Illarion Vorontsov-Dashkov

Count Illarion Ivanovich Vorontsov-Dashkov (; 27 May 1837 – 15 January 1916) was a Russian general and official. He served as served as Minister of Imperial Properties between 1881 and 1897 and as Governor-General of the Caucasus Viceroyalty between 1905 and 1915.

Career

Illarion Vorontsov was born on 27 May 1837 in Saint Petersburg. He belonged to the noble family Vorontsov. He took part in the conquest of Central Asia in the 1860s and was appointed Major General in 1866. He was in charge of the Life Guard Horse Regiment in 1867–1874. He was on friendly terms with the future Alexander III of Russia and, following Alexander's father's assassination, established a counter-revolutionary squad, or druzhina, called the Holy Brotherhood.

Alexander III put Vorontsov-Dashkov in charge of the imperial court and made him Full General of Cavalry. He also was made responsible for imperial stud farms and vineyards. Following Nicholas II's coronation, he was dislodged from the office of Minister of Imperial Properties but was appointed to the State Council of Imperial Russia instead. The Russian Revolution of 1905 recalled Vorontsov to active service, and he ascended to the helm of the Viceroyalty of the Caucasus.

As Russia's second-to-last viceroy of the Caucasus, Vorontsov-Dashkov implemented several reformist policies, but his time in office was marred by a general era of revolution, war, and social upheaval.

He was officially in charge of the victorious Russian forces in the Battle of Sarikamish during the early months of World War I, although the effective command lay with General Alexander Myshlayevsky. In September 1915 he was removed from command and replaced with Grand Duke Nicholas. He died on 15 January 1916 in his Vorontsov Palace.

Family

He married in 1867 Countess Elizaveta Andreevna Shuvalova, daughter of Count Andrei Petrovich Shuvalov. His youngest son Alexander's descendants represent the only continuation of the Vorontsov family in the male line.

Awards and honours

Russian decorations Knight of St. Anna, 4th class, 1861; 3rd Class, 1864; 1st Class, 1870 Gold Sword for Bravery, 4 June 1862 Knight of St. Vladimir, 4th Class with Swords and Bow, 1865; 3rd Class with Swords, 1867; 2nd Class, 1874; 1st Class, 1894 Knight of St. George, 4th class, for distinguished service during the war, 27 June 1867; 3rd Class "For the valiant skilful leadership of the Caucasian Army, whose heroic exploits achieved brilliant military success in actions against the Turks", 15 August 1915 Knight of St. Stanislaus, 1st Class, 1868 Knight of the White Eagle, with Swords, 1878 Knight of St. Alexander Nevsky, 1883; in Diamonds, 1888 Knight of St. Andrew, 14 May 1896; in Diamonds, 1904 Portraits of the Emperors Alexander II and Alexander III, in Diamonds, 1908 Portrait of Emperor Alexander III, in Diamonds, 21 February 1913

Foreign decorations Grand Cross, 9 September 1881; in Diamonds, 1884 Knight of the Black Eagle, 1889 Knight of the White Falcon, 26 September 1865; Grand Cross, 1896 Commander of the Merit Order of Philip the Magnanimous, 1st Class, 1865; Grand Cross, 1883 Grand Cross of the Ludwig Order, 1883 French Empire: Officer of the Legion of Honour, 1865; Grand Cross, 1883 Knight of the Württemberg Crown, 1865; Grand Cross, 1883 Austria-Hungary: Grand Cross of the Order of Franz Joseph, 1872 Knight of the Iron Crown, 1st Class, 1874 Grand Cross of the Imperial Order of Leopold, 1883 Grand Cross of the Royal Hungarian Order of St. Stephen, 1884 Sweden-Norway: Commander Grand Cross of the Sword, 19 July 1875 Knight of the Seraphim, with Collar, 15 February 1892 Kingdom of Greece: Grand Cross of the Redeemer, 1876 Grand Cross of the Dannebrog, 19 August 1876; in Diamonds, 3 October 1881 Knight of the Elephant, 21 December 1891 : Knight of the House Order of Fidelity, 1883 Grand Cross of Merit of the Bavarian Crown, 1883 Grand Cordon of the Royal Order of Leopold, 1883 Grand Cross of St. Alexander, 1883 Ernestine duchies: Grand Cross of the Saxe-Ernestine House Order, 1883 Holy See: Grand Cross of the Order of Pope Pius IX, 1883 Grand Cordon of the Rising Sun, 1883 Grand Cross of the Netherlands Lion, 1883 Grand Cross of the Order of Charles III, 2 November 1883 Grand Cross of Saints Maurice and Lazarus, 1884 Persian Empire: Order of the August Portrait, in Diamonds, 1884 Mecklenburg: Grand Cross of the Wendish Crown, 1889 Siam: Grand Cross of the White Elephant, 1892 Order of Osmanieh, 1st Class, 1887; in Diamonds, 1893 Grand Cross of the Order of Duke Peter Friedrich Ludwig, 1895 Grand Cross of the Star of Romania, 1895 Order of the Double Dragon, Grade I Class III, 1896 Honorary Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, 30 June 1896

Ancestry