The Princes Kurakins

Kurakina, Alexandra Ivanovna (1711-1786), Princess, daughter of the Lieutenant General and Senator Prince Ivan V. Panin (1673-1736) and Agraphena Everlakova (1688-1753). In 1730 she married Prince Alexander B. Kurakin (1697-1749), Secret Councilor and the Russian Ambassador to Paris. They had one son and eight daughters. After her husband's death she constantly lived in Moscow and brought up her children. Her only son, Prince Boris Leonti Alexandrovich Kurakin (1733-1764), also became a Senator. He married Elena S. Apraksina and had two sons by her. In the portrait by Grooth he is a warrant officer of the Preobrazhensky Guards’ Regiment. After his early death, Alexandra Ivanovna brought up his sons, her grandsons, Princes Alexander (1752-1818), see his portraits by Borovikovsky, and Alexey (1759-1829). After marrying off her daughters and grandsons she lived alone in her big Moscow house, where all the family liked to gather. She was deeply respected by her contemporaries. Until the end of her life she was very active, liked hunting, horseback riding and long walks. She was deeply religious and had friends among outstanding theologians and clergy of her time.
See: Georg Christoph Grooth. Portrait of Princess Alexandra Kurakina. Portrait of Prince Boris Kurakin.

Kurakin, Alexander Borisovich (1752-1818), Prince, son of Prince Boris Leonti Alexandrovich Kurakin (1697-1749) and Elena S. Apraksina. In his childhood he was educated with the heir to the Russian throne, Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich (future Paul I). Then Kurakin studied in Leiden University. Since 1775 he was a Senator. In 1778 he was appointed Chamberlain, and then the Chief Procurator of Senate. The service did not interfere with his travel with the Grand Duke abroad. Catherine II, however, did not like this friendship, as the Grand Duke was very attached to Kurakin and even called him “my soul”. She used a small pretext to order Kurakin to settle in his estate Nadezhdino in Saratov region. The correspondence between Kurakin and Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich went on and after the ascension of the latter to the throne, Kurakin was welcomed back to St. Petersburg. During November 1796 he was made a Secret Councilor, a member of the Emperor's Council, and Vice-Chancellor; he was awarded orders of St. Vladimir 1st degree and St. Andrew. He was presented with a big house in St. Petersburg and 4000 serfs and estates in Astrakhan region. In 1798, however, he fell into disgrace with the uncertain and suspicious Emperor and had to leave for Moscow. Not long before his death Emperor Paul I returned Kurakin to the post of Vice-Chancellor, and the next Emperor, Alexander I, made him the chancellor of the Russian orders and charged him with diplomatic missions. Thus prince Kurakin participated in the signing of the Treaty of Tilsit.  In 1809-1812 Kurakin was a Russian ambassador in Paris. He wrote Memoirs.
Contemporaries say that Prince Boris Kurakin was kind-hearted, but very vain and liked luxury. For his love of brilliance he was called “the diamond prince”. Prince Kurakin was a pedant of etiquette and dress: he strictly observed the rules of what, where and how to wear. The prince was not married, but was very fond of women and had about 70 illegitimate children. The Barons Vrevskys and Serdobins are descended from him.
See: Vladimir Borovikovsky. Portrait of Prince A. B. Kurakin. Portrait of Prince A. B. Kurakin.

Kurakin, Alexey Borisovich (1759-1829) Prince, son of Prince Boris Leonti Alexandrovich Kurakin (1697-1749) and Elena S. Apraksina, the younger brother of Alexander Kurakin. Camberlain, Procurator General, later Minister for Internal Affairs.