Vladimir Dmitrievich Nabokov
Encyclopedia
Vladimir Dmitrievich Nabokov (Russian: Владимир Дмитриевич Набоков) (21 July 1870 – 28 March 1922) was a Russia
n criminologist
, journalist, and progressive statesman during the last years of the Russian Empire
. He was the father of Russian-American author Vladimir Nabokov
.
from 1878 to 1885, and his mother Maria von Korff (1842–1926) was a Baron
ess from a prominent Baltic German
family in Courland
.
He studied criminal law at the University of St. Petersburg and taught criminology at the Imperial School of Jurisprudence.
V. D. Nabokov married Elena Ivanovna Rukavishnikova in 1897, with whom he had five children. Their eldest son was the writer and lepidopterist
Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov
, who portrayed his father in his memoirs (Speak, Memory
, 1967); V. V. Nabokov included in his novel Pale Fire
a scene of misdirected assassination evoking the death of his father. Other children were Sergey (1900–1945), Olga (1903–1978), Kirill (1911–1964) and Elena (1906–2000).
("The Speech").
A prominent member of the Constitutional Democratic Party
(CD, the "Kadets"), Nabokov was elected to Russia's parliament, the First Duma. In 1917, after the February Revolution
, Nabokov helped draft the document for Grand Duke Michael
's refusal of the throne. Nabokov was made secretary to the Provisional Government; however, he was forced to leave St. Petersburg in December 1917 after the Provisional Government was overthrown by the Bolshevik revolution
. In 1918 he served as minister of justice in the regional government of Crimea
, where he and his family had taken refuge. In 1919 the Nabokovs fled to England and later settled in Berlin
.
From 1920 until his death, Nabokov was the editor of the Russian émigré
newspaper Rul ("The Rudder"), which continued to advocate a pro-Western democratic government in Russia.
on 28 March 1922. During the proceedings, a far-right Russian activist approached the stage singing the Tsarist national anthem and then opened fire on liberal politician and publisher Pavel Miliukov. In response, Nabokov jumped off the stage and wrestled the gunman down to the floor. Another assassin then shot Nabokov twice, killing him instantly. One of the assassins was Piotr Shabelsky-Bork
, who was subsequently convicted of the murder and sentenced to a fourteen-year prison term, but who served only a small part of that sentence — the judicial system of Germany at the time being more lenient with right-wing criminals than with their leftist equivalents. Upon his release, Shabelsy-Bork befriended Alfred Rosenberg
, the notorious Nazi ideologue. Nabokov's demise was in keeping with his career as a democrat: he died defending Pavel Miliukov, who was one of his own political rivals. After the shooting, the assassins realized that they had failed even to wound their intended target. Nabokov is buried at the Berlin-Tegel Russian Orthodox Cemetery
.
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n criminologist
Criminology
Criminology is the scientific study of the nature, extent, causes, and control of criminal behavior in both the individual and in society...
, journalist, and progressive statesman during the last years of the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
. He was the father of Russian-American author Vladimir Nabokov
Vladimir Nabokov
Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov was a multilingual Russian novelist and short story writer. Nabokov wrote his first nine novels in Russian, then rose to international prominence as a master English prose stylist...
.
Life
Nabokov was born in Tsarskoe Selo, into a wealthy and aristocratic family. His father Dmitry Nabokov (1827–1904) was a Justice Minister in the reign of Alexander IIAlexander II of Russia
Alexander II , also known as Alexander the Liberator was the Emperor of the Russian Empire from 3 March 1855 until his assassination in 1881...
from 1878 to 1885, and his mother Maria von Korff (1842–1926) was a Baron
Baron
Baron is a title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and Latin baro meaning " man, warrior"; it merged with cognate Old English beorn meaning "nobleman"...
ess from a prominent Baltic German
Baltic German
The Baltic Germans were mostly ethnically German inhabitants of the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, which today form the countries of Estonia and Latvia. The Baltic German population never made up more than 10% of the total. They formed the social, commercial, political and cultural élite in...
family in Courland
Courland
Courland is one of the historical and cultural regions of Latvia. The regions of Semigallia and Selonia are sometimes considered as part of Courland.- Geography and climate :...
.
He studied criminal law at the University of St. Petersburg and taught criminology at the Imperial School of Jurisprudence.
V. D. Nabokov married Elena Ivanovna Rukavishnikova in 1897, with whom he had five children. Their eldest son was the writer and lepidopterist
Lepidopterist
A lepidopterist is a person who specialises in the study of Lepidoptera, members of an order encompassing moths and the three superfamilies of butterflies, skipper butterflies, and moth-butterflies...
Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov
Vladimir Nabokov
Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov was a multilingual Russian novelist and short story writer. Nabokov wrote his first nine novels in Russian, then rose to international prominence as a master English prose stylist...
, who portrayed his father in his memoirs (Speak, Memory
Speak, Memory
Speak, Memory is an autobiographical memoir by writer Vladimir Nabokov.-Scope:The book is dedicated to his wife, Véra, and covers his life from 1903 until his emigration to America in 1940. The first twelve chapters describe Nabokov's remembrance of his youth in an aristocratic family living in...
, 1967); V. V. Nabokov included in his novel Pale Fire
Pale Fire
Pale Fire is a novel by Vladimir Nabokov. The novel is presented as a 999-line poem titled "Pale Fire", written by the fictional John Shade, with a foreword and lengthy commentary by a neighbor and academic colleague of the poet. Together these elements form a narrative in which both authors are...
a scene of misdirected assassination evoking the death of his father. Other children were Sergey (1900–1945), Olga (1903–1978), Kirill (1911–1964) and Elena (1906–2000).
Career
From 1904 until 1917 he was the editor of the liberal newspaper RechRech (newspaper)
Rech was a Russian daily newspaper and the central organ of the Constitutional Democratic Party. Rech was published in St. Petersburg from February 1906 to October 1917....
("The Speech").
A prominent member of the Constitutional Democratic Party
Constitutional Democratic party
The Constitutional Democratic Party was a liberal political party in the Russian Empire. Party members were called Kadets, from the abbreviation K-D of the party name...
(CD, the "Kadets"), Nabokov was elected to Russia's parliament, the First Duma. In 1917, after the February Revolution
February Revolution
The February Revolution of 1917 was the first of two revolutions in Russia in 1917. Centered around the then capital Petrograd in March . Its immediate result was the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II, the end of the Romanov dynasty, and the end of the Russian Empire...
, Nabokov helped draft the document for Grand Duke Michael
Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich of Russia
Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich of Russia was the youngest son of Emperor Alexander III of Russia.At the time of his birth, his paternal grandfather was still the reigning Emperor of All the Russias. Michael was fourth-in-line to the throne following his father and elder brothers Nicholas and...
's refusal of the throne. Nabokov was made secretary to the Provisional Government; however, he was forced to leave St. Petersburg in December 1917 after the Provisional Government was overthrown by the Bolshevik revolution
October Revolution
The October Revolution , also known as the Great October Socialist Revolution , Red October, the October Uprising or the Bolshevik Revolution, was a political revolution and a part of the Russian Revolution of 1917...
. In 1918 he served as minister of justice in the regional government of Crimea
Crimea
Crimea , or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea , is a sub-national unit, an autonomous republic, of Ukraine. It is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name...
, where he and his family had taken refuge. In 1919 the Nabokovs fled to England and later settled in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
.
From 1920 until his death, Nabokov was the editor of the Russian émigré
Émigré
Émigré is a French term that literally refers to a person who has "migrated out", but often carries a connotation of politico-social self-exile....
newspaper Rul ("The Rudder"), which continued to advocate a pro-Western democratic government in Russia.
Death
V. D. Nabokov attended a CD political conference in BerlinBerlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
on 28 March 1922. During the proceedings, a far-right Russian activist approached the stage singing the Tsarist national anthem and then opened fire on liberal politician and publisher Pavel Miliukov. In response, Nabokov jumped off the stage and wrestled the gunman down to the floor. Another assassin then shot Nabokov twice, killing him instantly. One of the assassins was Piotr Shabelsky-Bork
Piotr Shabelsky-Bork
Piotr Nikolaevich Shabelsky-Bork was a Russian officer active in anti-Semitic politics, who became a member of a Russian Nazi movement. He is best known for his 1922 murder of Vladimir Nabokov, father of the Russian-American novelist of the same name.Shabelsky-Bork was born in Kislovodsk to a...
, who was subsequently convicted of the murder and sentenced to a fourteen-year prison term, but who served only a small part of that sentence — the judicial system of Germany at the time being more lenient with right-wing criminals than with their leftist equivalents. Upon his release, Shabelsy-Bork befriended Alfred Rosenberg
Alfred Rosenberg
' was an early and intellectually influential member of the Nazi Party. Rosenberg was first introduced to Adolf Hitler by Dietrich Eckart; he later held several important posts in the Nazi government...
, the notorious Nazi ideologue. Nabokov's demise was in keeping with his career as a democrat: he died defending Pavel Miliukov, who was one of his own political rivals. After the shooting, the assassins realized that they had failed even to wound their intended target. Nabokov is buried at the Berlin-Tegel Russian Orthodox Cemetery
Berlin-Tegel Russian Orthodox Cemetery
The cemetery of the Russian Orthodox church in the Witte street in Berlin-Tegel in the Charlottenburg district is the only Russian Orthodox burial ground in Berlin. The cemetery is owned and operated by the Brotherhood of St...
.
External links
- Vladimir Dmitrievich Nabokov at Dieter E. Zimmer's Nabokov Family Web