The Presidential Library’s video lecture to portray the last chancellor of the Russian Empire Alexander Gorchakov

On April 28, 2023 at 11:00 Moscow time the Presidential Library will host a video lecture Guarding the Interests of Russia as part of the Knowledge of Russia project timed to coincide with the 225th anniversary of the birth of Alexander Gorchakov.

Alexander Mikhailovich Gorchakov (1798-1883) is an outstanding Russian diplomat and statesman, the last chancellor of the Russian Empire, a graduate of the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum and a friend of Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin.

Ilya Demakov, Director of the MGIMO Gorchakov Lyceum, will tell about the life of the diplomat and his entourage. The personality of Gorchakov will be considered in the context of the historical development of Russia on the eve and during the Great Reforms carried out during the reign of Alexander II. Particular attention will be paid to the review of historical sources and literature related to the study of Gorchakov's legacy.

Andrei Bodrov, Candidate of Historical Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Theory and History of International Relations of St. Petersburg State University will focus on the role of the Russian diplomacy led by Alexander Gorchakov during the crisis of Franco-German relations in the last third of the 19th century.

The video lecture is free. The meeting will be broadcast on the Presidential Library’s portal in the Live broadcasts section in accordance with the program of live events, on the Rutube-channel of the institution, as well as on the page on the social networks VKontakte and Odnoklassniki.

The Presidential Library regularly holds video lectures. The detailed information about them is available on the institution's portal in the Video Lectures section.

The Presidential Library’s portal features the electronic collection Alexander Gorchakov (1798–1883). It includes archival materials (Prince Gorchakov's project on the liberation of serfs, correspondence with the Minister of the Navy, Grand Prince Konstantin Nikolayevich, Minister of the Interior Count P. A. Valuev and Minister of State Property Count M. N. Muravyov, Russian Ambassador to Austria E. P. Novikov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan Terashima Munenori), research papers, that spotlight the studies of Prince Gorchakov at the Imperial Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum and Russian foreign policy in the second half of the 19th century as well as postcards with a portrait of Gorchakov as a Lyceum student and the lyceum itself.