Czarist General Theodore A. Lodigensky

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Balrog
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Czarist General Theodore A. Lodigensky

#1

Post by Balrog » 28 Jan 2017, 07:53

The 1928 film, The Last Command, was about a former Czarist General who finds himself after the Russian Revolution living in poverty in the United States and eking out a living as a movie extra.

Image

The movie (an excellent one I think is worth watching) was supposedly based on a real life Czarist General named Theodore A. Lodigensky. He worked under the name of Theodore Lodi ans appeared in bit parts in several films.

Does anyone have any information about his military career? I can't find anything about him.

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Re: Czarist General Theodore A. Lodigensky

#2

Post by GregSingh » 28 Jan 2017, 10:07

Perhaps you are after Федор Александрович Лодыженский. That might be translated to Fedor Aleksandrovich Lodyzhensky.

Apparently he was a ротмистр or Rittmeister (squadron leader) in a Guards Cuirassier Regiment and later in 1908 an Adjutant (with a rank of Poruchik of Cavalry) to Moscow's Governor-General.

Here is the entry from 1908, but his surname is spelled as Лaдыженский (Ladyzhensky).
Moscow 1908.jpg
Федор Александрович Лaдыженский 1908
When and IF he made a General, I'm not sure...


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Re: Czarist General Theodore A. Lodigensky

#3

Post by Balrog » 28 Jan 2017, 21:09

Amazing! That sounds like him. He might have made general during the Russian Civil War, after the Czar had abdicated. Perhaps, he was never a general...

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Re: Czarist General Theodore A. Lodigensky

#4

Post by Balrog » 29 Jan 2017, 15:15

Does anyone have any more information on him?

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Re: Czarist General Theodore A. Lodigensky

#5

Post by Stephan » 05 Feb 2017, 11:18

We shall not forget, between the time of him being leutenant (porucznik) / reitmeister (captain of sorts) qand the communist revolution and internal war, there was the wwI. Where many did quickly raised in ranks.

Also, if the spelling is Ladyzhensky, I know there is a fairly wellknown bridge playing family in USA, with russian roots. I dont know when they come to USA, but its not impossible they are descendants from the same family. This name isnt that common.

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Re: Czarist General Theodore A. Lodigensky

#6

Post by James A Pratt III » 07 Feb 2017, 22:23

This movie is on youtube.

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Re: Czarist General Theodore A. Lodigensky

#7

Post by James A Pratt III » 08 Feb 2017, 04:49

Errata Emil Jannings got the first Oscar for best actor for this movie

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Re: Czarist General Theodore A. Lodigensky

#8

Post by Balrog » 22 Feb 2017, 11:55

Stephan wrote:We shall not forget, between the time of him being leutenant (porucznik) / reitmeister (captain of sorts) qand the communist revolution and internal war, there was the wwI. Where many did quickly raised in ranks.

Also, if the spelling is Ladyzhensky, I know there is a fairly wellknown bridge playing family in USA, with russian roots. I dont know when they come to USA, but its not impossible they are descendants from the same family. This name isnt that common.
He died on Long island, New York. Perhaps these people are his relatives?

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Re: Czarist General Theodore A. Lodigensky

#9

Post by James A Pratt III » 04 Mar 2017, 18:45

Lets just say a lot of officers were made Generals during the Russian Civil war some areas in Siberia made a lot of men generals. During the between the world wars period there were lots of former Russian Generals driving taxis according to some accounts

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Re: Czarist General Theodore A. Lodigensky

#10

Post by AJK » 05 Mar 2017, 20:02

In looking through the 1914 rank list of Colonels and 1916 rank list of generals (the latest ones I have available) Lodyzhensky (or Ladyzhensky) does not appear in either. This would lead to the conclusion that IF he was ever promoted to general, this would have been in the post-Revolution White Russian forces. It could also be that his rank was self-styled - most White Russian documents were destroyed when they were defeated by the Red Army, so there would be no way of verifying if he had actually been promoted to general.

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Re: Czarist General Theodore A. Lodigensky

#11

Post by taurus » 04 Apr 2023, 17:47

Lodyzhensky Fedor Aleksandrovich (1876-1947), an officer of the Kirasir regiment, adjutant of the Moscow Governor General in 1908. He died on March 6, 1947 in New York. Read more here: https://www.dmsd.online/post/2017/08/20 ... ukinostarz
This man was not even a colonel. In the White Army, such a person was not listed in any base, or in the reference books of generals and colonels, including White armies. Therefore, this can be considered fiction. Perhaps he himself called himself a general to increase his status, while not having such a title.
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