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Birthday of Alexander P. Bezak, Aide-General, Governor General of Orenburg and Samara, Russian reformer of artillery
April 24 (May 7) 1800 in the family of state councilor was born Alexander P. Bezak, Adjutant General, General of Artillery, a member of the State Council of the Russian Empire, Orenburg and Samara Governor-General, the Russian reformer of artillery.
Alexander Pavlovich was educated at a boarding school for young under the Imperial Moscow University, and then - at Tsarskoe Selo Lyceum, from which he graduated with a silver medal and in 1819 began his military service in the rank of lieutenant in the 1st Guards Artillery Brigade. For his merits demonstrated in the Russian-Turkish war of 1828-1829 as well as during the suppression of rebellion in the Kingdom of Poland in 1831, Bezak was promoted to colonel, and bestowed the Order of St. Prince Vladimir - third degree. At the end of the Polish Campaign, Emperor Nicholas I appointed him the chief of staff of the artillery of the Russian army, quartered in Poland. This was according to the projects of Bezak that in Warsaw and Novogeorgievske (Kirovograd region of Ukraine) were arranged well-known stockpiles, improved field artillery.
In 1846, Bezak was enrolled in the entourage of Nicholas I. Two years later he received the rank of Lieutenant-General, a year after - the Adjutant-General and was appointed chief of staff of inspectors throughout the Russian artillery. In this post, he established a spare battery and artillery depots, reformed arsenals and plants, introduced a light-weight 12-pound cannon. These innovations have significantly improved the state of Russian artillery on the eve of the Crimea War of 1853-1856.
In 1859, during the reign of Emperor Alexander II, Adjutant-General Bezak was granted the rank of general of artillery. In July the following year he was appointed commander of Orenburg Corps and the Governor-General of Orenburg and Samara provinces. It was on his initiative that redeployment of military garrisons on the border of the Russian Empire was carried out along with demarcation of Bashkir lands. Thanks to the decisive action of the governor-general the rebellion which broke out in the Kokand Khanate was suppressed.
In January 1863, General of Artillery Bezak was appointed a member of the State Council. His service as Governor of Orenburg and Samara was marked with "the spread of citizenship in the province, the organization of the local administration, restoration of order in the steppe and the preparations for successful measures taken subsequently to merge the steppe frontiers of Orenburg and Siberian departments”. In January 1865, Alexander Pavlovich has been appointed commander of the Kiev military district, as well as Kiev, Podolia and Volyn Governor-General. One of the main tasks for his position Bezak considered the Emancipation reform of 1861 to be taken in the province.
In 1866 Bezak was awarded the Order of St. Andrew the First-called.
Alexander P. Bezak died 30 December 1868 (12 January 1869) in St. Petersburg. According to the last will of the deceased, his ashes were buried at the Holy Dormition Kiev Pechersk Lavra, near the church of the Nativity.
Lit.: Александр Петрович Безак // Всемирная иллюстрация. 1872. № 203 (п); Безак А. П. Руководство для артиллерийской службы. СПб., 1853; Семёнов В. Первый почётный гражданин Оренбурга // Любовь и Восток. М., 1994; Семёнов В. Г., Семёнова В. П. Губернаторы Оренбургского края. Оренбург, 1999; Фамильный Архив Безак // Московские Ведомости. 1866. № 26.
Based on the Presidential Library’s materials: