Polscy współpracownicy cara Aleksandra I (książę Adam Jerzy Czartoryski i hrabia Seweryn Potocki)

After ascending the throne Alexander I started to realize his youthful ideas of ruling the empire. The Polish people were involved in implementing his plans for reform. Duke Adam Jerzy Czartoryski and count Seweryn Potocki were among them. As a the result of the Tsar’s reforms, the internal organization of the Russian Empire changed diametrically. Education was the best example of such adjustments. The Tsar appointed Czartoryski and Potocki as ‘geheimrats’; they were his close cooperators and took part in carrying out the reforms. Czartoryski became a father figure to Alexander I. The Tsar respected his opinions, which influenced the policy direction. During the Napoleonic Wars Czartoryski was especially at the service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. However, he seemed to be much more active in organising a modern school system in Russia in the years 1805–1824 when he was acting as chief education officer for the Vilnius Educational District. Seweryn Potocki was chief education officer for the Kharkiv Educational District in the years 1803–1817. He was a founder of the university in this city and, later, secondary schools in Odessa. Potocki contributed to the development of the city. Although in October 1827 Potocki was promoted to an actual ‘geheimrat’, he did not take part in public life, whereas Czartoryski withdrew from public life after his dismissal from the post of a chief education officer.