Biography
He was born on 8 November 1839.
After serving in the Ministry of Justice until 1891 he moved to the Ministry of the Interior, becoming Minister from 1895-1899. A self-described "man of the old school" who viewed the Tsar as the "anointed one, the rightful sovereign", Goremykin was a loyal supporter of Nicholas II as autocrat and accordingly pursued conservative policy. He was apparently well liked by the Empress Alexandra.
While heading the Interior Ministry he submitted a proposal to the Tsar advocating administrative reform and the expansion of the zemstvo program and representation within the existing Zemstvos. Faced with opposition to the program, he left the position. He succeeded Sergei Witte as Chairman of the Council of Ministers (Prime Minister) in May, 1906. His unwaivering opposition to the political reform demanded by the First Duma left him unable to work with that body and he resigned in July 1906. He was replaced by his Minister of Interior, the younger and more forceful Peter Stolypin.
Called back to service by the Tsar, he again served as Chairman of the Council of Ministers (Prime Minister) from 1914 to 1916. The hostility expressed toward him by members of both the State Duma and the Council of Ministers greatly impaired the effectiveness of his government. When Nicholas II decided to take direct command of the army, Goremykin urged the Council to endorse the decision. When they refused, he told the Tsar that he (Goremykin) was "not fitted for my position" and asked to be replaced with "a man of more modern views". His wish for retirement was granted at the beginning of February 1916, when he was replaced by another conservative, Boris Stürmer.
In the aftermath of the October Revolution, Goremykin was recognized as a member of the Tsarist government and was killed by a street mob on 24 December 1917.
Read more about this topic: Ivan Goremykin
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