About the orphanage of Prince Peter of Oldenburg, whom his contemporaries called an “enlightened philanthropist,” and about the broad and “intelligent” social service of the Oldenburg family - another story under the heading “Charity and Power in the History of Russia”
The building of the orphanage (real school) of Prince P. G. Oldenburg. Early 1900s
Start. Shelter opens
In 1842, Prince Peter Georgievich of Oldenburg took under his protection a newly opened night orphanage in the Rozhdestvenskaya part of St. Petersburg. In 1846, he presented the reconstruction plan to the emperor, and 60 thousand rubles were allocated from the funds of the city’s Guardian Council. Two adjacent stone houses with a courtyard and garden were purchased, on the corner of Glukhoy and Prachechny lanes. A charity establishment has moved here. The day June 28, 1846 is considered the date of the formation of the Shelter of Prince P. G. Oldenburg. And in 1848, the Charter of the “Children's Shelter of Prince Peter Georgievich of Oldenburg” was approved.
Church of the Nativity of Christ on Sands, which gave its name to the streets of the Rozhdestvenskaya part
Initially, the shelter provided children with a basic education, with special attention paid to handicrafts in the women's department, and crafts in the men's department. The orphanage existed under these conditions for about ten years, and in 1857 a new charter was put into effect, according to which the curriculum of both departments was changed: in the men's department, teaching was introduced in the amount of 4 classes of a real pro-gymnasium, in order to facilitate the transition of the best students to secondary educational institutions, and for girls - seven-year education at the rate of women's institutes and gymnasiums.
The orphanage began to take shape as a special institution in which the education, moral upbringing and future fate of the students were determined by the ideas and active care of Prince Peter Georgievich of Oldenburg, one of the most enlightened philanthropists of his time.
Prince
Prince Peter Georgievich of Oldenburg was born on August 14, 1812 in Yaroslavl.
A few days before the Battle of Borodino, Prince Georgy Petrovich of Oldenburg and his wife Grand Duchess Ekaterina Pavlovna had a son, named at baptism Konstantin-Friedrich-Peter, later known in Russia under the name of Prince Peter Georgievich. Four months from birth, the prince lost his father, and was transported to his grandmother, the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna, wife of Emperor Paul I, and then, when Catherine Pavlovna entered into a new marriage with the Crown Prince of Wirtemberg, he followed his mother to Stuttgart.
At the age of eight, he lost his mother, and was (at the request expressed by the princess before her death) taken to Oldenburg to his grandfather, Duke Peter Friedrich Ludwig of Oldenburg, where he received further education.
The prince studied ancient and modern languages, geometry, geography, as well as the Russian language. During the last period of his stay in Oldenburg, he studied legal sciences and logic with particular interest under the leadership of Christian Runde.
J.-D. Kur, portrait of Prince P.G. Oldenburgsky in the uniform of the Life Guards Preobrazhensky Regiment (1842)
At the end of 1830, Emperor Nicholas I summoned the prince to Russian service. On December 1, 1830, the prince arrived in St. Petersburg, was greeted very cordially by the emperor and enlisted in active service in the Preobrazhensky Life Guards Regiment. From that time on, the prince lived permanently in Russia.
During his five-year service in the regiment, the prince was promoted to major general for distinguished service, and on December 6, 1834 to lieutenant general.
From an early age, the prince was distinguished by a high ability to empathize, was raised in humanistic traditions, and showed his kind heart already as an officer of the regiment: he drew attention to the bitter fate of soldiers' children, who in most cases were left without any education. At his initiative, a school was set up in the Preobrazhensky Regiment, and he took it under his closest supervision: along with teaching literacy, this school also paid attention to moral education.
This was the first experience, which was subsequently successfully applied in other regiments. The prince also made a lot of efforts to improve the soldiers’ life in terms of hygiene.
Execution
But in 1834, the prince left military service for the reason that he witnessed a blatant case of corporal punishment. The case, however, turned out to be egregious only for Prince Peter Georgievich.
The reason for Pyotr Georgievich’s transition from military service to civilian service was the following episode, which he told in detail to State Secretary Polovtsov. While serving in the Preobrazhensky Regiment, the prince had, as part of his official duties, to be present when a woman was subjected to corporal punishment and driven through the ranks, and soldiers struck her bare shoulders with canes. Outraged by such a picture, Pyotr Georgievich went from the place of execution to the then Minister of Internal Affairs, Count Bludov, and told him that he would never again take part in the execution of such a punishment, which does not exist among any enlightened people, and therefore asked Bludov report to the Sovereign Emperor his request for dismissal from military service. The request was quickly granted.
Community and charity work
The prince's social and philanthropic activities began: he was most interested in educational projects.
In May 1835, by personal decree of Nicholas I, according to the plan and at the expense of the Prince of Oldenburg, and with the close participation of M. M. Speransky, the Imperial School of Law was founded in order to educate legally competent personnel for administrative and judicial activities.
S. K. Zaryanko, “Hall of the School of Law with groups of teachers and students” (1840)
On September 30, 1839, the Prince was Most High appointed an honorary guardian in the St. Petersburg Guardian Council and a member of the Councils of the Educational Society of Noble Maidens and the School of the Order of St. Catherine. On October 14 of the same year, he was entrusted with the management of the St. Petersburg Mariinsky Hospital for the Poor.
The prince's activities assumed wider dimensions since 1844, when he was entrusted with the post of Chairman of the St. Petersburg Guardian Council. The gradual increase in the number of women's educational institutions required new forms of management; their charters themselves needed revision. For this purpose, on January 1, 1845, a special Main Council was established under the chairmanship of the Prince of Oldenburg, which for a long time played the role of a special ministry of women’s education in Russia.
In 1844, the prince founded the first Holy Trinity community of sisters of mercy in Russia; the Mariinsky Hospital (1858) and the Mariinsky Women's School were opened; an orphanage for one hundred children (in 1871 renamed the “Catherine, Mary and George Orphanage”); children's hospital (1869), where for the first time in the history of Russian medicine patients were accommodated according to the profile of the disease (since 1918 it has been named after the pediatrician K. A. Rauchfus).
In general, the Prince of Oldenburg is one of the largest philanthropists of his time: the women's institute of Princess Theresa of Oldenburg owes its origin and development to his funds and active care; hospitals Obukhovskaya, Mariinskaya, Petropavlovskaya, etc.; Orphanage, etc.
For savings from money “for pins”
The prince was married to Princess Theresa-Wilhelmina-Frederica-Isabella-Charlotte of Nassau. There were eight children in their family: Alexandra, Nikolai, Maria, Alexander, Ekaterina, George, Konstantin, Teresia.
Children of Pyotr Georgievich and Theresia Vasilievna of Oldenburg. Ser. 1850s Lithography
The wife helped her husband in charity matters and in organizing women's education.
V.I.Gau, portrait of Princess Theresa of Oldenburg, née Nassau (1836)
Princess Theresa of Oldenburg used savings from “toilet money” to open a girls’ school in her name. She also participated in the opening of the first Holy Trinity community of sisters of mercy in Russia, which provided a range of services: shelter, treatment, training, education, restoration of mental strength.
Pyotr Georgievich died in 1881 and was buried in the cemetery of the Holy Trinity Sergius Seaside Men's Hermitage (founded in 1732 and flourishing during the viceroy of St. Ignatius Brianchaninov), near Strelna.
In 1889, a monument to the prince was erected with the inscription “Enlightened Benefactor” in front of the Mariinsky Hospital on Liteiny Prospekt, and in 1912, in connection with the centenary of his birth, part of the Fontanka River embankment was named the Embankment of Prince Peter of Oldenburg.
Pupils of the Prince of Oldenburg orphanage and nurses at the monument to P. G. Oldenburgsky in front of the Mariinsky Hospital on the day of the 100th anniversary of his birth (St. Petersburg, 1912. Photo studio of K. K. Bulla)
The shelter is expanding. New building
And yet, the prince’s favorite brainchild was the “Orphanage of Prince Peter Georgievich of Oldenburg.”
The results of training at the orphanage were so favorable, and the maintenance fees were so insignificant, that the number of those wishing to enter the orphanage quickly increased, and its walls (at the corner of Glukhoy and Lacherechny lanes) soon turned out to be too cramped. Fortunately, the St. Petersburg city public administration in 1858 ceded free of charge city land located in the 12th company of the Izmailovsky regiment for the construction of a new shelter home.
Capital was also needed to build a house, and Prince Peter Georgievich donates 40 thousand rubles from his own wealth. The noble initiative caused an influx of other donations, and the opportunity arose to begin the construction of a new building, which was built. The new four-story building, designed by academician of architecture Heinrich Christianovich Stegeman, was consecrated on October 22, 1861; and on December 5 of the same year, in the presence of Prince P. G. of Oldenburg and Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich the Elder and his wife, a house church was consecrated in the name of the icon of the Mother of God, Soothe my sorrows.
Church of the Prince of Oldenburg's Orphanage. Interior. Photo from the 1890s.
The men's and women's departments of the shelter gradually approached the type of secondary educational institutions in their curriculum, with the only difference being that, in addition to general education subjects, a lot of time was devoted to teaching crafts and handicrafts. On December 31, 1890, by the highest will, the shelter was granted the rights of state-owned real schools, equating its branches in rights to educational institutions of the Ministry of Public Education. Graduates of the shelter had the opportunity to continue their studies in higher educational institutions.
Since 1867, annual exhibitions of “fashion items and children’s costumes” made by the pupils were held. Later, needlework training was temporarily stopped and the pupils were only engaged in sewing linen for the Shelter, but then “they considered it expedient to open a fashion store at the orphanage and introduce classes in fine crafts.”
Pupils and pupils, philanthropists and members of the Board of Trustees, teachers and servants of the P.G. Oldenburgsky orphanage at the New Year tree (early 20th century)
Pupils of the orphanage of Prince P. G. Oldenburg with teachers and the priest of the orphanage church (1900s)
Pupils of the orphanage of Prince P.G. Oldenburgsky in a workshop making musical instruments (1911)
Pupils of the Prince of Oldenburg Orphanage having a meal (1900s)
Pupils of the orphanage of Prince P. G. Oldenburg at a gymnastics lesson (1900s)
The “Regulations on the Shelter” (1890) stated: “1. The orphanage aims to raise and educate children of both sexes, mainly orphans, without distinction of their origin, condition and religion. 2. The shelter consists of male and female departments, and the first is divided into: a) real, b) lower mechanical and technical and c) craft. 3. The shelter is run by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The main management of it belongs to the trustee and the Board of Trustees attached to him, and direct management is entrusted to the director, with the assistance of the pedagogical and economic committees. 28. With the highest permission, the eldest descendant of Prince Peter Georgievich of Oldenburg, who died in Bose, is appointed as the trustee of the orphanage.”
Alexander Petrovich Oldenburgsky took over the baton of charity from his father. He had a brilliant military career: he took part in the battles of Gorny Dubnyak, in the siege of Plevna, crossed the Balkans, and took part in the final defeat of Suleiman Pasha; had the rank of infantry general and the rank of adjutant general.
Pyotr Georgievich and Alexander Petrovich of Oldenburg; portrait from photographs (1910)
And at the same time, Alexander Petrovich was a trustee of the Imperial School of Law, founded by his father, the Shelter of Peter Georgievich of Oldenburg, a home for the mentally ill, and a patron of the society for helping needy students of Princess Theresa's girls' school. The Imperial Institute of Experimental Medicine owes its existence to the initiative and generous donations of Prince Alexander Petrovich. The institute became the main business of the prince's life.
But Alexander Petrovich did not forget the orphanage of Prince Peter Georgievich of Oldenburg. Since 1884, the program of the men's department was expanded to the course of real schools. The girls began to be prepared “for the responsibilities ahead of them in life, raising them in a strictly religious spirit. The Shelter wants to teach them culinary arts, home science and hygiene.” Since 1890, graduates of the men's department of the Shelter received the rights to graduate from lower mechanical and technical schools and real schools of the Ministry of Public Education, and a pedagogical class was added to the women's department.
Student of the Real School (orphanage) of Prince P. G. of Oldenburg (beginning of the 20th century); a badge consisting of the crossed letters P (shelter), P (Peter) and O (Oldenburgsky) on the headdress of a student at the orphanage; Token of the Guardianship of the Imperial Humane Society for collecting donations for the education and placement of poor children in the craft (on the lapel of the uniform jacket - see photo of the student). Such tokens were personalized and were made of silver and gold. Tokens were awarded for special services to society, usually for a large monetary donation. Possession of such a token increased the social status of the owner. What distinguished this young man so much that he was given such a badge? It is unlikely that this was a monetary donation. Children from wealthy families did not study at this educational institution. Most likely he was awarded a badge for community service
In 1900, a branch of the shelter was opened in Luga, in an estate donated to it by the local City Government. In 1903, the orphanage founded a school-health resort on the Black Sea coast, in Gagra, where children studied who, due to their health, were forced to live in a warm climate. At the Gagrin branch, a public primary school was founded with co-education for children of both sexes.
Orphanage branch in Luga (real school); beginning 20 v
View of the building of the shelter (dacha) of Prince P.G. Oldenburgsky in Lesnoy (1911)
The prince's wife in 1868 was Evgenia Maximilianovna, the daughter of Duke Maximilian of Leuchtenberg and Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna, who throughout her life supported her husband's charitable endeavors.
Prince P.G. Oldenburg with his daughter-in-law Princess E.M. Oldenburgskaya on the estate of Princess Ramon in the Voronezh province (until 1881)
The shelter existed for more than sixty years, until the revolution.
“A brief historical outline of the fifty years of activity of the Shelter of Prince Peter Georgievich of Oldenburg. 1846-1896" St. Petersburg, 1896. Printing house of P.P. Soykin
The most valuable consequence and indicator of the success of the labors of the family of the princes of Oldenburg were the fates of those whom they had to meet on their life path, directly or indirectly, when the name itself served good deeds. Grateful students established scholarships in their name to perpetuate the memory of the Oldenburgskys. In honor of P.G. Oldenburgsky Moscow charitable organizations opened an orphanage, an Oldenburg school, and a shelter named after Pyotr Georgievich for blind children. A two-year school of Prince Peter Georgievich of Oldenburg also arose in St. Petersburg.
In the fall of 1917 A.P. Oldenburgsky emigrated to France, where he died in 1932. Buried in Biarritz.
The grave of Peter Georgievich of Oldenburg in the 1920s. ruined.
The Church of the Nativity of Christ on the Sands was demolished in 1934. Rozhdestvenskie streets have been renamed Sovetskie.
After the revolution, the apartments of the shelter were not empty; there was a special hospital here, during the war years - a hospital, after the blockade was broken - schools 1 and 12 and the House of Pioneers of the Leninsky District. On April 30, 1944, the Preparatory Naval School was formed here with a three-year training period.
Nowadays the shelter building is very dilapidated and needs major repairs.
However, times are changing. For example, gymnasium No. 157, the history of which began in 1868, as the history of the Nativity Women's Gymnasium - since 1869 under the patronage and care of Princess Eugenia Maximilianovna of Oldenburg, in 2000 the historical name was returned: in 1899 by the highest order of Nicholas The II St. Petersburg Christmas Gymnasium was given a special name: “St. Petersburg Gymnasium of Princess Eugenia Maximilianovna of Oldenburg”
And they are going to recreate the temple on the Sands.
Gymnasium No. 157 of St. Petersburg named after Princess E. M. Oldenburg on Proletarskaya Dictatorship Street (formerly Lafonskaya Street). The building was built in 1901, where the Christmas Women's Academy, founded in 1868, moved. Modern photo
Shelter building address: Saint Petersburg,
12th Krasnoarmeyskaya st., 36-38
Website materials used: wikipedia.org, encblago.lfond.spb.ru, citywalls.ru, humus.livejournal.com, forum.kladoiskatel.ru, rusdeutsch.ru, photoarchive.spb.ru, piteroldbook.ru, trud.ru, blagoros.ru, gym157.spb.ru
Prince Alexander Petrovich of Oldenburg (1844-1932)*
The fate of representatives of the Russian branch of the Oldenburg Ducal House has repeatedly attracted the attention of both Russian and German historians. In Russian historiography, the largest study specifically devoted to this topic is the monograph by A.A. Papkov, published in 1885 as a separate book (1), in German - the work of Richard Tanzen, published in 1959-1960 in two volumes of the Oldenburg Yearbook (2).
The first of these studies was written primarily from Russian sources, the second from German ones. Therefore, they do not so much duplicate as complement each other. In both works, the biographies of the princes of Oldenburg in Russia are presented in detail up to the death of the most famous of them - Prince Peter Georgievich (Konstantin Friedrich Peter) of Oldenburg (1812-1881). In R. Tanzen's study (which does not contain references to the work of his Russian predecessor), only a very brief IV chapter (Bd. 59. S. 36-42) is devoted to the “third generation” of the princes of Oldenburg in Russia - the children of Peter Georgievich, and even less is said about " the last bearers of the name of the Princes of Oldenburg in Russia", that is, about the fourth generation. (Ibid. V. Teil. S. 43-45).
Meanwhile, the son of Peter Georgievich, Prince Alexander Petrovich of Oldenburg, was a very extraordinary person, and the fruits of his tireless multifaceted activities were preserved many years after the collapse of the Russian Empire, the expulsion of the Princes of Oldenburg from Russia and the consignment of their name to oblivion. And his favorite brainchildren, such as the St. Petersburg Institute of Experimental Medicine and the Gagrinsky sea resort, continue to function to this day. Now, at the end of the 20th century, wide public interest in the administrative, charitable and educational activities of outstanding representatives of the German dynasty, who found their second home in Russia and contributed greatly to its prosperity, has again arisen in Russia. Information about them appears in encyclopedic reference books and dictionaries (3). Articles in magazines and collections and popular works are also published (4).
This article aims to characterize the personality and works of Prince A.P. Oldenburg based on both literary (mainly memoirs) and unpublished sources from Russian archives.
Alexander Petrovich's father, Prince Peter Georgievich of Oldenburg, was one of the outstanding representatives of the highest Russian aristocracy. On his mother's side he was a cousin of Emperor Alexander II, on his father's side he was a cousin of Grand Duke Nicholas Friedrich Peter, who ruled Oldenburg for almost half a century (from 1853 to 1900). He became famous, first of all, on the basis of state charity, health care and public education. In 1889, in front of the building of the Mariinsky Hospital on Liteiny Prospekt in St. Petersburg, a monument was erected to Peter of Oldenburgsky with the inscription “Enlightened benefactor”, and in 1912, in connection with the centenary of his birth, part of the Fontanka River embankment in St. Petersburg was named the Embankment of Prince Peter of Oldenburg ( 5).
Alexander Petrovich's mother, Theresia Wilhelmina (1815-1871), was the daughter of the Grand Duke von Nassau. She constantly helped her husband in his charitable activities.
There were 8 children in the family of Peter Georgievich and Theresia of Oldenburg - 4 sons and 4 daughters. Despite their belonging to the highest Russian aristocracy, Prince Peter Georgievich and his wife maintained the Lutheran religion and baptized their children according to the Lutheran rite. At baptism, each of the children received three German names, but outside the family circle they were called by first name and patronymic, as is customary in Russia.
Best of the day
Alexander was the fourth child and second son in the family, but the life circumstances of his brothers and sisters developed in such a way that he became the only rightful heir and successor of the line of the Princes of Oldenburg in Russia.
His elder sister Alexandra Petrovna (Alexandra Friederike Wilhelmine, 1838-1900) in 1856 married Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich (1831-1891) - the brother of Emperor Alexander II. Their son, Nikolai Nikolaevich Jr. (1856-1929), was the commander-in-chief of the Russian army at the beginning of the First World War (until August 1915, when Emperor Nicholas II took over the main command). Deeply religious, Alexandra Petrovna was the first of the family of princes of Oldenburg to convert to Orthodoxy, and later left her husband, became a nun under the name of Anastasia and became the abbess of the Intercession Monastery she founded in Kyiv. There she died (6).
The sons in the family of the Princes of Oldenburg received home education and prepared for military service. In accordance with the procedure adopted among the highest Russian aristocracy, they enrolled in the imperial guard and received the first officer rank of ensign at baptism. By the time they came of age and entered active military service, they were already guards staff officers.
Alexander Petrovich's elder brother - Nikolai (Nikolaus Friedrich August, 1840-1886) at the age of 21, with the rank of colonel, commanded the Life Guards cavalry pioneer squadron, and a year later received the court rank of aide-de-camp and was appointed commander of the Izyum Hussar Crown Prince of the Prussian Regiment ( 7). A brilliant military career opened up before him. However, in the spring of 1863, 23-year-old Colonel Prince Nikolai Petrovich of Oldenburg committed an unexpected act that caused serious consequences not only for himself, but also for the entire House of Oldenburg.
He married an untitled noblewoman, 18-year-old Maria Ilyinichna Bulatzel. This unequal marriage, concluded against the will of the parents, was recognized as morganatic. Nikolai Petrovich lost his rights to his parental inheritance. His children were deprived of the right to be called Princes of Oldenburg. Nevertheless, the Grand Duke of Oldenburg reacted to this event less harshly than the Russian Emperor. He granted Maria Bulatzel the dignity of count, and the daughters from this marriage were subsequently called Countesses of Osternburg. The Russian military service of Nikolai of Oldenburg ended. On June 22, 1863, by the highest order, he was dismissed “due to illness.” Three years later, thanks to the intercession of Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich, married to his sister, N.P. Oldenburgsky was allowed to return to military service, but his career was irreparably damaged. In 1872, he received the rank of major general, helped his father in his charitable activities, but was never able to prove himself in anything significant either in the military or in the public field. In 1879, he was sent abroad “to inspect the best hospitals and charitable institutions there” and never returned to Russia. He spent his last years on the island of Madeira, where he was treated for consumption. Died in Geneva on January 20, 1886.
The third child, daughter Cecilia, died in infancy. Alexander Petrovich (Alexander Friedrich Konstantin) was born on May 21 (new style - June 2) 1844 in St. Petersburg, in a magnificent palace granted in 1830 by Emperor Nicholas I to Prince P.G. Oldenburg. This palace, built in the second half of the 18th century for the famous statesman and public figure of Catherine’s times, I.I. Betsky (1704-1795), was rebuilt and re-equipped in 1830 by the outstanding architect V.P. Stasov. For 87 years it was the “native home” of the extensive family of princes of Oldenburg. With three facades facing the Neva Embankment, the Summer Garden and the Field of Mars, it is still a decoration of the city. Nowadays it houses the St. Petersburg Academy of Culture, a higher educational institution that trains certified librarians, bibliographers, museum and publishing workers (8).
At his baptism, Alexander was enlisted as an ensign in the most privileged regiment of the Imperial Guard - Preobrazhensky, whose barracks were located on Millionnaya Street, just between the Imperial Winter Palace and the palace of the Princes of Oldenburg. From childhood he was prepared for military service, however, in his family he also received a diverse humanitarian education. His parents led an open lifestyle. The palace often hosted balls and house concerts and performances. Regular visitors to the palace were not only representatives of the St. Petersburg nobility, but also students of the Alexander Lyceum and the School of Law, whose trustee was Alexander’s father, Prince P.G. Oldenburg. The palace had a wonderful library. Later memoirists invariably noted the erudition and encyclopedic knowledge of Prince Alexander.
In the summer, the family of the Princes of Oldenburg lived in a summer palace on Kamenny Island in the Neva delta, acquired in 1833 by P.G. Oldenburgsky from Prince M.M. Dolgoruky. This large palace, built by the architect S.L. Shustov, is recognized as a masterpiece of Russian wooden architecture (a description of the palace and the life of the Princes of Oldenburg in it is given in the letters and notes of a guest from Oldenburg - Gunther Jansen, who visited St. Petersburg in 1872 (9)).
In January 1868, Alexander married the daughter of Duke Maximilian of Leuchtenberg and Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna (daughter of Emperor Nicholas I) - Eugenia (1845-1925), baptized according to the Orthodox rite. In November, their only son Peter (Peter Friedrich Georg, 1868-1924) was born.
Alexander Petrovich moved up the career ladder extremely quickly. At the age of 26, he was already the commander of the Life Guards Preobrazhensky Regiment. By this time, many contradictory traits of his character were clearly evident. He is extremely strict and often petty demanding of his subordinates. At the same time, he is just as demanding of himself. He does not give himself or others a moment of peace. Extremely emotional and at the same time stubborn. Hot-tempered, but not vindictive. Inaccurate execution of his orders is perceived as a personal insult. Delves into all the details of military training, service and life of officers and soldiers. Ambitious. He cannot even admit the thought that his regiment will not be the best on the parade ground, at maneuvers and at the imperial review.
Although the Guards regiments were trained more for reviews and parades than for combat operations, during the Russian-Turkish War of 1877-1878. Alexander II decided to move the Life Guards to the Balkans. Major General Prince Alexander of Oldenburg was appointed commander of the 1st Guards Brigade as part of the Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky Life Guards Regiments. N.A. Epanchin, who served under his command, recalled that “Prince A.P. Oldenburg behaved like a Spartan throughout the entire campaign; he did not have a carriage, but was always on horseback, did not have a cook or other amenities of life, he ate with one from the regiments of his brigade on a par with the officers" (10).
In the fall of 1877, troops under the command of the Prince of Oldenburg, part of the Western detachment of General I.V. Gurko, distinguished themselves during the capture of Etropol, and in December during the most difficult transition through the snow-covered Balkan passes (11). The prince carried out the entire military campaign against the Turks with dignity, was awarded several orders and golden weapons, but did not show any special military talents. It was difficult to demonstrate them under the leadership of the talented and powerful General Gurko, who demanded from his subordinates only the exact and impeccable execution of his orders. At the end of the war, Prince A.P. Oldenburg continued to command the 1st Guards Brigade, in 1880 he was appointed commander of the 1st Guards Infantry Division, stationed in St. Petersburg, and soon received the rank of lieutenant general and the title of adjutant general of His Imperial Majesty (12).
In 1881, Alexander's father, Prince Peter Georgievich of Oldenburg, died. Even earlier, his younger sister Catherine (1846-1866) and brother George (1848-1871) died, and the youngest sister Teresa was married to Alexander’s wife’s younger brother, Duke George Maximilianovich of Leuchtenberg, in 1879.
In 1882, Alexander’s younger brother, General Konstantin Petrovich Oldenburgsky (1850-1906), who served in the Caucasus, exactly repeated the reckless act of their older brother Nikolai Petrovich: he married Agripina Konstantinovna, née Japaridze, in a morganatic marriage, who was in his first marriage to the Georgian prince Tariel Dadiani . The Grand Duke of Oldenburg granted her the title of Countess of Zarnekau.
From that time on, Alexander Petrovich Oldenburgsky and his wife Evgenia Maximilianovna became the only legal owners of the magnificent palace on the banks of the Neva, the summer palace on Kamenny Island, and at the same time inherited from P.G. Oldenburgsky numerous concerns about charitable, medical and educational institutions, of which he was a trustee consisted While maintaining his high military post, Alexander Petrovich in 1881 became a “part-time” trustee of the Imperial School of Law, the orphanage of the Prince of Oldenburg and the Holy Trinity community of sisters of mercy.
Evgenia Maximilianovna Oldenburgskaya became the patroness of the Trustee Committee of the Sisters of the Red Cross, the chairman of the Imperial Society for the Encouragement of Arts, and from her father she also inherited the honorary position of chairman of the Imperial Mineralogical Society.
The social activities of Princess E.M. of Oldenburg undoubtedly deserve a separate study. Here I will only note that the Committee of the Sisters of the Red Cross (renamed in 1893 as the Community of St. Eugenia) launched a wide publishing activity, flooding the whole of Russia with artistically designed postal envelopes and postcards with reproductions of paintings from the Hermitage, the Russian Museum and the Tretyakov Gallery. Many Russian artists, led by A.N. Benois, were involved in this work. They said about these postcards: “They have only one drawback - it’s a shame to send them to the post office.” This initiative of E.M. Oldenburgskaya survived the October Revolution. In 1920, the publishing house of the Community of St. Eugenia was reorganized into the Committee for the Popularization of Art Publications and published several excellent monographs about artists, as well as guides to Petrograd and its environs (13).
No less significant was the activity of E.M. Oldenburgskaya in creating a wide network of children's art schools in St. Petersburg, its environs and other provinces of Russia. In the 1900s, Evgenia Maximilianovna was already seriously ill, losing the ability to move independently and lived mainly on her Ramon estate near Voronezh.
In 1885, Prince A.P. Oldenburg was appointed commander of the Guards Corps, that is, commander of the entire Imperial Guard. N.A. Epanchin recalled this peak of his military career: “The Guards Corps was commanded by Prince Alexander Petrovich of Oldenburg; a kind, noble man, he was distinguished by an impetuous character, was very quick-tempered, but also quick-witted. After the outburst, sometimes he said very unpleasant and inappropriate things, the prince had the civil courage to admit it and apologize" (14).
The memories of the uncle of Emperor Nicholas II - Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich about the same period of service of A.P. Oldenburgsky sound somewhat different: “His severity bordered on extravagance. The news of his approach during inspection reviews caused nervous attacks among the officers, and among the soldiers created panic. With this manic severity, in apparent contradiction was his reverent devotion to the sciences. He provided generous material support for all kinds of educational and charitable endeavors, as well as scientific expeditions and research. He patronized young, promising scientists, and they were condescending to his instability and eccentricities" (15).
Due to his difficult character, Prince A.P. of Oldenburg apparently had many ill-wishers, and in August 1889 Adjutant General K.N. Manzey, “a complete nonentity in military terms,” was appointed commander of the Guards Corps instead. ", according to N.A. Epanchin.
The end of his military career essentially served for the 45-year-old Prince A.P. of Oldenburg as the beginning of his main life field, in which he was able to prove himself much brighter and more significant than in military service. From his father, he inherited, in particular, the desire to develop and improve healthcare in Russia. But if Peter of Oldenburg was predominantly occupied with the practical side of the matter - he opened new hospitals and generously financed them, then his son decided, first of all, to achieve an increase in the scientific level of biomedical research in Russia. To this end, using his own funds, with the support of the state and with contributions from private individuals, literally from scratch, he created the Institute of Experimental Medicine (IEM), which at that time had no analogues not only in Russia, but also in Europe. He took the Pasteur Institute in Paris as a model, but if the Pasteur Institute dealt with a relatively narrow range of problems, Prince Alexander decided to organize a multidisciplinary institute with relatively autonomous departments developing fundamental problems raised by the modern development of world medical and biological science. Alexander Petrovich bought a vast plot of land on the outskirts of St. Petersburg, on Aptekarsky Island, and began to erect the buildings of the future institute on it. At the same time, he began to select the staff of the institute from among the most outstanding biologists, chemists, physiologists and doctors in Russia. The IEM was created and perfectly equipped in an unusually short time. The scientific potential of its leading employees was very high. The outstanding physiologist Academician L.A. Orbeli recalled many years later: “I still don’t know whether he (A.P. Oldenburgsky) understood anything in physiology, but in general he was an enlightened person. In 1890, he founded the Institute experimental medicine. At this institute he wanted to organize a physiological department. He found out (I don’t know who enlightened him in this regard) that we have an outstanding physiologist, Ivan Petrovich Pavlov, and he suggested that he first become the director of the institute, and when from this Ivan Petrovich refused to head the physiological department. Then this department was created. It must be said that this was a period when Pavlov was already a fully formed scientist, and the laboratory at the clinic of S.P. Botkin could no longer satisfy him" (16). It was in the laboratories of the IEM that I.P. Pavlov conducted his famous research on the physiology of digestion, which brought him the Nobel Prize and worldwide recognition in 1904.
No less interesting are the memories of another IEM veteran, D.A. Kamensky: “In 1890, the Institute of Experimental Medicine was opened, work there was just beginning and there were no staff members yet. Even the director of the institute, V.K. Anrep, was not on staff. That year he was hired Koch tuberculin and the whole world rushed to use and study it. Prince A.P. Oldenburg sent Anrep to Berlin, obliging him to receive this drug, and was unusually glad when it was brought from abroad. Prince Oldenburg generally wanted “him” the institute was the first in the world, and was glad that the first studies of tuberculin would be carried out at his institute" (17).
A.P. Oldenburgsky maintained a constant correspondence with prominent European doctors and biologists (in particular, with L. Pasteur and R. Virchow). In obtaining and studying foreign scientific literature, he was actively assisted by his personal librarian Theodor Elsholtz, who was also a chronicler of the House of Oldenburg. His two-volume handwritten work “Aus vergangenen Tagen” (“From days gone by”), stored in the Manuscripts Department of the Russian National Library in St. Petersburg, is still waiting for its researcher (18).
The Institute of Experimental Medicine throughout the 20th century remained and still remains one of the leading medical and biological scientific institutions in Russia.
However, the name of its founder was forgotten for many years. Only in 1994 was a memorial plaque mounted on the building of the institute: “Institute of Experimental Medicine. Founded by Prince Alexander Petrovich of Oldenburg in 1890” (19).
In 1896, cases of plague were discovered in the Caspian steppes. In January 1897, by decree of Nicholas II, a “Special Commission was formed to prevent the introduction of plague infection and combat it if it appears in Russia” under the chairmanship of A.P. Oldenburgsky. The prince immediately went to the Astrakhan province and took the strictest sanitary and quarantine measures there. Many senior officials found these measures excessive, damaging Russia's foreign trade and its budget (caviar, as you know, was exported from Astrakhan). But the prince was adamant. And most importantly, the measures he took achieved their goal: the source of the epidemic was quickly localized and the plague did not penetrate into the central provinces of Russia. It must be said that A.P. Oldenburgsky was well theoretically prepared to carry out this difficult and dangerous mission: his archive preserved numerous extracts, clippings, notes concerning the plague epidemics in Europe, made by T. Elsholtz (20).
Minister of Finance S.Yu. Witte, who chaired the plague commission in the absence of the Prince of Oldenburg, recalled how once “the prince sent a telegram demanding a ban on the export of certain goods from Russia due to the appearance of the plague.” The commission refused so as not to cause a stir in Europe, and Nicholas II agreed with this. The prince was very offended by Witte, but he did not know how to be angry with anyone for a long time. Soon, through the Minister of Internal Affairs D.S. Sipyagin, he made it clear to Witte that he would like to make peace with him. Witte went to visit him. The prince “said with tears in his eyes that this incident had an enormous effect on him, that since then his heart had been hurting and that he attributed his heart disease to this incident.” Here Witte describes a funny everyday episode, which is the best evidence of the extravagant character traits of Prince A.P. Oldenburgsky. Suddenly, in the middle of the conversation, the prince ran out of the office and some time later ran back with a loud cry: “Woke up, woke up!” It turned out that his old nanny did not wake up for several days. “And so,” he says, “I came there and gave her a huge enema, and as soon as I gave her the enema, she jumped up and woke up.” The Prince of Oldenburg was in a very good mood about this, and I parted with him on the most friendly terms" (21).
The second “favorite brainchild” of Prince A.P. Oldenburg after the Institute of Experimental Medicine was the Gagrinsky climatic resort. In 1900, the prince came up with the idea of creating a comfortable but relatively cheap resort on the picturesque but then deserted Caucasian coast between Sochi and Sukhumi, which could successfully compete with the luxurious and expensive resorts of Crimea. He managed to interest Emperor Nicholas II in this idea, who, by decree of July 9, 1901, entrusted the Prince of Oldenburg with the responsibility for creating the Gagrin climate station. The prince himself became the head of construction, road, reclamation and other works, delved into every detail, and invested all his considerable funds in the implementation of his favorite idea. But soon this money became scarce. The prince obtained from the emperor an order for an annual leave of 150,000 rubles from the State Treasury for the construction of the resort. Articles began to appear in newspapers claiming that the prince was spending public money to satisfy his ambitions and whims. Count Witte, who, as Minister of Finance, was forced to sign state allocations for the needs of the resort, even argued that the Gagrinsky resort could have been created much cheaper, “if only for the money that Prince A.P. of Oldenburg spent on this business from the state chest , would be given to ordinary Russian citizens." According to Witte, “the whole merit of the prince was that he is a mobile person and has such a character trait that when he pesters people, including sometimes people higher than the prince himself, they agree to pay hundreds of thousands of rubles from the government chest, if only he would get rid of them" (22).
In organizing the Gagrinsky resort, his son Pyotr Alexandrovich, who in 1901 married the younger sister of Emperor Nicholas II Olga Alexandrovna, provided constant assistance to his father. This is evidenced by the surviving correspondence of Pyotr Alexandrovich with his fiancee, and then his wife. On May 7, 1902, he wrote to her from the Ramon estate near Voronezh: “Yesterday there was a very serious conversation about the Gagrin affairs. These matters are so confused that there are no words. Dad is responsible for them both morally and financially. I consider myself obligated to unravel them. [ ...] I undertake to arrange these affairs if I am given the right to act completely independently.” And on May 30 from Gagra: “Things are gradually unraveling, but it is still very, very difficult to bring them to light” (23).
Be that as it may, in 1903 the Gagrinsky resort was inaugurated and for almost 90 years, until the collapse of the Soviet Union, it remained one of the best climatic resorts on the Black Sea coast (24).
The Abkhaz writer Fazil Iskander captured very vivid pictures of the life of Prince A.P. Oldenburg in Gagra with inimitable folk humor in his famous novel “Sandro from Chegem”.
Prince Peter Alexandrovich of Oldenburg, having married the Emperor’s sister Olga, converted to Orthodoxy and received a palace on Sergievskaya Street in St. Petersburg as a gift from Nicholas II. This marriage turned out to be unsuccessful. Olga Alexandrovna sought permission for a divorce from her brother-emperor for many years, and finally, in 1916, she achieved it. This, however, is a different story, and I will not go into detail about it here.
By the time of the First World War, A.P. Oldenburgsky already had the highest military rank of General of the Infantry, and in May 1914, when the 50th anniversary of his active military service was solemnly celebrated, he also received the title of His Imperial Highness, that is, officially was equated with the royal family. Soon after the outbreak of war, “By the highest order of September 3, 1914, His Imperial Highness Prince Alexander Petrovich of Oldenburg, member of the State Council and trustee of the Imperial School of Law, Adjutant General, General of the Infantry, is appointed Supreme Chief of the sanitary and evacuation parts"(25).
With his appointment to this position, created for the first time in Russia, A.P. Oldenburgsky received extremely broad responsibilities and powers. The entire military medical service in Russia was subordinate to him - field and rear hospitals with all their personnel, ambulance trains; he was responsible for providing medical institutions with medicines, food and necessary equipment, for preventing epidemics, and returning recovered soldiers to the front.
Materials about the activities of Prince A.P. Oldenburg in this post are stored in the extensive archival fund of the Office of the Supreme Chief of the Sanitary and Evacuation Unit, stored in the Russian State Military Historical Archive (26).
Reporting to the emperor for the first year of his activity (from September 1914 to September 1915), A.P. Oldenburgsky wrote: “Having taken up my duties, I considered it necessary, first of all, to personally familiarize myself with the organization of the business entrusted to me locally. For this purpose "I made a detour around the front line, the rear area and the largest centers within the area located on the evacuation route. The impression from the first detours was unfavorable." The prince complained about “extraordinary multi-managerial power, which actually amounted to lack of command,” about constant friction with local authorities, about the lack of medical personnel (in Germany, according to his data, there were 1,960 residents per doctor, in Russia - 5,140). At the same time, he noted the great help from the Red Cross and other public organizations, the huge influx of people wishing to enroll as nurses. Among the priority measures he took, A.P. Oldenburgsky named the organization of early graduation of doctors from medical schools, which gave front-line and rear hospitals an additional 3023 doctors; attracting freely practicing female doctors, creating 357 military sanitary trains. By July 1, 1915, about 1,571,000 wounded and sick were evacuated from the front, and over 597,000 beds were deployed in hospitals.
“Almost from the very beginning of the war,” he further wrote, “our military hospital trains began to be bombarded by enemy airplanes. In view of this, an order was made to paint the roofs of all cars of military hospital trains white with the image of the Red Cross. Based on According to the provisions of the Geneva Convention, these images were supposed to protect trains from attacks. The reality showed the opposite: the Red Cross began to serve as an aiming point for enemy pilots and dropping bombs on trains became more frequent. Therefore, on May 2, I ordered the immediate painting of all the roofs of ambulance cars in a protective color "(27) .
The prince completely reoriented the Gagrinsky resort and other Russian resorts for military medical needs. In addition to the fact that medical institutions for convalescents were organized there, the cultivation of medicinal plants was also established there.
Official archival documents about the activities of Prince A.P. Oldenburg in the position of Supreme Chief of the sanitary and evacuation unit can be supplemented, and partly corrected, by the testimony of memoirists. Thus, A.A. Polivanov, who was under the Prince of Oldenburg until May 1915, and in June of the same year was appointed Minister of War, reproached his former boss for overestimating the effectiveness of protection against gases with the help of “gas bandages” at the beginning of the war ", consisting of several layers of gauze impregnated with certain compounds, and thereby delayed the development of more effective means - gas masks. “Prince A.P. Oldenburg,” Polivanov later recalled, “tackled this new business (making bandages) with his characteristic exceptional energy, but then, as always in all his new endeavors, instead of carefully monitoring the use of the new means and, based on the experience of ours and our allies, introduce improvements suggested by practice into it, stubbornly stuck to his guns, became irritated when he learned that public organizations were developing other types of gas masks, and, in the end, statements came from the army that supplying it anti-gas means is unsatisfactory, especially when compared with the same means that appeared among the Germans.The prince's desire to take on new undertakings with indomitable speed went beyond the scope of military sanitary and evacuation affairs, which he generally managed without a system and without even persistence, but through random explosions of his , exceptional energy for his age" (28). At the beginning of 1916 between A.P. An open conflict arose between Oldenburg and the Minister of War Polivanov due to the fact that the prince suddenly became interested not in protection against poisonous gases, which was his responsibility, but in matters of their manufacture, which was entirely within the competence of the Minister of War. The emperor had to intervene and resolve this issue in favor of Polivanov (29).
One way or another, memoirists and historians agree that the military medical service in the Russian army during the First World War was well organized. This, and not only the prince’s notorious “severity” or his closeness to the Imperial House, can explain his high authority not only among the army tops, but also among ordinary soldiers and officers
When a revolution broke out in Petrograd in February 1917, Prince A.P. Oldenburg was among those generals who convinced Nicholas II to abdicate the throne (30). He was one of the first to announce his support for the Provisional Government. An authentic telegram has been preserved, which A.P. Oldenburgsky sent on March 9 (22), 1917 from Mogilev, where the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command was located, to Petrograd to his son Peter: “Sent [G.E.] Lvov the following dispatch: “On behalf of his wife I declare my full desire and readiness to energetically support the Provisional Government for the glory and benefit of our dear Motherland." Tell your mother. Prince Alexander of Oldenburg" (31).
These were perhaps the only cases when A.P. Oldenburgsky spoke openly on topical political issues. Before that, he preferred, like his father, to stay aloof from both foreign and domestic politics, being engaged, in addition to military activities, mainly in matters of charity, health care, and public education.
However, A.P. Oldenburgsky’s relationship with the new government apparently did not work out. He had to leave the post of Supreme Head of the sanitary and evacuation unit, sold his palace on the banks of the Neva to the Provisional Government of Russia and, shortly before the October Revolution, left for Finland. His wife and son came there from Ramon. From there they moved to France, leaving Russia forever.
With this begins the final and very sad chapter in the history of the Russian branch of the Princes of Oldenburg. Alexander Petrovich with his wife and son settled on the Atlantic coast of France, not far from the Spanish border. Information about their life there is very scarce. An unexpected source turned out to be a memoir essay by I.A. Bunin, written in 1931 and entitled “His Highness” (32). Bunin says that he met Pyotr Alexandrovich of Oldenburg in 1921 in Paris. “I was surprised by his height,” writes Bunin, “his thinness, [...] his skull, completely bare, small, thoroughbred to the point of obvious signs of degeneration.” P.A. Oldenburgsky gave Bunin a book of his stories “Dream”, published by him in Paris under the pseudonym “Peter Alexandrov”. “He wrote about the “golden” hearts of the people, suddenly seeing the light after the intoxication of the revolution and passionately surrendering to Christ. [...] He wrote passionately, lyrically, but completely ineptly, naively. [...] Once at one big evening, where most of the guests there were old revolutionaries, he, listening to their lively conversation, exclaimed quite sincerely: “Oh, what sweet, lovely people you are all! And how sad that Kolya [Nicholas II] never attended such evenings! Everything, everything would be different if you and he knew each other!” [...] “Some,” writes Bunin, “called him simply “abnormal.” That’s all true, but the saints and blessed ones were “abnormal.” Bunin further quotes letters from Peter of Oldenburg from 1921-1922 that were preserved in his possession: “I settled in the vicinity of Bayonne,” wrote P. A. Oldenburgsky to I. A. Bunin, “ on my own small farm, I do housework, I have a cow, chickens, rabbits, I dig in the garden and vegetable garden. On Saturdays I go to my parents, who live nearby, in the vicinity of Saint Jean de Luz."
Bunin mentions the second marriage of P.A. Oldenburgsky, his fleeting consumption, and his death in a sanatorium in Antibes on the French Riviera. His memories do not in any way contradict the information known to us from other sources. The small book of stories mentioned by Bunin was also discovered in the Russian State Library. Its content fully corresponds to the description that Bunin gives it (33).
Peter of Oldenburg was seriously ill and died before his parents. A year later, on the night of May 4, 1925, his mother died in Biarritz. Alexander Petrovich survived his wife by seven years. In the Parisian Russian newspaper "Last News" No. 4187 dated September 8, 1932, a short announcement appeared: “Prince A.P. Oldenburg has died. Biarritz, September 7 (Havas). On September 6, at the age of 89, Prince Alexander Petrovich of Oldenburg died ". A more extensive obituary signed "Ch." was published in the newspaper "Vozrozhdenie" on September 7.
Thus the direct Russian line of the Oldenburg Ducal House was cut short. The study of the biographies of the descendants of the counts of Osternburg and Zarnekau remained outside the scope of this study.
Notes
(*) The materials of this article were published in Germany in German: Tschernych V.A. Die dritte Generation des russischer Line des Hauses Oldenburg. Prinz Alexander Petrowitsch (1844-1932) // Das Haus Oldenburg in Ru?land. Oldenburg, 2000. S. 171-188 (Oldenburger Forschungen. Neue Folge. Band. 11).
(1) Papkov A.A. The life and works of Prince P.G. Oldenburg. St. Petersburg, 1885.
(2) Tantzen R. Das Schicksal des Hauses Oldenburg in Ru?land // Oldenburger Jahrbuch. Bd. 58. 1959. S. 113-195; Bd. 59. 1960. S. 1-54.
(3) I will name as an example: Grebelsky P.Kh. Dukes and princes of Oldenburg // Noble families of the Russian Empire. T.2. St. Petersburg, 1995. P.18-21; [Chernykh V.A.]. Oldenburgsky Georgy Petrovich // Tver region. Encyclopedic Dictionary. Tver, 1994. P. 183 (Without signature).
(4) For example: Annenkova E.A., Golikov Yu.P. Russian Oldenburgers and their palaces. St. Petersburg, 1997; Stepanets K.V. Enlightened philanthropists of Oldenburg: the family’s contribution to the development of medical and educational institutions. // St. Petersburg Readings - 97. St. Petersburg, 1998. P. 118-122; Yakovleva E.B. Charitable activities of the Oldenburg family in Russia // Germans and the development of education in Russia. St. Petersburg, 1998. pp. 182-186; Golikov Yu.P. Prince A.P. Oldenburg - organizer and trustee of the Institute of Experimental Medicine // Germans in Russia: problems of cultural interaction. St. Petersburg, 1998. pp. 279-286.
(5) See: Iskjul S.N. Prinz Peter Georgiewitch von Oldenburg gilt als einer der grossen russischen Philanthropen // Das Haus Oldenburg in Ru?land. Oldenburg, 2000. S. 157-170 (Oldenburger Forschungen. Neue Folge. Band. 11).
(6) Danilov Yu.N. Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich. Paris, 1930. P.20-21; Kyiv. Encyclopedic reference book. Kyiv. 1986. P.492.
(7) Complete service record of the aide-de-camp of Colonel Prince [Nicholas] of Oldenburg. Compiled on January 1, 1863 // Russian State Military Historical Archive (hereinafter: RGVIA). F. 400. Op. 9. D. 525. L. 13-18.
(8) Bazhenova E.M. House of I.I. Betskov on the Field of Mars // Collection of materials dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the St. Petersburg State Academy of Culture. St. Petersburg, 1993. pp. 154-163.
(9) Schieckel H. Briefe und Aufzeichnung des oldenburgisches Vortragenden Rates Gunter Jansen uber seine Dienstreise nach Petersburg im Mai 1872 // Geschichte in der Region. Zum 65. Geburtstag von Heinrich Schmidt. Hannover, 1993. S. 351-376.
(10) Epanchin N.A. In the service of three emperors. M., 1996. P.96-97.
(11) Epanchin N.A. Essay on the actions of the Western detachment of Adjutant General Gurko. Parts 1-3. St. Petersburg, 1889-1890.
(12) Brief note about the service of Lieutenant General Prince of Oldenburg // RGVIA. F. 400. Op. 17. D. 1066. L. 3-4.
(13) Snegurova M. Community of St. Evgenia // Our heritage. 1991. No. 3. P. 27-33. See also: Benoit A. My memories. T. 2. M., 1990; Tretyakov V.P. Open letters of the Silver Age. St. Petersburg, 2000.
(14) Epanchin N.A. In the service of three emperors. M., 1996. P. 170.
(15) Alexander Mikhailovich, Grand Duke. Book of Memories. M., 1991. S. 127-128.
(16) Orbeli L.A. Memories. M.; L., 1966. P. 49.
(17) I.P. Pavlov in the memoirs of his contemporaries. L., 1967. P. 104.
(18) Department of Manuscripts of the Russian National Library (hereinafter: OR RNL). F. 543. No. 39, 40.
(19) See Annenkova E., Golikov Yu. Decree. Op. P. 168.
(20) OR RNL. F. 543. No. 45.
(21) Witte S.Yu. Memories. M., 1960. T. 2. P. 565-567.
(22) Ibid. P. 564.
(23) State Archive of the Russian Federation. F. 643. Op. 1. D. Z0. L. 20-21, 31.
(24) See: Gagra. Climate station on the Black Sea coast. St. Petersburg, 1905; Pachulia V.P. Gagra. Essays on the history of the city and resort. Sukhumi, 1979.
(26) RGVIA. F. 2018. 1060 storage units.
(27) Ibid. Op. 1. D. 950.
(28) Polivanov A.A. From diaries and memories. 1907-1916. T. 1 M., 1924. pp. 164-165.
(29) Ibid. P.166-167. Wed:. RGVIA. F.2018. Op. 1. D. 969. L. 19-24.
(30) The fall of the tsarist regime. M.; L., 1926. T. 6. P. 411-412.
(31) RGVIA. F. 2018. Op. 1. D. 98. L. 168.
(32) Bunin I.A. Memories. Paris, 1950. pp. 130-140.
(33) Petr Alexandrov. Dream. Paris. Printing house "Zemgora". 216, Bd Raspail. 1921. 46 S.
Mr. Chernykh
paata catsbaia 07.08.2006 10:35:03
I read about the Oldenburgskys with great pleasure. Very interesting work. I want to ask for help. I am originally from Gagra. For half a century, our family has kept a unique horn (a bronze stand-composition with a 3-liter horn). I know from my grandfather that the horn belonged to the Oldenburgskys and was made to order Alexander Petrovich in two or three copies and after the revolution one of the prominent Abkhaz bopsheviks Nestor Lakoba tried to kidnap it but my great-grandfather managed to hide it. In the 30-40s they persistently searched for the horn on the orders of Beria, the great-grandfather again saved the horn but paid for it with his life. The same horn is preserved in one of the Dresden museums (the name of the museum and photo were lost during the war in Abkhazia) Please tell me where I can find information about this horn or about interesting things and rarities that belonged to the Oldenburg
Thank you in advance
With respect, Paata Ketsbaia [email protected]
Prince Peter Georgievich of Oldenburg
Joseph-Désiré Cour (1797-1865) Portrait of Prince P.G. Oldenburgsky in the uniform of the Life Guards Preobrazhensky Regiment (1842)
Oldenburg (German: von Oldenburg) - a noble family, a branch of the Holstein-Gottorp line of the Oldenburg dynasty, who were the rulers of the Duchy (later the Grand Duchy) of Oldenburg. They were closely related to the Romanov dynasty that ruled the Russian Empire. The younger line of the house, descendants of Peter Friedrich George, bore the title of Princes of Oldenburg and Princes of Romanov.
O. A. Kiprensky. Portrait of Prince G. P. Oldenburg, 1811.
Prince Peter Georgievich of Oldenburg (1812, Yaroslavl - 1881, St. Petersburg) - His Imperial Highness (1845), Russian military and statesman, member of the Russian Imperial House, grandson of Paul I, infantry general (04/16/1841), chief of the Starodub cuirassier regiment named after him, senator, member of the State Council and chairman of the department of civil and spiritual affairs, chief administrator of the IV Department of H.I.V.’s Own Chancellery, honorary guardian and chairman of the St. Petersburg Guardian Council, chief head of women’s educational institutions of the department of Empress Maria, trustee of the Imperial School of Law, St. Petersburg Commercial School, Imperial Alexander Lyceum, honorary member of various scientists and charitable societies, chairman of the Russian Society of International Law, trustee of the Kiev charity home for the poor, patron of the Eye Hospital.
early years
Grand Duchess Catherine Pavlovna Prince George Petrovich of Oldenburg
A few days before the Battle of Borodino, Prince Georgy Petrovich of Oldenburg and his wife Grand Duchess Ekaterina Pavlovna had a son, named at baptism Konstantin-Friedrich-Peter, later known in Russia under the name of Prince Peter Georgievich. Four months from birth, the prince lost his father and was transported to his grandmother, Empress Maria Feodorovna, wife of Emperor Paul I, and then, when Catherine Pavlovna entered into a new marriage with the Crown Prince of Württemberg, he followed his mother to Stuttgart.
Portrait of the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna (1759-1828)George Dow
At the age of eight, he lost his mother, and at her request, expressed by the princess before her death, he was taken to Oldenburg to his grandfather, Duke of Oldenburg Peter Friedrich-Ludwig, where he received further education together with his elder brother Prince Friedrich-Paul. Alexander.
Peter Friedrich Ludwig of Oldenburg (1755-1829)
Etzhorn bei Oldenburg
Eitinsky or Oytinsky castle(Castle facade)
Interior
The range of sciences that the prince had to study included, among other things, ancient and modern languages, geometry, geography, as well as the Russian language. During his last stay in Oldenburg, the prince studied jurisprudence and logic with special love under the guidance of Christian Runde. In 1829, according to the Treaty of Adrianople, Greece gained political independence and some diplomats of that time named the Prince of Oldenburg as a candidate for the Greek throne. But at the end of 1830, Emperor Nicholas I summoned the prince (his nephew) to Russian service.
In Petersburg
Painting “Arch of the General Staff” by Vasily Sadovnikov. Watercolor.
On December 1, 1830, the prince arrived in St. Petersburg, was greeted very cordially by the emperor, enrolled in active service in the Preobrazhensky Life Guards Regiment and made the owner of the estate in Peterhof. During his five-year service in the regiment, the prince first commanded the 2nd battalion, and then (temporarily) the regiment, and for distinguished service on August 6, 1832, he was promoted to major general, and on December 6, 1834 to lieutenant general. At his initiative and under his control, a school was established in the Preobrazhensky Regiment; Along with teaching literacy in this school, attention was also paid to the moral side of the students.
Portrait of Emperor Nicholas I.Franz Krüger
Spaso-Preobrazhensky All Guards Cathedral in St. Petersburg, lithograph of the first half of the 19th century.
On March 12, 1835, he was appointed a member of the council of military educational institutions, and in May of the following year he temporarily filled the duties of the head of military educational institutions. On December 6 of the same year he was appointed chief of the Starodub cuirassier regiment. At the same time, the prince did not stop his education and continued to study literature (translated Pushkin’s “Queen of Spades” into French in 1834), history, natural sciences, and especially legal sciences (under the leadership of K. I. Arsenyev).
works[J. Kura. State Hermitage Museum (St. Petersburg)
Palace of Prince P.G. Oldenburgsky in St. Petersburg.
Dacha of Prince P. Oldenburg in St. Petersburg.
In 1834 he left military service. The reason for the transition to the civil service was the following incident (known from the words of Polovtsov, who was told by the prince himself). During his service in the Preobrazhensky Regiment, the prince had, as part of his official duties, to be present at the corporal punishment of a woman, and soldiers struck her bare shoulders with canes. Outraged by such a picture, the prince went from the place of execution to the then Minister of Internal Affairs, Count Bludov, and told him that he would never again take part in orders to carry out such a punishment, which did not exist among any enlightened people, and therefore asked report to the Emperor his request for resignation. The prince was appointed a member of the consultation with the Minister of Justice, and after that (April 23, 1834) a senator.
Kozlov, A. Portrait of Prince Peter Georgievich of Oldenburg: [Print]. - Late 1850s - early 1860s. - 1 sheet: Lithograph;
Imperial School of Law
In his new place, the prince quickly became convinced that Russia was acutely short of officials with a legal education, and that this required a special legal higher education institution. The prince developed in detail the project for the new “School of Law” and submitted it to the sovereign’s discretion, with a promise to donate the amount necessary for the purchase of a house and the initial establishment of the school. The prince's letter with the project, dated October 26, 1834, was handed over by the sovereign to M. M. Speransky, with the inscription: the noble feelings of the prince are worthy of respect. I ask you, after reading it, to talk to him and tell me both your comments and what will be agreed upon between you and the prince.
Speransky, Mikhail Mikhailovich. Varnek A.G.
On May 29, 1835, the State Council had already reviewed and approved the project and staff of the School of Law, developed by the prince, together with Speransky, and on the third day the Highest Rescript followed, with which the prince was entrusted with the organization of the school. By the end of November of the same 1835, the building purchased with the prince’s funds on the corner of Fontanka and Sergievskaya streets (now Tchaikovsky Street) was remodeled and adapted to open a school there (at the same time, the acquisition of the building and its adaptation and equipment cost the prince more than 1 million rubles ). On December 5, 1835, a solemn opening of the school followed in the presence of the Emperor. On the same day, by the Highest Rescript, the prince was confirmed in the rank of trustee of the school and awarded the Knight of the Order of St. Vladimir II degree. From the moment the school was established until his death, for almost half a century, the prince did not abandon his most heartfelt concerns about this institution.
Building of the School of Law
Building of the School of Law
S.K. Zaryanko. Hall of the School of Law with groups of teachers and students (1840)
Social activity
On December 6, 1836, he was ordered to be present in the State Council in the department of civil and spiritual affairs with the right to occupy the position of chairman in his absence. On February 25, 1842, the Highest was ordered to be the chairman of the mentioned department, and in this rank the prince took an active part in the reforms of the 1860s, namely in the peasant and judicial reform.
Portrait of Prince P. G. Oldenburg
In April 1837, he married the daughter of Duke William of Nassau, Princess Theresa-Wilhelmina-Charlotte.
In 1838, due to numerous personal and official activities, he asked to be dismissed from his presence in the Senate, and this request was respected on February 17 of the same year. On September 30, 1839, he was Supremely appointed an honorary guardian in the St. Petersburg Guardian Council and a member of the Councils of the Educational Society of Noble Maidens and the School of the Order of St. Catherine. On October 14 of the same year, he was entrusted with the management of the St. Petersburg Mariinsky Hospital for the Poor.
Hospital for the poor (Mariinskaya) in St. Petersburg. Lithography. 1820s
Pupils of the orphanage of Prince Peter of Oldenburg and nurses at the monument to P. G. Oldenburg in front of the Mariinsky Hospital on the day of the 100th anniversary of his birth. Saint Petersburg. 1912. Photo from the studio of K. K. Bulla
The prince's activities assumed wider dimensions since 1844, when he was entrusted with the post of Chairman of the St. Petersburg Guardian Council. The gradual increase in the number of women's educational institutions required new forms of management; their very charters needed revision. For this purpose, in 1844, a committee was formed under the chairmanship of the Prince of Oldenburg, which developed categories, staff and programs. At the same time (December 30, 1844) under the IV Department. The Educational Committee of the Chancellery's own EIV was established as the central department for education in women's educational institutions; and from January 1, 1845 - a special Main Council chaired by the Prince of Oldenburg and for a long time playing the role of a kind of special ministry of women's education in Russia.
In 1851 he was appointed chairman of the Educational Committee, and thus became the head of women's upbringing and education. In his activities, the prince cared about the further and broader development of educational affairs and always went to meet the needs of the educational institutions under his control. From the works and notes of the prince, it is worth mentioning the note he compiled in 1851 and soon implemented on the teaching of gymnastics; then “Instructions for the education of female students in educational institutions” (1852). In 1855. The Main Council, chaired by the prince, developed a charter for women's educational institutions, which was approved by the Highest on August 30, 1855. On April 19, 1858, according to the thoughts and instructions of Empress Maria Alexandrovna and with his active assistance, the first seven-year girls' school for incoming girls was opened in Russia, named Mariinsky, the trustee of which was appointed by the prince.
Students of the institute in the house church at the altar
In the same year, several more public schools opened in St. Petersburg. On February 26, 1859, the prince approved the “Rules of Internal Order of the Mariinsky Women's School,” which fully reflected the humane ideas of which the prince was always the bearer. Following the model of the Mariinsky School, public educational institutions were soon opened in the provinces; by 1883 there were already up to thirty of them. On August 12, 1860, the draft Regulations on the Main Directorate of the Institutions of the Empress Maria were Supremely approved; according to the Regulations, the main administration of these institutions was concentrated in the IV department of His Majesty's Own Chancellery; The chief manager of the department was ex officio chairman of the Main Council of Women's Educational Institutions and the St. Petersburg Board of Trustees.
Alexander-Mariinsky School in Irkutsk
Mariinsky Women's School in Perm
Mariinsky Women's School. Shadrinsk
The Tsar appointed Prince P.G. of Oldenburg as chief administrator and approved the project, so that the regulations and decree would state: “Tver, August 14, that is, the birthday of the Prince of Oldenburg.” On May 5, 1864, on the occasion of the centenary of the educational society for noble maidens, the Highest Rescript addressed to him said, among other things: “the title of chief manager was only a fair recognition of your twenty years of services to the benefit of the institutions under your direct patronage.”
Atelier "Former Levitsky Light Painting". Prince Peter Georgievich of Oldenburg: [Photo]. - First floor. 1860s. -
In 1844, under his chairmanship, rules and regulations were developed for two-year pedagogical courses at the Alexander women's schools in St. Petersburg and Moscow; in addition, the theoretical and practical courses for candidates at both capital orphan institutes were transformed. Finally, due to the rapid spread of women’s gymnasiums and the lack of well-trained teachers, pedagogical courses were founded in 1863, and in 1871, to train French teachers, according to the prince’s thoughts and initiative, a French class with a two-year course was established at the Nikolaev Orphan Institute for students of the institute who graduated from the course with first awards. In 1864, a teachers' seminary was established at the St. Petersburg
An educational home and 20 primary schools were opened in its districts; the number of schools, as well as the number of shelters, gradually increased.
Courtyard of the Elizabeth Orphanage. School named after Empress Maria Feodorovna
On March 10, 1867, with the Highest permission, he opened in St. Petersburg, at his own expense, an orphanage for 100 children under the name “Shelter in Memory of Catherine and Mary,” since 1871 renamed the “Children’s Shelter of Catherine, Mary and George.”
In addition, the vocational school at the Moscow Orphanage owes him many improvements and transformations, the charter and staff of which were again developed in 1868, and the school itself was renamed the Imperial Moscow Technical School. The results of the reforms were not long in coming: the school’s exhibits attracted general attention at Russian and foreign exhibitions.
In 1840, he was appointed chief director of the St. Petersburg Commercial School, which he subjected to radical reforms. On June 28, 1841, the new charter of the school was approved by the Highest, and since then the prince was already a trustee of the latter. In the same year, the prince assumed the title of president of the Imperial Free Economic Society, and from 1860 was its honorary member; During the prince's chairmanship, a new charter of the society was developed.
Prince P.G. Oldenburg and daughter-in-law Princess E.M. Oldenburgskaya in Ramon.
On November 6, 1843, he was entrusted with the main leadership of the Alexander Lyceum, which that year was included in the department of institutions of the Empress Maria. In 1880 he created the Russian Society of International Law, the opening of which, under his chairmanship, followed on May 31 of that year.
He was involved in charity work; The following women's institute of Princess Theresa of Oldenburg owed their origin and development to his funds and care; Shelter of His Highness Prince P. G. Oldenburg. Prince Peter of Oldenburg Children's Hospital; the above-mentioned shelter in memory of Catherine, Mary and George; Holy Trinity Community of Sisters of Mercy; hospitals Obukhovskaya, Mariinskaya, Petropavlovskaya, etc.; Orphanage, etc.
Sisters of mercy and the wounded in the ward of the Pokrovsk community hospital. Petrograd. 1914-1916. Photo by K.K. Bulla studio
Already an old man, having celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of his public service, depressed by illnesses and no longer able to climb stairs without outside help, the prince continued to visit the institutions entrusted to him, deal with current affairs and take a keen interest in everything that was subject to his jurisdiction.
Prince Peter Georgievich of Oldenburg (1812-1881)
He died of transient pneumonia on May 2, 1881, at 7:45 in the afternoon. His death was hastened by the news he received of the assassination of Emperor Alexander II, with whom he was on friendly terms, by terrorists.
On May 8, 1881, he was solemnly buried in the cemetery of the Sergius Hermitage, which at that time contained the graves of many prominent citizens of St. Petersburg and the Russian state.
SHELTER OF PRINCE PETER GEORGIEVICH OF OLDENBURG
In 1842, Prince Peter Georgievich of Oldenburg took under his patronage the night orphanage opened in 1841 in the Rozhdestvenskaya part, on 5th street. (now 5th Sovetskaya St.). In 1845, another shelter with an almshouse for 30 women was opened in the 2nd Admiralty part, on Glukhoy lane. (now Pirogov Lane), in Laktaev’s house. In 1846, with the permission of Emperor Nicholas I, the prince acquired two adjacent stone houses with a courtyard and garden, on the corner of Glukhoy Lane. and Laundry lane. Both charitable institutions moved here, and on June 28, 1846 they were united - this day was considered the date of the formation of the Shelter of Prince P. G. of Oldenburg.
Until 1848, the shelter was managed by the collegiate councilor Lemson, under whom the first charter of the shelter was approved (1847). The director of the St. Petersburg Commercial School Col. was appointed Chairman of the Institution Committee. owls bar. von Von Doering.
At first, there were 300 children of both sexes in the orphanage, deprived of the opportunity to be raised in a family - most of them were orphans and half-orphans. They were given only a rudimentary education, with the main focus being on teaching various skills that would enable graduates of the orphanage to earn a living through manual labor. New women were not accepted into the almshouse, and it ceased to exist when the last women cared for in it died.
In 1857, a new charter of the shelter was approved, and on June 29, 1860, the foundation stone for its new building was completed on the former Izmailovsky parade ground (corner of the 12th company of the Izmailovsky regiment and Drovyanaya street, now 12th Krasnoarmeyskaya street, 36-40). This site was transferred to the shelter free of charge by the City General Duma. The old buildings were sold by the shelter to a well-known benefactor. owls S. D. Voronin for 100,000 rubles. A new four-story shelter building, designed by the architect G. H. Stegeman, was consecrated October 22, 1861, and on December 5 of the same year, in the presence of Prince P. G. of Oldenburg, he led. book Nikolai Nikolaevich the Elder and his wife consecrated a house church in the name of the icon of the Mother of God, Soothe my sorrows. All expenses for the construction of the church were provided by S. D. Voronin.
The men's and women's departments of the shelter gradually approached the type of secondary educational institutions in their curriculum, with the only difference being that, in addition to general education subjects, a lot of time was devoted to teaching skills and handicrafts. On December 31, 1890, by the highest will, the orphanage was granted the rights of state-owned real schools: the “Regulations on the Orphanage of Prince Peter Georgievich of Oldenburg” were legislatively approved, equating its branches in rights to educational institutions of the Ministry of Public Education. Employees of the shelter, full members of the Board of Trustees, members of the educational staff and administration received civil service rights, and graduates of the shelter received the opportunity to continue their studies in higher educational institutions. The “Regulations” stated: “1. Shelter<…>aims to raise and educate children of both sexes, mainly orphans, without distinction of their origin, condition and religion. 2. The shelter consists of male and female departments, and the first is divided into: a) real, b) lower mechanical and technical and c) craft. 3. The shelter is run by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The main management of it belongs to the trustee and the Board of Trustees attached to him, and direct management is entrusted to the director, with the assistance of the pedagogical and economic committees.<…>28. With the highest permission, the eldest descendant of the deceased Prince Peter Georgievich of Oldenburg is appointed as the trustee of the shelter.<…>32. The board of trustees of the shelter is made up of a chairman and members: actual, honorary and benefactors. The director of the shelter, by virtue of his position, is a full member of the council.<…>34. The following people contribute to the benefit of the shelter: the chairman of the board of trustees - at his own discretion, the vice-chairman and full members - at least 500 rubles. annually, honorary - from 5,000 to 10,000 rubles. one-time or at least 300 rubles. annually. 35. An honorary member of the board of trustees who has donated more than 10,000 rubles to the shelter is given the right to transfer the title of honorary member to his eldest son.”
By the early 1900s, the shelter, whose trustee was the second son of the founder, Prince Alexander Petrovich of Oldenburg, consisted of several educational institutions, both male and female. In his building, which is 1896 was built by the architect V.V. Shaub with a fifth floor and occupied an area of more than 3,500 square meters. sazhen, located: a women's gymnasium with preparatory and 8th pedagogical classes and a women's handicraft department; men's departments - 7-grade real with a preparatory class, 4-grade mechanical and technical (lower) and 3-grade vocational school.
In 1900, a branch of the shelter was opened in Luga, in an estate donated to it by the local City Government. In 1904, in the same estate, the shelter opened a department for minors of both sexes, starting from the age of 4. In 1901, the orphanage opened a female gymnasium department for incoming students in Lesnoy, on its own plot of land, bequeathed to it by the late Chairman of the Board of Trustees F.I. Bazilevsky (Bolshaya Spasskaya Street, now Nepokorennykh Ave., opposite No. 6, on the territory of the Krasny plant October"),. There was a church here in the name of the Great Martyr. Feodor Stratelates. In 1903, the orphanage founded a school-health resort on the Black Sea coast, in Gagra, where children studied who, due to their health, were forced to live in a warm climate. At the Gagrinsky branch, a public primary school was founded with co-education for children of both sexes. According to 1913 data, only 1,837 children were studying in the orphanage and its out-of-town departments, of which 967 were interns (i.e., paid), including: in the real department - 612 boys (including 424 interns), in mechanics -technical department - 108 boys (including 76 interns), in the craft department - 20 boys (including 18 interns), in the girls' gymnasium 335 girls (including 183 interns), in the handicraft department - 10 girls (including 7 interns), in the Luga real department - 314 children (including 185 interns), in the Luga juvenile department - 22 children (all interns), in the Lesnoy women's department - 150 children, in Gagrinsky real department - 130 children (41 interns), in Gagrinsky public school - 136 children (including 11 interns). Some students were scholarship holders of the august trustee, members of his family and other high-ranking persons, about 100 children were raised on scholarships and funds from the Board of Trustees, about 30 were scholarship holders of the City Duma, fees for many children were paid by various institutions and private benefactors.
Interns studying at their own expense paid from 250 to 350 rubles, depending on the department, and this fee was significantly less than that charged by other educational institutions similar to the program. For incoming students in St. Petersburg and Luga, the tuition fee was 100 rubles, and in Gagra - 60 rubles. in a real branch and 3-6 rubles. in primary school. The fee charged by the shelter for training did not cover expenses, reaching (across all departments) 475,000 rubles. in year. The lack of funds was made up for by membership fees and private donations, the total amount of which ranged from 60,000 to 100,000 rubles. in year.
In the 1910s, the chairman of the Board of Trustees was Chamberlain L.V. Golubev, the vice-chairman was Chamberlain Prince. A. D. Lvov; The direct management of the shelter was carried out by the director d.s.s. F. F. Rosset. At the head of each department of the shelter were managers. The treasurer of the shelter was D.S.S. A. L. Vekshin. The operation of the shelter ceased after the revolution. Currently, the building of the shelter and educational departments, rebuilt after the war, is occupied by the Higher Naval School of Diving.
The discharge is mine. Sent photos.
Pyotr Georgievich Oldenburgsky
Prince of Oldenburg Peter Georgievich (Konstantin-Friedrich-Peter) (1812-1881), general of the infantry, chief of the Starodub cuirassier regiment named after him, senator, member of the State Council and chairman of the department of civil and spiritual affairs, chief administrator of the IV Department of His Majesty’s Own Chancellery, honorary guardian and chairman of the St. Petersburg Board of Trustees, chief head of women's educational institutions of the Department of Empress Maria, trustee of the Imperial School of Law, St. Petersburg Commercial School, Imperial Alexander Lyceum, honorary member of various scientists and charitable societies, chairman of the Russian Society of International Law, trustee of the Kyiv charity home for the poor, patron of the Eye Hospital.
Prince P. G. Oldenburg family. August 14, 1812 in Yaroslavl, d. May 2, 1881 in St. Petersburg. A few days before the Battle of Borodino, Prince Georgy Petrovich of Oldenburg and his wife, Grand Duchess Ekaterina Pavlovna, had a son in Yaroslavl, named at baptism Konstantin-Friedrich-Peter, later known in Russia as Prince Peter Georgievich. Four months from birth, the prince lost his father and was transported to his grandmother, Empress Maria Feodorovna, wife of Emperor Paul I, and then, when Catherine Pavlovna entered into a new marriage with the Crown Prince of Wirtemberg, he followed his mother to Stuttgart. At the age of eight, he lost his mother and, at her request, expressed by the princess before her death, was taken to Oldenburg to his grandfather, Duke of Oldenburg Peter-Friedrich-Ludwig, where he received further education together with his elder brother Prince Friedrich-Paul-Alexander . The range of sciences that the prince had to study included, among other things, ancient and modern languages, geometry, geography, as well as the Russian language. During his last stay in Oldenburg, the prince studied jurisprudence and logic with special love under the guidance of Christian Runde. In 1829, according to the Peace of Adrianople, Greece received political independence and some diplomats of that time named Prince P. G. of Oldenburg as a candidate for the Greek throne.
At the end of 1830, Emperor Nicholas I summoned the prince to Russian service. On December 1, 1830, the prince arrived in St. Petersburg, was greeted very cordially by the emperor and enlisted in active service in the Preobrazhensky Life Guards Regiment. During his five-year service in the regiment, the prince first commanded the 2nd battalion, and then (temporarily) the regiment, and for distinguished service on August 6, 1832, he was promoted to major general. and on December 6, 1834, promoted to lieutenant general. From an early age, distinguished by a highly developed sense of humanity, the Prince of Oldenburg showed his kind heart as an officer of the regiment: he drew attention to the bitter fate of soldiers' children, who in most cases were left without any education. At his initiative, a school was established in the Preobrazhensky Regiment and he took it under his closest supervision; Along with teaching literacy in this school, attention was also paid to the moral side of the students. This was the first experience, which was subsequently successfully applied in other regiments. The prince also made a lot of efforts to improve the soldiers’ life in terms of hygiene.
On March 12, 1835, the prince was appointed a member of the council of military educational institutions, and in May of the following year he temporarily filled the duties of the head of military educational institutions.
Meanwhile, the prince did not abandon his concerns about education and continued to study literature (by the way, the prince translated Pushkin’s “Queen of Spades” into French in 1834), history, natural sciences, and especially legal sciences (under the leadership of K.I. Arsenyev). In 1834, the prince left military service. The reason for the transfer of Prince Peter Georgievich from military service to civilian service was the following incident, which he told in detail to State Secretary Polovtsov, from whose words we place him here. During his service in the Preobrazhensky Regiment, the prince had, as part of his official duties, to be present when a woman was subjected to corporal punishment and driven through the ranks, and soldiers struck her bare shoulders with stick blows. Outraged by such a picture, Prince P.G. from the place of execution went to the then Minister of Internal Affairs, Count Bludov, and told him that he would never again take part in orders to carry out such a punishment, which did not exist among any enlightened people. , and therefore asked gr. Bludov to report to the Sovereign Emperor his request for dismissal from military service. According to this petition, the prince was appointed a member of the consultation under the Minister of Justice, and after that (April 23, 1834) a senator present in the first department of the Governing Senate. This new appointment of the prince, giving him the opportunity - as he himself put it - to delve deeply into the order and course of civil paperwork, soon led the prince to the conviction that the matter of legal education in our country was not sufficiently satisfactory and that there was a need for a higher educational institution specifically for law. The prince was convinced that the existing higher educational institutions did not satisfy the government's urgent need - to have officials in the judicial department with a solid legal education and specially trained for practical legal activities. To meet this long-standing need, the prince developed in detail a project for the new “School of Law” and submitted it to the sovereign’s discretion, with the addition of a promise to donate the amount necessary for the purchase of a house and the initial establishment of the school. The prince’s letter, dated October 26, 1834, concluding the mentioned project, was handed over by Sovereign Speransky, with the inscription: “The noble feelings of the prince are worthy of respect. I ask, after reading, to talk with him and tell me both your comments and what you it will be agreed with the prince." On May 29, 1835, the State Council had already reviewed and approved the project and staff of the School of Law, developed by the prince, together with Speransky, and on the third day the Highest Rescript followed, with which the prince was entrusted with the organization of the school. By the end of November of the same 1835, the building purchased with the prince’s funds (on the corner of Fontanka and Sergievskaya streets) was remodeled and adapted to open a school in it (at the same time, the acquisition of the building and its adaptation and equipment cost the prince more than 1 million rubles ).
On December 5, 1835, a solemn opening of the school followed in the presence of the Emperor. On the same day, by the Highest Rescript, the prince was confirmed in the rank of trustee of the school and awarded the Knight of the Order of St. Vladimir 2nd degree. From the moment the school was established until his death, for almost half a century, the prince did not abandon his most heartfelt concerns about this institution. Not to mention the fact that he largely supervised the general course of affairs of the school, he often delved into small details, kept a vigilant eye on the students of the school, and rushed to their aid even after they completed the course; in a word, the school and its students always found generous moral and material support in the prince.
On December 6, 1836, the prince was ordered to be present in the State Council, in the department of civil and spiritual affairs, with the right to occupy the position of chairman in his absence.
On February 25, 1842, the Prince was ordered to be the chairman of the mentioned department, and in this rank the prince took an active part in the reforms of the 1860s, namely in the peasant and judicial reform. In April 1837, the prince married the daughter of the Duke of Nassau, William, Princess Theresa-Wilhelmina-Charlotte. The following year, the prince, occupied with numerous personal and official activities, asked for his dismissal from his presence in the Senate, and this request on February 17, 1838 was respected.
On September 30, 1839, the prince was Most High appointed an honorary guardian in the St. Petersburg Guardianship Council and a member of the Councils of the Educational Society of Noble Maidens and the School of the Order of St. Catherine.
On October 14 of the same year, he was entrusted with the management of the St. Petersburg Mariinsky Hospital for the Poor.
This new appointment, introducing the prince into the management of the Department of the Empress Maria, was not only the beginning of a new era in the life of the prince, but also in the history of this department. In this field, the prince showed so much energy, hard work and feelings of high philanthropy that his name will remain indelible in the history of the department and especially in the establishment and development of women's educational institutions in our country. The prince's activities assumed wider dimensions since 1844, when he was entrusted with the position of Chairman of the St. Petersburg Guardian Council. In view of the significant size that the gradual increase in the number of female academics had reached by that time. institutions, the previously existing supervision over their development turned out to be insufficient, just as the administrative side was also insufficiently satisfactory; Moreover, due to changing social conditions, the very statutes of women's educational institutions needed to be revised. To meet these needs, in 1844 a committee was formed under the chairmanship of the Prince of Oldenburg, which by May of the same year completed its studies, developing categories, staff and programs. At the proposal of the same committee, the IV Department of His Majesty’s Own Chancellery was established at the same time (December 30, 1844). The Educational Committee, as the central department for education in women's educational institutions; and on January 1, 1845, in order to more uniformly direct the entire system of managing women's schools, a special Main Council was established, which opened its operations under the chairmanship of the Prince of Oldenburg and for a long time played the role of a kind of special ministry of women's education in Russia; in 1851 the prince was appointed chairman of the Educational Committee, and thus gradually became the head of women's upbringing and education. In his activities, the prince was not limited to improvements in the administrative side of the department entrusted to him, but also took care of the further and broader development of educational affairs and always went to meet the needs of the educational institutions under his control. From the works and notes of the prince, it is worth mentioning the note he compiled in 1851 and soon implemented on the teaching of gymnastics; then “Instructions for the education of female students in educational institutions” (1852); This instruction was approved by the Highest, and the Emperor wrote in the original: “wonderful, and I sincerely thank you for the useful work.”
In 1855, the Main Council, chaired by the prince, developed a charter for women's educational institutions, which was adopted on August 30. 1855 Approved by the highest. On April 19, 1858, according to the thoughts and instructions of Empress Maria Alexandrovna and with the active assistance of the Prince of Oldenburg, the first seven-year girls' school for incoming girls, named Mariinsky, was opened in Russia, the prince of which was appointed trustee. Due to the warm sympathy for the new school on the part of society, the prince in the same year, with the Highest permission, opened several more public schools in St. Petersburg. On February 26, 1859, the prince approved the “Internal Rules of the Mariinsky Women's School,” which fully reflected the humane ideas of which the prince was always the bearer. Following the opening of women's gymnasiums in St. Petersburg on the model of the Mariinsky School, public educational institutions were soon opened in the provinces; by 1883 there were already up to thirty of them. Meanwhile, on August 12, 1860, the draft Regulations on the Main Directorate of the Institutions of the Empress Maria were Supremely approved; according to the Regulations, the main administration of these institutions was concentrated in the IV department of His Majesty's Own Chancellery; this department was entrusted to the chief manager, who at the same time was supposed to be the chairman of the Main Council of Women's Educational Institutions and the St. Petersburg Board of Trustees. The Emperor appointed Prince P.G. of Oldenburg as chief administrator and deigned to approve the project so that the regulations and decree would state: “Tver, August 14, i.e., the birthday of the Prince of Oldenburg.” The Sovereign's special favor for the prince's labors, expressed in this case, accompanied the prince's further steps in his management of the department of the Empress Maria; So on May 5, 1864, on the occasion of the centenary of the educational society for noble maidens, the Highest rescript addressed to the prince said, among other things: “the title of chief administrator was only a fair recognition of your twenty years of services to the benefit of the institutions under your direct patronage.” Simultaneously with the establishment of the first open women's schools (gymnasiums), the prince took care of extensive reforms in the educational and educational parts of closed women's institutes; In order to transform, the prince carried out two important measures: one concerned changes in the curriculum, the other was aimed at weakening the reclusive nature of closed educational institutions.
The introduction of reforms and a properly organized seven-year educational course ensured the further free development of general female education in Russia. However, the prince’s attention was attracted not only by the fate of secondary women’s educational institutions: he also made a lot of efforts to develop higher special, artistic and professional women’s education in Russia. Thus, back in 1844, under the chairmanship of the prince, rules and regulations were developed for two-year pedagogical courses at the Alexander Women's Schools in St. Petersburg and Moscow; in addition, the theoretical and practical courses for candidates at both capital orphan institutes were transformed. Finally, due to the rapid spread of women's gymnasiums and the lack of well-trained teachers, pedagogical courses were founded in 1863, and in 1871, to train French teachers, according to the prince's thoughts and initiative, a French class with a two-year course was established at the Nikolaev Orphan Institute course for female students of the institute who completed the course with first awards.
The prince also paid great attention to improving the musical education of his pupils, organizing special music courses at some institutes.
The prince also did a lot in the matter of “professional” female education. Under him, special schools and courses at many hospitals and maternity institutions of the department of the Empress Maria, handicrafts, and vocational schools were partly transformed and partly re-established; It was his initiative to open, during the control expedition of the IV Department of His Majesty’s Own Office, a practical course in bookkeeping for girls who had already received secondary education.
The prince did not lose sight of the needs of primary education: he made many improvements in the curriculum of orphanages, and in 1864 a teacher’s seminary was established at the St. Petersburg Orphanage and 20 primary schools were opened in its districts; the number of schools, as well as the number of shelters, gradually increased. (By the way, on March 10, 1867, the Prince of Oldenburg, with the Highest permission, opened in St. Petersburg, at his own expense, an orphanage for 100 children under the name “Shelter in Memory of Catherine and Mary”, from 1871 renamed the “Orphanage of Catherine, Mary and George "In addition, the vocational school at the Moscow Orphanage owes many improvements and transformations to the prince, the charter and staff of which were again developed in 1868 and the school itself was renamed the Imperial Moscow Technical School. The results of the reforms were not slow to show: the exhibits of the school attracted general attention at Russian and foreign exhibitions, and the teaching system itself did not remain without borrowing from foreign schools, for example, American In general, it should be noted that the organization of teaching and educational work in the department entrusted to the prince was in many ways superior to the organization of the same work abroad , and foreigners have more than once not only given the most flattering reviews of the methods adopted by us, but also applied them at home.
The successful development and prosperity of school affairs in institutions subordinate to the prince is explained not only by the outstanding administrative abilities of His Highness, his tact, ability to choose people and unremitting energy, but also by that ardent love for youth, which warmed his heartfelt concern for the fate and success of educational institutions. establishments entrusted to him, and about their pets. The prince’s activities in women’s upbringing and education are characterized as follows in a historical note compiled in 1883 on the occasion of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the St. Petersburg women’s gymnasiums that year: “The soul and leader of all royal endeavors regarding our educational institutions was Prince P. G. of Oldenburg His Highness devoted himself entirely to caring for the welfare of those entrusted to his management and the immediate supervision of the charitable and educational institutions of the Empress Maria. His many years of tireless activity in creating new and transforming old women's educational institutions in educational, educational and economic relations, his activity was firm and calm carried out in a harmonious and consistent system, without any external, temporary influences, but always in full accordance with the actual requirements and needs of the new social and state life, created by the great deeds of the Tsar-Liberator, is subject to evaluation by history... The late prince, with his tireless activity, tireless With his thoughtfulness and especially his personal kindness, he brought enormous benefit to the teacher entrusted to his care. institutions and especially women's gymnasiums that have just begun their independent existence. Dozens of generations have passed through them, carrying in their hearts sincere love and affection for their August Patron."
The prince's love for children was sometimes expressed in touching forms; the prince more than once organized parties for children in his palace; a great lover of music and literature, the prince often composed cantatas and songs that children sang at their school holidays; The prince treated the needs of the pupils who had completed the course of any teacher under his jurisdiction with paternal concern. establishments. The prince's diverse and broad activities are not limited to his work for the benefit of women's education in Russia: the successes of our secondary and higher education were generally dear to the prince. The foundation of the School of Law by the prince was noted above; This is how one of the former students of the School speaks about the prince’s participation in this brainchild: “The Prince considered the school something of his own, family and friends; he devoted all his time, all his worries and thoughts to it. He came to the School almost every day, sometimes several times a day, attended lectures in classes, visited during recreation... sometimes he even came at night... Generally speaking, there was hardly any need of school life that he did not see with his own eyes...
All this had extremely important consequences: the School stood on a footing that none of the Russian schools of that time stood on, and in many ways acquired a special character. There was incomparably less official, formal, routine in it, but there was something reminiscent of family and home life,” and in relation to the school, says the biographer of His Highness, the prince remained until the end of his life. In 1840, the prince was appointed chief director of the St. Petersburg Commercial School, which he subjected to radical reforms. On June 28, 1841, the new charter of the school was approved by the Highest, and from then on the prince was already a trustee of the latter. In the same year, the prince assumed the title of president of the Imperial Free Economic Society, and since 1860 he was its honorary member; by the way, during the chairmanship of the prince, a new charter of the society was developed.
In 1843, the Imperial Alexander Lyceum was also included in the department of institutions of Empress Maria, and from November 6 of the same year, the prince was entrusted with the main management of the Lyceum, on the improvement of which the prince also put a lot of work.
Valuing Russian education and with special respect for jurisprudence, the prince in 1880 created the Russian Society of International Law, the opening of which, under his chairmanship, followed on May 31 of that year. It was based on a highly humane idea - to promote the development of international law as a guarantee of cultural prosperity and the well-being of society.
And in general, all the extensive activities of the Prince of Oldenburg for the benefit of Russian society are a brilliant expression and practical implementation of those lofty humane ideas, the constant bearer of which was His Highness; Their fulfillment was, of course, facilitated by the rare kindness of the heart that distinguished the prince and which motivated him in the field of charity.
The Prince of Oldenburg was one of the major benefactors; More than one charitable institution owed its emergence and development to his funds and active care. Let us note the Princess Theresa of Oldenburg Women's Institute; Shelter of His Highness Prince P. G. Oldenburg. Prince Peter of Oldenburg Children's Hospital; the above-mentioned shelter in memory of Catherine, Mary and George; Holy Trinity Community of Sisters of Mercy; hospitals Obukhovskaya, Mariinskaya, Petropavlovskaya, etc.; Orphanage, etc. Not to mention the serious transformations and improvements introduced by the prince to a number of these institutions, His Highness donated significant sums from his own funds for their success. The prince's energy did not leave him until his last days. Already a venerable old man, having celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of his public service, depressed by ailments and no longer able to climb stairs without outside help, the prince continued to visit the institutions entrusted to him, deal with current affairs and take a keen interest in everything that was subject to his jurisdiction.
On the evening of May 2, 1881, Prince P. G. Oldenburg died of transient pneumonia. On May 8, his solemn burial took place at the Sergius Hermitage cemetery. In 1889, on Liteiny Prospekt in front of the Mariinsky Hospital, a monument was erected in honor of the Prince of Oldenburg with the inscription: “To the enlightened benefactor.”
V. Glasko.
(Polovtsov's Dictionary)
Materials used from the site http://www.biografija.ru/show
Read further:
Oldenburgsky Alexander Petrovich(1844-1932), son of Pyotr Georgievich.
Chetverukhin G.N., Ph.D. (Kostroma). The peacekeeping activities of Prince P.G. Oldenburgsky during the reign of Emperor Alexander II (1870 - early 1880s). I Romanov readings. History of Russian statehood and the Romanov dynasty: current problems of study. Kostroma. May 29-30, 2008.
Abbreviations(including a brief explanation of abbreviations).
Literature:
A. Papkov: "The life and works of Prince P. G. Oldenburg", St. Petersburg. 1885; Y. Shreyr: "The fiftieth anniversary of Prince P. G. Oldenburg", St. Petersburg. 1881; "Anniversary of E. I. V. Ave. P. G. Oldenburgsky" ("Northern Post" 1808, No. 245); I. Seleznev: “Fiftieth anniversary of the IV Department of E.I.V.’s Own Chancellery”, St. Petersburg. 1878; "Fiftieth anniversary of the Imperial School of Law", St. Petersburg. 1886; I. Seleznev: "Historical sketch of the Imperial former Tsarskoye Selo, now Alexander Lyceum", St. Petersburg. 1861; "Anniversary of the 25-year trusteeship of Emperor Alexander. Lyceum of the E. I. V. Ave. P. G. Oldenburgsky" ("Russian Invalid", 1868, No. 310); "Collection of materials for the history of St. Petersburg. Commercial School", St. Petersburg. 1889, 3 volumes; A. G. Timofeev: "History of St. Petersburg. Commercial School", St. Petersburg. 1901: "St. Petersburg Higher Women's Courses for 25 years", St. Petersburg. 1903; V. Timofeev: "50th anniversary of St. Petersburg. Nikolaev Orphan Institute", St. Petersburg. 1887; Skachkov I.A.: "A brief historical sketch of the orphanage of Prince P.G. Oldenburg", St. Petersburg. 1883 and 1896; S. Maslov: "Historical Review of the Imperial Moscow. General Agricultural Economy."; M. 1846; "Twenty-fifth anniversary of St. Petersburg women's gymnasiums", St. Petersburg. 1883; S. S. Tatishchev: "Emperor Alexander II", St. Petersburg. 1903; Korf: "The Life of Count Speransky", St. Petersburg. 1861; "Correspondence between Grot and Pletnev", vol. I, II, III; Barsukov: “The Life and Works of Pogodin” (index); "From the pedagogical autobiography of L. N. Modzalevsky", St. Petersburg. 1899, p. 23; "News" 1881, No. 115, "Voice", 1880, No. 337, 1881, No. 121-127 and other newspapers of the same year; "Russian Archive" 1891; "Russian Antiquity" vol. 29, 30, 31, 37, 43, 77, etc. Encyclopedic Dictionaries. - Poems of the Prince: "Ballad - Euterpe and Terpsichore" (1863). Memories of September 30th 1864 (1864)".
