On November 20, 1860, Major General Alexei Petrovich Akhmatov, a member of His Majesty’s Retinue, was appointed Military Governor of Kharkiv. He held this position for only two years, as on February 28, 1862, he was appointed Chief Prosecutor of the Holy Synod.
Alexei Petrovich’s contemporaries have left behind some very vivid and interesting memories of him…
He was, in every respect, a radiant personality. Highly educated, with a pleasant appearance, a kind heart, and a strong character—he was deeply religious, always friendly and approachable to everyone, always ready to participate in a good cause or to defend the oppressed, and, moreover, well-off— A. P. quickly won everyone’s affection and left a lasting, positive impression throughout the province. His chief trait was boundless devotion to the entire Imperial Family; his love for them bordered on adoration… His official duties were conducted in an impeccable manner: intrigues and various schemes had no chance of succeeding. A man of independent character, he was swayed only by his kind heart, never strayed from the path of the law, and it was a blessing for the Kharkiv Province to have such a governor during that difficult and turbulent time. It is to him alone that we owe the fact that the beginning of emancipation, compared to other provinces, passed completely peacefully, without the tragic misunderstandings that occurred in some provinces
In K. Shchelkov’s book *Historical Chronology of the Kharkiv Governorate*, Akhmatov’s tenure as governor of Kharkiv is marked, in particular, by the following events:
1861:
— June 4. The charter on tobacco excise taxes and the regulations on excise taxes on alcoholic beverages were approved by the Emperor. Starting this year, the Kharkiv District Treasury collected an annual tobacco excise tax of between 40,000 and 60,000 rubles;
— The Kharkiv Medical Society was founded on the initiative of Professor V.F. Grube;
— The Museum of Fine Arts at Kharkiv University was opened to the public;
— Large mirrored panes appeared for the first time in the windows of Kharkiv’s houses.
P.S. Also, Kharkiv Governor Alexei Petrovich Akhmatov was the great-great-uncle of the famous Anna Andreevna Akhmatova.
Sources:
- A Collection of Biographies of the Cavalry Guards. Vol. 4. 1908;
- An Album of Photographic Portraits of Their Imperial Highnesses and Notable Figures in Russia, 1865;
- Russian Biographical Dictionary, Vol. 2, 1900;
- A Historical Chronology of the Kharkiv Governorate, by K.P. Shchelkov, 1882.
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