 He was also a member of the State Council of Imperial Russia.In the context of the Russo-Turkish War of 1828-1829, Pahlen served as governor of the Danubian Principalities, which were administered by Russia pending the payment of war reparations by the Ottoman Empire (his official title was that of "Plenipotentiary President of the Divans in Moldavia and Wallachia"); he was replaced by Pyotr Zheltukhin on February 2, 1829.In Jewish history, Pahlen is credited with opening of the first secular Jewish school in Odessa.