Turchaninov family

Turchaninov (Russian: Турчанинов, sometimes transliterated as Turchin) was a surname of several noble families in the Russian Empire. It was also a noble family of Don Cossacks origin from stanitsa Aksayskaya and Starocherkasskaya. The surname Turchaninov might have originated from the archaic word turchanin (Russian: турчанин), meaning "Turk". That was the traditional name that was given to the Turkish prisoners captured during numerous Russo-Turkish wars.

Alexander Turchaninov (Russian: Александр Александрович Турчанинов) was the son of the Turkish officer. As a boy he was taken prisoner, baptised and taken to the court. Alexander fulfilled the valet's duties at the court since 1754. On 22 January 1762 Alexander Turchaninov by the decree of the Emperor Peter III was granted the rank of Colonel. He was also granted nobility. On 19 December 1796 Paul I confirmed the title and extended it to Alexander Turchaninov's heirs. His children Peter and Pavel served in the Imperial Russian Army as Rittmeister of the 3rd Hussar Regiment, his daughter Anna (1774—1848) was a poet. Her works were published in Saint Petersburg. The collection of her poetry Otryvki iz sochinenij (Russian: Отрывки из сочинений, lit. "Fragments from works") was published in Saint Petersburg in 1803. Lettres philosophiques de Mr. Fontaine et de m-lle Tourtchaniniff was published in Paris in 1817.

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