RUSSIAN DIPLOMATS IN PARIS

KYRAKIN ALEXANDER BORISOVICH (1752 - 1818) Prince, Russian statesman, diplomat

He was a member of the State Council. He has been educated under the direction of the uncle, count N.Panin, together with Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich with whom they became close friends; then studied at the universities Cile and Leiden. The closeness of Kyrakin to the cesarevitch (crown prince in tsarist Russia) has displeased to Catherine and he failed into disgrace and ought to return into his village where has collected a vast library. Pavel after his accession to the throne has nominated him vice-chancellor. At Alexander I he was the ambassador to Austria (1806-1808), and then to France (1808-1812). Before his death he ordered to give freedom to the peasants of one of his villages, but his desire was not executed. He wrote several books: «Brief sketches over history of life of count M.Panin» (London, 1784); « Description of travel of prince A. Kyrakin down to Sura» (StPb., 1793) and «Memoirs over travel in Holland and England» (StPb., 1815).