Russian Admiral and constructor of the 1st Russian Airplane
ALEXANDER FEDOROVICH MOZHAYSKY
(b. 9.03.1825 at Rochensalm, Finland, d. 19.03.1890 at. St. Petersburg)
This record is being placed
here “pro forma”, since there are currently no direct proofs that the Russian
nobles, named Mozhaysky (and alike), have originated from the ancient Volhynian
Mozhayski-Mozarowski family. Among the indirect proofs, one can think of a
record in Yeparkhialnyie Vedomosti Vologodskoi Yeparkhii (News of the Russian Orthodox Diocese in
Vologda, Russia) of the year 1880, where it has been said that “the Mozhayski
nobles have origins from ancient princes of Mozhaysk and of
Starodub-Severskii”; a physical resemblance of the Mozhayskys to members of the
M-M family, as well as the fact that a lot of the Mozhayskys were born in
Ukraine.
His father Fedor Timofeevich was
also a Russian admiral. A very tall and strong man, Alexander had always dreamt
of constructing an airplane. However, this idea did not evoke any favorable
reactions from the Russian Navy, and Alexander did not have enough of his own,
private resources, to fulfill his dreams. He was married to Liubov Kuzmina, who
owned a small parcel of land property near Vologda.
However, his brother Nicolai, in the
year 1869, became a real estate magnate, acquiring a huge parcel of land
property around the large and beautiful palace of Voronovitsa in Podolyia (now
in the Oblast’ of Vinnitsa, Ukraine).
Shortly after this, Nicolai died there. Alexander then went to
Voronovitsa to take care of his brother’s property and his young son. This
occurrence enabled Alexander to have enough time and resources to continue with
his plans. Within approximately nine years he built an airplane, which,
however, was too heavy to take off. He
never did get sufficient support from the Russian Navy, and so was unable to
succeed in building a lighter, stronger airplane.
Alexander was discharged from the
service as a rear admiral. Currently, there are no male descendants of A.F.
Mozhaysky. However, several male descendants of his brother Nicolai currently
live in France and in Russia.
THREE GENERATIONS of RUSSIAN and SOVIET OFFICERS
Kallinik
Ignatievich Mozhay-Mozharovsky, m. Yekaterina Shevagina. His father, Ignatiy
Vasilievich, originated from Polish-speaking Ukrainian nobility, who were Roman
Catholics. As a lieutenant in the
Russian artillery, he took part in a Russian expedition, at the request of the
Austrian government, and fought against the Hungarian uprising in the year
1848. After the Hungarians were defeated, he was transferred to Warsaw, Kingdom
of Poland, where his 1st son Ivan was born and baptized in the
Russian Orthodox Church. Five years later, he was transferred to St.
Petersburg, where his 2nd son Alexander, as well as a 3rd
son, the future Russian General Konstantin, was born in the year 1857. Later,
he moved to Kiev with all of his family. All three of his sons were engaged in
military service. Retiring from the army, he had also gained a civil rank of
“statskiy sovetnik”. He was the bearer of the Cross of St. Anne 2nd
class, and the Cross of St. Vladimir 3rd class, as well as receiving
silver and bronze medals to honor his military service.
His
son, namely Alexander
Kallinovich Mozhay-Mozharovsky, was major-general in the Russian army. He was commanding
artillery in the Irkutsk military area. After defeating the
Bolsheviks
on 31.10.1918, he wrote a request to be discharged from the service. However,
his request was refused, and he became a member of the staff in the Kolchak’s
army. Finally discharged from the military service in autumn 1919.
His another son, namely Konstantin Kallinovich
Mozhay-Mozharovsky, was also a general in the Russian army, and a
military-governor of Uzbekistan (formerly Russian Turkestan). In 1919 he
escaped with his daughter Olga to Yugoslavia where he died shortly afterward.
He left two sons in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and one of them Leonid Konstantinovich
Mozhay-Mozharovsky (b. 1890 at Kiev, died 1960 at Tashkent), became a
lieutenant in the Russian Army, and later major in the intelligence service of
the Soviet Army. His photo is shown below.
SOLDIER in FOUR ARMIES : Aleksy Mozarowski
(b. 24.12.1921 at Mozhary, Ukraine, d.
23.09.2002 at Toronto, Canada)
An incredible fate was experienced by Aleksy
Mozarowski, who as a soldier in the Soviet Army, was taken as a POW by the
Germans. He joined the Ukrainian police. Aleksy withdrew with the Germans and
was incorporated into the German army. He was next taken as a POW by the
Americans at Aachen, Germany, on 18.11.1944. He was transferred to Britain on
18.01.1945; enlisted in the 1st Polish Corps (posted to 3rd
Grenadier Battalion, 4th Infantry Division. He finally was
discharged on 8.04.1948 as a lance corporal in the Polish army.
While staying in Britain he met his
future wife, namely Nadia Orlenko, who was a descendant of Russian counts
living in Kiev. Before departing for Canada in 1955, he had completed his
education in forestry. He is the father of two sons and of one daughter. All of
his children are well educated, as well as all of his grandchildren, and have
been involved in cultural activities.
It is an extremely rare case that anyone would
have served, such as Aleksy did, as a soldier in four (4) armies in WW II.
General Georgi Mironovich Mozharovsky
Born ca. 1902 in Berdiansk on the
shore of the Azov Sea, he became a General in the Soviet Army. In co-operation
with Ivan Vasilyevich Venevidov, he was engaged in constructing military
airplanes.
In 1973, he wrote a book, “Poka
Biotsiya Serdtse” (Until the Heart Beats), in which he wrote
something about his own family. (However, he did not reveal details, even such
as his exact date of birth – most probably because, as a general, he was still
obliged to keep top secret on dates and basic facts.) From this book, one can conclude that both of his parents
descended from noble families.
Lieutenant-General Volodymyr Mycolaiovich Mozharowsky
Born in 1952 in Bolsuny near Ovruch; graduated
from Frunze Military Academy in Moscow. He served in the Soviet military expedition
against Afghanistan. For two years he commanded the 3rd Southern
Command of the Land Troops of Ukraine in Odessa. He fathered two daughters.
Alexander Fedorovich
Mozharovsky and his son Boris
Alexander Fedorovich Mozharovsky (he was also wrongly addressed as “Apollon”) was born on 3.08.1846 at Bizhbatman, County of Sviyazhsk in the Gubernia of Kazan. His father Fedor was a poor serf to the local Russian Orthodox church. All of his money Fedor was spending for education of his two daughters and three sons, including Alexander. In 1868 Alexander graduated as M.Sc. from the Kazan Russian Orthodox Academy. He became a school teacher, and later a lecturer at the Kazan Academy. In 1886 he became a Russian official (he was inspecting schools in the County of Nicolaev, Gubernia of Samara). And his family moved to Volsk. Alexander became a writer and prominent ethnologist. In the years 1869-1890 he wrote more than 30 important books on history of the Russian Orthodox Church, as well as on the habits of Asiatic nations living around the city of Kazan.
