and developed agricultural techniques for growing planting material in relation to steppe conditions. He acclimatized a number of tree and shrub species of the North America and Western America as well as Europe. Skarzhinsky is one of the pioneers of steppe and protective afforestation; By 1853, a forest was planted on an area of 400 hectares. On 29 October 1990, Aleksandr Alekseyevich Skarzhinskiy was awarded a Silver medal for his work in agriculture with the Research Institute of Vegetable Farming by the government of the Soviet Union.


Genealogy

The Skarzhinskys are ethnically
Slavic Slavic, Slav or Slavonic may refer to: Peoples * Slavic peoples, an ethno-linguistic group living in Europe and Asia ** East Slavic peoples, eastern group of Slavic peoples ** South Slavic peoples, southern group of Slavic peoples ** West Slav ...
,
Lithuanian Lithuanian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Lithuania, a country in the Baltic region in northern Europe ** Lithuanian language ** Lithuanians, a Baltic ethnic group, native to Lithuania and the immediate geographical region ** L ...
,
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...
, Finnish,
French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...
,
Mokshas The Mokshas (also ''Mokshans'', ''Moksha people''; ) comprise a Mordvins, Mordvinian ethnic group belonging to the Volga Finns, Volgaic branch of the Finno-Ugric peoples. They live in Russia, mostly near the Volga and Moksha (river), Moksha river ...
, Germanic,
East Asian East Asia is a geocultural region of Asia. It includes China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan, plus two special administrative regions of China, Hong Kong and Macau. The economies of Economy of China, China, Economy of Ja ...
,
Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
, and Karelian. The Skarzhinsky bloodline carries a rare paternal Y DNA subclade of R-FTA11171.


Coat of arms

All of the Skarżyński bloodline used variants of the Boncz coat of arms (type 1), and the coats of arms of the two branches of the family, described below, are almost identical.


Coat of arms 1 (Orthodox Skarzhinsky)

In an azure field, a silver unicorn with scarlet eyes, tongue, horn and hooves galloping to the right. The shield is surmounted by a noble crowned helmet. Helmet: An erect unicorn with scarlet eyes, tongue, horn, and hooves. Insignia: azure with silver. The coat of arms of the Skarzhinskys is included in Part 12 of the General Armorial of the Noble Families of the All-Russian Empire, page 68.https://gerbovnik.ru/arms/2029 Часть 12 Общего Гербовника Дворянских Родов Всероссийской Империи, стр. 68


Coat of arms 1 (Catholic Skarżyński)

In the red field, the unicorn is white, to the right. At the top of the helmet there is a white unicorn coming out, to the right." The coat of arms is included in Part 1 of the Armorial of the Noble Families of the Kingdom of Poland, page 86.


Notable people

*
Ambroży Mikołaj Skarżyński Baron Ambroży Mikołaj Skarżyński of Bończa (1787–1868) was a Napoleonic officer, Chevalier de l'Empire and later in his career he would become a Polish general. He was born in Gawłów, Masovian Voivodeship, Poland. He began his career ...
(1787–1868), Polish born French Napoleonic general of Napoleon's
Imperial Guard An imperial guard or palace guard is a special group of troops (or a member thereof) of an empire, typically closely associated directly with the emperor and/or empress. Usually these troops embody a more elite status than other imperial force ...
of the
First French Empire The First French Empire or French Empire (; ), also known as Napoleonic France, was the empire ruled by Napoleon Bonaparte, who established French hegemony over much of continental Europe at the beginning of the 19th century. It lasted from ...
. *
Bolesław Skarżyński Bolesław Skarżyński (; 31 March 1901, in Warsaw – 17 March 1963, in Kraków) was a renowned Polish biochemist. References Profile at the Polish Academy of Sciences The Polish Academy of Sciences (, PAN) is a Polish state-sponsored insti ...
(1901–1963), Polish biologist * Henryk Skarżyński (born 1954), Polish otolaryngologist *
Hilary Skarżyński Hilary Skarżyński (18 June 1925 – 30 September 1987) was a Polish ice hockey player. He played for Siła Giszowiec, HKS Siemianowiczanka, Stal Katowice, and Górnik 1920 Katowice during his career. He also played for the Polish national t ...
(1925–1987), Polish ice hockey player * Jerzy Skarżyński (athlete) (born 1956), Polish athlete * Jerzy Skarżyński (1924–2004), Polish artist and stage designer * Krystyna Skarżyńska (psychologist), Polish professor, psychologist * Krystyna Skarżyńska (born 1934), Polish professor, surveying engineer *
Stanisław Skarżyński Stanisław Jakub Skarżyński (1 May 1899 − 26 June 1942) was a lieutenant colonel in the Polish Air Force and aviator famous for his transatlantic solo flight in 1933. Early military career In 1916–17 Skarżyński was a member of the Poli ...
(1899–1942), Polish military officer and aviator * Stanisław Jan Skarżyński (1897–1920), Polish pilot * Teresa Skarżyńska (1884–1957), Polish social activist and resistance fighter


See also

* *


Bibliography

*The Skarzhinsky family in the history of Southern Ukraine (mid-XVIII - early XX century) : onograph/ O.M. Doroshenko; Odessa. National. un-t them. I. I. Mechnikov, East. f-t, From. history of the Cossacks in the South of Ukraine of the Research Institute of the Cossacks of the Institute of History of Ukraine of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. - Mykolaiv : Publishing house of Irina Gudym, 2011. - 164 p. : ill. - Bibliogr.: pp. 132–164. - ISBN 978-617-576-048-2 *Kosiński A., Heraldic Guide, Kraków: Wł. L. Anczyc et al., 1877, p. 722.


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Skarzynski Polish-language surnames