Alexander Imeretinsky

Alexander Konstantinovich Bagration-Imeretinsky (Polish: Aleksandr Imeretyński, Russian: Алекса́ндр Константи́нович Имере́тинский, Georgian: ალექსანდრე კონსტანტინეს ძე ბაგრატიონ-იმერეტინსკი) (24 September 1837 - 17 November 1900) was a Georgian royal prince (batonishvili) and a General of the Russian Imperial Army. A hero of the Russo-Turkish War of 1977, he served as Governor-General of Warsaw in Poland, where he was known for his liberal policies that ultimately led to his replacement by the Russian authorities.

Family

Alexander Imeretinsky was born in Moscow Gubernia on 24 September 1837 to a Georgian royal family of Bagrationi. His father, Prince Constantine of Imereti was a head of the royal house of the former Kingdom of Imereti (annexed by Russia in 1810) and a Major General in Russian army. Imeretinsky graduated from Page Corps in Saint Petersburg.

Imperial Russian service

Since 1855 he served in Russian Imperial Guard (Mounted Pioneers squad). He took part in the Caucasian War against Chechens and Dagestanis (1856-1859 with Georgian Grenadiers Regiment) then studied at the Nicholas General Staff Academy (1862–1863). He took part in submission of Polish January Uprising in 1863, then became the chief of staff of Russian Army in Warsaw (1867). Since 1867 he is a Major General, since 1869 the Commander of the Warsaw Military District. During the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878) Imeretinsky was the Commander of the Second Infantry Division taking part in the Battle of Lovcha (together with Mikhail Skobelev) and the Siege of Plevna. After the storming of Plevna he became a Lieutenant General. In 1879 he became the chief of Petersburg Military District. In 1881-1886 he became the Military Procurator-in-Chief of Russia (responsible among other things for the investigation and persecution of the organizers of murder of Emperor Alexander II of Russia (1881). Since 1882 he became a member of State Council of Imperial Russia.

Governor-General of Warsaw

In 1897 he replaced Pavel Andreyevich Shuvalov as the Governor-general of Warsaw. He was a supporter of Polish-Russian cooperation, and thought that Poles would voluntarily integrate themselves into the Russian Empire if given the choice and fair treatment. For that reason he removed some restrictive laws, such as one that forbade use of the Polish language in schools, and dismissed the unpopular oveseerer of education system, Alexander Apuchtin. He also gave permission to erect a monument to Adam Mickiewicz, the great Polish poet.

He was criticized for his liberal stance by certain Russian and Polish factions. After Polish Socialist Party in 1898 published an article critical of Imeretinsky's liberal policy, it gained much notoriety, and he was dismissed in 1900, dying on 17 November that year.

Awards

• Order of St. Anna, 2nd class (1866) and 1st class (1875)
• Order of St. Vladimir, 3rd class (1871), 2nd class (1879) and 1st class (1896)
• Order of St. Stanislaus, 1st class (1873)
• Golden Sword for Bravery (1877)
• Order of St. George, 4th class (1877) and 3rd class (1877)
• Order of the White Eagle (1882)
• Order of St. Alexander Nevsky (1885)