Protopopov, Aleksandr Dmitreyevich

Protopopov, Aleksandr Dmitreyevich (əlyĭksän`dər dəmē`trēyəvĭch prətəpô`pəf), 1866–1918, Russian public official. Long active in zemstvo affairs, and a member of the Octobrist party, which favored a constitutional monarchy, he served in the third and fourth Dumas and was vice president of the Duma from 1914. His friendship with Rasputin, however, brought his appointment (Sept., 1916) as minister of the interior. Although Protopopov became nearly insane, the czarina blocked all efforts to have him removed. When the February Revolution of 1917 overthrew the government, he was arrested by the provisional government and was later shot.