the lion of the russian army - Florida State University

Figure 6. “Pink Pavilion” – Bagration’s mansion at Pavlovsk
By early 1801, Bagration was well established in Russian society. Two decades
earlier, he arrived in the capital as an obscure and poor youth from the periphery of the
empire. He knew no one, except for an aunt, so he could hardly have hoped for success.
Now, in 1801, he was a national hero, famed for his accomplishments in Italy and
Switzerland. He was close to Paul I and commanded the Life Guard Jagers garrisoned in
the capital. Although his marriage was a complete failure, Bagration still benefited from
it since Skavronskys were one of the wealthiest and most influential families in Russia.
However, Bagration’s life, and of the rest of empire, was soon changed by a
dramatic event. On 23 March 1801, Emperor Paul was assassinated by a group of
conspirators led by Count Peter Pahlen. 46 There are no documents indicating that
Bagration was involved or even knew anything about the conspiracy. He knew the
conspirators well, some served with him in the campaigns and others met him at the
court. There were even several Georgian officers involved in the assassination, most
notably Major General Vladimir Iashvili. The morning after the assassination, Bagration
pledged allegiance to the new emperor but the relations between Alexander and
46 Shilder, Emperor Alexander, 209-23, 425-26
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