Dmitry Ivanovitch Sviatopolk-Mirskii

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Dmitry Ivanovitch Sviatopolk-Mirskii (Russian: Дмитрий Иванович Святополк-Мирский, 1825 - 1899) was a Russian infantry General and a politician, of the Svyatopolk-Mirsky family.

Dmitry was born to the family of Thomas Bogumile Jean Sviatopolk-Mirskii, the ambassador of the semi-independent Kingdom of Poland to Russia. Dmitry's patronymic Ivanovich was based on a Russified form of the third name of his father. Despite being a member of a Polish szlachta he was brought up in Saint Petersburg and considered himself Russian.

He began his military service in 1841 on the Caucasus, fighting against Chechens and Daghestanis. During the Russo-Turkish War, 1853-56 he took part in the Battle at Kuruk-Dara, then he commanded the Chernigov Regiment during the Battle of Chernaya River of the Crimean War, where he was seriously wounded. During the Crimean war he became acquainted with Leo Tolstoy (who was a junior officer then), with whom he had life-long correspondence.

In 1857-1859 he commanded the Kabarda Regiment, took part in the storm of Gunib, and the capture of Imam Shamil. After the pacification of the Eastern Caucasus, he became the ruler of the Terek region, then the Governor-General of Kutaisi. In 1876 he became the deputy of the Ruler of the Caucasus Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolayevich.

During the Russo-Turkish War, 1877-78 Dmitry Sviatopolk-Mirskii was the chief of the General Staff of the Russian troops during Battle of Kars. In 1880 he became a member of State Council of Imperial Russia. In 1884 he became the governor of Kharkov.

[edit] Family

His younger brother Nikolai Ivanovitch Sviatopolk-Mirskii was also a prominent general and politician.

Dmitry Ivanovitch Sviatopolk-Mirskii had one son Pyotr Dmitrievich Sviatopolk-Mirskii, future Minister of Interior of Russia and three daughters Irina, Olga and Maria married to prominent administrators of Imperial Russia (minister for Finland, von Den, prince Bariatinsky and prince Orbeliani, repectively). Olga was also a Lady-in-waiting (before her marriage) and a life-long friend to Empress Maria Fyodorovna, wife of Alexander III of Russia.