Petr Zavadovskii

Zavadovskii, Petr Vasil’evich 

Born 1739; died Jan. 10 (22), 1812, in St. Petersburg. Russian statesman. Count.

Zavadovskii began his career in state service as a civil servant in the Little Russian College and later served in the office of the governor-general of Little Russia, P. A. Rumiantsev. During the Russo-Turkish war of 1768-74 he was head of a secret office and distinguished himself in battles at Larga and Kagula. Zavadovskii and S. R. Vorontsov were responsible for the wording of the Treaty of Kuchuk-Kainarji (1774). In 1775, Zavadovskii became a cabinet secretary and favorite of Catherine II. As first minister of public education (1802-10) he carried out some liberal reforms, including the introduction of university autonomy and the establishment of new universities and the Central Pedagogical Institute, Russia’s first educational institution devoted to the training of teachers. As chairman of the Commission for the Compilation of Laws in the beginning of Alexander I’s reign, Zavadovskii reacted extremely negatively to the work of A. N. Radishchev, who had just returned from exile.

REFERENCES

Listovskii, I. S. “Gr. P. V. Zavadovskii.” Russkii arkhiv, 1883, [vol.] 3.
Golubtsov, V. V. “K biografii grafa P. V. Zavadovskogo.” Russkii arkhiv, 1887, [vol.] 1.