Mikhail Illarionovich Vorontsov

Mikhail Illarionovich Vorontsov (born July 23 [July 12, Old Style], 1714—died Feb. 26 [Feb. 15], 1767, St. Petersburg, Russia) was a Russian statesman who played a major role, particularly in foreign affairs, during the reign (1741–62) of Empress Elizabeth. A member of a family that became prominent in Russian court circles in the 18th century, he was appointed a page in the court of Yelizaveta Petrovna (the daughter of the late emperor Peter I the...