Dmitry Ivanovitch Sviatopolk-Mirskii

Who was Dmitry Ivanovitch Sviatopolk-Mirskii?

Dmitry Ivanovitch Sviatopolk-Mirskii was a Russian infantry General and a politician, of the Svyatopolk-Mirsky family.

Dmitry was born to the family of Thomas Bogumile Jean Sviatopolk-Mirskii, the ambassador of the semi-independent Kingdom of Poland to Russia. Dmitry's patronymic Ivanovich was based on a Russified form of the third name of his father. Despite being a member of a Polish szlachta he was brought up in Saint Petersburg and considered himself Russian.

He began his military service in 1841 on the Caucasus, fighting against Chechens and Daghestanis. During the Russo-Turkish War, 1853-56 he took part in the Battle at Kuruk-Dara, then he commanded the Chernigov Regiment during the Battle of Chernaya River of the Crimean War, where he was seriously wounded. During the Crimean war he became acquainted with Leo Tolstoy, with whom he had lifelong correspondence.

In 1857-1859 he commanded the Kabarda Regiment, took part in the storm of Gunib, and the capture of Imam Shamil. After the pacification of the Eastern Caucasus, he became the ruler of the Terek region, then the Governor-General of Kutaisi. In 1876 he became the deputy of the Ruler of the Caucasus Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolayevich.