In St. Petersburg, he became close friends with Nekrasov, then still an unknown youth, and lived with him for several months in the same apartment. On August 2, 1843, the Grodno Hussars Regiment was released as a cornet in the Life Guards, where he served for four years.

Caucasian war

The continuous hostilities taking place at that time in his homeland pulled Loris-Melikov to take part in them, and he, at his request, was transferred in 1847, with the rank of lieutenant, who was on special assignments under the then commander-in-chief of the Caucasian Corps, Prince Vorontsov. In the same year, Loris took part in the actions of Russian troops under the command of General Freytag in Little Chechnya, while laying wide clearings in the dense forests of Chechnya and repelling the attacks of the highlanders, who in every possible way prevented this work. Incessant skirmishes with the highlanders gave Loris an opportunity to show his courage and his fighting abilities and at the same time delivered him the Order of St. Anna of the 4th degree and a golden saber with the inscription "For Bravery". In 1848, he was in the detachment of another Caucasian hero, Prince Argutinsky-Dolgorukov, who was active in Dagestan. Loris was at the capture of the village of Gergebil and was promoted to staff captain for distinction. In order to inflict a severe defeat on Shamil in Dagestan, in 1849 a special detachment was formed, in which Loris was also located. This detachment moved to the large village of Chokh and soon surrounded it: Shamil, standing behind Chokh, did not dare to join the battle with his forces. After several assaults and heavy bombardment, the village of Chokh was taken, and the detachment returned to winter quarters, but at the beginning of 1850 moved again to the same area. Loris was at the same time awarded the Order of St. Anna 3rd degree with a bow.

In 1851, he participated in a large winter expedition on the left flank of the Caucasian line in Greater Chechnya, against the famous Hadji Murad, and from the spring of that year he was on the right flank of the line during the construction of fortifications on the river. Belaya and the reflections of the forces of Megmet-Amin and for differences in hostilities was promoted to captain.

Crimean War

Chief of the Supreme Administrative Commission

At the beginning of 1880, shortly after the explosion in the Winter Palace on February 5, 1880, he was summoned to St. Petersburg to discuss the issue of measures to combat the revolutionary movement. On February 14, 1880, he was appointed Chief Chief of the Supreme Administrative Commission established on February 12 of the same year, which was endowed with extensive powers; since March 3 - temporary head of the III Department of His Imperial Majesty's Own Chancellery.

Soon after the appointment of Loris-Melikov, Senate audits were sent to various parts of the European part of the empire. The result of their activities was a sharp decrease in the number of political cases in the field. The audit materials allowed Loris-Melikov to conclude that the main reason for public discontent was the incompleteness of the Great Reforms. This also applied to peasant land shortages, and redemption payments ruinous for their farms, and the exclusion of representatives of society from solving state issues.

In order to concentrate in one hands the highest management of all bodies called upon to protect the state peace, he proposed to abolish the III Section and transfer all its affairs and functions to the newly established Police Department under the Ministry of the Interior. They proposed measures to alleviate the fate of persons expelled by administrative order for political unreliability and who belonged to a large extent to the number of young students. Some reflection of the Loris-Melikov system can be found in "Letters on the current state of Russia" by R. A. Fadeev, Loris-Melikov's former comrade in the Caucasus.

Despite the assassination attempt on him by a certain Molodetsky on February 20, 1880, he continued to adhere to the principles he had expressed in the fight against the revolutionary movement.

Minister of Internal Affairs. Regicide

M. T. Loris-Melikov (engraving, 1882)

At the end of the summer of 1880, he raised the issue of terminating the activities of the Supreme Administrative Commission, which was closed on August 6 of the same year; on the same day he was appointed Minister of the Interior.

Of all the measures conceived under him, in the period from November 1880 to May 1881, very few were carried out, such as the abolition of the excise tax on salt (according to the financial department) or the reduction of redemption payments. Of the measures he conceived, after his resignation, the poll tax was abolished.

In the government's fight against propaganda for the overthrow of the monarchy and against terrorism, the view was held that in order to prevent or reveal a criminal handful of people, civilians in general should not be embarrassed and that the abolition of established general restrictions and exceptional measures could take away the ground from anti-monarchist propaganda. Nevertheless, he did not refuse from repressive measures against the People's Will. During the 16 months of his reign, 32 political trials were held in Russia and 18 death sentences were handed down. Loris-Melikov personally took part in the interrogations of the terrorist G. D. Goldenberg, who was arrested in November 1879, and received valuable testimony from him.

During his leadership of the ministry, the assassination of the head of state in St. Petersburg was committed under circumstances that testified to the lack of sufficient measures to protect the personal safety of the emperor (such was the opinion of the Chief Prosecutor Pobedonostsev and Emperor Alexander III). Nevertheless, a few days before, Loris-Melikov strongly recommended that Alexander II temporarily refrain from traveling around the capital. However, the emperor ignored the recommendations of his minister. Due to the fact that one of the terrorists - N. Rysakov - running away from the scene of the crime, was captured by the peasant Mikhail Nazarov, who happened to be next to the bridge watchman on the horse-drawn railway, and gave extensive testimony to the investigation, it was possible to uncover the entire terrorist organization (its leader Zhelyabov was arrested for 2 days before the regicide based on the testimony of the Kharkov terrorist Goldenberg, which were given at the end of 1879).

Dismissal. Retired. Death

The regicide clearly showed the ruling circles the collapse of the course of appeasing the liberals and revolutionaries. In a letter dated March 6, 1881, Chief Prosecutor K.P. Pobedonostsev wrote to the new Emperor Alexander III: “<…>the hour is terrible and time does not endure. Or now save Russia and Himself, or never. If they sing the old siren songs to you that you need to calm down, you need to continue in a liberal direction, you need to give in to the so-called public opinion - oh, for God's sake, do not believe, Your Majesty, do not listen.<…>do not leave Count Loris-Melikov. I don't believe him. He is a magician and can still play a double game.<…>If you give Yourself into his hands, he will lead you and Russia to destruction. He only knew how to carry out liberal projects and played a game of internal intrigue. But in the sense of the state, he himself does not know what he wants - which I myself have repeatedly expressed to him. And he is not a Russian patriot. Take care, for God's sake, Your Majesty, that he does not take possession of your will, and do not waste time. Alexander III himself on April 21 of the same year, after another meeting with his ministers, wrote to Pobedonostsev: “<…>Our meeting today made a sad impression on me. Loris, Milyutin and Abaza positively continue the same policy and want to somehow bring us to a representative government, but until I am convinced that this is necessary for the happiness of Russia, of course this will not happen; I will not allow.<…>It's strange to listen to smart people who can Seriously talk about a representative beginning in Russia<…>I am more and more convinced that I cannot expect any good from these ministers.<…>You could hear that Vladimir, my brother, looks at things correctly and completely, like me, does not allow an elective beginning.

On April 28, a ministerial meeting was held at Loris-Melikov, where the text of the April 29 Manifesto was read out, which, according to Pobedonostsev, caused the displeasure of many and the open indignation of Abaza. Pobedonostsev informed the tsar about the meeting on April 28 in a letter dated April 29: “There was general embarrassment, but, in addition to embarrassment, annoyance was clearly expressed among some. Loris-Melikov and Abaza directly considered themselves offended<…>» . The Manifesto on the inviolability of autocracy compiled by Pobedonostsev (signed by the emperor on April 29, 1881) called on all loyal subjects to serve faithfully to eradicate vile sedition that dishonors the Russian land, to affirm faith and morality, to raise children well, to exterminate untruth and theft, to establish order and truth in the operation of the institutions bestowed upon Russia by its benefactor Emperor Alexander II.

The day following the publication of the manifesto, Loris-Melikov submitted his resignation from the post of Minister of the Interior - formally due to poor health; Count Nikolai Pavlovich Ignatiev was appointed his successor, on the advice of Pobedonostsev. In a letter dated April 30, 1881, Alexander III wrote to Pobedonostsev: “This morning I received a letter from Count. Loris-Melikov, in which he asks for dismissal under the guise of illness. I answered him and accepted his request.<…>I saw yesterday Mr. Loris-Melikova at the parade and then at breakfast near Oldenburgsky Avenue, and although he did not tell me anything, it was clear from his face that he was very dissatisfied and upset.

The grave of M. T. Loris-Melikov in Tbilisi (Georgia)

In a letter to the emperor dated May 4, 1881, Pobedonostsev warned about Loris-Melikov and Abaza: “<…>Your Majesty, do not deceive yourself. Since April 29, these people - your enemies. They want to prove by all means that they were right and you are wrong.<…>» . The resignation from the post of minister was officially accepted on May 4, 1881.

He went abroad and lived mostly in Nice. November 1, 1882 was appointed chief of the 1st Sunzha-Vladikavkaz regiment of the Terek Cossack army.

On May 29, 1883, he was dismissed on indefinite leave with permission to be present in the State Council when health permits.

He died on December 12, 1888 in Nice. His body was brought to Tiflis, where he was buried in the Armenian Vank Cathedral (on the current Atoneli Street; after the destruction of the cathedral, in 1957, the ashes and tombstone were transferred to the courtyard of the Armenian Cathedral of St. George on Meydan).

“According to his political views,” says Dr. N. A. Belogolovy, who became close friends with Loris-Melikov during his life abroad, “Loris-Melikov was a moderate gradualist, a consistent liberal, a strictly convinced defender of organic progress, with the same dissympathy for to all phenomena that hinder the normal growth and correct development of peoples, no matter from which side these phenomena may be found. Unshakably believing in the progress of mankind and in the need for Russia to join its benefits, he stood for the widest possible dissemination of public education, for the unfetteredness of science, for the expansion and greater independence of self-government, and for the involvement of elected from society in the discussion of legislative issues as advisory members. Further than this, his reformist ideals did not go.

In memory of Loris-Melikov, several streets and even settlements were named, the largest of them is the village of Loris in the Krasnodar Territory.

Addresses in St. Petersburg

The beginning of 1880-1881 - the house of V. N. Karamzin - Bolshaya Morskaya street, 55.

Literary works

Cover of the book "The Constitution of Loris-Melikov and his private letters (1904)

Count Loris-Melikov also devoted time to literature and wrote the following works:

• “On the Caucasian rulers from 1776 to the end of the 18th century, on the affairs of the Stavropol archive” // Russian Archive, 1873
• "Note on Hadji Murad" // "Russian Antiquity", 1881, v. 30
• "On navigation in the Kuban" // "New time", 1882
• "On the state of the Terek region" // "Russian antiquity", 1889, No. 8-9
• Letters to Count Loris-Melikov from N. N. Muravyov and M. S. Vorontsov were published in Russkaya Starina in 1884, v. 43.

Notes

1. Shilov D.N. Statesmen of the Russian Empire. - St. Petersburg. , 2002. - S. 428.
2. The spelling of the father's name is as follows: Shilov D.N. Statesmen of the Russian Empire. - St. Petersburg, 2002. - S. 429.
3. In pre-revolutionary sources, the patronymic was usually written as "Tarielovich".
4. : In 25 tons / under the supervision of A. A. Polovtsov. 1896-1918 .. - T. 10. - S. 699.
5. See for example: Deutsch L."Notes on the Government Report" // Case March 1st, 1881. St. Petersburg, 1906, p. 414.
6. Date of birth according to: Shilov D.N. Statesmen of the Russian Empire. - St. Petersburg. , 2002. - S. 428.; according to others, December 20, 1825 or October 21, 1825
7. Lyashenko L. "Velvet Dictator" // Moscow News. 2012. March 14.
8. Pobedonostsev attached a note “from an unknown person” with his recommendation “it is written well and it's worth it read it ”(K. P. Pobedonostsev and his correspondents: Letters and notes. - M.-Pg., 1923. - Vol. 1, half-volume 1st. - S. 52.), on which Alexander III left a note: "Really a lot of truth and common sense" (Ibid.); a document entitled "The very first thing - what Russia now needs" (Ibid., pp. 53-62.), in particular, stated: "<…>The entire consistent course of the terrible event of March 1 clearly shows that regicide could have been committed solely, only due to the fact that 1) the person to whom the late Sovereign entrusted the protection of his life<…>did not fulfill his first duty<…>2) at the very moment of committing a crime near the Sovereign<…>there was not a single person who knew his job and was able to fulfill his most important duties.<…>Count Loris-Melikov was completely carried away by the testimony of the criminal Goldenberg<…>For gr. It became clear and undeniable to Loris-Melikov that he had penetrated into the modern recesses of sedition in Russia, that he held in his hands and knew the most faithful and, moreover, the most humane and liberal means for completely stopping it. His exorbitant ambition and lust for power strengthened him even more in this conviction and then already told him: “You will destroy sedition in Russia and at the same time deliver free, European state institutions to Russia, you will be the first Russian prime minister.”
9. According to: Description of the event of March 1, 1881, compiled on the basis of the testimony of one hundred and thirty-eight eyewitnesses. // "Government Gazette", April 16 (28), 1881, No. 81. - P. 2.
10. Cit. Quoted from: Letters from Pobedonostsev to Alexander III. - M ., 1925. - T. I. - S. 316.
11. K. P. Pobedonostsev and his correspondents: Letters and notes. - M .-Pg. , 1923. - Vol. 1, semi-volume 1. - P. 49 (editing the text from a facsimile of the original; emphasis corresponds to underlining).
12. K. P. Pobedonostsev and his correspondents: Letters and notes. M.-Pg., 1923. - T. 1, half volume 1st. - P. 51 (a sketch of the description of what happened by Pobedonostsev).
13. Pobedonostsev's letters to Alexander III. - M ., 1925. - T. I. - C. 334.
14. K. P. Pobedonostsev and his correspondents: Letters and notes. - M .-Pg. , 1923. - Vol. 1, semi-volume 1. - S. 63.
15. Pobedonostsev's letters to Alexander III. - M ., 1925. - T I. - S. 337.
16. Date according to: Shilov D.N. Statesmen of the Russian Empire. - St. Petersburg. , 2002. - S. 430; See also: Government Gazette, May 5 (17), 1881, No. 97. - S. 1. Some sources indicate May 7, 1881 as the date of resignation (see NES. - Vol. 24, stb. 913.).

Literature

• Muromtsev S. A. In the early days of the ministry, M. T. Loris-Melikova: Note on polit. state of Russia in the spring of 1880 / [Comp. S. Muromtsev with the participation of A. I. Chuprov, V. Yu. Skalon and others]. - Berlin: B. Behr's Buchh. (E. Bock), 1881 (P. Stankiewicz Burchdr.). - , 45 s.
• Belogolovy N. A. Memories. // "Russian antiquity", 1889, No. 9
• / Portrait rice. P. F. Brozh and grav. I. Matyushin, Yu. Baranovsky and F. Gerasimov. - St. Petersburg: Turba, 1878.
• Military Encyclopedia / Ed. V. F. Novitsky and others. - St. Petersburg. : Society of I. V. Sytin, 1911-1915. - T. 15.
• Russian biographical dictionary: In 25 volumes / under the supervision of A. A. Polovtsov. 1896-1918.
• List of generals by seniority for 1886. SPb., 1886
• // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: In 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - St. Petersburg. , 1890-1907.
• Kostanyan Yu. L. Count Mikhail Tarielovich Loris-Melikov. - SPb., 2005. - 234 with ISBN 5-8465-0382-9
• Shilov D.N. Statesmen of the Russian Empire. - St. Petersburg, 2002, pp. 428-432.
• Kolpakidi A., Sever A. Special services of the Russian Empire. - M .: Yauza Eksmo, 2010. - S. 126 - 135. - 768 p. - (Encyclopedia of special services). - 3000 copies. - ISBN 978-5-699-43615-6

And in fact, Count Melikov was not a temporary worker. He was a dictator under a reigning monarch! His real powers in the short but eventful period from February 1880 to April 1881 were extraordinary. After all, such was the situation in the country.

The bloody symbol of the turn of the 1870s-1880s in Russia was the unprecedented, fatal duel of the revolutionary organization Narodnaya Volya with Alexander II. At the same time, attempts on high officials in various cities of the empire followed. Repression "from the right" and terror from the "left" seemed to have reached their critical point. The course chosen in this situation by Loris-Melikov seemed paradoxical at first glance. For what could be more paradoxical than applying the epithet "liberal" to the noun "dictator"?

GOLD SABER

By the beginning of his brief but dizzying ascent to the heights of power, the 55-year-old General Melikov was a well-known figure, but not paramount in the bureaucratic hierarchy of the autocratic apparatus.

Born in the memorable year of 1825 into an Armenian-Georgian noble family, the future dictator was brought up in the school of guard ensigns and cavalry cadets. At the age of 22, he was already appointed to be on special assignments under Prince Vorontsov, the commander-in-chief of the Caucasian separate corps. From then on and for the next 30 years, his life became connected with the Caucasus. He participated in 180 military operations with the highlanders and Turks, distinguished himself in the Caucasian campaign, was promoted to colonel, then to major general, received a golden saber ...

Loris-Melikov also proved to be a very efficient administrator. In 1860 he became the military chief of Southern Dagestan and the mayor of Derbent, in 1863 he became the head of the Terek region and the ataman of the Cossack army. Having delved into the essence of the painful Caucasian problems and wishing to mitigate their acuteness, he tried by social measures to rid the southern borders of the state from the source of internal instability. On this path, he took a wise step - he achieved the elimination of the serfdom of the mountain peasants from the beks.

Russian-Turkish war 1877 - 78 played an important role in the fate of Mikhail Tarielovich. As commander of a separate corps, he directs all military operations in the Caucasian theater of war. A successful assault on Ardagan brings him the Order of St. George 3rd degree; the defeat of the army of Mukhtar Pasha - George 2nd degree; Capture of Kars - Order of St. Vladimir 1st class with swords.

Personal courage was an undoubted property of his nature. Looking ahead, we will cite one case from the life of the future dictator. Once in St. Petersburg, Mikhail Tarielovich almost became a victim of another terrorist attack. At first, he was saved by the thick fur of a fur coat - three bullets fired by Narodnaya Volya Mlodetsky got stuck in it. Then everything was decided by their own courage and dexterity. Caucasian blood leaped up in the fighting general. With one jump, he rushed at the terrorist, knocked him down and handed him over to the gendarme who came to the rescue.

Best of the day

The emperor noted the military merits of Loris-Melikov by conferring the title of count on him and appointing their excellencies as the temporary governor of the Astrakhan, Samara and Saratov provinces. The "Vetlyanskaya plague" raged in the region, it was restless. It was here that the count became famous, in addition to fighting the disease, by canceling the emergency measures introduced on this occasion, which are sometimes worse than an epidemic. The next stage of Loris-Melikov's career is associated with the appointment of an interim governor-general in Kharkov. This emergency position was introduced in connection with the growing wave of terrorism. The own correspondent of the leading British newspaper "The Times" reported from Russia in July 1879: Apparently, he has chosen the only right path in the current tense situation - to attract the opposition-minded public to the side of the authorities, and not to scare them off by putting them on the same level as the bombers. The English observer very accurately revealed the essence of the political tactics of the future dictator.

SUPREME ADMINISTRATIVE

The Narodnaya Volya terror, fueled by "revolutionary impatience," was approaching its apogee. The explosion, organized by Stepan Khalturin in the Winter Palace on February 5, 1880, only miraculously did not reach the goal. The dining room of the imperial palace was blown up. An explosive shell also destroyed the guardroom located under it. As a result, 19 soldiers of the Finnish Regiment were killed, 48 were wounded. Witnesses of the events recalled how the emperor, who was present at the funeral of soldiers who died from the explosion, whispered, looking at the coffins lined up in a row: "It seems that we are still at war, there, in the trenches near Plevna." However, this time the emperor himself was in the position of the besieged.

On February 12, an imperial decree was followed on the creation of a "Supreme Administrative Commission for the Protection of State Order and Public Peace", endowed with emergency powers. Count Loris-Melikov was appointed its head. He had the right to represent the king in all matters, to apply any measures to maintain order throughout the territory of the Empire and to give orders to all representatives of state power. According to Koni, his candidacy was proposed to the tsar by an influential liberal dignitary, War Minister Milyutin.

On the third day of his reign, Loris-Melikov publishes an appeal "To the residents of the capital", in which he expresses his firm intention, on the one hand, "not to stop at any measures to punish criminal acts that disgrace our society, and on the other hand, to calm and protect the interests of his benevolent part." This peculiar dictator looked at the support of society "as the main force capable of assisting the authorities in resuming the correct course of state life."

The public appreciated the sincerity of such "chivalry" of the dictator after his two actions. The first of these was the removal from the post of Minister of Education of the famous retrograde Count D.A. Tolstoy. The next important political move was the abolition ... of the Supreme Administrative Commission itself and the third branch of His Imperial Majesty's Own Chancery, hated by liberals. The rejection of emergency forms of government was, in the opinion of the liberal dictator, to calm the society. The count himself, after the abolition of the commission, headed the Ministry of Internal Affairs, whose competence expanded significantly. The new organization of "police work" by no means reduced the repressive possibilities of the autocracy. But we note the undoubted merit of Mikhail Tarielovich - he included the state police (the cases of the III Branch were transferred to the Ministry of Internal Affairs) in the ministerial structure. Quite a serious step towards the strengthening of formal legality in a society with a traditionally - both "from above" and "from below" - muted sense of justice.

Quite unusual for the bureaucratic routine of the highest echelons of power was the meeting of the count in September 1880 with the editors of leading St. Petersburg newspapers and magazines. For the first time, the supreme power in the person of one of its most authorized representatives explained its intentions to the press! Loris-Melikov spoke about the readiness of the government to restore the rights of zemstvo institutions and judicial bodies - the favorite offspring of the era of the Great Reforms; conduct senatorial audits to ascertain the needs of the population; allow the press, subject to certain rules, to discuss government measures. A month later, at a press conference, the count came into conflict with Valuev, then chairman of the Council of Ministers. The subject of the dispute was Melikov's proposal to stop the administrative persecution of the liberal press. It smelled of political "thaw".

DID NOT HAVE TIME

On January 28, 1881, Loris-Melikov presented to the sovereign a plan for completing the "great work of state reforms." He stubbornly convinced the emperor of the need to introduce representative principles into the administration of the Empire. Let us recall that for such "constitutional" thoughts, many top dignitaries paid with their posts. But the count was confident in the strength of his position at court. In the very summer of 1880, when, with the help of emergency measures and "reconciliation" with the liberal public, the wave of terrorism seemed to subside (from February 1880 to March 1881, Narodnaya Volya did not carry out a single terrorist attack), Loris-Melikov He was awarded the highest distinction of a Russian statesman - the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called. But, perhaps, the emperor's trust in the reformer was even more convincing in circumstances that were very delicate, painful and dramatic for Alexander II himself. After secretly entering into a second marriage - with Princess Ekaterina Dolgoruky - the emperor summoned Count Melikov to Tsarskoye Selo. Reflecting on the tragedy of his situation, worrying about the fate of his wife and children, he said that day to Loris-Melikov: “You know better than others that my life is in constant danger. I can be killed tomorrow. When I am gone, do not leave these persons so dear to me. I hope for you, Mikhail Tarielovich."

On Sunday morning, March 1, the emperor gave an order: to appoint a meeting of the Council of Ministers for March 4 to approve the Loris-Melikov project. But history has made one of its random zigzags. On the evening of the same day, Alexander II "fell the victim of a heinous assassination attempt. His Majesty was returning home after the parade, when suddenly his carriage was blown up by a thrown bomb. The emperor, who remained unharmed, wanted to get out of the carriage to find out what was the matter. At that moment, a second explosion his legs were crushed. The emperor was taken in a sleigh to the palace, where he died an hour later ... Of those accompanying the sovereign, one Cossack was killed, five were wounded "(from the telegram of the French ambassador, General Choisy).

RETREAT

The initial shock caused by the bloody tragedy in St. Petersburg soon gave way to a sharp debate - whether Russia should remain autocratic or continue the intended movement towards representative forms of government. Loris-Melikov persistently turned to the heir to the throne with a question about the fate of his project. Alexander Alexandrovich hesitated. The Conservatives, headed by the chief procurator of the Synod, Pobedonostsev, diligently intimidated the "clumsy giant" (as the heir was called behind his back) with the "crushing" consequences of such a step. The government's course leaned more and more "to the right", and, finally, it was finally decided to achieve "order" by the usual method of toughening repressions. Hope for reform finally collapsed after the Manifesto of April 29, which proclaimed the inviolability of the autocratic foundations, naturally, for the "good of the people." On the same day, Loris-Melikov resigned. Thus ended fifteen months in the life of Mikhail Tarielovich.

But the life and service of Melikov continued further. The political history of the Russian State also continued, albeit in a direction that was least desirable for Russian society.

But what about Mikhail Tarielovich? We see him among the members of the State Council. Along with the conservative forces, so in tune with the new era, a strong “liberal party” was formed there, consisting of “formers”. Former Minister of Public Education A.V. Golovnin, former Minister of Finance A.A. Abaza, former Interior Minister Loris-Melikov, and many other liberal-minded officials whom the reaction carefully "swept out" from the tsarist entourage. Alexander III did not like the State Council, which was quite natural. Each successive offensive of reaction against the rule of law established by the era of the Great Reforms was met by the "liberal party" with opposition. She stubbornly fought rearguard battles. And the participation of General Loris-Melikov in them was not accidental. To cover up a retreat is the bitter fate of courageous people.

opinion
Irishka 04.04.2006 10:37:59

Review
HAMMeR 18.04.2006 09:19:50

LORIS-MELIKOV, MIKHAIL TARIELOVICH(1825–1888), Russian military and statesman. Born in 1825 in Tiflis (modern Tbilisi) into a noble and wealthy Armenian family. Having completed his studies at the Lazarev Institute of Oriental Languages ​​in Moscow, in 1839 he entered the School of Guards Ensigns and Cavalier Junkers in St. Petersburg; upon graduation in 1843 he received the rank of cornet and was sent to serve in the Life Guards of the Grodno Hussars. In 1844 he was promoted to lieutenant.

In 1847, at his own request, he was transferred to the Caucasus, where an uprising of mountain tribes under the leadership of Shamil was raging. He was on special assignments under the commander-in-chief of the Separate Caucasian Corps M.S. Vorontsov. Participated in expeditions to Dagestan and Chechnya in 1848 and 1849-1853; awarded the Order of St. Anne 4th degree and a saber with the inscription "For Bravery". During the Crimean War of 1853–1856, he distinguished himself in the battles of Bashkadyklar on November 19 (December 1), 1853 and Kyuryuk-Dara on July 24 (August 5), 1854. From August 1855 he was on special assignments under the commander-in-chief of the Caucasian army N.N. Muravyov. Promoted to colonel and then to major general.

After the capture of Kars by Russian troops in November 1855, he was appointed head of the Kars region; from that moment began his administrative career. Since 1858, he served as chief of troops in Abkhazia and inspector of the line battalions of the Kutaisi General Government. On May 2 (14), 1860, he received the post of military commander of Southern Dagestan and at the same time the mayor of Derbent. March 28 (April 9), 1863 became the head of the Terek region (modern Northern Dagestan, Chechnya, Ingushetia, North Ossetia, Kabardino-Balkaria) and the chief ataman of the Terek Cossack army. In an effort to pacify the rebellious North Caucasian regions, he pursued a policy that combined harsh repressive measures with measures for the socio-economic and cultural development of the region. Severely dealt with the irreconcilable opponents of Russia and even organized the mass emigration of disgruntled Chechens to Turkey (1865); on the other hand, he eliminated the serfdom of mountain peasants from local feudal lords, extended the all-Russian tax, administrative and judicial system to the region, built the first Rostov-Vladikavkaz railway in the North Caucasus, and opened the first educational institution in Vladikavkaz (Vocational School) at his own expense. Trying to secure the support of the local elite, he constantly consulted with the elders and the clergy. In May 1875, at his own request (due to illness), he was relieved of his post; promoted to general of the cavalry. In the same year he went abroad for treatment.

Returned to service with the outbreak of the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878; appointed commander of the Separate Caucasian Corps. He supervised all operations in the Caucasian theater of operations. For the capture of the Ardagan fortress on May 5 (17), 1877, he was awarded the Order of St. George 3rd degree, for the defeat of the army of Mukhtar Pasha on the Aladzhin heights on October 1–3 (13–15) - the Order of St. George 2nd degree, for mastering Kars on November 6 (18) - the Order of St. Vladimir, 1st degree. The pinnacle of his success was the capitulation of Erzurum on February 11 (23), 1878. At the end of the war, he was elevated to the dignity of a count.

In January 1879 he was appointed temporary governor of the Astrakhan, Samara and Saratov provinces with unlimited powers to fight the epidemic of the "Vetlyanskaya plague" that began in the Lower Volga region (from the village of Vetlyanskaya, where its first outbreak took place). Thanks to decisive quarantine and sanitary measures, it quickly stopped its spread; moreover, out of the 4 million rubles allocated for these purposes. saved 3 million 700 thousand and returned them to the treasury. To his authority as an outstanding commander was added the reputation of not only an effective, but also an honest administrator, caring about the interests of the state.

In April 1879 he was appointed temporary Governor-General of Kharkov with extraordinary powers in connection with the growing wave of revolutionary terror (the former Governor-General D.N. Kropotkin was killed by the People's Will G.D. Goldenberg on February 9 (21). He pursued a flexible policy: he limited the scale of repressions against the opposition, he tried to win over the liberal public to the side of the authorities (the draft reform of urban educational institutions, etc.); at the same time reorganized the local police in the spirit of rigid centralization. Thanks to his moderation, he was the only one among the temporary governor-generals who was not included in the list of people sentenced to death by the Executive Committee of the People's Will.

February 12 (24), 1880, after the failed assassination attempt by S.N. Khalturin on Alexander II on February 5 (17), was appointed, on the recommendation of the Minister of War D.A. there was a supreme oversight of political investigations throughout the country; the Third Branch of His Imperial Majesty's Own Chancellery and the Separate Corps of Gendarmes were subordinate to her; the unification of the efforts of all punitive organs pursued the goal of the speediest suppression of the revolutionary movement. Widely using the right to act on behalf of the emperor and apply any measures to establish order throughout the Russian state, he actually became a dictator. At the same time, he took a course towards political and socio-economic reforms. On April 11 (23), 1880, he presented his program to the emperor, which provided for the involvement of elected representatives from the nobility, zemstvos, city dumas to discuss drafts of a number of laws and government decrees, the restructuring of local self-government, the expansion of the rights of the Old Believers, tax reform, the reform of public education, measures to support the peasantry (reducing redemption payments, issuing loans for the purchase of land and resettlement) and easing tensions between workers and employers. To reassure the public, he achieved the dismissal of the Minister of Education of the retrograde D.A. Tolstoy (April 1880); on his proposal, on August 6 (18), 1880, the Third Department and the Supreme Administrative Commission itself were abolished. He headed the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the scope of which was significantly expanded due to the appearance in its structure of the State Police Department, to which the functions of political investigation, which were previously within the competence of the Third Division, were transferred. At the same time he became the chief of the Separate Corps of Gendarmes. The abolition of odious institutions was thus accompanied by the centralization of police institutions.

In September 1880, he publicly promised to restore the rights of the zemstvo and judicial authorities, expand the freedom of the press, and conduct Senate audits not only to check the activities of officials, but also to identify the needs of the population and the "mood of the minds." In October, he proposed to abandon the practice of repressions against liberal publications, which caused him a conflict with the Chairman of the Committee of Ministers P.A. Valuev.

The decline of the wave of terror in the second half of 1880 led to the strengthening of the position of M.T. Loris-Melikov at court; He was awarded the highest Russian award - the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called. On January 28 (February 9), 1881, he submitted to Alexander II a plan for the implementation of his April 1880 program, proposing the creation of temporary commissions (financial and administrative) from officials and elected from zemstvos to process the information collected as a result of Senate audits and to prepare the planned reforms; their implementation would actually mean the introduction of representative principles into the system of administration of the Empire. On February 17 (March 1), Alexander II approved the plan and scheduled its discussion for March 4 (16). However, on March 1 (13), 1881, the emperor died at the hands of terrorists. Under his successor, Alexander III, the conservatives, headed by the chief procurator of the Holy Synod, K. P. Pobedonostsev, prevailed in the ruling circles. On March 8 (20) the decision on the M.T. Loris-Melikov project was postponed. On April 29 (May 11), Alexander III published the Manifesto proclaiming the inviolability of the autocracy, which marked the complete rejection of any political transformations. On May 4 (16) M.T. Loris-Melikov resigned.

After his retirement, he lived mainly abroad, in France (Nice) and Germany (Wiesbaden). Sometimes he came to St. Petersburg to attend meetings of the State Council. Died 12 (24) December in Nice. Buried in Tiflis.

Ivan Krivushin

"The Dictatorship of the Heart" (Loris-Melikov)

"The Dictatorship of the Heart" (Loris-Melikov)

"The dictatorship of the heart" or "Velvet dictatorship" historians call the policy of the Supreme Administrative Commission headed by the Minister of Internal Affairs Loris-Melikov. After the incident (explosion) in the Winter Palace, he was appointed head of the administrative commission, which was formed specifically for the active struggle against revolutionary sentiments.

At the same time, Loris-Melikov M.T. received unlimited powers. For example, on the one hand, he carried out harsh repressions against the participants and organizers of terrorist actions, and on the other hand, he attracted to the side of the government that part of society, contacts with which could deprive the revolutionaries of public support.

He became famous for his manifesto “To the residents of the capital”, the lines of which called on “a well-meaning part of society” to assist the authorities in every possible way in the difficult task of restoring peace and order in the country.

It should be noted the attention with which Loris-Melikov M.T. related to the newspapers. Immediately after taking office, he invites the editors of the most important newspapers to his place, telling them in all colors about the measures that he will take to eradicate terrorism.

He succeeded in achieving censorship control and devised groundbreaking progressive reforms:

· Drawn up a detailed plan for the formation of a commission elected from zemstvos to participate in the development of various bills that are brought to the attention of the king.

· It was supposed to abolish the poll tax and reduce redemption payments.

The anti-democratic "Dictatorship of the Heart" was essentially aimed precisely at the democratization of the Russian state. In the role of a moderate liberal, Loris-Melikov strove in every possible way for a greater expansion of the rights of zemstvos, as well as the development of self-government bodies. He managed to ease the rules of the press, abolish the salt tax hated by the people, liquidate the Third Section, release minor political prisoners and allow students to form their own organizations.

However, the most significant event was the convocation of representatives of the zemstvos as a government state body. This step was the beginning of parliamentarism in Russia.

So, on the morning of March 1, 1881, the ruler Alexander II gave the green light to the Loris-Melikov project, and on March 4 he was thinking of signing a decree on convening commissions of officials to prepare a draft Constitution. But with the death of Alexander, the “Velvet Dictatorship” also disappeared, and Loris-Melikov himself left the country.

Mikhail Tarielovich Loris-Melikov

M.T. Loris-Melikov.
Photo from the site http://narovol.narod.ru/visel.htm

A man of rare selflessness

Loris-Melikov Mikhail Tarielovich (October 1, 1825, Tiflis - December 12, 1888, Nice), Armenian by birth. From the count and noble Armenian family. Their ancestors in the XVI century. were the rulers of the city of Lori. In 1602, Melik Nazar and Melik Dai of Lori received a firman from Shah Abbas of Persia, confirming their old rights, and they converted to Islam. Subsequently, the L.-Melikovs returned to Christianity and continued to be hereditary bailiffs of the Lori steppe, which was part of the Georgian kingdom, as a result of which they also belonged to the highest Georgian nobility. In the Russian nobility, the L.-Melikov family was approved in 1832. From Dai Lori comes c. Mikhail Tarielovich. The Loris-Melikov family was included in the 6th part of the noble family tree of the book of the Tiflis province.

Son of Tariel Zurabovich and his wife Ekaterina Akhverdova. He was educated at the Lazarevsky Institute of Oriental Languages, then at the School of Guards Ensigns and Cavalry Junkers. In St. Petersburg, he became close friends with Nekrasov, then still an unknown youth, and lived with him for several months in the same apartment. In 1843, the Grodno Hussar Regiment was released as a cornet in the Life Guards. In 1847, at his own request, Loris-Melikov was transferred to the Caucasus, where an uprising of mountain tribes under the leadership of Shamil was raging.

He was an officer for special assignments under the commander-in-chief of the Separate Caucasian Corps M.S. Vorontsov. Participated in expeditions to Dagestan and Chechnya in 1848 and 1849-1853. In 1852, he was appointed head of the Terek region. He was awarded the Order of St. Anna of the 4th degree and a saber with the inscription "For Courage".

In 1853 - 1856. L. -Melikov participates in the Transcaucasian theater of the Crimean War, where he was promoted to colonel, and then at the age of 30 - to major general. From August 1855 he was an officer for special assignments under the commander-in-chief of the Caucasian army N.N. Muravyov. When N. N. Muravyov besieged Kars, he needed a partisan team that would stop all external relations of the besieged fortress. L.-Melikov organized a large detachment, consisting of Armenians, Georgians, Kurds and others (here, as in many other things, knowledge of several Eastern languages ​​helped L.-Melikov), and brilliantly fulfilled the task assigned to him.

“... the corps commander, later Count Loris-Melikov, on the basis of the plans of the General Staff, sent his brother, with his adjutant and two hundred Cossacks, to do reconnaissance near Kars, and Alexander was given a map on which he had to travel in one direction near Kars, and return differently. From the stories of my brother, I know that the following happened: when he went on reconnaissance, and the adjutant, or the officer who was with him, held this map in front of him, he suddenly met with several Turkish battalions, and since Alexander had the order to drive around and return with on the other hand, he ordered "to attack." His squadron broke through the chain of Turkish infantry, leaving a relatively small number of people. We started to jump further; suddenly he sees in front of him a huge abyss that could not be crossed, and if he jumped into this abyss, then everyone, without exception, would perish in it. Then Alexander ordered to roll up and attack in the opposite direction. At this time, help arrived in time for the Turkish battalion, from which many people had already been destroyed by them, and Alexander had to attack again and break through again, and in these two attacks he left half the people on the field.

All this happened because the officers of the General Staff drew up the wrong plan. In the attacks all the time with his brother was the flag of this detachment, and he returned without losing this flag, for which, according to the statute, he was entitled to "George". But this put Loris-Melikov in the most difficult position, because if he reported everything that had happened, then the officers of the General Staff would have to go to trial. Then Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich called my brother, explained the situation to him and said: “My friend, I'm sorry, but this case must be forgotten, as if it had never happened, because otherwise I will have to hand over all the officers of the General Staff.” And so it was decided ... "(pp. 10 - 11, ch. 1, Graf S.Yu. Witte, Memories, Slovo Publishing House, Berlin, 1923).

In 1861, L.-Melikov was made the military chief of South Dagestan and the mayor of Derbent, and in 1863 - the head of the Terek region. Here he stayed for almost 10 years, showing excellent administrative skills. In an effort to pacify the rebellious North Caucasian regions, he pursued a policy that combined harsh repressive measures with measures for the socio-economic and cultural development of the region. Severely dealt with the irreconcilable opponents of Russia, and even organized the mass emigration of disgruntled Chechens to Turkey (1865). In a few years, he so well prepared the population for the perception of citizenship that already in 1869 it was possible to establish the administration of the region on the basis of a common provincial institution and even put into effect the judicial charters of Emperor Alexander II. He built the first railway in the North Caucasus Rostov - Vladikavkaz. L.-Melikov showed special concern for public education: the number of educational institutions from several dozen increased under him to 300 too. At his personal expense, a vocational school was established in Vladikavkaz, bearing his name. Trying to secure the support of the local elite, he constantly consulted with the elders and the clergy.

In May 1875, at his own request (due to illness), he was relieved of his post; promoted to general of the cavalry. In the same year he went abroad for treatment.

He returned to service with the beginning of the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878. L.-Melikov, who was already in the rank of cavalry general and in the rank of adjutant general, was appointed commander of a separate corps on the Caucasian-Turkish border. On April 12, 1877, L.-Melikov entered Turkish possessions, took Ardagan by storm and concentrated his main forces near Kars, detaching General Tergukasov to Erzerum. Meanwhile, the Turks gathered large forces under the command of Mukhtar Pasha, and fears for the detachment of General Tergukasov prompted L.-Melikov to attack them at Zevin. The task of the attack was completed - the detachment of General Tergukasava was saved. The reinforcements that approached Mukhtar Pasha forced L.-Melikov to descend from Saganlug and lift the siege of Kars (June 27).

Having received reinforcements, L.-Melikov carried out a strategic bypass of the position of Mukhtar Pasha on Aladzha (performed by the column of General Lazarev). Finally, on October 3, the Turks, simultaneously attacked from the front and from the rear, were utterly defeated. Some of them fled to Kars, and about 7 thousand surrendered. The battle of October 3 radically changed the position of the Russian troops in Asia Minor, revolutionized the mood of the local population, especially the Kurds, and opened the way to a series of brilliant victories.

L.-Melikov stormed Kars, which was considered impregnable, defeated the combined forces of Mukhtar and Ishmael Pasha at Deve-Boina and in the middle of a cruel winter, in a treeless area, at an altitude of 700 feet. undertook the blockade of Erzurum. Thanks to the trust of the local population and contractors in L.-Melikov, he even waged war on credit money on enemy territory, which brought savings of several tens of millions to the treasury. Upon the conclusion of peace in 1878, L.-Melikov was awarded the title of count.

When, in October 1878, a plague broke out in the Vetlyaninskaya village of the Enotaevsky district of the Astrakhan province, which had long been forgotten in Europe - its last epidemic was at the end of the 20s of this century - the news of its appearance within Russia caused extraordinary alarm and panic. not only in our country, but throughout Europe, which had good consequences: a general cleansing of cities and villages began, fearing the introduction of infection.

“... Germany threatened to mobilize its army and declare Russia under quarantine if the epidemic is not stopped. Now, when Alexander II saw that he could not trust the vigilance of even the palace police, he gave dictatorial rights to Loris-Melikov ... ”(Section VII, Ch. Western Europe, part 2, P.A. Kropotkin, Notes of a Revolutionary, M , Moscow Worker, 1988).

Count Loris-Melikov was sent to the Astrakhan region with unlimited powers to eradicate the epidemic. The measures taken by the count themselves, with all their diversity, boiled down mainly to isolating the houses and cordoning off the villages in which the sick were, and the houses and all movable property were burned, with the issuance of their value to the owners. Thanks to this, the epidemic did not go further and ceased in January of the following 1879. In the same period, L.-Melikov was appointed temporary Astrakhan, Saratov and Samara governor-general, vested with unlimited powers.

When he arrived in Tsaritsyn on January 27, the epidemic had already died out here, L.-Melikov personally visited Vetlyanka and, convinced that the danger had passed, he himself presented an idea of ​​\u200b\u200bdestroying his general government, having spent 4 million rubles from the allowance. loan no more than 308 thousand rubles. The return of L.-Melikov to St. Petersburg coincided with the establishment of temporary governor-generals, endowed with almost unlimited powers to eradicate sedition (April 1879). L.-Melikov was sent as a temporary governor-general of 6 provinces to Kharkov, where shortly before that the governor, Prince. Krapotkin. Of all the temporary governor-generals, L.-Melikov was the only one who tried not to shake the legitimate course of affairs, appease society and strengthen its ties with the government on the basis of mutual assistance.

February 12, 1880, after the failed assassination attempt on S.N. Khalturin “... When the Executive Committee made a bold attempt to blow up the Winter Palace, Alexander II took a step that was unprecedented before. He created a kind of dictatorship and endowed Loris-Melikov with emergency powers. This general, an Armenian by birth, had already been given dictatorial powers by Alexander II before when the plague broke out in Vetlyanka, on the lower reaches of the Volga, and Germany threatened to mobilize its army and declare Russia under quarantine if the epidemic was not stopped. Now, when Alexander II saw that he could not trust the vigilance even of the palace police, he gave dictatorial rights to Loris-Melikov, and since Melikov was considered a liberal, the new step was interpreted in the sense that the Zemsky Sobor would soon be convened ... ”(ch. VIII, part II, book P. A. Kropotkin, "Notes of a Revolutionary", - M .: Moskovsky Rabochiy, 1988)

The Supreme Administrative Commission for the Preservation of State Order and Public Peace, - was established in St. Petersburg by a personal decree of Emperor Alexander II, given to the Senate on February 12, 1880 (P. S. Z., No. 60492), in the form of stopping attempts on state and social system of Russia. The commission consisted of the chief commander, Adjutant General Count M. T. Loris-Melikov, and members appointed to assist him at his direct discretion. The members of the commission were: member of the State Council K.P. Pobedonostsev, Adjutant General Prince. A. K. Imeretinsky, Secretary of State M. S. Kakhanov, secret advisers M. E. Kovalevsky, I. I. Shamshin, P. A. Markov; retinues E. I. V. major generals P. A. Cherevin and M. I. Batyanov and actions. Art. owls. S. S. PERFILIEV Moreover, the chief commander could invite to the commission all persons whose presence he considered useful. On March 5, a conversation took place between the chief chief and representatives of the St. Petersburg city public administration - the city head of the bar. P. L. Korf, and vowels I. I. Glazunov, Ts. A. Kavos, V. I. Likhachev and M. P. Mitkov. The office of the chief commander was managed by A. A. Skalkovsky.

The chief commander was given emergency powers to achieve the task assigned to him. In addition to the rights of the commander in chief in St. Petersburg and the direct conduct of cases of state crimes in the capital and the local military district, he was granted the supreme direction of these cases in all other places of the empire, as well as the right to make all orders and take all measures that he considers necessary for the protection of public order and public peace, at the same time determining the penalties and the procedure for liability for failure to comply with their orders and measures. These orders and measures were subject to unconditional execution and observance by everyone and everyone and could only be canceled by the sovereign and the chief commander himself. All departments were obliged to provide the chief commander with full assistance and immediately fulfill all his requirements. Finally, the chief commander was left to directly request, when he deemed it necessary, the orders and instructions of the sovereign. Thus, Loris-Melikov appeared as a dictator.

Later, in a letter to A.F. Koni, M.T. Loris-Melikov writes about his rapid rise “... Then they call to“ pacify the plague. I don't know the Volga at all. Not! Go. And there, a satrap for 12 million in Kharkov. Do what you want. I barely had time to look around, think, learn, suddenly - bam! - go to manage the entire state already. I had the authority to issue, at my own discretion, the highest commands. Not a single temporary worker - neither Menshikov, nor Biron, nor Arakcheev - has ever had such comprehensive power. (from a letter from M.T. Loris-Melikov to A.F. Koni, see http://narovol.narod.ru/visel.htm).

This appointment was met with universal sympathy, especially in view of L.-Melikov's appeal, made on February 14, 1880, to the inhabitants of the capital, in which he expressed his view of the difficult task ahead of him. He thought of fighting evil by two means: 1) criminal police, not stopping at any strict measures to punish criminal acts, and 2) state - aimed at calming and protecting the interests of the well-meaning part of society, restoring the shocked order and returning the fatherland on the path of peaceful prosperity. At the same time, the chief commander counted on the support of society, as a means that could assist the authorities in resuming the correct course of public life.