born Nov. 2, 1861, Popovka, near Tula, Russia
died March 7, 1925, Paris, France
Russian politician, first head of the provisional government established during the Russian Revolution of 1917 .
In 1905 he joined the liberal Constitutional Democratic Party and was elected to the first Duma (1906). He became chairman of the All-Russian Union of Zemstvos (1914) and won the respect of political liberals and army commanders. In March 1917 he became premier but was unable to satisfy the increasingly radical demands of the populace. He resigned in July, after a major left-wing demonstration, in favour of Bolshevik s seized power, he escaped and settled in Paris.