the lion of the russian army - Florida State University

Alexander was very apprehensive for his family’s honor and continued the search for
documents until 1818. 76
The period of 1801-1804 was the only serene period in Bagration’s life. He
commanded the Life Guard Jager Battalion and protected the imperial family. Prince
Peter demonstrated his administrative abilities and earned the praise of the tsars.
However, he never found happiness in private life. His marriage to Catherine Skavronsky
failed and, during the next decade, he had to endure her expenditures and embarrassing
liaisons. Bagration always shied away from the society and women. Only once did he
allow his personal feelings to dominate him, when he met Grand Duchess Catherine
Pavlovna. This relationship demonstrated the personal side of this tough commander. In a
letter to Maria Feodorovna in May 1807, Bagration wrote about his favorite pursuit -
painting. He showed several of his works to Catherine Pavlovna, and even made a sketch
of Empress Maria, which he showed to her. Unfortunately, none of Bagration’s works
survived, but the fact he thought them good enough to show to the imperial family
indicates his skill with a brush.
Bagration had good relations with Emperor Paul, who was known for his harsh
temperament. He had a reserved, unpretentious character and often preferred to listen and
observe. Nothing indicated his military abilities and Suvorov correctly noticed, “It is
difficult to grasp [Bagration’s] character in a conversation with him.” However, Prince
Peter also demonstrated his skills as courtier and, as Yermolov recalled, “Of smart and
cunning wit, [Bagration] made powerful connections at the Court.” 77 It is unknown why
Emperor Alexander never fully trusted or appreciated him. When the emperor later
launched a series of military reforms, Bagration was not invited to participate and
remained an observer of the changes introduced to the army. He was never involved in
development of overall strategy and his proposals were largely ignored. It seemed,
Alexander preferred to have Bagration employed in campaigns where he fully
76 Tartarovsky, Unknown Barclay, 59-60; Gribanov, Bagration in St. Petersburg, 147-48,
206-207.
77 Yermolov, Memoirs, 151.
200