290 years ago, Alexander Menshikov, one of the most influential statesmen of the Petrine era, was sent to Siberian exile. An associate of the tsar, president of the Military Collegium of Russia, the first governor-general of St. Petersburg, generalissimo and admiral, was under arrest by order of the young grandson of Peter the Great and was deprived of all positions, titles and ranks. Experts note that the role of Menshikov in the history of Russia is "easier to underestimate than to overestimate." About the life, merits and reasons for the disgrace of a powerful courtier - in the material RT.

• "Peter the Great. Foundation of St. Petersburg"
• A. Venetsianov

On April 11, 1728, Alexander Menshikov was sent into exile in Siberian Berezov. In the Petrine era, 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, the excellent strategist and master of political games became a victim of personal hostility.

Becoming a courtier

There are no reliable data on the origin of Alexander Danilovich Menshikov today at the disposal of historians. According to the official version of Peter the Great, the father of the future prince was a Lithuanian nobleman from an ancient family, was captured during the Russian-Polish war and entered the service of the sovereign Alexei Mikhailovich, and his mother was the daughter of a famous merchant. However, the noble origin of Menshikov was 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, as a child he could well sell pies somewhere. This story lived in Moscow for many years. Its reliability has been testified by many people, including well-known diplomats, ”said Pavel Krotov, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor of St. Petersburg State University, in an interview with RT.

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

• Peter I with the badge of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called
• J.-M. Nattier (1717)

Nothing was impossible for Menshikov. He always undertook the execution of any order of the sovereign. A valuable quality for the courtier was that he knew how to amuse the quick-tempered monarch and quickly "extinguish" his anger. According to the story of the historian Andrei Nartov, Peter somehow got 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 the 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 to help the commander at the decisive moment of the battle of the guards. In 1703, together with Peter, he participated 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 laying of St. Petersburg, Menshikov became its governor-general. He stayed in this position for many years, supervised the construction of the city, shipyards and arms factories.

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

For actions near Narva and Ivangorod, Menshikov was promoted to lieutenant general in 1704. In 1705, he became a general of cavalry, and a year later he was entrusted with the leadership of the entire regular military cavalry of the country.

In October 1706, Menshikov defeated the superior Polish-Swedish forces near Kalisz. Moreover, at a difficult moment in the battle, he personally led the attack and was even wounded. Only a few hundred of von Krassov's cavalrymen escaped from the Swedish army of many thousands. This was the largest victory over the Swedes in six years of the war, a prologue to success in the Battle of Poltava.

In 1708, Menshikov participated in the battle with the Swedes at Lesnaya. After the betrayal of Mazepa, he seized his residence in Baturin and prevented the reunification of the hetman's supporters with the Swedish army.

• "Peter I in the Battle of Poltava"
• L. Caravaque (1718)

“During the Battle of Poltava, Menshikov defeated Schlippenbach and commanded the left flank of the army, against which the main forces of the Swedish cavalry were concentrated,” said Krotov.

For success in the battle of Poltava, Menshikov was promoted to field marshal general and received the possession of the cities of Pochep and Yampol. At the final stage of the Northern War, he commanded Russian troops in the Baltic. Since 1714, the closest associate of Peter worked mainly in the civilian field.

Big hopes

In 1715, Menshikov was accused of economic abuses, the investigation of which dragged on for several years. Peter at that time began to treat his old comrade worse, but Menshikov's participation in the investigation against Tsarevich Alexei returned him to the king's favor.

In 1719, Peter appointed Menshikov president of the Military Collegium, and in 1721 he was promoted to vice admiral. True, three years later, due to new accusations of abuse, the monarch again became angry with Menshikov and deprived him of the posts of governor general and president of the Military Collegium. Peter forgave his friend, only being on his deathbed.

After the death of the tsar, the tribal nobility wanted to immediately enthrone the young grandson of Peter the Great, Peter Alekseevich, but Menshikov prevented this by bringing the widow of the monarch, Catherine I, to power by the forces of the guard and the highest bureaucracy. The bet turned out to be correct. Catherine returned to Menshikov all the positions that Peter I had deprived him of, and in fact transferred to him all the levers of government.

He betrothed his daughter Maria Menshikov to the son of the great Lithuanian hetman Peter Sapieha, with whom the girl fell in love sincerely. However, after Catherine came to power, Alexander Danilovich had a new idea. He persuaded the empress to bless the marriage of his daughter Maria with the grandson of Peter I - Peter Alekseevich. The teenagers were not at all enthusiastic about each other, but Menshikov was not interested in this: this marriage opened up simply fabulous prospects for him - to become the father of the empress.

In 1727, the Empress died of a lung disease. Shortly before her death, Menshikov persuaded the tsarina to sign an indictment against his ill-wishers at court, in particular against Count Peter Tolstoy. After Peter II was on the throne, Menshikov retained his influence at court for some time, but soon the experienced dignitary was let down by confidence in the knowledge of human nature.

“Menshikov did not take into account the peculiarities of the character of the teenage emperor Peter II,” said Krotov.

According to the historian, adolescence gave rise to a spirit of contradiction in the young monarch. In addition, he was the grandson of the quick-tempered and imperious Peter I and, feeling like a king, could not bear that someone would command him.

“An interesting story has come down to our days. Some woman from the people showed respect to the tsar, presenting him with a chicken, he, moved, ordered to give her 10 rubles - huge money for those times, the annual salary of a worker. Menshikov tried to dissuade Peter from such expenses. The young monarch became furious and said that he ordered to give the woman even more money. With his remarks, Menshikov was preparing a thunderstorm for himself, ”said Krotov.

According to the historian, Menshikov, who was well versed in politics, this time made a personal miscalculation, which in the end cost him dearly.

Companion of Peter the Great lost influence on his grandson. In September 1727, Menshikov was arrested without trial and sent into exile in the Ranenburg fortress. And then he was officially deprived of all positions, titles and awards, and in April 1728 he was exiled to Siberia with his family. Maria's betrothal to Peter Alekseevich was cancelled.

“Considering that Peter II died, having corrected only less than three years, Menshikov - not to lose his favor and marry him to his daughter - had a chance to try to actually become the founder of a new royal dynasty, but he missed it, not understanding the teenage psychology," Krotov noted.

Days of Exile

Menshikov's wife Daria Mikhailovna died on the way to exile. In Berezovo, a man who until recently actually ruled all of Russia, together with several servants, built himself a hut and a small church. Menshikov died at the age of 56. Soon his daughter Maria also died, with whom, according to some sources, shortly before this, Prince Fyodor Dolgoruky, who had been in love with her for many years, had married, who had specially come to Siberia for this.

• "Menshikov in Beryozov"
• V. I. Surikov (1883)

The Menshikov family was pardoned by Empress Anna Ioannovna. Menshikov's son, Alexander Alexandrovich, entered the service in the guard in 1731, and in 1762 he swore the inhabitants of Moscow to Catherine II and rose to the rank of general-in-chief. The great-grandson of Peter's comrade-in-arms - Alexander Sergeevich - already in the 19th century became the naval minister of the Russian Empire and the governor-general of Finland.

During his lifetime 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 statements.

“Such conversations are the fruit of the activities of Menshikov’s political opponents. And even a part of modern researchers believed in them, who paid attention to the fact that documents instead of Menshikov himself, as a rule, were 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, as well as the fact that he had very little time. Signatures made personally by Menshikov, drawn by a clearly confident hand, have come down to us. In addition, his very speech, recorded in documents, and fluency in German testify in favor of the fact 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 the history of Russia is "easier to underestimate than to overestimate."

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

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

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

Gave Russia a lot of bright and original names. Alexander Menshikov, a devoted supporter and comrade of the first emperor, cannot be excluded from this series. After the death of Peter, he claimed the leading role in the state, but ...

Roots Menshikov

The origin of the future "semi-power ruler" still causes heated discussions among historians. AD Menshikov was born in 1673 in Moscow. He was not from some powerful aristocratic family. The textbook story about the boy Alexander, who sold pies on the streets of the capital, is widely known. Many biographers of Menshikov retell the following story. A small bakery seller caught the eye of Franz Lefort, an influential state nobleman. The general liked the quick-witted boy, and he took him into his service.

However, the folk legend of the "pie seller" is often disputed. It is interesting that the famous writer Alexander Pushkin also adhered to it, who noted this episode in his notes while preparing a book about the history of Peter's reign.

Nevertheless, the low origin of the future prince is also evidenced by the fact that he was illiterate. None of the working papers were drawn up by his hand. To conduct business, A. D. Menshikov had secretaries who were always with him.

Acquaintance with Peter

However, ignorance of the letter did not at all prevent the young man from becoming close to the king. Alexander and Peter met through Lefort. Already at the age of 14, Menshikov became Romanov's batman, and soon his best friend. He was next to Peter back in those days when he had no real power, but only studied and had fun with his amusing regiments. The prince became a company captain, and A. D. Menshikov became a scorer.

The carefree days of youth were gone when a group of boyars overthrew Sofya Alekseevna and declared Peter the sovereign-emperor. Nominally, brother Ivan was on the throne with him. But because of his fragile health, this Romanov did not take part in state affairs, and the influence that Prince Menshikov had at court was incomparably greater.

Favorite of the young king

The young nobleman was an active participant and organizer of Peter's plans. One of the first such enterprises was the Azov campaigns. In 1695, Peter sent armies to the southern borders of the state in order to gain access to the warm seas. Here A. D. Menshikov received his first serious military experience, which greatly helped him in the future. The following year, Peter started the Great Embassy to the countries of Europe. With him he took his most faithful comrades and numerous young people who were to learn Western crafts.

It was at this time that Menshikov became an indispensable companion of the tsar. He reverently fulfilled all his instructions and always achieved the best result. In this he was helped by zeal and vigor, which the official retained until his old age. In addition, Alexander was perhaps the only person who knew how to calm the king. Peter had a violent temper. He did not tolerate the mistakes and failures of his subordinates, he became furious because of them. Menshikov knew how to find a common language with him even in such difficult moments. In addition, the close associate always appreciated the benevolent attitude of the king and never betrayed him.

Participation in the Northern War

In 1700, the main war in the life of Peter the Great and Menshikov began - the Northern. The Russian emperor wanted to return the Baltic coast to the country. This desire has become a fixed idea. In the next twenty years, the tsar (and, therefore, his entourage) spent on endless patrols to the front line and to the rear.

The military leader under Peter 1 met the campaign with the rank of lieutenant. The first success accompanied him in 1702, when he arrived in time with fresh detachments to help Mikhail Golitsyn, who was standing under the walls of Noteburg.

Important victories

Menshikov Alexander Danilovich also took part in the siege of the important Nyenschantz fortress. He was one of the creators of Russia's first naval victory in that war. In May 1703, ships under the direct leadership of Peter and Menshikov defeated the Swedish fleet at the mouth of the Neva. The king's friend distinguished himself by his courage and speed of action. Thanks to his dash for boarding, two important enemy ships were taken. The success has not gone unnoticed. After the battle, especially distinguished officers received the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called. Among them was Menshikov. The war once again confirmed his leadership abilities.

Other facts related to this award are also noteworthy. Firstly, Menshikov Alexander Danilovich turned out to be a holder of a new order with serial number 7, while Peter received order No. 6. Secondly, the awarding took place a week before the laying of the future capital - St. Petersburg. The decree on awarding Menshikov already at that time names him the governor-general of the new province.

Governor General of St. Petersburg

From that moment and for many years, until his disgrace, Peter's close associate led the construction of a new city. Also in his charge was Kronstadt and several shipyards on the Neva and Svir.

The regiment led by Alexander Danilovich was named Ingermanlandsky and was equated with other elite units - the Semenovsky and Preobrazhensky regiments.

Menshikov receives the title of prince

In 1704, the siege of Narva and Ivangorod ended. Menshikov also took part in it. The military biography contains information about the participation of the hero of our story in many campaigns and battles. In each battle, he was in the forefront, diligently following the orders of the king. His devotion was not in vain. In 1707 he received the title of prince of the Izhora land. Now he was addressed only as "your grace."

Prince Menshikov justified such royal mercy. Again and again, with inextinguishable energy, he took on the orders of the sovereign. In 1707, the Northern War changed the theater of operations. Now the confrontation with the Swedish king has moved to Poland and Ukraine. Menshikov took part in an important battle near Lesnaya, which was a rehearsal for a general battle with the enemy.

When it became known about the betrayal of Hetman Mazepa, the prince immediately went to his capital - the city of Baturin. The fortress was taken and destroyed. For an important victory, Peter awarded his comrade with another estate. The amount of land at the disposal of Menshikov was really amazing.

This only once again confirmed how dear the adviser was to the king. Peter rarely did without Menshikov's advice in military matters. Often the emperor expressed an idea, after which the prince worked it out and made suggestions for improving it. In fact, he played the role of chief of military staff, although formally there was no such position.

Poltava battle

Historians call one of the main successes of Menshikov his personal contribution to the victory at Poltava. On the eve of the battle, his detachment was placed in the vanguard of the troops. Menshikov's blow was the first and meant the immediate beginning of the battle. During the battle, the prince moved to the left flank, where he acted just as energetically and effectively. Three horses were killed under him...

Also Menshikov, along with Golitsyn. led the pursuit of the defeated Swedish army. He overtook the fugitives and forced them to capitulate. Thanks to this successful operation, about 15 thousand Swedish soldiers were captured, including famous officers and generals (Levenhaupt, Kreutz, etc.). A large feast was given in honor of the noble prisoners. Peter I, who was sitting at the table, personally announced toasts in honor of the defeated opponents.

For his active actions in the Battle of Poltava, Menshikov received the rank of Field Marshal. He was also given further land allotments. The prince became the owner of more than 40 thousand serfs, which made him the second most powerful person in the country. When Peter solemnly entered Moscow to celebrate his triumph, Menshikov rode on the right hand of the tsar. This was another recognition of his services to the state.

The prince was connected with Moscow by another important matter for himself. In 1704 he ordered the construction of the temple, which was completed three years later. in Moscow (as this building began to be called) is now the oldest building in the capital in the style

Prince's estates

Thanks to his huge fortune, the prince, during the heyday of his career, rebuilt many residences throughout the country. The most famous is the Menshikov Palace on Vasilyevsky Island in St. Petersburg. At first it was used as a personal estate. However, after the "semi-power ruler" was sent into exile, the building was rebuilt to meet the needs of the military corps.

In Oranienbaum, the next Menshikov Palace is the largest building of the local architectural ensemble. It consists of several gardens, houses as well as canals. All this diversity makes up a large and bright composition, which annually attracts thousands of tourists here.

The palace in Kronstadt was designed by the German architect Braunstein. Today this building is one of the oldest in the city. It was rebuilt several times, due to which the original appearance of the palace, unfortunately, was lost.

Another important estate of the prince was the Ranenburg fortress in the modern Lipetsk region. It was laid personally by Peter, who at the beginning of his reign tried to build numerous fortifications in the central provinces according to the European (Dutch) model. In 1702, the emperor gave this place to Menshikov, who built a monastery here.

Continuation of the Northern War

After the Battle of Poltava, the strategic initiative in the war passed to Russia. Menshikov over the next four years led troops in the Baltic provinces: Pomerania, Courland and Holstein. Peter's European allies (Denmark and Prussia) honored him with their national awards (the Order of the Elephant and the Order of the Black Eagle, respectively).

In 1714, the governor-general finally returned to St. Petersburg, where he took up the organization of internal affairs. He was in charge of a large city treasury, into which money flowed from all over the country. Even during the life of Peter there were rumors that many funds were being spent for other purposes. Many believed that it was Menshikov who was scattering this money. What did Peter the Great do in response to such rumors? By and large, nothing: he needed the prince and appreciated him very much, because of which he got away with a lot.

President of the Military College

Despite his abuses, Menshikov in 1719 headed the new Military Collegium. This department appeared as a result of the great state reform of Peter the Great. The tsar abandoned the old and ineffective orders, and instead of them he established boards - the prototypes of modern ministries. A clear hierarchy has developed in these structures, which corresponded to the new Table of Ranks. President Menshikov became the first official with such a position.

After the prince was involved in direct administrative work, he no longer led the armies on the battlefield. Nevertheless, it was Alexander Danilovich who legislatively directed the life of the troops at the last stage of the Northern War. In 1721, the Treaty of Nystadt was concluded, which secured new conquests for Russia on the Baltic coast. Since that moment, the country has been at the forefront of European big politics. In honor of the victory, Peter awarded numerous associates and officers who had been with him for these two decades. Menshikov received the rank of Vice Admiral.

The death of Peter and the reign of Catherine

The inconstant disposition of Peter became the reason that the sovereign still could not stand the embezzlement of his entourage. In 1724, Menshikov was deprived of most of his posts: the post of president of the Military Collegium, the governor-general of St. Petersburg. A few months later, Peter became seriously ill and died. On his deathbed, he forgave his old friend and admitted Menshikov to him.

In the last years of the king's life, the issue of succession to the throne was acute. At the last moment, the emperor decided to transfer power to his wife Catherine, despite the fact that not long before that she had been convicted of treason. Menshikov was close to the new ruler. With the help of the guard, he crushed any resistance of the enemy parties. However, his triumph was short-lived.

Link and death

Catherine died suddenly in 1727. Her place was taken by the grandson of Peter I, Peter II. The new emperor was still a child, he did not make independent decisions. Behind him stood a party of nobles who could not stand the "semi-powerful ruler." Alexander Danilovich was arrested and charged with embezzlement.

The new government announced the verdict. Link Menshikov was supposed to pass in the north. He was sent to distant Berezov. Despite the disgrace, the exile was allowed to have his own housing. Menshikov's house was built by his own hands. There he died in 1729.

Alexander Danilovich Menshikov was born in 1673 in Moscow. He came from a poor and simple family, and from childhood he began working as an assistant to a pie-maker, selling pies from a stall. By a lucky chance, a lively and witty merchant named Aleksashka (that was the name of the future prince then) met with a high-ranking Mr. F. Ya. Lefort, who was an associate of Peter I himself. passed into the service of Franz Yakovlevich. However, his miraculous ascent to the top did not end there - already at the age of 14, Alexander managed to win over the king himself, soon getting to Peter as batmen.

Being almost inseparably under the tsar, Menshikov eventually became Peter's confidant, sharing fun with him, and later affairs of national importance.

For many years Menshikov remained the tsar's main favorite and his first assistant.

Menshikov served really well - he carried out orders with the necessary diligence and even zeal, he kept secrets zealously, he memorized orders tightly. And, besides, he, like no one else, knew how to pacify the difficult and quick-tempered royal character.

During the Northern War, when Russia and Sweden fought for dominance in the Baltic, Menshikov managed to distinguish himself as a talented commander of infantry and cavalry, and in the spring of 1703, together with Peter, he won a brilliant and courageous victory at the mouth of the Neva River, for which he received a nominal a medal with the engraved text: "The Unprecedented Happens".

Later, Menshikov received the post of the first governor-general of St. Petersburg, remaining in office from 1703 until 1727. He supervised city construction, and also built Kronstadt and commanded shipyards.

In the same period, Menshikov commanded troops in battles in Poland and Lithuania, and in 1705 he was awarded the Polish Order of the White Eagle.

In 1706, it was Menshikov who commanded the cavalry troops in the battle of Kalisz, when a brilliant victory was won over the Swedish-Polish corps on October 18, 1706. The king's recognition for the victory in the battle was a baton adorned with precious stones and the rank of colonel of the Life Guards of the Preobrazhensky Regiment.

In addition to military awards, the tsar granted quite peaceful ranks to his favorite Menshikov - for example, in 1702 Alexander Danilovich became a count of the Roman Empire, in 1705 he was promoted to the princes of the Roman Empire, and in May 1707 he received the title of His Serene Highness Prince Izhora.

Along with the ranks, Menshikov's well-being also grew.

Menshikov also fought with the Swedish army of Charles XII, when he went to Ukraine and Belarus. In general, the military ingenuity or even the military genius of Menshikov impressed Peter very much - he completely trusted Alexander Danilovich and relied on him. So, it was Menshikov who played a huge role in the Battle of Poltava in the summer of 1709, for which he was granted the rank of Field Marshal.

At the end of the war, in 1716, Menshikov received the rank of rear admiral, and on the day of the conclusion of peace with the Swedes, he became vice admiral.

It is known that despite the royal love and trust, Menshikov was repeatedly convicted of abuse and misappropriation of state funds. However, he could always count on the indulgence of the king, and, as a rule, got off with fines and penalties.

The power of Menshikov, who actually ruled the state after the death of the emperor, when the young Peter II ascended the throne, did not last very long - the reason was his long illness and behind-the-scenes intrigues of the court. Thus, influence on the young emperor was lost, and Menshikov soon lost all his former greatness.

Later, being on the losing side, he was completely arrested and sent into exile. Alexander Danilovich lost all his titles, ranks and wealth, and the city of Berezov, Tobolsk province, became his place of exile. His wife, Princess Darya Mikhailovna, who was once the favorite of Peter himself, died on the way to the places of serving.

It is known that, together with his close associates, Menshikov built himself a simple wooden house, saying then that he had a chance to end the same simple life with which he had once begun.

The smallpox epidemic claimed the life of his daughter, and on November 12, 1729, Alexander Danilovich himself died. They buried him near the altar of the church built by him.

The generalissimo and the admiral were under arrest by order of the young grandson of Peter the Great and were deprived of all positions, titles and ranks. Experts note that the role of Menshikov in the history of Russia is "easier to underestimate than to overestimate." About the life, merits and reasons for the disgrace of a powerful courtier - in the material RT.

On April 11, 1728, Alexander Menshikov was sent into exile in Siberian Berezov. In the Petrine era, 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, the excellent strategist and master of political games became a victim of personal hostility.

Becoming a courtier

There are no reliable data on the origin of Alexander Danilovich Menshikov today at the disposal of historians. According to the official version of Peter the Great, the father of the future prince was a Lithuanian nobleman from an ancient family, was captured during the Russian-Polish war and entered the service of the sovereign 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, as a child he could well sell pies somewhere. This story lived in Moscow for many years. Its reliability has been testified by many people - including well-known diplomats, ”said Pavel Krotov, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor of St. Petersburg State University, in an interview with RT.

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

Nothing was impossible for Menshikov. He always undertook the execution of any order of the sovereign. A valuable quality for the courtier was that he knew how to amuse the quick-tempered monarch and quickly "extinguish" his anger. According to the story of the historian Andrei Nartov, Peter somehow got 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 the 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 to help the commander at the decisive moment of the battle of the guards. In 1703, together with Peter, he participated 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 laying of St. Petersburg, Menshikov became its governor-general. He stayed in this position for many years, supervised the construction of the city, shipyards and arms factories.

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

During his lifetime 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 statements.

“Such conversations are the fruit of the activities of Menshikov's political opponents. And even a part of modern researchers believed in them, who paid attention to the fact that documents instead of Menshikov himself, as a rule, were 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 the fact that he had very little time. Signatures made personally by Menshikov, drawn by a clearly confident hand, have come down to us. In addition, his very speech, recorded in documents, and fluency in German testify in favor of the fact 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 the history of Russia is "easier to underestimate than to overestimate."

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

According to the head of the HSE School of Historical Sciences, Doctor of Historical Sciences Alexander Kamensky, the fundamental assessment of the activities of Alexander Menshikov depends on the assessment of the reforms of Peter I himself.

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

A statesman, a brave commander, a master of political intrigues, the right hand of Emperor Peter and the infamous embezzler in one person - he had everything and nothing left. Alexander Menshikov went from a boy in the service of Franz Lefort to a gray eminence under the rulers of the Russian Empire and died in poverty in Siberian exile.

Orderly and valet Menshikov

Alexander Menshikov was born on November 16, 1673 in Moscow. There is no reliable information about his family. It is believed that, already being close to Peter I, he hired people who invented and compiled his genealogical tree, according to which his ancestors were Lithuanian nobles. According to one version, Menshikov's father was a groom, according to another, a baker. According to a well-known legend, at the beginning of his career, Menshikov was selling pies on the street, but his ill-wishers could invent such a story. Alexander Pushkin in the drafts of the "History of Peter" wrote:

“... 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 the truth..

Documents that Menshikov would have written with his own hand have not been preserved, so historians doubt that the Serene Highness was literate. However, this was offset by his natural talent and ingenuity. Menshikov was noticed by Franz Lefort as a boy and took him into his service. Peter I also saw the 14-year-old young man at Lefort and accepted him as orderlies. Menshikov quickly gained the confidence of the tsar, became his friend and participated in all his undertakings. Peter appointed Menshikov to the Preobrazhensky Regiment of Amusing Troops, and at the age of 20 he became a scorer. Gradually, he assumed the position of valet under the king. In the circle they thought that he would become a court jester, but everyone was cruelly mistaken: Peter entrusted literally everything to Menshikov. The first of the Russian nobles, Menshikov ordered a wig for himself in the German settlement, began to follow Western fashion, began to learn German and Dutch, which, of course, set the boyars even more against himself. It was Menshikov who accompanied the sovereign on Peter's first trip abroad. Along with Peter, he studied all the crafts, worked at the Amsterdam shipyard. He also participated in the Azov campaigns of 1695-1696, in the Great Embassy.

military glory

In 1698, another streltsy uprising took place, and the enraged Peter staged mass executions. Menshikov boasted of his record - they say, he personally beheaded 20 people. In 1699, Franz Lefort died, and Menshikov turned out to be the only truly close associate of Peter. "I have one hand left, thieving, but true,"- wrote the king.

In 1700, Alexander married Daria Arsenyeva, who later became the mother of his seven children. In the same year, the Northern War began. Menshikov distinguished himself in the fighting, was all the time at the forefront: he commanded infantry and cavalry, participated in the storming of fortresses - and in 1704 Menshikov was promoted to the rank of major general. In 1705 he fought with the Swedes in Lithuania, in 1706 he defeated the corps of General Mardefeld at Kalisz, distinguished himself in the battle of Lesnaya in 1708. In parallel with the military, an administrative career was going uphill. Since 1702, Menshikov was the commandant of Noteburg; since 1703, after the laying of St. Petersburg, he was appointed its governor, supervised the development of the city and shipyards. Not far from St. Petersburg, he built a country residence Oranienbaum, and in St. Petersburg itself he built a luxurious palace - one of the first stone buildings in the city. In Moscow, he still had a mansion donated by Peter, where his wife and children lived.

In 1706, Menshikov became the commander of the 15,000th corps of troops, which Peter sent to help the Polish king Augustus - to fight against the Swedes. Successfully completing the mission, Menshikov celebrated his name day in Grodno, where Peter and August were among the guests. For his comrade-in-arms, the emperor secured the title of Most Serene Prince of the Roman Empire. In the Battle of Poltava, Menshikov distinguished himself again - he commanded the vanguard, then the left flank. Having defeated Schlippenbach's detachment and Ross's corps, he helped Peter put the army of Charles XII to flight. As a result, Menshikov caught up with the army and forced him to capitulate at the crossing over the Dnieper. It is known for certain that during the battle under him three horses were killed, since Menshikov was always in the thick of battles. For the victory at Poltava, His Serene Highness was promoted to field marshal and several cities with volosts were given into his possession, which increased the number of his serfs by 43,000 male souls. Only the emperor had more.

From 1709 to 1713 Menshikov commanded troops in Poland, Courland, Holstein and Pomerania. In 1705 he was awarded the Polish Order of the White Eagle, as well as the Orders of the Black Eagle (Prussia) and the Order of the Elephant (Denmark).

Brilliant career

In 1714, Menshikov's military career ended - he returned to St. Petersburg and took up the solution of all internal (and not only) issues of the state. As governor-general of St. Petersburg, he paid special attention to the city. And this is not surprising: in 1713 the imperial court, the diplomatic corps and the Senate moved there. In 1715, Count Apraksin was away, and Menshikov took command of the Kronstadt squadron and other affairs of the Admiralty. Sometimes Menshikov went to sea - for example, he participated in a sea voyage to Revel and Gangut. On the Friedrichstadt ship, he commanded the fleet at Krasnaya Gorka, participated in exercises - was a strategic opponent of Peter. In 1721 Menshikov became vice admiral.

Menshikov Palace. Architects: Francesco Fontana, Gottfried Johann Schedel. 1710-1760. Photo: opeterburge.ru

Grand (Menshikov) Palace in Oranienbaum. Architects: Francesco Fontana, Johann Friedrich Braunstein. 1711-1719. Photo: sport-aerob.ru

Less than a year after Menshikov's return to St. Petersburg, a scandal broke out: a case was initiated on the embezzlement of the vice-governor, in which His Serene Highness was involved. There was also evidence. Usually, in this case, the offender was either executed or sent to hard labor for life - however, the system failed with Menshikov.

“Where it is a matter of the life or honor of a person, then justice requires weighing on the scales of impartiality both his crimes and the merits he rendered to the fatherland and the sovereign ... and I continue to need him”, - wrote Peter I. From the state of the account of the governor, vice admiral and field marshal, they simply subtracted the amount that was missing from the budget.

Even before that, in June 1712, Peter imprisoned his son Alexei in the Peter and Paul Fortress after he fled abroad and was returned by Count Tolstoy. Catherine I and Menshikov contributed to this decision in every possible way. Menshikov, according to the memoirs of contemporaries, also participated in torture. He was not satisfied with the existence of an heir who was a threat to his own position. Alexei was sentenced to death, and Menshikov was the first to put his signature on the verdict. They did not manage to carry out the sentence: on June 26, Alexei died, and historians agree that he was killed. Menshikov's participation in the murder has not been proven, but after that he became even closer to Peter and received the post of president of the Military Collegium - to combat embezzlement.

Intrigues and upheavals

In May 1724, the coronation of Catherine took place in Moscow. And although Menshikov walked on the right hand of Peter, their relationship had already begun to deteriorate: His Serene Highness allowed himself too much. As you know, before his death, Peter did not have time to leave a will, which led to the first palace coup. Menshikov contributed to the accession of Catherine and became her gray cardinal, the de facto ruler. In February 1728, the Supreme Privy Council was established, headed by Alexander Menshikov. The Council had the right to pass laws without the consent of the empress, and this gave Menshikov unlimited power, which he absolutely did not want to lose. To strengthen his position, he decided to marry his daughter Maria to the heir to the throne - the future Emperor Peter II, son of Alexei. Count Tolstoy and those close to him were categorically against this marriage: it was clear that in this case nothing would prevent Menshikov from ruling the country without fear of competitors. But Catherine I gave permission for this marriage. In April 1727, Catherine fell seriously ill, and on May 6 she died. The newly-made Emperor Peter II at that time was 11 years old. Until the age of 16, he had to be under the tutelage of the Supreme Privy Council and swore under oath not to take revenge on any of those who signed the sentence on his father. Alexander Menshikov managed at that time to be awarded the rank of full admiral and the title of generalissimo.

Illness and exile

Unknown artist. Daria Menshikova. 1724-1725. Image: mmsk.ru

Johann Gottfried Tannauer. Maria Menshikova. 1722-1723. Image: mmsk.ru

Johann Gottfried Tannauer. Alexander Menshikov. 1722-1723. Image: mmsk.ru

On May 25, the betrothal of Maria Menshikova and Peter II took place. On July 26, all the materials on the case of Alexei and the Order on the succession to the throne issued by Peter I were destroyed. And then Alexander Menshikov, who until then had not made a single strategic mistake in his struggle for power, stumbled. He entrusted the upbringing of Peter II to Count Osterman, whom he considered his friend. However, he was not going to give the reins of government to Menshikov and began to set the future emperor against His Serene Highness. At the same time, Menshikov fell seriously ill and for more than two months actually dropped out of the life of the court. They managed to convince Peter II that Menshikov planned to make a puppet out of him and become the de facto ruler. Menshikov was taken into custody, and with the arrest came a decree to the guards regiments not to listen to Menshikov and not to obey him. His Serene Highness wrote a letter to Peter II with a request to leave for Ukraine - and received in response a decree on the deprivation of the nobility, orders, titles and confiscation of property. In September, Menshikov was sent into exile on the Ranenburg estate; then, deprived of the remaining property, - to the Siberian town of Berezov near Tobolsk. Menshikov's wife died on the way. In Berezov, Menshikov himself, with the help of eight faithful servants, built himself a house and a church nearby. A smallpox epidemic raged in Siberia in 1729, and Alexander Menshikov died from it on November 23, 1729 at the age of 56. He was buried at the same church that he built with his own hands. Menshikov's grave has not survived to this day.