He was the eldest son and received an excellent education at home. His father died in 1825, when Alexander was merely 10 years old. His mother took him along with his second son Vladimir to Moscow for "improvement in the sciences" in 1829. The upbringing of both brothers was carried out by an Englishman – Thomas Evans, a well-known teacher at that time, who taught young men "classics and literature." Baryatinsky entered the school of the
ensigns of the Guard in his seventeenth year and, on 8 November 1833, received his commission of
cornet in the Life Guards of the future
Tsar Alexander II. In 1835, he served with great gallantry in the Caucasus, and on his return to
St.Petersburg was rewarded with a golden sword for valour. On 1 January 1836, he was attached to the suite of Alexander, and in 1845 was again ordered off to the Caucasus and again most brilliantly distinguished himself, especially in the attack on
Shamil's stronghold, for which he received the
Order of St. George. In 1846, he assisted Field Marshal
Ivan Paskevich to suppress the
Kraków Uprising. From 1848 to 1856 he took a leading part in all the chief military events in the Caucasus, his most notable exploits being his victory at Mezeninsk in 1850 and his
operations against Shamil in
Chechnya. His energetic and at the same time systematic
tactics inaugurated a new era of
mountain warfare. On 6 January 1853, he was appointed
adjutant general and, on 5 July of the same year,
chief of staff. In 1854, he took part in the brilliant Kurbsk Dere campaign. On 1 January 1856, he became
commander-in-chief of the Caucasian army, and, subsequently, viceroy of the Caucasus. Within three years of his appointment, the whole of the eastern Caucasus was subdued and the long elusive Shamil was taken captive at the
Storming of Ghunib. Baryatinsky also conquered many of the tribes of the western Caucasus dwelling between the rivers of
Laba and
Belaya. == Final years and death ==