LORIS-MELIKOV, MICHAEL TARIELOVICH, COUNT (1826-1888), Russian statesman, son of an Armenian merchant, was born at Tiflis on Jan. 1, 1826, and educated in St. Petersburg, first in the Lazarev School of Oriental Languages, and afterwards in the Guard's Cadet Institute. He joined a hussar regiment, and in 1847 he was sent to the Caucasus, where he spent twenty years. He was governor of the Terek district from 1855 to 1876, and sought to educate the people so as to make possible the transition from military to civil government. In the Russo Turkish War of 1877-78 he commanded a separate corps d'armee on the Turkish frontier in Asia Minor. After taking the fortress of Ardahan, he was repulsed by Mukhtar Pasha at Zevin, but subsequently defeated his opponent at Aladja Dagh, took Kars by storm, and laid siege to Erzerum. For these services he re ceived the title of Count.
In 1879 he was appointed temporary governor-general of the region of the Lower Volga, to combat an outbreak of the plague. He was then transferred to the provinces of Central Russia to combat the Nihilists and Anarchists, who had adopted a policy of terrorism, and had assassinated the governor of Kharkov. He advocated removing the causes of popular discontent, and for this purpose he recommended to the emperor a large scheme of ad ministrative and economic reforms. Alexander II. thereupon ap
pointed Loris-Melikov minister of the interior with exceptional powers. The proposed scheme of reforms was never carried out. On the very day in March 1881 that the emperor signed an ukaz creating the necessary commissions, he was assassinated; and his successor, Alexander III., adopted a reactionary policy. Loris Melikov resigned, and lived in retirement until his death (Dec. 22, 1888) at Nice.