LORIS-VIELIKOFF, Io'r6s iniftlye'-k6f, MIK HAIL TARIELOVITCH, Count (IS25-SS). A Russian general and statesman, born in Tiflis, Novem ber 2, 1825. He received a military education, entered the army in 1843, won an excellent repu tation in the Caucasus, commanded a regiment during the Crimean War, when he had several successful engagements with the enemy in front of Kars, and on the capitulation of that stronghold was appointed its Governor. in 1856 he was made a major-general, and in 1S63 rose to be lieutenant-general. Ile was appointed general of cavalry in 1875. In 1S76 he was placed in com mand of the corps which was stationed on the Armenian frontier, and on the declaration of war against Turkey in 1377 marched into the enemy's territory. Be besieged Kars, but failed to take the city, and met with a number of reverses, which compelled him to raise the siege. Receiving
reenforcements, he won in October the battle of Alaja-Dagh, and in the following month took Kars. For this brilliant campaign he was made a count in IS78. He was appointed Governor General of Kharkov in 1879, proving as success ful an administrator as he was a soldier. In I SSO, the Nihilist movement having become alarming, he was intrusted by the Czar with an administra tive commission, giving him almost dictatorial power in the Empire. He subsequently became Minister of the Interior, and induced Alexander 1I. to establish some form of representative gov ernment, a plan the execution of which was pre vented by the assassination of the Czar (March 13. 1881). Loris-Melikoff left office in May of the same year. He died at Nice, December 24, 1883.