Kirill Razumovsky
Count Kirill Grigoryevich Razumovski (Razumovsky), anglicized as Cyril Grigoryevich Razumovski (Russian: Кирилл Григорьевич Разумовский, Ukrainian: Кирило Григорович Розумовський, romanized: Kyrylo Hryhorovych Rozumovskyi;[2] 18 March 1728 – 1 January 1803) was a Russian Imperial statesman of Ukrainian Cossack descent, who served as the last Hetman of Zaporozhian Host on both sides of the Dnieper (from 1750 until 1764) and then as a Field marshal in the Russian Imperial Army. Razumovsky was the President of the St. Petersburg Imperial Academy of Sciences from 1746 until 1798.
Kirill Razumovsky | |
|---|---|
 Portrait of Count Kirill Razumovsky, by Louis Tocqué, 1758. | |
| Hetman of Zaporizhian Host | |
| In office 1750–1764 | |
| Monarchs | Elizabeth Peter III Catherine the Great |
| Preceded by | Office re-established(previously Danylo Apostol) |
| Succeeded by | Office abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Kyrylo (or Kirill) Rozum 18 March 1728 Lemeshi, Kiev Regiment, Cossack Hetmanate, Russian Empire |
| Died | 9 January 1803 (aged 74) Baturyn, Chernigov Governorate, Russian Empire |
| Resting place | Refectory Church of Resurrection of Christ,[1] Baturyn |
| Citizenship | Russian Empire (subject) |
| Nationality | Ukrainian |
| Spouse | Yekaterina Ivanovna Naryshkina |
| Children | Aleksey, Andrey, Petr, Lev, Grigoriy, Ivan, Natalia, Elizabeth, Anna, Paraskeva |
| Residence(s) | Saint Petersburg Baturyn, Kiev Viceroyalty |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Russian Empire |
| Rank | Field Marshal (1764) |
Biography
Razumovsky was born to a family of low rank Cossack Hryhoriy Rozum in Lemeshi Russian Empire, Kiev Regiment on 18 March 1728.[1] The village Lemeshi where Razumovsky was born to this day stands in Chernihiv Raion, Chernihiv Oblast, Ukraine.
From 1743 to 1744 Kirill Razumovsky incognito attended the University of Göttingen. Razumovsky's adjutant in his journey to Germany was Grigory Teplov. Teplov wielded influence over Little Russia in his capacity as the secretary and advisor to Kirill Razumovsky (whose cousin he married). Razumovsky was appointed President of the Russian Academy of Sciences when he just turned 18 years old due to the influence of his brother, Aleksey Razumovsky, the morganatic husband of Empress Elisabeth of Russia.
In 1750, Razumovsky was elected and subsequently appointed Hetman of Zaporizhian Host, a title he held until Catherine II of Russia abolished this title in 1764, in exchange Razumovsky was granted a rank of Field marshal of Russian Army in 1764. During his service as Hetman of Zaporizhian Host, Baturin was re-established as residence of the Hetman, and Razumovsky had opulent baroque palaces erected both in Baturin as well as in Hlukhiv by the imperial architect Andrey Kvasov and Charles Cameron. Together with Grigory Teplov he also planned to open a university in Baturin. Kirill Razumovsky died in January 1803 in Baturin, where he was interred according to his wishes without any pomp, in stark contrast to his rather flamboyant lifestyle.
Kirill married Yekaterina Naryshkina and had five sons, of whom Count Aleksey Kirillovich Razumovsky (1748–1822) was the Minister of Education in 1810–16, and Prince Andrey Razumovsky (1752–1836) was the Russian plenipotentiary ambassador in Vienna in the years of the Congress 1814–1815. However, Andrey has become better known for his role as patron of Ludwig van Beethoven who dedicated three String Quartets, Op.59 1, 2 and 3, as well as the 5th and 6th Symphonies to him. Any living descendants in the male line of Kirill Razumovsky arise from the progeniture of his fourth son Gregory Razumovsky (1759–1837), who had to emigrate to Western Europe and acquired relative fame as natural scientist and member of a number of distinguished scientific societies in Austria, Prussia and Switzerland.
Arms
 |
Memory
- On Day of Unity of Ukraine in 2009 was solemnly presented a monument "The Hetmans. The Prayer for Ukraine". This monument immortalises five hetmans - Demian Ihnatovych, Ivan Samoilovych, Ivan Mazepa, Pylyp Orlyk and Kirill Razumovsky - in Baturyn, Chernihiv Region.[3]
Literature
- Maria Razumovsky. Die Rasumovskys: eine Familie am Zarenhof. Köln 1998. — 300 S.
See also
References
- Putro, O. Kyrylo Rozumovsky (РОЗУМОВСЬКИЙ КИРИЛО ГРИГОРОВИЧ). Encyclopedia of History of Ukraine.
- Oleksander Ohloblyn. Rozumovsky, Kyrylo. Encyclopedia of Ukraine
- The Hetmans. The Prayer for Ukraine monument.
External links
- Kyrylo Rozumovsky at the Encyclopedia of Ukraine
- Kyrylo Rozumovsky at the Jurist Encyclopedia
- Palace's secrets. Kirill Razumovskiy, the Last Hetman. Kultura TV Channel (Russia).
- Koliada, I; Milko, V. Kyrylo Rozumovsky. "Folio".
- Kyrylo Rozumovsky. Ukrainians in the World.
- Soroka, Yu. Hetmanless period and the last Hetman of Ukraine.
| Predecessor Governing Council (Yakiv Lyzohub) |
 |
Hetman of Zaporizhian Host 1750–1764 |
|
Successor Collegium of Little Russia (post liquidated) |