Alexander Baryatinsky was born on May 14, 1815. His father, Ivan Ivanovich Baryatinsky, was one of the wealthiest people in Russia at that time. Chamberlain, Privy Councilor and Master of Ceremonies of the court of Paul I, associate of Suvorov and Ermolov, he was a very educated person, a lover of arts and sciences, a gifted musician. After 1812, Ivan Ivanovich left the civil service and settled in the village of Ivanovsk in the Kursk province. Here he built a huge house-palace called "Maryino". According to eyewitnesses, "the rooms in Baryatinsky's estate numbered in the hundreds, and each of them amazed with collections, luxury of decoration, collections of paintings by famous French and Italians, an atmosphere of festivity, artistic sophistication, openness and at the same time high aristocracy." However, the prince considered his wife Maria Feodorovna Keller to be his main wealth, who gave him seven children - four boys and three girls.
According to the surviving information, the children were very friendly with each other. Alexander, the prince's eldest son and heir to his wealth, received an excellent education at home, mainly in foreign languages. When the boy was ten years old, his father, Ivan Ivanovich Baryatinsky, suddenly died. Maria Feodorovna endured the death of her husband extremely hard, however, having gathered all her mental strength, she continued to live for the sake of her children. At the age of fourteen, Alexander Baryatinsky, together with his brother Vladimir, was sent to Moscow with the aim of "improving in the sciences." According to the memoirs, in communication with the people around him, the young prince was polite, amiable and simple, but he did not tolerate familiarity. After the young man was sixteen years old, Princess Maria Feodorovna decided to assign him to one of the capital's universities. However, she did not succeed in implementing her plan - Alexander suddenly announced his desire to try himself in military service. In vain did the relatives try to dissuade the young man, in vain did the mother show him his father's will, carefully hidden hitherto, in which it was written in black and white regarding Sasha: “As a mercy, please do not make him a courtier, or a military man, or a diplomat. We already have a lot of courtesans and decorated boasters. The duty of people chosen for their wealth and origin is to truly serve, to support the state … I dream of seeing my son as an agronomist or financier. " But everything was in vain, the young prince showed remarkable perseverance and independence, by the way, the distinctive qualities of Alexander Ivanovich throughout his life. In the end, they heard about the Baryatinsky family conflict in the palace, and the empress herself came to the aid of the young man. Thanks to the support of Alexandra Feodorovna, the young man soon found himself enrolled in the Cavalry Regiment, and in August 1831 he entered the St. Petersburg school of cavalry cadets and guards ensigns. It is curious that a few months later the young cadet of the Life Guards regiment Mikhail Lermontov also got into the institution. Subsequently, Baryatinsky and Lermontov became good friends.
Having entered such a prestigious educational institution, the cavalry cadet Baryatinsky completely plunged into the noisy and cheerful life of the capital's youth of that era. Tall and stately, charmingly handsome and blue-eyed, with curly blond curls, the prince made an irresistible impression on women, and his romantic adventures pushed interest in studies to the background. Gradually negligence in teaching grew into negligence in the service. In the regimental disciplinary book, records of penalties from a young man were multiplied, and the culprit of numerous "pranks" himself had a firmly established reputation as an incorrigible rake and carousel. None of the sums of money generously released by his mother were not enough for Alexander Ivanovich to pay off his innumerable gambling debts. The result of weak successes in the sciences was that the prince was not able to graduate from school in the first category and get into the Cavalier Regiment, beloved by him.
In 1833, Baryatinsky, in the rank of a cornet, entered the Leib-Cuirassier regiment of the heir to the crown prince. However, his sympathies did not change, the prince still took an active part in the life of the cavalry guards. Baryatinsky was even arrested for his participation in one major leprosy of the officers of the regiment, directed against their new commander and made a lot of noise in the capital, and served in the guardhouse of the orphanage. In the end, the stories of revelry and romantic adventures of Alexander Ivanovich reached the ears of the emperor himself. Nikolai Pavlovich expressed great dissatisfaction with the frivolous behavior of the young prince, which was immediately conveyed to Baryatinsky. In connection with the circumstances, Alexander Ivanovich had to think hard about correcting his shaken reputation. He hesitated, by the way, not for long, expressing a categorical desire to go to the Caucasus in order to take part in a long-term war with the mountaineers. This decision caused a lot of gossip among friends and relatives. The prince was begged not to risk himself, but it was all in vain - he had already firmly decided to carry out his plans, saying: "Let the Sovereign know that if I can do pranks, then I can serve." Thus, in March 1835, the nineteen-year-old prince, by the highest order, was sent to the troops of the Caucasian corps.
Arriving in the area of hostilities, Alexander Ivanovich immediately plunged into a completely different life. A fierce war has been going on in the Caucasus for almost two decades. This whole region became a united front, a place where the life of a Russian officer and soldier was an accident, and death was an everyday matter. It was impossible to hide for wealth or surname in the warring Caucasus - all earthly privileges were not taken into account here. Vladimir Sollogub wrote: “Here passed generations of heroes, there were fabulous battles, a chronicle of heroic deeds, a whole Russian Iliad… And many unknown sacrifices were made here, and many people died here, whose merits and names are known only to God”. Many military men tried to avoid serving in this region; some of those who were here could not stand their nerves. However, Baryatinsky turned out to be made of a completely different test. Once in the detachment of General Alexei Velyaminov, Alexander Ivanovich, as if ripping off the scab of the capital's idle talk and self-indulgence, expressed a desire to participate in the hottest operations. His endurance and courage amazed even those who had seen a lot of fighters. Among other things, the prince was distinguished by an amazing ability to endure pain. Even at the time of his studies at the school of cavalry cadets, the story was widespread about how Baryatinsky, hearing Lermontov's arguments about the inability of a person to suppress his physical suffering, silently removed the cap from the burning kerosene lamp and, taking the red-hot glass in his hand, walked slowly across the room and put it on the table. Eyewitnesses wrote: "The prince's hand was burned almost to the bone, and for a long time afterwards he suffered from severe fever and wore his arm on a leash."
In one fierce battle that took place in September 1835 and ended with the victory of the Russian troops, Baryatinsky, leading a hundred dismounted Cossacks into the attack, was wounded in the side. His wound turned out to be very serious, the regimental surgeon did not manage to remove the rifle bullet stuck deep in the bone. The prince subsequently lived with her. For two days, Alexander Ivanovich lay unconscious, on the verge of life and death. Fortunately, his heroic body overcame the illness, and Baryatinsky went on the mend. For the final restoration of strength, he was allowed to return to St. Petersburg.
Baryatinsky arrived from the Caucasus with the rank of lieutenant, awarded the honorary golden weapon "for bravery." In the northern capital, the handsome prince, scorched by the fire of the Caucasian battles, quickly became fashionable again. Pyotr Dolgorukov wrote in “Petersburg Sketches”: “Alexander Ivanovich was a brilliant groom in all respects. All the mothers with their adult daughters in the sales department sang various akathists to him in one voice, and in St. Petersburg high society it was accepted as an irrefutable axiom: "Baryatinsky is a brilliant young man!" However, the heir to the family riches stood firm, nothing could make him forget the pictures of the warring Caucasus and his comrades in arms. In 1836, having finally recovered, Alexander Ivanovich was appointed to be with the heir to Tsarevich Alexander. The next three years, spent traveling in Western Europe, brought the young people extremely close, marking the beginning of their strong friendship. Visiting various European lands, Baryatinsky diligently filled in the gaps in his education - he listened to long lectures at famous universities, got acquainted with outstanding scientists, writers, public and political figures. Returning from abroad, the prince lived in St. Petersburg, being engaged in putting in order his financial affairs. His main hobby in those years was the Tsarskoye Selo races, for which he acquired expensive horses. Baryatinsky's official advancement also proceeded quickly - in 1839 he became the adjutant of the Tsarevich, and by 1845 he had grown to the rank of colonel. A brilliant and calm future opened up before him, but Alexander Ivanovich felt a different calling and in the spring of 1845 knocked out a new business trip to the Caucasus.
Colonel Baryatinsky led the third battalion of the Kabardin regiment and together with him took part in the infamous Darginsky operation organized by the Russian command at the end of May 1845 in order to break the resistance of Shamil's troops near the village of Dargo. The occupation of the villages of Andi, Gogatl and Terengul position, the battle on the Andean heights, the battle on the heights beyond the river Godor, the storming of the village of Dargo, a multi-day battle during the retreat through the Ichkerian forest - everywhere Alexander Ivanovich had to distinguish himself. During the capture of the Andean heights, when the Russian troops attacked the fortifications of the mountaineers, Baryatinsky, showing once again miracles of valor, was seriously wounded - a bullet pierced the shin of his right leg right through. Despite this, Alexander Ivanovich remained in the ranks. At the end of the campaign, the commander-in-chief of the Russian troops, Count Vorontsov, introduced the prince to George of the fourth degree, writing: "I consider Prince Baryatinsky to be fully worthy of the order … He walked ahead of the bravest, giving everyone an example of courage and fearlessness …".
In connection with the injury to his leg, Alexander Ivanovich was again forced to part with the Caucasus. According to the memoirs of relatives, the sight of the prince returning home shook them to the core - Baryatinsky cut off his famous blonde curls, let go of blunt sideburns, and deep wrinkles lay on his stern and serious face. He moved, leaning on a stick. From now on, the prince did not appear in the secular drawing rooms, and the people who flooded them became completely uninteresting to him. After spending a short time in St. Petersburg, he went abroad. However, Baryatinsky, obviously, was written by his family to fight all the time. Upon learning that Alexander Ivanovich was following through Warsaw, an outstanding Russian commander, the governor of Poland, Ivan Paskevich, invited him to take part in hostilities to suppress another rebellion. Of course, the prince agreed. At the head of a detachment of five hundred Cossacks, Baryatinsky in February 1846 defeated the outnumbered rebels and "with excellent zeal, courage and activity pursued their army, throwing it back into the Prussian borders." For this feat, Alexander Ivanovich was awarded the Order of St. Anne of the second degree.
In February 1847 Baryatinsky was appointed commander of the Kabardin regiment and at the same time promoted to the rank of adjutant wing. For three years of leadership of this famous regiment, Alexander Ivanovich proved himself to be a strict leader, and even merciless in the requirements of discipline, but caring about his subordinates, delving into all the household details. At his own expense, Baryatinsky acquired modern double-barreled fittings in France and armed the hunters of the regiment with them. This weapon gave his soldiers significant advantages over the mountaineers, it is no coincidence that some of the Kabardian hunters were considered the best in the Caucasus. Along with the execution of official affairs, Alexander Ivanovich carefully studied the country and got acquainted with the literature dedicated to the Caucasus. Over time, these armchair classes became more and more persistent. On the instructions of Baryatinsky, the headquarters of the regiment was moved to Khasavyurt, which was of great strategic importance, as well as the deployment of troops on the Kumyk plane was changed and a new, more convenient place was chosen for the construction of a bridge over the Terek River. Of the military exploits of the prince during this time, first of all, it is necessary to note the successful attack of the fortified camp of the mountaineers near the Kara-Koisu River and the battle at the settlement of Zandak, where the prince successfully diverted the enemy's attention from the main forces of the Russians. In November and December 1847, Alexander Ivanovich carried out a series of successful attacks on the Shamilev auls, for which he was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir of the third degree. And in the summer of 1848, having distinguished himself in the battle at Gergebil, he was promoted to major general and appointed to the imperial retinue.
Unfortunately, the immoderate years of youth began to affect the health of Alexander Ivanovich. At first these were mild, but then more and more intense attacks of gout. Experiencing severe pain, the prince was forced to apply for leave, which was allowed to him in the fall of 1848. By that time, the Russian emperor, completely unexpected for Baryatinsky himself, had decided to "do good" to him, namely, to marry his chosen bride from the Stolypin family. When Alexander Ivanovich got to Tula, his brother Vladimir was already waiting for him with news. Referring to the revealed illness, Baryatinsky remained in the city, and when the vacation given to him came to an end, he informed the emperor that he was returning to his unit. The enraged Nikolai Pavlovich sent a messenger after the disobedient with a notice of the extension of the vacation. The Tsar's envoy caught up with Alexander Ivanovich in the Stavropol province, but the prince told him that he considered it inappropriate to turn back, being near his place of service. However, the emperor did not want to abandon his plan, and the frightened princess Maria Feodorovna wrote letters to her son asking him to return and fulfill the will of the king. In the northern capital, Baryatinsky appeared only at the end of 1849. Two days after his arrival, he loaded the sleigh with gifts and went to congratulate the family of his brother Vladimir. In his house, Alexander Ivanovich, along with the rest of the gifts, left an envelope made of thick paper. The next day, the entire city discussed the stunning details of its contents. There were documents on the right to own the richest inheritance of Alexander Ivanovich, which he received as the eldest son from his father. The prince voluntarily renounced all immovable and movable property, including the priceless Maryinsky Palace. The prince himself negotiated only one hundred thousand rubles and an annual rent of seven thousand. Of course, the marriage business was instantly upset. Baryatinsky, remaining faithful to the family motto "God and honor", was proud of his deed, not without reason, saying to his acquaintances in moments of revelation: "I did not give in to the sovereign myself."
Complete official inaction, together with the uncertainty of what awaited him in the future, weighed down the prince. Finally, in the spring of 1850, the Minister of War, by imperial command, asked Alexander Ivanovich to choose one of two corps - Novgorod or Caucasian. Baryatinsky, of course, preferred to return to his old place of service, and at the end of May of the same year he received an order to accompany the heir to the Tsarevich, who was going on a trip to the Caucasus. Already at the end of 1850, Alexander Ivanovich headed the Caucasian reserve grenadier brigade, and in the spring of the following year he became the commander of the twentieth infantry division and at the same time correcting the post of chief of the left flank of the Caucasian line. Until 1853, Baryatinsky remained in Chechnya, which became the main arena of Shamil's activities, "systematically and persistently subordinating it to Russian rule." During the winter of 1850-1851, all the efforts of the Russian troops were focused on the destruction of the Shali trench, arranged by the rebellious imam, which was done thanks to the successful roundabout maneuver of Baryatinsky's troops. In addition, the prince managed to inflict a crushing defeat on the mountaineers at the Bass River, capturing many horses and weapons there. The subsequent summer and winter expeditions of 1851-1852 on the territory of Greater Chechnya gave the Russian army the opportunity, for the first time after the indignation of the mountaineers, to overcome it along from the fortifications near the village of Vozdvizhenskoye to the fortress of Kurinskaya. The defeat of the imam's troops near the Chertugaevskaya ferry was especially successful. The prince achieved no less success in the southern regions of Chechnya, as well as on the side of the Kumyk Plane, where, due to the steep banks of Michik, the advance of troops was extremely slow and difficult. In the winter of 1852-1853, Russian troops firmly settled on the Khobi-Shavdon heights, laid a convenient road through the Kayakal ridge, and organized a permanent crossing over the Michik River.
Gradually, the special tactics of Alexander Ivanovich's actions began to emerge, which made it possible to solve the most difficult tasks with the least losses. Its features consisted in the constant use of covert bypass maneuvers and an established system for collecting information about Shamil's plans with the help of spies. Another important detail was that, unlike most of the capital's dignitaries, Alexander Ivanovich understood well that it would not be possible to pacify the Caucasus by military force alone, and therefore he put a lot of effort into the administrative and economic transformation of the region. In the occupied territories, glades and roads were laid, opening up room for the troops to maneuver between the strongholds, and in support of the central administration, people's military administration bodies were organized on the ground, taking into account the traditions of the mountain peoples. A new word was the close coordination of the actions of the police and various military units. Khasavyurt, where the Kabardin regiment was located, quickly grew, attracting all those dissatisfied with Shamil's actions.
In January 1853, Alexander Ivanovich became adjutant general, and in the summer of the same year he was approved as the chief of staff of the Caucasian corps. This increase opened up the broadest opportunities for the commander to implement his strategic plans. However, the sudden outbreak of the Crimean War temporarily limited the actions of the Russian troops in the Caucasus, whose role in the period from 1853 to 1856 was reduced to preserving everything achieved in the previous period. And these results were extremely important, since the highlanders, incited by the French, British and Turks, showed unusual belligerence, causing a lot of anxiety to the Russian soldiers. And in October 1853 Baryatinsky was sent to the Alexandropol detachment of Prince Bebutov, operating on the Turkish border. In a brilliant battle at the village of Kyuryuk-Dara in July 1854, when the eighteen thousandth Russian detachment utterly defeated the forty thousandth (according to other estimates, sixty thousandth) Turkish army, the prince once again had to show his outstanding strategic gift. For the victory in this battle, which decided the fate of the entire campaign in the Transcaucasus, he was awarded the Order of St. George of the third degree.
At the end of 1855, Alexander Ivanovich was entrusted with the temporary leadership of the troops stationed in the city of Nikolaev and its environs, and in the summer of 1856 he became the commander of the entire separate Caucasian corps. A little later, the prince was promoted to general from infantry and appointed viceroy of his imperial majesty in the Caucasus. After taking office, he succinctly announced to his subordinates in Suvorov style: “Warriors of the Caucasus! Looking at you, wondering at you, I grew up and matured. From you, for your sake, I am blessed with the appointment and I will work to justify such happiness, mercy and great honor. By the way, if Nicholas I were alive, Alexander Ivanovich, despite any merits, would never have become the first person in the Caucasus. However, the new Tsar Alexander II simply did not present a more suitable candidate for this role.
Alexander Ivanovich was well aware that the protracted and bloody confrontation in the south of the country required an end, and, of course, a victorious end. From now on, the main task of the Russian troops was to pacify the Caucasus quickly and with minimal losses, as well as neutralize the encroachments on these lands by the British, Persians and Turks. Baryatinsky gave the advantage to powerful offensive tactics. Each military operation was discussed and developed to the smallest detail. The prince despised the supposedly victorious raids on the enemy, which did not give the Russian troops any significant strategic results, but brought considerable senseless losses. With local residents, Alexander Ivanovich behaved like an experienced and far-sighted diplomat - trying not to offend the national feelings of the mountaineers, he regularly helped the population with food, medicine and even money. A contemporary wrote: "Shamil was always accompanied by the executioner, while Baryatinsky was the treasurer, who immediately awarded those who distinguished themselves with precious stones and gold."
As a result of a combination of diplomatic and forceful means of pressure on the enemy, by the end of the summer of 1858, the Russian troops managed to subjugate the entire plain of Chechnya, and Shamil with the remnants of the troops that remained loyal to him was thrown back into Dagestan. Soon, massive offensives were launched on the lands under their control, and in August 1859 the final act of a drawn-out drama called "The Caucasian War" was played out near the Dagestan settlement of Gunib. The rock on which the village was located was a natural fortress, fortified, moreover, according to all the rules of fortification. However, the four hundred people who remained with the imam, of course, could not hold back the vastly outnumbered tsarist troops, and by that time there was nowhere to wait for help. Baryatinsky pulled together an army of sixteen thousand people with eighteen guns to the last stronghold of Shamil, surrounding the mountain in a dense ring. Alexander Ivanovich himself stood at the head of the military forces and personally commanded the offensive. On August 18, the commander-in-chief sent Shamil an offer to surrender, promising to release him along with those whom he himself would like to take with him. However, the imam did not believe in the sincerity of the Russian commander, telling him with a challenge: "I still have a saber in my hand - come and take it!" After unsuccessful negotiations, in the early morning of the 25th, the assault on the aul began. In the midst of the battle, when there were no more than a few dozen enemies left, the Russian fire suddenly stopped - Alexander Ivanovich again offered the enemy an honorable surrender. Shamil was still convinced of the treachery of the "infidels", but the refusal of his sons to continue resistance, as well as the persuasion of his closest associates not to expose children and women to death, broke the old man. And what happened next did not fit into any idea of the imam about his opponent - to the great amazement of Shamil, he was given the honors corresponding to the head of the defeated state. Baryatinsky kept his promise - before the sovereign himself, he petitioned that Shamil's life be financially secure and correspond to the position that the imam once occupied. The emperor went to meet him, Shamil and his family settled in Kaluga and for many years wrote enthusiastic letters to his former enemy.
The losses of the Russians as a result of a carefully prepared assault amounted to only twenty-two people killed, and the capture of Shamil was the end of the organized resistance in the Caucasus. Thus, Baryatinsky managed to pacify the rebellious region in just three years. Alexander II generously awarded both the associates of the commander Milyutin and Evdokimov, and himself - the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called was added to the Order of St. George of the second degree for victories in Dagestan. In addition, for the capture of Shamil, the forty-four-year-old prince received the highest military rank - Field Marshal General. The troops greeted the news with jubilation, considering it, not without reason, "a reward for the entire Caucasus." After that, Baryatinsky continued to deal with the economic and military-administrative transformations of the region and managed to do a lot. From the former Linear and Black Sea Cossack troops, the Terek and Kuban troops were organized, the Dagestan permanent militia and the Dagestan irregular cavalry regiment were created. In the Kuban, a group of villages and fortifications were laid, the Konstantinovskaya and Sukhum sea stations were opened, new military schools were founded, and the Baku province arose on the maps of the Russian Empire. Many bridges and passes built under the command of Baryatinsky in the Caucasus still serve.
Vigorous activities in the management of the region upset the health of the outstanding commander, putting an end to his brilliant career. Already the last expeditions, made in 1859, he endured with great difficulty. According to the testimony of people close to the field marshal, Alexander Ivanovich had to make incredible efforts of his iron will, so as not to show others how great his suffering is. More frequent attacks of gout forced the prince to abuse the drugs prescribed to him, which in turn led to fainting, terrible pains in the stomach and in the bones of the arms and legs. The complete loss of strength prompted the field marshal, after presenting the emperor with a report on the management of the lands entrusted to him for 1857-1859, to go on a long overseas vacation in April 1860. In the absence of Baryatinsky, the actions of the Russian troops to pacify and settle the Western Caucasus continued in accordance with the instructions left to them, so that by the end of 1862 the entire Zakuban region was cleared of the highlanders and prepared for the foundation of the Cossack villages.
The state of health of Alexander Ivanovich was getting worse and worse. As a result, the prince sent a petition to the tsar to release him from the post of governor, indicating the successor in the person of Prince Mikhail Nikolaevich. In December 1862, the emperor granted his request, writing: "The exploits of the brave Caucasian army under your leadership and the development of the Caucasian region during the period of your rule will forever remain in the memory of descendants."Having retired, Alexander Ivanovich settled on his estate located in the Warsaw province, and remained in the shadows for almost ten years. It is only known that he was in active correspondence with the emperor, informing him about his health and expressing views on various issues of foreign policy. It is worth noting that in the year of his dismissal from service, Baryatinsky finally married a woman he loved for a long time, Elizaveta Dmitrievna Orbeliani. Many interesting romantic stories are associated with this marriage, which caused a lot of talk in their time. Here, for example, what the well-known politician Sergei Witte wrote about this: “… Among the adjutants of Baryatinsky was Colonel Davydov, who was married to Princess Orbeliani. The princess had a rather ordinary figure, was short, but with a very expressive face, of the Caucasian type … Alexander Ivanovich began to look after her. No one thought it would end in anything serious. In reality, however, the courtship ended in the fact that Baryatinsky, having left the Caucasus one fine day, to a certain extent kidnapped his wife from his adjutant. " So it was in fact or not, it is not known for certain, but Baryatinsky lived the rest of his life with Elizaveta Dmitrievna in harmony and harmony.
In 1868 Alexander Ivanovich, feeling much better, returned to Russia and settled in his estate "Derevenki" in the Kursk province. Here he began to actively study the situation of the peasants and their way of life. The result of this research was a report sent to the Minister of Internal Affairs, Alexander Timashev, in which the prince reacted negatively to communal land tenure, giving the choice to the courtyard system, which, in his opinion, protected the principle of property. In 1871, the field marshal was appointed chief of the second rifle battalion, and in 1877 - when the next Russian-Turkish war began - the proposal to appoint a Caucasian hero at the head of the Russian army was considered, but this was not carried out due to his health. Nevertheless, at the end of the war, Alexander Ivanovich, being very annoyed by the results of the Berlin Congress, humiliating Russia, he himself, having arrived in St. Petersburg, offered the sovereign help. The prince spent the summer of 1878 in the Winter Palace, drawing up a plan for the proposed military operations against England and Austria, but then all issues were resolved peacefully. The aggravation of the old illness demanded a new trip for Baryatinsky abroad. At the beginning of February 1879, his condition worsened greatly, and the prince practically did not get up in bed. The life-giving Geneva air did not bring him the desired relief, and the commander's life was quickly fading away. Despite a clear consciousness, Alexander Ivanovich could not work because of excruciating bouts of pain. According to the reviews of close people, in moments of relief, the prince inquired about the health of the sovereign and with anxiety reasoned about what would happen after his death with his wife. Nevertheless, when communicating with her, he, not wanting to upset, did not show his suffering and tried to remain calm. The last day of Baryatinsky's life was terrible. After another fainting spell, Alexander Ivanovich suddenly, straining all his strength, got to his feet and said: "If you die, then on your feet!" On the evening of March 9, 1879, the prince died. The body of the outstanding commander, according to his will, was transported from Geneva to Russia and placed in the ancestral crypt in the village of Ivanovsk in the Kursk province. The funeral of Alexander Baryatinsky was attended by the heir to the Tsarevich Alexander Alexandrovich, as well as deputations from the Caucasus from the Kabardian regiment and the highlanders. For three days the Russian army wore mourning for the field marshal "in honor of the memory of the valiant merits of his fatherland and throne."
