Boris Skossyreff
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Boris Skossyreff (January 12, 1896, Vilnius – 1989,[citation needed] Boppard), or Skosyrev °?(Russian: Борис Скосырев[1]) was an adventurer of noble Russian background, who attempted to seize power in the European state of Andorra during the early 1930s.[citation needed]
In January 1919, described as a former translator for the Japanese Military Mission, he appeared in Westminster Police Court in London charged with passing fraudulent cheques; according to The Times, the money was paid in full.[verification needed]
"King of Andorra"
In December, 1933 Skossyreff obtained Andorran citizenship and after some time he presented a plan for administrative reform involving the creation of several offices to which he asked to be appointed himself. He quickly got into trouble, however, and was expelled around May 1934.[citation needed]
On July 6, 1934, he issued a proclamation in Urgell, Spain, declaring himself Boris I, King of Andorra and "Regent for His Majesty the King of France" (though the family heads of the House of Bourbon disavowed him), and declaring war on the Bishop of Urgell, Justí Guitart i Vilardebó, the Co-Prince of Andorra. Two days later, the General Council of Andorra voted unanimously in favor of the monarchy and a provisional government was formed the next day. The General Council became the Parliament, a new flag adorned with a crown was adopted, and a new constitution was drafted.
After a week of reign, the king was deposed. On July 20 Skossyreff was arrested by Spanish Guardia Civil and taken out of Andorra, first to Barcelona and then on July 23 to Madrid, where he was imprisoned until he was expelled from Spain in November.[citation needed]
Spanish authorities who held him in custody noted that he carried a Dutch passport, which indicated his date of birth as June 12, 1896. He declared himself to be a White émigré, born in Vilnius (in 1896 part of Russian Empire but now the capital of Lithuania). [citation needed]
This account was somewhat contradicted by the publication "Spain Week by Week", which reported on 25 July 1934 that Skossyreff was a 38-year-old Jew who had been resident "for some years" in Catalonia and Majorca.[2] This account claimed that Skossyreff had made his proclamation on July 11, not the day after, and had declared himself "Boris I, Prince of the Valleys of Andorra, Count of Orange and Baron of Skossyreff … sovereign of Andorra and defender of the faith". After pledging his allegiance to the King of France (a purely theoretical allegiance, since France has had no king since 1848), he had deposed the General Council, appointed a provisional government, promulgated a constitution and issued a Court Circular before being arrested by the Civil Guard,[2] taken to Spain and then expelled to Portugal.
According to some sources,[specify] he died in 1944 while imprisoned in a camp near Perpignan by the Vichy French regime during World War II. However, he survived and became a "special officer" (Sonderführer, a civilian technician working with the Army) on the Eastern Front.[citation needed]
Legacy
In some Russian-language publications and websites there are somewhat legendary stories reported as fact, notably claiming that Boris I ruled Andorra for a number of years until 1941, whereupon he was overthrown by Vichy France.[3] This version is not supported by accounts in other languages.[verification needed]
A novel, entitled Boris I, rei d'Andorra (Boris I, King of Andorra) and based on Skossyreff's story, was written in 1984 by Catalan author Antoni Morell i Mora.[4] The author dedicated the book to his grandmother, who he claimed had personally met Skossyreff. The novel was later adapted for the stage by Beth Escuda.[5]
References
- ^ Сопельняк, Борис (2003). Тайны Смоленской площади. Терра. p. 209. ISBN 5-275-00909-7.
{{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ a b "'Spain week by week". Bulletin of Spanish Studies. 11 (44): 209–216. 1934. doi:10.1080/14753825012331364384.
- ^ This legendary account is developed in Russian here, and refuted (again in Russian) here
- ^ Morell, Antoni (1984). Borís I, Rei D'andorra. La Magrana. ISBN 84-7410-157-3.
- ^ Official website of the play[permanent dead link]
External links
- Template:Es icon Borís Skossyreff: el aventurero ruso que se proclamó Rey de Andorra
- Template:Ru icon rg.ru
- Template:De icon Boris I. King of Andorra
- Template:Ca icon Boris II, a comic king - article about a Superlópez comic where Skosssyreff plays a relevant role
- Template:Pt icon olhao.web.pt, with a photograph of his tombstone.
- information on former files[permanent dead link] at The National Archives and other sources.
- Collection of articles in Catalan, Spanish, and English
- An article on The History Files, with a list of references
Bibliography
- The Times has a number of articles about Boris Skossyreff - both the takeover and the 1919 incident mentioned above (6 January 1919 p 4, 13 January p 2, 18 January p 5, and 20 January p 5).
- Regional Surveys of the World, Western Europe 2003, Fifth Edition 2003, Editors Juliet Love i Jilian O'Brien Template:En icon
- Andorra Business Law Handbook. International Business Publications, USA. Washington, DC 20003. 6th Edition Updated. ISBN 1-4330-0104-7 Template:En icon
- Thomas Eccardt. Secrets of the Seven Smallest States of Europe. Hippocrene Books, Inc. 171 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016. ISBN 0-7818-1032-9. Template:En icon
- Luis Capdevila. Nouvelle Découverte de l'Andorre. Nouvelles Editions Latines. Paris 1959, p. 180 i següents Template:Fr icon
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