Prince Alexander Borisovich Kurakin(January 18 (29) - June 24 (July 6)) - Russian diplomat from the Kurakin family, Vice-Chancellor (1796), Member of the State Council (1810), Senator, Chancellor of Russian Orders (1802), Actual Privy Councilor of the 1st class (1807). The creator of the estate Nadezhdino and the owner of the Kurakina dacha east of St. Petersburg. The elder brother of Stepan and Alexei Kurakin. For "skillful representativeness" and a passion for jewelry, he was nicknamed "the diamond prince".

early years

Alexander was the firstborn of Prince Boris Alexandrovich and his wife Elena Stepanovna, daughter of Field Marshal SF Apraksin. Shortly before the untimely death of his father, he was taken up by his grandmother's brother, Nikita Ivanovich Panin, and brought from Moscow to St. Petersburg.

Panin did not have children of his own and, being the educator of the Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich, encouraged him to communicate and play with his nephew. From that time, Prince Kurakin became one of the closest friends of the future emperor, whom he called Pavlushka in private letters. Once he even mortgaged his estate in order to deliver the necessary amount to the Tsarevich, who was in need of money at that time.

In 1766, Prince Kurakin was sent to study in Kiel, to the Albertine College, where he listened to lectures for about a year, being at the same time at the Russian embassy in Copenhagen and even receiving a Danish order in 1766. He completed his education at Leiden University in the company of such brilliant young people as N. P. Sheremetev, N. P. Rumyantsev, N. B. Yusupov, S. S. Apraksin.

The stay of the nephew in the Netherlands was arranged by Count Panin as a punishment for some pranks, in the surviving letters to his uncle, the young prince promises and expresses remorse for his actions. During his grand tour, "Monsieur Borisov" (the pseudonym of the Russian traveler) also visited England and the south of France; a succinct description of this trip was published by him in 1815 in St. Petersburg at Plyushar. The entire stay abroad cost Kurakin 13,000 rubles.

In 1772, Kurakin, who had been serving in the guard since childhood, was granted to the chamber-cadet, and in 1775 he was appointed to the Senate. In 1778, Kurakin was made a full chamberlain, and after the reform of noble self-government he was elected the leader of the nobility in St. Petersburg. This unhindered service did not prevent Prince Kurakin from accompanying Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich on his journey abroad, and before that to Berlin to meet his bride, Sophia of Württemberg, who learned to appreciate Kurakin's friendship with the crowned spouse and for many years was in correspondence with him.

After Berlin, he was sent to notify the Swedish king of the second marriage of the crown prince to Stockholm, from where he sent curious reports to Panin. During this trip, Kurakin was initiated into the highest degrees of Freemasonry with the order to take over the grandmaster of the Russian provincial lodge, submitting it to the main Swedish chapter. A stately, dexterous and witty handsome prince captured the heart of the young Countess Fersen, later the best friend of Charles XIII's wife.

Upon his return to Russia, Prince Kurakin again becomes the closest person to the Tsarevich and visits him almost most often in Gatchina. The heir was very attached to him, calling him his "soul." Emperor Joseph II wrote about this:

This friendship did not meet with the approval of the then ruling Catherine II, since she learned that during the arrival in St. Petersburg of the Swedish king Gustav III, who was also a prominent Freemason, he attended a meeting of Freemasons in the Kurakin house, where he initiated Pavel Petrovich into Freemasonry. ... The immediate reason for this was the perlisted correspondence between Kurakin and the young PA Bibikov. At the insistence of the empress, who was suspicious of the Freemasons, Kurakin was exiled from St. Petersburg to the Saratov village - the village of Borisoglebskoe.

Village life

Nadezhdinsky park at the beginning of the 19th century

Alexander Borisovich renamed the village to Nadezhdino (the name is associated with his inner state of mind - the hope of returning to St. Petersburg). He set up a luxurious residence there, where he lived for eight years the life of a wealthy Russian master. Even in solitude, he kept up a correspondence with his regal friend, subscribed books from abroad and compiled an excellently selected library. He lived openly, hospitably; special rules were drawn up for the guests, with the aim of giving everyone complete freedom and not to embarrass the owner; one of the points read as follows:

With the splendor corresponding to this way of life, Prince Kurakin sometimes undertook trips to his estates; one of them is described in a book of 1793, which is a bibliographic rarity: “Description of the journey in 1786 by His Excellency ... book. AB Kurakina, down the Sura from Krasnoyarskaya to Chirkovskaya pier ... ". This way of life has drawn him into quite significant debts. However, Emperor Paul, as soon as he reigned, immediately rewarded Kurakin for his constant loyalty to him, reimbursed him all his expenses and poured out on him a whole rain of mercies.

In 1804, Kurakin granted freedom to his peasants from 22 farms (settlements of Belokurakinskaya and Pavlovka in the Starobelsk district of the Kharkov province), numbering up to 3000 souls. He transferred them forever and hereditarily to free farmers, and gave them up to 60,000 acres of land. For their part, the peasants undertook to contribute one million rubles in bank notes to the St. Petersburg Board of Trustees for the benefit of the pupils of Prince Barons Serdobins over the course of twenty-five years. This amount was negligible compared to the real value.

Paul's reign

After the death of Catherine II, Kurakin was allowed to return to the capital and continue his career. During November 1796, Kurakin was granted a privy councilor, was appointed a member of the council under the emperor, vice-chancellor, promoted to full privy councilor, received the Order of St. Vladimir 1st Art. and Andrew the First-Called. In addition, he was granted a house in St. Petersburg, and on the day of the coronation more than 4 thousand souls and rich fishing in the Astrakhan province, the income from which lived the population of an entire large region.

State affairs, apparently, occupied the new vice-chancellor less than court intrigues; at least, Grech calls him a "empty and feeble-minded" man. Vigel left a similar review:

The empress's party, to which Kurakin joined, was incessantly at odds with Rostopchin's party. When, in 1798, Empress Maria Feodorovna and the maid of honor Nelidova lost their influence, Prince Kurakin, as their most loyal ally, was relieved of his diplomatic post and exiled to Moscow. At about the same time (1798) he was elected a member of the Russian Academy.

The new opal, however, did not last long. Already on February 1, 1801, Kurakin was present at the consecration of the building of the new Mikhailovsky Castle, and 20 days later, Count Rostopchin was dismissed from all affairs, and on the same date, Prince Kurakin was ordered to assume the former position of vice-chancellor. He began to frequently visit the palace again, in the immediate circle of the emperor, and was present, among other things, at the last evening table of Pavel Petrovich on the eve of his assassination.

It was Kurakin who was instructed to seal and disassemble the papers of the deceased sovereign. Upon opening the will of Emperor Paul, it turned out that he bequeathed to his "faithful friend" the star of the Order of the Black Eagle, which was previously worn by Frederick II, who himself handed it over to the Russian Tsarevich, and the sword that formerly belonged to Count d'Artois.

Ambassador service

It was said that one of these costumes saved his life during a fire that happened during a ball given in Paris by the Austrian ambassador Schwarzenberg on July 1, 1810. When the fire broke out, Alexander Kurakin was knocked down by the crowd, but his ornate camisole protected its wearer from the heat. However, he suffered severe burns and was bedridden for several months; in this form, he is captured on a Parisian engraving.

It is also believed that Kurakin introduced into fashion (in Europe) the usual way of serving dishes, later called “service à la russe” (Russian serving), which consists in gradually serving dishes in the order of their order on the menu. This new way gradually replaced the "all at once" serving method, which was used earlier and called "service à la française" (French serving, "French system").

While living in Paris in 1772, he took dance lessons from the famous choreographer Vestris. At the dances at the court he was a constant gentleman of Empress Maria Feodorovna.

Personal life

portrait of brother A. B. Kurakin Stepan Borisovich Kurakin

In 1773, 22-year-old Kurakin decided to marry for the first time. His choice fell on Countess Varvara Petrovna Sheremeteva (1750-1824), granddaughter of Field Marshal Sheremetev; the first bride in Moscow, both by kinship and by wealth. But due to the youth of the groom and his indecision, the wedding did not take place. In February 1774, to the great regret of Kurakin, Countess Sheremeteva married A.K. Razumovsky.

Kurakin's next eminent bride was Princess Anastasia Mikhailovna Dashkova (1760-1831), daughter of E. R. Dashkova, but this party did not arouse the approval of Agrafena Alexandrovna Kurakina, who had a huge influence on her nephew. Another bride, Countess Elizaveta Gavrilovna Golovkina (1752-1820), the great-granddaughter of Chancellor G.I.Golovkin and granddaughter of A.I. Shuvalov, having no desire to marry, refused Kurakin. She died unmarried.

Kurakin's last attempt was a matchmaking in 1803 to Countess Anna Alekseevna Orlova-Chesmenskaya (1785-1848). Count Orlov insisted on this marriage, and Anna Alekseevna liked Prince Kurakin, but again, due to the indecision of the groom, the wedding did not take place. Subsequently, their romance turned into friendship and intimate correspondence.

Awards

• Order of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called (December 5, 1796)
• Order of St. Vladimir 1st degree (November 14, 1796)
• Order of St. Alexander Nevsky (November 14, 1796)
• Order of Saint Anne (9 April 1781)
• Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, Commander (November 29, 1798)
• Legion of Honor, Grand Cross (France, 1808)

early years

Alexander was the firstborn of Prince Boris Alexandrovich and his wife Elena Stepanovna, daughter of Field Marshal SF Apraksin. Shortly before the untimely death of his father, he was taken up by his grandmother's brother, Nikita Ivanovich Panin, and brought from Moscow to St. Petersburg.

Panin did not have children of his own and, being the educator of the Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich, encouraged him to communicate and play with his nephew. From that time, Prince Kurakin became one of the closest friends of the future emperor, whom he called Pavlushka in private letters. Once he even mortgaged his estate in order to deliver the necessary amount to the Tsarevich, who was in need of money at that time.

In 1766, Prince Kurakin was sent to study in Kiel, to the Albertine College, where he listened to lectures for about a year, being at the same time at the Russian embassy in Copenhagen and even receiving a Danish order in 1766. He completed his education at Leiden University in the company of such brilliant young people as NP Sheremetev, NP Rumyantsev, NB Yusupov, SS Apraksin.

The stay of the nephew in the Netherlands was furnished by Count Panin as a punishment for some pranks, in the letters to his uncle, the young prince promises to reform and expresses remorse for his actions. During his grand tour, "Monsieur Borisov" (the pseudonym of the Russian traveler) also visited England and the south of France; a concise description of this trip was printed by him in 1815 in St. Petersburg at Plushard. The entire stay abroad cost Kurakin 13,000 rubles.

In 1772, Kurakin, who had been serving in the guard since childhood, was granted to the chamber-cadet, and in 1775 he was appointed to the Senate. In 1778, Kurakin was made a full chamberlain, and after the reform of noble self-government he was elected leader of the St. Petersburg nobility. This unhindered service did not prevent Prince Kurakin from accompanying Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich on his trip abroad, and before that to Berlin to meet his bride, Sophia of Württemberg, who learned to appreciate Kurakin's friendship with the crowned spouse and for many years was in correspondence with him.

After Berlin, he was sent to notify the Swedish king about the second marriage of the crown prince to Stockholm, from where he sent curious reports to Panin. During this trip, Kurakin was initiated into the highest degrees of Freemasonry with the order to take over the grandmaster of the Russian provincial lodge, submitting it to the main Swedish chapter. A stately, dexterous and witty handsome prince captured the heart of the young Countess Fersen, later the best friend of Charles XIII's wife.

Upon his return to Russia, Prince Kurakin again becomes the closest person to the Tsarevich and visits him almost most often in Gatchina. The heir was very attached to him, calling him his "soul." Emperor Joseph II wrote about this:

This friendship did not meet with the approval of the then ruling Catherine II, since she learned that during the arrival in St. Petersburg of the Swedish king Gustav III, who was also a prominent Freemason, he attended a meeting of Freemasons in the Kurakin house, where he initiated Pavel Petrovich into Freemasonry. ... The immediate reason for this was the perlisted correspondence between Kurakin and the young PA Bibikov. At the insistence of the empress, who was suspicious of the Freemasons, Kurakin was exiled from St. Petersburg to the Saratov village - the village of Borisoglebskoye.

Village life

Alexander Borisovich renamed the village to Nadezhdino (the name is associated with his inner state of mind - the hope of returning to St. Petersburg). He set up a luxurious residence there, where he lived for eight years the life of a wealthy Russian master. Even in solitude, he kept up a correspondence with his regal friend, subscribed books from abroad and compiled an excellently selected library. He lived openly, hospitably; special rules were drawn up for the guests, with the aim of giving everyone complete freedom and not to embarrass the owner; one of the points read as follows:

With the splendor corresponding to this way of life, Prince Kurakin sometimes undertook trips to his estates; one of them is described in a book of 1793, which is a bibliographic rarity: “Description of the journey in 1786 by His Excellency ... book. AB Kurakina, down the Sura from Krasnoyarskaya to Chirkovskaya pier ... ". This way of life has drawn him into quite significant debts. However, Emperor Paul, as soon as he reigned, immediately rewarded Kurakin for his constant loyalty to him, reimbursed him all his expenses and poured out on him a whole rain of mercies.

In 1804, Kurakin granted freedom to his peasants from 22 farms (settlements of Belokurakinskaya and Pavlovka in the Starobelsk district of the Kharkov province), numbering up to 3000 souls. He transferred them eternally and hereditarily to free farmers, and gave them up to 60,000 acres of land. For their part, the peasants undertook to contribute one million rubles in bank notes to the St. Petersburg Board of Trustees for the benefit of the pupils of Prince Barons Serdobins over the course of twenty-five years. This amount was negligible compared to the real value.

Paul's reign

After the death of Catherine II, Kurakin was allowed to return to the capital and continue his career. During November 1796, Kurakin was granted a privy councilor, was appointed a member of the council under the emperor, vice-chancellor, promoted to full privy councilor, received the Order of St. Vladimir 1st Art. and Andrew the First-Called. In addition, he was granted a house in St. Petersburg, and on the day of the coronation more than 4 thousand souls and rich fishing in the Astrakhan province, the income from which lived the population of an entire large region.

State affairs, apparently, occupied the new vice-chancellor less than court intrigues; at least, Grech calls him a "empty and feeble-minded" man. Vigel left a similar review:

The empress's party, to which Kurakin joined, was incessantly at odds with Rostopchin's party. When, in 1798, Empress Maria Feodorovna and the maid of honor Nelidova lost their influence, Prince Kurakin, as their most loyal ally, was relieved of his diplomatic post and exiled to Moscow. At about the same time (1798) he was elected a member of the Russian Academy.

The new opal, however, did not last long. Already on February 1, 1801, Kurakin was present at the consecration of the building of the new Mikhailovsky Castle, and 20 days later, Count Rostopchin was dismissed from all affairs, and on the same date, Prince Kurakin was ordered to assume the former position of vice-chancellor. He began to frequently visit the palace again, in the immediate circle of the emperor, and was present, among other things, at the last evening table of Pavel Petrovich on the eve of his assassination.

It was Kurakin who was instructed to seal and disassemble the papers of the deceased sovereign. Upon opening the will of Emperor Paul, it turned out that he bequeathed to his "faithful friend" the star of the Order of the Black Eagle, which was previously worn by Frederick II, who himself handed it over to the Russian Tsarevich, and the sword that formerly belonged to Count d'Artois.

Ambassador service

It was said that one of these costumes saved his life during a fire that happened during a ball given in Paris by the Austrian ambassador Schwarzenberg on July 1, 1810. When the fire broke out, Alexander Kurakin was knocked down by the crowd, but his ornate camisole protected its owner from the heat. However, he suffered severe burns and was bedridden for several months; in this form, he is captured on a Parisian engraving.

It is also believed that Kurakin introduced into fashion (in Europe) the usual way of serving dishes, later called “service à la russe” (Russian serving), which consists in gradually serving dishes in the order of their order on the menu. This new method has gradually replaced the "all at once" serving method previously used and called "service à la française" (French serving, "French system").

While living in Paris in 1772, he took dance lessons from the famous choreographer Vestris. At the dances at the court he was a constant gentleman of Empress Maria Feodorovna.

Personal life

In 1773, 22-year-old Kurakin decided to marry for the first time. His choice fell on Countess Varvara Petrovna Sheremeteva (1750-1824), granddaughter of Field Marshal Sheremetev; the first bride in Moscow, both by kinship and by wealth. But due to the youth of the groom and his indecision, the wedding did not take place. In February 1774, to the great regret of Kurakin, Countess Sheremeteva married A.K. Razumovsky.

Kurakin's next eminent bride was Princess Anastasia Mikhailovna Dashkova (1760-1831), daughter of E. R. Dashkova, but this party did not arouse the approval of Agrafena Alexandrovna Kurakina, who had a huge influence on her nephew. Another bride, Countess Elizaveta Gavrilovna Golovkina (1752-1820), the great-granddaughter of Chancellor G.I.Golovkin and granddaughter of A.I. Shuvalov, having no desire to marry, refused Kurakin. She died unmarried.

Kurakin's last attempt was a matchmaking in 1803 to Countess Anna Alekseevna Orlova-Chesmenskaya (1785-1848). Count Orlov insisted on this marriage, and Anna Alekseevna liked Prince Kurakin, but again, due to the indecision of the groom, the wedding did not take place. Subsequently, their romance turned into friendship and intimate correspondence.

Awards

• Order of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called (December 5, 1796)
• Order of St. Vladimir 1st degree (November 14, 1796)
• Order of St. Alexander Nevsky (November 14, 1796)
• Order of Saint Anne (9 April 1781)
• Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, Commander (November 29, 1798)
• Legion of Honor, Grand Cross (France, 1808)
• Order of the Black Eagle (Prussia)
• Order of Saint Hubert (Bavaria)
• Order of the Elephant (Denmark, 9 February 1808)
• Order of Danebrog, Knight Commander (Denmark, 1766)

Notes (edit)

1. Kurakin Alexander Borisovich (1752-1818) // Great Soviet Encyclopedia: [in 30 volumes] / ed. A.M. Prokhorov - 3rd ed. - M.:

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Prince Alexander Borisovich Kurakin(January 18 (29) - June 24 (July 6)) - Russian diplomat from the Kurakin family, Vice-Chancellor (1796), Member of the State Council (1810), Senator, Chancellor of Russian Orders (1802), Actual Privy Councilor of the 1st class (1807). The creator of the estate Nadezhdino and the owner of the Kurakina dacha east of St. Petersburg. The elder brother of Stepan and Alexei Kurakin. For "skillful representativeness" and a passion for jewelry, he was nicknamed "the diamond prince".

early years

Alexander was the firstborn of Prince Boris Alexandrovich and his wife Elena Stepanovna, daughter of Field Marshal SF Apraksin. Shortly before the untimely death of his father, he was taken up by his grandmother's brother, Nikita Ivanovich Panin, and brought from Moscow to St. Petersburg.

Panin did not have children of his own and, being the educator of the Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich, encouraged him to communicate and play with his nephew. From that time, Prince Kurakin became one of the closest friends of the future emperor, whom he called Pavlushka in private letters. Once he even mortgaged his estate in order to deliver the necessary amount to the Tsarevich, who was in need of money at that time.

In 1766, Prince Kurakin was sent to study in Kiel, to the Albertine College, where he listened to lectures for about a year, being at the same time at the Russian embassy in Copenhagen and even receiving a Danish order in 1766. He completed his education at Leiden University in the company of such brilliant young people as N. P. Sheremetev, N. P. Rumyantsev, N. B. Yusupov, S. S. Apraksin.

The stay of the nephew in the Netherlands was furnished by Count Panin as a punishment for some pranks, in the letters to his uncle, the young prince promises to reform and expresses remorse for his actions. During his grand tour, "Monsieur Borisov" (the pseudonym of the Russian traveler) also visited England and the south of France; a concise description of this trip was printed by him in 1815 in St. Petersburg at Plushard. The entire stay abroad cost Kurakin 13,000 rubles.

In 1772, Kurakin, who had been serving in the guard since childhood, was granted to the chamber-cadet, and in 1775 he was appointed to the Senate. In 1778, Kurakin was made a full chamberlain, and after the reform of noble self-government he was elected leader of the St. Petersburg nobility. This unhindered service did not prevent Prince Kurakin from accompanying Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich on his trip abroad, and before that to Berlin to meet his bride, Sophia of Württemberg, who learned to appreciate Kurakin's friendship with the crowned spouse and for many years was in correspondence with him.

After Berlin, he was sent to notify the Swedish king of the second marriage of the crown prince to Stockholm, from where he sent curious reports to Panin. During this trip, Kurakin was initiated into the highest degrees of Freemasonry with the order to take over the grandmaster of the Russian provincial lodge, submitting it to the main Swedish chapter. A stately, dexterous and witty handsome prince captured the heart of the young Countess Fersen, later the best friend of Charles XIII's wife.

Upon his return to Russia, Prince Kurakin again becomes the closest person to the Tsarevich and visits him almost most often in Gatchina. The heir was very attached to him, calling him his "soul." Emperor Joseph II wrote about this:

This friendship did not meet with the approval of the then ruling Catherine II, since she learned that during the arrival in St. Petersburg of the Swedish king Gustav III, who was also a prominent Freemason, he attended a meeting of Freemasons in the Kurakin house, where he initiated Pavel Petrovich into Freemasonry. ... The immediate reason for this was the perlisted correspondence between Kurakin and the young PA Bibikov. At the insistence of the empress, who was suspicious of the Freemasons, Kurakin was exiled from St. Petersburg to the Saratov village - the village of Borisoglebskoe.

Village life

Alexander Borisovich renamed the village to Nadezhdino (the name is associated with his inner state of mind - the hope of returning to St. Petersburg). He set up a luxurious residence there, where he lived for eight years the life of a wealthy Russian master. Even in solitude, he kept up a correspondence with his regal friend, subscribed books from abroad and compiled an excellently selected library. He lived openly, hospitably; special rules were drawn up for the guests, with the aim of giving everyone complete freedom and not to embarrass the owner; one of the points read as follows:

With the splendor corresponding to this way of life, Prince Kurakin sometimes undertook trips to his estates; one of them is described in a book of 1793, which is a bibliographic rarity: “Description of the journey in 1786 by His Excellency ... book. AB Kurakina, down the Sura from Krasnoyarskaya to Chirkovskaya pier ... ". This way of life has drawn him into quite significant debts. However, Emperor Paul, as soon as he reigned, immediately rewarded Kurakin for his constant loyalty to him, reimbursed him all his expenses and poured out on him a whole rain of mercies.

In 1804, Kurakin granted freedom to his peasants from 22 farms (settlements of Belokurakinskaya and Pavlovka in the Starobelsk district of the Kharkov province), numbering up to 3000 souls. He transferred them forever and hereditarily to free farmers, and gave them up to 60,000 acres of land. For their part, the peasants undertook to contribute one million rubles in bank notes to the St. Petersburg Board of Trustees for the benefit of the pupils of Prince Barons Serdobins over the course of twenty-five years. This amount was negligible compared to the real value.

Paul's reign

After the death of Catherine II, Kurakin was allowed to return to the capital and continue his career. During November 1796, Kurakin was granted a privy councilor, was appointed a member of the council under the emperor, vice-chancellor, promoted to full privy councilor, received the Order of St. Vladimir 1st Art. and Andrew the First-Called. In addition, he was granted a house in St. Petersburg, and on the day of the coronation more than 4 thousand souls and rich fishing in the Astrakhan province, the income from which lived the population of an entire large region.

State affairs, apparently, occupied the new vice-chancellor less than court intrigues; at least, Grech calls him a "empty and feeble-minded" man. Vigel left a similar review:

The empress's party, to which Kurakin joined, was incessantly at odds with Rostopchin's party. When, in 1798, Empress Maria Feodorovna and the maid of honor Nelidova lost their influence, Prince Kurakin, as their most loyal ally, was relieved of his diplomatic post and exiled to Moscow. At about the same time (1798) he was elected a member of the Russian Academy.

The new opal, however, did not last long. Already on February 1, 1801, Kurakin was present at the consecration of the building of the new Mikhailovsky Castle, and 20 days later, Count Rostopchin was dismissed from all affairs, and on the same date, Prince Kurakin was ordered to assume the former position of vice-chancellor. He began to frequently visit the palace again, in the immediate circle of the emperor, and was present, among other things, at the last evening table of Pavel Petrovich on the eve of his assassination.

It was Kurakin who was instructed to seal and disassemble the papers of the deceased sovereign. Upon opening the will of Emperor Paul, it turned out that he bequeathed to his "faithful friend" the star of the Order of the Black Eagle, which was worn before by Frederick II, who himself handed it over to the Russian Tsarevich, and the sword that formerly belonged to Count d'Artois.

Ambassador service

It was said that one of these costumes saved his life during a fire that happened during a ball given in Paris by the Austrian ambassador Schwarzenberg on July 1, 1810. When the fire broke out, Alexander Kurakin was knocked down by the crowd, but his ornate camisole protected its wearer from the heat. However, he suffered severe burns and was bedridden for several months; in this form, he is captured on a Parisian engraving.

It is also believed that Kurakin introduced into fashion (in Europe) the usual way of serving dishes, later called "service à la russe" (Russian serving), which consists in gradually serving dishes in the order of their order on the menu. This new method has gradually replaced the "all at once" serving method previously used and called "service à la française" (French serving, "French system").

While living in Paris in 1772, he took dance lessons from the famous choreographer Vestris. At the dances at the court he was a constant gentleman of Empress Maria Feodorovna.

Personal life

In 1773, 22-year-old Kurakin decided to marry for the first time. His choice fell on Countess Varvara Petrovna Sheremeteva (1750-1824), granddaughter of Field Marshal Sheremetev; the first bride in Moscow, both by kinship and by wealth. But due to the youth of the groom and his indecision, the wedding did not take place. In February 1774, to the great regret of Kurakin, Countess Sheremeteva married A.K. Razumovsky.

Kurakin's next eminent bride was Princess Anastasia Mikhailovna Dashkova (1760-1831), daughter of E. R. Dashkova, but this party did not arouse the approval of Agrafena Alexandrovna Kurakina, who had a huge influence on her nephew. Another bride, Countess Elizaveta Gavrilovna Golovkina (1752-1820), the great-granddaughter of Chancellor G.I.Golovkin and granddaughter of A.I. Shuvalov, having no desire to marry, refused Kurakin. She died unmarried.

Kurakin's last attempt was a matchmaking in 1803 to Countess Anna Alekseevna Orlova-Chesmenskaya (1785-1848). Count Orlov insisted on this marriage, and Anna Alekseevna liked Prince Kurakin, but again, due to the indecision of the groom, the wedding did not take place. Subsequently, their romance turned into friendship and intimate correspondence.

Awards

• Order of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called (December 5, 1796)
• Order of St. Vladimir 1st degree (November 14, 1796)
• Order of St. Alexander Nevsky (November 14, 1796)
• Order of Saint Anne (9 April 1781)
• Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, Commander (November 29, 1798)
• Legion of Honor, Grand Cross (France, June 28, 1807)
• Order of Saint Hubert (Bavaria)
• Order of Danebrog, Knight Commander (Denmark, 1766)

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Notes (edit)

1. S. A. Kozlov. Russian traveler of the Enlightenment. T. 1. - St. Petersburg: Historical illustration, 2003. - (Library of the Fund in memory of His Serene Highness Prince A. D. Menshikov) - P. 132. - ISBN 5-89566-035-5
2. Russian portraits of the 18th and 19th centuries. Issue 1. No. 48.
3. "Bulletin of Europe", 1868. Book. 6. - P. 574.
   "Russian Bulletin", 1864. Book. 8. - P. 375.
   Derzhavin. Compositions. T. 1. - SPb .: Imp. Acad. Sciences, 1864.
4. Serdobsky district of Saratov province
5. After accession to the throne, Alexander I ordered to turn fishing in the Caspian Sea into a common and accessible use for all.
7. Kurakin Alexander Borisovich- an article from the Great Soviet Encyclopedia.
9. Alekseeva T.V. From the history of private construction in Moscow at the end of the 18th century: House of A. B. Kurakin; Description wooden house A. B. Kurakina on the Lubyanka, I. V. Egotova // Research and Findings. - M .: Art, 1976 .-- 160 p.
10. // Northern mail: newspaper. - 1817. - No. 23. - S. 1.
11. A. Ya. Bulgakov's letters to K. Ya. Bulgakov. // Russian archive, 1900, No. 9. - P. 134.
12. M. Pylyaev. Wonderful eccentrics and originals. - M .: Zakharov, 2001 .-- P. 100 .-- ISBN 5-8159-0134-2
13. A.I.Serkov. Russian Freemasonry. 1731-2000 (encyclopedic dictionary) - M .: ROSSPEN, 2001 .-- P. 446 .-- ISBN 5-8243-0240-5
14. Archive of Prince F.A.Kurakin. Book. 8. - Saratov, 1899 .-- S. 323-413.

Sources of

• Nikolai Mikhailovich. Russian portraits of the 18th and 19th centuries. - Issue. 1. No. 48.
• Kurakin, Alexander Borisovich (Chancellor of Russian Orders) // Russian Biographical Dictionary: in 25 volumes. - SPb. -M., 1896-1918.

Links

• Kurakin A. B.
• Kurakin A. B.
• Kurakin A. B.
• Kurakin A. B.
• Kurakin A. B.

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An excerpt characterizing Kurakin, Alexander Borisovich

As far as I can remember, I have always been attracted in people by the thirst for life and the ability to find joy even in the most hopeless or sad life situations. To put it simply - I have always loved "strong-willed" people. A real example of "survival" at that time was for me our young neighbor - Leokadia. My impressionable childlike soul was struck by her courage and her truly ineradicable desire to live. Leocadia was my bright idol and supreme example how high a person is able to rise above any physical ailment, preventing this illness from destroying either his personality or his life ...
Some diseases are curable and you just need patience to wait until it finally happens. Her illness was with her for the rest of her life and, unfortunately, this courageous young woman had no hope of becoming a normal person.
Fate-mockery treated her very cruelly. When Leokadia was still a very small, but absolutely normal girl, she was "lucky" to fall very unluckily from stone steps and severely injure her spine and sternum. At first, the doctors were not even sure if she would ever be able to walk. But, after some time, this strong, cheerful girl still managed, thanks to her determination and perseverance, to get out of the hospital bed and slowly but surely start over to take her “first steps” ...
Everything seemed to end well. But, after some time, to everyone's horror, a huge, completely creepy hump began to grow in front and behind her, which later literally disfigured her body beyond recognition ... a blue-eyed girl with an amazingly beautiful, light and sophisticated face, thus, as if wishing to show what a wondrous beauty she could be if such a cruel fate had not been prepared for her ...
I don't even try to imagine how heartache and this amazing woman had to go through loneliness, trying, as a little girl, to somehow get used to her terrible misfortune. And how could she survive and not break down when, many years later, having already become an adult girl, she had to look at herself in the mirror and understand that she could never experience simple female happiness, no matter how good and kind person she did not appear ... She accepted her misfortune with a pure and open soul and, apparently, this is what helped her to maintain a very strong faith in herself, not getting angry at the world and not crying over his evil, distorted fate.
Until now, as I remember now, her invariable warm smile and joyful glowing eyes that met us every time, regardless of her mood or physical condition (and in fact, very often I felt how really hard it was for her) ... I am very she loved and respected this strong, bright woman for her inexhaustible optimism and her deep spiritual goodness. And it seemed that it was she who did not have the slightest reason to believe the same good, because in many ways she had never been able to feel what it was like to really live. Or, perhaps, felt much deeper than we could feel it? ..
I was then still too little girl to understand the whole abyss of difference between such a crippled life and the life of normal healthy people, but I remember very well that even many years later, the memories of my wonderful neighbor very often helped me to endure mental hurt and loneliness and not breaking down when it was really, really hard.
I never understood people who were always dissatisfied with something and constantly complained about their, always invariably "bitter and unfair" fate ... And I never understood the reason that gave them the right to believe that happiness was already destined for them in advance. from their very birth and that they have, well, a downright "legal right" to this unbroken (and completely undeserved!) happiness ...
I, on the other hand, have never suffered from such confidence about "obligatory" happiness and, probably, that is why I did not consider my fate "bitter or unfair", but on the contrary - I was a happy child in my heart, which helped me to overcome many of those obstacles that are very "generous. and constantly "my fate gave me ... It's just that sometimes there were short breakdowns, when it was very sad and lonely, and it seemed that it was only worth giving up inside, not looking for more reasons for your" unusualness ", not fighting for your" unproven "truth, like everything will immediately fall into place ... And there will be no more resentment, no bitterness of undeserved reproaches, or loneliness, which has already become almost constant.
But the next morning I met my sweet neighbor Leokadia, glowing like a bright sun, who happily asked: - What a wonderful day, isn't it? .. - And I, healthy and strong, immediately became very ashamed of my unforgivable weakness and, blushing like a ripe tomato, I clenched my, then still small, but rather "purposeful" fists and was again ready to rush into battle with the whole world around in order to even more furiously defend my "abnormalities" and myself ...
I remember how once, after another “mental turmoil,” I sat alone in the garden under my beloved old apple tree and mentally tried to “sort through” my doubts and mistakes, and was very unhappy with the result. My neighbor, Leokadia, planted flowers under her window (which, with her illness, was very difficult to deal with) and could see me perfectly. She probably didn’t really like my condition at that time (which was always written on my face, no matter how good or bad it was), because she went up to the fence and asked if I wanted to have breakfast with her with her pies?
I agreed with pleasure - her presence was always very pleasant and soothing, just as her pies were always tasty. And I really wanted to talk to someone about something that had oppressed me for several days, but for some reason I didn't want to share it at home at that moment. Probably, it is just that sometimes the opinion of a stranger could provide more "food for thought" than the care and vigilant attention of my grandmothers or mothers who were always worried about me. Therefore, I gladly accepted the offer of a neighbor and went to her breakfast, already from a distance feeling the miraculous smell of my favorite cherry pies.
I was not very "open" when it came to my "unusual" abilities, but from time to time I shared with Leocadia some of my failures or disappointments, as she was a truly excellent listener and never tried to just "save" me from any troubles, which, unfortunately, my mother did very often and, which sometimes made me close from her much more than I would like. On that day, I told Leocadia about my little "failure" that happened during my next "experiments" and which upset me greatly.
“Don't worry about it, honey,” she said. - In life, it is not scary to fall, it is important to always be able to rise.
Many years have passed since that wonderful warm breakfast, but these words of hers were forever imprinted in my memory and became one of the “unwritten” laws of my life, in which, unfortunately, I had to “fall” many times, but so far I have always succeeded rise. As the days passed, I got used more and more to my amazing and so unlike anything else world and, despite some setbacks, I felt really happy in it.
By that time, I already clearly understood that I could not find anyone with whom I could openly share what was constantly happening to me, and already calmly took it for granted, no longer upset and not trying to prove something to someone ... This was my world, and if someone didn’t like it, I wasn’t going to invite anyone there by force. I remember later, while reading one of my father's books, I accidentally stumbled upon the lines of some old philosopher, which were written many centuries ago and which then made me very happy and unspeakably surprised:
“Be like everyone else, otherwise life will become unbearable. If in knowledge or skill you break away from normal people too far, they will cease to understand you and will be considered insane. Stones will fly at you, your friend will turn away from you ”...
It means that even then (!) There were “unusual” people in the world who, from their bitter experience, knew how difficult it was and considered it necessary to warn, and if possible, to protect people just as “unusual” as they were! !!
These simple words, who once lived a long time ago, warmed my soul and instilled in it a tiny hope that someday I might meet someone else who will be as "unusual" for everyone else as I am, and with whom I am I will be able to speak freely about any “oddities” and “abnormalities” without fear that I will be perceived with hostility or, at best, simply mercilessly ridiculed. But this hope was still so fragile and incredible for me that I decided to get carried away less, thinking about it, so that, in case of failure, it would not be too painful to “land” from my beautiful dream into a harsh reality ...
Even from my short experience, I already understood that there was nothing bad or negative in all my "oddities". And if sometimes some of my "experiments" did not quite work out, then the negative effect now manifested itself only on me, but not on the people around me. Well, if some friends, for fear of being involved in my "abnormalities", turned away from me - then I simply did not need such friends ...
And I also knew that someone and for something apparently needed my life, because no matter what dangerous "trouble" I got into, I always managed to get out of it without any negative consequences and it was always as if someone unknown to me helped me in this. As, for example, it happened the same summer, at the moment when I almost drowned in our beloved river Nemunas ...

It was a very hot July day, the temperature was not lower than +40 degrees. The air heated "to white" was dry, like in the desert and literally "crackled" in our lungs with every breath. We sat on the bank of the river, shamelessly sweating and catching the air with our mouths like overheated crucian carp thrown out onto the land ... And already almost completely “fried” in the sun, we looked at the water with longing eyes. The usual moisture was absolutely not felt, and therefore all the children wildly wanted to plunge as quickly as possible. But swimming was a little scary, since it was another, not familiar to us, bank of the river, and the Nemunas, as you know, has long been that deep and unpredictable river with which it was not advisable to joke around.
Our old beloved beach was temporarily closed for cleaning, so we all temporarily gathered at a place more or less familiar to someone, and so far everyone was "drying" together on the shore, not daring to swim. A huge old tree grew by the river itself. Its long silky branches, at the slightest breath of wind, touched the water, softly caressing it with delicate petals, and powerful old roots, resting on the river stones, weaved under it into a continuous "warty" carpet, creating a kind of hilly roof hanging over the water.
This old wise tree, oddly enough, was a real danger for bathers ... Around it, for some reason, a lot of peculiar "funnels" were created in the water, which seemed to "suck" the person who got into the depths. it was to be a very good swimmer to be able to stay on the surface, especially since the place under the tree was just very deep.
But talking to children about danger, as you know, is almost always useless. The more caring adults convince them that some kind of irreparable trouble can happen to them, the more they are confident that “maybe this can happen to someone, but, of course, just not with them, not here and not now ”… And the very sense of danger, on the contrary, only attracts them even more, thereby provoking sometimes the most stupid actions.
That's about the same thought and we - four "brave" neighbors guys and me, and, unable to endure the heat, we decided to swim. The river looked calm and calm, and did not seem to represent any danger. We agreed to watch each other and swam together. In the beginning, everything seemed to be as usual - the current was no stronger than on our old beach, and the depth did not exceed the familiar familiar depth. I took courage and swam more confidently. And right there, for the same too much confidence, “God hit me on the head, but he didn’t regret it” ... I was swimming near the coast, when suddenly I felt that I was dragged downward ... And it was so sudden that I didn’t have time to react to stay on the surface. I was twisted strangely and very quickly pulled into the depths. It seemed that time had stopped, I felt that there was not enough air.
Then I still did not know anything about clinical death, or about the luminous tunnels that appeared during it. But what happened next was very similar to all those stories about clinical deaths that much later I managed to read in different books, already living in distant America ...
I felt that if I didn't breathe in air right now, my lungs would simply burst and I would probably die. It became very scary, it was getting dark in my eyes. Suddenly, a bright flash flashed in my head, and all feelings disappeared somewhere ... A blindingly bright, transparent blue tunnel appeared, as if it were all woven from the smallest moving silvery stars. I quietly hovered inside him, feeling neither suffocation nor pain, only mentally wondering at the extraordinary feeling of absolute happiness, as if I had finally found the place of my long-awaited dream. It was very calm and good. All sounds disappeared, I didn't want to move. The body became very light, almost weightless. Most likely, at that moment I was just dying ...
I saw some very beautiful, luminous, transparent human figures slowly and smoothly approaching me along the tunnel. All of them smiled warmly, as if calling to join them ... I was already reaching for them ... when suddenly a huge luminous palm appeared from somewhere, which grabbed me from below and, like a grain of sand, began to quickly rise to the surface. The brain exploded from surging sharp sounds, as if a protective partition had suddenly burst in my head ... I was thrown to the surface like a ball ... and deafened by a real waterfall of colors, sounds and sensations, which for some reason were perceived by me now much brighter than it was familiar.
There was a real panic on the shore ... Neighboring boys, shouting something, waved their hands expressively, pointing in my direction. Someone was trying to pull me ashore. And then everything swam, whirled in some crazy whirlpool, and my poor, overstrained consciousness floated away into complete silence ... When I gradually "regained consciousness", the guys stood around me with eyes widening with horror, and all together somehow reminded the same frightened owls ... It was clear that all this time they were almost in a real panic shock, and apparently mentally already had time to "bury" me. I tried to fake a smile and, still choking on the warm river water, with difficulty forced out that everything was fine with me, although I was naturally not in any order at that moment.

KURAKIN
Alexander Borisovich
(18.01.1752 - 24.06.1818)

Prince, statesman, diplomat. Member Russian Academy (1776) .

Accounted for the great-grandson of the diplomat, the actual privy councilor Boris Ivanovich Kurakin(1676-1727), who received on the river Serdobe in 1700 657 acres of land. By 1787 Alexander Borisovich increased the size of land holdings up to 22 thousand dessiatines. His father, Senator and President of the Chamber Collegium and the College of Economics, Boris Alexandrovich(1733-1764) died early, at the age of 31, leaving young sons, therefore, became their guardian Count Nikita Ivanovich Panin, whose sister Alexandra Ivanovna(1711-1786) was married to Alexander Borisovich Kurakin... Simultaneously in 1760-1773 he consisted tutor of the heir to the throne, Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich... It was during these years that their rapprochement took place.

In 1766-1769. Kurakin studied at the Albertine Academy then traveled in Europe, a in 1770 renewed study at Leiden University.

Returning to Russia in 1773, he joined to the Masonic lodge "Capitulum Petropolitum" ... Separated by study and travels in Europe Pavel Iand A. B. Kurakinwere together again: he accompanied heir on foreign trips... But the empress ruled the ball Catherine IIby whose will A. B. Kurakin in 1782 underwent disgraced... The reason for this was correspondence between the prince and the adjutant wing Pavel Alexandrovich Bibikov, wherein Alexander Borisovich expressed unanimity in a truthful assessment of the situation in Russia. The disgraced nobleman, not without regret, leaves the courtyard and rides to his estate Borisoglebskoye, Serdobsky district, which was defiantly renamed in Nadezhdino- in the hope of getting out of disgrace. Vanity and bombast, ostentatious luxury Alexander Borisovich knew no bounds, even his shoes shone with diamond clasps. On this occasion F. F. Vigel wrote:

“When he began his official career and for a long time thereafter, ambition in Russia was tempered by the pleasures of outward vanity; no one was more fond of them than Prince Kurakin, no one liked to dress up more than him. Frivolously and servilely, he did not want, however, to obey fashion: he wanted to appear not a fashionable, but a great master and always in velvet or brocade, always with diamond buckles and buttons, fingers and snuff boxes. " .

Journalist and translator A. N. Grech complements the image of A. B. Kurakin:

"The best characterization of him was given by Borovikovsky in a ceremonial portrait, where the" diamond prince "in smart clothes, with all orders and regalia, is depicted against the background of the Mikhailovsky Castle drawn in the depths."

The beginning of his exile in Serdob A. B. Kurakin marked construction of a new estate and a huge English park. In Nadezhdin oh he tried to recreate atmosphere of the highest court, therefore

“In his magnificent solitude he created for himself, like the courtyards he visited ... also something similar to the courtyard. Absolutely poor nobles, for a large fee, took from him the positions of chief butlers, stewards, even equestrians and masters of ceremonies; then a secretary, a physician, a conductor and a librarian, and many amateurs without positions made up his retinue and revived his wilderness. " .

A. B. Kurakinmanaged to consolidate the reputation of the cultural nest of Russia behind the Nadezhdinsky estate. In 80 rooms of a three-story palace built similar to Paul's Gatchina Palace I, were collected luxurious furniture sets, art collections of porcelain, glass, bronze, picturesque portraits and paintings, a rich library. A. B. Kurakin invited to his estate of professional artists Yakov Yakovlevich Filimonov and Vasily Petrovich Prchetnikov... In the drawing school, peasant children mastered the technique of drawing, studied painting and icon painting. In addition to the drawing school, the prince created musical, classes which led musicians Fyodor Sentyurin, Domna Surkina and even those discharged from Paris "Musicians of a foreign nation: Mr. Remy with his son, Mr. Isobe with his wife" ... Pupils learned to play musical instruments, church and secular singing. In Nadezhdin acted horn and ballroom orchestras, dance group, home theater... By characterizing entertainment at Kurakin, F.F.Vigel wrote:

“Every day, even on weekdays, music thundered at his table, and on Sundays and holidays there were big events; division of time, business, as well as fun, everything was subject to strict order and etiquette " .

Prince I. M. Dolgorukov echoes F.F. Vigel:

“What did not happen in our honor at the Pavlovsky and Nadezhdin estates? We gave him theaters, and he amused us with balls, at which, having gathered his entire courtyard, he played the role of a German prince in her presence and dreamed that he was at court. He loved feasts and gave us, men, such dinners, at which, sitting, we often imagined that we were not with the prince, but with the tax farmer collected in a rich hotel " .

A. B. Kurakinwas lover of picnics, water travel... His family flag flotilla decorated with garlands, with numerous guests performed travel from the Pavlovsk estate to the Chirkovskaya pier of the Gorodishchensky district.

In 1793 g.he published about it the book "Description of the travels in 1786 of Prince A. B. Kurakin down the Sura from Krasnoyarsk to Chirkovskaya pier".

Pavlovskoe or Pavlo-Kurakino - this is the second estate in the Arkhangelsk patrimony of A. B. Kurakin in the Penza region... This estate took shape from 1694 to 1707, when B. I. Kurakin acquired here 505 quarters of the earth. At the end Xviiiv. land holdings of A. B. Kurakin already counted 23,217 dessiatines.

Being many years in Nadezhdin and Pavlo-Kurakin, the disgraced prince often went to Penza, where he had his own house, and to his wealthy neighbors. Everywhere he was received with open arms. He especially loved to be in the luxurious estate Zubrilovka of the General of Infantry, Prince Sergei Fedorovich Golitsyn, always meeting here an exquisite welcome and female sensibility, often of one general's wife. In with. Stolynino of the Gorodishchensky district accepted it Alexey Emelyanovich Stolypin (great-grandfather of M. Yu. Lermontov) - owner of a well-known home theater in Russia... There were frequent meetings and with the landowner s. Russian Syromyas of the Gorodishchensky district by Baron Fyodor Mikhailovich Kolokoltsov. Years of Nadezhdinskaya disgrace A. B. Kurakin briefly described by the archpriest N.G. Skopin:

“… I have lived the whole century without getting married, corrupted almost all peasant children-girls; having held, he gave in marriage; born ... done by the barons. He has sodom and gomorrah in power. "

CatherineIIdied November 6, 1796 and new Emperor Paul Ipromptly called A. B. Kurakina to the palace. Penza said goodbye to her hero, who very often made the city happy on Sura by his arrival:

“Prince Kurakin illuminated the triumph of Penza with his noble radiance. He gave great splendor to our feasts with his luxury ... " .

In St. Petersburg Alexander Borisovich was generously showered with royal favors: he received the rank of actual privy councilor, the court rank of marshal, 150 thousand rubles. to pay debts, a house in St. Petersburg, over 4 thousand peasants, was appointed vice-chancellor and a member of the Council under the emperor. The period of disgrace and the rise of the prince is illuminated by memoirists in their notes.

During the disgrace “Prince Alexander Kurakin went to his Saratov estate, his village Nadezhdino, stayed there for a short time, was summoned by Pavel to the court and when, on his return, he was introduced into the emperor's office, although he was received excellently, graciously, the Emperor deigned to joke with Kurakin, asked (about romantic ) his exploits, and Prince Alexander Borisovich had something to ask about this, and he could also tell something: his Excellency left behind him 70 souls of both sexes illegally nailed down by him with different favorites, and Prince A. B. Kurakin not a Persian shah (Note: Among other children of Prince A. B. Kurakin are known: barons Serdobina, barons Vrevsky, etc.). " V 1802 Serdobiny were erected to the baronial dignity of the Roman Empire, a Vrevskie in 1808 and 1822 erected to the baronial dignity of the Austrian Empire.

In April 1798, as a result of court intrigues, the prince was suspended from the yard... Came back to his service Kurakin only in February 1801: under Emperor Alexander Ihe was appointed Chancellor of the Russian Imperial and Tsarist Orders.

In 1806 A. B. Kurakin comes out on the diplomatic path- he was appointed ambassador to Vienna... He was appointed authorized to sign Peace of Tilsit - treaty between France and Russia, France and Prussia.

Since 1809translated ambassador to Paris from where he informed Alexandra Iabout Napoleon's plans for Russia .

In 1810 A. B. Kurakin Suffered at the fire in the palace of the Austrian ambassador K. Schwarzenberg who arranged ball on the occasion of the wedding of Napoleon and Archduchess Marie-Louise.

“At the fire, due to his own politeness and chivalrous feelings for the ladies, he remained almost the last in the huge hall enveloped in flames, driving out the ladies and by no means allowing himself to be one step ahead of them ... Kurakin was knocked down, thrown to the floor, through him and walked on it. About 20 people died in the fire, Alexander Borisovich was very burned, he had no hair left at all, his head was damaged in many places, and his ears were especially damaged, eyelashes burned out, his legs and arms were swollen and covered with wounds, the skin on one hand peeled off like a glove ... He owed his salvation in part to his uniform, which was all covered in gold; the latter became so hot that those who pulled him out of the fire could not lift him for a long time, burning from one touch of his clothes. "

In 1812 A. B. Kurakin folded with the powers of the ambassador, returned in Russia, moving away from active political activity.

He was awarded the orders of St. Andrew the First-Called Apostle (1796), St. Alexander Nevsky (1796), St. Anna 1st century. (1781), St. Vladimir 1st Art. (1802).

________________________________________

Diplomat, Vice-Chancellor, President of the College of Foreign Affairs, member of the State Council, one of the most influential dignitaries of the second half of the XVIII - early XIX in., prince.

Was born in Moscow. The son of Prince Boris-Leonty Aleksandrovich Kurakin and Elena Stepanovna, nee Apraksina, the headmaster. Brother of Prosecutor General Alexei Borisovich Kurakin.

He was brought up together with the heir Pavel Petrovich, the future emperor Paul I, becoming his confidant. Studied at Leiden University. In 1771 Kurakin traveled across England, leaving a detailed description of this in a book published by him.

In 1787 Kurakin was appointed chamberlain and chief prosecutor of the Senate. Accompanied Pavel Petrovich on his travels abroad.

Having ascended the throne, Paul I promoted Kurakin to privy councilor, appointed him vice-chancellor and a member of the Emperor's Council.

Under Emperor Alexander I, Kurakin was the chancellor of Russian orders. Participated in the conclusion of the Peace of Tilsit, after which he was sent to Vienna on a diplomatic mission. In 1808-1812. served as ambassador to Paris. In 1810, Alexander Borisovich was badly injured at the infamous ball in the house of the Austrian ambassador on the occasion of the wedding of Napoleon I to the Archduchess Maria Louise of Austria. A terrible fire broke out there, several dozen people died. Pylyaev described the misfortune of Kurakin himself: “He was very burned, he had no hair left at all, his head was damaged in many places, and his ears were especially damaged; the eyelashes were burnt, the legs and arms were swollen and covered with wounds; on one hand, the burn was so severe that the skin peeled off like a glove. ... His dress was smoldering, and he was extinguished with water from a puddle, while others cut off the diamond buttons of his clothes. " A witness to the events, the secretary of the embassy, ​​described the reason why Kurakin was not one of the first to escape: “he remained almost the last in the huge hall, enveloped in flames, escorting the fair sex off and by no means allowed himself to be one step ahead of them.”

According to the testimony of contemporaries, Alexander Borisovich was unusually vain and inclined to outward brilliance, for which he received the nickname "the diamond prince". He was one of the richest people in Russia. His estate Nadezhdino in the Saratov province was built on the model of the royal palaces, where the prince lived, surrounded by a huge retinue.

By the end of his life A.B. Kurakin was a knight of all Russian orders.

He was not married, but had up to seventy side children. From him came the barons Vrevsky and Serdobina.

Kurakin died in Weimar in Germany. Buried in Pavlovsk in the court church of St. Mary Magdalene. At his grave, Empress Maria Feodorovna erected a monument with the inscription: "To a friend of my spouse."