Mikhail Loris-Melikov

Count Mikhail Tarielovich Loris-Melikov
An 1888 portrait of Loris-Melikov by Ivan AIVAZOVSKY.
Born	December 20, 1825 (1825-12-20) Tiflis, Russian Georgia
Died	December 10, 1888 (1888-12-11) Nice, France
Buried at	Tbilisi, Georgia
Allegiance	Russian Empire
Service/branch	Cavalry
Rank	General of the Cavalry
Unit	IX Russian Army Corps
Battles/wars	Caucasian War Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78

Count Mikhail Tarielovich Loris-Melikov (Russian: граф Михаил Тариелович Лорис-Меликов, Armenian: Միքայել Լորիս-ՄելիքովGeorgian: მიხეილ ტარიელის ძე ლორის-მელიქიშვილი; January 1 [O.S. December 20, 1825] 1826 – December 22 [O.S. December 10] 1888) was a Russian-Armenian statesman, General of the Cavalry, and Adjutant General of H. I. M. Retinue.

The Loris-Melikovs are the representatives of the old princely-count family. In the XIV-th century the ancestors of this family owned town Lori and the province of the same name and belonged to the top aristocratic society of Georgia. In Russian nobility the princely family of the Loris-Melikovs (is translated from Armenian as “The Princes of Lori”) was approved in 1832.

Biography

The earliest known ancestors of Count Mikhail Loris-Melikov hail from the Armenian monarchic dynasty of Bagratids, whose blood line is linked to Zakharian prince, hereditary commanders of Georgian armies in the 12th and 13th centuries. He was born in Tiflis in 1825. Died in Nice in 1888. Loris-Melikov was the son of prince Zohrab Melikov and his wife princess Ekaterina Akhverdova.

Count Mikhail Tariel Loris-Melikov was an outstanding statesman of Russian Empire, General-Adjutant, Member of the State Council. Count (1878), General from Cavalry (1875), an honorable member of Academy of Science of Petersburg (1880). The leader of military actions in the Caucasus 1877-78. In 1880 the Head of the Supreme Administrative Commission. In 1861 the Head South Dagestan and Mayor of Derbent, 1863 the Head of Tersk region. In 1879 was sent to Kharkov where he was appointed as General-Gubernator of Astrakhan, Saratov, Samara and Kharkov and was granted with unlimited power. Due to his unique success which crowned his activities in Kharkov, after the explosion in Winter Palace in Feb. 12, 1880 is appointed as the head of the Administrative Commission and in fact become a dictator. On the 6th of August 1880 is appointed as the Minister of Internal Affairs and the Chief of the Gendarmes, in fact, it meant that he was the second after the Imperator in the Machinery of the State.

Early life

He was born in Tiflis, Georgia in 1825 or 1826, and educated in St Petersburg, first at the Lazarev Institute of Oriental Languages, and afterwards at the Guards' Cadet Institute. He joined a hussar regiment, and four years afterwards (1847) he was sent to the Caucasus, where he remained for more than twenty years, and made for himself during troubled times the reputation of a distinguished cavalry officer and an able administrator. In the latter capacity, though a keen soldier, he aimed always at preparing the warlike and turbulent population committed to his charge for the transition from military to normal civil administration, and in this work his favorite instrument was the schoolmaster.

Military career

Left to right: Prince Pyotr Dmitrievich Sviatopolk-Mirskii, Grand Duke Michael Nikolaevich of Russia and Count Mikhail Tarielovich Loris-Melikov in 1877

In the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78, he commanded a separate corps d'armée on the Turkish frontier in Asia Minor. After taking the fortress of Ardahan, he was repulsed by Ahmed Muhtar Pasha at Zevin, but subsequently defeated his opponent at Ajaria, took Kars by storm, and laid siege to Erzerum. For these services he received the title of Count. He was awarded the Order of Saint George of the second degree on October 27, 1877 for his service in Ajaria.

Civil administrator

Tombstone of Mikhail Tarielovich Loris-Melikov. Pantheon of St. Kevork Armenian Apostolic Church, Tbilisi, Georgia(country).

In the following year, Loris-Melikov became the temporary governor-general of the region of the Lower Volga to combat an outbreak of the plague. The measures he adopted proved so effectual that he was transferred to the provinces of Central Russia to combat the Nihilists and Anarchists, who had adopted a policy of terrorism, and had succeeded in assassinating the governor of Kharkov.^[1]

His success in this struggle led to his appointment as chief of the Supreme Administrative Commission which had been created in St Petersburg after the February 1880 assassination attempt on the tsar to deal with the revolutionary agitation in general.^[2] Here, as in the Caucasus, he showed a decided preference for the employment of ordinary legal methods rather than exceptional extralegal measures, even after an attempt on his own life soon afterwards. He believed that the best policy was to strike at the root of the evil by removing the causes of popular discontent and recommended to the emperor Alexander II a large scheme of administrative and economic reforms. Alexander, who was beginning to lose faith in the efficacy of the simple method of police repression hitherto employed, lent a willing ear to the suggestion. When the Supreme Commission was dissolved in August 1880, he appointed Count Loris-Melikov Minister of the Interior with exceptional powers.^[3]

The proposed scheme of reforms was at once taken in hand but was never carried out. On the very day (13 March 1881) that the emperor signed a ukase creating several commissions, composed of officials and eminent private individuals, to prepare reforms in various branches of the administration, he was assassinated by Nihilist conspirators; and his successor, Alexander III, at once adopted a strongly reactionary policy. When en the new Emperor started to undo some of the reforms that his father, Alexander II had promulgated, Count Loris-Melikov resigned several months later and lived in retirement until his death at Nice on 22 December 1888.^[4]

Family tree

Wife: Princess NINA IVANOVNA ARGUTINSKAYA-DOLGORUKOVA.

Children:

• MARIA 1858-1916, Italy, lady-in-waiting. Husband Sergey Evgeniy Novikov 1859.
• SOFIA 1862.
• TARIEL 1863-1941, Paris, Colonel of Life Guard of the Preobrazhenskiy Regiment. Wife Varvara Nikolaevna Argutinskaya-Dolgorukova (1872–1942, Paris),
• KONSTANTIN, died in childhood.
• ZAKHARIY 1866-1896, Petersburg, single.
• ELIZABETH Wiesbaden, Germany. Husband Baron Konstantin Stanislav von Nolken (1878–1949).

TARIEL (STEPAN) LORIS-MELIKOV (1863–1941) – Colonel, Count, representative of an old Armenian princely-count family. The eldest son of the General-Lieutenant, the minister of internal Affairs of Russian Empire Count M.T. Loris Melikov. In 1913 reminded in chronics as the Colonel of Life Guard of the Preobrazhenskiy Regiment. Was married on the granddaughter of A.S.Pushkin on a female line – Princess Varvara Nikolay Argutinskaya-Dolgorukova (1872–1942, Paris). In Switzerland live continuers of the female line V. N. Argutinskaya-Dolgorukova – Count Aleksander Mikhail Loris Melikov (1926) and his four children Anna-Elizabeth, (1959), Dominica, (1961), Natalya (1963) and Mikhail (1964).

OKSEN TARIEl LORIS-MELIKOV (1895–1970) General-Mayor of Russian Empire, the full gentleman of Saint George crosses award. The Commander of Artillery of Dashnak government of Armenia (1916–1918). Being chased by the soviets in 1919 he changed his noble family name into Badalyan (from the Persian word “Bedal” which means repetition). His first wife Annette (Natalya) (1916–1944) is from an Armenian princely family Serebryakovs, her great grandfather is admiral Lazar markovich Serebryakov (1792–1862). In second marriage he married the daughter of baron Konstantin von Nolken (1878–1949) Olga Gilbert (maiden name von Nolken), from the first marriage when he was married with Elizabeth, the daughter of Loris Melikov (1904–1912), who is at the same time the grand daughter of Countess Olga Ada Merenberg.

Continuer of the family from Oksen and Annett:

• Sarkis Oksen Badalyan (1919–1993) – Colonel of aviation, participant in World War II , later worked on a leading post in the field of economy, was decorated with awards and medals.

His children:

- Stepan Sarkis Badalyan (1945) – Doctor of Mathematics, Emergency Management Minister of the Republic of Armenia.

- Lilia Sarkis Badalyan (1946) – Teacher of Music in the State Conservatory of Armenia.

- Yuri Sarkis Badalyan (1950) – Candidate of Economic Sciences, Vice Minister of Economy of the Republic of Armenia.

- Ljusi Sarkis Badalyan (1955) – Lecturer of Russian Language and Literature in Yerevan, Armenia.

• Tsolak Oksen Badalyan (1921–1991) – Capitan, a tank man, participant in World War II. In the post war period was on a responsible leading work in Armenia as a Mayor of the city of Vanadzor (province Lori), Minister of Trade, President of the Chamber of Trade and Industry, Deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the Republic of Armenia. Was decorated with numerous awards and medals of USSR and also is decorated with prestigious international award “Gold Mercury” (in USSR such an award is given only to The Secretary General of the USSR L.I. Brezhnev).

His Children:

- Ashot Tsolak Badalyan (1950) – a businessman, lives in Moscow.

Daughter:

Arpi Ashot Badalyan (1988) – expert on the Arab countries, lives in Los Angeles, US. Has a son – Tigran Ashot Zargaryan (2008).

- Anahit Tsolak Badalyan (1946) – Professor of the English Language at Yerevan State Linguistic University. Lives in Yerevan, Armenia.

Children:

Armen Edward Rostomyan (1970) – Doctor of Philosophy in Education (Kent State University, US). Lives in London (UK). Has two sons – Edward (2001) and Alain (2006).

Ara Edward Rostomyan (1974) – Doctor of Philosophy in Education (University of Hartford, US). Lives in Las Vegas (US).

- Armina Tsolak Badalian (1957) – Candidate of Philological Sciences, Businesswoman. Lives in Las Vegas (US).

Daughter:

Margaret Vladimir Akopian (1989) – Medical student. Lives in Las Vegas (US).

Notes

1. ^ Frank, Joseph (2003). Dostoevsky: The Mantle of the Prophet, 1871-1881. Princeton: Princeton University Press. pp. 480. ISBN 0-6911-1569-9. 
2. ^ Moss, Walter Gerald (2005). A History Of Russia Volume 2: Since 1855. Anthem Series Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies. London: Anthem Press. pp. 38. ISBN 1-8433-1034-1. 
3. ^ Kappeler, Andreas (2001). The Russian Empire: A Multi-Ethnic History. London: Longman. pp. 301. ISBN 0-5822-3415-8. 
4. ^ Moss. History Of Russia, p. 45.

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. 

External links

• The Honorable House of Melik

Preceded by Lev Makov

Minister of Interior 1880 – 1881

Succeeded by Nikolay Ignatyev

Persondata
Name	Loris-Melikov, Mikhail Tarielovich, Count
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	December 20, 1825
Place of birth	Tiflis, Russian Georgia
Date of death	December 10, 1888
Place of death	Nice, France