Alexandru Callimachi or Alexandros Kallimachis, son of Scarlat Callimachi, fled Moldavia with his mother and other members of his family in 1821, at the time of his father's death. The family sought refuge in Russia, where Alexander finished his studies, at the University of Kiev. After traveling through Europe, he made his way to the Ottoman Empire in 1829, where his family possessions and titles were restored to him.