Alexander Danilovich Menshikov - biography, information, personal life. Menshikov, Prince Alexander Danilovich

Reliable information about the origin Menshikova no (the exact dates of birth given in most reference books, most often November 6, 1673 according to the old style, are also not exactly confirmed by documents). During his lifetime, there were semi-official versions that his father belonged to the Lithuanian nobility and, having been captured by the Russians, served first the Tsar, and then, who made him a court groom. It was also alleged that Menshikov’s father participated in uncovering the conspiracy of F. L. Shaklovity. According to another version, the Menshikov family was even more ancient and its ancestors came to Rus' along with Rurik. However, contemporaries no longer doubted his “vile” origin. The most reliable statement is that Menshikov’s father had a small shop selling pies, which his son distributed. It is also possible that Danila Menshikov really served in the royal stables, and assigned his son to the pie maker. Such an origin, as well as Menshikov’s occupation in childhood, excluded the possibility of him receiving an education: he knew how to sign, but could hardly write. It is also unknown whether he could read. However, there is no doubt that Menshikov was a capable man, had a sharp mind and strong memory, proved himself to be a talented administrator and a brave military man. His career began with joining Peter's amusement company, and soon he became the Tsar's orderly. In this capacity, he apparently took part in the events of 1689 related to the removal of the princess from power, traveled with the tsar to Pereslavl-Zalessky and Arkhangelsk, and participated in the Azov campaigns. In 1697-98, Menshikov took part in the Great Embassy as a volunteer, worked with the Tsar at the Saardam shipyard, and attended diplomatic ceremonies.

The beginning of the rise and peak of Menshikov’s military career

Upon returning to Russia Menshikov took an active part in the investigation of the Streltsy riot and later boasted that he had cut off the heads of 20 Streltsy. By this time, he had become the tsar’s confidant, accompanied him everywhere, and was involved in organizing Peter’s life. In 1700 he received the first land grant, by 1702 he already had the position of chamberlain of Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich, and in the fall of the same year he distinguished himself during the capture of Noteburg (Shlisselburg) and was appointed commandant of the fortress with instructions to create metallurgical plants in Karelia and find a place to found a shipyard in Baltic, which Menshikov successfully dealt with. For his participation in the battle with the squadron of Admiral Numers in May 1703, in which he commanded one of two detachments, Menshikov was awarded the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called, and after the founding of St. Petersburg he became the first governor of the future capital. Under his leadership, the construction of the city was carried out. In 1704, Menshikov distinguished himself during the capture of Narva, successfully defended St. Petersburg, for which he was awarded the rank of lieutenant general. In 1705 he commanded the Russian cavalry in Poland and was awarded the Order of the White Eagle by the Polish king; in 1706 he received the title of Prince of the Holy Roman Empire. Later, Menshikov won the Battle of Kalisz, participated in the battles of Dobroy and Lesnaya, captured Mazepa Baturin’s headquarters, commanded the cavalry in the Battle of Poltava, and accepted the surrender of the Swedes at Perevolochnaya. At the end of the military campaign of 1709, Menshikov was awarded the rank of field marshal and huge land holdings, becoming one of the richest people in Russia. In 1712-13, Menshikov commanded Russian troops in Pomerania and led the capture of Stettin. In subsequent years, he did not take part in hostilities due to deteriorating health (chronic lung disease).

Menshikov’s personal qualities and relationship with the Tsar

In all positions to which he was appointed, Menshikov proved himself to be a talented, energetic, proactive, courageous and persistent person. He carried out the king's orders exactly and proved himself to be his loyal and staunch supporter. In the Tsar's entourage, Menshikov was the person closest to him; Peter's letters to him were particularly cordial. There is speculation that there was an intimate relationship between them. Menshikov's closeness to the tsar intensified after 1702, when he introduced Peter to Martha Skavronskaya, who later became the empress and defended his interests before the tsar. Having received all possible awards and titles from the tsar, Menshikov was distinguished by his exorbitant vanity and greed. He did not miss a single opportunity for personal enrichment, and did not disdain bribes and embezzlement. In relations with his subordinates, Menshikov was harsh and arrogant. Thus, it is believed that it was his careless behavior that provoked the Ukrainian Hetman Mazepa to betray him. Beginning in 1711, the tsar began to receive information about Menshikov’s abuses, but this began to affect their relationship only a few years later. The prince remained one of Peter's closest collaborators: in 1718 he took part in the investigation and trial of Tsarevich Alexei, and was the tutor of Tsarevich Peter Petrovich. But back in 1714, Menshikov was one of the defendants in the case of abuse of various contracts and a fine of approximately one and a half million rubles was imposed on him. In 1717, the so-called Pochep case began, connected with the accusation of Menshikov in seizing foreign lands and enslaving the Ukrainian Cossacks, which became the subject of proceedings in the Senate and special commissions and undermined the credit of his trust with the tsar. However, things did not come to a complete break: Peter was lenient towards the misdeeds of his favorite and in 1720 made him president of the Military Collegium. However, the investigation of Menshikov continued until the death of the king.

Menshikov After the death of Peter I

Several years after the death of his patron became for Menshikov a time of rise to the heights of power and a rapid fall. In January 1725, he took an active part in deciding the fate of the throne and, in fact, it was through his efforts that the throne was elevated. From that moment on, he became virtually the first person in the state, initiated the creation of the Supreme Privy Council and became its de facto leader. Menshikov regained the position of President of the Military College, lost in 1723, laid claim to the throne of the Duke of Courland and was going to marry his daughter to Tsarevich Peter Alekseevich, for which in May 1727 he obtained from the dying empress the signing of a will in his favor, as well as the arrest of opponents of this plan - A. I. Diviera, P. A. Tolstoy and their like-minded people. Upon his accession to the throne, Menshikov was promoted to generalissimo and full admiral, and the emperor’s engagement to Maria Menshikova was announced. However, he soon fell ill and lost control over the emperor, who was burdened by the tutelage of his future father-in-law; besides, the emperor liked his aunt Elizabeth, and Maria herself was also in love with someone else. Representatives of the old aristocratic families with whom Menshikov tried to reconcile, the Golitsyns and Dolgorukies, took advantage of the situation. In September 1727, Menshikov was first declared under house arrest, and then exiled to Ranenburg, but soon a new investigation was carried out on him and in the spring of 1728, deprived of all ranks and property, accompanied by only a few servants, he was exiled to Berezov. Here, in Menshikov’s arms, his daughter died, and soon he himself died.

The Menshikovs are a Russian princely family descended from Alexander Danilovich Menshikov, who was elevated to the princely dignity of the Russian Empire in 1707 with the title of lordship. His son, Prince Alexander Alexandrovich (1714 - 1764), in the 13th year of his life, chief chamberlain, was demoted and exiled along with his father; returned in 1731, was general-in-chief. His son, Prince Sergei Alexandrovich (1746 - 1815), was a senator; about his grandson, Prince Alexander Sergeevich. With the death of the latter's son, the adjutant general of Prince Vladimir Alexandrovich, the line of princes Menshikov came to an end. Their primacy, surname and title were transferred in 1897 to cornet Ivan Nikolaevich Koreysh. The family of the princes Menshikov is included in Part V of the genealogical book of the Petrograd province.

Alexander Danilovich Menshikov (1673 -1729)

On November 6, 1673 A.D. was born. Menshikov. As a child, he was an inconspicuous, illiterate, but very responsible boy. He began his career, oddly enough, by selling pies on the streets. His father was a man of low birth, most likely a peasant or court groom. He wanted his son to get on his own feet and not depend on his family.

In 1686, Menshikov entered the service of one of Peter I’s close friends, Franz Lefort. In his house, the young king noticed a new nimble servant and soon hired him as his orderly.

Witty, resourceful and efficient, on every occasion showing boundless devotion to the sovereign and a rare ability to guess his will at a glance, he managed to bind Peter to himself, so that he could not do without him. The Tsar ordered that Alexander should always be with him and even, if necessary, sleep in his bed. During the Azov campaign, Peter and Menshikov lived in the same room.

It didn’t take long before Menshikov became the favorite of Peter I, he follows him everywhere and always. Together with the Tsar, Alexander went abroad as part of the “Great Embassy”. In Holland they studied shipbuilding together and received a certificate of naval craftsmanship, and in England Menshikov studied military affairs and fortification. In Russia he participated in the suppression of the Streltsy uprising, and during the Northern War with the Swedes he repeatedly demonstrated military valor.

Peter I trusted Menshikov, so Alexander supervised the construction of the Peter and Paul Fortress and the new capital (Petersburg), and, if necessary, ensured the defense of the city. Here Menshikov built himself a luxurious palace, where he received ambassadors and other important persons. It was Alexander who introduced Peter to Martha Skavronskaya, who later became the tsar’s wife, and after his death, Empress Catherine I. When Peter I left St. Petersburg, he more than once left Menshikov at the head of the government. Menshikov was tested by Peter both in his personal life and in government affairs. During the investigation into the case of the son of Peter I, Tsarevich Alexei, Menshikov personally conducted the interrogation and was present during the torture. After all, it was Alexander who suggested Peter to impose a death sentence on his son. Menshikov’s signature appears under the text of the verdict immediately after the autograph of Peter I

After the death of Tsarina Natalya Kirillovna, the external life of the palace changed significantly: women and girls gradually left the towers and the princesses themselves did not strictly adhere to the former seclusion. Tsarevna Natalya Alekseevna lived in Preobrazhenskoye with her brother with her hawthorn maidens. That's why Peter and Alexander went there more than once. Among these girls were the Arsenyev sisters - Daria, Varvara, Aksinya. Menshikov began a love relationship with Daria Mikhailovna. In 1706, Alexander’s relationship with Daria was finally legalized by marriage, which was partly the merit of Peter. But the prince was not disappointed in this marriage; Daria became his faithful lifelong friend.

In 1710, Menshikov “took a vacation”: he lived in his huge new house, which was luxurious and beautiful. Thanks to the gifts of Peter and Augustus, as well as the unceremonious “hosting” in enemy land, they reached enormous proportions, so Alexander could afford huge expenses. With him he had his own: a hairdresser, a valet - a Frenchman, a groom, trumpeters, bandura players, an equestrian master, coachmen, farriers, mechanics, cooks, a watchmaker, a gardener, gardeners - and all from other countries (foreigners). The only Russians are shoemakers and huntsmen. Almost all this year he rested and celebrated.

Menshikov was known as a true courtier and knew how to get his way, sometimes with cunning, sometimes with flattery. He never let Peter I down. Many hated the prince, but this was only out of envy.

Titles and callings

From the very beginning of his submission to Peter I, Menshikov served in the Preobrazhensky Regiment at its very establishment (his name is mentioned in the lists of 1693, and he was listed as a bombardier there). He served as an orderly under Peter.

During the Northern War with the Swedes, for his demonstrated military valor, he was appointed commandant of the Noterburg fortress captured by Peter. After one of the battles, which ended with the capture of Swedish ships, the Tsar awarded Menshikov the highest Russian Order of St. Andrew the First-Called. So all the rewards earned by Alexander were received after specifically completing tasks.

After the construction of the capital, A.D. was appointed the first governor of St. Petersburg. Menshikov. The Austrian Emperor Leopold in 1702, wanting to pay attention to the Tsar, elevated his favorite to the dignity of an Imperial Count; this was only the second time that a Russian became a Count of the Roman Empire. Already in 1706, Menshikov became the prince of the Roman Empire.

In 1707, on his birthday, Peter I bestowed upon his favorite the title of All-Russian Prince of the Izhora Land with the title of “most serene.” In 1709, on June 30, for Alexander’s services in the Battle of Poltava, the Tsar granted him the rank of field marshal. In 1714, Menshikov became the first Russian member of the English Royal Society. A little later, he receives an appointment from Peter to the post of commander of Russian troops in Pomerania. But Menshikov turned out to be a bad diplomat, and the Tsar returned him back to St. Petersburg. In 1719, Alexander headed the Military Collegium.

In 1703, the prince was appointed chief chamberlain of the prince, and Baron Huysen as his mentor. In 1719 he was appointed president of the newly established military college with the rank of rear admiral.

During the 9 years of his service, Sergeant Menshikov managed to rise to the rank of field marshal, and the rootless orderly “Alexashka” turned into the “most serene prince”, the richest and most powerful nobleman of his time.

Top down

Peter I knew how to select people, so he considered A.D. Menshikov is a fairly smart and businesslike person. However, huge and uncontrolled power spoils many people, which has been known in Rus' since ancient times. This happened with Prince Menshikov. He was not devoid of ambition, but as he rose in power, it increased even more. Moreover, rank and titles “fell” on Menshikov from all sides. Unfortunately, Menshikov’s temptation to bribes and embezzlement quietly destroyed him. In 1719, Menshikov was granted the presidency of the newly established Military Collegium with the rank of rear admiral. True, a new commission was immediately appointed to investigate Alexander’s abuses. At this time, the Apraksins and Dolgorukies, taking advantage of the absence of Peter I in St. Petersburg, wanted to put Menshikov in custody (he was saved by Catherine’s petition, who asked the Senate to wait for the sovereign’s arrival). Peter himself, having visited the Petrovsky factories set up by Menshikov and finding them in good condition, wrote the most sincere letter to the prince.

In the last year of the reign of Peter I, Menshikov's position deteriorated sharply. Due to abuses in the Military Collegium, Peter took the presidency from him and gave it to another. The king was tired of listening to complaints about Alexander and forgiving him for his tricks, and he lost interest in his favorite and alienated him from himself. The health of Peter I deteriorated and on the night of January 27-28, 1725 he died.

After the death of the tsar, when Catherine I ascended the throne, Menshikov is again at the pinnacle of power and becomes chairman of the Supreme Privy Council. On May 13, 1726, he was awarded the highest military rank in Russia - generalissimo.

Already on May 25 of the same year, the prince arranged the solemn betrothal of twelve-year-old Peter to sixteen-year-old Marya Alexandrovna (Menshikov’s daughter). Thus, Menshikov insured himself well.

Soon the Dolgoruky family and the Osterman family “swim up” to young Peter. Menshikov is not even aware of the thunderstorm that will soon break out over him. The prince did not have time to come to his senses when the disgrace (the decree of resignation and exile), which was arranged by his old enemies and had been lying in wait for him all this time, took its toll.

On September 8, Lieutenant General Saltykov came to Menshikov and announced his arrest. On September 11, Alexander Danilovich, escorted by Captain Pyrsky with a detachment of 120 people, went into exile with his family in the city of Ranenburg. Although, from the outside, this departure could not be called “exile”: several carriages with the family’s personal belongings, a carriage with servants and security - everything looked like another trip on a hike. The family of Prince Menshikov settled in a house in the city of Ranenburg. Everything seemed to be fine, but secretly intercepted letters in which Menshikov gave instructions to his employees were transmitted directly to the Senate. His enemies were in a good position, so all the complaints that had accumulated over all these years were sent directly into the hands of the king. Every day they come up with more and more punishments for Alexander Danilovich. The following cities were confiscated: Oranienbaum, Yamburg, Koporye, Ranenburg, Baturin; 90 thousand souls of peasants, 4 million rubles in cash, capital in London and Amsterdam banks for 9 million rubles, diamonds and various jewelry (1 million rubles), 3 changes of 24 dozen each, silver plates and cutlery and 105 pounds of gold dishes. In addition to estates in Russia, Menshikov had significant lands in Ingria, Livonia, Poland, and the German emperor granted the Duchy of Kozelsk. As for things, houses - there was no account of this wealth. One inventory of things taken with us to Ranenburg lasted 3 days. After the inventory, the family was left only with everything they needed for life.

Menshikov's wife and children secretly came to St. Petersburg several times and tearfully, on her knees, asked for even the slightest pardon, but Peter II was cold to the princess's pleas. Peter's severity increased.

On November 3, 1727, after another report against Menshikov, all titles and callings were removed from him. Now he was treated like a state criminal. Menshikov's house was surrounded by guards; at night the husband, wife and son were locked in one room, and the princesses in another. All rooms remained with guards.

Berezov in the life of Menshikov

In 1727, Berezov became the place of imprisonment for Menshikov and his children Maria (16 years old), Alexandra (14 years old), Alexander (13 years old). The full official title is A.D. Menshikov wore under Catherine I, sounded like this: “The Serene Highness of the Roman and Russian states, the Prince and Duke of Izhora, Her Imperial Majesty the All-Russian Reichsmarshal and over the troops the commander-in-chief field marshal, secret active adviser, the president of the state Military Collegium, the governor general of the province of St. Petersburg , from the All-Russian fleet, vice admiral of the white flag, holder of the orders of St. Andrew the Apostle, Elephant, White and Black Eagles and St. Alexander Nevsky, and Lieutenant Colonel Preobrazhensky of the Life Guards, and colonel over three regiments, captain - company bombardier Alexander Danilovich Menshikov."

Under Peter II, His Serene Highness became a generalissimo and admiral of the red flag.

The “royal will” of Peter II, who was only twelve years old when he ascended the throne, was imposed on A.D. Menshikova fell from grace, and according to the established procedure, he was sent into exile - first to his own estate of Ranenburg, and then to Siberia. An order has been preserved to the lieutenant of the Preobrazhensky regiment Stepan Kryukovsky, appointed to carry out the highest command: “Send Menshikov, taking away all his belongings, to Siberia, to the city of Berezov, with his wife, son and daughters...”

On May 10, Menshikov’s wife died 12 versts from Kazan. Blind from tears, still in Ranenburg, frozen (there was no fur coat), in a small village she dies in the arms of her family. In the summer of 1728, a “secret” ship set off from Tobolsk to the north. It was commanded by the captain of the Siberian garrison, Mikloshevsky, who had two officers and twenty soldiers under his command. Such strong guards were assigned to the “sovereign criminal” A.D. Menshikov, his two daughters and son. Back in August, the floating prison, having covered more than thousands of kilometers by water, reached Berezov. The Menshikovs were placed in prison, and here, a little over a year later, Alexander Danilovich and Maria found their eternal peace.

Berezovsky, the last months of his life were spent by A.D. Menshikov steadfastly, without losing spirit. Having been deprived of wealth, power, freedom, he did not break down and remained as active as he had been from his youth. He picked up an ax again and remembered the carpentry techniques that he and Peter I had been taught in the Dutch Zaandam. I had enough skills and strength to build the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary with the chapel of St. Elijah the Prophet at the prison myself. Money was also found: the meager prisoner's salary was used for construction costs.

In this temple, Menshikov was both a bell ringer and a singer in the choir. In the mornings, as the legend says, before the start of the service, he liked to sit in the gazebo, which he had erected on the banks of the Sosva. Here he talked with parishioners about the frailty and worthless vanity of our life in this world. It seems that in Berezovo he was possessed by one desire - to beg for absolution. That’s why, perhaps, he let his beard grow and returned to the God-fearing Russian antiquity after so many years of zealous cooperation with Peter in planting European fashion.

The prince vividly remembered the stormy, noble, dignified and famous years he had lived. His soul warmed and rejoiced, one must think, when in the evenings he told and asked the children to write down “remarkable incidents” from his past.

November 12, 1729 56-year-old A.D. Menshikov died. The prince was buried near the altar of the church he built. A chapel was erected over the grave. In 1764 the church burned down. The Menshikov gazebo has disappeared. And in 1825, the Tobolsk civil governor, the then famous historian D.N. Bantysh-Kamensky tried to find the grave of His Serene Highness, but to no avail. It is believed that Sosva washed away and collapsed part of the coast where it was located. However, until the beginning of the 1920s, Berezovsky priests secretly remembered Menshikov in prayers: “... and his name, Lord, you yourself know!..” The chapel near the newly built stone Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary was revered as a temple in his memory.

Maria outlived her father by just a month, dying on December 28, 1729. According to legend, which has not been reliably confirmed in sources, by this time she was already Princess Maria Dolgorukaya. Her beloved Fyodor Dolgoruky allegedly secretly made his way to the Berezovsky prison, and secretly married the chosen one of his heart. Soon after the death of his young wife, he himself passed away. They were buried nearby. Berezovsky old-timers claim that the graves of Maria and Fyodor were preserved in a dilapidated state in the early 1920s. years. According to other sources, twice - in 1825 and 1827, Mary’s grave was torn apart in search of A.D.’s ashes. Menshikov.

Alexandra, the prince's second daughter, and son Alexander, after a sharp political change in the imperial capital, were returned by Anna Ioannovna to St. Petersburg in 1731. Alexander became a lieutenant in the Preobrazhensky regiment, and eventually rose to the rank of general-in-chief. And the queen made Alexandra a maid of honor and a year later she married Gustav Biron, the brother of the all-powerful temporary worker.

Settlement A.D. Menshikov in Berezovo for the first time, as it were, introduced this city to the great affairs of Russian political life, made Berezov widely known. Accordingly, the residents of Berezovka arose and still retain a kind of feeling of gratitude, special respect for the personality of Peter the Great’s closest assistant. Through the efforts of the Prince Menshikov society, in 1993, the world’s first monument to His Serene Highness was erected on the banks of the Sosva.

Source - Wikipedia

Menshikov, Alexander Danilovich

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Immediately after the death of Peter, Menshikov, relying on the guard and the most prominent state dignitaries, in January 1725 enthroned the wife of the late emperor, Catherine I, and became the de facto ruler of the country, concentrating enormous power in his hands and subjugating the army. In January 1725, he regained the post of Governor-General of St. Petersburg, and in 1726, the post of President of the Military Collegium. On August 30, 1725, the new Empress Catherine I made him a Knight of the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky. In 1726 he participated in negotiations on the conclusion of a Russian-Austrian alliance, and in 1727 he gave the order to send 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, having underestimated his ill-wishers, and due to a long illness (medical historians suggest that he suffered from tuberculous arthritis), he lost influence on the young emperor and was soon removed from government.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Alexander Danilovich Menshikov. Born on November 6 (16), 1673 in Moscow - died on November 12 (23), 1729 in Berezovo, Siberian province. Russian statesman and military leader, closest associate and favorite of Peter I. Count (1702), prince (1705), His Serene Highness (1707), generalissimo (1727), admiral (1727), first St. Petersburg Governor-General (1703-1724 and 1725-1727), President of the Military College (1719-1724 and 1726-1727).

Alexander Menshikov was born on November 6 (16 according to the new style) 1673 in Moscow.

Father - Danila Menshikov (died 1695).

He had three sisters - Tatyana, Martha (Maria) and Anna.

Marfa was married to Major General Alexei Golovin, who was captured by the Swedes near Poltava. Her daughter Anna Yakovlevna in her first marriage was to the royal relative A.I. Leontyev, in the second - to another naval officer, Mishukov. Anna was married to the Portuguese Anton Devier.

No reliable documentary information has been preserved about the origin of Menshikov. According to one version, in his youth he sold pies. He was noticed by Lefort, who took Menshikov into his service.

According to another version, he came from Lithuanian nobles. But this version raises doubts among most historians. But he adhered to this version: “Menshikov was descended from Belarusian nobles. He was looking for his family estate near Orsha. He was never a lackey and did not sell hearth pies. This is a joke of the boyars, accepted by historians as the truth.”

He had poor literacy skills. Among the tens of thousands of sheets preserved in the Menshikov family archive, not a single document written by the prince’s hand was found. There were no traces of editing or editing of the compiled documents. Also, hundreds of letters to Daria Mikhailovna, first his concubine, and then his wife, as well as thousands of letters to the Tsar and nobles - every single one was written by clerks.

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

In May 1724, Menshikov was present at the coronation of Catherine I as empress by Peter, walking at the right hand of the tsar. However, it was in 1724 that Peter I’s patience ran out: for significant abuses, Menshikov finally lost his main positions: president of the Military Collegium (replaced by A.I. Repnin in January 1724) and governor-general of the St. Petersburg province (replaced P. M. Apraksin in May 1724).

However, in January 1725, Peter allowed Menshikov to his deathbed, which was regarded as forgiveness.

Alexander Danilovich Menshikov (documentary film)

Immediately after the death of Peter, Menshikov, relying on the guard and the most prominent state dignitaries, in January 1725 enthroned the wife of the late emperor, Catherine I, and became the de facto ruler of the country, concentrating enormous power in his hands and subjugating the army.

In January 1725, he regained the post of Governor-General of St. Petersburg, and in 1726, the post of President of the Military Collegium. On August 30, 1725, the new Empress Catherine I made him a Knight of the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky.

In 1726 he participated in negotiations on the conclusion of a Russian-Austrian alliance, and in 1727 he gave the order to send Russian troops into Courland.

1976 - The tale of how Tsar Peter married a blackamoor ()
1980 - Youth of Peter ()
1980 - At the beginning of glorious deeds (Nikolai Eremenko Jr.)

1981 - Young Russia (Sergey Parshin)
1983 - Demidovs ()
1985 - Peter the Great (Helmut Griem)
1985 - Peter the Great (Helmut Griem)
1997 - Tsarevich Alexey (Vladimir Menshov)
2000-2001 - Secrets of palace coups ()

2007 - Servant of the Sovereigns (Andrei Ryklin)
2010 - Notes of the forwarder of the secret chancellery (Andrei Ryklin)
2011 - Peter the First. Will()

Menshikov Alexander Danilovich (c. 1673 - 1729) - His Serene Highness Prince, associate and favorite of Peter I. It is difficult to establish the origin of Menshikov; most likely he was a commoner, perhaps he sold pies in Moscow; In any case, I did not receive any education. Around 1686 he entered as a boy Lefort, where the king noticed him. Menshikov was assigned to the Preobrazhensky, then amusing, regiment and soon became Peter's favorite orderly. Menshikov's extreme intelligence, curiosity and great diligence finally endeared him to the tsar, and he soon became his favorite, so that during the Azov campaign he and Menshikov lived in the same tent; At the same time, the favorite received his first officer rank. While traveling abroad, Alexander Danilovich was Peter’s constant companion, and upon his arrival in Russia he actively began to support all the Tsar’s endeavors. He soon received command of a dragoon regiment.