Sergey Lazarevich Lashkarev
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Sergey Lazarevich Lashkarev Lashkarashvili-Bibiluri | |
|---|---|
 Portrait of Lashkarev by Vladimir Borovikovsky | |
| Born | February 23, 1739 |
| Died | October 6, 1814 (aged 75) |
| Occupations | General, statesman |
Sergey Lazarevich Lashkarev (23 February 1739 — 6 October 1814) (Russian: Сергей Лазаревич Лашкарёв, derived from Georgian: ლაშკარაშვილი ბიბილური, Lashkarashvili-Bibiluri), was a Russian Imperial Major-General of Georgian origin. A cunning diplomat and polyglot,[1] he was described by his contemporaries as one of the "remarkable phenomena of Catherine the Great's century".[2] Lashkarev was reportedly fluent in ten languages. Besides Russian and Georgian, he spoke French, Italian, Turkish, Persian, Greek, Armenian, Arabic, and Latin.[3] In 1800, Lashkarev was actively involved in diplomatic exchanges with the Ottoman Empire in connection with the impending Russian annexation of various Georgian kingdoms and principalities, and remained in charge of Georgian affairs at the Imperial court under Alexander I of Russia.[4]
