| House of Wrangel Вра́нгель (Russian) Врангель (Ukrainian) | |
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| Ethnicity | Russian, Ukrainian, Baltic German |
| Place of birth |  Russian Empire-  Livonia (as a baronial line)-  South Russia (as a princely line) |
| Current region | Russian Empire - South Russia-  Central Asia Ukraine |
| Information | |
| Founder | Ivan I Alexandrovich, Prince of Crimea (as a princely house) |
| Current Head | Ivan I Alexandrovich, Prince of Crimea |
The House of Petrovitch-Wrangel (Russian: Вра́нгель, Vrángel; Ukrainian: Врангель, Vranhelʹ, German: von Wrangell) is one of the Russian and Ukraine's local dynasties, in the case of the former, based primarily in South Russia and Central Asia. Part of the broader Wrangel family, the Petrovitch-Wrangel name denotes specific descent from Pyotr Wrangel, however those who belong to this house only bear the surnname Wrangel.
They currently bear the titles Duke/Duchess of South Russia, Prince/Princess of South Russia in the case of non-military.
Originally a Baltic German nobility of baronial status, the Russian Wrangels migrated to Ukraine/South Russia after the Russian Civil War, where Pyotr Wrangel became its military dictator, and had his family remain there after becoming Generalissmo. For Pyotr Wrangel's role in helping re-organize White resistance and anti-Bolshevik resistance, as well as bringing the Tsar back to the throne, he was crowned as the Grand Duke, the first non-Romanov Grand Duke.
In South Russia, Pyotr II Wrangel and Alexander "Alexis" Wrangel re-continued their grandfather, Nikolay Wrangel's mining business, and thus, Tsar Vladimir I gave them mineral-rich land in Central Asia to make a profit from, however their main estate continued to be South Russia. Both Wrangels bore many children, to which one of them, Prince Pyotr III Petrovich Wrangel, became the Commander of the Southern Front of the Imperial Russian forces.
After Ukrainian independence, many of the Ukrainian factions of the Wrangels, known as the Vranhels in Ukraine, stayed in the nation to form the economic elite, until they were ousted in 1995, and fled to Russia or Crimea, which despite being recognized as part of Ukraine, the Russians continued to lay claim to. The Vranhels returned in 2009.
The Wrangels live side-by-side with the Khanenkos, Rennenkampffs, and Razumovskys, are one of the most powerful nobilities in South Russia, where Baron Wrangel declared that "...all the great nobilities of the Russian Empire should help one another as brothers in arms".
History[]
During the Second World War, both Alexander "Alexis" Wrangel and Pyotr II Wrangel became military commanders and generals in the Southern Front of the Imperial Russian military, commanded by Prince Sergey II Belosselsky-Belozersky. Their roles in the military practically cemented the image of the Wrangels being a military nobility.
During the Turkish siege of Crimea, Sergey II and Alexis wanted to stay and fight the Turks, however Prince Sergey II had them evacuated, though they would later return to re-take Crimea from the Turks, who went on the defensive. After war's end, it was Alexander Wrangel, not Pyotr II, who chose to continue his military career, Pyotr II went to re-pursued and revive his grandfather, Nikolay's, mining business.
At war's end, the two were addressed officially as Alexander I, Prince of Crimea and Peter II, Prince of Crimea respectively. Their descendants would marry a great mix of Russians and Ukrainians, essentially Slavicizing the Baltic German-originated nobility, up until Peter IV, great-grandson of Baron Wrangel, married a German princess.
Prince Peter II Wrangel migrated to Central Asia, to recover his grandfather's mining. He was successfully employed to partake in mining operations in Central Asia.
In 2015, several German-speaking members of the House of Wrangel re-connected with the rest of the Baltic German nobility, and became part of the local Baltic German furst class. However, in spite of speaking fluent German, many still associate with either a Russian or Ukrainian identity.
Fate within Ukraine[]
When Ukraine became independent from Russian Empire, the Vranhels stayed in the republic. In spite of losing their titles of nobility, they were allowed to retain ownership of their properties. Many attempted to run for the Prime Minister and President positions, but have failed. Rather, they showed their support for Leonid Kuchma, and opposed his predecessor, Leonid Kravchuk.
In spite of being involved in pro-Russian politics, the Vranhels maintained good ties with most of Ukraine, until the presidency of Viktor Yuschenko, when they were forcefully ousted out of Ukraine, seen as Russian agents. They fled to southern Russia, as well as other regions of Russia, or pro-Russian regions of eastern Ukraine, heavily disputed between Ukraine and the Russian Empire where they were welcomed with open arms.
Ukrainian faction[]
The Ukrainian faction of the Wrangels, in Ukrainian known by Vranhel (Ukrainian: Врангель), began with the morganatic marriage of Prince Vladimir I Alexandrovich Wrangel, the second son of Baron Alexander I Petrovich Wrangel and Maria Wrangel, to Josephina Bohatenko, daughter of a wealthy Ukrainian landowner. Vladimir was fluent in Ukrainian, and had a fascination with native Ukrainian culture. Their children, Volodymyr (Ukrainian/Old East Slavic spelling of Vladimir), Oleksandr, Milena and Militsa were all taught Ukrainian as a first language before Russian, and sent to Ukrainian-speaking Gymnasiums.
After Ukraine secured independence from the Russian Empire, most of the Vranhels stayed in Ukraine. They would form part of the economic elite, and would be instrumental in joining/forming pro-Russian political parties. They were known for forming a huge part of the Opposition bloc against Yulia Tymoshenko and other pro-NATO and pro-EU parties across Ukraine. They dominated two parties: namely the monarchist Hetman Movement, Party of Regions and the United Slavic Party, all part the pro-Russian Ukrainian National Coalition.
Volodymyr Vranhel rejects being referred to as Vladimir II, although technically he is.
Oleksandr Wrangel would go on to play for Kiev's national basketball team in the Royal Basketball Federation (RBF). After West Ukraine declared its independence, the Vranhels retained good ties with the new Ukrainian republic, many serving as military leaders and even prime minsters with Serhiy Vranhel, who served as Prime Minister under Viktor Yanukovych, up until 2014, when they were chased out of Ukraine and had to flee to Russian-owned properties in Kiev, a city feuded over between Ukraine and Russia.
Religious identity[]
The Wrangels are currently Eastern Orthodox, Russian Orthodox to be specific. The Ukrainian Vranhels followed the Moscow Patriarchate's autonomous Ukrainian Orthodox Church, therefore, making all of the Wrangels Russian Orthodox. Despite being of Lutheran origin, the Lutheran Wrangells have all been lost in history, and most of the well-known Wrangels are from the Russian and Ukrainian lines.
Famous figures[]
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