Sturdza, Michael

Born 1795; died May 8, 1884, in Paris. State figure of Moldova.

In 1829, Sturdza was minister of finance in the Russian civilian administration, under Count P. D. Kiselev, of the Danubian principalities. As hospodar of Moldova from 1834 to 1849, Sturdza represented the interests of the boyar elite that ruled the principality. He brutally suppressed peasant demonstrations and the liberal boyars’ opposition movement, which was especially strong in 1848.