Aleksandr Danilovich Menshikov

Aleksandr Danilovich Menshikov Александр Данилович Меньшиков
Generalissimo of Russian Imperial Army
In office 1727–1728
Preceded by	Aleksei Shein
Succeeded by	Duke Anthony Ulrich of Brunswick
Admiral of Russian Imperial Navy
In office 1726–1728
Preceded by	Thomas Gordon
Succeeded by	Martin Gossler
Member of Supreme Privy Council
In office 1726–1728
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Vasily Lukich Dolgorukov
1st President of College of War
In office 1717–1724
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Anikita Repnin
Member of Governing Senate
In office 1711–1728
Preceded by	Position established
Field Marshal of Russian Imperial Army
In office 1709–1728
Preceded by	Boris Sheremetev
Succeeded by	Anikita Repnin
1st Governor-General of St. Petersburg
In office 1702–1724
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Pyotr Apraksin
Personal details
Born	6 November 1673(1673-11-06) Moscow, Tsardom of Russia
Died	12 November 1729(1729-11-12) (aged 56) Berezov, Russian Empire
Spouse(s)	Darya Mikhailovna Arsenyeva
Religion	Russian Orthodox
Military service
Allegiance	Tsardom of Russia Russian Empire
Service/branch	Russian Imperial Army Russian Imperial Navy
Years of service	1699–1728
Rank	Generalissimo
Battles/wars	Battle of Kalisz Battle of Holowczyn Battle of Lesnaya Battle of Poltava Surrender at Perevolochna
Awards	Titles Prince of Russian Empire Prince of the Holy Roman Empire 1st Duke of Ingria 1st Duke of Cosel Orders Order of St. Andrew Order of St. Alexander Nevsky Order of the Black Eagle Order of the White Eagle Order of the Elephant

Aleksandr Danilovich Menshikov (Russian: Алекса́ндр Дани́лович Ме́ншиков) (16 November [O.S. 6 November] 1673, Moscow – 23 November [O.S. 12 November] 1729, Berezov) was a Russian statesman, whose official titles included Generalissimus, Prince of the Russian Empire and Duke of Izhora (Duke of Ingria), Prince of the Holy Roman Empire, Duke of Cosel. A highly appreciated associate and friend of Tsar Peter the Great, he was the de facto ruler of Russia for two years.

Early life

Menshikov was born on 16 November [O.S. 6 November] 1673 in Moscow. It has been disputed by his enemies whether his father was a stablehand or worked on a barge; it's more likely that he was of petty noble stock. As the story goes, he was making a living on the streets of Moscow as a vendor of stuffed buns known as pirozhki^[1] at the age of twenty. His fine appearance and witty character caught the attention of Franz Lefort, Peter's first favorite, who took him into his service and finally transferred him to the tsar. On the death of Lefort in 1699, Menshikov succeeded him as Peter's prime favorite and confidant.

He took an active part in the Azov campaigns (1695–1696) against the Ottoman Empire. During the tsar's first foreign tour in the next year, Menshikov worked by his side in the dockyard of Amsterdam, and acquired a thorough knowledge of shipbuilding and colloquial Dutch and German. He acted as subordinate to Boris Sheremetev, who was commander-in-chief during the retreat before Charles XII in 1708, subsequently participating in the battle of Holowczyn, the reduction of Mazepa, and the crowning victory of Poltava (8 July [O.S. 27 June] 1709), where he won his field-marshal's baton.

Corruption

From 1709 to 1714 he served during the Courland, Holstein and Pomeranian campaigns, but then, as governor-general of Ingria, with almost unlimited powers, was entrusted with a leading part in the civil administration. Menshikov understood perfectly the principles on which Peter's reforms were conducted and was the right hand of the tsar in all his gigantic undertakings. But he abused his powerful position, and his corrupt practices frequently brought him to the verge of ruin. Every time the tsar returned to Russia he received fresh accusations of plunder against "his Serene Highness."

Peter's first serious outburst of indignation (March 1711) was due to the prince's looting in Poland. On his return to Russia in 1712, Peter discovered that Menshikov had turned a blind eye to wholesale corruption in his own governor-generalship. Peter warned him "for the last time" to change his ways. Yet, in 1713, he was implicated in the famous Solov'ey process, in the course of which it was demonstrated that he had defrauded the government of 100,000 roubles. He only owed his life on this occasion to a sudden illness. On his recovery Peter's fondness for his friend overcame his sense of justice.

In the last year of Peter's reign new allegations of fraud by Menshikov came to light, and he was obliged to appeal for protection to the empress Catherine. It was chiefly through the efforts of Menshikov and his colleague Tolstoi that, on the death of Peter, in 1725, Catherine was raised to the throne. Menshikov was committed to the Petrine system, and he recognized that, if that system were to continue, Catherine was, at that particular time, the only possible candidate. Her name was a watchword for the progressive faction. The placing of her on the throne meant a final victory over ancient prejudices, a vindication of the new ideas of progress, and not least security for Menshikov and his ill-gotten fortune.

Supremacy and disgrace

Menshikov in Exile.

During Catherine's short reign (February 1725 – May 1727), Menshikov was practically the absolute ruler of Russia. He promoted himself to the unprecedented rank of Generalissimus, and was the only Russian to bear a ducal title. Upon finishing the construction of the Menshikov Palace on the Neva Embankment in St Petersburg (now assigned to the Hermitage Museum), Menshikov intended to make Oranienbaum a capital of his ephemeral duchy. Pushkin in one of his poems alluded to Menshikov as "half-tsar".

On the whole he ruled well, his difficult position serving as some restraint upon his natural inclinations. He contrived to prolong his power after Catherine's death by means of a forged will and a coup d'état. While his colleague Peter Tolstoi would have raised Elizabeth Petrovna to the throne, Menshikov set up the youthful Peter II, son of the tsarevich Alexei, with himself as dictator during the prince's minority.

He now aimed at establishing himself definitely by marrying his daughter Mary to Peter II. But the old nobility, represented by the Dolgorukovs and the Galitzines, united to overthrow him, and he was deprived of all his dignities and offices and expelled from the capital (20 September [O.S. 9 September] 1727). Subsequently he was deprived of his enormous wealth, stripped of the titles, and he and his whole family were banished to Berezov in Siberia, where he died on 23 November [O.S. 12 November] 1729.

In Beryozovo Menshikov (with his own hands!) built a wooden church. He buried his daughter who died in exile there.

Palaces of Menshikov

• 

  Oranienbaum, Lomonosov

• 

  Menshikov Palace, St. Petersburg

See also

Aleksandr Sergeevich Menshikov – his great grandson.

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. 

References

1. ^ Anne Volokh. The Art of Russian Cuisine. Collier Books, New York, 1983. p.289

External links

• The Menshikov Palace in St Petersburg
• Virtual excursion in the Menshikov Palace

Persondata
Name	Menshikov, Aleksandr Danilovich
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	6 November 1673
Place of birth	Moscow, Tsardom of Russia
Date of death	12 November 1729
Place of death	Berezov, Russian Empire