Aleksandr Mikhailovich Golitsyn (17 November 1718 – 8 October 1783) was a Russian prince of the Galitzine

Galitzine

For Orthodox clergyman and theologian, see Alexander Golitzin.The Galitzines are one of the largest and noblest princely houses of Russia. Since the extinction of the Korecki family in the 17th century, the Golitsyns have claimed dynastic seniority in the House of Gediminas...

 and field marshal

Field Marshal

Field Marshal is a military rank. Traditionally, it is the highest military rank in an army.-Etymology:The origin of the rank of field marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses , from the time of the early Frankish kings.-Usage and hierarchical...

. He was the governor of Saint Petersburg

Saint Petersburg

Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...

 in 1780 to 1783.

Early life

As was traditional for noble families, Golitsyn's name was inscribed as a captain on the list of the Life Guards while still a child. He lost his father aged 13. The family was then out of favour with empress Anna of Russia

Anna of Russia

Anna of Russia or Anna Ivanovna reigned as Duchess of Courland from 1711 to 1730 and as Empress of Russia from 1730 to 1740.-Accession to the throne:Anna was the daughter of Ivan V of Russia, as well as the niece of Peter the Great...

 and so Alexander could not count on high patronage, so went to spend 17 years in Austria, where he fought in the Austrian army and gained the notice of Prince Eugene of Savoy

Prince Eugene of Savoy

Prince Eugene of Savoy , was one of the most successful military commanders in modern European history, rising to the highest offices of state at the Imperial court in Vienna. Born in Paris to aristocratic Italian parents, Eugene grew up around the French court of King Louis XIV...

. On his return to Russia in 1740 Alexander was sent to Constantinople in the entourage of ambassador A Rumyantsev, but soon received a new assignment, as Russian Minister Plenipotentiary to the Dukes of Saxony at Dresden

Dresden

Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....

.

Seven Years' War

Elizabeth of Russia came to the throne at the end of 1741 and the Golitsyn family returned to royal favour. During her reign Alexander successfully climbed the military and diplomatic career ladder and by 1744 was already at the rank of lieutenant general. In 1757 he was appointed to a command in the army fighting Prussia in the Seven Years' War

Seven Years' War

The Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...

. In 1758 he distinguished himself by capturing Тorea and at commanded the Russian left flank. Pyotr Saltykov

Pyotr Saltykov

Count Pyotr Semyonovich Saltykov was a Russian statesman and a military figure, russian general-fieldmarshal , son of Semyon Saltykov....

's battleplan depended on deliberately drawing Frederick II of Prussia

Frederick II of Prussia

Frederick II was a King in Prussia and a King of Prussia from the Hohenzollern dynasty. In his role as a prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire, he was also Elector of Brandenburg. He was in personal union the sovereign prince of the Principality of Neuchâtel...

's troops to attack the Russian left flank, so that the enemy could then be attacked from the centre and the right flank. Golitsyn had a hard time and after a staunch defence his troops were ultimately unable to survive the Prussian infantry and cavalry onslaught and retreated, with Alexander himself wounded - military historians later found an analogy between this situation and Bagration's troops on the Russian left flank at , who were also the main target of the enemy assault and withdrew, with Bagration fatally wounded and unable to build on his success. At Kunersdorf, however, Saltykov's battleplan was a success and Frederick lost the battle, with Golitsyn awarded the Order of Alexander Nevsky

Order of Alexander Nevsky

The Order of Alexander Nevsky is an order of merit bestowed by the Russian Federation. It is named in honour ofAlexander Nevsky's struggle with the Teutonic Knights....

 and the rank of general-in-chief by Elizabeth. At the end of the war with Prussia, he was appointed commander of Russian troops in Livonia

Livonia

Livonia is a historic region along the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea. It was once the land of the Finnic Livonians inhabiting the principal ancient Livonian County Metsepole with its center at Turaida...

.

Russo-Turkish War

On Catherine II of Russia

Catherine II of Russia

Catherine II, also known as Catherine the Great , Empress of Russia, was born in Stettin, Pomerania, Prussia on as Sophie Friederike Auguste von Anhalt-Zerbst-Dornburg...

's accession in 1762 Golitsyn was awarded the Order of Saint Andrew and the title of the Adjutant General. By becoming a member of the High Court Council, he used the empress's influence and his diplomatic and military knowledge. At the start of the Russo-Turkish War (1768–1774), Golitsyn was entrusted with the command of an army, with which he moved on Khotyn

Khotyn

Khotyn is a city in Chernivtsi Oblast of western Ukraine, and is the administrative center of Khotyn Raion within the oblast, and is located south-west of Kamianets-Podilskyi. According to the 2001 Ukrainian census, it has a population of 11,124...

. Splitting 40th Corps, he did not dare assault the city and withdrew to re-supply his troops and strengthen his rearguard. In 1769 he moved on Khotyn again and began to besiege it. The arrival of fresh Turkish and Tartar troops could bolster the besieged garrison and increase Russian casualties during the final assault, so he decided to raise the siege and led the army from the Dnieper hoping to draw the enemy garrison out into open battle on ground favourable to him. In the meantime Catherine decided to replace Golitsyn as general-in-chief with Pyotr Rumyantsev

Pyotr Rumyantsev

Count Pyotr Alexandrovich Rumyantsev-Zadunaisky was one of the foremost Russian generals of the 18th century. He governed Little Russia in the name of Empress Catherine the Great from the abolition of the Cossack Hetmanate in 1764 until Catherine's death 32 years later...

, who she hoped would act more decisively, but before Rumyantsev's arrival Golitsyn succeeded into drawing the Turkish forces onto favourable ground - under the command of Supreme Vizier Moldavanchi, they attacked Golitsyn's force on 29 August and were defeated, losing up to 7,000 men, around 70 guns and all their baggage.

Without delay Golitsyn's army began to pursue the enemy, capturing Khotyn on 9 September - its garrison and many residents fled, leaving the city half empty. Golitsyn then handed the army over to Rumyantsev and returned to Saint Petersburg, where Catherine welcomed him and made him a field marshal on 20 October 1769. After the Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca

Treaty of Kucuk Kaynarca

The Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca was signed on 21 July 1774, in Küçük Kaynarca , Dobruja between the Russian Empire and the Ottoman Empire after the Ottoman Empire was defeated in the...

 Golitsyn was awarded with a diamond sword with an inscription that translated "For the purification of Moldova

Moldova

Moldova , officially the Republic of Moldova is a landlocked state in Eastern Europe, located between Romania to the West and Ukraine to the North, East and South. It declared itself an independent state with the same boundaries as the preceding Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1991, as part...

 as far as Iaşi

Iasi

Iași is the second most populous city and a municipality in Romania. Located in the historical Moldavia region, Iași has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Romanian social, cultural, academic and artistic life...

" and the 69th Infantry Regiment was re-named after him. The military writer Dmitri Bantysh-Kamensky

Dmitri Bantysh-Kamensky

Dmitri Bantysh-Kamensky was a Russian statesman and historian. He served as Governor of Tobolsk Province and then Governor of Vilna Province ....

 recounts how Golitsyn invited Saltykov, under whom he had fought at Kunersdorf, to visit the Dormition Cathedral. As they both entered the church, nobody was inside it and Saltykov said to Golitsyn "It's as empty as Khotyn".

Later career

After the war Golitsyn became one of the Russian statesmen who were Catherine's close confidents. In 1769 he was made a member of the board at the imperial court, in 1772 adjutant general, in December 1884 a senator, from 1775 to 1782 a member of the council for 1st Cadet Corps (as commander of the 1,777 troops stationed in Livonia), from September 1778 senior director of the revisions board and from May 1779 a position on the commission for the structure of the capital and other cities. In 1780, at Golitsyn's initiative, the nobility of the province of Saint Petersburg decided to award Catherine the title "Mother of the Fatherland", but she refused it - at the refusal, Golitsyn replied "Do not purchase empty names as the subject of my reign, but that of bringing good and calm to the fatherland".

Golitsyn was governor general of Saint Petersburg in 1775 and from 1780 to 1783 and carried out several public works to beautify it. In 1775 he completed the casting of the equestrian statue of Peter I for the city. By decree of Catherine, on April 17, 1775 a new general school was set up in the city. He also established loans schemes and put on Dana's first Russian opera, 'Cephalus and Procris'. He reformed the city's police in 1782, dividing it into 10 police districts, opened the Obukhov insane asylum and built stone storehouses on New Holland island. On 7 August 1782 he inaugurated the Peter the Great monument on Senate Square. He was one of the eleven people awarded the ribbon of the Order of Saint Vladimir at its establishment on 22 September 1782. He died in 1783 and was buried in the Church of the Annunciation on Alexander Nevsky Lavra

Alexander Nevsky Lavra

Saint Alexander Nevsky Lavra or Saint Alexander Nevsky Monastery was founded by Peter I of Russia in 1710 at the eastern end of the Nevsky Prospekt in St. Petersburg supposing that that was the site of the Neva Battle in 1240 when Alexander Nevsky, a prince, defeated the Swedes; however, the battle...

.