“Without such an assistant, Peter would not have become Great”: what role did Alexander Menshikov play in the history of Russia.
Menshikov
Alexander Danilovich
Battles and victories
Russian statesman and military figure, His Serene Highness Prince, associate and favorite of Peter I, in 1725-1727 - head of the Supreme Privy Council and de facto ruler of Russia, president of the Military Collegium, Governor-General of St. Petersburg, Field Marshal General (1709), under Peter II - Generalissimo of the sea and land forces (1727), holder of many other titles and positions.
Among his many battles and victories, here we will pay special attention to the battle of Kalisz - it is forgotten, but in vain!
"Most Serene Saint of Rome and Russian states and the prince and duke of Izhora; in Dubrovna, Gory-Gorki and in Pochep, Count, Hereditary Lord of Ariniburg and Baturinsky, His Imperial Majesty All-Russian Commander Generalissimo over the troops, Supreme Privy Active Councilor, President of the State Military Collegium, Governor-General of the province of St. Petersburg, Lieutenant Colonel of the Preobrazhensky Life Guards, colonel over three regiments, captain of the bombardment company, from the fleet of the All-Russian vice admiral of the white flag, holder of the orders of St. Andrew the Apostle, Danish Elephant, Polish White and Prussian Black Eagles and St. Alexander Nevsky Cavalier, ”such was the full title of A.D. Menshikov in 1727
Truly a "semi-powerful ruler", as A.S. wrote about him. Pushkin.
Most Serene Prince A.D. Menshikov
Unknown artist.
First quarter of the 18th century
The origin of Alexander Danilovich is still controversial among historians. Someone considers him to be from the lower classes, and someone who has roots in the impoverished family of Lithuanian nobles. An associate of Peter the Great was born in 1673 in Moscow. Data on his childhood and youth are vague, but be that as it may, in 1686 he enters the inner circle of the young Tsar Peter and soon becomes his batman. Thanks to his great capacity for work, outstanding talents and tireless service for the good of the Fatherland, he enjoyed the special favor of Peter I, having achieved a high position in society. Menshikov owes his rapid rise, first of all, to selfless courage, courage, outstanding talents of a military leader, unparalleled energy and loyalty to the cause of the reformer tsar Peter I.
According to the well-known historian Buganov:Until the death of Peter the Great, Menshikov remained his shadow.
Peter enrolled his favorite in the Preobrazhensky Regiment with the rank of bombardier. For almost forty years, Alexander Danilovich will follow the reformer tsar, acquiring practical skills in military and state activities.
The future Most Serene Prince received his baptism of fire during the Azov campaigns of 1695 and 1696. against Turkey. On the walls of the strongest enemy fortress of Azov, he showed exceptional courage and courage. In 1696-1697. HELL. Menshikov accompanied the tsar on the Grand Embassy to Western Europe, studied shipbuilding with him at the shipyards of Saardam (Zaandam), Amsterdam and London, mastered the “profession” of a diplomat.
By the beginning of the Northern War (1700-1721), "Danilych" or "Min Hertz", as the sovereign affectionately called him, was already a lieutenant of the Preobrazhensky Regiment. Together with the tsar, he will leave the camp of Russian troops near Narva in November 1700 on the eve of the battle and together with him will drink the whole cup of shame.
He will follow the tsar from Narva to Novgorod, from Novgorod to Moscow, Voronezh and Arkhangelsk, carrying out all the orders of the monarch. A man of extraordinary mind, although absolutely illiterate, he will rigorously support Peter the Great in all his undertakings, making enemies for himself among the old well-born aristocracy.
During the siege of Noteburg in October 1702, Menshikov commanded a reserve column, which finally turned success to the side of Russian weapons. For the courage shown in the battle, he was granted the rank of Shlisselburg commandant and in the same year received the title of count. In April-May 1703, together with Field Marshal B.P. Sheremetev, led the siege of the Nyenschanz fortress on the river. Neva. On May 1, the fortress surrendered and was renamed Schlotburg by Peter I; the tsar appointed A.D. Menshikov.
On May 2, scouts reported to the tsar about the appearance of the Swedish squadron of Nummers in the Gulf of Finland. On May 5, the Swedish admiral sent two ships for reconnaissance - the 8-gun shnyava Astrel and the 12-gun boat Gedan, which entered the mouth of the Neva in the evening and anchored there. Nummers, apparently, did not have information that the entire Neva River was already under the rule of the Russians, and brought his ships to the seaside.
Peter I and A.D. Menshikov quickly collected 30 small boats and on the night of May 7, after dark, placing guards on them, decisively attacked the Swedes. In a stubborn battle, Astrid and Gedan were cut off from the squadron, boarded, and their crews were almost completely killed. Of the 79 crew members of the ships, only 12 survived.
In honor of this victory, the tsar ordered a commemorative medal with a brief inscription:The impossible happens.
Medal "The Unprecedented Happens". 1703
For the heroism shown, the tsar and A.D. Menshikov were granted the 6th and 7th cavaliers of the first (and later - the highest) Russian Order of St. Andrew the First-Called.
May 16, 1703 A.D. Menshikov participated in the laying of the fortress of St. Petersburg ("St. Peter Burkh"), which became the capital of Russia a few years later. A.D. became the governor-general of Ingermanland (Izhora land) and St. Petersburg returned from the Swedes. Menshikov.
HELL. Menshikov courageously led the defense of St. Petersburg from the Swedish fleet in May-June 1704, for which he was granted a lieutenant general. In 1704 he took part in the second siege and assault on Narva. Under the walls of the fortress, a staged battle was played between Russian and Swedish troops - in order to lure part of the Narva garrison to help "their own". The "Swedes" were commanded by the tsar, the Russians - by A.D. Menshikov. After the capture of this fortress, he was appointed governor-general of "Narva and all the conquered lands."
On the faithful "Danilych" Peter laid the heavy duty of forming the Russian regular cavalry. Menshikov was one of its founding fathers. If in 1700 there were only two dragoon regiments, then in 1709 the cavalry already consisted of 3 equestrian grenadier and 30 dragoon regiments, as well as 3 separate squadrons: Menshikov General Squadron, Kozlovsky and Domovoy Field Marshal B.P. Sheremetev.
In 1705, Peter sent his closest associate at the head of a cavalry corps to help his ally, the Polish king and Elector of Saxony Augustus II the Strong. For successful fighting against the Swedish protege Stanislav Leshchinsky A.D. Menshikov was awarded the highest Polish Order of the White Eagle by Augustus II. In the same year, at the request of Peter I, Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I granted A.D. Menshikov with a princely title.
In the early spring of 1706, the prince organized the rescue of the 40,000th Russian army from Grodno, which was blocked by the Swedes, led the construction of the Pechersk fortress in Kyiv to defend the city from the Swedish troops; commanded the Russian cavalry in Poland.
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The bright crown of the prince's military leadership talents is the battle of Kalisz on October 18 (29), 1706. It occupies a prominent place among the major field battles of the Northern War - Narva (1700), Fraushtadt (1706), Golovchinskaya, near the village of Lesnaya (1708) and Poltava ( 1709). It gave the Russians the first major field victory over the troops of Sweden - a victory prepared by the systemic military reform carried out by Peter I. Near Kalisz, the “observation corps” of the Swedish king was completely destroyed and the banners of the “anti-king” Stanislav I (Leshchinsky) were scattered.
The campaign of the Russian cavalry deep into Poland in the summer-autumn of 1706 seemed to have only an indirect relation to the conquest of the Baltic states, being conceived by the Russian command as a means to keep August II the Strong in the anti-Swedish alliance. But the success near Kalisz strengthened the confidence of the Russian command in the combat capability of their army, and Peter I - in the military art of the Russian military. The Battle of Kalisz proved that the Russian army was amazingly quickly on a par with the best European armies. There was no more Russian "fear" of the "enchanted" Swedes. And this had a positive effect on all areas of activity of Tsar Peter and the Russian army, including the Baltic.
If Peter I rightly called the battle of Lesnaya the "mother" of the Poltava victory, then according to V. Artamonov, the Battle of Kalisz has a "grandfather" degree of kinship with Poltava.
When, after the Grodno episode, the threat of a Swedish invasion of Russia subsided, Peter I withdrew about 20 thousand troops from the Western Dvina to besiege Vyborg, and forced his favorite, Prince A.D. Menshikov, to prepare a cavalry corps intended for combat actions in Poland, to "maintain the pants" of the inglorious ally of Augustus.
The training of horsemen in the city of Fastov was very difficult. Remembering the defeat of B. Sheremetev at Gemauerthof, where the cavalry, in disarray, rushed to the attack with shouting and whooping, the royal favorite managed to drum in his subordinates the most important thing - to attack in formation without breaking away from the infantry. The dragoons learned to keep the line on horseback and on foot, practiced firing from muskets, owning broadswords and hitting the flank of the enemy, but with difficulty reorganized from marching to battle formation and could hardly keep the formation, closing knee after knee, like the Swedes. Limped discipline. The guards were exhibited "slipshod". The cavalrymen were supplied with sufficient flour, crackers, buckwheat and oatmeal, but they did not have enough meat, and they hunted chickens, geese, ham and gorilka in the huts. Those unfit for cavalry service had to be expelled as soldiers.
But already on July 20, the Russian cavalry was able to go west. The cavalry corps, which was supposed to inspire optimism in the Saxons and Sandomirans, consisted of 17 regiments and totaled 8756 dragoons. An unprecedented number of irregular horsemen were attached to the corps - 6,000 Don Cossacks and 4,000 Kalmyks, whom the Poles were to see for the first time. An ally of Peter and Augustus, the Lithuanian hetman G.A. Oginsky asked to bring to the aid of the Kalmyks, who inspire greater fear in the enemy.
The Swedish command, as it seems to us, showed myopia and did not give due attention to this Russian offensive. For a holiday in Saxony, Charles XII, at the risk of losing control of Poland, took his entire army with him. At the extreme border of Poland along the river. Varte, the Swedish king left a 5,000-strong observation corps of General Arvid Axel Mardefelt (1660-1708) put together according to the "residual principle". Next to the Swedish regiments near the Vistula were 112 light banners of the cavalry of the "Kyiv governor" and the crown hetman Jozef Potocki (1673-1751). In total, then, on the side of Leshchinsky, there were about 15 thousand Poles, ready at any moment to either desert or go over to the Sandomierians.
Running like a hare from the Swedes, King-Elector Augustus was at that time near Krakow. He had about 6,000 Saxons and 10,000 Poles with him, but he did not even think of putting up at least some kind of shield in front of Saxony, but took refuge in the north-east of Poland, near Novogrudok, rounding the weak Swedish detachment near Brest. Therefore, when on September 11, Charles XII, together with several banners of Leshchinsky, crossed the border of Saxony, this elector, unlike Russia, Poland and Lithuania, surrendered to the Swedes without firing a shot. Therefore, on September 13, in the Altranstadt castle near Leipzig, Karl Pieper and Karl Rehnschild, together with Saxon diplomats, signed the “eternal, firm and true world and friendship." From that time on, Augustus' diplomacy was reduced to a particularly virtuoso deception of the Swedes, Russians and Poles.
On September 16 (27), Russians, Poles and Saxons united near Lublin. Three days later, a general review of the troops took place with cannon and rifle salutes and subsequent libations. After the "fun", which both August and Menshikov loved so much, they got down to business.
Menshikov, in a letter to the tsar, gave vent to his irony over the king of Poland:Royal Majesty greatly misses money and with tears alone asked me, he became impoverished so that there was nothing ... Evo poverty, seeing, I gave him my money 10 thousand efimki.
In fact, Augustus II received 6,000 efimki from him, but from the royal treasury, the prince, who was not inferior in roguery to his partner, expected to compensate 10,000.
Menshikov knew that Mardefelt had fewer troops than him, but he had to reckon with the possibility of assistance from Charles XII of Saxony. Distracting march of General A.L. From September 20, Menshikov did not take Levengaupt into account from Courland to Kovno and Vilna (and further, according to rumors, to Polotsk) - Levengaupt did not have time to save Mardefelt. The fighting spirit of the Swedish units remaining in Poland was not high.
Meanwhile, Menshikov, contrary to Augustus, continued to pull all his forces to Kalisz, in the area of \u200b\u200bwhich, according to his intelligence, there were up to 8 thousand Swedes and 15 thousand Stanislav Poles. On October 17, the Russian-Polish-Saxon allies crossed the shallow Prosna, agreed on the deployment of regiments and stood in battle formation 5 km south of Kalisz. From the north, the city was blocked by irregular units. Part of the Poles crossed the Prosna only the next morning, on the day of the battle. Mardefelt lined up troops behind the stream flowing through the village of Dobzhets, with the front to the south and with the support of the left flank on Prosna. All night both sides stood in combat readiness. The opponents did not think about an unexpected night or morning attack: Mardefelt, completely devoid of the tactical audacity of Charles XII, gave all the initiative to the enemy, August II held back Menshikov to the last.
On the morning of October 18, the allies held a military council, after which, despite the delays of Augustus, the regiments began to move in two columns to a more advantageous western position, in front of which there were no water barriers. 10 thousand Cossacks and Kalmyks blocked the rear of the Swedes behind the right swampy bank of Prosna and from the east of Kalisz. Mardefelt, driven into a corner, deployed a 3-kilometer front between the villages of Koscielna Ves and Dobzhets, facing west, with the rear to Prosnya, surrendering all the initiative to the enemy.
The Allies did not have a unified command. Augustus never led troops in battle and, having been ousted from the crown by the Swedes, formally had no right to command them. He handed the order to the Saxons to Lieutenant General Holsteiner M. Brandt, who was hired in the Crown Army in 1692 and managed to make some war with the Turks, Tatars and Swedes. In order not to create the impression of a complete removal from the battle, Augustus, contrary to his usual habit, rode into the field as an ordinary rider.
The Sandomierz people were commanded by the great crown hetman Adam Nikolai Senyavsky, one of the leaders of the Sandomierz Confederation, an ambitious but mediocre military leader. The initiator of the Kalisz battle, A.D., became the de facto commander in chief. Menshikov, who went to the field with complete faith in victory. Being 13 years younger than Mardefelt, the Russian general was not very much inferior to him in military experience.
On a dry autumn afternoon on October 18, the Allies began to prepare for battle. With a total number of 34,000 people, about 24 thousand horsemen were put up in the lines (Cossacks and Kalmyks did not participate in the battle).
Believing the offensive to be the best type of defense, the Swedish general did not think about defense and did nothing for the engineering preparation of the battlefield. He did not cover the infantry behind the walls of Kalisz - the autumn-winter bad weather, most likely, would have forced the allies to abandon the siege. In the heads of the Swedish commanders, the template was firmly set - to break up the enemy line with a swift attack. So it was in all field battles up to the Poltava upheaval. Only in Finland, starting from 1713, the Swedes began to hold out against the Russians with defensive tactics. Therefore, Mardefelt did not move the Poles back, like Menshikov, but placed them next to the Swedish regiments.
Due to the sabotage of Augustus, the battle began late, when it was already getting dark. With this, Augustus gave the enemy an additional chance to reduce losses and, perhaps, slip away, taking advantage of the darkness. The three-hour "full battle" began between three and four o'clock with cannon fire. The Russian-Saxon allies moved first, but Mardefelt immediately sent his motley army forward. The field resounded with a loud cry "With God's help!".
On the dry, flat field, the long lines approached evenly, although the black smoke of the guns and the rising dust made the squadrons barely see each other. As soon as the lines approached within a rifle shot, both Polish wings collapsed almost simultaneously. The battalion of the second line, with shots, threw back several Saxon squadrons, but this could no longer help the Swedes. The inglorious behavior of the Poles "brave" Potocki largely predetermined the defeat of Mardefelt.
Swedish pressure did not impress the Russians. Their line sprang - Menshikov and Brandt took part of the center of the first line to the range of a rifle shot. The officers kept firm order, and the dragoons regularly fired from their horses and slowly drove off.
Meanwhile, two regiments of dismounted Russian dragoons stopped the enemy infantry, and the horsemen began to enter the flank of the Swedish battalions:... General Menshikov soon ordered several squadrons of dragoons to dismount against the Swedish infantry, and the cavalry to attack it from the right wing ...
Brandt, following the example of Menshikov, also hurried part of the cavalry, but repeating the coverage of the Swedes on the left, did not show much zeal. After the flank coverage of the Swedes by Russians and Saxons, the Sandomir cavalry set off in pursuit of the escaped Stanislavites and surrounded Wagenburg. The losses of the Sandomirians amounted to no more than a hundred people.
All European historians noted the betrayal of Augustus before the battle, but no one, starting from the beginning of the 18th century, indicated that his treachery continued into the battle itself. “The behavior of the Russian regiments exceeded all expectations, while the Saxons were very indifferent to the matter,” said British envoy Charles Whitworth in his report dated November 13, 1706. In all likelihood, Augustus gave his commanders the installation “not to be zealous”, so as not to infuriate the “northern Alexander of Macedon” (Charles XII), who was in charge in Saxony. Negligible losses of 120 people. and the capture on the battlefield of only 4 Swedish captains and 3 captains, confirm the "restraint" of the Saxons in the battle.
For almost an hour, the Swedish horsemen rushed about, cut off from the infantry and surrounded by superior forces. The commanders were losing their units. Russian dragoons, having complete freedom of maneuver on the field, dissected, surrounded, knocked out cavalrymen and captured them.
Many who have been in other battles said they had never seen such fire.
- admits N. Yullensherna.
The defeat of the Swedes became obvious, and it was possible to capitulate. The agony of the remnants of the Swedish regiments took place almost in the dark: mixed infantry and cavalry units fired back and rushed at the enemy, coming from the flanks and rear. The Swedes answered the first demand of the Russians to surrender with a volley. Then Menshikov, just as the Swedes did near Narva in relation to the resisting Preobrazhenians and Semenovtsy, ordered to drag the cannons, shoot at the left flank of the square and throw grenades. Hertz's Bavarians immediately scattered, and the battalion "surrendered, attacked and overturned by the enemy. Then the colonel and all the others who were not killed were taken prisoner by the Russians, with which the shooting stopped. Keeping in mind the peace with Saxony and the advances of Augustus II, the Swedish commander hoped to save himself in Saxon "good hands". The threat of the final execution by Russian cannons of the helplessly huddled remnants of the human mass made the surrender drum signal beat in pitch darkness. The Swedes lost all cannons, banners, timpani, drums. In Russian hands were 1769 Swedes, Germans, Swiss and French, among them 94 officers. Russian troops took on the battlefield 3 regimental copper cannons, 26 banners, 3 pairs of timpani, 22 drums, 400 soldiers' rifles and 13 military bandsmen.
Mardefelt was finally sent to Augustus, who greeted him kindly with the words: "Welcome, he will only stay with me." Together with other officers, the general, under a Saxon escort, was placed in a barn with an order not to let either Russians or Poles near him - "even if it's a general."
On the morning of October 19, Menshikov generously allowed Brandt to accept the surrender of the remnants of the Stanislavites, as well as the Swedes who had taken refuge in Kalisz. So the Saxons got 829 Swedish prisoners who surrendered to the "accord", 54 Polish, 5 dragoon banners and 5 thousand wagons. The Poles were not considered honorary prisoners and were not noted in the reports. The Saxons tore off their caftans and forced them to undress to their underwear. To the captured Swedish officers was shown highest degree courtesy, physicians were assigned and a promise was made not to give out to the Russians. Immediately after the victory, Augustus sent his "sincere" condolences to Charles XII, blaming the Russians and Poles for dragging him into the battle against their will.
In total, 2598 prisoners were captured from the Swedish regiments - the most big number in the Northern War, following the massacre of 1709 in Perevolochna near the Dnieper (about 16,000) and near Poltava (2977). Such a number of surrendered testifies to the insufficient stamina of the Swedish regiments. In the battle itself, about 1260 people were killed.
The victory was won with little bloodshed. According to the "Table of Losses", on December 20, 1706, the Russians had 7 killed and 20 wounded officers, and a total of 450 people. The losses of the Saxons were 3%, and the Sandomierans were even less - 1%. Most likely, most of the Russian and Saxon losses occurred in the first minutes of the battle, when the first line moved back in front of the Swedes.
In general, we have to conclude that only the Russians fought for real, while the Saxons and Poles initially acted “in a slipshod manner”.
After the Kalisz victory in Europe, the stereotype of the invincibility of the Swedes in field battles collapsed and the authority of the Russian army straightened out. Swedish influence in the Polish-Lithuanian state declined sharply. Apart from a small garrison in Posen, the Swedes had no forces left in Poland. The owners there until the second invasion of the Swedish army in the summer and autumn of 1707 were Menshikov and Peter I.
For his courage and bravery, Menshikov was awarded a precious cane, made according to Peter I's own drawing. August II presented the Most Serene Prince with the town of Orsha, from where, according to legend, the Menshikov family originated. In honor of the victory, a special award medal was minted.
In the campaign of 1707-1708. the prince was outright outplayed by King Charles XII, which led to a series of defeats for the Russian army. He managed to rehabilitate himself only in the Battle of Lesnaya on September 28, 1708, where he commanded the vanguard of a corvolant (a flying detachment formed from dragoons and foot soldiers mounted on horses).
On November 2, 1708, troops under the command of A.D. Menshikov was stormed by Baturin, the residence of the Hetman of the Left-Bank Ukraine I. Mazepa, who had gone over to the side of Charles XII. The Swedes lost huge stocks of food, fodder and ammunition on the eve of a harsh winter.
In the Poltava battle, which decided the fate of the Northern War and Russia, the Most Serene Prince, as always - at the head of the cavalry, was in the thick of the battle, three horses were killed under him.
The army of Charles XII fled to the town of Perevolochna on the Dnieper. Menshikov and General Prince M.M. Golitsyn, at the head of the cavalry units, caught up with the Swedes and forced the strongest army in Europe to surrender without firing a shot. 16,000 Swedes were taken prisoner, including the entire general staff. For Poltava and Perevolochna A.D. Menshikov was granted the rank of second Field Marshal.
In April-June 1710, Menshikov led the siege of Riga, then ruled St. Petersburg and the province, supervised the construction of the navy and the highest body of government - the Senate.
In 1712-1713. was the commander of Russian troops in Pomerania (Northern Germany). HELL. Menshikov, together with the allied Danish-Saxon troops, took the Swedish fortresses of Stralsund and Stettin, for which he was awarded the highest Danish Order of the White Elephant and the highest Prussian Order of the Black Eagle.
This was the prince's last military campaign. For the next six years he was engaged in the construction of St. Petersburg. Demonstrating devotion to the tsar, he was the first to put his signature on the death sentence of the Senate to Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich. In 1719 he was appointed president of the Military Collegium. In 1721 he was granted the rank of vice admiral.
After the death of Peter I, A.D. Menshikov, relying on the guards, on January 28, 1725, enthroned Catherine I and became the de facto ruler of Russia. Thanks to Menshikov's great diplomatic experience, Russian-Austrian relations, interrupted in connection with the case of Tsarevich Alexei (1718), were normalized, and an alliance treaty was concluded (1726). This union, with various changes and additions, remained in force until the middle of the 19th century.
Shortly before the death of Catherine I, A.D. Menshikov received from her consent to the marriage of his daughter Maria with the declared heir to the throne - Grand Duke Peter Alekseevich. May 13, 1727 A.D. Menshikov received the rank of generalissimo from the young emperor Peter II, and on May 25, his daughter was betrothed to the emperor. This led to a conspiracy against the prince of the highest aristocracy.
On the morning of September 8, General S.A. Saltykov, on behalf of Peter II, announced to His Serene Highness Prince about house arrest, and the next day the emperor signed the prepared by A.I. Osterman decree on exile without trial and investigation by A.D. Menshikov and his family in Ranenburg (now - Chaplygin, Lipetsk region). The Most Serene Prince was deprived of all ranks and orders ("cavalry"), all his documents were sealed.
If during the life of Peter the Great, the prince, who was repeatedly brought to trial for embezzlement of state money and embezzlement, got away with it, now political opponents were able to recall to him everything that actually happened, and attribute something that was not even mentioned.
Deprived of all ranks, awards and property, the disgraced nobleman was exiled to Berezov. HELL. Menshikov lived in Berezov for less than a year and a half, but left a good memory of himself among the locals. He died at the age of 56, on November 12, 1729, and was buried at the altar of the wooden Church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos built by his own hands.
BESPALOV A.V., Doctor of History, Professor
Literature
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Bespalov A.V. Battles of the Northern War (1700-1721). M., 2005
Bespalov A.V. Battles and sieges of the Great Northern War (1700-1721). M., 2010
Bespyatykh Yu.N. Alexander Danilovich Menshikov: Myths and reality. SPb., 2005
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Internet
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Successfully commanded the Soviet troops during the Great Patriotic War. Among other things, he stopped the Germans near Moscow, took Berlin.
Spiridov Grigory Andreevich
Became a sailor under Peter I, participated in the Russian-Turkish war (1735-1739) as an officer, finished the Seven Years' War (1756-1763) as rear admiral. The pinnacle of his naval and diplomatic talent reached during Russian-Turkish war 1768-1774. In 1769, he led the first transition of the Russian fleet from the Baltic to the Mediterranean Sea. Despite the difficulties of the transition (among those who died from diseases was the son of the admiral - his grave was recently found on the island of Menorca), he quickly established control over the Greek archipelago. The Chesme battle in June 1770 remained unsurpassed in terms of loss ratio: 11 Russians - 11 thousand Turks! On the island of Paros, the Aouz naval base was equipped with coastal batteries and its own Admiralty.
The Russian fleet left the Mediterranean Sea after the conclusion of the Kuchuk-Kaynardzhiysky peace in July 1774. The Greek islands and the lands of the Levant, including Beirut, were returned to Turkey in exchange for territories in the Black Sea region. Nevertheless, the activities of the Russian fleet in the Archipelago were not in vain and played a significant role in world naval history. Russia, having made a strategic maneuver with the forces of the fleet from one theater to another and having achieved a number of high-profile victories over the enemy, for the first time forced to talk about itself as a strong maritime power and an important player in European politics.
Oktyabrsky Philip Sergeevich
Admiral, Hero Soviet Union. During the Great Patriotic War, the commander of the Black Sea Fleet. One of the leaders of the Defense of Sevastopol in 1941 - 1942, as well as the Crimean operation of 1944. In the Great Patriotic War Vice Admiral F. S. Oktyabrsky - one of the leaders of the heroic defense of Odessa and Sevastopol. Being the commander of the Black Sea Fleet, at the same time in 1941-1942 he was the commander of the Sevastopol Defense Region.
Three orders of Lenin
three orders of the Red Banner
two orders of Ushakov 1st degree
Order of Nakhimov 1st class
Order of Suvorov 2nd class
Order of the Red Star
medals
Chapaev Vasily Ivanovich
01/28/1887 - 09/05/1919 life. Head of a division of the Red Army, participant in the First World War and the Civil War.
Cavalier of three St. George's crosses and the St. George medal. Cavalier of the Order of the Red Banner.
On his account:
- Organization of the county Red Guard of 14 detachments.
- Participation in the campaign against General Kaledin (near Tsaritsyn).
- Participation in the campaign of the Special Army against Uralsk.
- An initiative to reorganize the Red Guard detachments into two regiments of the Red Army: them. Stepan Razin and them. Pugachev, united in the Pugachev brigade under the command of Chapaev.
- Participation in battles with the Czechoslovaks and the People's Army, from whom Nikolaevsk was recaptured, renamed in honor of the brigade in Pugachevsk.
- Since September 19, 1918, the commander of the 2nd Nikolaev division.
- From February 1919 - Commissar of Internal Affairs of the Nikolaevsky district.
- From May 1919 - brigade commander of the Special Alexander-Gai Brigade.
- Since June - the head of the 25th Infantry Division, which participated in the Bugulma and Belebeev operations against Kolchak's army.
- The capture by the forces of his division on June 9, 1919 of Ufa.
- The capture of Uralsk.
- A deep raid by a Cossack detachment with an attack on the well-guarded (about 1000 bayonets) and located in the deep rear of the city of Lbischensk (now the village of Chapaev, West Kazakhstan region of Kazakhstan), where the headquarters of the 25th division was located.
Chernyakhovsky Ivan Danilovich
To a person to whom this name does not say anything - there is no need to explain and it is useless. To the one to whom it says something - and so everything is clear.
Twice Hero of the Soviet Union. Commander of the 3rd Belorussian Front. The youngest front commander. Counts,. that of the army general - but before his death (February 18, 1945) he received the title of Marshal of the Soviet Union.
He liberated three of the six capitals of the Union Republics captured by the Nazis: Kyiv, Minsk. Vilnius. Decided the fate of Keniksberg.
One of the few who pushed back the Germans on June 23, 1941.
He held the front in Valdai. In many ways, he determined the fate of repelling the German offensive on Leningrad. He kept Voronezh. Freed Kursk.
He successfully advanced until the summer of 1943. Having formed the top of the Kursk Bulge with his army. Liberated the Left Bank of Ukraine. Take Kyiv. Repelled Manstein's counterattack. Liberated Western Ukraine.
Carried out the operation Bagration. Surrounded and captured by his offensive in the summer of 1944, the Germans then humiliatedly marched through the streets of Moscow. Belarus. Lithuania. Neman. East Prussia.
Kolchak Alexander Vasilievich
Alexander Vasilyevich Kolchak (November 4 (November 16), 1874, St. Petersburg - February 7, 1920, Irkutsk) - Russian oceanographer, one of the largest polar explorers of the late XIX - early XX centuries, military and political figure, naval commander, full member of the Imperial Russian Geographical Society (1906), admiral (1918), leader of the White movement, Supreme Ruler of Russia.
Member of the Russo-Japanese War, Defense of Port Arthur. During the First World War, he commanded the mine division of the Baltic Fleet (1915-1916), the Black Sea Fleet (1916-1917). Georgievsky Cavalier.
The leader of the White movement both on a national scale and directly in the East of Russia. As the Supreme Ruler of Russia (1918-1920), he was recognized by all the leaders of the White movement, "de jure" - by the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, "de facto" - by the Entente states.
Supreme Commander of the Russian Army. Kotlyarevsky Petr Stepanovich
General Kotlyarevsky, son of a priest in the village of Olkhovatka, Kharkov province. He went from private to general in the tsarist army. He can be called the great-grandfather of the Russian special forces. He carried out truly unique operations ... His name is worthy of being included in the list of the greatest commanders of Russia
Karyagin Pavel Mikhailovich
Colonel Karyagin's campaign against the Persians in 1805 does not resemble real military history. It looks like a prequel to "300 Spartans" (20,000 Persians, 500 Russians, gorges, bayonet charges, "This is crazy! - No, this is the 17th Jaeger Regiment!"). A golden, platinum page of Russian history, combining the slaughter of madness with the highest tactical skill, delightful cunning and stunning Russian impudence
Zhukov Georgy Konstantinovich
The commander, who over and over again was placed in the most difficult areas, where he either achieved success in the offensive or in defense, or brought the situation out of crisis, translated a seemingly inevitable catastrophe into non-defeat, a state of unstable balance.
G.K. Zhukov showed the ability to manage large military formations numbering 800 thousand - 1 million people. At the same time, the specific losses suffered by his troops (that is, correlated with the number) turned out to be lower over and over again than those of his neighbors.
Also G.K. Zhukov demonstrated remarkable knowledge of the properties of military equipment in service with the Red Army - knowledge that is very necessary for the commander of industrial wars.
Marshal F.I. Tolbukhin
Hero of the First and Second World Wars, a commander who symbolizes the path of our army from the double-headed eagle to the red banner ...
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Here are collected images of both, and Menshikov, on the acceptance of Menshikov as a member of the Royal Society, as well as some information about, and that time. Look carefully at the portraits of Peter. Can portraits of the king be like that? Their style is almost identical to the style of the portraits of Ignatius Loyola, the founder of the "Society of Jesus" (look, for example, at the portrait of the founder of the Jesuit order). But can the portraits of the tsar and the first persons of the Russian state belong to the pen of "unknown artists"? The collection of images compiled here is obviously not complete. I am sure that the interested reader will be able to find many other interesting images of the time on their own. Igor Agrantsev wrote another book about Menshikov "Alexander Menshikov. Tsarevich without a throne", but it is currently impossible to buy it. 01.08.2009.
Added a new book by Nosovsky G.V. and Fomenko A.T. In addition to the question of whether Peter was king or not, the question of how many were there is of some interest? Yes Yes. Exactly. How many Peters the First were there - one or two? The fact is that some surviving information suggests that there were two of them. Two different Peters. And if this is confirmed, then, probably, Natalya Naryshkina then gave birth to twins. 01.08.2009. Site added"People's Monarchy" by Ivan Solonevich , where the author's opinion about the reign of Peter is given. 05.09.2010. Added by A. Burovsky " Peter the First. Cursed Emperor". |
Maps of Muscovy of Peter the Great
Peter I - images
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Portrait of Peter I Image taken from website |
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Portrait of Peter I August Tolyander (1835-1910) 1874. Oil on canvas. 140 x 115. Museum of Fine Arts of the Republic of Karelia. Petrozavodsk |
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Portrait of Peter the Great Image taken from website |
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Portrait of Peter the Great. Image taken from website |
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Portrait of Peter I Image taken from website |
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Portrait of Peter I. Image taken from website |
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Portrait of Russian Tzar Peter I ( the Great) by Godfrey Kneller (1698). Image taken from website |
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Portrait of Peter I Image taken from website |
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Portrait of Peter I Image taken from website |
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The image is taken from the Wikipedia site. |
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Image taken from websiteWikipedia. |
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Two engraved portraits Martina Bernigerota from the magazine "Newly discovered Mirror of the World and Cities". On the left - Pyotr Alekseevich, the Great Tsar-Autocrat and the Grand Duke of Moscow - the "Great Khan Prinador" of Lambert's narration. On the right - "Monsieur Lambert, Moscow General Engineer" himself. IN 1711 in the historical-geographical, genealogical, heraldic, political and legal journal "The Newly Discovered Mirror of the World and Cities" published in The Hague, a famous master of engraving Martin Bernigeroth published several portraits of people associated with the history of contemporary Russia. Images and comments to them are taken from the book by Alexander Matveyevich Sharymov "Prehistory of St. Petersburg. 1703. Book of Research.", which is published on the website http://gorchev.lib.ru/ik/. |
Alexander Menshikov - images
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Coat of arms of Menshikov. Image taken from the site |
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The famous lattice The picture and description of the lattice are taken from the State Hermitage Museum website. Two paired the forged railings of the upper vestibule are made of iron tetrahedral bars with volute-shaped curls characteristic of the early 18th century. The lattice pattern is an interlaced double monogram of Peter I (PP - Petrus Primus) and Alexander Menshikov (AM). Unique grilles testify high level metal processing in St. Petersburg at that time and the role of the palace as a center public life cities. Here, Governor-General Menshikov on behalf of Peter I was supposed to arrange solemn receptions for diplomats and festivities on the occasion of military victories. The bars also testify to the closeness of the owner to Peter I, which Menshikov tried to emphasize in every possible way. |
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Martin Bernigeroth.
Portrait of Alexander Menshikov. Image taken from the sitehttp://gorchev.lib.ru/ik/Predystoriya SPb_1703god/B2_Razdel_2/2_2_10.html |
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Alexander Menshikov.
Bust by Rastrelli Image taken from the site |
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Alexander Menshikov.
The engraving was exhibited at the exhibition "PetraCreation…”, dedicated to the 300th anniversary of the founding of St. Petersburg. Image taken from website |
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Portrait of His Serene Highness Prince Menshikov. Unknown artist. Berezovsky Museum of Local Lore. Image takenfrom the site |
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Most Serene Prince A.D. Menshikov, Governor General of Ingermanland Image takenfrom the site |
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An interesting collection of images, including portraits of Menshikov's wife and daughters - here - |
Alexander Menshikov - the first Russian member of the Royal Society
An instructive example of the fame and popularity of Newton and the Royal Society he headed at the beginning of the 18th century. serves as a letter (on French) associate of Peter the Great, Prince A.D. Menshikov to Newton dated August 23, 1714 with a request to accept him as a member of the Society. Three drafts of Newton's response letter to Menshikov, written in his hand in Latin, have been preserved. One of these drafts was donated by the Royal Society to the Academy of Sciences of the USSR in 1943 (Fig. 31) and is currently kept in the Archives of the Academy. Here is a translation of this especially valuable document for us:
Thus, A.D. Menshikov became the first Russian member of the Royal Society."To the most powerful and most venerable Vladyka Mr. Alexander Menshikov, Prince of the Roman and Russian Empires, Ruler of Oranienburg ,Isaac Newton sends greetings to the first in the Councils of Tsarist Majesty, Marshal, Governor of the conquered regions, holder of the Order of the Elephant and the Supreme Order of the Black Eagle, etc.
Since it has become known to the Royal Society that Your Emperor, His Royal Majesty, with the greatest zeal, develops in His domains the arts and sciences and that You, by Your service, help Him not only in the management of military and civil affairs, but above all also in the distribution of good books and sciences, to that extent we were all filled with joy when the English merchants let us know that Your Excellency, due to his highest enlightenment, special desire for science, and also out of love for our people, would like to join our Society. At that time, according to custom, we stopped gathering until the end of summer and autumn. But when we heard about what was said, we all gathered to elect Your Excellency, while we were unanimous. And now, taking advantage of the first meeting, we confirm this election with a diploma, sealed with the seal of our community. The Society also instructed its secretary to send you the diploma and notify you of your election. Be healthy.
Alexander Menshikov - titles
General
Field Marshal General
His Serene Highness Prince Izhora
Menshikov Alexander Danilovich
| November 6, 1673 | was born |
| 1698 | Sergeant of the Guards of the Preobrazhensky Regiment |
| 1700 | lieutenant of the bombardment company |
| 1702 | Governor of Noteburg (Shlisselburg) |
| November 1702 | Count of the Holy Roman Empire |
| May 10, 1703 | awarded the Order of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called |
| 1703 | Governor General of Ingermanland |
| 1703 - May 1724 | 1st General-Governor of St. Petersburg |
| 1704 | Major General |
| 1704 | Lieutenant General |
| 1704 | Governor-General of Narva and all conquered places; "Chief of the Cavalry" |
| 1705 | received the Polish Order of the White Eagle |
| 1706 | Prince of the Holy Roman Empire |
| 1706 | Lieutenant Colonel of the Guards of the Preobrazhensky Regiment |
| 1707 | Active Privy Councilor |
| May 20, 1707 |
Highly granted to the Princely Russian dignity with the title of Duke of Izhora and Most Serene |
| 1708 | fleet captain |
| from 1708 | Commander of the Life Guards of the Preobrazhensky Regiment |
| June 27, 1709 | Field Marshal General |
| 1710 | received the Danish Order of the Elephant |
| 1713 | received the Prussian Order of the Black Eagle |
| 1715 | Fleet Schaubenacht |
| December 1717 | Senator |
| 1718 - February 1723 | 1st President of the Military College |
| 1721 | Fleet Vice Admiral |
| in 1723 |
HELL. Menshikov was named: Duke of Izhora, Most Serene Prince of the Roman and Russian States, Reich Marshal, over the troops, the commander of the Field Marshal General, Military College President, Fleet of the All-Russian Vice Admiral, Governor-General of the province of St. Petersburg, Active Privy Councilor, Lieutenant Colonel of the Preobrazhensky Life Guards Regiment, Colonel over three regiments and Bombing Campaign Captain |
| from January 1725 | Governor General of St. Petersburg |
| May 21, 1725 | awarded the Order of St. Blessed Prince Alexander Nevsky |
| 1725 | son Prince Alexander Alexandrovich Menshikov was granted the Actual Chamberlain, Lieutenant of the Life Guards of the Preobrazhensky Regiment, Cavalier of the Order of St. Catherine |
| from 1726 | Member of the Supreme Privy Council |
| from July 1726 | President of the Military College |
| May 7, 1727 | on the day of the accession to the Throne of Emperor Peter II, he was awarded the title of Fleet Admiral |
| May 12, 1727 | Generalissimo |
| May 25, 1727 | betrothal of Emperor Peter II to Princess Maria Alexandrovna Menshikova |
| May 29, 1727 |
Maria Alexandrovna Menshikova and Varvara Mikhailovna Arsenyeva were awarded the Order of St. Catherine; son Alexander Alexandrovich Menshikov received the Order of St. Apostle Andrew the First-Called and the Prussian Order of the Black Eagle |
| 1727 | Roman Emperor Charles VI granted A.D.Menshikov Duchy of Kozel in Silesia |
| September 8, 1727 | the will of the Monarch is announced: "not to enter into any business and not to leave the house" |
| September 9, 1727 | arrested, deprived of ranks, ranks and property with deportation to Ranenburg |
| April 4, 1728 | exiled to Berezov |
| October 22, 1729 | died in exile |
Alexander Menshikov - orders
Order of St. Apostle Andrew the First-Called (1703)
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The first Russian Order of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called appeared in 1698 or 1699, and Tsar Peter I Alekseevich expressed his intention to establish it during his stay in England. The choice of the heavenly patron of the order is explained by the church tradition about the first preaching of Christianity in the Russian lands by the Apostle Andrei. The introductory part of the draft statute, drawn up in 1720, explained that the Russian order was founded due to the suppression of the ancient Scottish order. The Order of St. Andrew the First-Called was awarded to persons for military exploits and public service, "in order, looking at these clear signs of mercy and advantages, to encourage others to brave and faithful services and to other feats in wartime and peacetime ..." The draft statute of 1720 called the head of the order of the king. Sovereign Peter Alekseevich accepted orders in 1703 for the capture of Swedish ships at the mouth of the Neva. In 1699, Admiral-General F.A. became the first holder of the order. Golovin. The statute of 1720 assumed the presence of no more than 24 gentlemen - Russian and foreign equally, but even during the life of Tsar Peter I, their number reached 38 and subsequently was never limited.
Order of the White Eagle (1705)
Presumably, the Order of the White Eagle was established in 1325 by the Polish king Vladislav (the White Eagle is the main element of the Polish coat of arms). The restoration of the order was carried out in 1705 by the Polish king August II (Elector Friedrich of Saxony - August I ). In November 1712, the Polish monarch laid the insignia of the Order of the White Eagle on the Russian Tsar Peter I.
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Here is what he writes about the Order of the Elephant Wikipedia
The Order of the Elephant (Danish: Elefantordenen) is Denmark's highest national award.
Once again, the Order of the Elephant was restored in 1623, when it became a secular court award, and this time only for men. Order star - eight-pointed, sewn from round silver plates. In its center, on a red velvet field, there is a large rosette with a four-pointed cross framed by laurel branches tied at the top and bottom with gold ribbons. In Russia, the first cavalier of the Danish Order of the Elephant was "His Holiness Prince" Alexander Danilovich Menshikov. He was awarded it in 1710, but soon the Danish envoy to Russia established that the prince was violating the order statute, according to which no other could coexist with the signs of the Order of the Elephant on clothes. A. D. Menshikov, at the same time with the Order of the Elephant, attached to his uniform the sign of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called. In 1713, Peter I, A.I. Repnin, the Russian ambassador to the Danish court V.L. Dolgoruky, and V.V. Dolgoruky became holders of the Order of the Elephant.
The statute of the order was revised in 1693 by King Christian V and membership was limited to the monarch, princes of the blood and thirty knights. The order was to be awarded only to sovereigns, Danish and foreign.
An incomplete list of the Knights of the Elephant can be viewed.
Supreme Order of the Black Eagle (1713)
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Images and short description orders of the Black Eagle taken from the site http://awards.netdialogue.com/Europe/Germany/GermanyStates/Prussia/BlackEagle/BlackEagle.htm The description of the order is taken from the site http://text.uuu.ru/orders/Countries/20040930142759Countries.html |
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The first highest award of Prussia was Order of the Black Eagle, established on January 18, 1701 by Frederick I in honor of the proclamation of Prussia as a kingdom. The head of the order was the King of Prussia. Members of the royal family received the badges of the order at birth. Initially, the number of holders of the order was limited to thirty, but later this restriction was removed.
The star of the order is eight-pointed, silver. In its center, in a round medallion, there is an image of a black eagle, surrounded by the motto of the order: "SUUM СUIQUE" ("To each his own").
The badge of the order is a golden Maltese cross covered with blue enamel. In the center of the cross is a medallion with the monogram of Frederick I. Between the sides of the cross are images of black eagles topped with royal crowns.
Order of St. Blessed Prince Alexander Nevsky (1725)
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The establishment of the order in the name of the Holy Blessed Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky, as a purely military award, was conceived by Tsar Peter I. In 1710, by the will of the sovereign, the Alexander Nevsky Monastery (later Lavra) was founded in St. Petersburg. And on August 30, 1724, the solemn transfer of the relics of St. Alexander Nevsky from Vladimir to St. Petersburg took place. But Emperor Peter I died without having time to fulfill his intention. The first awards of the new order took place already under Empress Catherine I on May 26, 1725, on the wedding day of Princess Anna Petrovna and the Schleswig-Holstein Duke Karl-Friedrich (who later established the Order of St. Anna in honor of his wife). Among the 18 gentlemen were not only the military, but also civilians. Thus, the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky became an award awarded both for military merit and for public service. On August 30, 1725, on the anniversary of the transfer of the relics of the Holy Blessed Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky, Empress Catherine I placed on herself the insignia of his order, which significantly increased the status of this award.
Alexander Menshikov - coins
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Images and information about the coins are taken from the site |
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The main types of rubles of Peter II with portraits of samples of 1727, 1728 and 1729
If we compare the image of the emperor, displayed on the coins of 1727, with the picturesque interpretation of him on the official portraits made by Caravaccus and Ludden, then it is problematic to identify their portrait resemblance, with all desire. Thus, the physiognomic features depicted in the portrait of the emperor on the ruble coins of 1727 and 1729, albeit with difficulty, find their explanations. Let's try to put forward a hypothesis that the ruble coins with a portrait of the sample of 1728 depict His Serene Highness Prince Alexander Danilovich Menshikov, and consider the prerequisites that give rise to such an assumption. Firstly, the fact that Menshikov previously used the possibilities of monetary business to perpetuate and glorify his own person has already been proven. V.V.Uzdenikov conducted an original study, indicating that the Most Serene Prince, "violating all the canons, .. is making an attempt to place a combined monogram on a national coin - his own and the empress's." We are talking about a specimen known as "Menshikov dime", which was planned for mass minting in 1726 under Catherine I. |
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"Menshikov dime" 1726 |
Alexander Menshikov - architecture
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Menshikov Palace. Photo taken from the website of the club "New Atlantis" A wonderful gallery of photographs of the interior of the Menshikov Palace -
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House of Peter the Great. Image taken from website |
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Menshikov tower in Moscow. The Temple of the Antioch Metochion in honor of the Archangel Gabriel is located in Arkhangelsky Lane not far from Chistoprudny Boulevard. The Temple of the Archangel Gabriel is sometimes called the "Menshikov Tower". Pro state of the art temple can be read. The picture shows a view of the Church of the Archangel Gabriel before the fire of 1723. The new temple, built by Menshikov on the site of the dilapidated church of the Archangel Gabriel, was three meters higher than the Kremlin bell tower of Ivan the Great. 3 octahedral tiers rose above the massive base - 2 stone and 1 wooden. The tiers had spacious openings, which were an excellent resonator for fifty bells bought in London along with chimes installed on the last tier. The chimes struck every 15 minutes, and at noon all 50 bells played a half-hour concert. This design was crowned with a 13-meter spire with a gilded an angel. Such a spire was the first in Russia, and then appeared on the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg. The temple was built quite quickly - in three years by 1707, but did not have this appearance for long - only 16 years. The architectural style of the temple is called "Naryshkin baroque".
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navigation school
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Reverse of a 3-ruble commemorative coin issued in 2001.
Picture taken from the siteCentral Bank of the Russian Federation http://www.cbr.ru Interestingly, on January 14, 1701, by the Highest Decree of Peter I, the School of Mathematical and Navigational Sciences ("navigation school") was founded, located in the Sretenskaya (later Sukharev) tower. At that time it was the only government secular school. Graduates(sailors, hydrographers, topographers, engineers, gunners, teachers for newly established educational institutions) were in demand not only in the Navy, but also in other departments. |
| By the way, in the popular bestseller " |
Battleship "Ingermanland". Peter the Great was not only a skilled shipbuilder, but he himself taught this art to Russian craftsmen. His main achievement was the construction of the 66-gun ship "Ingermanland", which he built together with the Englishman Richard Cozens (Richard Cozens), invited to Russia some time before to assist in the construction of the Russian fleet. The ship was laid down on the Admiralty Branches in St. Petersburg on October 30, 1712 and was launched on May 1, 1715. It got its name from the name of the area where it was built - Ingria. A comparison of the dimensions of the two Ingermanlands showed that for a ship of 1715, the length of the gun deck was 151 feet, the theoretical width was 42 feet, and the height of the hold was 18 feet 3 inches. The corresponding measurements for a 1735 ship were as follows: 155 feet, 41 feet 10 inches and 19 feet 8 inches. The most significant part of the ship is always the underwater part of its hull. To this day, the drawing of the Ingermanland, compiled by Gavrila Menshikov, has been preserved in accordance with the proportions set by Peter and the drawings approved by him. This drawing shows how similar the 1735 ship was to the 1715 original. An interesting detail of the drawing is a significant number of signatures affixed to it by different people at different times. Two of them accurately date the drawing to 1732-1733. Admiralty documents of those times show that the decor on the ships of Peter and Menshikov was identical. In his report, Popov characterized the drawing as the work of Peter the Great and Cozens, despite the presence of Menshikov's signature on the drawing and the absence of Cozens' signature, and continued to maintain that the design of the two ships (i.e., the two Ingermanlands) was the same. Written data on the detailing and decoration of the ship's interior has not been preserved. However, there are some records that describe the decor of several Peter's houses. It is known that some ornamental details present in these houses are also present on the "Ingermanland". A lot of gilding was used, and a carved gilded double-headed eagle- the state emblem of Russia, which is an invariable attribute of any royal house. A fragment of the decoration of the stern depicts the scenes present on the medal minted in memory of the actions of the four combined fleets off the coast of Copenhagen in 1716. This decor depicts Neptune |
Nosovsky and Fomenko about Peter
In the book, from the point of view of the New Chronology, the two most interesting and mysterious eras of Russian history are considered - the reign of Ivan the Terrible and the reign of Peter the Great. Both eras are considered a turning point in Russian history, which significantly influenced the further development of the country. And in both - a lot of mysteries and not fully understood events.
The first part of the book is devoted to the reign of Ivan the Terrible. The authors provide new details confirming and supplementing the reconstruction of the reign of Ivan the Terrible proposed by them in 1995 as a sequence of reigns of four different kings.
The second part of the book is devoted to new facts discovered during the study by the authors of the astronomical zodiac of Ivan the Terrible, depicted on the famous bone throne of the Terrible, stored in the Armory of the Moscow Kremlin. It suddenly turned out that in the history of Peter I, a certain secret is hidden related to the substitution of the name of the king. This most likely means that under the name of Peter the Great, a completely different person with a completely different name reigned on the Russian throne. That is, an impostor. Which explains a lot in Russian history.
From the abstract.
Here are some quotes.
So, we must conclude that the birthday of Peter I is NOT RELATED TO the day of his angel. But for all other kings of his era, such a connection obviously exists and obeys the same rules! So what was the real name of Tsar Peter I? And what is behind it?
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St. Isaac's Cathedral - the main cathedral of Romanov Russia. The Romanovs were very reverent and paid great attention to its construction. It is clear that the name of the cathedral was not chosen by chance. But then - why "Isaac's"? It is known that the cathedral is dedicated to St. Isaac of Dalmatia. However, what does Isaac of Dalmatia, who is believed to have lived during the time of the Roman Emperor Valens, have to do with the reigning house of the Romanovs? The answer is very interesting. The whole reason, it turns out, is that the DAY OF MEMORY OF ISAACY OF DALMATIA COUNCILATED WITH THE BIRTHDAY OF PETER I.
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But then it is impossible not to recall the dark story with the one and a half year trip of the young Tsar Peter I across Western Europe from March 1697 to August 1698. From which he returned as if a completely different person. And the next day, without EVEN SEEING THE FAMILY, he began to cut the beards of the boyars and introduce Western customs into Rus'. At the same time - which is very significant - the "renewed Peter" immediately completely destroyed the Moscow Streltsy army. Then he immediately entered into a SECRET AGREEMENT with Western European sovereigns. ALL HIS CLOSEST RELATIVES - sisters Sophia and Martha and his wife - Peter imprisoned immediately upon his return to a monastery. DID NOT LEAVE ANY PERSON FROM THE ROYAL FAMILY NEAR HIMSELF. The brother and co-ruler of Peter, Tsar Ivan Alekseevich, had already died by this time (in 1696). So maybe it was not Tsar Peter Alekseevich who returned from a trip abroad, but a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PERSON? By the way, as historians themselves admit, he did not have the habits of the king, but rather showed the SIGNS OF A COMMON PEOPLE: illiteracy, a tendency to engage in such crafts that sovereigns do not do, etc.
It turns out that the archers who served in the Kremlin directly spoke about the substitution of Peter. This was the reason for the next uprising of the archers, after the return of Peter from a trip abroad. The historian R. Massi, the author of the two-volume book "Peter the Great", describes the conversations of the archers in this way: "it was rumored that Peter was completely Germanized - and MAYBE DEAD. The archers excitedly discussed all this - the archers understood what their duty was: to throw off this SUBSTITUTE, NOT REAL KING .
In other words, perhaps there was a HIDDEN PALACE COUP WITH THE SUBSTITUTION OF THE KING. The real Pyotr Alekseevich was first accustomed to drinking, and then quietly removed. Instead, they sent from Western Europe a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PERSON, WHO RULED THEN ON BEHALF OF PETER. It is clear that this man's name was most likely not Peter. It is likely that his name was Isaac and it was his birthday that fell on May 30th.
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See also Peter's substitutionhttp://www.levashov.info/Articles/History-2.html. Here are just a couple of paragraphs. Peter the Great - a very interesting and controversial historical figure. Take at least rumors about his replacement during the trip of young Peter with the Great Embassy. With the embassy leaving a young man of twenty-six above average height, heavy build, physically healthy, mole on left cheek, having Wavy hair , perfectly educated, loving everything Russian, Orthodox (it would be more correct - orthodox) Christian, who knows the Bible by heart, etc. and so on. In two years a man who practically does not speak Russian returns who hates everything Russian, never learned to write in Russian until the end of his life, having forgotten everything he could before leaving for the Grand Embassy and miraculously acquired new skills and abilities, no mole on left cheek, with straight hair, a sickly, forty-year-old looking man. Isn't it true, some unexpected changes happened to the young man during his two years of absence. |
Ivan Solonevich about Peter the Great
A. Burovsky "Peter the First. Damned Emperor".
We are taught from school that Peter the Great is the greatest figure in our history. They say that before him, Russia was backward and wild, and Peter, not having time to ascend the throne, immediately carried out grandiose reforms, created a mighty Empire and an invincible army, established new morals in society, worked on enlightenment, etc. and so on ... and in general, what would we all do without him!
But it's worth taking a break school textbooks and analyze authentic historical sources - and we will find that in pre-Petrine Russia of the 17th century there was already everything that is attributed to Peter: from potatoes and tobacco to an excellent fleet and a completely modern army for that time.
In fact, Peter did not create, but destroyed the Russian fleet. Peter's reforms led to the collapse of the economy, incredible chaos in management and the death of millions of people. And in place of the rich and democratic Muscovy, a poor primitive slave-owning state arose.
The myth of Peter the Great and his "European reforms" still lives in books and in souls. It is high time to destroy this dangerous lie that prevents us from knowing and respecting our ancestors.
From the abstract.
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Under Peter, the state organism that naturally grew "from the bottom up" (including the economy, production, the army, and administration) was forcibly replaced by an artificial bureaucratic pyramid "top-down". Formally, it looks almost the same, but it works differently. More precisely, it doesn't work. If you describe everything that happened in a few words, then these words are mismanagement and theft at all levels management. Here's to these thieves and their heirs, imitating government, Peter became "Great". And the rest were just taught it at school. And, of course, terror. Artificial state formations cannot live without terror. Terror and the power of the bureaucracy are twin brothers. The stupidity of the elite and the actual introduction of slavery were obscured fabulous myth. The normal development of the state was interrupted for many decades. Bolshevik fiends used Peter's experience "management"once again - the result is known and we live in it. And the reforms - projects "from above" have no end in sight- historical tradition. |
There are several hypotheses regarding the origin of AD Menshikov. All of them, however, agree on one thing - his ancestors did not occupy a high social position. According to one version, the father of A. D. Menshikov served at the royal stables and was enlisted in the "amusing" regiments.
In his youth, A. D. Menshikov was in the service of, later became a batman. Over time, he became one of the people closest to the king. A. D. Menshikov participated in the creation of "amusing" troops in the village of Preobrazhensky (since 1693 he was listed as a bombardier of the Preobrazhensky Regiment). He was always with the king, accompanying him on trips around, in the Azov campaigns of 1695-1696, in the "Great Embassy" of 1697-1698. After the death of AD Menshikov, he became the first assistant to the tsar and remained his favorite for many years.
A. D. Menshikov brilliantly proved himself during the Northern War of 1700-1721. He played an important role in the capture of Noteburg (later) in 1702, was appointed commandant of this fortress.
In the spring of 1703, acting together with at the mouth of the Neva, he won the first naval victory over the Swedes, capturing two enemy ships with a bold boarding attack. The Order of St. Andrew the First-Called became the award for A.D. Menshikov’s courage (at the same time, the Tsar himself became a Knight of the Order).
In 1703, A. D. Menshikov became the first governor-general (and held this post until his disgrace in 1727), supervised the construction of the city, as well as shipyards on the Neva and Svir rivers, Petrovsky and Povenets cannon factories.
In 1705 A. D. Menshikov was summoned to Lithuania and appointed commander of the cavalry, and then, from 1706, commander in chief. In 1707 he elevated him to the dignity of His Serene Highness Prince Izhora. For active participation in the Battle of Poltava on June 27 (July 8), 1709, A. D. Menshikov was rewarded with the rank of Field Marshal.
Until 1714, he took part in the campaigns of Russian troops in Courland, Pomerania and Holstein. For participation in maritime affairs against the Swedes and taking care of the fleet in 1716 he received the rank of Rear Admiral. In 1718-1724 and 1726-1727 AD Menshikov was the President of the Military Collegium. On the day of the conclusion of the Nystadt peace (1721), he was awarded the rank of vice admiral.
After his death in 1725, AD Menshikov played a key role in the enthronement of the empress. In 1725-1727, he became the de facto ruler of the country, concentrating enormous power in his hands and subordinating the army to himself. With accession to the throne, A. D. Menshikov was awarded the rank of full admiral and the title of generalissimo of the sea and land forces (1727), his daughter Maria was betrothed to the young emperor.
Due to a long illness and intrigues of ill-wishers, A. D. Menshikov lost influence on
Reliable information about the origin Menshikov 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 fallen into Russian captivity, served first the tsar, and then, who made him a court groom. It was also alleged that Menshikov's father participated in the disclosure of 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 did not doubt his "vile" origin. The most reliable statement is that Menshikov's father had a small shop selling pies, which his son delivered. It is also possible that Danila Menshikov really served in the royal stables, and attached his son to a pie-maker. A similar origin, as well as Menshikov's occupation in childhood, excluded the possibility of him getting an education: he knew how to sign, but he could hardly write. It is also unknown if he could read. However, there is no doubt that Menshikov was a capable person, possessed a sharp mind and a strong memory, showed himself to be a talented administrator and a brave military man. His career began with the entry into Peter's amusing company, and soon he became the tsar's batman. 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, as a volunteer, took part in the Great Embassy, worked together with the tsar at the Saardam shipyard, and attended diplomatic ceremonies.
The beginning of the rise and the peak of Menshikov's military career
Upon returning to Russia Menshikov took an active part in the investigation of the Streltsy rebellion and later boasted that he cut off the heads of 20 archers. By this time, he had become a confidant of the king, accompanied him everywhere, and was engaged in the organization of Peter's life. In 1700, he received the first land grant, by 1702 he already had the position of chamberlain to Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich, and in the fall of the same year he distinguished himself in the capture of Noteburg (Schlisselburg) and was appointed commandant of the fortress with instructions to create metallurgical plants in Karelia and find a place for founding a shipyard. Baltic, with which Menshikov successfully coped. For participation in the battle with the squadron of Admiral Numers in May 1703, in which he commanded one of the 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 in 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 Kalish, participated in the battles of Dobro and Lesnaya, captured the headquarters of Mazepa Baturin, commanded the cavalry in the Battle of Poltava, accepted the surrender of the Swedes near Perevolnaya. At the end of the military campaign of 1709, Menshikov was granted the rank of field marshal and huge land holdings, becoming one of the richest people in Russia. In 1712-13 Menshikov commanded the Russian troops in Pomerania and led the capture of Stettin. In subsequent years, he did not take part in hostilities due to his deteriorating state of health (chronic lung disease).
Menshikov's personal qualities and relationship with the tsar
In all the positions to which he appointed him, Menshikov showed himself to be a talented, energetic, enterprising, courageous and persistent person. He exactly carried out the orders of the king and proved himself to be his faithful and staunch supporter. Surrounded by the king, Menshikov was the person closest to him; Peter's letters to him were particularly cordial. There is an assumption that there was an intimate relationship between them. Menshikov's closeness to the tsar intensified after 1702, when he introduced Peter to Marta Skavronskaya, who later became empress and defended his interests before the tsar. Received from the king all the possible awards and titles, Menshikov was distinguished by his exorbitant vanity and greed. He did not miss a single opportunity for personal enrichment, did not disdain bribes and embezzlement. In relations with subordinates, Menshikov was harsh and arrogant. So, it is believed that it was his careless behavior that provoked the betrayal of the Ukrainian hetman Mazepa. 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 associates: 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 those under investigation in the case of abuses in various contracts and a fine of about one and a half million rubles was imposed on him. In 1717, the so-called Pochep case began, connected with the accusation of Menshikov of seizing foreign lands and enslaving the Ukrainian Cossacks, which became the subject of proceedings in the Senate and special commissions and undermined his credibility with the tsar. However, things did not come to a complete break: Peter condescendingly treated the misconduct 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
A few 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 in fact the first person in the state, initiated the creation of the Supreme Privy Council and actually became its leader. Menshikov regained the position of president of the Military College, lost in 1723, claimed the throne of the Duke of Courland and was going to marry his daughter to Tsarevich Peter Alekseevich, for which in May 1727 he got the dying empress to sign 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 accession, Menshikov was promoted to generalissimo and full admiral, the engagement of the emperor with Maria Menshikova was announced. However, he soon fell ill and lost control of the emperor from his hands, who was burdened by the care of the future father-in-law; besides, the emperor liked his aunt Elizabeth, and Mary herself was also in love with another. The situation was taken advantage of by representatives of the old aristocratic families with whom Menshikov tried to reconcile, the Golitsyns and Dolgoruky. In September 1727, Menshikov was first placed 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 the arms of Menshikov, his daughter died, and soon he himself died.
MENSHIKOV, ALEXANDER DANILOVICH(1673-1729) - an outstanding Russian statesman and military leader, favorite and associate of Peter I the Great.
Born November 12, 1673 in Moscow, the son of a court groom. According to later testimonies, in childhood he traded in pies. He was distinguished by a natural mind, quick wits, which is why he was noticed by the Swiss military figure in the Russian service F.Ya. Lefort and, by chance, was taken into his service.
From the age of 13, “Aleksashka” Menshikov was the batman of the young Tsar Peter Alekseevich, a confidante in all his undertakings and hobbies, who quickly gained not only the confidence, but also the friendship of the Tsar. He helped Peter in the creation of his "amusing regiments" in the village of Preobrazhensky, from 1693 he was a bombardier of the Preobrazhensky regiment, in which Peter himself was considered a captain.
He was constantly with the king, accompanying him on all trips. The first combat test of Menshikov took place in the Azov campaign of 1695–1696, where he showed examples of military prowess. After the "capture" of Azov, Menshikov took part in the Great Embassy of 1697–1698 (working at the shipyards of the West India Company in Holland, he, together with Peter, received a certificate as a carpenter-shipbuilder), and then in the streltsy "wanted" (investigation of case of the rebellion of the archers in 1698). Appointed chamberlain, Menshikov (especially after the death of F.Ya. Lefort) became inseparable from Peter, remaining his favorite for many years. Endowed with a sharp mind, a remarkable memory and indefatigable energy, Menshikov never referred to the impossibility of fulfilling the order and did everything with zeal, remembered all the orders given to him and knew how to keep secrets like no one else. Possessing a good sense of humor, he knew how to soften the temper of the king, and therefore soon his influence on Peter began to outweigh the influence of many old friends and educators.
The ascent of Menshikov, deprived of any education, to the military Olympus is connected with the Northern War of 1700-1721. Russia with Sweden, during which he commanded a large force of infantry and cavalry. Already the first battles, and especially the siege in 1702 of Noteburg (a Swedish fortress on Lake Ladoga), where he arrived in time to help the troops of M. Golitsyn, showed the military talents of the former Petrine orderly. Peter, without hesitation, made him a count and commander of the Russian dragoon cavalry, and immediately after the capture of the fortress - its commandant.
On next year, acting at the mouth of the Neva, he won the first naval victory over the Swedes, capturing two enemy ships with a bold boarding attack. The tsar granted him a medal for this victory, ordering him to stamp on it the inscription: “The impossible happens,” and the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called. The fortress taken by Menshikov was renamed Shlisselburgskaya (i.e. "key fortress" to other victories and lands). With the development of this part of the land conquered from the Swedes in 1703, the construction of a new capital, St. Petersburg, began, which became the center of the St. Petersburg province. Menshikov became its governor, receiving the rank of major general the following year.
From 1705, he shone with military talents in Lithuania, defeated the corps of the Swedish general Mardefeld at Kalisz (1706) - for which he was granted by Peter the city of Orsha in Lithuania and Polonnaya in Volhynia. The subsequent years of the Northern War were also marked by his military successes - the battles won at the village of Dobry, at the village of Lesnoy (which took place 9 months before the famous Battle of Poltava, for which Peter I called it "the mother of the Poltava victory"), as well as in the storming of the city of Baturin (all - 1708) and, finally, in the famous Poltava battle on June 27, 1709. The brave man, under whom 3 horses were killed, near Poltava, Menshikov defeated the corps of General Ross on the right flank of the Swedish army, which aroused the admiration of Peter, who immediately granted his favorite to field marshals, bestowed the cities of Pochep, Yampol, as well as more than 40,000 serfs.
Until 1714, Menshikov fought, taking possession of Poland, Courland, Pomerania and Holstein together with the troops entrusted to him. After the capture of Stettin in 1714 (which was transferred to Germany for control), the health of the 42-year-old field marshal deteriorated, and many considered that he would not recover. However, the mighty organism of Menshikov resisted. In 1718-1724 and 1726-1727 he was president of the Military Collegium, managing at the same time to manage the lands conquered from the Swedes in the Baltic and Izhora land, and to be in charge of the construction of new ships. On behalf of Peter, he equipped Kronstadt, was in charge of the construction of palaces and gateways in Peterhof.
The awards received by Menshikov during the Great Northern War were not only military. In 1705 he became the prince of the Roman Empire, in May 1707. Peter granted him the title of Most Serene Prince of Izhora. The number of villages, towns, and serfs granted to Menshikov also grew rapidly.
The "semi-powerful ruler", in Pushkin's words, the "child of the heart" of the tsar (as Peter called him in his letters to him), found himself in these years a terrible bribe taker and embezzler. Despite the awards that literally rained down on him, he did not forget to constantly increase his fortune by all conceivable, including illegal, means. From 1714, His Serene Highness Prince Menshikov was constantly under investigation for numerous abuses and theft. Peter I himself fined him more than once, but each time softened, weighing "on the scales of justice both his crimes and his merits": merits always outweighed. Therefore, despite the proven misdeeds, Menshikov remained the most influential nobleman throughout the life of Peter I: the emperor appreciated his natural talent and cherished his devotion, as well as intransigence towards all adherents of antiquity.
The intercession of Catherine I also played a significant role in the fate of Menshikov: in 1704 he introduced the beautiful Livonian captive Martha Skavronskaya (wife of a Swedish dragoon) to the tsar. In 1712, she was officially declared the wife of Peter I, and then she became the first Russian empress. Catherine I always remembered the service that "Prince Izhorsky" rendered her, trusted him and supported him.
After the death of Peter A.D. Menshikov on January 28, 1725, with the help of the guards, he made a coup in her favor, and until the death of Catherine (1727) he was the de facto ruler of the empire, playing a leading role in the Supreme Privy Council he created. At this time, he secured the city of Baturin for himself and achieved the termination of judicial investigations of his abuses. Shortly before the death of Catherine I, Menshikov obtained her blessing for the marriage of his daughter Maria with a potential contender for the throne, the grandson of Peter I, Peter Alekseevich (the future Peter II).
After his death, Menshikov managed not only to betroth Mary to the young emperor, but also to obtain the title of generalissimo in the same 1727. Trying to reconcile with old competitors in the struggle for influence on the emperor, A.D. Menshikov brought Dolgoruky closer to the court. This is what ruined him. The Dolgorukovs wove their intrigue, as a result of which Menshikov was accused of high treason and embezzlement from the treasury, arrested on September 8, 1727, and the next day exiled to the city of Ranenburg. Following that, his enormous wealth and 90,000 souls of serfs were confiscated, and he himself was exiled - together with his family and three children - into exile in the Siberian city of Berezov. On the way, he received only 500 rubles, which he spent on the purchase of agricultural equipment, carpentry tools, seeds, meat and fish. Together with eight peasants left to him in the form of servants, he cut down a house for himself, next to it - a wooden church and began to live like a peasant. It was this moment of his life that inspired V.I. Surikov, who painted the famous painting Menshikov in Berezov Menshikov is depicted on it as gloomy and thoughtful. In reality, in disgrace, he retained exceptional self-control, optimism and stoically endured hardships, not turning to the authorities with requests for pardon.
Among the favorites of Peter I, he stands out for his bright fate, full of contradictions, ups and downs. "The minion of fate," as Pushkin called him, did not know how to get tired in large and small state affairs. In life, he achieved a lot and suddenly lost everything, not too much, it seems, worrying and seeing in everything "God's providence." An outstanding nugget, a faithful companion of the emperor in all endeavors - and at the same time an embezzler, a money-grubber, an ambitious man - was an outstanding person. Barely able to write properly, he mastered foreign languages, instantly adopted "manners", was a gifted student in all military affairs, impetuous and proactive. If not for all these natural talents, the rootless pie boy would hardly have become the Most Serene Prince of the Holy Roman Empire, Count, Duke, Generalissimo, Supreme Privy Councilor, President of the Military Collegium, Admiral, Governor of St. Petersburg and holder of many Russian and foreign orders .
He died on November 12, 1729. He was buried at the altar of the church cut down by his own hands. The children of Menshikov - son Alexander and daughter Alexandra - were allowed to return from exile back to the capital only by the new Empress Anna Ioannovna (1730-1740).
Lev Pushkarev
