Written by Kinshin V.V. | 09 April 2021
Posted in Anniversaries

Kinshin V.V.,

Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation

Spaniards in the Russian Service: Privy Councilor Mikhail Mikhailovich Espekho

Abstract

The article is a biographical study of life and work of Mikhail Mikhaylovich Espekho, son of Miguel Espekho, descendant of an old Spanish noble family. Members of this family were known since the days of conquistadors; in modern times they were among the leaders of the Granada Falange. However, life story of the Espekhos who entered in the Russian service remains unwritten or contains numerous factual errors, which proves the significance of the article. Drawing on a vast array of archival documents and on contemporaries’ memoirs, the article offers the first study of life and work of Mikhail Mikhaylovich Espekho, descendant of a young Spaniard in Russian service, the last prot?g? of Augustin de Betancourt. A distinguishing feature of the article is the use of data obtained from the locals of village Glebovka, former manor of the Espekho estate. The article covers the period from 1847 to 1917. It focuses on identification of duty and family connections of M. M. Espekho, and his circle. As life and service M. M. Espekho, member of the Chevalier Guard regiment, landlord, magistrate and deputy of Chembersky uezd nobility, moved in company of aristocracy, scientists, statesmen, it is of interest for studying the Russian history. The author underscores the necessity of further research of his family connections (through his wife) with the Lermontovs, (through his mother’s siter) with the general A.I. Brevern (presiding judge on Dantes-Gekkern trial). The significance of this biographic research in connected with immersion of M. M. Espekho’s destiny in the Russian history.

Keywords

Archives, sources, genealogy, Mikhail Mikhailovich Espekho, Miguel Espekho, Chevalier Guard regiment, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Penza gubernia, horse breeding.

Download the article: pdf

References

1. Kinshin V.V. Ispancy na sluzhbe Rossii: Aleksandr Mihajlovich Jespeho [Spaniards on Service of Russia: Alexander Mikhailovich Espekho]. Vestnik arhivista. 2012. № 2. Pp. 218-227.

2. Sheremetev S.D. Polkovyja vospominanija [The Regiment Memoirs]. Spb.: Tip. M.M. Stasjulevicha, 1898. Pp. 24–25.

About the author

Kinshin Vadim Vodoslavovich, PhD in Military Science, deputy director of LLC “ETM”, Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation, +7(921)9538192, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it