Niko I Dadiani, Prince of Megrelia

Niko I (Nikolas) Dadiani (b. 4 January 1847, Zugdidi ― d. 23 January 1903, Saint-Petersburg) was the last ruling prince of the Western Georgian Principality of Megrelia in southeastern Europe. After the formal abolition of his principality by Russia, he served as a general in the Imperial Russian Army.

Family

Niko was born to Prince David of Megrelia and his wife Ekaterine. He was seven years old when his father died and his mother assumed control of the principality as a regent. During the confrontation of Megrelia with the invading Turkish forces in the times of the Crimean War, Niko enlisted in the army and stood by his mother who refused to surrender to the Ottomans. When his mother Princess Ekaterine moved to Saint-Petersburg Niko accompanied her and later moved to Paris where he received his education. He was married to Countess Maria Adlerberg, the daughter of a Russian aristocrat and a Minister of the Imperial Court Count Alexander Adlerberg.

Abolition of the Principality

In 1866 the principality of Megrelia was abolished by the Russian Emperor but Niko retained the title of "His Serene Highness Prince of Megrelia." As a compensation for his losses, Prince Dadiani received one million roubles from the Russian Government, helping him to save the dynastic estates, including the Dadiani Mansion. Being relieved of the duties he previously had as a ruling prince, Niko found himself a successful career in the Imperial Army. He was awarded a golden sword for bravery during the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878), being promoted to the status of a Major General in 1878. Prince Niko died in 1903 and was buried in the medieval monastery of Martvili along with his mother Ekaterine.

Trivia

• Prince Niko was known to be friends with Nicholas Alexandrovich, Tsarevich of Russia.
• In 1886 the Russian Government nominated Niko to replace the deposed Alexander, Prince of Bulgaria. The bid, however, was unsuccessful as the Bulgarian regency rejected his candidacy and elected Ferdinand I of Bulgaria instead.
• He worked on spreading literacy in Georgia, donating a wealth of old books from his dynastic library.
• He had a daughter Menik from an extramarital affair with Caesaria Chicovani

References