Paskevich, Ivan Fedorovich (count of Erivan,
prince of Warsaw) (1782–1856) Russian field
marshal
Ivan Paskevich was born in Poltava, Russia (now in the
Ukraine), on 19 May 1782; little is known of his early
family life, background, and education. At a young age,
he served as a page in the court of Czar Paul of Russia
(1754–1801), the son of Catherine the Great. Paskev-
ich entered the Russian army in 1800, took part in the
Battle of Austerlitz (1805), and fought against the Turks
in the Russo-Turkish War of 1806–12. He also partici-
pated in the Russian army’s resistance to naPoleon’s
advance on Moscow in 1812, fighting at Borodino (7
September 1812).
Serving for a time under General Alexei Yermolov,
Paskevich rose to prominence when Russian forces de-
feated the Persians in the Russo-Persian War of 1826–
- During this conflict, he captured the Armenian fort
of Etchmiadzin, and his conquest of the provinces of
Erivan and Nakhichevan brought about the Russian vic-
tory, concluded with the Peace of Turkmanchai (1828).
For his service, he was named the count of Erivan by
Czar Nicholas I.
Soon after the Russo-Persian War ended, Paskevich
was sent to fight in the Russo-Turkish War of 1828–29.
He successfully captured the towns of Erzurum and
Kars on the Turkish eastern border, and once again his
military bravado earned him glory and acclaim from
his country. Following the conflict, he was advanced to
the rank of field marshal, and when an uprising against
Russian rule in Poland broke out, Paskevich was sent to
Warsaw and put down the rebellion in 1831. For this
service, Czar Nicholas made him prince of Warsaw and
viceroy of Poland. Placed in charge of the Russian pup-
pet government in Poland, he began a brutal regime to
“russify” the country, and for nearly 20 years there were
no further uprisings in Poland.
In 1849, Paskevich, now nearly 67, was called into
action again. When Hungarians revolted against Aus-
trian rule of their country, Austria asked Nicholas I for
aid. Nicholas dispatched Paskevich, who led 200,000
Russian and Polish troops to end the insurrection; the
Hungarians surrendered at Vilagos on 13 August 1849.
In 1854, when the Crimean War broke out in southern
Russia, Nicholas sent the 72-year-old Paskevich to the
area as head of the Army of Danube. Paskevich marched
south, first stopping to besiege the town of Silistra (now
in Bulgaria) on 14 April 1854; the town on the Dan-
ube was an important center for Turkish commerce. The
daguerrotypes of photographer Carol Szathmari high-
lighted the battle; one is entitled The Bombardment of
Silvistra. However, Russian guns could not breach the
emplacements, and on 8 June 1854 the Russian forces
retreated. This first reverse of Paskevich’s career was also