Pyotr Ivanovich Melissino

Pyotr Ivanovich Melissino

Pyotr Ivanovich Melissino ( Russian Пётр Иванович Мелиссино , Greek Πέτρος Μελισσηνός ; * 1726 in Kefalonia ; † approx. 1797 ) was a Russian general of Greek descent.

Life

Scholars and officials of the Ionian Islands were well trained and were lured away by European powers from the 18th century, including Melissino, who was born on Kefalonia. Likewise his brother, who later became director of Moscow University Ivan Ivanovich Melissino , and their family friend Marinos Charvouris . Pyotr Melissino was employed under Tsarina Elisabeth , but was primarily employed under Tsarina Katharina .

Melissino founded several Masonic lodges , but had to give them up after pressure from the Tsarina. Melissino was also engaged in theatrical studies and was director of the Saint Petersburg Drama .

After his successful participation in the Battle of Cahul at the side of Pyotr Rumyantsev , he became the commander of the Russian artillery, to which he added a new cavalry.

Melissino became Lieutenant General in 1776 and was director of the Artillery and Engineer Cadet Corps in St. Petersburg from 1783 to 1797.

Tsar Paul I allegedly expressed his disapproval for Melissino and is said to have driven the now 70-year-old to his death.

His son Alexei Petrovich Melissino († 1813) became a Russian major general and fell in the battle of Dresden .

Others

Melissino founded the Templar Masonic system Melissino rite .

literature

• Henning von Wistinghausen : Freemasons and Enlightenment in the Russian Empire, The Revaler Logen 1773-1820 . With a biographical lexicon. Böhlau Verlag, Cologne 2016, p. 42 ( digitized version )