Podpolkovnik
Karl Karlovich Rjepetsky
Personal details
Born Karol Edward Karlovich Rzepecki
(1847-08-10)10 August 1847
Reval, Governorate of Estonia, Russian Empire
Died 12 November 1894(1894-11-12) (aged 47)
Ardahan, Ottoman Empire
Spouse Helena Kamieńska
Relations
  • Vladimir Rzepecki (brother)
  • Danuta Siedzikówna (great-granddaughter)
  • Wiesława Korzeń (great-granddaughter)
Children 5
Military service
Allegiance Russian Empire
Branch/service
  • Russian Imperial Army
Years of service
  • 1875–1894
Rank
  • Podpolkovnik
Unit 1st Caucasus Army Corps
Wars
  • Russo-Turkish War

Lieutenant Colonel Karl Edward Karlovich Rjepetsky (born: Karol Edward Karlovich Rzepecki; 10 August 1847 – 12 November 1894) was a Russian lieutenant colonel in the 19th century who served during the Russo-Turkish War. His body was re-discovered during excavations to lay the foundation of a new building in 2017.

Early life

Karl Edward Rjepetsky was born in Reval, Governorate of Estonia, Russian Empire (now Tallinn, Estonia) on 10 August 1847 to Karol Ivanovich Rzepecki and Aalia Rzepecka, and was one of 7 children.

Military career

After graduating from Warsaw Infantry Cadets School, Rjepetsky joined the Russian Imperial Army in the 69th Tashkent Guberniyası Battalion in 1875 and rose to the rank of Podpolkovnik (lieutenant colonel) of the 1st Turkistan Artillery Battalion in 1891. He was later assigned to the 78th Navagin Regiment of the 20th Infantry Division in the 1st Caucasus Army Corps. He took part in the Russian-Turkish War, after which he may have settled in the Occupied Region. Three of his brothers also were soldiers at the same time as he was.

Personal life

Rjepetsky was married to Helena Rzepecka (née Kamieńska; 1865–1937)[1]. Together they had 5 children: Maria (1883–1954), Helena[2] (1885–1968), Zofia (1886–1890), unknown name (born between 1870 and 1894) and Nikolai Karlovich (born between 1870 and 1894).

He was the older brother of major general Vladimir Rzepecki and younger brother of colonel Mikolaj Rzepecki (1840 - 1914)[3]. He was also the grandfather of Brunon Tymiński, co-grandfather of Herman Tymiński, and the maternal great-grandfather of Danuta Siedzikówna and her sister, Wiesława Korzeń.

Death and discovery

According to the death certificate given by an Armenian Catholic priest who has buried him, Rjepetsky died from a cerebral haemorrhage;

"I, Ter-Stepan Zakaryan, the priest of the Ardahan Armenian Catholic Church, buried Lieutenant Colonel Karl Karlovich Rjepetsky, in Ardahan Russian Cemetery, in the name of Holy Mother of God. Born in August 10th 1847, died in November 12th 1894 of cerebral haemorrhage, as confirmed by the senior doctor of the regiment, I certify the death certificate of the late Lieutenant Colonel Rjepetsky with my signature and church seal."

His body was re-discovered in April 2017 during excavations to lay the foundation of a new building in Ardahan amongst numerous Imperial Russian corpses.[4] The corpse was kept safe at Kars Museum[5] until the negotiations between Poland and Russia would be finished as both argued that Rjepetsky should be buried in their respective territories.[6] In the end, Rjepetsky was buried at Ardahan's Malakanlar Cemetery where Russians lived in Ardahan when it was still controlled by them. According to Ardahan governor, Russia's consulate in the nearby province of Trabzon attended the burial.[7]

References

  1. ^ "Excerpt from the church register of births and baptisms Mieczysław Henrychowicz Jelenkowski".
  2. ^ "Unveiling of the plaque dedicated to Helena Tyminska".
  3. ^ "Warszawskie Zabytkowe Pomniki Nagrobne - Rzepeccy".
  4. ^ "19th-century Russian soldier found inside unearthed coffin Turkey's Arhadan identified". hurriyetdailynews.com. 21 May 2017.
  5. ^ "Body of Czarist officer to go on display in Ardahan museum". 28 June 2018.
  6. ^ "Both Russia and Poland claim Czarist officers corpse unearthed in northeastern Turkey".
  7. ^ "Body of Czarist officer buried far from home". Daily Sabah. Archived from the original on 29 July 2018.