Missikoff Family / Ossetia

[PGNUCLA]

Zdrastvuyte Forum Friends:  For research for a book project, I would welcome any information about the historic roots of the Missikoff Family in Ossetia, Terskaya Region, Caucasus.  It is my understanding that the Missikoff were a prominent noble family in the region, with the family head bearing the title of "Prince".  Contemporary members of the Missikoff family have advised me that at the time of the Revolution, the family head was "Prince Mikael", who was presumed lost at the hands of the Bolsheviks.  Prince Mikael's son, Georg, escaped to the West, settling in Italy, where he was involved in a variety of business interests.  I extend my sincere thanks for any and all information you can provide me about this little corner of Russian Imperial History.  Bal'shoye, spaseeba. --  PGNUCLA  pnagle@ucla.edu

[Mike]

The Misikovs' princely title is no more than a family legend. The Ossetian nobility never included princes. Their only more or less aristocratic title was uzden - a rough equivalent to European baron. There were no Ossetian princes in the Russian empire, whether Missikovs or other. As to Michael (Mahomet) Missikov, he indeed was a well-known Ossetian university professor, physician and anthropologist who fell victim to Stalin's terror in Sept. 1938. His granddaughter Donatella Flick's claim to a princely title is historically baseless and apparently just serves her ego. More info on Prof. Michael Misikov see here (in Russian).