Prince Mikhail Dmitrievich Gorchakov

Mikhail Dmitrievich Gorchakov
Mikhail Gorchakov, (Jan Ksawery Kaniewski, 1860)
Born	(1793-01-28)28 January 1793 Warsaw, Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
Died	18 May 1861(1861-05-18) (aged 68) Warsaw, Russian Empire
Allegiance	Russian Empire
Service/branch	Imperial Russian Army
Years of service	1807–1861
Rank	General of the Artillery
Battles/wars	Napoleonic Wars Russo-Turkish War November Uprising Crimean War
Awards	Order of St. Andrew Order of St. George Order of St. Vladimir

Prince Mikhail Dmitrievich Gorchakov (Russian: Михаи́л Дми́триевич Горчако́в; 28 January [O.S. 8 February] 1793 – 18 May [O.S. 30 May] 1861, Warsaw) was a Russian General of the Artillery from the Gorchakov family, who commanded the Russian forces in the latter stages of the Crimean War and later served as a Namestnik of Kingdom of Poland from 1856 until his death.

Mikhail and his brother Pyotr Gorchakov were the children of a notable writer Prince Dmitri Petrovich Gorchakov and his wife Natalie Boborykina. Mikhail entered the Russian army in 1807 as a cadet of the Leub Guard Artillery battalion. In 1809 in the rank of lieutenant he took part in the campaigns against Persia.

During the Napoleonic Wars he distinguished himself at Borodino (received the Order of St. Vladimir of 4th degree) and at Bautzen (received the Order of St. Anna of 2nd degree, the Prussian Order Pour le Mérite and the rank of staff-captain). His career quickly developed and in 1824 he was a Major General. Gorchakov demonstrated bravery during the Russo-Turkish War of 1828–1829, on 29 May 1829 he was one of the first to swim across the Danube. He was present at the sieges of Silistria and Shumna.