Zygmunt Czechowicz-Lachowicki alis Lachowicz (; 19 August 1831 â 27 October 1907) was one of the leaders of the January Uprising.
Czechowicz was born in the estate in the Vilna Governorate (now Pastavy District in Vitsebsk Region of Belarus) into the family of a chamberlain who took part in the 1830-1831 November Uprising. He was the son of Bernard Czechowicz-Lachowicki and Józefa nee Mirska. His family was using the Ostoja coat of arms.
In 1851 he finished the Vilna Noble Institute and later graduated with honours from St. Petersburg University.
During the January Uprising Czechowicz became a member of the Vilnia Committee of the Movement and then a secretary in the Department of Leaders of the Provinces of Lithuania. He was a supporter of the radical policies of Konstanty Kalinowski.
On 31 July 1863 Czechowicz was arrested after being identified by a Tsarist spy. He was sentenced to death; however, the sentence was later commuted to 10 years of hard labour, following intervention by on his behalf. He served his sentence in the Nerchinsk katorga mines in Transbaikal.
After his release, Czechowicz lived in the estate in the Vilnia province (now Lahoysk district in the Minsk region of Belarus), because his family estate in Survilià ¡ki was confiscated by the Russian authorities. He created a large library and became an acquaintance and patron of the Belarusian poet Janka Kupaà Âa, whose family lived nearby between 1895-1904.
In Czechowiczâ library Kupaà Âa got acquainted with proscribed literature (dedicated to the ani-Russian liberation movement) and learned about the January Uprising. The poet later wrote in his autobiographies about his meetings with Czechowicz and their formative influence on him.
Czechowicz died at the age of 76 in Malyja Biasiady on 27 October 1907. He is buried at a cemetery in the town of Radaà ¡kaviÃÂy.
Czechowiczâ life inspired the Belarusian writer Uà Âadzimier KaratkieviÃÂ. It is reflected in KaratkieviÃÂâÂÂs play "The Cradle of the Four Witches", which shows the great formative influence of Czechowicz on young Janka Kupaà Âa.
He was twice marred, had one daughter Zofia, and two sons: Zbigniew and Stanisà Âaw.