DMITRIY ALEKSEEVICH GOLITSYN – DIPLOMAT, ART CRITIC, SCIENTIST and COLLECTOR Nina A

136 New Data on Minerals. 2014. Vol. 49

DMITRIY ALEKSEEVICH GOLITSYN – DIPLOMAT, ART CRITIC, SCIENTIST AND COLLECTOR Nina A. Mokhova Fersman Mineralogical Museum, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, [email protected]

The article describes Russian diplomat Dmitriy Alekseevich Golitsyn (1734–1803). Facts of his activities, scientific work, mineralogical collection are presented. 3 figures, 12 references. Keywords: D.A. Golitsyn, mineral collection, history of science.

The history of Russian amateur mineralogists of 17–19 centuries is not yet written. There were remarkable people among them, government officials, the rich, peasant stone prospectors, min- ing officials and intellectual commoners. They discovered many new minerals, preserved precious and important forms of nature, our big national collections could not be composed without their efforts. V.I. Vernadsky (Thought and notes on Goethe as a naturalist)

There was an article “News from Yena” works leads us to think that he dedicated his published by the author in Mineralogical whole life to the history of science. We would almanac “In the World of Minerals” in 2008. be mistaken. Surprisingly, Grant Konstan- It was dedicated to the finding of several tinovich his whole life worked in the field of specimens from the collection of prince electrical engineering at Boksitogorsk alu- Dmitriy Alekseevich Golitsyn. The note was minum plant far away from big cities’ a part of a bigger article and now the time has research institutes, libraries and archives. “It come to publish the whole material on the is surprising how Tsverava, living in the coun- topic. try, obtained unique material on the foreign This work is a research paper based on scientists… his communication with foreign few primary sources of information with one experts, historians, open-mindedness, clarity major reference. We decided to introduce of ideas, wonderful memory and language the paper about the man from the past with a skills contributed to his success” – a person, story about our contemporary, Grant Kons- who knew Grant Konstantinovich well wrote tantinovich Tsverava, the author of the book in memorial article about him (Sverdlova, on D.A. Golitsyn’s life. The unintentional Chistyakov, 1994). analogy between the diplomat, polyglot, sci- Some facts in this paper originated from a entist and educator and the author of the fine article “Dmitriy Alekseevich Golitsyn. book will be cleared below. The book of His life and work” by Wendell Wilson (Wil- G.K. Tsverava “Dmitriy Alekseevich Golitsyn. son, 1991). 1734–1803” published in 1985 is the only All the citations from D.A. Golitsyns’ cor- complete work of biography of our promi- respondence and works placed here as pub- nent compatriot. The book is both serious lished in Tsverava’s book. scientific study and very absorbing reading, Academician Georgy Sergeyevich Goli- which rarely combine. The seriousness of the tsyn, the director of Physics of the Atmosphere completed research can be illustrated by the Institute of the RAS, provided the picture of bibliography list of over 400 items, most of D.A. Golitsyn portrait sculpture (Fig. 1). He which were archive documents in German, carried out a big research work to find portrait English and French. G.K. Tsverava wrote of D.A. Golitsyn as there was no portraits many other books on history of science and known before his research in 2000. G.K. Tsve- technology besides biography of Golitsyn. rava wrote that no portraits of Dmitriy Go- The book on French radical politician Jean- litsyn existed except for the known silhou- Paul Marat, Hungarian scientist Nikola ette. Tesla, physicist Georg Wilhelm Richmann, Let us return back to the 18th century… series of articles “From the history of Rus- The history of Russian mineralogy roots sian-Swedish Scientific relations of the 18th into the time of Peter the First and is con- century, Philosophy and Physics” and many nected to the names of Mikhail Vasilyevich other. Astonishing variety of topics of his Lomonosov, Peter Simon Pallas and Johann Dmitriy Alekseevich Golitsyn – diplomat, art critic, scientist and collector 137

Gottlieb Lehmann. They were the first to Fig. 1. Sculpture write works on mineralogy in the period of portrait of D.A. Golitsyn very intensive data acquisition in expediti- (Gallitzin) by ons and collection gathering. Vasiliy Mikhai- Marie-Anne lovich Severgin was usually regarded the Collot. 1766. most prominent person of the second period Terracotta. of mineralogy development – the period of “active analysis of collected facts and ordering them”. He became the first and the most noticeable scientist of qualitative descriptive mineralogy in Russia (Grigoryev, Shafranov- sky, 1949). It is true. However, he was a suc- cessor of the author of the “Collection of the Names in Alphabetical Order That Are Used in Mineralogy for Earths, Stones, Metals and Semi-metals and Rock Tars”. Severgin cited complete paragraphs from that work in his “Detailed Mineralogical Dictionary” (Tsvera- va, 1985). It was diplomat prince Dmitriy Alek- seevich Golitsyn who was the author of the Aleksey, the younger son of A.I. Golitsyn got “The Collection of Names…”. That work was married to princess Darya Vasilyevna Ga- written in French and was not well known in garina in this church. Russia. It was translated by American authors Five sons: Ivan, Petr, Feodor, Aleksey, of “The System of Mineralogy” and listed Dmitriy and a daughter Ekaterina were born among the “fundamental works” in 1946. to the family in the period 1729–1735 when Butyrsky regiment was not in a campaign. Biography milestones Tsverava suggested that all of them were born in their Gireyevo estate. This version is The prince Dmitriy Alekseevich Golitsyn supported with fact that officer of Butyrsky was born on May 15, 1734. His grandfather, regimen could not always live in Petersburg Ivan Alekseevich Golitsyn was a stolnik at and that the Golitsyns being in disgrace du- the court of Ivan V Alexeevich, the brother ring the reign of Anna Ioannovna, preferred and coregent of Peter I. I.A. Golitsyn married to “take shelter in their family estates”. It is princess A.P. Prozorovskaya. Anastasia Pet- important though, that the Brockhaus and rovna Prozorovskaya was a dominatrix and Efron dictionary and consequently later simi- socially active person who moved in the circ- lar reference books stated that D.A. Golitsyn le of Peter the Great and his wife, the future was born in Petersburg. Empress Catherine the First. The Golitsyns A.I. Golitsyn took part in the Russian- couple deceased in 1729 and was laid to rest Turkey war of 1735–1739 with his regiment in the Lords Epiphany Cathedral in Epiphany and died most likely in battle on 5 June 1739. monastery. This monastery is one of the old- The 1730-s were very hard decade for est in Moscow deemed to be found in 1296. Russia. Sergey M. Solovyov wrote that un- The Epiphany Cathedral was a burial place of precedented tasteless luxury of the Court in many noble Russian persons: Golitsyns, Dol- the “very poor nation” worsened with domi- gorukiys, Saltikovs, Yusupovs, Sheremetyevs nance of Germans who disdained and relent- and many others (Kondratyev, 1996). lessly robbed the country (Tsverava, 1985). Feodor Ivanovich and Alexey Ivanovich, Other things made it even worse: reestablish- sons of the Golitsyns’ couple were born in ment of the Secret Office of Investigation, Moscow. Aleksey was a warrant officer in the crop failure in 1733 followed by the famine, Butyrsky regiment. The regiment fought in all the war with Turkey finished with adoption the wars Russia was involved in from the sec- of the Treaty of Belgrade that brought to ond part of the 17th and all of the 18th century. naught all the gains of the war. A.I. Golistyn received family estate Spas- In this situation the widow with small skoye, Gubino and Gireyevo (Novogireyevo children was easier to survive in the estate now) in Moscow County. By the petition of near Moscow. However, the boys needed Ivan Golitsyn the stone church of the Holy education and after coronation of Elisaveta Image of the Savior Not Made by Hand was Petrovna the family moved to Petersburg to built in the estate. The church is still there. the house on Vasilyevsky Island. 138 New Data on Minerals. 2014. Vol. 49

The widow with little wealth and many Paris, leaving Nikolay Khotinsky as an em- children had only possibility to educate her bassy councilor in charges d'affaires. “I was sons in Cadets Corps. It was established for not surprised that he preferred this gentleman young noblemen to become officers bypass- over me”, D.A. Golitsyn wrote later to the vice- ing compulsory soldierly service. chancellor A.M. Golitsyn – “neither the Goli- Students of the Corps studied common tsyns, nor other noble person… would be in educational subjects together with the mili- Mr. Chernyshev’s favor”. Golitsyn ended his tary ones “since not every persons’ nature is letter with request to authorize him in charge inclined only to the military”. They learned d’affaires. This promotion was made in August mathematics, history, geography, artillery, of 1762 and already in the fall of next year fortification, fencing, equitation and “other Catherine the Great, valuing the talents of the sciences demanded in the military art”. Also young diplomat, appointed him to the “minis- they studied German, French and Latin, writ- trate plenipotentiary at the Versailles Court in ing and grammar, rhetoric, drawing, danc- the rank of chamber valet”. ing, morality, heraldry and other. Meanwhile the relations between Russia It is known that all the Golitsyn brothers and France worsened and at the end “prince were officers. No documents left on this fact, Golitsyn was ordered to leave Paris without but we can suggest they all had graduated an audience”. Golitsyn’s last letter from Paris from the Cadet Corps. Dmitriy Alekseevich was dated 1967 and most likely he left French served in army as a captain upon graduation capital the same year. and then was transferred to Office of Foreign Tsverava wrote little about Golitsyn’s dip- Affairs the Russian central agency dealt with lomatic activity in France, mentioning only external politics. “his intelligence, a habit of observation and Diplomatic staff rejuvenation was a cry- high level of culture favored success of Rus- ing need at the end of the reign of Elisaveta sian external politics in the first unsecure Petrovna. The writ from April 14, 1758 or- years of reign of Catherine the Great”. This dered to assign “three dignified young per- activity also included an aspect, which in sons from the nobility apt to become titular modern language we could name as attaché counselors” to each minister (ambassador). on issues of culture, science and technology. According to the “Name list of the circulating The high rank and personality of the young at foreign courts…” “acting gentleman-in- diplomat opened him doors to Paris’s saloons, waiting prince Dmitriy Alekseevich Goli- where he could meet and come close with the tsyn” was an ambassador to Paris and “the most prominent people of the French Enligh- chancellery councilor Feodor Chernov, cap- tenment. He found trust and respect from tain prince Dmitriy Alekseevich Golitsyn such people as creators of Encyclopedia: De- were appointed at his authority”. This cita- nis Diderot and Jean Le Rond D'Alembert, tion was dated from 1760. D.A. Golitsyn like- writer Jean-François Marmontel, economists ly manifested himself as a “dignified and apt” François Quesnay and Viktor Mirabeau, phi- student at the Corps and in the writ order was losophers Claude Helvétius and Paul-Henri sent to Paris to learn diplomatic intricacies Holbach, historian Gabriel de Mably, scoulp- with the guidance of his relative. tor Étienne Falconet. “Each of them made his Many of the Golitsyns family dedicated own impressions in Golitsyn’s mind and owed themselves to diplomatic career. The family him friendly help, moral support, hospitality was well known in Paris where young D.A. Go- and at last patronage of the great Empire”. litsyn was directed. Alexander Mikhailovich Golitsyn met English historian and philoso- Golitsyn was Russian ambassador to France pher David Hume in Paris and translated his in 1749–1755 followed by Dmitri Mikhai- works into French. His activities benefited lovich Golitsyn, who continued the service Russia in many respects. till 1761. Golitsyn participated in purchasing and Dmitriy Alekseevich came to Paris in a delivering to Russia all the volumes of fa- difficult time. Russian-French relationships mous French “Encyclopedia or Explanatory were not stable. They worsened when recent- Dictionary of Sciences, Arts and Trades” in ly assumed power Peter III signed a separate 1773. It will be to add that the article on peace treaty with Prussia. The French ambas- Russia was created with Golitsyn’s participa- sador Louis Auguste Le Tonnellier, Le baron tion supplying materials and information on de Breteuil was recalled from Petersburg our country. with the following withdrawal of Russian Golitsyn persuaded Catherine the Great ambassador count P.G. Chernyshev from to purchase the library of Diderot that acco- Dmitriy Alekseevich Golitsyn – diplomat, art critic, scientist and collector 139 unted 2900 volumes. He also used to send re- in the end he will have a chance to practice cently published works of Voltaire to Russia his God’s given talents with benefit in the with the first occasion. He had correspon- Patria”. dence with him and they possibly met. Dmitriy Alekseevich did not rush back to D.A. Golitsyn attended meetings of the Russia using his health issues as an excuse to Paris Academy of Science and was in the go to Aachen spa. There he met Adelheid Ama- course of scientific achievements and fre- lie, a daughter of Samuel Graf von Schmettau, quently wrote about them to the Motherland. Prussian field marshal. The acquaintance He sent in his letters drawings of 12 phases of grew into mutual affection and the young sun eclipse of 1764, notes on bridge const- couple got married on August 14, 1768 in a ruction in France, successful operation on church in Aachen. The trip to Russia became eyes of born blind adolescent and other the honeymoon for the couple. The Golitsyns information. came to Petersburg in October, 1768 and had The Empress also trusted the taste of her reception with Catherine the Great. Docu- ambassador. Golitsyn selected and pur- mented fact of Golitsyns presence in Peters- chased art masterpieces in Paris and Hague burg was only that Dmitriy Alekseevich was to send to Petersburg piece by piece and as granted a title of acting gentleman-in-waiting entire collections. Those paintings now add and a rank of secret councilor was appointed to the world’s fame of The State Hermitage. “plenipotentiary minister at General Unites “Return of the Prodigal Son” by Rembrandt, provinces of Lower Netherlands”. Daughter “Perseus and Andromeda” and “The Land- Marianna was born to the Golitsyns on the scape with a Rainbow” by P.-P. Rubens were way to Hague on December 7, 1769 and son among the paintings purchased by Golitsyn. Dmitriy was born on December 22, 1770 upon Precious purls from Crozats’ collection stand the arrival to Hague. out from the other paintintgs: “Bacchus” and To finish the story about the Golitsyn’s the “Portrait of Waiting Maid” by Rubens, family we need to tell, that the marriage hap- his sketches to series of “Life of Maria Me- py at the start practically ended in 1780, ne- dici”, five pieces from Anthony van Dyck in- vertheless the couple kept friendly relation- cluding his “Self-Portrait”, seven paintings ship all their life. Dmitriy Alekseevich visited by Rembrandt including “Danaë”, “The Holy his wife and children who resided in Munster Family”; Italian Renaissance masterpieces: in Westphalia. “Judith” by Giorgione, “Danaë” by Titian, The information about daughter of D.A. Go- “The Lamentation of Christ” by P. Veronese litsyn is very scares. It is only known that and “The Birth of St. John The Baptist” by Marianna-Dorothea Golitsyna (1769–1823) J. Tintoretto. in marriage had name of the princess Salm- Golitsyn was the one who was involved Reifferscheidt-Krautheim. with invitation of Etienne Falcone to Russia. Dmitriy, the Golitsyns’ son was received Falcone signed a contract to build the monu- into Roman Catholic Church in 1787, went to ment to Peter I on August 27, 1766. Baltimore and entered Catholic Seminary. D.A. Golitsyn assisted students of Peters- Father Demetrius was ordained on March 16, burg Academy of Arts, who came to Paris for 1795 and became the second priest that was internship. The Academy asked Golitsyn to “lo- ordained on American land. Father Demetrius ok after” its alumnae in one of the letters. Well- served 40 years as a country priest known as know painters A.P. Losenko and S.F. Shched- Augustine Smith and died in Loreto (USA) on rin, sculptors F.G. Gordeyev and F.I. Shubin, May 6, 1840. Gallitzin, a town in Pennsylva- architectures I.E. Starov and V.I. Bazhenov nia was named after him. were among of the students who were taken And again back to his father. D.A. Go- care of by the prince. Dmitriy A. Golitsyn was litsyn started a new chapter in his diplomatic elected an Honorary Member of the Aca- career in 1770. Service in Holland gave the demy of Arts in admittance of his merits. Russian ambassador a chance to “write few D.A. Golitsyn had to withdraw from Paris new pages to the Russian diplomatic histo- for reasons of high politics as it was men- ry”. It was meant establishing of diplomatic tioned. He did not want to leave the capital relationship with United States of America and tried to ask permission to stay to “conti- that proclaimed independence in 1776. The nue his education” and even asked his Pe- British colonies in North America were sup- tersburg protégé Falcone solicit the Empress ported in the war for independence by Fran- for his stay. He received the answer on ce, Spain and Holland. The war was lead November 29, 1767: “He has to leave Paris… mainly at sea and had very negative impact 140 New Data on Minerals. 2014. Vol. 49 on the sea trade. The diplomatic way to solve wide interests: studied economics, art, histo- the problem was more effective. Russia dec- ry and politics and also explored the area of lared famous declaration on armed neutrality booming natural sciences. Natural sciences in February 1780. It gave possibility to neu- were developing more dynamically in The tral countries to continue free sea trade dur- Republic of the United Provinces than in the ing the war even with the countries partici- rest of Europe. There were six universities pating in a war. All the interested countries and some 20 scientific societies in Holland at including France and Spain recognized the the time. Royal Netherlands Society of Sci- declared right to neutral navigation. Histo- ences and Humanities, the oldest and the rians still look for the answer who was the ac- best known of them is still active. Works of tual author of the declaration. Research of Dutch scientists became recourse books for N.N. Bolkhovitinov, the most prominent Rus- the first generation of Russian natural scien- sian specialist in American studies, showed tists. that it was “D.A. Golitsyn, who the most likely D.A. Golitsyn could not be isolated from inspired and outlined if not authored the those activities. He decided to dedicate himself draft document” (Bolkhovitinov, 1991). Rus- to natural sciences in the middle of 1770-s. His sia did not recognize the USA before the war resignation followed few years later gave him was over in 1784. Meanwhile, Golitsyn kept free time to accomplish his dreams. “Chan- in contact with the representatives of the ging his lifestyle he challenged Russian aris- United States who resided in the country. He tocracy in certain way as no one from Russian did it in spite of the prohibition issued to him nobility did before descending “so low” to be “to receive or visit Mr. Adams or any other occupied in physics or chemistry”. person, accredited from the colonies, separa- Golitsyn dedicated 30 years of his life to ted from Britain” (Bolkhovitinov, 1991). This science, which put him on the same level as initiative had a big cost to Golitsyn who was most prominent naturalists of the time. His withdrawn in 1782 and was appointed to am- interests in science were very wide: from phy- bassador to Turin. It was significant career sics, chemistry, geology, mineralogy, volca- downgrade and in the end of next year of nology to medicine. 1783 he submitted resignation and chose to He carried out tests on nature of electri- reside in Holland. city in a laboratory and also in the field. The Dmitriy Alekseevich wrote some works on result of his studies was a series of works on economics. He expressed his ideas in very electricity. The article “Letter on some subj- typical for him form of letters. At least 16 let- ects of electricity” was his first published ters on economics written by Golitsyn are work. It was his works with electricity that known. They were addressed to the vice- made a reason to elect D.A. Golitsyn an hon- chancellor A.M. Golitsyn, but were directed orable member of Petersburg Academy of to the attention of the Empress. Her numer- Sciences on September 13, 1778. He felt part ous notes on the edges support this fact. The- of the highest scientific agency in the coun- se small compositions were focused on vari- try and helped the Academy as much as he ous economic issues in different periods. could. Brussels Academy of Science chose Golitsyn verbalized ideas on the forms and Golitsyn to be a foreign member in the same means how to eliminate serfdom in Russia. He year. wrote on September 30, 1770: “By granting In the spring of 1793 revolution-struck peasants the property I meant the following: France was at war with almost all the coun- 1) Their liberation, meaning ownership of tries in Europe including Netherlands. Rus- their own personal lives, no other type of sia also broke diplomatic and trade relations property is possible if this one does not exist; with France. D.A. Golitsyn in this situation 2) Movable property, their household had to leave Holland just before the French goods and other; and at last, troops occupied the country. 3) Permission to ones who are able to pur- A reasonable question arises about why chase land on their own and own the land as the diplomat did not return to his country. we, the masters do; which will form their land Many facts can explain that. First of all, after register estate with time”. Paul I coronation he was not remembered and called to the court. At second, he was close The naturalist, mineralogist, collector friend to French politicians and scientists, supported reformation of the serfdom law Golitsyn was a true man of his time, the and could well fall into disgrace. At third, he time of encyclopedia writers and had very did want to have opportunity to see the fami- Dmitriy Alekseevich Golitsyn – diplomat, art critic, scientist and collector 141 ly. Golitsyn moved to Braunschweig, the Ger- regee et methodique desmineraux”, Maes- man town halfway between Berlin and Mun- tricht) published in 1792 and “The Collection ster, where his wife and daughter lived. He of the names in alphabetical order that are moved there his large library, laboratory and used in mineralogy for earths, stones, metals mineralogical collection. and semi-metals and rock tars” (Gallitzin D. Now we came close to the subject matter “Recueil de noms par ordre alphabetique ap- of Golitsyn as mineralogist and collector. ropries en Mineralogie aux terres et pierres. Dmitriy Alekseevich Golitsyn in this peri- Aux mataux et au bitumen...”, Brunswick) od started to be more involved in mineralogy published in 1801. We will get in details of and collecting minerals. He began enjoying these books. his new hobby already in Holland in 1780-s. The “Traite…” had five issues published As with most people, his interest started from in 1792, 1796, 1801, 1808 and 1815. The work collecting. His first mineralogical trips were to was based on the ideas of French naturalist Germany. Extinct volcanoes near Bonn and Georges-Louis de Buffon. They met in 1760-s Spessart plateau in Bavaria became his most in Paris and Golitsyn had correspondence popular places for mineral search. Golitsyn with Buffon for several years. He suggested did not limit his activities to sample collec- systematics of minerals in his work, following ting. He started to immerse deeper into the Buffon’s ideas which he resumed in the fol- new subject of his interest as a true scientist. lowing: “Genesis of the bodies in mineral “The zeal he utilized to acquire fundamental kingdom is the principle I prefer and will fol- knowledge in all aspects of physics” was low as long as I can. I think that it is more directed now to the thorough study of miner- advantageous to others not just because it is alogy, “the new discipline that was develo- an idea of a great person, but for it leads to ping before his own eyes and that complete- the true goal. This primary goal is in the most ly absorbed his attention and brought recog- generalized classification of objects…, reduc- nition later in his life”. tion in number of species, which can be noth- D.A. Golitsyn started to study descriptive ing but varieties and obstruct studying of mineralogy in the time when so called natu- mineralogy with multistep divisions”. The ralistic systematization approach initiated by author divided minerals into “8 ranks or fa- Abraham Gottlob Werner dominated. Wer- milies, which, in turn divided into classes and ner’s system was based on supremacy of visu- varieties”. Down the text detailed data on al characteristics in classification. He though almost all minerals known by that time was that chemical composition was clearly dis- given in order according to the classification. played in the “exterior features, which can de- The description of minerals was featured termine essential difference in fossil species” with historical facts. The names were given in (Goryainov, 1835). Chemical composition ex- Latin, French, Russia and German. The next clusively could neither be a basis for an accu- edition was published after discovery of rate classification. Jean Baptiste L. Romé de series of new minerals. l’Isle published his “Crystallography or Des- “The collection of Names…” was one of cription of Forms Essential to all Bodies in the last D.A. Golitsyn’s works and practically Mineral Kingdom” in 1783. René Just Haüy was a mineralogical dictionary. It contained published five volumes of his “Traité de Mi- explicit data on known minerals and rock néralogie” in 1801, which anticipated con- types. It had several editions and the second temporary approach in mineral classifica- edition was published after Golitsyn had read tion. We need to draw reader’s attention to the work of Haüy. He wrote about it: “The the fact that back then “mineralogy was a vo- exceptional “The Mineralogy Course” by Mr. luminous science about inorganic world as a de Haüy… made necessary a new addition of whole” (Grigoriev, Shafranovskiy, 1949) and “The Collection of names…”. This “Course” branching of mineralogy from geology star- helped me to realize my mistakes… I did not ted only at the end of the 18th century. think twice deciding to use the guidance of Geosciences were blooming in those years. this excellent work in mineral identification Many fundamental works were written then and comparison of minerals. I would not dare and works of D.A. Golitsyn were also noticed. to write my opinion on the new nomenclature He published at least 11 papers during 15 of the crystal shapes… when teachers speak, years of hard research work. pupils should be silent. And I have rewritten Among those he wrote two fundamental the nomenclature… for the crystallography is papers: “The Work on Brief Description of Mi- the most essential part of the mentioned work nerals” (Gallitzin D. “Traite ou Description ab- and keeping in mind that it is not widely 142 New Data on Minerals. 2014. Vol. 49 known in Germany yet, so my work can be to his wide connections in scientific circles he useful to those who would read it”. One can- was one of the first who learned about new not underestimate the scientist’s courage, sensational discoveries of new “metals and modesty, his realization of his own place in semi-metals”. He kept terms with Petrus Cam- science and unselfish service to the enligh- per, Martin Klaproth, Louis Vauquelin and tenment. many others, keeping correspondence with Several copies of the “Collection of na- them and sending them samples from his col- mes” are kept at the Library of the Academy lection for investigations, in particular min- of Sciences in Saint Petersburg. Golitsyn sent erals from Russia. them to Russia in August, 1801. There is no Golitsyn chose a phrase of French geolo- Russian translation of the book yet. gist Déodat de Dolomieu as an epigraph to The most known Golitsyn’s work besides his fundamental study: “It is under the lead the two works mentioned above was “The of chemistry that mineralogy could enter into Letter to Mr. Councilor and professor Crell”. internal mysteries of fossils and gain knowl- Golitsyn’s idea about amount of information edge on their composition”. It is peculiar that one needs describing minerals mentioned in he was very critical of works on minerals’ the letter is remarkable as follows: “the bo- chemistry. He wrote: “whether the chemists dies from mineral kingdom needs to be over- have not found the best means to investigate viewed from every aspect… e.g. chemical composition of minerals yet, or of the other analysis needs to be supplemented with data reasons that I do not know about, results of on their allocation in mountain chains, as their analyses correspond with each other well as with crystallization shape, their densi- very little and we do not know how to respect ty, homogeneity, fusibility and flammabili- all that was done and described on minerals”. ty…”. Golitsyn also explains his view on ori- Some works of Golitsyn were dedicated to gin of rocks disputing with the supporters of the new field of knowledge back then what Verner’s “neptunizm”. The last suggested now is known as volcanology. Academician that all rocks (including basalts and granites) S.A. Fedotov, the director of the Institute of were formed in result of deposition and crys- Volcanology FEB RAS wrote: “D.A. Golitsyn tallization of primordial ocean. Golitsyn was was one of the few neptunizm opponents in the follower of “plutonism” and supported the late 18th century. …Most regrettably his magmatic theory of basalt formation. He remarkable works were forgotten and came wrote: “I, honestly, do not see enough basis to back to attention of historians of science only exclude basalts from the generation of vol- in 1985”. canic rocks… Basalts were formed in the Golitsyn read his “Memoirs on several depths of volcanoes and it does not matter extinct volcanoes in Germany” on a session of how they formed staying in the place of origin Academy of Science of Belgium on February till some point”. Another citing from the 18, 1785. He was amazed at that fact he was same letter needs no comment: “There are the first to study those numerous interesting two approaches to the observations of mine- volcanoes, which “were totally neglected” rals: one of mineralogist and the other of geo- then. Description of the volcanoes was pre- logist. The first… does not achieve anything sented in “The Memoirs” and basalts, lavas but determining and characterizing the rank, and breccias were shown to be volcanic prod- type and variety of the fossil… The physic ucts in spite of neptunism idea of basalts geologist goes far beyond that: to the research being sedimentary rocks. of mineralogist he adds study of mode of D.A. Golitsyn discussing the nature of vol- occurrence, distribution and interrelation- canic activity with Italian natural scientist ship of the fossils in the depths of Earth. Ba- Lazzaro Spallanzani in 1792 came to conclu- sed on that he makes conclusions that dis- sions that anticipated geological science for close mystery of structure and composition of centuries. He wrote: “volcanic heat” did not the globe. Pure mineralogist, no matter what originate from underground coal fires. He sug- place in science he has, cannot lead us to dis- gested that “the amount of heat” in molten coveries of this kind if he is not involved in rocks depended on concentration of gases in it, geological knowledge. We would wish both most importantly oxygen and sulfur compo- sciences to come together”. unds. Presence of the gas mixture could make Golitsyn realized well the meaning of “volcanic heat” of lower temperature than in then actively developing analytical chemist- glass making furnaces” (Fedotov, 1986). ry, mentioning particular importance of Dmitriy Alekseevich works in natural sci- analysis of composition of minerals. Thanks ences became widely known and gained him Dmitriy Alekseevich Golitsyn – diplomat, art critic, scientist and collector 143 a deserved reputation. It is enough to list ty in the Society was not limited to communi- titles of our compatriot to understand his cation. He also transferred books and mine- position in scientific community of his time: rals including ones that came from Russia corresponding member of Dutch Society of from his collection to the Society. He shared Sciences (1777), foreign member of Imperial scientific news from Russia with it. For examp- and Royal Academy of Science and Letters of le, he told several times about A.A. Musin- Brussels (1778), honorable member of Peters- Pushkin and his trip to Caucasus. He wrote burg Academy of Sciences (1778), foreign that he request him to “gather a collection of fellow of Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences beautiful minerals for our Society”. He also (1788), foreign fellow of Berlin Academy of informed that a Petersburg scientist “che- Sciences (1793), fellow of the German Acade- cked and confirmed” presence of chromium my of Sciences Leopoldina (1795), foreign in the composition of “the red lead ore from fellow of the Royal Society of London (1798), Siberia” (crocoite). Golitsyns works given to member of Free Economic Society (1798); the Society are kept in the library of Jena honorable member (1799) and the president University. Furthermore, Dmitriy Alekse- (1799) of Jena Mineralogical Society. evich continued to supply new publications The last Society is of particular interest. and distributed new scientific information Town of Jena located in Duchy of Saxe- from Russia. Weimar-Eisenach hosts a university found in Meanwhile, degraded health of Dmitriy 1558. The university was famous by its wide Alekseevich was complicated with financial and rational program in sciences. Johann difficulties. He started to undergo hardship Ernst Immanuel Walch was the first to intro- as he always had little money. This situation duce mineralogy in his course of natural his- made him think about future of his library tory. His vast collection From Three King- and the mineral collection. To transport them doms of Nature (cabinet of naturals) was pur- to Russia was a risky project considering mi- chased by Karl August the Grand Duke of litary and political situation in Europe. Need Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach upon initiative of to move out from his house to a cheaper J.W. Goethe in 1799 and placed in Jena ducal place complicated the problem. Dmitriy castle. This collection was the core of future Alekseevich found a brilliant solution to Mineralogical Museum in Jena. Master of hand his mineralogical collection and the Philosophy Johann Georg Lenz (1748–1832) library to the Mineralogical Society that he became the museums custodian in the same was heading. This gift was received with year. Lenz introduced teaching mineralogy gratitude. Here is the letter composed by as an independent university course in 1872. Goethe and signed by Duke Karl August: Lenz became a chair at the University in 1794 “This institution [meaning the Mineralogical and dedicated himself completely to minera- Society, author] that started little and re- logy to “contribute to flourishing of this sci- ached stable life solely thanks to your care, ence”. He found The Ducal Society of Com- Dear Sir, is indebted to you for the respect mon Mineralogy in Jena on January 7, 1796. and brilliance distinguishing it from the rest Golitsyns works could not be overlooked by of similar organizations. You favored to carry the members of the Society and our compa- the burden of the president position to sup- triot was elected an honorable member of it port the Society with your knowledge and also in May, 1799. Goethe, Klaproth, Haüy were demonstrated superior kindness to donate also honorable members of the Society. magnificent collection, that interests us as The rule of the Society supported presi- both for the value and rarity of the samples dent and director positions. Lenz was irre- and for the art of the expert who collected placeable director of the Society till the end them”. of his life in 1832. The president position was It was very difficult to hand the collection offered to Dmitriy Alekseevich Golitsyn. He and Golitsyn asked Lenz on August 8, 1802 to was elected to the president on the common speed the process: “I have to leave the hou- meeting of the Society on June 21, 1799. se… if you receive my collection, I will leave it Dmitriy Alekseevich could not visit Jena as in the house, which I abandon…” Dmitriy for his poor health. Lenz went to meet him in Alekseevich was informed on October 29, Braunschweig. He was the president for four that all the minerals were packaged and wo- last years of his life and lead frequent corre- uld be the same day at expediter who would spondence with Lenz. Twenty-five of his let- not procrastinate to send them to Jena. The ters from that correspondence are kept in collection was moved to Jena and exhibited archives of Jena University. Golitsyns activi- in the old Duke’s castle. 144 New Data on Minerals. 2014. Vol. 49

What was Golitsyns collection donated to silver mine, stone of Russian labrador and Jena Mineralogical Society like? The infor- many other”. He mentioned also the following: mation on it is fragmental and scarce. Private “half a foot block of flexible Peiresc sand- archive of Golitsyn that was kept in Braun- stone”; “peculiar set of tellurium ores, sent by schweig was destroyed during the Second abbot Arnoldi from Vena”, “very beautiful World War as Tsverava mentioned. There hummocky malachite, weighing around a was no catalog of the collection survived. quintal (centner)”, “beryl veins from the Urals Horst Frank, the custodian of the mineral and Dauria, mixed with yellow and colorless collection of Jena University wrote about this topaz”; “zeolites of all kinds”; “tourmaline fact to Wendell Wilson in a private letter in group with well preserved pyramids”. 1991 (Wilson, 1991). It is known that when the collection was It is known that by the time it moved from transferred the cargo weight sent from Brau- Hague to Braunschweig the mineral collec- wnschweig to Jena accounted 1850 kg. tion impressed the contemporaries with its V.I. Vernadsky wrote about D.A. Go- quantity, variability and rarity of the sam- litsyns collection: “Unfortunately, the collec- ples. G. Forster who visited Golitsyn in 1790 tions of Goethe, of Jena University, Golitsyn’s wrote: “The mineralogical cabinet of the prin- collection and other collections were not ce is a collection of an expert, he gathered looked through by anybody who knew mine- and kept on his own, which is rare and very ralogy of our country. They may contain uni- didactic in its own way”. que and new deposits that were not kept in Golitsyn wrote: “My collection is remark- our museums. Unfortunately, the collection able by the number of very large size minerals was not available due to some renovations from faraway countries”. during my visit to Weimar in 1936” (Ver- There is no doubt that the collection was nadsky, 1981). replenishing from the numerous correspon- There were two opinions on the fate of the dents including ones from Russia. Visiting collection. Tsverava wrote in his book: “I different cities the prince used every chance requested information about the mineralogi- to familiarize himself with museums and pri- cal collection of Golitsyn during my visit to vate collections and purchase something Jena. It was gradually dissolved in the exposi- interesting for himself. tion of Jena Mineralogical Museum. The The author picked all information form Mineralogical Society came to closure in Tsverava book that was connected to descrip- 1890-s and the collection could not find a new tion of the collection. There was very few owner after the old castle (where it was kept) things mentioning it: “I have just received was demolished in 1908. 35 000 mineral samp- very interesting minerals from Siberia: singu- les are kept in one of warehouses of Jena lar aquamarines in a coat, crystal malachite, University till now”. coated gold bearing pyrites, fragile gold bea- The other citing is from Wendell Wilson’s ring quartz, huge piece of hornblende from a article: “Jena Mineralogical Society closed in

Fig. 2. Slab of sandstone. 44 × 17 cm. Brazil. Mineralogical collection of Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany. Photo: M.B. Leybov. Dmitriy Alekseevich Golitsyn – diplomat, art critic, scientist and collector 145

Fig. 3. Skarn with garnet and biotite 17 × 9 cm. Vesuvius, Italy. Mineralogical collection of Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany. Photo: M.B. Leybov.

1890-s and the castle was demolished in 1908. Schiller’s University, Jena) and in the catalog Golitsyns collection, though did survive and of Golitsyns collection (Goethe and Schiller was moved to newly build building of Mi- archive, Weimar). One of the samples is a flat neralogical-Geological Institute where mine- slab of sandstone (Fig. 2) and the second was rals were kept till 1945. They perished in skarn with garnet and biotite (Fig. 3). bomb attack on the building” (Wilson, 1991), Photographs of the samples and the cata- thus Wilson cited Tsverava, whose text was a logs were made by M.B. Leibov in 2008 with bit different. the kind permission from Brigit Kreher- The last known manuscript of D.A. Go- Hartmann. litsyn was a letter to Lenz from March 8, 1803. The founding of the samples of Golitsyns The prince wrote that he hoped the collection collection as well as an interest to it from our was received in good condition and informed German colleagues show us that the name of that he received a silver medal from Free our compatriot is still remembered and will Economic Society in Petersburg for “his stay forever in the history of mineralogy. “Collection of names…” was recognized as the most useful for science…”. That letter had the References last mentioning of the collection: “I suppose, Dear Sir, that all minerals from my collection Bolkhovitinov N.N. Russia discovers Ame- are currently unpacked and are in your dis- rica. 1732–1799: to the 500th anniversary posal. I want to ask you to take care of putting of discovery of America. Foreign affairs. them in order of Haüy system and do not 1991. URL: http://royallib.com/read/ worry ordering them as they were organized bolhovitinov_n/rossiya_otkrivaet_ame- before. I had an honor to tell you that I had no riku_1732_1799.html#0 (March, 2013) time to change this order, nevertheless I felt (in Russian). an extreme necessity to change it lately”. Fedotov S.A. Volcanology: history, develop- Dmitriy Alekseevich died in Braunsch- ment, goals // Vestnik AS USSR. 1986. weig on March 4 (March 16 by Gregorian ca- No 6. P. 100–105 (in Russian). lendar), 1803 and was laid to rest on the Golitsin G.S. Dmitriy Alekseevich Golitsyn – cemetery of St. Nicolas church. finding of the image of prominent diplo- Dr. Birgit Kreher-Hartmann prepared a mat, scientist, art collector for the Her- report on the history of Mineralogical Museum mitage // Manuscript. Moscow. 2008. of Jena University on 5th Mineralogical Mu- Goryainov P. Handbook on teaching minera- seums Symposium in Saint Petersburg in 2005 logy. Saint Petersburg. 1835. 288 p. (in (Kreher-Hartmann, 2005). She told about find- Russian). ing of at least two samples from D.A. Golitsyns Grigoryev D.P., Shafranovskiy I.I. Prominent collection and according description of the Russian mineralogists. Moscow-Lenin- samples in the catalog of the University collec- grad: AS of the USSR. 1949. 274 p. (in tion (mineralogical collection of Friedrich Russian). 146 New Data on Minerals. 2014. Vol. 49

Kondratiev I.K. The grey antiquity of Mos- Tsverava G.K. Dmitriy Alekseevich Golitsyn cow. Moscow: Voenizdat. 1996. 527 p. (in 1734–1803. Leningrad: Nauka. 1985. Russian). 184 p. (in Russian). Kreher-Hartmann B. The history of the mineral Vernadsky V.I. Thoughts and notes on Go- collection of the University of Jena // ethe as a naturalist // Selected works on Mineralogical Museums. Abstracts of 5th the history of science. Moscow. 1981. Int. Symp. St-Petersburg: St-Petersburg P. 176–187 (in Russian). State University. 2005. P. 28–29. Wilson W.E. Dmitrii Alekseevich Golitsyn Sverdlova I., Chistyakov N. Engineer, histori- (1734–1803). His life and works // an, writer // Electrosvyaz’. 1994. No 12. Matrix. 1991. Vol. 2. No 4. Р. 49–55. 31 p. (in Russian).