Guchkov A.I. (1862-1936), political and public figure

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GUCHKOV Alexander Ivanovich (1862-1936), political and public figure, banker and businessman. Graduated from the History and Philology Department of Moscow University (1885), worked in local Moscow Government. From 1902-08, he was Director (then Head) of Moscow Discount Bank. At the end of 1905, he was one of the founders of the Union of October 17 Party, later on becoming its permanent leader. In 1906, he established friendly relations with P. A. Stolypin, and supported his reforms. In 1907 and 1915, he was elected Member of State Assembly representing Industry and Trade; he was Deputy of the Third State Duma, heading its fraction of Oktyabrists and defence Commission (1907-10); in 1910-11, he was Chairman of the State Duma. In St Petersburg, he was a member of St Petersburg Discount and Loan Bank's board, the Rossiya Insurance Company, and A. S. Suvorin's New Time Association. In 1908, he bought a mansion in St Petersburg (36 Furshtatskaya Street), where he lived until September 1917. After the assassination of Stolypin (1911) and the change of governmental policy that followed it, he became one of the main opponents of Emperor Nicholas II and his inner circle, taking part in the work of the Progressives. In 1914, he departed for the front as a specially authorised person of the Russian Red Cross Society. From 1915, he was Chairman of the Central Military-Industrial Committee and a member of Special Meeting for defence. At the end of 1916, he designed plans for dynastic coup (removing Emperor Nicholas II in favour of establishing regency for the Grand Prince Mikhail Alexandrovich). On 2 (15) March 1917, as a representative of the Provisional Committee of the State Duma, he accepted the text of Nicholas II's removal and delivered it to Petrograd. In March-May of 1917, he was Minister of War and Navy of the Provisional Government and an active participant in General L. G. Kornilov's conspiracy. At the end of September of 1917, he left for Southern Russia, where he took part in the White Movement. From 1920 on, he lived abroad. He died in Paris.

References: Сенин А. С. Александр Иванович Гучков. М., 1996.

A. G. Kalmykov. Guchkov Alexander Ivanovich
Kornilov Lavr Georgievich
Mikhail Alexandrovich, Grand Prince
Nicholas II, Emperor
Stolypin Peter Arkadievich
Suvorin Alexey Sergeevich
Furshtatskaya St./Saint Petersburg, city, house 36
Сенин А. С. Александрович Иванович Гучков. М., 1996 State Assembly
St. Petersburg Discount and Loan Bank