Author Topic: Knyazhevich  (Read 14054 times)

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nico20_1

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Knyazhevich
« on: September 12, 2010, 09:17:57 AM »
Hi - I am seeking information on the Knyazhevich family in Russia: Dmitri Maximovich, Major General, commander her Majesty's Life Guards Lancer regiment Nicholai Antonovich, also Major General and Governor of Tavrida. The Knyazhevich family has it's roots in Serbia and Montenegro. The Montenegran branch was of the high nobility and migrated to Russia under Catherine the Great's reign and again in the early 19th century. The 2nd group had 8 family members who went to Russia, initially to Novoserbia where they were granted lands and were enobled there as well. Part of the family continued to the Caucasus region. Below is an extract from research to date:

"The Russian State Historic Archive. Fond 1343 inventory 23 file 4148.
Title listed in the inventory as “Registering the Knjazhevich nobility in Georgia”. Year 1830.
    In fact, it turned out that the file listed by such a way in the inventory, includes documents of the Knjazhevich (Knyazhevich) Montenegro noble family. 28 pages and versos.
    The content of these documents:
    According to Russian Emperor’s Ukaz of April 8, 1820 the Montenegro nobleman Miron Knjazhevich, received the land for himself and his relatives for his services to Russia.
    The same year 1820, Miron’s nephew Ilja (Iliya) of 12 years old was taken in Herson [Crimea] Orphans Military School at the State expense. In 1827, Ilja Knjazhevich was moved to St. Petersburg and entered in service in the Life-Guard Chasseur regiment. Ilja was the son of Montenegro nobleman Petr Knjazhevich, probable Miron’s brother. "

This information is from initial research through the Russian Nobility Association, but there are documents that have been destroyed or lost through time and war. I am trying to research my Grandfather, who was born in Russia (Caucasus) and whose family may, or may not have utilized the Russian patronymic tradition. My Grandfather, Ivan Gregory, returned to Serbia during the Russian Revolution and is listed there as a "high Russian Officer and member of the White Community", by the time my Mother was born in 1928, through research in Belgrade. That being said, information on the family is not forthcoming and many files are still sealed. In understanding the biographical information of these two gentleman (Dmitri Maximovich and Nicholai Antonovich, I hope to find the family connection. Most likely they are all related since the name is not Russian in origin. There is little on the internet with the exception of the Empress' letters mentioning "my Knyazhevich"  who was Dmitri, I believe. If I have made any error in this, my apologies!

I am grateful for any assistance of guidance you may offer in finding their histories and their fate.

Thanks so much!
Christina

Nicola De Valeron

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Re: Knyazhevich
« Reply #1 on: September 12, 2010, 02:05:08 PM »
Christina, here is some information. Info is from the open sources. Hope it would be helpful;).

Service card of Knyazhevich Dmitry Maximovich: (21.06.1874-1918). Officer. Religion-Orthodox. From the nobility. Graduated from the Corps de Pages (1894). After education was enlisted with a Cornet rank to HIH Marie Feodorovna Chevalier Guard Regiment (08.08.1894). Poruchik (08.08.1898). Graduated from the Nicholas Academy of General Staff (1900, 1st class). Stabs Rottmeister of the Guard, then Captain of the General Staff (06.05.1900). Was enlisted in Caucasus and St. Petersburg's military district. Senior Adjutant officer of the Staff of 18th Army Corps (03.03.1901-04.06.1902). Commander of the HIH Alexandra Feodorovna Cuirassier Guard's Regiment's squadron (08.10.1901-13.10.1902).  Senior Adjutant officer of the Staff of 1st Army Corps (04.06.1902-15.03.1903). Ober officer for assignments in Guard's Staff and Peterburg's military district (15.03.1903-17.05.1904). From 1904 - Fligel Adjutant. Participated in the Russian-Japanese War (1904-1905). Staff officer for assignments in Guard's Staff and Peterburg's military district (17.05.1904-30.03.1908). Lieutenant Colonel (06.12.1904). Personal Staff officer for assignments of the Commander of Guard's Staff and Peterburg's military district (30.03.1908-14.08.1913). Was temporarely enlisted in HIH Marie Feodorovna Chevalier Guard Regiment (05.05.-20.09.1909). Colonel (06.12.1909). Temporarely served in Artillery (09.05.-11.07.1912), then in Infantry (19.07.-21.08.1912). Commander of the 1st Guard's Cavalry Division Staff (14.08.-24.12.1913). Commander of the HIH Alexandra Feodorovna Cuirassier Guard's Regiment (24.12.1913-09.08.1915). Participated in the WWI. Received Order of St. George (11.11.1914). Major General of HIM Suite (22.03.1915). Commander of the 2nd Brigade of 1st Guard's Cavalry Division (09.08.-30.08.1915). Commander of the 2nd Brigade of 2nd Guard's Cavalry Division (30.08.-19.12.1915). Commander of the 1st Brigade of 2nd Guard's Cavalry Division (19.12.1915-02.1917). Received St. George Sabre (10.02.1917). From 18.04.1917-Commander of the 2nd Cavalry Division. Killed in 1918.

Main decorations:
  - Order of St. Stanislaus, 3rd degree (1903)
  - Order of St. Anna, 4th degree (1905)
  - Order of St. Vladimir, 4th degree (1906)
  - Order of St. Anna, 3rd degree with swords and bow (1906)
  - Order of St. Stanislaus, 2nd degree with swords (1906)
  - Order of St. Anna, 2nd degree with swords (1906)
  - Order of St. Vladimir, 3rd degree (04.03.1912)
  - Order of St. George, 4th degree (11.11.1914)
  - St. George Sabre (02.10.1917)



Service card of Knyazhevich Nicholay Antoninovich: (9.01.1871-04.03.1950). Officer, Local Statesman and Crimean manufacturer. Religion-Orthodox. Educated in the Alexander Lyceum (1891). Joined the military service in 05.08.1891. Passed the officer's exam in Pavlovsk Military School (1892). Cornet of the HIM Hussar's Regiment (04.08.1892). Poruchik (04.08.1896). Stabs Rottmeister (05.04.1898). Rottmeister (05.04.1902). Commanded the squadron. Fligel Adjutant (1904). Colonel (06.12.1904). Commander of the Crimean Cavalry Regiment (11.09.1908-09.10.1912) (*you can see several pics with Knyazhevich from Regimental meetings with Imperial family in Crimea in Vyrubova albums). During Regimental service built several buildings. including the Regimental Mosque in Simferopol. Major General (23.04.1912). Enlisted in HIM Suite with the same rank (1912). From 09.10.1912-Commander of the 2nd Brigade of 8th Cavalry Division. Participated in the WWI. Received St. George Sabre (09.03.1915). Governor of Odessa. Governor of Tavria (from 14.11.1914). Built a number of railways and wanted to make from Crimea a big resort. After Revolution and Civil War emigrated. In 1920 - in Yugoslavia, then (1921) in Hungary, and again in Yugoslavia. Emigrated to France. Head of the Crimean Cavalry Regiment union. Died in France in 1950. Buried on Sainte Genevieve des Bois.

Main decorations:
   - Order of St. Stanislaus, 2rd degree (1901)
   - Order of St. Anna, 3rd degree (1904)
   - Order of St. Vladimir, 3rd degree (1909)
   - St. George Sabre (03.09.1915)


« Last Edit: September 12, 2010, 02:27:20 PM by Nicolá De Valerón »

nico20_1

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Re: Knyazhevich
« Reply #2 on: September 12, 2010, 05:44:21 PM »
Dear Nicola,

Many thanks to you: this is a very good start. I have been unable to find the family's genealogy: the 1920 Yugoslavia immigration is very interesting since it is around that time my Grandfather returned to Yugoslavia as a young officer. The spelling of the name is so vast as well: finding genealogical is challenging. I have seen Knyazevich under several variations and once we come back to Yugoslavia we have the name change to the Serbian/Croatian Knezevic as yet another version.

If anyone knows if the genealogy of this family is available on line, I would be grateful. I have checked many sources but have not yet found any information. I am really thankful to you Nicola for this important piece of my puzzle! :)

Best,
Christina

Nicola De Valeron

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Re: Knyazhevich
« Reply #3 on: September 13, 2010, 12:15:50 PM »
Christina,

You are very welcome;). Judging by the information that I've already posted here about Nicholay Antoninovitch Knyazhevich and your words about Yugoslavia, it seems to me that your Grandfather might had some relations to Nicholay Antoninovitch, although we have no documentary facts. But anyway, this is a very probable thing.

Btw, here is an interesting photo of Nicholay Antoninovitch with his wife Yekaterina Borisovna Knyazhevich (nee Obuhova) (1908).


About your question...There are a lot of sources on the genealogy theme, where you can find a lot about the Russian nobility, but it depends on your Russian language knowledge. Sadly, but all of these materials are in Russian. For the start, you can easily post here some of your questions and you'll receive help very soon.

nico20_1

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Re: Knyazhevich
« Reply #4 on: September 13, 2010, 09:22:00 PM »
Dear Nicholas - thank you! The resemblance to my mother in this picture is very strong. In the official pic prior their is a resemblance but more when she was a child; he was younger in that pic. Also, I believe Ekaterina might be his second wife: if memory serves I  read his wife in Russia was Lydia Afanaesevna. She was killed by the bolsheviks... Ekaterina is significantly younger than he.

I agree much of my struggle is language related....much to my late Mother's chagrin who spoke 7 languages! :) Thanks to what Google can do now, I can get the "jist" of much of what it does translate. It's not enough though, especially for archival sources.

I would like to ask about the Vyrubova albums you mentioned: I think I saw reference to these in another subject area of the forum, I can't seem to find it. Has the album been posted here to your knowledge?

Thank you again - I've followed the posts here since my Mother passed away 2 years ago. Everyone is kind and there is much knowledge shared. As children we knew so little of our heritage and finding my Mother's  baptismal record me on this journey to know our roots and pass on to my children. I'm really grateful for your help and time! :)

Best,
Christina

Nicola De Valeron

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Re: Knyazhevich
« Reply #5 on: September 14, 2010, 12:51:13 PM »
Christina,

You are very welcome again;). Btw, friendly advice: you can continue these talking and researching in a more appropriate thread - "Research Russian roots". Just start there a new thread and post there all the information you have about your emigrated family. I think that this thread (Russian noble families) is more about Russian nobility and aristocracy in general and not about personal researching.

Here is the main link to Beinecke (Anna Vyrubova) albums http://beinecke.library.yale.edu/dl_crosscollex/romanov_album.htm and here is the link to Knyazhevich photo with the Crimean Cavalry Officers and Alexandra Feodorovna (1909, Colonel Nicholay Antoninovich is leftmost) http://brbl-images.library.yale.edu/ROMANOVIMG/size4/D0049/1000706.jpg

It was pleasure to help you. Btw, you can PM me or send me email, if you want to continue your family researching (it requires more information from your side). I'll try to help with what I can.

nico20_1

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Re: Knyazhevich
« Reply #6 on: September 15, 2010, 05:17:45 PM »
Nicola - thank you once again!:) You are very kind! I think you are right about the section I should now continue with. Although the family is certainly nobility, the personal research is another matter and will be best placed in the section you recommended. I will send you a PM with some additional information as I think you will understand my dilemma once you have that: my story is very complex and I do not wish to have it publicly posted in detail. Thank you for taking the time you have....truly grateful!

Speak soon and best,
Christina

Offline mishaxenia

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Re: Knyazhevich
« Reply #7 on: June 02, 2014, 08:48:16 AM »
Hi, do you know if the family Knyazhevich was a woman named Alexandra , lady in waiting ? maybe it's the woman in the photo I've already posted

http://i1255.photobucket.com/albums/hh632/misha311/IMG_20140521_0001_zps7387a0b0.jpg

Offline Svetabel

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Re: Knyazhevich
« Reply #8 on: June 02, 2014, 12:22:04 PM »
Hi, do you know if the family Knyazhevich was a woman named Alexandra , lady in waiting ? maybe it's the woman in the photo I've already posted

http://i1255.photobucket.com/albums/hh632/misha311/IMG_20140521_0001_zps7387a0b0.jpg

Why do you think that's a Knyazhevitch?

Offline mishaxenia

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Offline Svetabel

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Re: Knyazhevich
« Reply #10 on: June 05, 2014, 02:42:29 PM »
I think by the writing on the photo
http://i1255.photobucket.com/albums/hh632/misha311/1_zpsa0b7e828.jpg

http://i1255.photobucket.com/albums/hh632/misha311/2_zpsa76fcaea.jpg

I've looked through the lists of maid-of-honors of 1890-1917 period and not found any Alexandra Knyazhevitch.

Offline mishaxenia

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Re: Knyazhevich
« Reply #11 on: July 21, 2014, 11:08:09 AM »
I think by the writing on the photo
http://i1255.photobucket.com/albums/hh632/misha311/1_zpsa0b7e828.jpg

http://i1255.photobucket.com/albums/hh632/misha311/2_zpsa76fcaea.jpg

I've looked through the lists of maid-of-honors of 1890-1917 period and not found any Alexandra Knyazhevitch.
  Thanks for for the search.  I'm sorry not identify the woman, but I have no other information