Woldemar Freedericksz | |
|---|---|
 Portrait, 1896–1898 | |
| Minister of the Imperial Court | |
| In office 18 May [O.S. 6] 1897 – 12 March [O.S. 28 February] 1917 | |
| Monarch | Nicholas II |
| Preceded by | Illarion Vorontsov-Dashkov |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 28 November [O.S. 16] 1838 Saint Petersburg, Russian Empire |
| Died | 1 July 1927(1927-07-01) (aged 88) Kauniainen, Finland |
| Resting place | Kauniainen Cemetery |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Russian Empire |
| Branch/service | Russian Imperial Army |
| Years of service | 1856–1917 |
| Rank | General of the Cavalry |
| Commands | |
CountAdolf Andreas Woldemar Freedericksz (Russian:Владимир Борисович Фредерикс,romanized: Vladimir Borisovich Frederiks; 28 November [O.S. 16] 1838 – 1 July 1927) was aFinland Swedish-Russian statesman who served asImperial Household Minister between 1897 and 1917 underNicholas II. He was responsible for the administration of the Imperial family's personal affairs and living arrangements, as well as the awarding of Imperial honours and medals.
Adolf Andreas Woldemar Freedericksz was born on 28 November [O.S. 16] 1838 toFinnish Baron Bernhard (Boris Andreyevich) Freedericksz andBaltic German noblewoman Emma Matilda Helene (Emma Adolfovna) von Wulff and the family traditionally believed inLutheran faith. There had been several stories dedicated to the family's origin. The first was that the family probably originated fromArkhangelsk. Jürgen Freedericksz, who was a Dutch merchant, was the first ever recorded ancestor of the family, and the family was recordedly formed by his son, Johan (Ivan Yuryevich) Freedericksz. The baronial title of the family was granted byCatherine the Great in 1773. The second version was that the family was formed by the son of Jöran Fredriksson, aSwedish soldier captured duringThe Great Northern War. In the late 18th century, the Freedericksz family dominated in thefiefs given to them in what was later to be known asOld Finland. In 1853, Woldemar's father Bernhard was naturalized into theFinnish House of Nobility as the baronial family number 36 under the nameFreedricksz. Upon Woldemar Freedericksz's death in 1927 the Finnish baronial family was extinct in the male line, and was completely extinct by the time of the deaths of Woldemar's daughters Eugenie and Emma.[1] His Russiancomital title was never accepted into the Finnish nobility. Woldemar himself married to Hedwig Johanna Alexandrina (Jadwiga Aloizievna) Boguszewska and had two daughters, Baronesses Eugenie Valeria Josefina (Evgenia-Valentina-Zhozefina Vladimirovna) and Emma Helena Sofia (Emma-Elena-Sofia Vladimirovna) Freedericksz.
As the part of a wealthy family, Freedericksz received home education at an early age. SucceedingCount Vorontsov-Daskov at the Ministry at the age of 60, Freedericksz established a close relationship with Tsar Nicholas II, andEmpress Alexandra, calling them 'mes enfants' in private. He was praised in this role by the French ambassador,Maurice Paléologue, who called him 'the very personification of court life'. However, in later life, he became forgetful and ill and often fell asleep during conferences. Freedericksz was a strong conservative who described the deputies of theFirst Duma as: "The Deputies, they give one the impression of a gang of criminals who are only waiting for the signal to throw themselves upon the ministers and cut their throats. I will never again set foot among those people."[2]
His private mansion in St. Petersburg was pillaged and set on fire on the first day ofFebruary Revolution. After theRevolution, Freedericksz lived inPetrograd before being allowed in 1925 to leave for Finland, where he spent the last years of his life.
Württemberg: Grand Cross of theFriedrich Order,1891[3]
Sweden:
Principality of Montenegro: Grand Cross of theOrder of Prince Danilo I,1894[6]
Grand Duchy of Hesse:[7]
Denmark:[8]
Kingdom of Serbia:[6]
Austria-Hungary:[9]
United Kingdom: Honorary Knight Commander of theRoyal Victorian Order,30 June 1896;[10] Honorary Knight Grand Cross,10 June 1908[11]
France: Grand Cross of theLegion of Honour,September 1897[12]
Baden: Knight of theHouse Order of Fidelity,1899[13]
Kingdom of Prussia:Grand Cross of the Red Eagle,1899; in Diamonds,21 September 1901[14]
Kingdom of Italy:Knight of the Annunciation,23 October 1909[15]He was portrayed in the 1971 filmNicholas and Alexandra byJack Hawkins. In 1983, he was portrayed byVsevolod Safonov in the 1983 filmAnna Pavlova directed byEmil Loteanu.
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