Aleksander Szymkiewicz (12 November 1858, in Saint Petersburg– 1908, in Tbilisi) was a Polish architect who worked in the Russian Empire (primarily in Tbilisi) in the 1880s–1900s. He was a member of the City Council and municipal architect of Tbilisi from 1885 to 1891.[1][2]
Born in 1858 (according to other sources - in 1860) in a noble family. Father, a civil lawyer, came from the Kovno province. Mother, Emilia-Anna Maria Petrovna, née Gurskalin, of Swedish-German origin, ancestors have lived in St. Petersburg since the XVIII century. His maternal grandfather owned the Odeon publishing house. The family lived on the 11th line of Vasilyevsky Island in Aue's house. All three sons - Pavel (1856-1900), Alexander (1858-1907) and Peter (1862-1920) studied at the Karl May School, where teaching was conducted in German.
He graduated from the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts. During his studying, he received two medals: in 1880 - 2nd silver; in 1882 - 1st silver.
At the age of 25, he went to Tbilisi, took the position of city architect. He had the rank of court counselor.
He was elected a deputy (vowel) to the Tiflis City Duma (1897-1901). He taught at the Tbilisi Art School.
He lived on 7 Chonkadze Street (own house).
In 1910, an Alexander Shimkevich scholarship was established for students of the Tbilisi Art School.
Wojtasiewicz, Wojciech (2012). "Wkład Polaków w rozwój Gruzji w drugiej połowie XIX i na początku XX wieku". In Stawowy-Kawka, Irena (ed.). Międzycywilizacyjny dialog w świecie słowiańskim w XX i XXI wieku (in Polish). Kraków: Księgarnia Akademicka. p.65. ISBN978-83-7638-199-2.
Opaska, Janusz (2012). "Działalność polskich architektów w Tbilisi w XIX i początkach XX wieku". Kwartalnik Architektury i Urbanistyki (in Polish). No.57/1. p.12.