Aleksei Musin-Pushkin

Aleksei Ivanovich Musin-Pushkin (Russian:Алексей Иванович Мусин-Пушкин; 27 March 1744, Moscow - 13 February 1817, Moscow) was a Russian statesman and historian, known for his large art and book collections. Biography He was born to Ivan Yakovlevich Musin-Pushkin (1710–1799), a Guard Captain, and his wife, Natalia Mikhailovna, née Priklonskaya. He graduated from the artillery school in Saint Petersburg, then served as the Adjutant to General Grigory Orlov. In 1772, when the General was discharged, at his own request, for health reasons, Musin-Pushkin went on an extended tour of Europe; visiting Germany, France, the Netherlands, Italy, Switzerland, and England. When he returned in 1775, he was appointed a Master of Ceremonies at the Imperial Court. In 1781, he married Ekaterina Wolkonskaya (1754-1829), daughter of Major-General . They had three sons and five daughters. In 1785, he became an honorary member of the Imperial Academy of Arts; elevated to full member in 1789. As an avid collector of historical memorabilia, he made a major acquisition in 1791; a large part of the , with documents from the reign of Peter the Great and Medieval manuscripts; including the Nikon Chronicle, as well as maps from the 16th and 17th centuries. Later, he was able to acquire the Laurentian Codex. That same year, Empress Catherine the Great named him Procuror (representative) for the Holy Synod; charging him with the collection of important documents and manuscripts from churches and monasteries throughout Russia. Local administrators were notified, and he received over 100 items the first year. In 1793, he became a Privy Councilor. Numerous other collections from nobles and scholars were added over the years.