In 1862, compiling a list of 120 most prominent figures of Russian history to be depicted on a monument dedicated to the 1000th anniversary of Russia, Alexander II included V. P. Kochubey among them. This was absolutely fair, given the contribution that the latter made to public administration.
Descendant of Ukrainian Cossack
Kochubey is rich and famous.
Its meadows are boundless.
There are herds of his horses
Free grazing, unguarded.
These Pushkin lines from the poem "Poltava" are familiar to us from school. They are talking about the general judge of the Left-bank Ukraine, Vasily Kochubey, who was executed in 1708. A hundred years later, his great-grandson Viktor Pavlovich Kochubey became the first Minister of the Interior in the Russian Empire.
He was born in the family estate near Poltava in 1768 on November 22. It is not known how Victor's fate would have developed if it were not for uncle's patronage.
Promising protégé
In 1775 Bezborodko A. A. Petersburg nephews - Apollo and Viktor Kochubeev. This invitation predetermined their future fate. One of his contemporaries recalled that in Viktor, his uncle noticed an extraordinary mind, sharpness and an excellent memory. Those qualities that, according to the childless Bezborodko, were necessary for his successor in the diplomatic field.
From that time on, the uncle spared nothing for the education of his nephew. Victor studied at a private boarding school, and at the age of eight he was enrolled as a corporal in the guard. Later, Bezborodko, who actually led Russian foreign policy, assigned his nephew to the Swiss mission, where he was to study law and languages.
Followed by service in the Preobrazhensky Regiment, studies at Uppsala University (Sweden), the first ranks and the honor to accompany Empress Catherine on her journey to the Crimea.
Young diplomat
According to the memoirs of contemporaries, not only his handsome appearance helped Viktor Kochubey to make a career, but also the ability to hide his shortcomings behind arrogant courtesy and silent thoughtfulness. In addition, the young diplomat was courteous, smart and knew how to get along with both Tsarevich Pavel and his mother's favorite, Platon Zubov.
It is not surprising that already at the age of 24, Catherine II appointed Viktor Kochubey as Minister Plenipotentiary and Envoy Extraordinary in Constantinople. It was one of the most important diplomatic posts of that time. And the Russian envoy, despite his youth, fully justified the trust placed in him by the Empress.
Servicein Russia
After ascending the throne, Pavel made Kochubey a Privy Councilor and a member of the Collegium in charge of foreign affairs. As Vice-Chancellor from 1798, he was actively engaged in the creation of an anti-French coalition. However, soon Paul I changed his foreign policy views, began to seek rapprochement with Napoleon, and Kochubey had to resign.
Besides, the autocrat's disgrace was also connected with the diplomat's marriage. Pavel found him a party - his favorite Lopukhina Anna. But the vice-chancellor dared to disobey, marrying the beautiful Maria Vasilchikova.
After the accession of Alexander I, the diplomat returns to public service. In 1802, the tsar established the Ministry of the Interior, which was headed by Viktor Pavlovich Kochubey, and he held this post for about 10 years. The emperor highly appreciated him as an excellent organizer, manager and economist.
The Minister actively participated in the work of the first official periodical in the empire - the St. Petersburg Journal. Imperial decrees, orders of the Senate were published on its pages, and articles by the Minister of Internal Affairs V. P. Kochubey could also be read there. These were reports on the work of his department, including crime statistics and other data that caused a significant public outcry.
Prince Kochubey V. P. died in 1834 from a heart attack.
Portrait stroke
In 1805, on one of the streets of St. Petersburg, Ivan Andriyanov fell under the hooves of the horses of the Kochubeev carriage of the serf Yaroslavl province. The nobleman tried to make amends for his coachman by sending a letter and 1,000 rubles to Prince Golitsyn, Governor of Yaroslavl. The money was contributed to the Provincial order of public charity, from this amount the mutilated serf received interest for the rest of his life - 50 rubles a year, a considerable amount for a peasant at that time.
Memory of the past
To this day, several architectural monuments associated with the name of an outstanding statesman of Russia have survived. This, for example, is a triumphal arch in the village of Dikanka (now the urban-type settlement) of the Poltava region, where the Kochubeev family nest was located.
It was built by Viktor Pavlovich in 1817 on the eve of the visit of Alexander I. Unfortunately, during the turbulent years of the Civil War, the palace burned down, and the once prosperous estate was ruined. Today only the triumphal arch, the church and the lilac grove remind of the former grandeur of the Kochubeev estate.
