Peter Bagrationi
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Peter (Petre) Bagrationi or Pyotr Romanovich Bagration (September 12, 1818-January 17, 1876) was an outstanding Russian-Georgian statesman, general and scientist, the inventor of the first dry galvanic cell, and descendant of the Georgian Kings. His father Roman (Revaz) Bagrationi (1778-1834) was a famous general, brother of the well-known general Pyotr Bagration (1765-1812).
In 1840 he graduated from the Military Academy in(St.Petersburg, Russia). In 1862-1870 Bagrationi was the Governor of Tver province and in 1870-1876 he was the Governor-General of Baltic countries (Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia). In 1865 he received the rank of Lieutenant-General.
Peter Bagrationi started his scientific activity in 1841. From this year to the end of his life he continued his research in the Scientific Laboratory of Physics at the St.Petersburg Academy of Sciences (now Russian Academy of Sciences) together with the outstanding scientist, Academician B. Jacobi.
Bagrationi created the first dry galvanic cell in 1843. He published a monograph on this question ("Sur la priorite que possedent les cyanures potassiques et ferro-potassiques de dissoudre les metaux") in the four issues of the "Bulletin of the Petersburg Academy of Sciences" (No 3-6) which was published in London and Paris in 1845. He devoted some other works to this question where he examined the processes proceeded in the galvanic cell and under galvanoplastics.
In 1845 Bagrationi was sent by the Petersburg Academy of Sciences to Germany, France and England. He created the solubility of metallic gold, silver and copper in the aqueous solution of the cyanide of alkali metals which was taken as a principle of a "cyanide process" actively putting into practice so far.
In 1847 Bagrationi discovered a variety of mineral Oryzite named 'Bagrationit'.
For his fruitful scientific activity Bagrationi was awarded the Prize of the Petersburg Academy of Sciences in 1850.
Bagrationi died in 1876, in St.Petersburg.
