The heroes of his canvases are the disgraced prince of the Mensheviks. actual government of the country. The initial stage of the Northern War

Prince Menshikov A.D., 1727

Alexander Danilovich Menshikov (1673-1729) - prince, the first oligarch of Russia.

Since childhood, we have heard "about the chicks of Petrov's nest." Moreover, it was explained to us that "Peter ... from the surrounding society attracted best forces took the best people..."

One of the "chicks" was His Serene Highness Prince Alexander Menshikov. A person about whose origin there is still no consensus. Peter "got it" from Lefort, and he came to Lefort from the "pie-makers" - he was peddling pies. I did not learn to read and write in my entire life and with difficulty "depicted" my signature. Why did Menshikov like Peter?

Well, firstly, Alexander Menshikov had a liveliness and resourcefulness of mind, which helped him carry out the most risky assignments of an impatient master. He also showed personal courage when he "took the sword" of the city.

Secondly, by the fact that he was devoted to Peter both in body and soul. The last one is in literally: he neatly shared with Peter all his mistresses and was himself one of them. It was not for nothing that Peter called Aleksashka "min hertshen" - "my heart". The same Aleksashka "conceded" to Peter the "trophy girl" who became Empress Catherine I (1684-1727).

And finally constant readiness to participate in drinking. It is known that Peter pathologically did not tolerate not only teetotalers, but also people who were simply moderate in alcohol consumption.

However, as time went on, Peter moved further and further away from Menshikov. Alexashka disappeared, with whom Peter went to the German settlement to Anna Mons (1672-1714) and Lefort (1656-1699), stormed Azov and Narva. The embezzler remained - His Serene Highness Prince Alexander Danilovich Menshikov, invested with enormous power.

Who knows, if Peter lived a few more years, and A.D. Menshikov would have ended his life on the block. But fate was kind to him. Peter died earlier. However, there are various rumors about his death. Some believe that the emperor was poisoned, and Catherine herself is called the executor, over whom a serious danger also loomed: Peter was tired of the spreading horns with which the empress awarded him. In November 1724, Peter ordered the execution of chamberlain Willim Mons, brother of Anna Mons, for bribes. However, the main reason was Willim's too close relationship with Catherine.

Menshikov - fulfillment of desires

After the death of Peter, Prince Alexander Danilovich Menshikov was left without a patron, and he began to act. The emperor was to be the grandson of Peter I, the son of Tsarevich Alexei, who was killed by him, also Peter (1715-1730). Catherine could only become a guardian. But for the "chicks of Petrov's nest" such a situation threatened to be excommunicated from power with all the consequences. Someone signed his father's death warrant, and someone participated in his murder. Fearing revenge, they put Catherine on the throne. They planted it, because during the discussion of the future ruler, guards officers appeared in the hall of the palace. When guards regiments appeared in front of the windows, Alexander Menshikov took his sword out of its scabbard, rubbed it with the cuff of his uniform and invited all those who disagreed with the accession to the throne of Mother Empress to speak, adding that "it will be very interesting to listen to all this."

January 28, 1725, on the day of the death of Peter I, Catherine became Empress. Truly, Russia is a country of unlimited possibilities. A former pastry maker puts a former "trophy girl" on the throne. A gloomy realization of the fairy tale about Cinderella.

However, the "chicks" were not going to give power to Cinderella. The very next year they established or "studied" the Supreme Privy Council. Secret, apparently, because no one was supposed to know what this mafia formation was doing. The Supreme Privy Council was supposed to be under the leadership of Catherine, but she visited him only a few times. During the short "woman's kingdom" Catherine managed to issue a Decree that laid the foundations of Russian office work. In 1726, she ordered "not to give salaries to orderly people, but to be content with them from the affairs of petitioners - who will give what of their own free will."

The first person in the Privy Council was Prince Alexander Danilovich Menshikov. But this was not enough. He wanted to intermarry with the imperial house. If earlier he was an opponent of the grandson of Peter, now he has become an ardent supporter. The reason was simple: Menshikov decided to marry Peter to one of his daughters. To do this, he achieved from Catherine the inclusion of two points in the will:

• succession to the throne by the minor Peter Alekseevich with guardianship by the Supreme Privy Council;
• a requirement for everyone to facilitate the betrothal and marriage of one of Menshikov's daughters.

Soon after drawing up the will, in May 1727, Catherine I died. She was 43 years old. Evil tongues say that it could not have done without Menshikov. However, this is most likely an exaggeration. She just fell asleep. It was discreetly announced that the Empress had died of "fever". In the same month, Prince A.D. Menshikov received the title of Generalissimo, Peter Alekseevich became Emperor Peter II and was betrothed to Menshikov's daughter Maria (1711-1729), who was four years older than Peter.

It's done. His Serene Highness Prince Alexander Danilovich Menshikov reached the pinnacle of power.

Sunset of the brightest

It seems that Menshikov became not just an eagle, but an autocratic eagle - two-headed. But it only seemed that in state affairs he remained a "chick":

• the tribal nobility in the person of the Dolgorukovs and the Golitsyns did not accept the upstart careerist, anxious to climb higher and grab more. Such a position did not arouse understanding among the boyars, who were inclined to observe clan traditions;
• the guard, also striving to preserve certain traditions, supported Menshikov for some time when the shadow of Peter and Catherine hovered around him. But there appeared, albeit a minor, but the legitimate emperor Peter II;
• there is no need to talk about commonwealth with other "reformers". To paraphrase a well-known expression, one can say: "Menshikov did not have permanent supporters, he had permanent interests." These interests did not mix well with those of others, as his theft bordered on kleptomania.

All this means that Menshikov did not have a "party" on which he could count. He had patrons who allowed him to do what others were decapitated for. Now the boy-emperor could become a patron. But he didn't. Prince Alexander Danilovich Menshikov considered Peter II a child:

• once Petersburg masons presented Peter with a gift - 9,000 chervonets. Peter ordered to transfer the money to his sister Natalia. However, Menshikov intercepted the messenger in the corridor and ordered him to take the money to his office;
• once A.D. Menshikov scolded the valet when he found out that he had given Peter a small amount of money for petty expenses, without agreeing with him;
• once Alexander Danilovich sat on the throne. They did not fail to report to the emperor about the "fitting of the throne".

There were a lot of those "once".

Peter II himself considered himself emperor. This difference of opinion was resolved in early September 1727:

• On September 6, Peter left the house of A.D. Menshikov on Vasilyevsky Island;
• On September 7, he transferred the guard under his subordination;
• On September 8, in the morning, S.A. appeared to Menshikov. Saltykov (1672-1742) and announced his arrest;
• On September 9, the 13-year-old emperor, by his decree, deprived Menshikov of all titles, awards, positions, property and, accusing him of treason and embezzlement, exiled him to the Siberian town of Berezov, where he arrived in April 1728.

The reaction of Peter II was accelerated by Menshikov's illness in the summer of 1727. During the two weeks of Menshikov's absence from the court, his "well-wishers" found and showed the young emperor the protocols of interrogations of his father, in which Prince Menshikov participated.

Link A.D. Menshikov

They often write briefly: Menshikov was exiled to Berezov. Such brevity does not give an idea of ​​what actually happened:

• On September 11, after depriving, it would seem, of everything that could be deprived, Menshikov was ordered to leave with his family under escort for his estate Ranenburg;
• On September 12, Alexander Danilovich Menshikov set off on four carriages and forty-two wagons. He was accompanied by a detachment of guards of 120 people. Apparently, this was the convoy;
• A few versts from Petersburg, Menshikov was overtaken by a courier who was ordered to take away foreign orders from the exiled. The Russians took away back in St. Petersburg;
• not far from Tver, Menshikov was overtaken by a second courier, who was ordered to transfer everyone from carriages to carts;
• in Ranenburg, Menshikov received a notice of confiscation of his entire fortune and expulsion. They took away a decent dress from him and his family members, dressed him in sheepskin coats, and gave sheep's hats on their heads;
• Menshikov's wife could not survive the grief. She was blinded by tears and, before reaching Kazan, she died. Darya Mikhailovna, nee Arsenyeva, lived with Alexander Danilovich for more than 20 years;
• in Tobolsk, the governor gave Menshikov the money assigned for maintenance. Part of the money was spent on the purchase of food, things for children, saws, shovels, nets. The rest Menshikov ordered to distribute to the poor. They got to the place on open carts.

It is difficult to say why these difficulties were necessary: ​​was it revenge or the usual confusion in an unusual case.

Eight servants arrived with Menshikov, who did not leave their master in trouble. Together with them, he built a house and a church: in the days of his youth, spent with Peter in Holland, Aleksashka not only drank, but also learned to carpentry.

Menshikov endured deprivation and humiliation steadfastly. But six months later, the eldest daughter Maria died. She was buried in the newly built church. Menshikov himself performed the burial ceremony for his daughter. Then he pointed out a place next to his daughter, where he bequeathed to bury him. The shocks were not in vain, in November 1729 Alexander Danilovich Menshikov died of a rush of blood at the age of 56. They buried him at the altar. Time passed, the grave was washed away by the river Sosva.

The son and daughter of Menshikov Alexander and Alexandra survived. In 1731 Empress Anna Ioannovna returned them from exile. The son retained the title and received a fiftieth of the property that belonged to the family. The daughter was assigned to the maid of honor, and in 1732 she was married to Biron's brother, Anna Ioannovna's favorite. In 1736 she died in childbirth. The descendants of Menshikov did not get into history - they lived a normal life.

D.M. Menshikov, 1725

Maria Menshikova, 1723

Alexandra Menshikov, 1723

First oligarch

His Serene Highness Prince Alexander Menshikov is considered the first oligarch. The first not only in order of succession, but also in the order of the stolen. During the implementation of Peter's "reforms" Alexander Danilovich managed to put nine million rubles into his foreign accounts, while in 1724 the budget of the Russian Empire was a little more than six million rubles. Optimists argue that modern "reformers" could not surpass his achievement.

Even short list property makes a strong impression: 90,000 serfs, 6 cities, 99 villages, 13 million rubles, of which 9 million in foreign banks, gold and silver dishes more than 200 pounds.

In Moscow, Prince Menshikov owned the Lefortovo Palace (2nd Baumanskaya st., 3), the estate at Myasnitskaya, 26, the Church of the Archangel Gabriel) and numerous shops, cellars, warehouses, and mills that were rented out.

The origins of his wealth look very modern:

• use of "administrative resource". The resource was the basis of the "economic" activities of Alexander Danilovich. At the beginning, Peter I himself supervised it, then Mother Empress Catherine I. After the next "art" of Danilych, Peter said to his wife: "If, Katenka, he does not improve, then be without a head," and to the chairman of the commission of inquiry, Prince V.V. Dolgoruky answered: "Not for you, prince, to judge me and Danilych, but God will judge us";
• participation in " national projects": in 1718, Menshikov was instructed to dig a canal from the Volkhov to the beginning of the Neva. More than two million rubles were spent on construction. The money disappeared, the canal "did not take place";
• "abuse of office". One of the high-profile cases was the sale of private wheat abroad, bypassing the state monopoly. Trade went through the brothers Dmitry and Osip Solovyovs. The first, being chief commissar in Arkhangelsk, bought grain through dummies and, bypassing customs, sent it to Holland. The second, being a Russian representative on the Dutch stock exchange, sold grain and transferred money to London and Amsterdam. Remember the millions of Menshikov? Among them were these "grain" receipts, when instead of state wheat, wheat bought by Menshikov's people was sold;
• obtaining a monopoly on some type of activity from the state. The monopoly granted to Menshikov for the extraction of the "sea animal" in the White Sea is known. Naturally, Menshikov's people not only hunted the beast. For a pittance, they bought everything "marine" from local residents and sold it to everyone at monopoly prices. Including the state;
• the use of soldiers from local garrisons as laborers;
• obtaining contracts for deliveries to the treasury.

Since 1714 A.D. Menshikov was almost continuously under investigation. But under Peter, in extreme cases, he paid a fine, which was much less than the appropriated one, and even Peter walked him with a club. The situation changed dramatically shortly after the departure of his patrons. Everything was taken away from the first oligarch, even forced to return deposits in foreign banks.

When, on the way to exile, Menshikov was caught up by a courier with another humiliating demand, Menshikov told him: "I am ready for anything, and the more you take away from me, the less worry you leave me. I only regret those who will take advantage of my fall." Perhaps with these words the first oligarch summed up the sad end of his life and admonished his followers.

Tyutchev spoke about the contribution of Peter and his "chicks" to the development of statehood: "Russian history before Peter the Great is a continuous memorial service, and after - one criminal case."

Dates of life and activity

• 1673. November 6 - the birth of Menshikov.
• 1691. Menshikov - a soldier of "amusing troops".
• 1693. In the batmen of Peter I.
• 1695. Participation in the First Azov campaign as a soldier, batman.
• 1696. Participation of Guards Sergeant Menshikov in the Second Azov campaign.
• 1697-1698. Participation in the Grand Embassy. Menshikov is listed as the first volunteer on the list of the "foreman" of Peter Mikhailov (Peter I).
• 1700. The beginning of the war with Sweden. The defeat of Russian troops near Narva. Menshikov - bombardier-lieutenant of the Preobrazhensky regiment.
• 1702. Participation in the assault on Noteburg (Schlisselburg). Menshikov is the commandant of the fortress. Title of Count of the Holy Roman Empire.
• 1703. Participation of Menshikov with Peter in the capture of two Swedish frigates at the mouth of the Neva. Awarded the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called.
• 1704 Appointment of Menshikov as governor of St. Petersburg and Ingermanland.
• 1705. Award of the title of Prince of the Holy Roman Empire.
• 1706. Wedding with Darya Mikhailovna Arseneva. The victory of the Russian troops under the command of Menshikov over the Swedes at Kalisz.
• 1708. Participation in the victorious battles at Good and Lesnaya. The defeat of Baturin, the residence of the traitor Mazepa.
• 1709. Participation in the Battle of Poltava. The capture of the Swedish army at Perevolochna.
• 1710. Participation in the siege of Riga.
• 1713. Siege and capture of Stettin.
• 1714. Election as a member Royal Society in London.
• 1716. Management of the construction of St. Petersburg. The construction of the Menshikov Palace in St. Petersburg, before 1722
• 1718. Participation of Menshikov in the investigation of Tsarevich Alexei.
• 1719. Appointment as President of the Military Collegium.
• 1725. Death of Peter I. With the active participation of Menshikov, Catherine I came to the throne.
• 1726. Creation of the Supreme Privy Council under the leadership of Menshikov.
• 1727. May 6 - death of Catherine I. Accession to the throne of Peter II. May 25 - betrothal of Peter II and Menshikov's daughter Maria. September 11 - Menshikov's exile in Rannenburg. Confiscation of property and deprivation of orders.
• 1728. Menshikov's exile with his family to Berezov. Death on the road of the wife of Menshikov Daria Mikhailovna.
• 1729. Death of daughter Maria. November 12 - death of A.D. Menshikov.
• 1731. Return from exile of daughter Alexandra and son Alexander Menshikov.

"At last I will tell you"

About the Most Serene Prince A.D. Much has been written about Menshikov, and the attitude towards him is determined not only by the "wealth" of his nature, but also by his attitude to the time of Peter the Great. For some, he is an associate of Peter, a statesman. For others, he is an accomplice in the adventures and sprees of Peter, who, under his patronage, became the first thief of Russia.

But there is one thing that makes A.D. Menshikov our contemporary in the literal sense of the word. This is the Menshikov Tower. Providence has preserved for us the miracle tower, and with it the memory of Menshikov. And as for the fact that it was rebuilt, and Menshikov conceived another Tower. His name turned out to be connected precisely with the existing Tower, and another Menshikov appears before people who come to admire the beauty.

This famous picture V. Surikov "Menshikov in Beryozov".

The favorite and favorite of Peter the Great, the all-powerful Prince Alexander Danilovich Menshikov, by the will of Peter II and the princes Dolgoruky, was deprived of all titles, awards and property and exiled with his family on April 11, 1728 to Siberia.

On the way In Kazan, Menshikov's wife Daria died, unable to bear the difficulties of the road and disgrace.

From the beginning, Menshikov lived with his children in prison, then he himself built a wooden house with the help of workers. In exile, Menshikov retained his strength of mind, prayed fervently, built a wooden church, served as a sexton in it. He took the blow of a heavy blow of fate, withstood and did not break.

What about children? The picture shows - the eldest Mary, 17 years old, Alexandra, 16 years old and Alexander! 4 years old.

How was their fate?

Maria (December 26, 1711 - December 26, 1729), the eldest daughter of Alexander Danilovich. She became a bargaining chip in Menshikov's struggle for power.

When, after the death of Peter I, Catherine I ascended the throne, and Menshikov almost ruled Russia, Maria was betrothed to the son of the great hetman of Lithuania, Peter Sapieha. Peter Sapieha was 10 years older than Maria, loved her and waited 5 years for her to grow up, until in 1726 Peter and Maria were betrothed. But...in

In anticipation of the wedding and after the death of Catherine, Menshikov’s plans changed, and he was already thinking of making his daughter an empress by marrying her to Peter II, the grandson of Peter I and the son of Alexei Petrovich.

Peter II became emperor on May 6, 1727, and his betrothal to Mary took place on May 25 of the same year. Peter was then 11 years old, and he cried at the betrothal, and Mary also could not stand her fiancé.

In the summer of 1727, Menshikov fell seriously ill, the princes Dolgoruky took his place near the emperor, and when, after an illness, Menshikov appeared at court, he realized that his time had passed and he was waiting ahead

disgrace ...... The Long-armed "pushed" him.

On September 8, he was placed under house arrest, then exiled to his estate Ranenburg, and in April 1728 he was already exiled to Siberia, deprived of all titles, privileges and all property.

On November 12 (23), 1729, Menshikov died at the age of 56, and a month later, on her birthday, Maria died of smallpox (?), She was 18 years old.

In the picture, she sits in the foreground, wrapped in a fur coat ... A pale, sad face is a sad regret for her broken life, crying without tears .....

After the death of Menshikov, the children were allowed to return to the capital, when Anna Ioannovna had already ascended the throne.

Alexandra was 19 years old at that time, and soon after her return she was married to Gustav Biron, brother of Ernst Biron, Anna Ioannovna's favorite.

In 1736, Alexandra died, but the Menshikov family continued through the female line.

Menshikov's son, Alexander (1714-1764), was more fortunate, participated in the Russian-Turkish war, and was awarded the rank of captain-lieutenant for bravery. He died with the rank of General-in-Chief.

His grandson, His Serene Highness Prince Vladimir Alexandrovich (1814-1893), the general of the cavalry, did not leave any offspring, and this was the end of the Menshikov family in the male line.

The last descendant of Menshikov in the female line, Ivan Nikolaevich Koreysha (1865-1919), received permission to add the surname of his ancestor to his surname for military merits and became known as Menshikov-Koreisha. Died during the Civil War.

The fate of Alexander Danilovich Menshikov lifted high, making him one of the richest nobles

Peter's times, a illustrious prince and the courtier closest to the throne, but the thirst for power, intrigues again plunged him to the very bottom of society - from "dirt to riches" and vice versa .....

Menshikov, with all his devotion to Peter I, belonged to the clan of big "bribery" of state property, for which he was repeatedly punished and even beaten by Peter, but he knew how to dodge, justifying himself by saying that "everyone steals."

One day, the tsar, put out of patience by this rampant dishonesty, wanted to issue a decree to hang any official who stole at least as much as was needed to buy a rope.

Then the "eye of the sovereign", Prosecutor General Yaguzhinsky stood up and said: "Do your Majesty want to reign alone, without servants and subjects? We all steal, only one is larger and more noticeable than the others"

The broken fates of the entire Menshikov family were the price in his struggle for power, but Menshikov himself remained in history as a devoted friend and ally of Peter I, "a pet of Petrov's nest", "main hertzbruder" (my heart brother), as Peter called him.

References:

V. O. Klyuchevsky " historical portraits"

A Shokarev "Secrets of the Russian aristocracy"

Doctor of Historical Sciences N. PAVLENKO.

At first glance, it seems strange that Alexander Danilovich Menshikov - long years the second person in the state after Peter I - performing many important positions, and suddenly illiterate. Foreign diplomats denounced his illiteracy and wrote the tsar's turner, Andrei Konstantinovich Nartov. All the leading historians of the country agreed with their contemporaries. Among them, in the first place should be put the greatest specialist, including on the time of Peter the Great, Sergei Mikhailovich Solovyov - when writing the History of Russia from Ancient Times, he used a fantastic amount of archival documents. And today, among the representatives of a new generation of historians, there have appeared those who do not allow the idea that the prince, the right hand of the king, was uneducated and even illiterate. Unfortunately, there are no facts confirming the patriotic zeal of the discoverers of Menshikov's literacy. There are only circumstantial evidence that is easily refuted and equally easily rejected logical arguments, such as this: "All the soldiers of the amusing troops were literate, which means that Menshikov was also literate." In the magazine "Ugra", published in Khanty-Mansiysk, in issues 8 and 9 for 2004, two articles appeared by Doctor of Historical Sciences Yuri Nikolayevich Bespyatykh, a leading researcher at the St. ". And a year later, in St. Petersburg, his own monograph "Alexander Danilovich Menshikov. Myths and Reality" is published. Both in the articles and in the book, the author, contrary to the prevailing opinion in history, tries to prove that Alexander Danilovich Menshikov was not only not illiterate, but belonged to the number of fairly educated people of his time and came from a noble family, and not from the family of an obscure pie merchant.

Portrait of Peter I by 1721. The engraving is believed to have been done by Ivan Zubov.

Portrait of Catherine I by J. M. Nattier.

A. D. Menshikov against the backdrop of the battle of Kalisz. About 1707.

AD Menshikov (portrait by an unknown artist).

And already the letter addressed to his daughter Ekaterina on April 15, 1720 (its fragment is given), Menshikov signs with his name.

Science and life // Illustrations

Science and life // Illustrations

Menshikov's wife Daria Mikhailovna (left) and their daughters Maria and Alexandra. Portraits by the artist I. G. Tannauer.

His Serene Highness Prince Alexander Danilovich Menshikov. Unknown artist. First quarter of the 18th century.

I decided to enter into a controversy. Not because I consider it so important to answer the question of whether Menshikov could read and write or was illiterate, able only to draw his first and last name. For me, the contribution of Menshikov (as, indeed, of any other figure of a state scale) to the history of the country is more important. It is equally unimportant for me to find out whether Alexander Danilovich was a commoner who sold pies in his early youth, or a nobleman. I fully share the opinion of the Russian historian P.P. Pekarsky, who wrote:

"The question of the Menshikov clan can be of importance to a serious historian only in the sense that his origin from the people can serve as a reinforcement of the remarkable phenomenon that Peter the Great, by the way, borrowing from the European peoples a lot of feudal rubbish that never mattered in Russia , at the same time, in his character and direction, he had a lot of democratic: for him there were no class prejudices, and he chose people of all classes, who only seemed to him capable of fulfilling his plans. This is important only for those who do not understand history otherwise than as a collection of diplomas and official letters. (Pekarsky P.P. Science and literature under Peter the Great. T. 1. - St. Petersburg, 1862, p. 76.)

I'll start with the methods used by Yu. N. Bespyatykh to prove that Menshikov could read (I beg your pardon, but I will have to widely cite Bespyatykh's works). He cites Menshikov’s letter to the tsar dated March 1, 1703: “The Scripture is from you, my most merciful sovereign, I read and hear from the informer the greatest mercy of your mercy to me” (Yu. N. Bespyatykh, p. 23). And the word "read" for the author means only one thing: Menshikov himself read it. The following arguments are of the same kind.

At the court of Menshikov, the secretary kept a journal similar to the Fourier chamber called "Daily Notes ...". It recorded the events of the prince's life starting from the time he woke up, then time-by-time the events subject to external observation were recorded: lunch, reception of visitors, conversations with them, the prince's departures from the palace indicating to whom he was serving, the time of visiting the bath, the illness of the prince and so on and so forth.

Bespyatykh's attention was attracted by many entries in the Daily Notes... (February 12, March 14, July 29, August 31, October 8, 9, 21 and 25, 1716, etc.), which, in his opinion, give reason to believe that Alexander Danilovich himself read the text. So, on November 16, it is written: "At 9 o'clock, I received mail and read the chimes ...", and on December 29, 1717: "His lordship, having arrived at his house, received a letter from the royal majesty through Bukhavetsky and read it"; On February 8 and 9, Menshikov again received two letters from the tsar "and he won't read it" (p. 24).

The given data, according to Bespyatykh, is quite enough for a conclusion: they "convince that AD Menshikov could read" (p. 27). Meanwhile, they only convince the author, but cannot convince another historian who studies Russia in the 18th century. The fact is that Bespyatykh attached importance to the form of content. The words and expressions "read", "people", "letters read", "please read" and similar ones were used at that time not only when the correspondent himself read the messages, but also when someone else read the text to him.

I will give a few examples from the correspondence of Peter the Great with his wife Ekaterina Alekseevna, the future Empress Catherine I. They are taken from the book "Letters of Russian Sovereigns and Other Persons of the Imperial Family", part 1, published in Moscow in 1862. The letters are reproduced in my work "Catherine I", published in 2004. It is well known that Catherine was absolutely illiterate, she did not know how to draw (unlike Menshikov) even her own name, and therefore the issued decrees were signed by her daughter Elizabeth in her name. The following fact is curious. All handwritten letters sent to his wife, the king signed "Peter", less often - "Peter". And almost all of Catherine's numerous messages to Peter I do not have a signature, and only four of them are completed with the signature "Catherine". This fact means one thing: only in four cases, when sending a letter, was daughter Elizabeth nearby.

However, the wife’s inability to read and write did not in the least prevent the tsar from using such expressions in messages to her: “why don’t you write”, “I received your letter”, “for the Gods write more often”, “and what do you write”. In response letters, Ekaterina deflects her husband's reproach: "as if I don't write often"; "which I have written before to your mercy." (The quotes are from the book "Catherine I", pp. 190, 225, 243, 195.) Many times in Peter's letters to Catherine you can read: "I received your letter" (p. 205, 207, 219, 235, etc.) . Following the logic of the Bespyatykhs, Catherine should also be declared literate.

True to his methods of interpreting the source in a direction he wants, the author publishes a letter from Ekaterina Menshikov, in which she asks "not to tear it to shreds, not to burn it, but to send it back by all means." And the conclusion immediately follows: "If so, then it is unlikely that Alexander Danilovich entrusted the reading of the letter to someone from his entourage." On what basis can one judge so? Menshikov was reputed to be a tough man for reprisals and would not have kept a talkative secretary for an hour: all his people were faithful servants, devoted to their master.

In a special chapter, Yu. N. Bespyatykh tries to prove that Alexander Danilovich could not only read, but also write. The evidence is so inconclusive that it is embarrassing to refute it. For example, he quotes from an article by the historian V.F. foreign languages and other sciences in order to fully understand the various instructions given by the king, to correctly transmit royal orders according to them and to monitor their exact execution" (p. 29).

The logic is simple: since Menshikov is part of the bombardment company, which was distinguished by education, then, consequently, Alexander Danilovich is an educated person. But why not adopt (just as unsubstantiated) a judgment of the opposite meaning: all the scorers were educated, but among them one ignoramus was caught - it turned out to be Menshikov.

More serious, however, is a question of a different kind. Where and how could people who knew the art of war, artillery, architecture, and so on, appear in Russia at the end of the 17th century, if the country then had the only educational institution with a theological bias - the Slavic-Greek-Latin Academy? The researcher M. D. Rabinovich, who studied the literacy of the officer corps in 1720-1723, according to incomplete data, counted from 4.4 to 31.2% of officers among the illiterate (depending on the branches of the military). And this applies to the time when Russia already had a fairly extensive network of higher, primary and specialized educational institutions- such as the Navigation School, the Naval Academy, the Artillery, Engineering and Mining Schools, as well as digital and garrison schools. I allow myself to doubt the reliability of the information provided by V. F. Ratch and Yu. N. Bespyatykh, who believed him.

During the first trip abroad, Peter I with several volunteers (Menshikov was among them) went to England to master the theory of shipbuilding. “Peter,” the author notes, “he himself wrote to Moscow that he was “continuously in learning,” and it is clear (?! - N.P.), that the volunteer scorers who were with him, meanwhile, also did not cool off. Therefore, not just literacy, but broad education was obligatory for scorers" (p. 32). But where are the facts confirming this opinion?

What follows is a conclusion that can not convince, but surprise the reader: “Is it conceivable that A. D. Menshikov did not master elementary literacy, did not learn to write, did not learn to prepare drawings intended for the construction of ships; and for all that, he was not only among the elect "the most capable", on whom the monarch-reformer placed his most cherished hopes, but also became the first of them? (p. 32).

The author considers the most compelling evidence of Menshikov’s ability to write such words in the message of Alexander Danilovich: “according to the letters of our own hands”, giving them his own interpretation and ignoring the fact that the expression has the same meaning as “person”, “read”, “you write " etc.

One of Bespyatykh's arguments put me in a difficult position, because it is not clear what he wanted to prove by citing the words of the architect X. Marselius, in whose presence the prince, entering the Peter and Paul Cathedral, "measured a lot in length and width with a sazhen, without saying at all that it will be". On the basis of this phrase, Bespyatykh declares: Menshikov knew the drawing business. "So, there is documentary evidence that Alexander Danilovich made measurements and prepared drawings, and therefore knew at least arithmetic and geometry" (p. 36). Pardon me, the cited text does not give the slightest basis for the conclusion: "Menshikov knew how to make drawings." The text only indirectly states that the prince knew how to count (however, most of the illiterate village women, not to mention the peasants, then owned at least two operations of arithmetic within small numbers).

There is no information that Alexander Danilovich knew how to draw up drawings, but Bespalykh believes that the reader can be convinced by the episode he cites, which occurred on November 28, 1717, when the Most Serene Prince with General Admiral F. M. Apraksin, Vice Admiral K. I. Kruys, Rear Admiral I.F. Botsis "deigned to look and measure where the channel should be inside the Admiralty." I deliberately named the names of those present who were undoubtedly competent in choosing a site for the canal, but Bespyatykh for some reason ascribes this honor to Menshikov, who most likely acted here in the role of the governor of the metropolitan province, and not in the role of an engineer.

Let's agree for a moment that Menshikov could read and write. But this smallness is absolutely not enough to become a full-fledged member of the Royal Society of London and receive a diploma signed by I. Newton, certifying his "highest enlightenment" and a special desire for science. However, Menshikov became one. This curious incident from the life of the most luminous Bespyatykh is also used as evidence of his literacy. Note: neither Newton nor anyone else gives information about the contribution of Alexander Danilovich to science. There is not the slightest doubt that Menshikov had to spend a lot of money in order to support the resources of the Royal Society, which at that time did not receive financial support from the state.

And in the end, Yu. N. Bespyatykh created a myth about the highly educated Menshikov, his almost encyclopedic knowledge: “The above authentic documentary information can convince that Alexander Danilovich not only surpassed the requirement of versatile skills and abilities, artillery, engineering, shipbuilding and other sciences, but he also wrote freely" (p. 39).

I have already spoken about the "genuine documentary information" given by the Bespyaty. But here's the bad luck: a person with such extensive knowledge did not leave a single autograph (except for a signature) and a single drawing to his descendants. How does Bespyatykh explain this? Menshikov allegedly hid his literacy. "Another question," writes the author, "why did he hide it. So far there is nothing to say about it." In my opinion, not only "yet". The era in which our hero operates and its archival documents have been studied in detail.

If such associates of Peter the Great as P. A. Tolstoy, F. M. Apraksin, B. P. Sheremetev and others were literate, then their literacy, although not immediately, can be detected. In those days, the nobles really shied away from handwritten messages: they were usually composed by clerical servants. But in letters, reports, petitions, there are texts written personally: the authors either did not trust their servants, or they wanted to emphasize the importance of addressing with their own writing “P.S.”, or, finally, they wanted to show respect for the correspondent.

When working on the monograph "Menshikov - a semi-powerful ruler" I had to thoroughly shovel Menshikov's archival fund, but I did not find a single line written by the prince, except for his signature, which he drew - drew - rather clumsily. Let's agree for a second that Menshikov, for some absolutely inconceivable reasons, hid his literacy from the nobles. But what is the reason for him to hide his literacy from his own wife? Meanwhile, the literate Darya Mikhailovna sent all messages to her husband in her own hand, while the clerks wrote her husband's letters to her.

Maybe I was unlucky with the discovery of AD Menshikov's autographs? But here is the testimony of S.P. Luppov, a serious scientist, author of monographs written on the basis of a study of unpublished sources: by other persons and only signed by the uncertain hand of Menshikov.

So, to prove Menshikov's ability to write can be only one argument - to find the texts written by him. Everything else is from the evil one.

Does not serve as indisputable proof of Menshikov's ability to read and his extensive library, stocked with books from various fields of knowledge. Yu. A. Samarin, being careful, writes: "It is possible that some of them (the books of the library. - N.P.) were nevertheless read by A. D. Menshikov himself, since the widespread opinion about his illiteracy has not yet received either final confirmation or a thorough refutation in science. "(Samarin Yu. A. A. D. Menshikov and the St. Bibliophile: people, manuscripts, books, secrets and discoveries, 2001, No. 1, p. 45.)

I am ready to agree with the observation of Yu. A. Samarin, if he accepts mine, which is diametrically opposite: perhaps A. D. Menshikov, who was not literate, used the services of entirely literate family members, but, most likely, kept one or two librarians who completed the library and read to him the texts that interested him.

The second, more extensive part of the monograph by Yu. N. Bespyatykh is devoted to the origin of A. D. Menshikov. Was he a pie-maker, a commoner, a man, as they said then, of a noble birth, or did he come from a noble family?

The historiography of the issue deserves a positive assessment - Bespyatykh sets out in detail the views on the topic of interest to both his contemporaries and historians. But in the part where the author acts as a researcher, she suffers from the same drawback: ignoring the elementary fact that the source can be interpreted in different ways, he interprets its content in a one-line manner, for the sake of his obsession with Menshikov's literacy or his noble origin. Moreover, here the author makes another mistake, he puts an equal sign between the judgments of prominent specialists, experts of the era (N. G. Ustryalov, P. P. Pekarsky, S. M. Solovyov, V. O. Klyuchevsky, M. M. Bogoslovsky), and less significant historians (V. F. Ratch, N. A. Polevoy, etc.). I will limit myself to examples.

I'll start with the "Article List of the Great Embassy", in which A. D. Menshikov is called a nobleman. However, it does not at all follow from this that Alexander Danilovich was born a nobleman. He was also named a nobleman in the travel letter of Leopold I at the suggestion, of course, of the tsar or Russian nobles. Let me remind you, first of all: then a person who served at the royal court was called a nobleman. In other words, the word "nobleman" had a completely different meaning than that which it acquired later. Under Peter, the nobles in the modern sense of the word were called the gentry. And further. The testimony of the source should not be trusted unconditionally. The tsar himself went to Europe under the name of foreman Peter Mikhailov; in the same 1698, the boyar B.P. Sheremetev went to Italy under the name of captain Roman; the fugitive prince Alexei was registered as Kokhansky or Kokhanovsky.

The author was captivated by evidence from such a dubious source as Menshikov's diplomas for the titles of Count and Most Serene Prince of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation or letters of commendation for the title of Most Serene Prince of Russia and Duke of Izhora. The count or princely title was then awarded, first of all, to favorites, relatives of favorites and, of course, nobles, who received this title sometimes for genuine merits, sometimes for the ability to please. It would be the desire of the emperor or empress to do good to his subject, and they knew how to invent motives for rewarding.

I will bring long quote, borrowed by Bespyatykh from the work of an anonymous author who wrote in 1726 an obviously custom-made treatise called "The Merits and Feats ... of Alexander Danilovich Menshikov." In the diploma, the Caesar addresses Menshikov: "Alexander Danilovich Menshikov! We take into account, as your origin from an ancient, noblest family among Lithuanians, the military exploits of your ancestors and their military merits not only in the fatherland, but also in foreign lands (because your father, a brave man in battles, was appointed by the most illustrious and sovereign sovereign of Moscow, our beloved brother, the head of his court guard, which consisted of noble men), and your own merits and extraordinary talents, which shone in you from your very youth and aroused in your sovereign a lofty o your opinion..." (p. 128).

The credibility of all the laudatory words does not arouse a shadow of doubt among the Cleftless. Meanwhile, many examples can be cited when seedy nobles became counts: E. I. Biron, the brothers Vorontsov and Shuvalov. The most striking example is the fate of the son of the registered Cossack Grigory Rozum, Alexei. Having become the favorite of Tsesarevna Elizabeth Petrovna, he acquired the surname Razumovsky, and in 1744, when his beloved was the Empress, he was elevated to the dignity of a count. There is not a word in the diploma that the count's father was a bitter drunkard, that Alexei himself grazed cattle and geese in his childhood. They composed a genealogy worthy of a count title for him: he allegedly came from a noble Polish family of Rozhinsky, whose ancestors settled in Little Russia. Why not Bespyatykh compare the genealogy of Menshikov and Razumovsky - they have a lot in common: the first was, if not a pie-maker, then a commoner, the second - a shepherd.

Causes considerable doubts and the verdict of the Lithuanian Congress, which recognized Alexander Danilovich "our master and brother, an inhabitant of our breed." The fact is that the practice of obtaining falsified diplomas was widespread in Russia not only in the 18th century, but also in the 17th century, when even a special term appeared - “to rivet into the clan”, if it was about people who tried to penetrate the privileged class in a roundabout way. . A suitable surname was searched for, a new branch was built into its pedigree, which was enrolled in the nobility.

Personally, I happened to meet the facts of obtaining the nobility by rich industrialists. For a decent bribe, representatives of the nettle seed made up a family tree, from which it followed that the applicant for belonging to the noble class had noble ancestors. The tree was presented to the leader of the nobility, who raised the issue for discussion by the noble assembly of the province. The applicant for the coat of arms of the nobility arranged a luxurious treat for the congress of nobles, and sent the results of the vote to the King of Arms office, and she approved them. For example, the Osokins, Turchaninovs, Tverdyshevs, Myasnikovs received a noble diploma in this way - "For the diligence in the work of those plants and factories and the art shown in that." And the Tula gunsmiths restored their supposedly lost belonging to the nobility. Among them are the Mosolovs, Batashovs and others (Pavlenko N.I. History of metallurgy in Russia in the 18th century. - M., 1962, p. 495-549.)

I do not insist that Menshikov went through exactly the same procedure, perhaps it turned out to be simplified, since by this time he was already the Most Serene Prince. But the fact that the gentry, greedy for treats, easily succumbed to bribery, is well known.

Yu. N. Bespyatykh takes on faith not only information from official letters of count and princely dignity, but also information from the article list of the Great Embassy and travel letters - in both documents Menshikov is called a nobleman. He was such, because, being a batman, he was at court. But it by no means follows from this that the ancestors of Alexander Danilovich and himself had blue blood in their veins.

But back to the compilation of genealogies. There are questions. It was prestigious for Russian nobles to look for their ancestors among the Germans, Lithuanians and Poles. Didn't Alexander Danilovich "riveted" into the noble family of Menzhikov? And the second question, which remained unanswered, was asked by the author himself: "If Danila Menshikov proved to the monarch his gentry origin, then why did Avdey and his son, close male relatives, stay away?" (p. 169). Indeed, why did Alexander Menshikov's cousin not attempt to trace his descent from the Menzhikovs? Finally, the third question remains unanswered: if, as the author claims, "the progenitors of A. D. Menshikov belonged to noble European families" (p. 181), then why did neither Stanislav nor Daniel Menzhik return to their homeland, where relatives owned (probably they should have also owned) "noble estates"? As for the official official list of A. D. Menshikov's service, then, naturally, he had to reproduce the "linden" about him, registered in diplomas.

By the way, in my opinion, it is not worth breaking spears about whether he sold pies at the dawn of his youth, it is more important to establish whether he belonged to the privileged class or was a commoner. Yu. N. Bespyatikh concentrated his attention on the writings of the libelous M. Neugebauer, who, it seems, was the first to put into use the idea of ​​Menshikov as a "pie-maker" in 1704. More important is another testimony of a contemporary, whose diary entries are reliable - "The Diary of a Journey to Muscovy" by the Secretary of the Austrian Embassy I. G. Korb. In the "Diary" Korb, calling Menshikov Aleksashka, wrote about him like this: "They say that this man is exalted to the top of enviable power from the lowest fate among people." In another entry dated February 23, 1699, Korb repeated information about the low origin of A. D. Menshikov: “One of the ministers interceded with the tsar about his favorite Alexander, so that he could be elevated to the rank of nobleman and made a steward. To this, they say, his royal majesty replied: "And without this, he has already appropriated unbecoming honors to himself, his ambition should be appeased, not encouraged. "(Korb I. G. Travel diary to Muscovy (1698-1699). - SPb., 1906, p. 83, 84.) Korb's notes, made before the appearance of Neugebauer's libels, first of all testify that Menshikov was not a nobleman at the end of the 17th century However, Yu.

Let's sum up summary. The author of the monograph expressed the hope that with the appearance of his work "myths and legends on these topics are over" (p. 192). He called his work "Alexander Danilovich Menshikov: Myths and Reality". In my opinion, the title would be more consistent with the content of the monograph if the last word: "reality".

Yu. N. Bespyatykh can reproach me for depriving him of the right to his own opinion, which differs from the opinions of other scientists. Not at all. Stop for the small: this opinion must be supported by solid arguments. If there are none, then it is prudent to make it a personal property.

"SEMI-POWERFUL LORD"

Among the associates of Peter the Great, who did not have the opportunity to boast of their genealogy, Alexander Danilovich Menshikov occupies a special place. When Peter brought him closer to him, Aleksashka Menshikov did not own a piece of land, not a single serf soul. By the end of his career, he is the most serene prince and the richest subject of the king, burdened with many posts, ranks and titles. Under Catherine I and at the beginning of the reign of Peter II, Menshikov (until his fall in September 1727) was in fact the ruler of Russia, in the words of Pushkin, a "semi-powerful ruler."

Nugget Menshikov made a significant contribution to the transformation of Russia in the first quarter of the 18th century. Nature rewarded him with the talent of a commander and the extraordinary abilities of an administrator in the civil sphere. He defeated the Swedes at Kalisz, made an invaluable contribution to the defeat of the Swedish army at Lesnaya and especially at the walls of Poltava, where he managed to keep track of the beginning of the advance of the troops Charles XII on the Russian camp, defeated the enemy cavalry and captured the remnants of the Swedes who fled from the battlefield near Perevolochna, participated in their expulsion from Pomerania.

And the governor-general of the capital province, Prince Menshikov, made a huge contribution to the arrangement of the new capital of the empire. The palaces and state buildings built according to his instructions surpassed everything built in St. Petersburg before with their splendor and size. Menshikov was the only nobleman whom Peter allowed to publish decrees using a form close to the royal one: "We, Alexander Menshikov, the Serene Highness of Rimsky and Russian state Prince and Duke of Izhora ... "and so on. The scale of his activities is surprising and admirable. And this despite the fact that Alexander Danilovich did not study anywhere - he simply did not speak letters.

But possessing many virtues, the prince also had many vices: he was rude, infinitely greedy, infinitely conceited (which in the end interrupted his career by exile in Berezov).

Nevertheless, Menshikov's virtues far outweigh the vices of the prince. His activities as an associate of Peter I left a noticeable mark in the history of Russia.

Alexander Menshikov

Russian statesman and military figure, closest associate and favorite of Peter I, generalissimo, admiral, first St. Petersburg governor-general, president of the Military Collegium

short biography

Count (1702), prince (1705), most illustrious (1707) Alexander Danilovich Menshikov(6 (16) November 1673, Moscow - 12 (23) November 1729, Berezov, Siberian province) - Russian statesman and military leader, closest associate and favorite of Peter I, Generalissimo (May 12-September 8, 1727), admiral (May 6 - September 8, 1727), the first St. Petersburg Governor-General (1703-1724 and 1725-1727), President of the Military Collegium (1719-1724 and 1726-1727).

After the death of Peter I, he contributed to the accession of Catherine I, became the de facto ruler of Russia (1725-1727): "the first senator", "the first member of the Supreme Privy Council" (1726), under Peter the Second - the generalissimo of the sea and land forces (May 12, 1727). September 8, 1727 was disgraced, deprived of property, titles and awards. Under arrest from September 8, 1727 to April 4, 1728, then exiled with his family to Siberia, where he died a year and a half later.

Origin

There is no reliable documentary information about the origin of Menshikov, the opinions of historians on this matter are very contradictory. Father, Danila Menshikov, died in 1695. According to the version popular among the people, before getting into the environment of F. Ya. Lefort, the future "semi-power ruler" sold pies in the capital. Here is how N. I. Kostomarov cites this story:

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

- Kostomarov N.I. Russian history in the biographies of its main figures. - The second section: The dominance of the Romanov dynasty before the accession to the throne of Catherine II. - Issue. sixth: 18th century

During Menshikov's lifetime, it was believed that he came from Lithuanian nobles, although this version is traditionally doubted by historians. The legend about the seller of pies, however, could be put into circulation by the opponents of the prince 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 the truth.

- Pushkin A. S. History of Peter. preparatory texts. Years 1701 and 1702

Foreign observers represented 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 and editing of the compiled documents. Even hundreds of letters to Daria Mikhailovna, first a concubine, and then a wife, not to mention thousands of letters to the tsar and nobles, every single one was written by clerks.

It is known about the three sisters of Menshikov: Tatyana, Martha (Maria) and Anna, who married (against his will) the Portuguese Anton Devier. Marfa was married off by her brother 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. Leontiev, in the second - to another naval officer, Mishukov.

Elevation

M. van Musscher. Portrait of A. Menshikov, painted in Holland during the Great Embassy (1698).

At the age of 14, Alexander was accepted by Peter as orderly, managed to quickly gain not only the trust, but also the friendship of the tsar, become his confidant in all undertakings and hobbies. He helped him in creating "amusing troops" in the village of Preobrazhensky (since 1693 he was listed as a bombardier of the Preobrazhensky regiment, where Peter was the captain of the bombardment company; after participating in the massacre of the archers, he received the rank of sergeant, 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, in the Azov campaigns (1695-96), in the "Great Embassy" (1697-98) in 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, an 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), could soften the hot-tempered character of the king.

Among the people, the rapid rise of Menshikov was attributed to his sexual relationship with the tsar; for spreading rumors about the "prodigal life" of Peter and Menshikov (he allegedly dragged Peter to his bed "like a whore") were arrested in 1698 by the merchant G. R. Nikitin (one of the richest entrepreneurs in the country), in 1702 - by the captain of the Preobrazhensky regiment named Boyarkinsky, and in 1718 - the manager of the estates of the nobleman Kikin.

Commander under Peter I

During 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.

The initial stage of the Northern War

At the beginning of the war, he held the rank of lieutenant of the bombardment company of the Preobrazhensky Regiment. He did not participate in the Battle of Narva (1700), having left the army together with the tsar on the eve of the battle.

In 1702, during the capture of Noteburg, he arrived in time with fresh forces to M. M. Golitsyn, who launched the assault. In 1703 he participated 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, capturing two enemy ships with a bold boarding blow - the Gedan galliot and the Astrild shnyava ". The king ordered to knock out a medal with a laconic inscription: “ The impossible happens". Menshikov was awarded the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called (No. 7, simultaneously with Peter I - Knight No. 6). In the award decree issued on May 10 (21), 1703 - 6 days before the official date of the founding of St. Petersburg, Menshikov was already called the Governor General.

By decree of Peter I dated July 19, 1703, in order to form the regiment of Governor Menshikov, it was instructed to "pick up from all ranks a thousand people of the kindest and best people." In terms of money and grain salaries, this regiment was equal to the Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky. In the future, the regiment was named Ingrian.

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 . In addition to the Ingermanland Infantry, he formed the Ingermanland Dragoon Regiment as governor-general.

Continuing to participate in hostilities, he contributed to the conquest of Narva and Ivangorod, was awarded the rank of lieutenant general (1704). When, in February-March 1705, Tsar Peter I ordered Menshikov to inspect the Russian army, 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.

From Kalisz to Poltava

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 G. B. Ogilvy, which almost caused the defeat of the Russian army near Grodno.

In the summer of 1706, he was entrusted with the command of the entire Russian regular cavalry, and proved to be an excellent cavalry commander. At the head of the corvolant, he was sent to help the Saxon elector and the Polish king August II in Poland, defeated 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 himself rushed into battle, dragging his subordinates with him. The Swedes lost several thousand people, the commander, General A. Mardefelt, was captured. The losses of the Russian troops were insignificant. As a reward for this victory, Menshikov received from the tsar a rod decorated with precious stones, and the rank of lieutenant colonel of the Life Guards of the Preobrazhensky Regiment (Tsar Peter himself accepted the rank of colonel).

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, cavalry general of the Roman Empire Count Alexander Danilovich Menshikov was elevated, with his descendants, to the princely dignity of the Roman Empire.

By the highest command of Tsar Peter I, dated May 30, 1707, General of the Cavalry, Prince of the Roman Empire Alexander Danilovich Menshikov was elevated, with his descendants, to the princely dignity of the Russian Tsardom, with the name " Prince of Izhora"and the title" lordship". In addition, on May 30 (June 10), 1707, Menshikov was granted the rank of sea captain. Gradually, the material well-being of the most illustrious prince, the number of estates and villages granted to him, also grew.

In 1707, again at the head of the cavalry, he moved to Lublin, and then to Warsaw, where he remained until September. On September 28 (October 9), 1708, he took part in the battle near Lesnaya, which, in the words of Peter, became "the mother of the Poltava victory." During the time between Lesnaya and Poltava, Menshikov often showed that perspicacity and swiftness that Field Marshal Sheremetev, who shared with him the highest command in the army, lacked. Having received news of the betrayal of Hetman Mazepa, he took by storm the capital of the hetman - the city of Baturin, ruined it, and interrupted and intercepted most Cossacks who were going to leave with the hetman to the Swedish king. For this, Peter I granted the prince the village of Ivanovskoye with villages that belonged to Hetman Mazepa.

In many military matters, Peter I completely trusted the intuition and prudent mind of his favorite, almost all the instructions, directives and instructions that the tsar sent 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 fast and decisive action fully corresponded to the ebullient energy of Peter.

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 entered the battle, he defeated the detachment of General Schlippenbach, capturing the latter. At the time of the collision of the armies, it fell on the corps of General Roos, dispersing it, which largely predetermined the victory of the Russian army. During the battle of Menshikov, three horses were killed.

Pursuing, together with Golitsyn, the Swedish army that had fled from the battlefield, Menshikov overtook it at the crossing over the Dnieper near Perevolochna and forced it to capitulate. He reported from under Perevolochna: “ Here we overtook the enemy fleeing from us, and just now the king himself with the traitor Mazepa in small people escaped, and we took all the exhausted Swedes alive to the chord in full, which will be about ten thousand in number, between which General Levengaupt and Major General Kreutz. Guns, I also took all the ammunition". 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 possession, which increased the number of his serfs by 43,000 male souls. In terms of the number of serfs, he became the second soul owner in Russia after the tsar. At the solemn entry of Peter into Moscow on December 21, 1709, he was right hand king, which emphasized his exceptional merits.

The final stage of the Northern War

In 1709-1713, Menshikov commanded troops operating in Poland, Courland, Pomerania and Holstein, 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 master.

In 1712 he had the rank of captain-commander.

In February 1714 Menshikov returned to St. Petersburg; this ended his military career. He concentrated on questions of the internal structure of the state, touching, due to his proximity to the king, all the most important state concerns.

In 1715, Menshikov, having a braided pennant on the ship Shlisselburg, arrived in Revel with the fleet. For participation in maritime affairs against the Swedes and taking care of the fleet on February 2, 1716, he was promoted to shautbenachty. In March, while in Revel, he had the main supervision of the construction of the harbor. Special attention Menshikov, as governor-general, devoted St. Petersburg, whose importance had especially increased since 1713, when the court, the Senate and the diplomatic corps moved there. In April 1715, in the absence of Count Apraksin, he took over the main command of 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 "Saint Alexander", Menshikov was sailing with the fleet to Revel and Gangut. In 1719, according to the schedule, he was assigned to have a flag on the same ship, but he was not on a campaign 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 Friedrichstadt ship, Menshikov commanded the fleet at Krasnaya Gorka. In August, during the approximate naval battle, commanded part of the ships representing the enemy, while the other part was commanded by Vice Admiral Pyotr Mikhailov (sovereign). October 22, 1721 Menshikov was promoted to vice admiral.

abuse

Menshikov was repeatedly accused of misappropriating state funds and paying heavy fines. “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 ... - considered Peter - ... and I still need him."

In January 1715, the official abuses of Menshikov were revealed. The fixed capital was taken away under various pretexts of land, estates, villages. He specialized in taking escheated property from heirs. Menshikov also hid schismatics, runaway peasants, charging them for living on their lands.

After the death of Lefort, Peter said about Menshikov: "I have one hand left, thieving, but true."

The case of abuse dragged on for several years, a large penalty was imposed on Menshikov, but by actively participating in the condemnation of Tsarevich Alexei to death in 1718 (his signature was the first in the verdict), he regained his royal grace. With the creation of the State Military Collegium (1719) he was made its first president, with the retention of the office of the St. Petersburg Governor-General, he was responsible for the arrangement of all armed forces Russia. After the conclusion of the Nystadt peace, which ended the long war with the Swedes, Menshikov was promoted to vice admiral on October 22, 1721.

In 1722, new abuses of Menshikov were revealed, but even now he managed to maintain his influence, thanks to Peter's wife Ekaterina.

In 1723, Menshikov had his own flag on the Friedrichstadt ship. On August 11, 1723, during the ceremony of meeting the boat, the “grandfather of the Russian fleet”, by the fleet, he corrected the position of the pilot on it and abandoned the lot.

In May 1724, Menshikov was present at the coronation of Catherine I by Peter as empress, walking on the right hand of the tsar.

Nevertheless, it was in 1724 that the patience of Peter I snapped: for significant abuses, Menshikov finally lost his main posts: President of the Military Collegium (replaced by A.I. Repnin in January 1724) and Governor General of the St. P. M. Apraksin in May 1724). However, in January 1725, Peter admitted Menshikov to his deathbed, which was regarded as forgiveness.

Actual government of the country

Immediately after the death of Peter, Menshikov, relying on the guards 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 St. Petersburg Governor-General, in 1726 - the post of President of the Military Collegium. On August 30, 1725, the new Empress Catherine I made him a holder of the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky. In 1726 he participated in negotiations on the conclusion of the Russian-Austrian alliance, in 1727 he ordered the entry of Russian troops into 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, underestimating their ill-wishers, and due to prolonged illness(historians of medicine suggest that he suffered from tuberculous arthritis), lost influence on the young emperor and was soon removed from government.

Link and death. Descendants

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

On September 8, 1727, Menshikov was arrested, according to 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, 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 his positions, awards, property, titles and exiled with his family to the Siberian town of Berezov, Siberian province. Menshikov's wife, the favorite of Peter I, Princess Darya Mikhailovna, died on the way (in 1728, 12 versts from Kazan). In Berezovo, Menshikov built himself a village house (together with 8 faithful servants) and a church. His statement of that period is known: "I started with a simple life, and I will finish with a simple life."

Later, a smallpox epidemic broke out in Siberia. He died on November 12, 1729 at the age of 56. A little later, on December 26, 1729, his eldest daughter Maria died. Menshikov was buried at the altar of the church built by his hands; then the Northern Sosva river washed away this grave.

Of the descendants of Alexander Danilovich, his great-grandson, Admiral Prince A.S. Menshikov, a naval figure, commander-in-chief of land and maritime forces in Crimean War 1853-1856. In 1863, he built a chapel over the grave of his great-grandmother in the village of Verkhny Uslon. The princely family of Menshikovs was cut short in the male generation in 1893.

Performance evaluation

Peter considered Menshikov an indispensable ally. Undoubtedly, Menshikov had a mind, seething energy, acumen and intuition. “Happiness is a minion of a rootless, semi-powerful ruler,” as A. S. Pushkin called Menshikov in the poem “Poltava”. After the death of Lefort, Peter said about Menshikov: "I have one hand left, thieving, but true." At the same time, his embezzlement of public funds and, according to his enemies, treasonous relations with the enemies of Russia (there was no evidence of this) forced Peter, especially in last years his life, to keep the former favorite at a distance, almost on the verge of disgrace. During the reign incapable of 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 for himself and at the end of his life lost all his acquisitions.

Royal Society of London

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 stored 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 also be identified from the documents of Menshikov's archival fund. On the one hand, the diploma of the Royal Society, issued to Menshikov, was preserved in the fund, on the other hand, the documents of the same fund reflected curious detail: Danilych never ventured to mention his belonging to the Royal Society and decorate his title with three more additional words: member of the Royal Society. Modesty Menshikov did not differ, 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 Saint 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)

Memory of Menshikov

• In Moscow, the name of the Generalissimo has been preserved by the Menshikov Tower.
• In St. Petersburg in 1903, Menshikovsky Prospekt appeared.
• In Kolpino (St. Petersburg) in 1997, a bronze bust was erected to the founder of the city, Duke of Izhora A. D. Menshikov (sculptor A. S. Charkin, architect V. S. Vasilkovsky).
• On November 15, 2002, a bronze bust of Menshikov was unveiled in the court d'honneur of the Menshikov Palace (sculptor M. T. Litovchenko, architect O. A. Brunina).
• In the village of Berezovo (Khanty-Mansiysk autonomous region), where A. D. Menshikov was exiled, in 1993 a monument was erected to him (sculptor A. G. Antonov, architect N. A. Mamaev).

Movie incarnations

• Vladimir Karin-Yakubovsky (Tsarevich Alexei, 1918)
• Mikhail Ivanovich Zharov ("Peter the Great", 1937-1938)
• Vladimir Menshov (“The Tale of How Tsar Peter the Black Married”, 1976; “Tsarevich Alexei”, 1997)
• Nikolai Eremenko Jr. ("Youth of Peter", "At the beginning of glorious deeds", 1980)
• Sergei Parshin (Young Russia, 1981)
• Leonid Kuravlev (The Demidovs, 1983)
• Helmut Grim ("Peter the Great"), "Peter the Great", USSR - USA, 1985)
• Sergei Shakurov ("Secrets of palace coups", 2000-2001)
• Andrei Ryklin (“Servant of the Sovereigns”, 2007; “Notes of the Expeditor of the Secret Office”, 2010)
• Sergei Makovetsky ("Peter the Great. Testament", 2011)

Historians claim that many documents about the life of Alexander Menshikov still remain unexplored, although films are made about him, articles and books are written. A close friend of Peter, the hero of Poltava, favorite, generalissimo and admiral of the white flag, the first builder of St. Petersburg ... His services to Russia were enormous, his life was amazing, his personal fortune was one of the largest in the empire, his greed borders. Among the "chicks of Petrov's nest" this is the most controversial figure.

Origin of A.D. Menshikov is not known for certain. Many researchers are inclined to believe that he was born in 1673 in the family of a groom, and as a child he sold pies from a stall. The agile boy was noticed by a foreigner in the Russian service, Franz Lefort, who took Alexander into his service. At the age of 20 in 1693, Alexander Menshikov became the "royal amusing warrior" - the bombardier of the Preobrazhensky Regiment. He accompanied the king on all his trips, participated in all the sovereign's amusements, turning from a batman into true friend and an ally. Menshikov became an active participant in the Azov campaigns of 1695 and 1696, where he distinguished himself with courage in the capture of the Turkish fortress of Azov. Menshikov, together with Peter, visited Europe as part of the Great Embassy in 1697-1698. The military career of Alexander Danilovich is closely connected with the Northern War, when Russia opposed the Swedish Empire in the Baltics. Menshikov led the cavalry.

In 1702-1703. the fortresses Noteburg and Shlisselburg were taken. The capture of these fortresses meant the actual transfer of the entire Ingermanland under the control of Russia. A.D. was appointed governor of this region. Menshikov, who actively showed himself in any role. Being a faithful executor of the will, Menshikov did not forget to show his personal qualities. For example, during the siege of the Narva fortress, he managed to outwit the experienced royal general Gorn, the commandant of the city, by dressing Russian soldiers in a uniform similar to Swedish. In Ingermanland, Menshikov first declared himself as a military leader. For the victory over the army of General Maydel, who was going to take over the St. Petersburg under construction, Menshikov was awarded the title of Governor-General of Narva and all the conquered lands near the Gulf of Finland. At the same time, he becomes a general over the entire Russian regular cavalry.

It was the troops under the command of Menshikov who inflicted a number of defeats on the army of Charles XII in Lithuania. For services to the Polish crown in 1705, Menshikov was awarded the Polish Order of the White Eagle, and the following year, thanks to Peter's efforts, Alexander Danilovich Menshikov became the Most Serene Prince. At the same time, the Polish king Augustus, who constantly suffered defeat from the Swedes, decided to attract Menshikov to the Polish service, granting Alexander Danilovich the title of commander of the Fleminsky infantry regiment, which was renamed the regiment of Prince Alexander.

However, the real glory of Menshikov was yet to come. Menshikov decides to attack the Swedish-Polish positions near Kalisz, and on October 18, 1706, he utterly defeats the enemy forces. For this success, Peter I granted Alexander Danilovich the commander's baton according to his own drawing. The precious wand was decorated with a large emerald, diamonds and the princely coat of arms of the Menshikov family. This work jewelry art was estimated at a huge amount for that time - almost three thousand rubles. During the war on the Polish lands, His Serene Highness Prince Alexander Menshikov was elevated to active Privy Councilors and became Prince of Izhora. And again for military merit in the confrontation with the Swedish king Charles XII.

In Ukraine, they tried to use the confrontation between Sweden and Russia in their own interests. Hetman Mazepa prepared food and supplies for the army of Charles XII in the city of Baturin. But Menshikov took the city by storm and upset the plans of the enemy.

The decisive land battle between Russian and Swedish troops took place on June 27, 1709 at Poltava. The cavalry under the command of Menshikov bravely fought against the advancing Swedes. For participation in the Battle of Poltava, the sovereign awarded Menshikov the title of Field Marshal. Prior to this, only Boris Vasilyevich Sheremetev had such a rank in the Russian army.

After the defeat of the Swedish ground forces, Menshikov made a lot of efforts to ensure that Russia fulfilled its allied obligations to the Commonwealth and Denmark, therefore, until 1713, he commanded the Russian troops, liberating Poland, Courland, Pomerania, Holstein from the Swedish troops. For the siege of the fortified city of Riga, he received the Order of the Elephant from the Danish king Frederick IV. The Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm awarded the Russian Field Marshal with the Order of the Black Eagle.

Since 1714 A.D. Menshikov was engaged in governor-general affairs in St. Petersburg, and also managed the Baltic states and Izhora land, and was in charge of collecting state revenues. During the frequent departures of Peter I, he headed the administration of the country and was twice president of the Military Collegium (1718-1724 and 1726-1727)

However, a native of the very bottom of Russian society, Menshikov could not miss the opportunity not to get his hands on this or that amount. And, starting from 1714, Alexander Danilovich was constantly under investigation for numerous abuses and theft. He was repeatedly subjected to huge fines by Peter I. But this did not affect the personal condition of Menshikov, who was the second landowner in Russia after the sovereign himself.

After the death of Peter the Great in 1725, Menshikov's position was strengthened: having enthroned Empress Catherine I, the Most Serene Prince became her favorite, the de facto head of state, without whom not a single issue could be resolved.

However, due to illness, he was unable to resist the influence of the princes Golitsyn and Dolgoruky on the new Russian monarch. September 8, 1727, Menshikov was accused of high treason and embezzlement of the treasury. He is subjected to royal disgrace, and then to arrest. All property was confiscated, and Menshikov and his family were exiled to the prison Berezov, where he soon died. Empress Anna Ioannovna allowed the children of the prince - Alexander and Alexandra - to return from exile.