Konstantin Alexandrov

Konstantin Alexandrov (1811, Simbirsk, Russian Empire – 1st of February 1877, Odessa, Russian Empire) – a teacher, an official and a public figure.

Konstantin Aleksandrov was born in Simbirsk (since 1924 – Ulyanovsk), into the family of a priest. He studied at the Kazan Theological Seminary. In 1829, by decision of the seminary administration, he was sent for further education to the St. Petersburg Main Pedagogical Institute, which had been reestablished in place of the former Teachers’ Institute, later transformed into St. Petersburg University. After completing the preliminary course, Aleksandrov continued his studies at the Faculty of History and Philology. In 1836, he graduated from the institute with a silver medal and was appointed Senior Teacher at the Mitau/Jelgava Boys’ Gymnasium.

At that time, instruction at the gymnasium was conducted in German, and most of the students were Germans. Aleksandrov faced the challenging task of teaching them Russian and introducing them to Russian literature. The young teacher managed to succeed in this endeavor. Soon the students themselves expressed the desire to have their own Russian library, which was subsequently established. For several years, he served as the trustee of this library. It is also known that in 1838 his essay On the Etymology of Russian Verbs was published.

Aleksandrov worked as Senior Teacher at the Mitau/Jelgava Gymnasium for more than 20 years, and from 1848 until the end of 1850 he had been holding the position of Senior Inspector at the same gymnasium.

In 1851, Aleksandrov’s career took a new turn – he was appointed Censor at the Riga Censorship Committee. In 1865, when the Committee was reorganized into the Committee for the Censorship of Foreign Publications, he became Junior Censor, a position he held until his departure from Riga in 1872.

Life in Riga differed significantly from that in Mitau/Jelgava. In the capital of the Governorate of Livonia, the Russian presence was more strongly felt, giving Aleksandrov the opportunity, in addition to his official duties, to play an active role in public life. His talent in this area became especially evident in the 1860s, during a period of rising civic engagement among the Russian population of the Baltic region. Aleksandrov took direct part in the organization and drafting of charters for various societies, such as the Charitable Society for the Care of Russian Poor, the Russian Club, and the choral societies Lado and Bayan. His devoted work was closely tied to that of another Russian public figure of the time – Semyon Shafranov.

Aleksandrov petitioned for the establishment of the first two Russian gymnasiums in Riga: the Aleksander Boys’ Gymnasium and the Lomonosov Girls’ Gymnasium.

He was also among the founders of the first daily Russian-language newspaper in the Baltic region, Rizhsky Vestnik (The Riga Messenger), whose first editor was another well-known Russian public figure, Evgraf Cheshikhin.

Several articles and notes authored by Aleksandrov can also be found in Rizhsky Vestnik.

At the end of 1872, Aleksandrov left the Baltic region, where he had served for 36 years, leaving behind a fond memory.

After retiring, Aleksandrov settled at the Zolotilovo estate in Mozhaisk District, Moscow Province, which belonged to his wife’s brother, Erasm Stogov.

In September 1876, Aleksandrov moved to Odessa, likely due to declining health.

On February 1, 1877, Konstantin Aleksandrov passed away.

In his obituary, he was described as follows:
"Always even-tempered and calm, he, once undertaking a task, did not like to abandon it halfway, but carried it through to the end… Work that, in his conviction, he considered undoubtedly useful, he did not strive to make dazzling or to push himself forward, but pursued with such perseverance and persistence as alone can promise success to an undertaking. Obstacles did not deter him, nor did setbacks. He helped in every possible way the general movement and the rise of enlightenment among the local Russian population."

Family

Wife – Anastasia (née Stogova; 1820–1910)

Children:

Vladimir (1841–1904)

Viktor (1841–1904)

Lidia (?-?) – worked as a teacher at the Riga Lomonosov Girls’ Gymnasium

Nadezhda (1850–1908)

Sources of information:

Городские происшествия и заметки. – Рижский вестник, № 269, 08-12-1872.

Константин Александрович Александров. – Рижский вестник, № 26, 03-02-1877.

Ещё об Александрове. – Рижский вестник, № 40, 21-02-1877.

Российский Родословный Фонд – https://rgfond.ru/