Ivan
Goremykin was born in Russia in 1839. A Russian lawyer with
extreme conservative political views, Goremykin was a loyal supporter
of Nicholas II and the autocracy.
He served as interior minister (1895-99) before succeeding Sergi
Witte as premier in 1906. However, as a strong opponent of political
reform, he was in conflict with the First Duma
and was soon forced to resign in July, 1906, and was replaced by Peter
Stolypin.
Nicholas
II appointed Goremykin as his prime minister in early 1914. As
Goremykin was considered to be both reactionary and incompetent, this
decision undermined the Tsar's authority. Goremykin was also seen
as a close ally of Gregory Rasputin
and this made him extremely unpopular with Russia's leading politicians.
Goremykin
advised Nicholas II to close down the Fourth
Duma. When Michael
Rodzianko, the President of the Duma, heard the
news he insisted that the Tsar sack him. Goremykin had now lost the
support of Gregory
Rasputin,
who suggested that Boris Sturmer
should now become prime minister. In February, 1916, Goremykin was
replaced by Sturmer.
Goremykin
was arrested during the February Revolution
but Alexander Kerensky agreed that he
should be allowed to retire to his estate in the Caucasus, where he
was murdered by a mob after the October
Revolution.
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