Gruzinsky
Gruzinsky (Russian: Грузинский; Georgian: გრუზინსკი) was a title and later the surname of two different princely[2] lines of the Bagrationi dynasty of Georgia, both of which received it as subjects of the Russian Empire. The name "Gruzinsky" (also spelled Gruzinski or Gruzinskii) derives from the Russian language, originally and literally meaning "of Georgia". Of the two lines, the younger one is the only line that still exists.
| Bagration-Gruzinsky (Bagrationi-Gruzinski) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Parent house | Bagrationi dynasty |
| Country | Georgia |
| Current head | Nugzar Bagration-Gruzinsky |
| Final ruler | George XII |
| Deposition | 1801 |
Elder line
The "Elder House" of Princes Gruzinsky was an offshoot of the House of Mukhrani that was dispossessed of the throne of Kartli in 1726. The line descended from Prince Bakar of Georgia (1699/1700-1750), who had removed to Russia in 1724, and it became extinct with the death of Pyotr Gruzinsky (1837–1892). The family had estates in the governorates of Moscow and Nizhegorod, and it was confirmed among the princely nobility of Russia in 1833.[3]
Younger line
The "Younger House" of Princes Gruzinsky (Bagrationi-Gruzinski) is an offshoot of the House of Kakheti (after 1462) and of Kartli (after 1744). The title of Prince(ss) Gruzinsky (Serene Prince[ss] after 1865) was conferred upon the grandchildren of the penultimate Georgian king, Erekle II (1720/1-1798), after the Russian annexation of Georgia in 1801.[3][4] Descendants of Prince Bagrat (1776–1841), grandson of Erekle II and son of the last king of Georgia, George XII (1746–1800), still survive in Georgia.
The current head of this family, Nugzar Bagration-Gruzinsky (born 1950), claims the legitimate headship of the Royal House of Georgia (also claimed by the line of Bagrations of Mukhrani) based on male primogeniture descent from the last king of Georgia. As Nugzar has no male issue, Evgeny Petrovich Gruzinsky (born 1947), the great-great-grandson of Bagrat's younger brother Ilia (1791–1854), who lives in the Russian Federation, is considered to be an heir presumptive within the same primogeniture principle.[5]
References
- Heraldry - The Royal House of Georgia
- Tsarevich, later knyaz; Georgian equivalents are batonishvili and tavadi respectively.
- Toumanoff, Cyril (1967). Studies in Christian Caucasian History, p. 269. Georgetown University Press.
- (in Russian) Грузинские, Russian Biographic Lexicon. Retrieved on January 10, 2008.
- Guy Stair Sainty (ed.). Bagration (Georgia) Archived 2010-03-07 at the Wayback Machine. Almanach de la Cour. Retrieved on January 10, 2008.
External links
- Bagrationi-Gruzinski website