Konstantine Oldenburgsky - Country of Liquid Sun
Friday, April 17
Prince Konstantine Oldenburgsky was the great-grandson of the Emperor of Russia, Paul I, and the grandson of the beloved sister of the Emperor Alexander I, Ekaterina, Paul's daughter. It is known that Napoleon asked the Russian Emperor for Ekaterina's hand in marriage but Alexander I, due to certain political considerations, refused the famous French monarch in his request.
In 1882, Prince Konstantine Oldenbudgsky married Agrapina Japaridze, famous for her beauty, and had five children with her. Their marriage occurred under rather strange circumstances. Japaridze was married and had two children. Her first husband was Tariel Dadiani, a representative of the famous family, but was already quite poor at that time and was known as great lover of gambling who squandered all of his property in playing cards. On one occasion, Prince Oldenburgsky happened to sit together with Prince Dadiani at a card table. That day, Dadiani had lost such a large amount of money that he said in despair: "Even if I sell the whole of Tbilisi, I’ll still be in debt." Prince Oldenbudrgsky listened and then answered him calmly: "You don't need to sell Tbilisi, simply cede your wife to me forever and I'll give you the money. What do you think? How much does you Tbilisi cost?" Dadiani, astonished and delighted by solving the problem so easily, called his wife and told her: "I have just sold you" and indicated his decision to the Prince. Dadiani was even more astonished when he did not notice any nervousness on Agrapina's face. Suddenly, and without losing her composure, she slapped her husband's face without uttering a word, approached Prince, linked her arm through his and left the hall with him.
It is also astonishing that the family, which was created in such a way, in the end turned out to be quite solid and happy. Obviously, Prince Oldenburgsky made the court very angry by such a frivolous marriage and he lost his inheritance. Consequently, he and his descendants no longer had the right to hold the title of the Oldenburg Princes. This formality did not annoy the Prince greatly as he was quite rich and had a nice income. According to the Emperor's special resolution, another name was granted to the Prince's descendants. Oldenburgsky was favoured and granted the opportunity to choose between the two names: Boz and Zarnekau. By chance, Oldenburgsky's friend, Giorgi Sharvashidze, was present and advised him thus: "If you are going to live in Georgia, you'd better choose Zarnekau." Oldenburgsky appreciated his advice, even more so when he later learned the meaning of the first word in Georgian (bozi is the Georgian word for prostitute). Agrapina, formerly Dadiani, and her children, therefore, received the title of Earl Zarnekau.
Despite the unacceptable marriage, Prince Oldenburgsky maintained his influence in the Emperor's court. This was proven by the fact that he, together with his wife, was invited to the most representational and famous fancy dress ball of the period of Nicholas II which was held in 1903. Only the most prominent and noble families of the Empire had the right to attend the ball in the status of a guest.
Prince Oldenburgsky's family lived in Gagra at their summer residence for most of the time. The Prince had built a palace of unique beauty and architecture near Gagripshi in a pine grove. The palace was looking over the sea and was surrounded by a decorative grove-park. The Prince built comfortable access roads to the palace and thereby earned the admiration and respect of the local population.
Entrepreneur Bibikov and Oldenburgsky opened factories in the Kutaisi province where, like those owned by Prince Murat, cognac was made using only the French technology. In 1902, Oldenburgsky bought Bibikov's factory and renewed spirit distillation and then opened a cognac depository in 1904.
Prince Konstantine Oldenburgsky died in 1906 in Nice, France, and was buried near St-Petersburg. After his death, his descendants continued his entrepreneurial activities.
After Georgia became a Soviet Republic, the children of Prince Oldenburgsky and Agrapina's left Georgia and emigrated. Agrapina, who was already an elderly woman at that time, did not want to leave her homeland and lived in Gagra until the end of her life. She used to go to the church, light candles and pray for the health of her six children, read prayers for the soul of her son who was shot down by Bolsheviks in 1918... Each day was spent like this until she herself passed away. Agrapina Japaridze-Dadiani- Zarnekau died in 1926. She was buried in Gagra.
