Georgy Lvov

Prince Georgy Yevgenyevich Lvov (Russian: Георгий Евгеньевич Львов Georgij Evgen'evič L'vov) (30 November 1861 – 7 March 1925) was a Russian statesman and the first post-imperial prime minister of Russia, from 15 March to 21 July 1917.

Pre-Revolution

Prince Lvov was born in Dresden into a Rurikid family, descended from sovereign princes of Yaroslavl. His family moved home to Popovka in the Aleksin region near Tula from Germany soon after his birth. He graduated from the University of Moscow with a degree in law, then worked in the civil service until 1893. During the Russo-Japanese War he organized relief work in the East and in 1905, he joined the liberal Constitutional Democratic Party. A year later he won election to the First Duma and was nominated for a ministerial position. He became chairman of the All-Russian Union of Zemstvos in 1914 and in 1915 he became a leader of the Union of Zemstvos as well as a member of Zemgor, a joint committee of the Union of Zemstvos and the Union of Towns that helped supply the military and tend to the wounded from World War I.

Later years

During the first Russian Revolution and the abdication of Nicholas II, emperor of Russia, Lvov was made head of the provisional government, formally appointed by Nicholas II as his last act as a sovereign. Unable to rally sufficient support, he resigned in July 1917 in favour of his Minister of Justice, Alexander Kerensky. Lvov was arrested when the Bolsheviks seized power later that year. He escaped and settled in Paris, where he spent the rest of his life.

Memorials

There is a memorial to Prince Lvov in Aleksin as well as a small exhibition on him in the town museum. In Popovka there is another memorial opposite his local church and a plaque on the wall of the local school he founded. He is buried in Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois cemetery in France.

Further reading

Lvov wrote an autobiography, 'Воспоминания' ("Memories"), while in exile and a biography was also written in 1932 by Tikhon Polner entitled 'Жизненный путь князя Георгія Евгеніевича Львова. Личность. Взгляды. Условія дѣятельности' ("The Life course of Prince Georgij Evgenievich L'vov. Personality. Views. Activities"). Neither has been translated but both have been reprinted and are still available in Russian.

Notes

Note on transliteration: An older French form, Lvoff, is used on his tombstone. Georgy can be written as Georgi and is sometimes seen in its translated form, George.

External links

•  "Lvov, Prince George Eugenievich". Encyclopædia Britannica (12th ed.). 1922. 
• (Russian) Lvov Days and memorials
• (Russian) Aleksin Museum of Art and Regional Studies
• (Russian) Publishers of Lvov's biographies
• (Russian) Biography of Prince Lvov at www.praviteli.org