Alexander Pistohlkors

Alexander Erikovich Pistohlkors, (June 6, 1885 Saint Petersburg – 1944), was a Russian Life Guards officer who was known for his cruelty in putting down the rebellion following the Russian Revolution of 1905.

Background and connections
Pistohlkors was the son of Olga Valerianovna Paley by her first husband, general major Erich Gerhard Augustinovich von Pistohlkors (1853–1935), whom she divorced when Pistohlkors was a child.

Through his mother's second marriage to Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich of Russia, he was a stepbrother of Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich of Russia, one of the co-conspirators in the murder of Grigori Rasputin. His sister Marianne was also allegedly a co-conspirator in the murder.

Pistohlkors was the husband of Alexandra Taneyeva, a Rasputin follower and the sister of the Tsarina's lady in waiting Anna Vyrubova.

Exile
Pistohlkors was a minor government official under Tsar Nicholas II's rule. Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolaevna of Russia was the godmother for his eldest daughter, Tatiana. Pistohlkors and his wife also had two younger daughters, Olga and Alexandra.

The Pistohlkors family fled to Helsinki in 1916 when the political situation worsened. Pistohlkors had estates in the Baltic countries. His daughter, Olga Ramel (1912–2011), later settled in Sweden.