Michal Kleofas Oginski

Michal Kleofas Oginski was born on September 25, 1765, into an illustrious princely magnate family of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. He served as Treasurer of Lithuania and ambassador to London and the Netherlands. During the 1794 Kościuszko Uprising against Tsarist partitions, Oginski commanded his own rifle detachment.

Following the defeat of the uprising and the dismemberment of his homeland, Oginski composed his immortal Polonaise in A minor, Farewell to the Homeland, capturing the deep grief and nostalgic longing of exile. In his beloved estate at Zalesye near Smorgon (known as the 'Northern Athens'), he hosted renowned cultural salons before spending his final years in Florence.