What role did Alexander Menshikov play in the history of Russia? “Without such an assistant, Peter would not have become Great”: what role did Alexander Menshikov play in the history of Russia

MENSHIKOV, Prince Alexander Danilovich paved his way to honors through service useful to the State. He was born in the outskirts of Moscow on November 6, 1673. Without any education, but gifted by nature with a fluent, quick-witted mind, courage, and beautiful appearance, this extraordinary man attracted, through a sonorous voice and sharp answers, the attention of Lefort, whom he accidentally met on the street. Petrov's favorite took him into his service and was soon forced to yield to the Emperor.

They were almost the same age [Peter the Great was born on May 30, 1672], the same height. Peter was not mistaken in his choice. This event dates back to 1686. Menshikov first received the position of valet and, being constantly with the Emperor, carefully carried out the instructions given to him; did not make excuses for impossibility; remembered orders; he kept secrets and with rare patience submitted to the temper of the Lord, by whose bed he usually slept. Peter's confidence in him increased noticeably. He enrolled him in the Peshny company, composed of only nobles; witnessed the first experiments of his courage during the capture of Azov (1696). The following year, Menshikov had the good fortune to discover a plot against the Monarch; accompanied him to foreign lands with the rank of nobleman; was in Prussia, England, Germany and Holland, where, together with the Emperor, he studied shipbuilding from August 30, 1697 to January 15, 1698; went to work every day with an ax in his belt; received written praise from carpenter Pool for his diligence and success.

From here his rapid rise began: returning to the Fatherland, he was awarded Sergeant of the Guards of the Preobrazhensky Regiment (1698); in 1700, Lieutenant of the Bombardier Company [The Bombardier Company was established under the Preobrazhensky Regiment by Peter the Great in 1695. He was Colonel of the regiment and Captain of the company.]; in 1702 by the Governor of Noteburg, renamed Shlisselburg. Menshikov, whom Peter the Great called in his letters: Alexasha, the child of his heart, participated in the capture of this fortress by Field Marshal Sheremetev: he led brave soldiers on an attack under a hail of enemy bullets and grapeshots.

Menshikov's merits corresponded to the awards. Being in Poland with ten thousand troops, he won on October 18 (1706) near Kalisz famous victory over the Polish-Swedish Corps, led by General Mardefeld. This victory belongs exclusively to Menshikov, for Augustus II was a spectator, having secretly concluded a truce with Charles XII.

Peter the Great, with indescribable joy - as Menshikov informed in his letter - received news of a victory over the enemy, which had never happened before; bestowed on his favorite the Military Staff, decorated with a large emerald, diamonds, emblems and the Princely coat of arms worth three thousand rubles; He was later promoted to Lieutenant Colonel of the Preobrazhensky Regiment. With what frankness he explained himself to the Emperor then! “Perhaps,” wrote Menshikov, “please please the local Generals with special letters from yourself to them, or in a letter to me write to each one especially for their good governance.”

At the top of honors, he was not afraid of his colleagues, with his power suppressing the main dignitaries in the State: Admiral General Apraksin and Count Golovkin, who managed the Embassy Affairs, of whom the first, while Menshikov had no significance yet, was a Lieutenant Colonel of the Semenovsky Guards Regiment, the second Supreme Room [Title corresponding to the current Chief Chamberlains.]. Only Sheremetev, Boyar since 1682 and Field Marshal General, when Menshikov was Lieutenant of the bombardment company, did not bow before him his brow adorned with laurels.

Having shown new experiences of his courage in the battle of Lesnoy (1708), in which Peter the Great completely defeated the Swedish General Levengaupt, Menshikov went to Little Russia to observe the actions of Mazepa and with his foresight destroyed the machinations of the traitor, took the city of Baturin by storm (November 3); he put all the inhabitants, not excluding infants, to the edge of the sword; turned into ashes the beautiful Hetman's palace, decorated according to Polish custom, thirty mills, grain stores made for the enemy; took possession of Mazepa's property, forty guns, in addition to mortars.

The Sovereign, busy with military operations, left Menshikov without a reward for this military feat, but at the beginning of 1709 (February 9) he accepted his newborn son, Luke-Peter, from the Holy Font, and granted him Lieutenant of the Preobrazhensky Regiment, gave one hundred households to the cross [ Prince Luke-Peter died in 1712].

Glory awaited Menshikov on the Poltava field: having driven out a detachment of Swedes from one retranchement, putting it to flight, Prince Izhora diverted the enemy’s attention from the city and helped strengthen our garrison of 900 soldiers; then, on the unforgettable day of the battle, June 27, he stopped the rapid rush of the Swedes, who had made their way through our redoubts, and gave the cavalry time to retreat in the best order. Two horses were killed under him at that time. Following this, Menshikov attacked General Roos, who was cut off from the Swedish army, scattered the detachment he led, and forced him to surrender to General Renzel; having met an enemy reserve corps of three thousand, he destroyed it and returned to the Monarch with victory and prisoners.

“If,” says Walter in his History of Charles XII, “Menshikov performed this maneuver on his own, then Russia owes its salvation to him; if he carried out the Tsar’s orders, then Peter was a worthy rival to Charles XII.” - The main battle began, and Menshikov, under whom the third horse was then killed, contributed to the victory, striking the Swedish cavalry with such force that he put it to flight, while Field Marshal Sheremetev, who was in the center, overthrew the infantry with bayonets. The Swedes rushed to Reshetilovka, pursued by Prince Golitsyn and Bour. On July 1, Menshikov attacked the enemy near Perevolochnaya with only ten thousand troops and with a courageous onslaught forced fourteen thousand people to lay down their weapons.

The grateful Monarch hugged Menshikov in the presence of the army, kissed him on the head several times, extolling his excellent exploits and labors; granted him (July 7) the rank of second Russian Field Marshal and did not want to have a ceremonial entry into Moscow without him: On December 15, Prince Izhora arrived in the village of Kolomenskoye, where Peter the Great was waiting for him; On the 16th, the inhabitants of the ancient capital saw their beloved Monarch and next to him, on the right side, in the Preobrazhensky uniform, with a naked sword - Menshikov.
Meanwhile, Menshikov remained Governor-General in St. Petersburg, every day he went to the Military College, the Admiralty and the Senate, although he was not then a Senator. Not tolerating ceremonial receptions, Peter the Great entrusted the Prince with treating his nobles and foreign ministers. His dinners on special days consisted of two hundred dishes, served on a gold service, prepared by the best French chefs.

Menshikov's house was located on Vasilyevsky Island, where the first Cadet Corps is now. The decoration of the rooms was: damask and gobelin wallpaper, presented to the Emperor in Paris; large bronze clock with strikes and chimes; colored crystal chandeliers with gold and silver branches; large Venetian mirrors in mirror frames with gilded hoops; Persian carpets; tables on thick gilded legs with displays made of multi-colored wood, representing all kinds of animals and birds; sofas and chairs with high backs, on which the owner’s coat of arms with the Prince’s crown was depicted. Behind the house stretched an extensive garden, the best in St. Petersburg after Tsarskoe, with greenhouses, fruit tree sheds, poultry houses and a small menagerie. Menshikov had his own Chamberlains, Chamber-Junkers and Pages from the nobles. The latter were considered Guard Sergeants.

In the city he traveled with extreme pomp: going to the banks of the Neva with a large retinue, Peter’s favorite usually sat in a boat, upholstered inside with green velvet and gilded on the outside. She moored at Isaac's pier, where the Senate is now. There awaited Menshikov's carriage, made like a fan, on low wheels, with a golden coat of arms on the doors, a large Princely crown made of the same metal on the imperial and drawn by six horses. Their harness consisted of crimson velvet with gold or silver decorations. Walking ahead were the walkers and servants of the house in rich livery; then the musicians and Pages rode on horseback, wearing blue cloth and velvet caftans with gold braiding at the seams; There were six Kamer-Junkers walking by the carriage, one of whom was holding the door handle. A detachment of dragoons from the Princely Regiment led the procession. The Emperor, leaving the capital, entrusted his Family to Menshikov. He was Chief Chamberlain of the unfortunate Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich and removed from him, for his own sake (1705), a worthy mentor, Giesen, at the same time as the latter began to destroy prejudices and bad habits in the Porphyry-bearing youth.

When in 1718 the Heir to the Throne was put on trial by Peter the Great, Menshikov took an active part in this important event: went to the fortress every day; was present during interrogations and torture: he saw the Tsarevich on the day of his death, June 26.

Meanwhile, the Investigative Office, chaired by Major General Prince Golitsyn, threatened to put Menshikov in custody for unpaid fines. The owner of fifty thousand peasants responded by not having six thousand rubles, and begged the Tsar to forgive him this debt in respect of the significant profit he had made to the treasury! Peter the Great wrote on his request: do not take it. Menshikov's correspondence with the Tsar cooled down. Previously, he called the Emperor in his letters: Mister Captain, Colonel, Rear Admiral; usually began with the words: I convey to your grace; signed simply: Alexander Menshikov [Menshikov never signed himself Prince.]; sometimes allowed himself not to fulfill His commands; but from the time he fell under investigation, he wrote to Peter in no other way than: Most Merciful Sovereign! I report to Your Royal Majesty, Father and Sovereign, etc. - Your Royal Majesty's most humble slave. He did not then dare to change the orders of the Monarch; He even addressed his own needs not directly to him, but to the Tsar’s Secretary, G. Makarov, asking him, as his mercy and benefactor, to report on this to His Majesty on occasion.

Menshikov notified the Emperor about what was happening: in the Senate, in the Collegiums, in the capitals; reported the information he received from foreign lands and at the same time, out of personal displeasure, denigrated the unfortunate Sub-Chancellor Baron Shafirov, and was the main culprit of his downfall; celebrated his birth on November 6 in St. Petersburg with the thunder of seventeen guns placed near the house! The ambitious man was still proud of his power when it noticeably declined. Since 1721, only 31 cannon shots were fired on his name day; the illumination in the city stopped; followed by cannon fire (since 1723).

In 1724, he lost the title of President of the Military College, which he received in 1718 at the very establishment of it. According to Bassevich, Peter took away from his favorite the main means of illicit enrichment. Then he paid two hundred thousand rubles in fine money and suddenly all the furniture in his house disappeared; simple wallpaper appeared on the walls! The Emperor was amazed to see such a change and demanded an explanation. “I was forced,” Menshikov answered, “to sell my tapestries and damasks in order to at least somewhat satisfy government penalties!” “Farewell,” said the Emperor with anger. - On your first day of admission, if I find the same poverty here, which does not correspond to your rank, then I will make you pay another two hundred thousand rubles! - Peter the Great kept his word; visited Menshikov; I still found decorations suitable for the Prince of Izhora; admired the rich furniture, without mentioning the past, and was extremely cheerful.

Menshikov was in such a cramped position when inexorable death ended the life of Peter the Great, precious to the Fatherland (January 28, 1725). A vast field has opened up for his boundless plans! The Monarch passed away, and the first Officials of the Empire locked themselves in one room of the Palace, conferring among themselves about the elevation to the Throne of the young Grand Duke, the son of Tsarevich Alexy. Sentinels were posted at the doors with a ban on letting Menshikov in. What did this brave man, whom everyone feared, do then? He ordered a company of the Preobrazhensky Regiment to be brought in and with it went straight to that room, ordered the door to be broken down and proclaimed Catherine I Empress of All Russia. No one expected such a bold act, no one dared to contradict, everyone swore an oath [This event was conveyed to G. Bishing by an eyewitness, Field Marshal Count Minich.]!

Thus, poor Livlyandka, who was in the service of the Pastor, who entered into marriage on the eve of the capture of Marienburg by the Russians (1702), on that day lost her husband, killed in battle; presented by the soldiers to General Bour; patronized by Field Marshal Count Sheremetev and Menshikov, in whose house she lived for two years and from where she moved to the palace; who became the wife of Peter the Great in 1707; which justified His choice on the unfortunate campaign in Moldavia (1711); crowned by Him in Moscow (1724), but before the death of the Sovereign, she incurred His just suspicion.

The cooling of Peter the Great towards Catherine can also be judged by the following event: in 1724, on November 24, on the day of Her Name Day, guns were fired only 21 times instead of 51.] - she accepted the Scepter from the hands of Menshikov, to whom she owes her initial rise!

All Commissions that carried out investigations into the Prince of Izhora on government contracts and embezzlement were immediately destroyed; the number of peasants increased to one hundred thousand souls; the city of Baturin (which, according to Menshikov, was supposedly promised to him by Peter the Great) also became his property [Peter the Great decisively refused to Menshikov the grant of Baturin.].

He is named the first Member of the Supreme Privy Council, established on his behalf to diminish the power of the Senate; his eleven-year-old son was awarded Actual Chamberlain, Lieutenant of the Preobrazhensky Regiment, Knight of the Order of St. Catherine [Prince Alexander Alexandrovich Menshikov, one of the men had the Ladies' Order of St. Catherine.]: his wife was awarded the same insignia with which only Persons were decorated at that time Imperial House; both daughters, Princess Maria, engaged to Count Peter Sapieha, and Princess Alexandra received portraits of the Empress to wear on blue bows; future son-in-law he was assigned to the Supreme Court by the Chamberlain, awarded the Knight of the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky, and was also awarded a portrait of the Empress.

Following this, Menshikov again began to manage the Military Collegium with the rank of President, had the right to promote to Colonel and, being Vice-Admiral, allowed the representations of Admiral General Count Apraksin; He also managed external affairs, or, better said, was the first everywhere, acting in the name of Catherine. But power did not satisfy him. He wanted more: being called the Duke of Izhora, His Serene Highness Prince of Rome and Russian States, Reich Marshal and over the troops by the Commander General Field Marshal, the Military Collegium President, the All-Russian Fleet Vice Admiral, Governor General of the St. Petersburg Province, Actual Privy Councilor, Lieutenant Colonel of the Preobrazhensk Life Guards, Colonel over three regiments and Captain of the Bombardier Company - encroached on the dignity of the Generalissimo, on the Duchy of Courland; went to Mitava; destroyed the intended marriage of the widowed Duchess of Courland Anna Ioannovna with the glorious Moritz of Saxony; with his power he tried to destroy the choice that did not agree with his views, and, deceived in his hope, he returned to St. Petersburg without getting what he wanted.

The Courlanders announced that they could not have Menshikov as Duke, because he was not a German, not of the Lutheran confession. Meanwhile, in the absence of the power-hungry, several Courtiers convinced the Empress to sign a decree arresting him on the road; but the Minister of the Holstein Court, Count Bassevich, stood up for the favorite of happiness, and this order was canceled. In vain Menshikov tried to take revenge on his secret enemies - they remained unharmed, to the chagrin of the offended Grandee. Foreseeing an important revolution that was to follow in the State, he persuaded the Empress, who had lost her health, to grant the young Grand Duke the rights to the Throne in a spiritual will, so that Peter, when he reached adulthood, would marry his daughter, Princess Mary.

Meanwhile, the opposing side also acted: Count Tolstoy, the head of it, feared the revenge of Tsarina Evdokia Feodorovna for the participation in the case of her son, Tsarevich Alexy, and persuaded the Empress to send the Grand Duke to foreign lands, appointing one of her daughters as successor: Anna Petrovna or Tsesarevna Elizabeth. The Duke of Holstein supported him for his own benefit. Catherine, weak in lately, I didn’t know what to decide. The plans of his enemies were not hidden from Menshikov’s foresight: their death became inevitable. In April (1727) the Empress's illness increased. Menshikov moved to the Palace on the 10th and was with Her continuously.

Soon he had the opportunity to triumph over his opponents. On the 16th, when the entire Court was in extreme despondency due to the desperate situation of the Empress, Chief of Police Count Devier, who belonged to the opposite party, despite his close relationship with Menshikov [Count Anton Manuilovich Devier was married to my own sister Prince Menshikov. The latter whipped him when he began to woo, but Peter the Great agreed with his favorite, elevating Devier. From that time on, he became Menshikov’s secret enemy.] and, probably not sober that day, began to twist the Empress’s niece, Countess Sofya Karlovna Skavronskaya, telling her: there is no need to cry! - and after that he approached the Grand Duke, who was sitting on the bed, took a place next to him and said: What are you sad about? Have a glass of wine. Then he said in his ear: Let's go in a carriage. You'll feel better. Your mother will not be alive. All this happened in the presence of the daughters of the Empress, before whom Devier sat [Arsenyev. See Reign of Catherine I.]. Ten days passed, and the culprit remained without due punishment. At the end of April, the Empress received some relief. On the 26th, the Duke of Izhora went to his home on Vasilievsky Island, taking with him Grand Duke Peter Alekseevich and his Sister, Grand Duchess Natalia Alekseevna: the first spent the night in the chambers of Menshikov’s son, the second with his daughters. On that day he had a secret conversation with Chancellor Count Golovkin and Acting Privy Councilor Prince Dmitry Mikhailovich Golitsyn.

Then a Commission of Inquiry, chaired by the Chancellor, was appointed over Count Devier for his great insolence, evil advice and intentions. Menshikov's adherents were appointed members: Golitsyn, Lieutenant General Dmitriev-Mamonov, Prince Yusupov and Colonel Famintsyn. It was ordered to interrogate the culprit about his accomplices through torture. He named: Tolstoy, Buturlin, Naryshkin, Ushakov, Skornyakov-Pisarev. On May 2, the Empress felt a fever, a dry cough developed, and Menshikov again moved to the Palace, hurrying (on May 5) Golovkin: so that he would quickly resolve the investigative case, so that the extract would be compiled without interrogating all the accomplices [Arsenyev. See Reign of Catherine I.].

His will is fulfilled. On May 6, Catherine, shortly before her death, which followed at nine o'clock in the afternoon [Catherine I died from an abscess in the lung, at the age of 45 from birth.], signed with a weak hand a decree punishing criminals who dared to dispose of the inheritance of the Throne and oppose the wooing of the Grand Duke , which took place according to the Highest will [This decree does not mention their attempt to arrest Menshikov.].

On that very day, the favorites of Peter the Great, Count Pyotr Andreevich Tolstoy and Ivan Ivanovich Buturlin [see. biographies of Count Tolstoy and I.I. Buturlin] are deprived of ranks and insignia; the first was exiled with his son to the Solovetsky Monastery, where he ended a life in poverty, glorified by famous exploits; the second was sent to a distant village; Alexander Lvovich Naryshkin was also demoted and removed from the capital; Andrei Ivanovich Ushakov, who served as a Major in the guard, was transferred with the same rank to an army regiment; Count Devier and the former Chief Prosecutor Skornyakov-Pisarev were punished with a whip and exiled to Yakutsk.

The next day (May 7) Menshikov woke up earlier than usual, at five o’clock, and immediately put on his uniform and his medals. Then Members of the Supreme Privy Council, the Holy Synod, the High Senate and the General Staff, who were in St. Petersburg, began to come to him. At the end of the eighth hour they went to the Tsesarevnas and, together with Their Highnesses and the Duke of Holstein, went to the large hall, which he then entered Grand Duke Pyotr Alekseevich, accompanied by Menshikov, sat down in the chairs placed for him on elevated place. A contemporary, Duke de Liria [Spanish Ambassador to Russia], told us: that the Grandson of Peter the Great was tall, blond, beautiful, strong build. His face showed gentle thoughtfulness and, at the same time, importance and determination. He had a kind heart, a happy memory; was generous and supportive to others; but did not forget his dignity. - Menshikov then presented the spiritual will of the late Empress, printed it out and handed it to Actual State Councilor Stepanov, ordering it to be read aloud. Deep silence reigned in the large assembly; everyone wanted to know what Catherine’s will was, and they listened with attention.

“Although, due to our Motherly love,” said the first spiritual article, “Our daughters, Duchess of Holstein Anna Petrovna and Elisaveta Petrovna, could have been predominantly appointed as Our Successors, but taking into account that it is more convenient for a male person to endure the burden of governing such a vast State, We appoint Grand Duke Peter Alekseevich as our successor.” -

The articles that followed concerned the Guardianship during the Emperor's minority; determined the power of the Supreme Council, the order of succession to the Throne in the event of the death of Peter; the twelfth amazed those present. “For the excellent services rendered to Our late Spouse and to Us by Prince Menshikov himself, We cannot show greater proof of Our mercy to him than by elevating one of his daughters to the Russian Throne, and therefore we order both Our Daughters and Our most important Nobles to assist the betrothal of the Grand Duke to one of the daughters of Prince Menshikov, and as soon as they reach adulthood, to combine them in marriage.” -

Everyone was silent, not daring to express their feelings, although they guessed that it was not the Empress, but her favorite who compiled this spiritual [Empress Anna Ioannovna later ordered Chancellor Count Golovkin to burn the spiritual of Catherine I. He fulfilled the Highest will, preserving a copy.]. Peter II was proclaimed Emperor at ten o'clock (May 7) with cannon fire from the St. Petersburg fortress, the Admiralty and yachts stationed on the Neva. Having accepted congratulations from the highest ranks, He went out to the guards regiments, Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky, which surrounded the Palace and immediately swore allegiance to the young Monarch. On that day, Menshikov was granted Admiral; 12 May by Generalissimo; On the 17th he transported the Emperor to his home on Vasilyevsky Island, which was named Preobrazhensky Island; On the 25th he began to carry out his gigantic plans: at the end of the third hour in the afternoon the betrothal of eleven-year-old Peter II to sixteen-year-old Princess Maria took place.

The nobles hated the Ruler of the Empire for his exorbitant pride and unlimited lust for power: confident in his power, he despised secret murmurs. Foreign Courts showed him special respect: But while Menshikov was in a state of sleep, thinking about the Duchy of Courland, his enemies acted: Prince Ivan Alekseevich Dolgorukov, the inseparable friend of the Emperor, a handsome young man, ardent, quick-witted, was trained by his relatives, especially his uncle, Prince Vasily Lukich, deceit, all the tricks that only sophisticated courtiers are distinguished by: he hated and caressed Menshikov, tried to remove his son to other rooms and, while playing games, reminded Peter: how dangerous the excessive power of a subject is for the entire State; his family ties with the Sovereign will be disastrous; he repeated incessantly: that Menshikov would eventually even encroach on the Throne; that one word from the Tsar can turn him into a primitive state. The Emperor agreed with Dolgorukov and promised to remain deeply silent until an opportunity presented itself.

This opportunity presented itself: the Petersburg merchants presented Peter II with ten thousand ducats. He sent them as a gift to his Sister. Menshikov met the messenger and, learning that he was bringing money to the Grand Duchess, said: “The Emperor is too young to know the proper use of money: take it to me; I will have a chance to talk about them with Him.” - The messenger did not dare to disobey.

The next day, Peter asked the Princess: “Doesn’t yesterday’s gift deserve gratitude?” - She answered that she did not receive any gift. The monarch was very dissatisfied with this, and His anger increased even more when he learned that Menshikov ordered the money to be taken to himself. - Having called him, the Emperor asked with his heart: “How dare he forbid the messenger to carry out His order?” - Menshikov, who did not at all expect such a reprimand, was greatly amazed by it and replied: “that the State needs money, the treasury is depleted and that he intended to make a proposal to His Majesty on the same day about the most useful use of this money; that, however, he will not only give out ten thousand ducats, but, if the Emperor pleases, a million rubles from his own property.” - Peter, stamping his foot, said: “I will teach you to remember that I am the Emperor and that you must obey Me”; Following this, He left the room.

Menshikov followed Him and this time softened Him with persistent requests. Soon afterwards, the Duke of Izhora fell dangerously ill and, preparing to leave earthly greatness, wrote two spiritual wills: family and state. He was the first to entrust his wife, His Serene Highness Princess Daria Mikhailovna, and his brother-in-law, Varvara Mikhailovna Arsenyeva, with maintaining his house until the children reached adulthood and taking parental care of their upbringing; ordered the children to have love, respect and obedience to their mother and aunt; appointed his son, Prince Alexander, heir to the entire house and, giving him useful advice, most of all inspired him to remain faithful and ardent love for the Sovereign and the Fatherland; He set himself as an example: how from infancy he was accepted into the mercy of Peter the Great and, with his loyalty and jealousy known to the whole world, surpassed all his peers in the trust of the Sovereign. In conclusion, the spiritual one ordered him to pay his debts and asked for forgiveness from everyone he had wrongfully offended.

In the State Act, Menshikov addressed the Emperor with requests: 1) before coming of age, act according to the will of the Empress Grandmother (Catherine I), be obedient to the Chief Chamberlain Baron Osterman and the Ministers and do nothing without their advice; 2) beware of slanderers and those who slander in secret and tell the Ministers about them in order to protect yourself from the many disasters that arise from this and which His Majesty’s Ancestors suffered; 3) take care of your health and, for this purpose, act moderately and carefully when driving and in other amusements; the well-being of the Fatherland depends on the health of the Sovereign; and, finally, 4) advised Peter II to control himself in everything so that all his actions and exploits correspond to the dignity of the Emperor, and it is impossible to achieve this any other way than through teaching and instruction and through the help of faithful advisers. In conclusion, he reminded the Tsar how much care he had for his upbringing and how desperately he served him in taking over the throne: he asked to remember his faithful service and to keep in favor the family that remained after him, to also be merciful to his betrothed bride, his daughter, and, according to the promise made before God, at such a time to enter into legal marriage with her

Menshikov's enemies could act more freely. Among them, the most cunning of all was Osterman, who supervised the education of the Emperor. He was cautious and at the same time courageous when circumstances required; I couldn’t tolerate anyone higher than myself. For a long time, Osterman had been conferring with the Dolgorukovs about the overthrow of Menshikov, whom he did not like because he prevented him from being in charge, often disagreed with him, was rude to him, not respecting the title of Vice-Chancellor, the Order of St. Andrew. Freed from illness, Menshikov went to Oranienbaum, his country house to consecrate the church he built there in the name of St. Panteleimon the Healer and, instead of personally asking the Emperor to come to him, he sent an invitation by express. Peter refused on the pretext of ill health, and the proud Nobleman, during the consecration of the temple, on September 3, by Archbishop Theophan, took the place in the form of a throne prepared for the Emperor!

Menshikov's daring act served as a convenient means for his enemies to deal the final blow to his power. They persuaded the Emperor to free himself and Russia from a man who set no limits to his lust for power. Considering himself in his former strength and not seeing the nets being laid, the favorite of happiness went to Peterhof (September 4), visited the Emperor, said a lot of rude things to Osterman and the next day went to St. Petersburg, inspected government places, spent an hour and a half in the Supreme Privy Council, with he proudly gave orders everywhere, made instructions for the reception of Peter in his house, forbade Treasurer Kaisarov to release money without his own instructions.

On September 6, Lieutenant General Saltykov announced to Menshikov that all the Sovereign’s furniture and belongings should be transported to the Summer Palace. At the same time, the furniture of his son, who was under the Emperor as Chief Chamberlain, was returned. In his confusion, Menshikov made an important mistake by disbanding the Ingermanland Regiment, loyal to him, which until that time had been stationed for his safety in the camp on Vasilievsky Island [Menshikov was Colonel of the Ingermanland Regiment from its very establishment and, according to Count Bassevich, had the right granted him by Peter the Great, to select officers for this regiment and promote them to rank. See Bishinga, part IX.].

On September 7, Menshikov was in the Supreme Privy Council. The Emperor returned to St. Petersburg, spent the night in the new summer Palace, and early the next day he sent Saltykov to the distressed Nobleman with orders not to enter into any business and not to leave the house until further orders. Princess Menshikova and her children hurried to the Palace to fall at the feet of the Tsar and appease Him, but they were prohibited from entering. The favorite of Peter the Great resorted to the last resort: he wrote to the Emperor, tried to justify himself, begged: so that the sun would not set on His anger; asked for dismissal from all duties due to old age and illness; sought the patronage of Grand Duchess Natalia Alekseevna, but this too was unsuccessful. The living rooms of the disgraced man are empty! Only two people remained loyal to him: Lieutenant General Alexei Volkov and Major General Yegor Ivanovich Famintsyn.

On September 9, Menshikov was ordered to go to Ranienburg, a city he himself had built (located in the Ryazan province), and, with the deprivation of ranks and insignia, to live there permanently, under the vigilant supervision of the Guards Lieutenant and the corporal; the estate was left with him. Princess Maria had to return it to the Emperor wedding ring his own, which cost about twenty thousand rubles. “I am guilty and I admit it, that I deserve punishment,” Menshikov said to the sent Officer; - but it was not the Emperor who condemned me!” Then, handing over the orders, he said: “Here they are: I expected that they would send for them, and for this purpose I put them in a special box. If in time you are clothed with these vain ornaments, learn from my example how little they contribute to our happiness.

The disgraced Courtier, having retained his wealth, intended to have a pleasant refuge in Ranienburg and, without losing hope that happiness would again become favorable to him, he left Petersburg in the afternoon, in rich carriages, with a baggage train and a large retinue, like a powerful nobleman, and not an exile. A crowd of curious people surrounded the train: Menshikov bowed from his carriage to both sides, saying goodbye to everyone with a cheerful face. His calmness, probably outward, and inappropriate pomp irritated his enemies even more. In Tver, it was ordered to double the guards, seal all the exile’s belongings, and leave only what he needed. Here the crews were selected, and he learned that all his property had been taken into the treasury.

Almost at the same time as Menshikov, the Acting State Councilor Pleshcheev arrived in Ranienburg to conduct an investigation into his various abuses and misdeeds.
He was blamed for the misfortune of Tsarevich Alexy Petrovich, the Emperor's parent; in secret correspondence with the Swedish Senate during the illness of Empress Catherine I; in the appropriation of sixty thousand rubles belonging to the Duke of Holstein, and in many other thefts.

He was sentenced to exile to the city of Berezov, Tobolsk province [Berezov is located 4034 versts from St. Petersburg, lies at 63 degrees latitude, on the left bank of the Sosva, which flows into the Ob.]. - With courage befitting a hero, Menshikov heard the formidable sentence and, turning to his son, said: “My example will serve as an instruction to you if you are ever returned from exile, where I must die!” That's what Petrov's favorite said and acted then, but the unfortunate wife did not have his firmness: heavy sadness and undried tears ended her life on the road, 12 miles from Kazan.

A few days before her death, she lost her sight after crying over grief. Sad Menshikov continued his journey, accompanied by Lieutenant of the Guard Stepan Kryukovsky and twenty retired soldiers of the Preobrazhensky battalion. He was allowed to take ten servants from Ranienburg; determined to support five rubles a day. In remote Siberia they already knew about the fall and exile of the former Generalissimo. Every day, residents of Tobolsk flocked in large numbers to the banks of the Irtysh, asking visitors: “Will it come soon? Isn’t it him they’re taking?” Finally, their wish was fulfilled: they saw the exile, before whom the nobles had recently trembled.

Then a lump of dirt was thrown from the crowd at Menshikov’s son and daughters. “Throw it at me,” he said, “let vengeance fall on me alone, but leave my poor, innocent children alone!” In Tobolsk, the Governor sent Menshikov to prison, by order of the Emperor, five hundred rubles. “The royal favor,” said the exile to the one who handed him the money, “will not bring me any benefit in a distant, wild country if I cannot stock up here with the necessary things to ease my lot.”

His request was respected: he bought himself an ax and other tools for cutting and processing trees and for farming; He also stocked up on various kinds of seeds, nets for fishing, and some meat and salted fish; He ordered the rest of the money to be distributed to the poor. On the way to Berezov, Menshikov saw in one hut an officer who, after a long absence, was returning to St. Petersburg from remote places Siberia. This officer was once his Adjutant and did not recognize the proud, magnificent Prince of Izhora, who was then overgrown with a long beard and wearing a sheepskin coat; but Menshikov called his former subordinate by name. “How do you know me,” the surprised officer asked the exile, “and who are you?” “Alexander,” answered Menshikov. - “Which Alexander?” - the newcomer cried angrily. - “Alexander Menshikov.” “I know His Lordship very well,” said the officer, “and therefore I do not advise you to call yourself by his name in front of me.” - “And you don’t recognize Menshikov?” - continued the exile. The officer looked at the imaginary stranger as if he were crazy. Then Menshikov took him by the hand and led him to the window. “Take a good look at the features of your former General,” he said. The officer looked at Menshikov for a long time, not trusting him; finally began to recognize and exclaimed in amazement: “Ah! Prince! Your Lordship, by what event have you been subjected to the sad state in which I see you?” “Let’s leave the Prince and Serene Highness,” Menshikov interrupted him. - I am now the poor man I was born as. The Lord, who raised me to the heights of vain human greatness, brought me down to my primitive state.”

Then the exile recounted to the surprised officer all the events that followed in the State after the death of Peter the Great, how Catherine came to the throne, how he then betrothed his daughter to Peter II. “I thought,” Menshikov continued with a deep sigh, “that I had already protected myself from people in whom I saw only admirers, that I would calmly enjoy the fruits of my cares; but during the euthanization, the treacherous Dolgorukovs, animated and led by a foreigner [Count A.I. Osterman], even more treacherous than them, instantly plunged me into the disastrous state in which I am now. I admit frankly, I deserve it. The deprivation of all earthly blessings and freedom does not cause me any sorrow, but (he pointed with tears to his children), these are the objects of my sadness: born in abundance, they share with me the punishment for crimes in which they did not participate! Our life in this world represents continuous upheavals; I hope for the justice of the Almighty: He will one day return them to the depths of the fatherland, and the current disaster will serve as a lesson to them how necessary it is to restrain their passions and limit their desires! You are going to Moscow and will be in relations with the Dolgorukovs: all power is now in their hands; but they don't have necessary qualities to fulfill the wise plans of the Great Monarch! Tell them that you saw me on the way back and that the restless journey and the cruelty of the local climate not only did not weaken my health, but even strengthened it, that in my captivity I enjoy freedom of spirit, which I did not know when I ruled the affairs of the State.

The officer sadly listened to the story of Petrov's favorite, and when Menshikov said goodbye to him, when he sat down in the wagon with a cheerful face, the officer could not help but cry and followed him with his gaze for a long time. - Alienated from the whole world, among icy deserts Siberia, where winter constantly lasts seven months; then it dawns at ten o'clock in the morning, and it gets dark at three; frost reaches 40° with unbearable wind from the Arctic Sea; where in the spring there is a thick, impenetrable fog from swampy vapors; in autumn also with strong northeast winds; where in summer the heat lasts no more than ten days; the ground, due to cold nights, melts only a quarter of an arshin; the sun disappears during the day for one hour behind the northern high mountain - Menshikov in Berezovo did not complain about fate, submitted to it with humility and encouraged his children.

Having previously been of this weak build [“Fat up Danilovich,” wrote Peter the Great to Princess Menshikova.], in exile he became healthy; with the help of his servants, he built a wooden house on the steep bank of the Sosva River; he planted a vegetable garden there and saved such a sum from the money he received that he built a church in the name of the Savior, working on the construction himself with an ax in his hands. He rang the bell when it was time for church service, corrected the position of the sexton, sang in the choir and then spoke edifying teachings to the common people. “It is good for me, Lord,” Menshikov repeated incessantly in his prayers, “for you have humbled me!” - Every day before dawn he went ashore to admire the magnificent spectacle of the awakening of nature; returning to the hut from church, he forced the children to read sacred books or conveyed to them curious incidents of his life, which they wrote down. It is unknown where the priceless manuscript went; but the Berezovsky tradesman Matvey Bazhenov, who died in 1797 at the 107th birthday, often found them in these activities.

Menshikov loved to talk with him and, among other things, confessed to him: “that then death did not frighten him so much as at the height of greatness.” This is how the famous exile spent his time, whom Feofan Prokopovich once greeted with the words: we see Peter in Alexander! - who elevated Catherine to the Throne and, before his exile, intended to marry his son with Grand Duchess Natalia Alekseevna. A stunning triumph of faith! In happiness, Menshikov defeated the enemies of the Fatherland and was a slave to his passions - in misfortune he emerged victorious over them, surprising posterity with his extraordinary fortitude and perfect selflessness.

Soon his beloved daughter, Maria, fell ill with smallpox. There were no doctors in Berezovo. Menshikov saw that Maria was approaching the end of her earthly suffering - and tried to hide the sadness that consumed him from the children. The premonition was fulfilled: moving to a better world, the innocent prisoner consoled her father that she was not afraid of death. Maria passed away (1729): Menshikov cut out her grave and himself buried the remains, precious to him, into the ground! The firmness of the great man has wavered! Irrigating his daughter’s last home, he consoled himself with the thought that he would soon unite with her; in advance, in the dim light of fish oil burning in his hut, he prepared a coffin from cedar wood [In Berezovo there was still a part of the cedar forest, called in ancient times mysterious, which was worshiped by the Ostyaks during paganism.]; expressed a desire to be buried next to Mary, in a robe, shoes and a quilted cap, which he then wore; performed the ritual imposed by the Church, and then remained deeply silent, refused food, except for cold water, which he consumed in small quantities

The fateful hour has finally struck! He called his children and said to them: “I feel, my friends, that I will soon move from this temporary life to the eternal. Before the misfortune that befell us, I did not think about death: here I only learned about all the vanity of this world and came closer to the grave. How calmly I would have descended into it if, appearing before the face of the Lord, I had to give Him an account only of the time I spent in exile! But my mind, and more importantly my faith, convinces me that God’s mercy, in which I trust, is limitless, just as His justice is endless! It would be easier for me to part with you if I were not embarrassed by the thought that you would be returned to a place where vice triumphs over virtue, where hearts do not preserve primitive innocence, your main adornment. If this misfortune is inevitable, then be guided by the examples that I set for you in Berezovo. Perhaps, among the bustle of the big world, more than once you will regret your imprisonment here! My strength is leaving me. Come closer, my children, so that I may bless you!” - Menshikov raised his hand, but could no longer control it - it sank, his head fell on the pillow, the children sobbed, and his last breath was heard on October 22, 1729.

He was only 56 years old from birth. Three arshins of frozen earth accepted their remains into the depths former Ruler Empire, Duke of Izhora, Generalissimo of the Russian troops, at the altar of the church he built, ten fathoms from the bank of the Sosva River. Nowadays, in that place there is an earthen embankment surrounded by a wooden lattice [Before my appointment by the Governor to Tobolsk, Menshikov’s grave remained forgotten. In 1825, I instructed Berezovsky Mayor G. Andreev, an extremely efficient and diligent person, to open the burial place of Petrov’s favorite, whose biography I compiled in my young years and respected his memory. G. Andreev took my words literally: he asked the old-timers and learned from Kozak Ivan Shakhov (who was then 57 years old): that the hundred-year-old Berezovsky tradesman Matvey Bazhenov, whose leader he was, who lowered Menshikov’s coffin into the grave in 1729, often visited it with him ; that it is located on a slope, at the altar of his burnt church, ten fathoms from the bank of the Sosva River, where the remnant of the stone foundation is still visible.

The mayor set to work: he first ordered the earth to be dug in that place (July 30, 1825); then he ordered it to be chopped with axes to a depth of three arshins and a quarter, for the ground does not freeze in Berezovo only to a quarter of an arshin: there was a coffin, a fathom long, upholstered in red cloth, with a silver braid in the form of a cross on the roof. It was opened; they removed the ice that covered an inch of the body of the deceased; they lifted the silk cover: the person lying in the coffin was tall, lean, with a shaved beard, hairless, had thick eyebrows, all his teeth were preserved, as if he was resting in the arms of deep sleep, and in a robe, in a quilted cap, under which his head was wrapped in a scarf, and at the top was a corolla, wearing green pointed shoes on his feet with huge heels, narrow at the bottom.

Prince Alexander Danilovich Menshikov was two arshins and twelve inches tall, two inches shorter than Peter the Great; slender in appearance; intelligence and ambition bright colors were depicted on his face. He had a sarcastic smile; he was distinguished by his sharpness and cunning [Menshikov could neither read nor write and only learned to sign his name poorly; but in the presence of people who did not know about it, he hid his illiteracy and pretended to be reading papers. When he was accused by his own orders of stealing huge sums and of various oppressions, he made an excuse: that, not being able to read or write, he did not know the contents of the papers he signed. - Villebois.]; he usually got up at his usual time, at six o’clock and earlier, had dinner at nine, went to bed at ten o’clock; I didn’t put off any work until another day; loved to give sumptuous dinners; decorated himself with diamond orders and, due to poor health, sometimes appeared in the winter before guards regiments, on a richly decorated horse, accompanied by the Generalitat, in a silver brocade caftan with sable fur, with the same cuffs; tried to improve cloth factories in Russia [Cloth factories were under the supervision of Menshikov]; established crystal factories in Yamburg; was polite to foreigners; condescending to those who did not want to seem smarter than him, pleased him, and could not see anyone higher than himself; pursued equals; He was power-hungry, vindictive, rude, hard-hearted, and greedy for acquisitions.

[Following Menshikov’s exile to Siberia, he was found to have: 1) nine million rubles in banknotes of the London and Amsterdam banks and in other loan acts; 2) four million rubles in cash; 3) diamonds and various jewelry worth over a million rubles; 4) 45 pounds of gold in bullion and 60 pounds in various vessels and utensils. There were three silver services alone, each containing 24 dozen plates, spoons, knives and forks. The first was made in London, the second in Augsburg, the third in Hamburg. In addition, Menshikov ordered a fourth silver service for himself in Paris, 1727, and sent 35,500 efimki for this item.]; often suffered beatings from Peter the Great!

But Menshikov, with all his weaknesses, will remain a great man and has the right to the respect of Russians, as the savior of the life of the unforgettable Monarch and the invincible Commander [The Royal London Society, established for the dissemination of natural sciences, accepted Menshikov as a Member in 1714. His motto on the coat of arms was the following: virtute duce, somite fortuna; i.e. valor is a guide; happiness satellite.]

[Cm. Transformed Russia, op. Weber, part 3. p. 178. - Weber was a Resident of the Hanoverian Court in Russia.].

Source - Wikipedia

Menshikov, Alexander Danilovich

Count (1702), prince (1705), His Serene Highness (1707) Alexander Danilovich Menshikov (November 6 (16), 1673, Moscow - November 12 (23), 1729, Berezov, Siberian province) - Russian statesman and military leader, Peter’s closest associate and favorite I, Generalissimo (1727), first St. Petersburg Governor-General (1703-1724 and 1725-1727), President of the Military Collegium (1719-1724 and 1726-1727). The only Russian nobleman who received the title of duke from the Russian monarch (“Duke of Izhora”, 1707).
After the death of Peter I, he contributed to the accession of Catherine I, became the de facto ruler of Russia (1725-1727): “first senator”, “first member of the Supreme Privy Council” (1726), under Peter the Second - generalissimo of the naval and land forces (May 12, 1727). In September 1727, he fell into disgrace, was deprived of property, titles, awards and was exiled with his family to Siberia, where he died two years later.

No reliable documentary information has been preserved about the origin of Menshikov; the opinions of historians on this matter are very contradictory. Father, Danila Menshikov, died in 1695. According to a popular version, before becoming surrounded by F. Ya. Lefort, the future “semi-sovereign ruler” sold pies in the capital. This is how N.I. Kostomarov gives this story:

The boy was distinguished by witty antics and jokes, which was the custom of Russian peddlers, with this he lured buyers to him. He happened to pass by the palace of the famous and powerful Lefort at that time; Seeing the funny boy, Lefort called him into his room and asked: “What will you take for your whole box of pies?” “If you please, buy the pies, but I don’t dare sell the boxes without the owner’s permission,” answered Alexander - that was the name of the street boy. “Do you want to serve me?” - Lefort asked him. “I’m very glad,” he answered, “I just need to move away from the owner.” Lefort bought all the pies from him and said: “When you leave the pie maker, come to me immediately.” The pie maker reluctantly let the boy go and did this only because an important gentleman took him into his servant. Menshikov came to Lefort and put on his livery.

N.I. Kostomarov. Russian history in the biographies of its main figures. Second section: The dominance of the House of Romanov before the accession of Catherine II to the throne. Issue six: XVIII century

During Menshikov’s lifetime, it was believed that he came from the Lithuanian nobility, although this version has traditionally raised doubts among historians. The legend about the pie seller, however, could have been put into circulation by the prince’s opponents in order to belittle him, as A. S. Pushkin pointed out:

...Menshikov came from Belarusian nobles. He was looking for his family estate near Orsha. He was never a footman and never sold hearth pies. This is a joke of the boyars, accepted by historians as truth.
Pushkin A.S.: The History of Peter. Preparatory texts. Years 1701 and 1702

Foreign observers presented Menshikov as a completely illiterate person, which is now disputed; nevertheless, for N.I. Pavlenko, the illiteracy of the “most serene” is obvious: “Among the tens of thousands of sheets preserved in the Menshikov family archive, not a single document written by the prince’s hand was found. There were no traces of editing or editing of the compiled documents. Even hundreds of letters to Daria Mikhailovna, first a concubine, and then his wife, not to mention thousands of letters to the Tsar and nobles, every single one was written by clerks.”
Menshikov's three sisters are known: Tatyana, Martha (Maria) and Anna, who married (against his will) the Portuguese Anton Devier. Martha was given by her brother in marriage to Major General Alexei Golovin (d. 1718), who was captured by the Swedes near Poltava; her daughter Anna Yakovlevna in her first marriage was to the royal relative A.I. Leontyev, in the second - to another naval officer, Mishukov.

Alexander, at the age of 14, was accepted by Peter as his orderly, and was able to quickly gain not only the trust, but also the friendship of the Tsar, and become his confidant in all his undertakings and hobbies. He helped him create “amusing troops” in the village of Preobrazhenskoye (since 1693 he was listed as a bombardier of the Preobrazhensky regiment, where Peter was captain of the bombardment company; after participating in the massacre of the archers, he received the rank of sergeant, and from 1700 - lieutenant of the bombardment company). In 1699 he received the title of ship's apprentice.
Menshikov was constantly with the tsar, accompanying him on trips around Russia, on the Azov campaigns (1695-96), and on the “Great Embassy” (1697-98) to Western Europe. After Lefort's death, Menshikov became Peter's first assistant, remaining his favorite for many years. Endowed by nature with a sharp mind, excellent memory and great energy, Alexander Danilovich never referred to the impossibility of fulfilling an order and did everything with zeal, remembered all orders, knew how to keep secrets like no one else (at that time), and could soften the tsar’s hot-tempered character.
The people attributed Menshikov's rapid rise to his unnatural connection with the sovereign; for spreading rumors about the “prodigal life” of Peter and Menshikov (he allegedly dragged Peter into his bed “like a whore”), the merchant G. R. Nikitin (one of the richest entrepreneurs in the country) was arrested in 1698, and the captain in 1702 Preobrazhensky regiment named Boyarkinsky, and in 1718 - manager of the estates of the nobleman Kikin. M.I. Semevsky also wrote that the tsar shared his bed with his orderlies.

During the Northern War (1700-1721), Menshikov commanded large forces of infantry and cavalry, distinguished himself during the siege and storming of fortresses, as well as in many battles.

At the beginning of the war he held the rank of lieutenant in the bombardment company of the Preobrazhensky Regiment. He did not participate in the Battle of Narva (1700), leaving the army with the king on the eve of the battle.
In 1702, during the capture of Noteburg, he promptly arrived with fresh forces to M. M. Golitsyn, who began the assault. In 1703, he took part in the siege of Nyenschantz, and on May 7, 1703, acting with Peter at the mouth of the Neva and commanding a detachment of 30 boats, he won the first naval victory over the Swedes, having captured two enemy ships with a bold boarding attack - the galliot "Gedan" and the shnyava "Astrild" " The Tsar ordered a medal to be knocked out with a laconic inscription: “The unthinkable happens.” Menshikov received the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called as a reward (No. 7, at the same time as Peter I - Knight No. 6). In the decree on awards, issued on May 10 (21), 1703 - 6 days before the official date of the founding of St. Petersburg, Menshikov was already called Governor-General.
By decree of Peter I of July 19, 1703, in order to form the regiment of Governor Menshikov, it was ordered to “take away from all ranks a thousand people of the kindest and most considerate people.” In terms of the level of cash and grain salaries, this regiment was equal to Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky. Subsequently, the regiment received the name Ingria.
Menshikov became the first Governor-General of St. Petersburg (from 1703 and, with a short break, until his disgrace in 1727), supervised the construction of the city, as well as Kronstadt, shipyards on the Neva and Svir rivers (Olonets shipyard), Petrovsky and Povenets cannon factories . As governor general, he formed, in addition to the Ingria Infantry, the Ingria Dragoon Regiment.
Continuing to participate in hostilities, he contributed to the conquest of Narva and Ivangorod, and was awarded the rank of lieutenant general (1704). When in February-March 1705, Tsar Peter I entrusted Menshikov with the inspection of the Russian army of Field Marshal B.P. Sheremetev, stationed in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, he visited Vitebsk, Polotsk, Vilna and Kovno.
In 1705, he was among the first to become a Knight of the Polish Order of the White Eagle.

On November 30, 1705, Menshikov was promoted to cavalry general, and soon came into conflict with the commander-in-chief of the Russian army, Field Marshal-Lieutenant General G. B. Ogilvi, which almost caused the defeat of the Russian army near Grodno.
In the summer of 1706, he was entrusted with command of the entire Russian regular cavalry, and showed himself to be an excellent cavalry commander. At the head of the corvolant, he was sent to help the Saxon elector and the Polish king Augustus II in Poland, won a victory over the Swedish-Polish corps near Kalisz on October 18, 1706, which became the first victory of the Russian troops in the “right battle”: the enemy could not resist the rapid attack of the Russian dragoons and was defeated. At the decisive moment, he rushed into battle, dragging his subordinates with him. The Swedes lost several thousand people, the commander, General A. Mardefelt, was captured. The losses of Russian troops were insignificant. As a reward for this victory, Menshikov received from the Tsar a staff decorated with precious stones, and the rank of lieutenant colonel of the Preobrazhensky Life Guards Regiment (the rank of colonel was accepted by Tsar Peter himself).
The awards received by Menshikov were not only military. Back in 1702, at the request of Peter, he was granted the title of Count of the Holy Roman Empire. By a charter of the Roman Emperor Leopold I, dated January 19 (30), 1705, the cavalry general of the Roman Empire, Count Alexander Danilovich Menshikov, with his descendants, was elevated to the princely dignity of the Roman Empire.
By the highest order of Tsar Peter I, dated May 30, 1707, cavalry general, Prince of the Roman Empire Alexander Danilovich Menshikov, with his descendants, was elevated to the princely dignity of the Russian kingdom, with the name “Prince of the Izhora Land” and the title of “Serenemy.” In addition, on May 30, 1707, Menshikov was granted the rank of sea captain. The material well-being of His Serene Highness and the number of estates and villages given to him gradually grew.
In 1707, again at the head of the cavalry, he advanced to Lublin, and then to Warsaw, where he remained until September. On September 28 (October 9), 1708, he took part in the battle of Lesnaya, which became, in Peter’s words, “the mother of the Poltava victory.” During the time between Lesnaya and Poltava, Menshikov often showed that insight and impetuosity that Field Marshal Sheremetev, who shared the highest command in the army with him, lacked. Having received news of Hetman Mazepa's betrayal, he took the hetman's capital - the city of Baturin - by storm, ruining it, and killed and intercepted most of the Cossacks who were planning to leave with the hetman to the Swedish king. For this, Peter I granted the prince the village of Ivanovskoye and its villages that belonged to Hetman Mazepa.

Peter I completely trusted the intuition and calculating mind of his favorite in many military matters; almost all the instructions, directives and instructions that the tsar sent out to the troops passed through the hands of Menshikov. He was like Peter's chief of staff: having given an idea, the tsar often instructed his closest assistant to develop it, and he found a way to translate it into action. His quick and decisive actions were fully consistent with Peter's ebullient energy.
Menshikov played a big role in the Battle of Poltava on June 27 (July 8), 1709, where he commanded first the vanguard and then the left flank of the Russian army. Even before the main forces were brought into battle, he defeated the detachment of General Schlippenbach, capturing the latter. At the moment of the collision of the armies, General Roos attacked the corps, scattering it, which largely predetermined the victory of the Russian army. During the battle of Menshikov, three horses were killed.
Pursuing the Swedish army fleeing the battlefield with Golitsyn, Menshikov overtook it at the crossing of the Dnieper at Perevolochna and forced it to capitulate. He reported from near Perevolochna: “Here we overtook the enemy fleeing from us, and just now the king himself with the traitor Mazepa in small numbers escaped, and the rest of the Swedes were all taken alive to the tune of about ten thousand, among whom the general Levenhaupt and Major General Kreutz. Guns, I took all the ammunition too.” In fact, more than 16 thousand Swedes were captured.
For Poltava, Menshikov was awarded the rank of Field Marshal. In addition, the cities of Pochep and Yampol with extensive volosts were transferred to his possessions, increasing the number of his serfs by 43 thousand male souls. In terms of the number of serfs, he became the second owner of souls in Russia after the Tsar. During Peter’s ceremonial entry into Moscow on December 21, 1709, he was at the Tsar’s right hand, which emphasized his exceptional merits.

In 1709-1713, Menshikov commanded troops operating in Poland, Courland, Pomerania and Holstein, and received the Order of the Elephant (Denmark) and the Order of the Black Eagle (Prussia) from European monarchs.
In 1709 he was listed as a ship's master.
In 1712 he had the rank of captain-commander.
In February 1714, Menshikov returned to St. Petersburg; this ended his military career. He focused on issues of the internal structure of the state, touching, due to his closeness to the king, all the most important state concerns.
In 1715, Menshikov, having a pennant on the ship Shlisselburg, arrived with the fleet in Revel. For participation in naval affairs against the Swedes and taking care of the fleet on February 2, 1716, he was promoted to Schoutbenacht. In March, while in Revel, he had the main supervision of the construction of the harbor. Menshikov, as Governor-General, paid special attention to St. Petersburg, the importance of which has especially increased since 1713, when the court, Senate and diplomatic corps moved there. In April 1715, in the absence of Count Apraksin, he took over the main command over the Kronstadt squadron, was in charge of all admiralty affairs and the construction of the admiralty fortress in St. Petersburg.
In 1718, having a flag on the ship "St. Alexander", Menshikov was sailing with the fleet to Revel and Gangut. In 1719, according to the schedule, he was scheduled to have a flag on the same ship, but he was not on a voyage with the fleet. On October 11, 1719, he was appointed to manage the construction of stone houses on Kotlin Island.
In 1721, having a flag on the ship Friedrichstadt, Menshikov commanded the fleet at Krasnaya Gorka. In August, during an exemplary naval battle, he commanded part of the ships representing the enemy, while the other part was commanded by Vice Admiral Pyotr Mikhailov (sovereign). On October 22, 1721, Menshikov was promoted to vice admiral.

Menshikov was repeatedly convicted of embezzling government funds and paid large fines. “Where it comes to the life or honor of a person, then justice requires weighing on the scales of impartiality both his crimes and the services he rendered to the fatherland and the sovereign...” Peter believed, “...and I still need him.”
In January 1715, Menshikov's government abuses were revealed. The main capital consisted of lands, estates, and villages taken away under various pretexts. He specialized in taking escheated property from heirs. Menshikov also sheltered schismatics, runaway peasants and charged them a fee for living on his lands.
After Lefort’s death, Peter said about Menshikov: “I have only one hand left, a thief, but a faithful one.”
The case of abuse dragged on for several years, a large penalty was imposed on Menshikov, but by active participation in the condemnation of Tsarevich Alexei to death in 1718 (his signature was the first in the sentence), he regained royal favor. With the creation of the State Military Collegium (1719), he was made its first president, leaving in office the Governor General of St. Petersburg, and was responsible for the arrangement of all the armed forces of Russia. On the day of the conclusion of the Peace of Nystadt (1721), which ended the long war with the Swedes, Menshikov was promoted to vice admiral.
In 1722, new abuses of Menshikov were revealed, but even now he managed to maintain his influence, thanks to Peter’s wife Catherine.
In 1723, Menshikov had his own flag on the ship Friedrichstadt. On August 11, 1723, during the ceremony of welcoming the boat, the “grandfather of the Russian fleet,” by the fleet, he corrected the position of pilot on it and abandoned the lot.
In May 1724, Menshikov was present at the coronation of Catherine I as empress by Peter, walking at the right hand of the tsar.
Nevertheless, it was in 1724 that Peter I’s patience ran out: for significant abuses, Menshikov finally lost his main positions: president of the Military Collegium (replaced by A.I. Repnin in January 1724) and governor-general of the St. Petersburg province (replaced by P. . M. Apraksin in May 1724). However, in January 1725, Peter allowed Menshikov to his deathbed, which was regarded as forgiveness.

Immediately after the death of Peter, Menshikov, relying on the guard and the most prominent state dignitaries, in January 1725 enthroned the wife of the late emperor, Catherine I, and became the de facto ruler of the country, concentrating enormous power in his hands and subjugating the army. In January 1725, he regained the post of Governor-General of St. Petersburg, and in 1726, the post of President of the Military Collegium. On August 30, 1725, the new Empress Catherine I made him a Knight of the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky. In 1726 he participated in negotiations on the conclusion of a Russian-Austrian alliance, in 1727 he gave the order to enter Russian troops to Courland.
With the accession of Peter II (the son of Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich) on May 6, 1727, Menshikov initially retained his influence: on May 6 he was awarded the rank of full admiral, on May 12 he was granted the rank of generalissimo, his daughter Maria was betrothed to the young emperor. However, having underestimated his ill-wishers, and due to a long illness (medical historians suggest that he suffered from tuberculous arthritis), he lost influence on the young emperor and was soon removed from government.

In September 1727, Menshikov was arrested, based on the results of the work of the investigative commission of the Supreme Privy Council, without trial, by decree of the 11-year-old boy Emperor Peter II, and sent into exile. After the first exile to his estate - the fortress of Ranenburg (in the modern Lipetsk region), on charges of abuse and embezzlement, he was deprived of all positions, awards, property, titles and exiled with his family to the Siberian town of Berezov, Tobolsk province. Menshikov's wife, the favorite of Peter I, Princess Daria Mikhailovna, died on the way (in 1728, 12 versts from Kazan). In Berezovo, Menshikov himself built himself a village house (along with 8 faithful servants) and a church. His statement from that period is known: “I started with a simple life, and I will end with a simple life.”
Later, a smallpox epidemic began in Siberia. He died on November 12, 1729, aged 56. A little later, on December 26, 1729, his eldest daughter Maria died. Menshikov was buried at the altar of the church he built; then the Northern Sosva River washed away this grave.
Of the descendants of Alexander Danilovich, the most famous is his great-grandson, Admiral Prince A. S. Menshikov, a naval leader, commander-in-chief of the ground and naval forces in Crimean War 1853-1856. In 1863, he built a chapel over the grave of his great-grandmother in the village of Verkhniy Uslon. The princely family of the Menshikovs died out at the hands of men in 1893.

Peter considered Menshikov an irreplaceable ally. Undoubtedly, Menshikov had intelligence, vigorous energy, acumen and intuition. “Happiness is a rootless darling, a semi-sovereign ruler,” as A. S. Pushkin called Menshikov in the poem “Poltava.” After Lefort’s death, Peter said about Menshikov: “I have only one hand left, a thief, but a faithful one.” At the same time, his embezzlement and, according to his enemies, treasonous relations with the enemies of Russia (there was no evidence of this) forced Peter, especially in the last years of his life, to keep his former favorite at a distance, almost on the verge of disgrace. During the reign of the incapable state affairs Empress Catherine I, Menshikov became the de facto ruler of the state for two years, but due to immoderate ambition, even arrogance, he made many enemies and at the end of his life lost all his acquisitions.

In 1714, Alexander Danilovich Menshikov was elected a member of the Royal Society of London. The letter of acceptance was written to him personally by Isaac Newton; the original letter is kept in the archives of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Menshikov became the first Russian member of the Royal Society of London.

Two consequences of Menshikov’s entry into the Royal Society can be identified from the documents of Menshikov’s archival fund. On the one hand, the fund preserved the diploma of the Royal Society issued to Menshikov, on the other, the documents of the same fund reflected an interesting detail: Danilych never dared to mention his affiliation with the Royal Society and decorate his title with three more additional words: member of the Royal Society. Menshikov was not known for his modesty, but in this case common sense prevailed over vanity
Pavlenko N. I. Alexander Danilovich Menshikov. - M.: Nauka, 1983.

Awards
Order of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called (May 10, 1703)
Order of St. Alexander Nevsky (August 30, 1725)
Order of the White Eagle (Rzeczpospolita, November 1, 1705)
Order of the Elephant (Denmark, 1710)
Order of the Black Eagle (Prussia, 1713)

Estates
Menshikov Palace in St. Petersburg
Oranienbaum with the Great Menshikov Palace
Palace in Kronstadt
Palace in Moscow
Alekseevsky Palace near Moscow (not preserved)
Ranenburg Fortress (almost not preserved)

Years of life: 1673-1729

Menshikov Alexander Danilovich - an associate of Peter I, a prominent statesman and military figure of the era. He was the closest ally of Peter I. After his death, he helped Catherine I ascend the throne, under whom he was the de facto ruler of the country. Menshikov’s life ended sadly - he was deposed under Peter II, accused of treason, and together with his family he was sent into exile, to Berezov, to Siberia. Starting life as the son of a court groom, rising to the heights political power, having reached the highest ranks- Count (1702), His Serene Highness Prince (1707), Generalissimo (1727) - at the end of his life he again became unknown among his contemporaries. However, people remember Menshikov and honor his deeds. In the memory of the Russian people, Menshikov will remain the greatest associate of Peter I.

What are the areas of activity of Menshikov A.D. and its results?

In domestic policy, the main activity Menshikova A.D. was involved in public administration country. During his life, he held the most important and responsible positions in the state. He was the first Governor-General of St. Petersburg, supervised the construction of shipyards and cannon factories. Despite the complexity of his character, his temper, arrogance, and desire to enrich himself, sometimes through embezzlement, Peter I greatly valued him for his intelligence, hard work, and diligence. At all government posts, Menshikov was the right hand of Tsar Peter I, and under Catherine I, the first among the “supreme leaders”.

The result of this activity Menshikova A.D. made a significant contribution to the development of the country, supporting the transformations of Peter I, strengthening the economic and military power countries. However, one cannot fail to note the greed and desire for luxury. He was one of richest people time, had several palaces, estates, and numerous serfs. For him personally, this is also the result of his activities, although it ended in failure - in Siberian exile and deprivation of all honors and titles.

In foreign policy it should be noted next area of ​​activity: Menshikov participated in almost all the most important military events in Russia, and was the tsar’s right hand. These are the Azov campaigns of 1695-1996, and the Great Embassy (1697-1698), the purpose of which was to find allies in the fight against Sweden; during the Northern War (1700-1725), Menshikov’s military leadership talent was revealed. He commanded infantry and cavalry and showed fearlessness during battles. During the Battle of Poltava (June 27, 1709), commanding the left flank, Menshikov practically predetermined the course of the battle, defeating Ross’s troops. For 7 years he was president of the military college.

The result of this activity became the greatest victories Russian army, expansion of the territory of Russia, increasing the international authority of the country. Menshikov is one of those leaders of the country who, together with Peter I, forged the strength and power of the state. It is no coincidence that in 1727 he was awarded the honorary highest military rank - generalissimo.

Thus, the name of Alexander Danilovich Menshikov is in the row bright personalities the end of the 17th - first quarter of the 18th century, associates of Peter I, who increased the glory of Russia, “Petrov’s chicks” - Sheremetev B., Tolstoy P., Makarov A.

Material prepared by: Melnikova Vera Aleksandrovna

The Generalissimo and Admiral found himself under arrest by order of the young grandson of Peter the Great and was stripped of all positions, titles and ranks. Experts note that Menshikov’s role in Russian history “is easier to underestimate than to overestimate.” About the life, merits and reasons for the disgrace of the powerful courtier - in the material of RT.

On April 11, 1728, Alexander Menshikov was sent into exile in Siberian Berezov. In the era of Peter the Great, he actually ruled all of Russia, but after the death of the great reformer he fell out of favor with his young grandson. According to historians, an excellent strategist and master of political games became a victim of personal hostility.

Becoming a courtier

Today historians do not have reliable data about the origin of Alexander Danilovich Menshikov. According to the official version of the times of Peter the Great, the father of the future prince was a Lithuanian nobleman from an ancient family, he was captured during the Russian-Polish war and entered the service of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, and his mother was the daughter of a famous merchant. However, Menshikov's noble origins have been questioned by many historians, in particular by Professor Nikolai Pavlenko. According to contemporaries, Menshikov sold pies as a child.

“Menshikov, even if he was the son of an employee and a merchant’s wife, as a child he could well have been selling pies somewhere. This story lived in Moscow for many years. Its reliability has been attested to by many people, including famous diplomats,” Pavel Krotov, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor at St. Petersburg State University, said in an interview with RT.

At the age of 14, Alexander became Peter I's orderly and quickly won his trust. Menshikov participated in the creation of amusing troops, in the Azov campaigns and the suppression of the Streletsky rebellion, traveled with the tsar throughout Western Europe, helped him create navy. In 1700, he received the extremely high rank of lieutenant of the Bombardier Company of the Preobrazhensky Life Guards Regiment, the captain of which was Peter himself.

For Menshikov, nothing was impossible. He always undertook to carry out any order of the sovereign. A valuable quality for a courtier was that he knew how to amuse the hot-tempered monarch and quickly “put out” his anger. According to the story of historian Andrei Nartov, Peter once became angry with Menshikov and promised to send him back to sell pies. Alexander Danilovich immediately jumped out into the street and defiantly returned to the Tsar with a box of pies in his hands. Peter laughed and forgave his companion.

Military glory

Menshikov took an active part in Northern War and achieved considerable success in military affairs. In 1702, he provided serious support to Prince Mikhail Golitsyn during the capture of Notenburg (now the Oreshek fortress), bringing, on his own initiative, the guards to help the commander at the decisive moment of the battle. In 1703, he and Peter took part in a naval battle with the Swedes at the mouth of the Neva, which ended in victory for the Russian fleet. In the same year, even before the official founding of St. Petersburg, Menshikov became its governor general. He held this position for many years, supervising the construction of the city, shipyards and weapons factories.

In 1702, Menshikov was elevated to the rank of count, and in 1705 to the dignity of prince.

During his life and after his death, many rumors discrediting him were spread about Alexander Danilovich Menshikov. One of the most unpleasant is about the illiteracy of Peter I’s assistant. Historian Pavel Krotov completely refutes these allegations.

“Such conversations are the fruit of the activities of Menshikov’s political opponents. And even some modern researchers believed in them, who drew attention to the fact that the documents, instead of Menshikov himself, were usually written by his assistants. However, the fact that the courtier did not write himself is most likely a consequence of the fact that in this way Menshikov emphasized his high status. And also that he had very little time. We have reached us with signatures made personally by Menshikov, clearly written with a confident hand. In addition, his speech itself, recorded in documents, and fluency German language indicate that he was a literate person. Although his main teacher, of course, was life itself,” said Krotov.

According to the expert, Menshikov’s contribution to Russian history is “easier to underestimate than to overestimate.”

“Without such an assistant, Peter most likely would not have become Great, but would have remained simply First,” concluded Krotov.

According to the head of the School of Historical Sciences at the Higher School of Economics, Doctor of Historical Sciences Alexander Kamensky, a fundamental assessment of the activities of Alexander Menshikov depends on an assessment of the reforms of Peter I himself.

“It’s difficult to evaluate Menshikov in the “positive” or “negative” category. He was a major statesman, one of the king's closest associates, on whom the monarch could always rely. Peter's reforms themselves are the subject of heated debate among historians today. And if we evaluate them positively, then we should also evaluate the activities of Menshikov, if somehow differently, then the activities of Peter’s associate appear before us in a different light,” the historian summed up.

Alexander Danilovich Menshikov

Main events

• First member of the Supreme Privy Council (1726)
• First Senator (1725-1727)
• President of the Military College (1719-1724 and 1726-1727)
• St. Petersburg (1703-1724 and 1725-1727)
• Field Marshal General (1709)

Top career

• Order of the White Eagle (1705)
• Order of the Elephant (Denmark, 1710)
• Order of the Black Eagle (Prussia, 1713)

Alexander Danilovich Menshikov- was born in Moscow on November 6, 1673, and died on November 12, 1729, in the town of Berezovo, Siberian province. He served as the first Governor-General of St. Petersburg from 1703 to 1724 and from 1725 to 1727. He also served as president of the military college from 1719 to 1724 and from 1726 to 1727. He was the only Russian nobleman who managed to receive the title of Duke from the Russian monarch! For his services, he was awarded the title "Generalissimo of the Naval and Land Forces on May 12, 1727.

Origin and beginning of career development

A.D. Menshikov was born in Moscow on November 6, 1673. During his lifetime there were rumors that his father belonged to the Lithuanian nobility and was in captivity, working first for A. Mikhailovich, and then for Fyodor Alekseevich, who made him a court groom. There are some facts that he took part in exposing a conspiracy against diplomat F.L. Shaklovity. There is another version that the Menshikov family was even more ancient and its ancestors appeared in Rus' under the Rurikovs. Although contemporaries did not doubt its origin. The most truthful information is that Menshikov’s father had a small shop selling bread, A. Menshikov, helping his father, distributed bread to nearby houses. It is also possible that A. Menshikov’s father actually served in the royal stables, and assigned his son to a grain merchant. Such an origin, as well as Alexander’s activities, excluded the possibility of him receiving an education, and there are also doubts about his ability to read and write!

Although it is known that Alexander Danilovich was a capable man, had a sharp mind and a good memory, he showed himself to be brave and courageous in the future when carrying out military assignments. His career began with joining Peter's "amusing company", and soon he became a government servant of the Tsar. In this status, he took a fairly active part in the events of 1689, after which Princess S. Alekseevna was removed from power, traveled with the tsar to Pereslavl-Zalessky and Arkhangelsk, and participated in the Azov campaigns in 1697-1698.

The beginning of A. Menshikov’s rise up the career ladder

Upon his arrival in Russia, Alexander took an active part in the investigation into the “rifle riot” and later claimed that he cut off the heads of 20 archers. The acquaintance of Peter I with Alexander is believed to have taken place through the great military leader Admiral F.Ya. Lefort, who took Alexander Danilovich into his service. There is no doubt that Alexander served in the Preobrazhensky regiment from its very establishment, for several years he performed the duties of a government servant under Peter and acquired his favor, which turned into close friendship. Since 1697, Menshikov was inseparable from Peter: together with him he committed Azov campaign, went abroad together, participated in the Streltsy search, carried out important assignments; his influence in the highest levels of power began to outweigh even Lefort’s influence. By this time, he had become Peter's confidant, accompanied him everywhere, took care of Peter's everyday life. After the Battle of Narva, Alexander Danilovich, together with the tsar, took part in the actions of the Russian army in Ingria, and showed great courage and excellent military talents.

After the capture of Noteburg in 1702, he was appointed commandant of the captured fortress, then governor of the conquered regions. Peter transferred many of the country's national revenues to his jurisdiction in the so-called Izhora Chancellery. Talented and energetic, Alexander Menshikov stopped at nothing to satisfy the needs that arose. His quick and decisive actions were fully consistent with the seething energy of the Tsar. Deprived of any even elementary education, he could barely write his name, Alexander made up for this deficiency with natural intelligence, thereby justifying his post.

In 1700 he received the first land salary in his life; by 1702 he already had the position of chamberlain of Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich. Received an order to build a metallurgical plant in Karelia and prepare a site for the establishment of a shipyard in the Baltic. One of the oldest shipbuilding enterprises in Russia. Which Menshikov did an excellent job with. For participation in the battle with the squadron of Admiral Numers in May 1703, he was awarded the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called, and after the founding of St. Petersburg he became the first governor of the future second capital.

Under his careful leadership, the construction of the city was carried out. In 1704, A.D. Menshikov distinguished himself during the capture of Narva, successfully defended St. Petersburg, for which he was awarded the rank of lieutenant general. In 1705 he commanded the cavalry in Poland and was awarded the Order of the White Eagle by the Polish king. A year later he received the title of "Prince" of the Holy Roman Empire. Later, Alexander won the Battle of Kalisz. Baturin captured Mazepa's headquarters and commanded the cavalry in the Battle of Poltava. Accepted the surrender of the Swedes at Perevolochnaya. At the end of the military campaign of 1709, Menshikov was rewarded with the rank of field marshal and huge land holdings, becoming one of the richest men in Russia.

From 1712, for a year, Menshikov commanded troops in Promerzaniya and led the capture of Tetin. In the next years of his life, he did not take part in hostilities due to the deterioration of his already poor health. He had chronic lung disease!

Relationship with the king

In all positions, A.D. Menshikov showed himself to be a talented, proactive, energetic, courageous and persistent official. He carried out the Tsar’s orders exactly and proved himself to be his faithful and like-minded person. A. Menshikov’s closeness to the tsar intensified after 1702 when he introduced Peter to M. Skavronskaya, who later became Empress Catherine I and defended his interests before the tsar. Having received all possible awards and titles from the tsar, A.D. Menshikov was distinguished by great pride and commercialism. He did not miss a single opportunity for personal enrichment, took bribes and was engaged in theft of money and the state treasury. In relations with subordinates he was harsh and arrogant. Beginning in 1711, the Tsar was informed about the abuses of A.D. Menshikov. Alexander remained one of the closest subjects of Peter I. In 1718, he took part in the investigation of Tsarevich Alexei, and was a good teacher for Tsarevich Peter Petrovich. But back in 1714, A.D. Menshikov was under investigation for abuse of office and a fine of approximately 1.5 million rubles was imposed on him.

In 1717, the so-called Pochepsky criminal case began, connected with the accusation of A.D. Menshikov in the seizure of foreign lands and the enslavement of Ukrainians, which became the subject of proceedings in the Senate and commissions specially created to investigate this violation. As a result, it subsequently undermined the king’s trust. However, things did not come to a complete break in relations. Peter was lenient towards the actions of his favorite and in 1720 made him president of the Military Collegium. However, the investigation of A.D. Menshikov continued until the death of the Tsar.

After the death of Peter I

Several years after the death of his patron and mentor (and according to some sources it is known that his lover) became for A.D. Menshikov a time of rise to the heights of power and rapid decline. In January 1725, he took an active part in deciding the fate of the throne and, in fact, it was thanks to Alexander that Catherine I ascended the throne. From that moment on, he became practically the first person in the state. He initiated the creation of the Supreme Privy Council and became the leader. Alexander regained the position of President of the Military College, lost in 1723, laid claim to the throne of the Duke of Courland and was going to marry his daughter to Tsarevich Peter Alekseevich, for which in May 1727 he obtained from the Empress the writing of a will in his favor, as well as the arrest of everyone who did not like Alexander’s plan. - Anton Emmanuel De Vieira, Pyotr Andreevich Tolstoy and their like-minded people.

By order of Peter II, A.D. Menshikov was appointed to the post of Generalissimo of the Naval and Ground Forces of Russia. The emperor's engagement to Maria Menshikova was announced. However, he soon fell ill and lost control of the emperor. In September 1727, A.D. Menshikov was declared house arrest, and then exiled to Ranenburg, but then a new investigation was carried out on him. In the spring of 1728, deprived of all ranks and property, accompanied by only a few assistants, he was sent to Berezovo. Here, in Menshikov’s arms, his daughter died, and soon he himself died.

Many of his contemporaries did not even consider A.D. Menshikov to be the main culprit in the death of Alexei Petrovich. Alexander successfully got away with abuses of his position, getting away with the least possible cost when they were discovered - monetary fines. He successfully drowned his enemies, including sometimes strong and famous people, such as the Russian diplomat P.P. Shafirov. Alexander Danilovich Menshikov died on November 12, 1729, in the city of Berezov, now Berezovo, Tyumen region, where a monument was erected in 1993.

Awards

• Order of St. Apostle Andrew the First-Called (1703)
• Order of the White Eagle (1705)
• Order of the Elephant (1710)
• Order of the Black Eagle (1713)
• Order of St. Alexander Nevsky (1725)

Family

• Spouse: Daria Mikhailovna Arsenyeva
• Children: Maria, Alexander, Alexandra

Memory of A.D. Menshikov

• In Moscow, the name of the Generalissimo was preserved by the Menshikov Tower.
• In Kolpino (St. Petersburg) in 1997, a bronze bust was erected to the founder of the city, Duke of Izhora A.D. Menshikov
• In the village of Berezovo (Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug)], where A.D. Menshikov was exiled, a monument was erected in 1993

Mentions in films

• Vladimir Karin-Yakubovsky “Tsarevich Alexei”, 1918
• Mikhail Ivanovich Zharov “Peter the Great”, 1937-1938
• Vladimir Menshov “The Tale of How Tsar Peter Married an Arab,” 1976; "Tsarevich Alexey", 1997
• Nikolay Eremenko Jr. “The Youth of Peter”, “At the Beginning of Glorious Deeds”, 1980)
• Sergey Parshin “Young Russia”, 1981
• Leonid Kuravlev “The Demidovs”, 1983

Literature

• Project " The best people countries"
• Academician (online resource)
• Free encyclopedia "Wikipedia"
• Chronos ( world history on the Internet)
• The secret of the name (Internet resource)

Image gallery