Draft:Pyotr Mikhailovich Skarzhinsky



Major General Pyotr Mikhailovich Skarzhinsky (1747 - 1805) was a highly decorated Russian Cossack commander and a politician from the ancient noble Skarzhinsky family. He was among the largest landowners in the Russian Empire. Pyotr was born in the Poltava region, Russian Empire. The Orthodox branch of the Skarzhinsky family played a significant role in the history of Russia. Many of Pyotr's descendants would become decorated combat veterans for the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union. Some would also excel in the field of Agriculture. Others would become politicians.

Biography
Pyotr's branch of the Skarzhinsky family was of Russian nobility. His family is of Bończa coat of arms. Initially Catholic his branch of the family would convert to Orthodox Christianity. The Skarzhinsky family originates from Trakai Voivodeship, Grand Duchy of Lithuania with strong ancestral ties to Principality of Turov. His bloodline played a significant role in the history of Russia. From the age of 20 Pyotr served in the Little Russian Military Chancellery. He soon received the rank of military comrade. Pyotr served in the Russian-Turkish war of 1768-1774 and the Russian-Turkish war of 1787-1791. Pyotr Mikhailovich Skarzhinsky would be decorated with the Order of St. Vladimir of the 2nd degree and the Order of St. George of the 4th degree which was the highest military decoration of the Russian Empire. During the Russo-Turkish War of 1768-1774, Pyotr Skarzhinsky served as a lieutenant in a Cossack regiment recruited from Polish and Ukrainian volunteers, as well as "from various foreigners of Slavic blood" (the so-called Newly Recruited Regiment). The regiment was stationed on the lands between Mertvovod and Ingul. He would become the commander of the Cossack 2nd Bug Regiment. He would become the first ataman of the Bug Cossack army. General In 1787, Pyotr Skarzhinsky showed extraordinary courage when Suvorov's Army defeated the Turks, taking a fortress near Ochakov. He was awarded the Order of St. George. The commander of the 2nd Bug Regiment, Pyotr Mikhailovich Skarzhinsky, was seriously wounded in the chest during combat. He continued to progress through the ranks of the Russian army. He would be promoted to the rank of General. He would become the Commander of the Astrakhan Cossack Regiment. The family of Pyotr Mikhailovich Skarzhinsky would become among the largest landowners in the Russian Empire. In 1775, Pyotr Mikhailovich Skarzhinsky received from Catherine the Great more than 6000 acres of land in the Russian Empire for his service to Russia. He would become the governor of Caucasus Governorate in 1793. He was considered an excellent organizer. He would hold this position for approximately four years. After retiring, Pyotr Mikhailovich lived in the village of Trikraty, Kherson province. Initially, it was named Bolshaya Skarzhinka before being renamed Trikraty. Legend has it that Pyotr's spirit haunts his manor according to the locals. Pytor also founded Mykolayivka (Bratsk village community), Mykolaiv oblast. It was formerly known as Mala Skarzhynka. Pyotr died in 1805 and was buried near the church of the village of Trykraty. Many of his descendants would continue to play a major role in Russian history with many being highly decorated soldiers of Russia and the Soviet Union. His son Viktor and future generations of the family would become recognized pioneers in the development of agriculture in Russia and Ukraine.



Family
Pyotr's father was Mikhail Kazimierz Skarzhinsky who entered Russian military service in 1733. Mikhail was a centurion of the 1st Lubny Regimental Hundred (1737-1750) as a language translator.

Pyotr's mother was Maria Dyakovskaya.

Pyotr had two brothers who were also soldiers of the Russian Empire. Their names were Mikhail Mikhailovich Skarzhinsky and Ivan Mikhailovich Skarzhinsky. They both served the Lubny Regimental Hundred.

Pyotr married Ulyana Grigorievna Bulatsel of Moldavian nobility. They had two sons Nikolai and Viktor, and a daughter Lydia. Both of his sons would become legendary Russian soldiers as well.

The family of Pyotr Skarzhinsky intermarried with many noble Ukrainian officer families of the 18th — 19th centuries, in particular, such as the Skoropadsky, Zakrevsky, Znachko-Yavorsky, Miloradovich, Miklashevsky, Sudienko and others. Some of Pyotr's descendants carry the surname of Brunett.

Godparents
In Trikraty, Ukraine landlords together with their children, would regularly act as godparents of ordinary peasants during the rite of baptism of children. For the Skarzhinskys, this "practice" was introduced by General Pyotr Mikhailovich Skarzhinsky, and continued by his children and grandchildren. The ranks of godchildren from among the peasant children of the Skarzhinskys were replenished every year. For example, in 1814 alone, Viktor Petrovich Skarzhinsky baptized boys under Arkhip and Mikhail Vyazelev, and his younger sister Maria became the godmother of girls born to A. Malyar, F. Dobrovolsky, Y. Oleynichenko, I. Vyazelev.

Genealogy
Pyotr Mikhailovich Skarzhinsky originates from the same genus as the Russian Chernigov Princes Baryatinsky, Obolensky, Shcherbatov, Dolgorukov, and Volkonsky with an 1,800-year estimate to the common ancestor. This is also confirmed by the Yfull DNA service, since they all had haplogroup R1a-L260-YP1337 which is a very rare haplogroup. The Skarzhinsky bloodline carries a paternal subclade of R-FTA11171. The mutations in this particular subclade indicate Ukrainian/Belarusian or Ruthenian origin with a strong genetic contribution from Western Slavic tribes. There are also strong genetic signatures from the Volga region in Russia. The Skarzhinsky bloodline has the Thuya gene which originates from ancient Egyptian nobility going back to the early 1300s BC linking the Skarzhinsky family to Tutankhamun and the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt. They also have the Scythian gene which was common among the list of pharaohs.

Land Ownership
Pyotr owned the Ukrainian lands on which a number of villages were located: Myhia, Mykilske, Nyzhnie Mykilske, Skarzhynka (Trykraty). Pyotr also built the Archangel Michael Church in Trykraty in 1794.

Coat of arms (Orthodox Skarzhinsky)
In an azure field, a silver unicorn with scarlet eyes, tongue, horn and hooves galloping to the right. The shield is surmounted by a noble crowned helmet. Helmet: An erect unicorn with scarlet eyes, tongue, horn, and hooves. Insignia: azure with silver. The coat of arms of the Skarzhinskys is included in Part 12 of the General Armorial of the Noble Families of the All-Russian Empire, page 68.