House of Siberia

Sibirsky was the foremost of many Genghisid families formerly living in Russia. It traced its descent from Kuchum, the last of Siberian khans.

Kuchum's sons were captured by Yermak's Cossacks and brought to Moscow, where they settled in Yaroslavl and other towns and were permitted to style themselves Tsarevichs of Siberia (Russian: царевичи Сибирские). Kuchum's grandson Alp-Arslan was installed a puppet khan of Kasimov between 1614 and 1627. The tsarevichs married into the best Russian families. One of their princesses married Peter the Great's uncle, another - a son of the king of Georgia.

Tsarevich Vasily Alekseyevich Sibirsky was implicated in siding with Tsarevich Alexis against Peter the Great. In 1718, he was banished to Siberia, while the title of his descendants was degraded from tsarevich to kniaz, or prince.

Vasily's grandson, Prince Vasily Fyodorovich Sibirsky, reached the highest rank of the general of infantry in the service of Catherine the Great but was implicated in irregularities and sent to Siberia by her son. Alexander I returned him to St Petersburg as a senator. His son Alexander was also a tsarist general.

The latter's son, Prince Alexander Alexandrovich Sibirsky (1824-79) was the last recorded member of the Sibirsky family. He was prepared by his parents for military service and saw action in the Crimean War. At that time, he became interested in the Greek colonies of the Crimea and South Russia and produced a monograph on the medals and coins of the Cimmerian Bosporus. The whole edition perished during an inundation, with only three copies left today. Nevertheless, Sibirsky's work was allowed the Demidov Prize for 1859. His superb collection of ancient coins passed to the Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich of Russia.