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Birthday anniversary of Prince George E. Lvov, Russian public and political figure
21 October (2 November) 1861 in Dresden (Germany) was born George E. Lvov, prince, Russian statesman and political figure; deputy of the First State Duma; President of the All Russian Zemstvo Union, Head of the Provisional Government.
Lvov received his primary education in a Moscow classical school. Having graduated from it, he entered the Law Faculty of the Moscow University. After the University he had worked for some time in Zemstvo and legal institutions of the Tula Province. In February 1900 Lvov was elected Zemstvo Head in the Moscow district. Three years later he became the president of the Tula Province Zemstvo Council.
During the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905 Lvov assisted in organization of medical and food support for Russian soldiers. In the end of 1904 the head of the Tula Province Zemstvo returned to Moscow to attend the First All-Zemstvo congress and the following six congresses of 1904-1905. In May 1905 he was a member of the delegation received by Nicholas II regarding the convocation of a representative government body.
In 1906 prince Lvov was elected to the First State Duma representing the Constitution-Democratic Party (Cadets) of the Tula Province. He did not participate in the elections to the Second State Duma (1907), but efficiently contributed to the work of the Medical and Provision Committee of the Duma as a government representative.
With the beginning of the World War I prince Lvov headed the All Russian Zemstvo Union for support of sick and wounded servicemen. After its merging with the All Russian Cities Union, Lvov headed the new association – Zemgor (United Committee of Zemstvo and municipal unions). In August 1915 the prince was on the list of candidates for the office of the Interior Minister, in September 1915 he attended a congress of Zemstvo leaders in Moscow where was discussed the issue of support of refugees. During these years the politician had been in the opposition to the Russian government.
In the morning of 1 (14) March 1917 Lvov met with the members of the Provisional Committee of the State Duma for formation of the Provisional Government where he occupied the posts of the President of the Council of Ministers and the Interior Minister. The next day the Emperor Nicholas II, along with his abdication, signed a decree appointing Lvov the President of the Council of Ministers thus supporting the decision of the Provisional Committee.
Lvov’s government included representatives of the Octobrist and the Cadets Parties as well as representatives of the big Russian capital. One of the basic objectives of the new cabinet was a congress of the Constituent Assembly in order to define a form of governing the country. Lvov’s cabinet granted an amnesty to all prisoners, abolished the death penalty, national and confessional restrictions, introduced the monopoly for bread. During his leadership Finland was given back its independence; began talks with Poland, Ukraine and Lithuania about their self-determination.
Having overcome the “April Crisis” and the change of the cabinet, Lvov proved unable to stabilize the situation in the country. Peasant unrests in May and failure of an offensive on the Russian-Germany front in June 1917 completely discredited Lvov’s government. 8 (21) July 1917 Lvov resigned and went to Moscow and then to Optina Monastery.
After the events of October (November) 1917 Lvov escaped to Tyumen, but in February 1918 was arrested and sent to Yekaterinburg. Soon he managed to escape imprisonment and came to Omsk from where, under the support of representatives of the White Guards, in October 1918 he left for America.
In 1919, in order to take part in the Paris Peace Conference, Lvov organized the convocation of the Russian political meeting of former ambassadors of the Russian Empire, as well as representatives of the White Guards and Russian emigrants. However, his powers were not recognized by the allied states.
Later, living in Paris, Lvov gave up political activities, earned his living by workmanship and wrote memoirs. In April 1920 the prince opened a Labor exchange for Russian emigrants using the funds of the Zemgor, a part of which was stored in banks of Paris.
George E. Lvov died 7 May, 1925 in Paris.
Lit.: Иоффе Г. Русский либерал. Премьер-министр Временного правительства — князь Львов // Наука и жизнь. 2006. № 4; Львов Г. Е. Воспоминания. М., 1988; Он же. Наше земство и 50 лет его работы. М., 1914; Полнер Т. И. Жизненный путь князя Г. Е. Львова. Париж. 1932; Пушкарёва И. М. Князь Георгий Евгеньевич Львов // Исторические силуэты. М., 1991; Соснер И. Ю. Председатель Временного правительства // Персона. 2001. № 11—12.
Based on the Presidential Library’s materials: