Count Nikolai Pavlovich Ignatiev 1832-1908
From Wikipedia:
“… a Russian statesman and diplomat, became best known for his aggressive expansionism in support of Russian imperialism. In dealing with China, he secured a large slice of Chinese territory by the multi-lateral Treaty of Peking in 1860.[1] As the Russian ambassador to the Ottoman Empire from 1864 to 1877, he worked to stir up pan-Slavic feeling and nationalism against the Ottomans, and had some responsibility for the Bulgarian rebellion of April 1876. He encouraged his government to declare war on Turkey in 1877, and after the decisive Russian victory he negotiated the Treaty of San Stefano in 1878. It heralded greatly strengthened Russian influence in the Balkans. However Britain and Austria intervened and forced the retraction of the treaty. As Minister of the Interior (in office: 1881-1882), Count Ignatyev promoted ultraconservative and Slavic-nationalist policies.[2]
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“Ignatyev’s son, Count Pavel Ignatyev, served as the last Minister of Education under Tsar Nicholas II and later moved to Canada. His grandson, George Ignatieff, was born in Russia and became a Canadian diplomat, and his great-grandson, Michael Ignatieff, was the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada from 2008 to 2011.”
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When I speak of the divine right of Canadian federal Liberals, because they are morally superior, and they are morally superior, because they are Liberals, I am not exaggerating. Michael Ignatieff failed as Liberal leader because he went up against a much tougher fighter in Steven Harper. I hope we can find another such soon.
I wish Canadians had had the advantage of seeing this portrait of his great-grandfather when Michael was running the Liberal Party. It might have told them something important.