Jacob von Sievers

Jacob von Sievers
Portrait byJosef Grassi
Born	30 August 1731 Wesenberg,Governorate of Estonia,Russian Empire(nowRakvere,Estonia)
Died	23 July 1808(1808-07-23)(aged 76) Bauenhof,Governorate of Livonia,Russian Empire (near what is nowValmiera,Latvia)

Jacob Johann Grafvon Sievers(30 August 1731 – 23 July 1808) was aBaltic Germanstatesman of theRussian Empirefrom theSievers family.

Biography

After serving theRussian armyduring theSeven Years' Warasquartermaster general,he was appointed governor ofNovgorodin 1764 byCatherine II.He introduced the cultivation ofpotatoesto Russia, regulated thepostal services,and was instrumental in the abolition oftorturein 1767.

Based on Sievers' initiative, the provincial government reform was instituted; he was himself appointed general governor of Novgorod,TverandPskov.He was Russian ambassador toPolandand led thesecond and third partitionof the kingdom. EmperorPaul I of Russiaappointed him senator in 1796; in 1797 he became head of the new department for water communications. He was knighted in 1798.

In Sievers' honor,Alexander Inamed the channel that connects the outlet of theMsta Riverwith theVolkhovriver the Sievers Canal.

Sources

• Blum, Karl Ludwig:Ein russischer Staatsmann, Denkwürdigkeiten des Grafen von Sievers,Leipzig 1857–58, 4 vols.
• Blum, Karl Ludwig:Graf Jacob Johann von Sievers und Russland zu dessen Zeit.Leipzig; Heidelberg: Winter, 1864
• Jones, Robert E:Provincial Development in Russia. Catherine II and Jacob Sievers.Rutgers University Press, 1984

External links

• "Sievers, Jakob Johann".New International Encyclopedia.1905.