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Genealogical Tables
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The family of the Princes Dolgorukov descends in direct line from St. Mihail Vsevolodovich of Chernigov (ca. 1179-1246), the canonized Prince; hence also from Prince Yaroslav Vladimirovich Mudriy (the Wise: 976-1054) and through him from the semi-legendary Rurik, who is supposed to have been the first “kniaz” or prince of Novgorod.
The great-great-grandson of St. Mihail, Prince Konstantin Ivanovich (d. 1368), ruled over the town of Obolensk, on the Protva river, and was the originator of the Princes Obolensky, a renowned family in the annals of Russia. His younger son was Prince Andrey Konstantinovich Obolensky (middle of XVth century), and it is the latter’s son, Prince Ivan Andreyevich, who became known by the nickname of “Dolgorukoy” which meant “long-handed,” “far-reaching,” and had to do with his ability to detect his enemies wherever they may have been hiding. This was a purely personal characteristic, and therefore, in accordance with Russian grammatical rules, the term could not be applied to the descendants in any other but the genitive case, i.e., Dolgorukov in singular, and Dolgorukovi in the plural form. However, as time went on, many of the direct descendants of Prince Ivan Andreyevich signed themselves both Dolgorukoy and Dolgorukiy, the latter being a corruption of the original form of that name. A descriptive name closely akin to this is the Latin name of Longimanus.
Prince Ivan Andreyevich “Dolgorukoy’ had only one son, Prince Vladimir Ivanovich, and from the latter have originated the four lines of the Princes Dolgorukov, many representatives of which are alive today in various parts of the world, except in the case of the Elder Line which is now extinct.
This elder line stems from Prince Vladimir Ivanovich’s son, Semyon Vladimirovich Dolgorukov, and acquired a reputation in the days of his grandson, Prince Ivan Andreyevich, nicknamed “Shiban” (d. 1590) who became a military hero. His grandson, Prince Feodor Feodorovich Dolgorukov (d. 1664) is the first individual of this line indicated on the accompanying Genealogical Table, and it is from him that the line descends down to Princess Helena Pavlovna Dolgorukov (1789-1860), H. P. Blavatsky’s maternal grandmother, who had such a marked influence on H.P.B.’s education and upbringing. With this remarkable woman, the Elder Line of the Dolgorukov became extinct.
It is this Elder Line which produced such renowned individuals as Prince Grigoriy Feodorovich (1657-1723) who was ambassador to Poland, and his brother Yakov Feodorovich (1639-1720), the well- known favorite of Peter the Great; Princess Katherine Alexeyevna who lxxiiiwas betrothed to Czar Peter II; and the unfortunate Prince Serguey Grigoryevich who, together with three of his close relatives, became implicated in a forged testament of Peter II, and other political intrigues, and were executed in 1739. In spite of these sad events, other members of the Dolgorukov Family regained ascendancy and continued through later generations to exercise a decisive influence in Russia.
The third line of the Dolgorukovs produced also some of the most renowned leaders of those days, both in the military and civilian fields; to this line belonged Princess Marie Vladimirovna (d. 1625) who became the wife of Czar Mihail Feodorovich, the First reigning Romanov.
It should be borne in mind that, contrary to erroneous statements made by several theosophical writers, the Dolgorukov Family as such does not include Prince Yuriy Vladimirovich Dolgorukiy (1090-1157), the son of Vladimir Monomah, Grand-Duke of Kiev. Prince Yuriy was the recognized founder of Moscow, and from him were derived the later Princes of Suzdal’, Rostov and Moscow.
The von Hahn Family—formerly Hahn von Rottenstern-Hahn— belonged originally to the nobility of Mecklemburg, Germany. When settled in Russia, it dropped its title of Counts, and the name itself, after being spelled for a time as Hahne, finally became Gan. It is not definitely known when this branch of the German Counts von Hahn emigrated to Russia, but the most likely time was during the reign of Empress Anna loanovna (1730-1740). H.P.B. {Letters to Sinnett, p. 12) signs herself almost in jest as “née Hahn von Rottenstern-Hahn,” while her sister Vera referred to the older form of the family name as Hahn-Hahn von der Rohter-Hahn.
H.P.B.’s paternal grandfather, Alexis Gustavovich von Hahn, was a full general who in his earlier years had distinguished himself during the Suvorov campaign, crossing the Swiss Alps, and for a time was Commandant of the city of Zürich. Various members of this family were prominently connected with the administration of the Russian Postal Service. Others became well-known military men and civilian administrators. Among them may be mentioned the following:
Yevgeniy Feodorovich von Hahn was the Presiding Senator of the Senate, and a leading figure in the administration of State-owned properties. His daughter Yevgeniya was court maid-of-honor.
General of Infantry Dmitriy Karlovich von Hahn was the Founder and Commander of the Russian Frontier-Guard Corps, a man of sterling qualities and a trusted adviser under three Emperors.
Serguey Dmitriyevich von Hahn, his son, was a Director of the State Bank, Keeper of the Gold Reserve of the Empire, and Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Industry.