TheHouse of Orlov (Russian:Орлóв) is the name of aRussian noble family which produced several distinguished statesmen, scientists, diplomats, and soldiers. The family first gained distinction in the 18th century through the achievements of five Orlov brothers, of whom the second eldest wasCatherine the Great's paramour, and two younger brothers were notable military commanders.

CountGrigory Grigoryevich Orlov (1734–1783), who created for his family such an illustrious Russian history, was the son of Gregory Orlov, governor of GreatNovgorod. He was educated in the corps ofcadets atSt Petersburg, began his military career in theSeven Years' War, and was woundedat Zorndorf. While serving in the capital as an artillery officer he caught the fancy of Grand DuchessCatherine Alekseyevna, and was the leader of the conspiracy which resulted in the dethronement and death of her husbandPeter III (1762).^[1]

After the event, Catherine raised him to the rank of count and made him adjutant-general, director-general of engineers and general-in-chief. Their illegitimate son, Aleksey, was born in 1762 and named after the village ofBobriki where he lived; from him descends the line ofCounts Bobrinskoy. Orlov's influence became paramount after the discovery of the Khitrovo plot to murder the whole Orlov family. At one time the empress thought of marrying her favorite, but the plan was frustrated by her influential advisorNikita Panin.^[1]

Gregory Orlov was no statesman, but he had a quick wit, a fairly accurate appreciation of current events, and was a useful and sympathetic counsellor during the earlier portion of Catherine's reign. He entered with enthusiasm, both from patriotic and from economical motives, into the question of the improvement of the condition of the serfs and their partial emancipation. As the President of theFree Economic Society, he was also their most prominent advocate inthe great commission of 1767, though he aimed primarily at pleasing the empress, who affected great liberality in her earlier years.^[1]

He was one of the earliest propagandists of theSlavophile idea of the emancipation of the Christians fromOttoman rule. In the year of 1771 he was sent as first Russian plenipotentiary to the peace congress ofFocşani; but he failed in his mission, owing partly to the obstinacy of the Ottomans, and partly (according to Panin) to his own outrageous insolence. On returning without permission to hisMarble Palace at St Petersburg, he found himself superseded in the empress's favor by the younger Potemkin.^[1]

In order to rekindle Catherine's affection, Grigory presented to her one of the greater diamonds of the world, known ever since as theOrlov Diamond. WhenGrigory Potemkin, in 1771, superseded Vasil'chikov, Orlov became of no account at court and went abroad for some years. He returned to Russia a few months previously to his death, which took place atMoscow in 1783. For some time before his death he was out of his mind. Late in life he married his niece, Madame Zinovyeva, but left no children by that marriage.^[1]

CountAlexei Grigoryevich Orlov (1737–1808), brother of the above, was by far the ablest member of the Orlov count family, and was also remarkable for his athletic strength and dexterity. In the palace revolution of 1762 he played an even more important part than his brother Gregory. It is alleged that he conveyed Peter III to the chateau ofRopsha and murdered him there with his own hands.^[1][a]

In 1770 he was appointed commander-in-chief of the fleet sent against the Turks, whose far superior navy he annihilatedat Chesme, a victory which led to the so-calledOrlov Revolt and conquest of the Greek archipelago. For this exploit he received, in 1774, thehonorific epithetChesmensky, and the privilege of quartering the imperial arms in his shield.^[1]

The same year, on Catherine's request, he went toLivorno to seduce and bring to Russia the so-calledPrincess Tarakanova, who proclaimed herself daughter ofEmpress Elizabeth. Having succeeded in this unusual commission, he went into retirement and settled atMoscow.

There he devoted himself tobreedinglivestock, and produced the"finest race of horses" then known, theOrlov Trotter, by crossingArabian Horses with the heavier but livelyFriesian and with tall, swift English racingstallions. He also refined and popularized abreed ofchicken, now called theOrloff in his honor.^[2] In thewar with Napoleon during 1806–07, Orlov commanded the militia of the fifth district, which was placed on a war footing almost entirely at his own expense. He left an estate worth five million roubles and 30,000 serfs.^[1]

Beside of animal breeding he also formed the first Roma-choir (1774), selected out of his numerous Roma serfs^[b]. The choir reached an enormous popularity under the Russian aristocracy, and was copied by several other aristocrats training their Roma to sing in choirs. In 1807 the Orlov choir was given freedom. They could settle themselves in Moscow (which was forbidden to all other Roma) and lived and behaved as the aristocrats around them. Their offspring attended school and university and became the first Roma-intelligentsia. The Roma choirs influenced the image of the Roma in Russia a lot until at least the 20th century.^[3]

The oldest and least notable of five Orlov brothers wasIvan Grigoryevich Orlov (1733–1791). After his father's death in 1746 he became the head of the family; all Orlov brothers looked upon him and respected him as their father. He led a modest life and managed the Orlovs' estates. Even after the palace revolution of 1762, when the Orlovs became counts and got enormous fortune, he apparently refused any state career and titles and continued to live in Moscow and the Orlovs' estates.

The fourth Orlov brother was CountFyodor Grigoryevich (1741–1796), Russian general, who first distinguished himself in theSeven Years' War. He participated with his elder brothers in thecoup d'etat of 1762, after which he was appointedchief procurator of theGoverning Senate. During thefirst Turkish War of Catherine II he served underAdmiral Spiridov, and was one of the first to break through the Turkish line of battle at Chesme. Subsequently,at Hydra, he put to flight eighteen Turkish vessels. These exploits were, by the order of Catherine, commemorated by atriumphal column, crowned with naval trophies, erected atTsarskoe Selo.^[1] Friend of the Count,Count Saint-Germain, gave him assistance while in Turkey by creatingRussian Tea, or as they nicknamed it "Acqua Benedetta", which helped the Russian troops fight the climate of the land.^{[citation needed]} In 1775 he retired from the public service. Orlov was never married, but had five natural children (including Alexey Fyodorovich Orlov), whom Catherine ennobled and legitimatized, as may be seen below.^[1]

The youngest Orlov brother was CountVladimir Grigorievich (1743–1831). He was just 19 when his elder brothers came to power, and they deemed it wise to send him to theLeipzig University. Although his education was spasmodic at best, the Empress appointed him President of theRussian Academy of Sciences upon his return four years later. His ignorance ofLatin led him to expel the language from the Academy; it was replaced withGerman, in which he was fairly fluent. On this account, he came to patronize German scientists such asPeter Simon Pallas and invited many of them to Russia. In 1767 he accompanied Catherine II during her journey along theVolga, documenting it in a journal. After his brother fell into disgrace, Vladimir was fired from his post and retired to his villages.

He had several daughters, one of them a wife ofNikita Petrovich Panin, and a son — CountGrigory Vladimirovich (1777 – 22 June 1826) — who predeceased his father. Like him, Grigory the Younger devoted himself to the sciences. In November 1799 he married Countess Anna Saltykova, left Russia and traveled in France, Italy andSwitzerland. While living inParis, Orlov translated into French some fables byIvan Krylov. After the death of his wife, Count Orlov returned to Russia. His chief works areMémoirs historiques, politiques et littéraires sur le Royaume de Naples, translated into German, English and Italian, and embracing the History of Lower Italy from the earliest times until 1820;Histoire des Arts en Italie, the two volumes of which treat of music, the others of painting;Voyages dans une Partie de la France, ou Lettres descriptives et historiques (Paris, 1824). From 25 January 1809 he was an honorary member of theRussian Academy of Sciences. All of his three sons were born out of wedlock.

PrinceAlexey Fyodorovich Orlov (1787–1862), the natural son of Count Fyodor Grigoryevich, was born on 8 October (19 October 1786 New Style) inMoscow and took part in all theNapoleonic wars from 1805 to the capture ofParis. For his services as commander of the cavalry regiment of the Life Guards on the occasion of therebellion of 1825 he was created acount, and in theTurkish War of 1828–1829 rose to the rank oflieutenant-general. It is from this time that the brilliant diplomatic career of Orlov begins. He was the Russian plenipotentiary at thePeace of Adrianople, and in 1833 was appointed Russian ambassador atConstantinople, holding at the same time the post of commander-in-chief of theBlack Sea fleet. He was, indeed, one of the most trustworthy agents ofNicholas I, whom in 1837 he accompanied on his foreign tour.^[1] From 1844 to 1856 he was in charge of the infamousThird Section, or secret police.

In 1854 he was sent toVienna to bringAustria over to the side of Russia, but without success. In 1856 he was one of the plenipotentiaries who concluded thepeace of Paris. The same year he was raised to the dignity ofprince, and was appointed president of theimperial council of state and of the council of ministers. In 1857, during the absence of the emperor, he presided over the commission formed to consider the question of theemancipation of the serfs, to which he was altogether hostile.^[1] He died on 9 May (21 May) 1862 in St. Petersburg.

Alexey Fyodorovich Orlov's only son, PrinceNikolay Alexeyevich Orlov (1827–1885), was a distinguished Russian diplomatist and author. He first adopted a military career, and was seriously wounded in theCrimean War. Subsequently, he entered the diplomatic service, and represented Russia successively atBrussels (1860–1870),Paris (1870–1882) andBerlin (1882–1885). As a publicist he stood in the forefront of reform. His articles oncorporal punishment, which appeared inRusskaya Starina in 1881, brought about its abolition. He also advocated tolerance towards the dissenters.^[1] His wife, Katherine (Kathi) Orlov had a close relationship withOtto von Bismarck in the early 1860s. Bismarck's wife said she was not jealous and credited her with a long period of Bismarck's happiness. (Bismarck: The Man and the Statesman by A J P Taylor. Sutton History Classics)

Prince Alexey Fyodorovich also had a brother,Mikhail Fyodorovich Orlov (1788–1842), who took a most active part in the Napoleonic wars and received the rank of General-major upon returning to Russia in 1814. A friend ofAlexander Pushkin and convinced liberal himself, he now concentrated his attention on the projects for emancipation of the serfs and introduction ofrepublican government in Russia. Since 1818, he was in charge of theKishinev section of theDecembrist society. After the revolt failed, he was arrested but presently released on bail, through his brother's mediation. Thereupon he settled inMoscow and published a pioneering study of thestate credit.

PrinceVladimir Nikolayevich Orlov was a close advisor toTsar Nicholas II.

• Fedor Polikarpov-Orlov
• The Orlov Diamond
• Orlov trotter
• Orlov Revolt
• Veal Orloff
• John Orloff
• Marble Palace
• Gatchina Palace
• Aleksandr Orlov

• Palmer, Elena. Peter III - Der Prinz von Holstein. Sutton Publishing, Germany 2005ISBN 978-3-89702-788-6
•   This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Bain, Robert Nisbet (1911). "Orlov". InChisholm, Hugh (ed.).Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 20 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 293.

• Pnc. F. S. Orloff^{[permanent dead link]}
• Orlov Trotter Homepage
• Orlov Garden in Gatchina
• Orlov Gates in Tsarskoe Selo
• Icons of Power: Empress of Ambition Catherine the Great