Prince George (Georgii Vladimirovich) Galitzine was born in Imperial Russia (Tiflis, Georgia; now Tbilisi) in 1916 but spent the majority of his life living and working in England. His father Prince Vladimir Emanuelovich Galitzine (1884-1954) was an officer in the Cavalier-Guards and his mother was Princess Ekaterina Georgievna Galitzine (nèe Countess Carlow, 1891-1940). He was a direct descendant of Grand Duchess Ekaterina Mikhailovna and Duke Georg August of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.
In 1919 aged 3 years old Prince George escaped revolutionary Russia, with his family, leaving Novorossisk on a British warship. Eventually the family settled in England. Educated at Lancing College and St Pauls School, George got a scholarship in History to Brasenose College, Oxford. In 1936 he was awarded the Royal Humane Society medal for saving a man’s life during peacetime. During World War II, Prince Galitzine served as a Major in the Welsh Guards. After retiring from a career in business (Plessey, Xerox, Sperry, British Steel, Pactel) he began taking cultural lecture tours to Russia. George Galitzine was Chairman of the Russian Refugee Aid Society and a focal member of the Council of Great Britain – USSR Association in London. Prince Galitzine wrote many published articles on Russian history and architecture and the history of his family. In 1991, his book, “Imperial Splendour'' was published in 5 languages by Viking, London. As a lecturer he spoke at: The Queen’s Gallery (Buckingham Palace), Victoria and Albert Museum, Friends of the Royal Academy, National Association of Decorative and Fine Arts (NADFAS), The English Speaking Union, Oxford University, Eton College, the Royal Geographic Society, and many other organizations in Great Britain as well as in the United States of America. An intelligent and honest man, he was loved by all who knew him and he remained faithful to his Russian roots. Whilst visiting his country of birth in August 1991, he witnessed the overthrow of the Soviet regime.
The Library created in memory of Prince George Galitzine follows his activities in reinforcing the cultural bonds between Russia and the West.
Print
