COUNT FEODOR VASSILIEVICH

See also:

• COUNT FEODOR VASSILIEVICH ROSTOPTSCHIN (1763-1826)

ROSTOPTSCHIN (1763-1826)  , Russian general, was born on the 23rd of March 1763, in the government of Orel . He had great influence with the Tsar Paul, who made him in 1796 adjutant-general, grand-marshal of the court, then minister of the interior . In 1799 he received the title of count . He was disgraced in 18oI for his opposition to the French alliance, but was restored to favour in 181o, and was shortly afterwards appointed military governor of Moscow . He was therefore charged with its defence against Napoleon, and took every means to rouse the population of the town and district against the invader . He has been generally charged with instigating the burning of Moscow the day after the French had made their entry; it is certain that the prisons were opened by his order, and that he took no means to stop the outbreak . He defended himself against the charge of incendiarism in a pamphlet printed in Paris in 1823, La Verite sur l'incendie de Moscou, but he subsequently made grave admissions . Shortly after the congress of Vienna, to which he had accompanied the Tsar Alexander, he was disgraced . He only returned to Russia in 1825, and died at Moscow on the 12th of February of the next year . His Memoires ecrits en dix minutes were posthumously published at St Petersburg in 1853, his CEuvres inedites in Paris in 1894 . A partial account of his life was written by his grandson A. de Segue (Paris, 1872) . See also Varnhagen von Ense, Denkwurdigkeiten, vol. ix.; G .

Tzenoff, Wer

hat Moskau im Jahre 1812 in Brand gesteckt (Berlin, 1900) . ROSTOV-ON-THE-DON, a seaport of Russia, in the territory of the Don Cossacks, well situated on the high right bank of the Don, 13 M. from its mouth in the Sea of Azov . In 1731 a small fort was erected on an island in the Don, near its mouth . Thirty years later the fortifications were transferred to the site now occupied by Rostov, 5 M. above the head of the first branch of the delta of the Don . The Don, which has here a breadth of 23o to 250 yds., with a hardly perceptible current, offers an excellent roadstead . The navigation, however, is considerably impeded by the shallowness of the river . Dredging operations have but partially remedied this . Moreover, the river is frost-bound for more than one hundred days in the year . The population has grown rapidly: while in 1881 it was 70,700, in 1807 it numbered 119,889, and in 1905 126,375, exclusive of the suburbs; if these, which comprise Nakhichevan (32,582 in 1905) be included, the population is well over 16o,000, a figure which is still further swollen in the summer by the influx of about 6o.000 men, who find work in connexion with the shipment of grain for export . The permanent population includes 15,000 Jews, 5000 Armenians, with Tatars, Poles, Germans and others . In Nakhichevan there are 20,500 Armenians . Owing to its situation on the navigable river Don and at the junction of three railways, radiating to north-western Russia, Caucasia and the Volga respectively, Rostov has become the chief sea-port of south-east ern Russia, being second in importance on the Black Sea to Odessa only .

It is the chief centre for the

supply of agricultural machinery to the steppe governments of south-eastern Russia . On an average, £3,000,000 to £4,000,000 worth of wheat, about £1,000,000 worth of rye, and over £1,500,000 worth of barley are exported annually, besides oats, flax, linseed, rape seed, oilcake, bran, flour, vegetable oils, raw wool and caviare . The imports average between four and five millions sterling annually, and consist largely of agricultural machinery . There are a shipbuilding yard, flour-mills, tobacco factories, iron works, machinery works, distilleries, soap works, timber mills, bell foundries, paper mills and rope works . Rostov is the chief centre of steam flour-mills for south-eastern Russia and Caucasia . Two fairs, one of which has considerable importance for the whole of south-eastern Russia, are held here yearly . Rostov has excellent fisheries . The town has a cathedral, a fine town hall (1897-99), navigation schools, technical schools, and a good municipal library .