PRINCE

See also:

• ALEXIS
• ALEXIS, WILLIBALD

ALEXIS FEDOROVICH

See also:

• ORLOV

ORLOV (1787–1862)  , Russian statesman, the son of a natural son of Count Theodore Grigorievich Orlov, took part in all the Napoleonic wars from 1805 to the capture of Paris . For his services as commander of the cavalry regiment of the Life Guards on the occasion of the rebellion of 1825 he was created a count, and in the Turkish War of 1828–29 rose to the rank of lieutenant-general . It is from this time that the brilliant diplomatic career of Orlov begins . He was the Russian plenipotentiary at the peace of Adrianople, and in 1833 was appointed Russian ambassador at Constantinople, holding at the same time the post of commanderin-chief of the Black Sea fleet . He was, indeed, one of the most trusty agents of Nicholas I., whom in 1837 he accompanied on his foreign tour . In 1854 he was sent to Vienna to bring Austria over to the side of Russia, but without success . In 1856 he was one of the plenipotentiaries who concluded the peace of Paris . The same year he was raised to the dignity of prince, and was appointed president of the imperial council of state and of the council of ministers . In 1857, during the absence of the emperor, he presided over the commission formed to consider the question of the emancipation of the serfs, to which he was altogether hostile . His only son, PRINCE NIKOLAI ALEKSYEEVICH ORLOV (1827–1885), was a distinguished Russian diplomatist and author . He first adopted a military career, and was seriously wounded in the Crimean War . Subsequently he entered the diplomatic service, and represented Russia successively at Brussels (1860-1870), Paris (1870–1882) and Berlin (1882–1885) .

As a publicist he stood in the forefront of reform . His articles on

corporal punishment, which appeared in Russkaya Starina in 1881, brought about its abolition . He also advocated tolerance towards the dissenters . His historical work, Sketch of Three Weeks' Campaign in r8o6 (St Petersburg, 1856) is still of value . (R . N .