Ivan Lopukhin

Who was Ivan Lopukhin?

Ivan Vladimirovich Lopukhin was an Imperial Russian philosopher, mystic, writer and humanitarian.

Born to a wealthy family in 1756 in Voskreskenskoye, Lopukhin joined the Preobrazhensky Lifeguard regiment in 1775. He retired a colonel 7 years later due to health concerns. After serving as a counselor and later court president on the Moscow Criminal court between 1782 and 1785, he was introduced to rosicrucianism, martinism and freemasonry through his friend Nikolay Novikov and began a career as a writer and printer, while entering civil service. He became Senator in 1798.

In 1801, Tsar Alexander I asked Lopukhin to investigate complaints by the Doukhobors, his reports in 1802 leading to their resettlement on the Molochnaya River, along with other religious minorities.