Branitsky, Xavier (1816-1879)

The representative of the Polish count clan Branitsky coat of arms "Korczak" , which in the XVIII century was considered one of the richest noble families in Europe. The eldest son of the Major General of the Russian Army, Count Vladislav Ksaverievich Branitsky (1782-1843), and Countess Rosa Stanislavovna Pototskaya (1780-1862). Grandson of the penultimate hetman of the great crown, Count Francis Xavier Branicki , and Alexandra Engelhardt .

The eldest of four brothers, Xavier in his youth served as an officer in the Russian army. He participated in hostilities in the Caucasus , where he rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel and as adjutant of Field Marshal Ivan Fedorovich Paskevich . Raised by his mother in a patriotic spirit, he retired quite early and in 1844 left Russia during the stay of Emperor Nicholas I Pavlovich in London . Initially, Count Branitsky went for treatment to the Czech Republic, from there he arrived in Italy, where he visited with his sister, Sofia, who was married to Prince Livy Odeskalki, V Prince of Odeskalki (1805-1885). In the end, Xavier Branicki settled in France. He never returned to his homeland. He lived for a long time in Paris , and in 1849, with the help of his mother and through Victor Okrinsky, he acquired the Montresor castle in Touraine , in the Loire Valley, which was in need of major repairs. For ten years, the restoration of the castle was occupied by Domaradzky, a loyal Branicki officer of the Polish Army. Count Branitsky was engaged in economics and financial operations, in particular, contributed to the construction of the railway from Kiev to Odessa . He was one of the founders, together with Ludwik Wolowski of the existing French credit bank Crédit Foncier in the Caisse d'Epargne group. Despite all the efforts of the tsarist government to extradite from France, Branitsky received French citizenship in 1854 . He transformed his possessions in the vicinity of Castle into exemplary organized and managed farms. Thoroughly renovated his castle with interiors in the style of the Second Empire. At the same time, he did a lot for the city of Montresor, where he rebuilt the church, built hospitals, separate schools for girls and boys, and a new cemetery. In 1860, the inhabitants of Montresor elected him as mayor of the city. He held this position for ten years.

Count Branitsky participated in the life of the Great Emigration . While still in Rome , during the Spring of Peoples in 1848 , he financed the Polish Legion. He supported artists and writers, including Norvid. He supported the work and journalistic activities of Adam Mickiewicz . In 1849, he founded and financed the issue of the Tribune of Peoples magazine, edited by Miscavige. Out of contacts with the French socialists, Count Xavier Branicki was repressed by the tsarist government. He was deprived of the nobility and military ranks, his property (including the Branicki Palace in Luboml in Volhynia) was confiscated. By a personal decree of Emperor Nicholas I Pavlovich Branitsky was sentenced to absentee exile in Siberia , and in the end, deprived of civil rights in the territory of the Russian Empire. Considering also the patriotic relations of the younger brothers Xavier, Alexander and Konstantin , the whole Branicki family fell into royal disgrace.

Count Branicki supported any patriotic actions, both in Poland and among emigrants. He spared no money to support the Polish Folk School in Paris and the London Literary Society of Friends of Poland , and a school in the town of Montresor itself. Together with brothers Alexander and Konstantin allocated significant funds as a loan to the French government in 1862 and 1871 . In preparation for the January 1863 uprising, Count Branicki collaborated with the Central National Committee of Polish Rebels. He worked in committees that raise funds for the creation and organization of rebel groups, supported the activities of secret public associations of a patriotic orientation, and also financed the actions of the rebels. In his castle in Montresor, he collected impressive collections of paintings and sculptures, as well as manuscripts and memorabilia related to both his family and the history of Poland. He also contributed to the economic development of France, in particular, the former province of Touraine, where he settled. In 1862, Xavier Branicki was awarded the Legion of Honor .

Count Xavier Branicki, while still unmarried, had several illegitimate children, among whom he recognized his legitimate son Augustine (born 1854), from a relationship with Sidonia Rivitskaya.

On March 19, 1873, in Paris Count Branitsky married Countess Pelageya Konstantinovna Zamoyskaya (1830–1894), the widow of Alexander Rambielinsky (1820–1872) and the mother of two sons: Stanislav (1855–1908) and Konstantin (1857–1933). The second marriage was childless.

In November 1879, during his expedition to Egypt, Count Xavier Branicki died in Asyut. His remains were transported to France in 1880 , where they were buried in a cemetery in the city of Montresor . He was succeeded by his younger brother, Konstantin Branitsky .

• L'impôt sur le capital, libérateur de la contribution de guerre - Moyens pratiques de l'appliquer, E. Dentu, Paris, 1871.
• Libération de la France par un impôt sur le capital, E. Dentu, Paris, 1871.
• La politique du is outdated et la politique de l'Avenir, esquisse d'une constitution, E. Dentu, Paris 1876.
• Les nationalités slaves E. Dentu, Paris, 1879.

• Skarby Montrésor, film dok. reż. Tomasz Rudomino, emisja: TVP Historia, 2015-02-15, godz. 13.40;
• Słupska Julia A .: Ksawery Branicki (1816-1879). Emigracja: polityka i finanse, wyd. Neriton i Instytut Historii PAN, 2008, ISBN 978-83-7543-062-2 .
• Zbiory archiwalne na Zamku w Montrésor.