What did Menshikov do? The beginning of the rise and the peak of Menshikov's military career

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

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

On April 11, 1728, Alexander Menshikov was sent into exile in Siberian Berezov. In the Petrine era, he actually ruled all of Russia, but after the death of the great reformer, he fell into disfavor with his young grandson. According to historians, the excellent strategist and master of political games became a victim of personal hostility.

Becoming a courtier

There are no reliable data on the origin of Alexander Danilovich Menshikov today at the disposal of historians. According to the official version of the time of Peter the Great, the father of the future prince was a Lithuanian nobleman from an ancient family, was captured during the Russian-Polish war and entered the service of the sovereign Alexei Mikhailovich, and his mother was the daughter of a famous merchant. However, the noble origin of Menshikov was questioned by many historians, in particular by Professor Nikolai Pavlenko. According to contemporaries, Menshikov sold pies as a child.

“Menshikov, even if he was the son of an employee and a merchant, as a child he could well sell pies somewhere. This story lived in Moscow for many years. Its reliability has been testified by many people, including well-known diplomats, ”said Pavel Krotov, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor of St. Petersburg State University, in an interview with RT.

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

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

Nothing was impossible for Menshikov. He always undertook the execution of any order of the sovereign. A valuable quality for the courtier was that he knew how to amuse the quick-tempered monarch and quickly "extinguish" his anger. According to the story of the historian Andrei Nartov, Peter somehow got angry with Menshikov and promised to send him back to sell pies. Alexander Danilovich immediately jumped out into the street and defiantly returned to the tsar with a box of pies in his hands. Peter laughed and forgave his companion.

Military glory

Menshikov took an active part in the Northern War and achieved considerable success in military affairs. In 1702, he provided serious support to Prince Mikhail Golitsyn during the capture of Notenburg (now the Oreshek fortress), bringing on his own initiative to help the commander at the decisive moment of the battle of the guards. In 1703, together with Peter, he participated in a naval battle with the Swedes at the mouth of the Neva, which ended in victory for the Russian fleet. In the same year, even before the official laying of St. Petersburg, Menshikov became its governor-general. He stayed in this position for many years, supervised the construction of the city, shipyards and arms factories.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Great expectations

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Days of Exile

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

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

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

During his lifetime and after his death, many rumors discrediting him were spread about Alexander Danilovich Menshikov. One of the most unpleasant is about the illiteracy of Peter I's assistant. Historian Pavel Krotov completely refutes these statements.

“Such conversations are the fruit of the activities of Menshikov’s political opponents. And even a part of modern researchers believed in them, who paid attention to the fact that documents instead of Menshikov himself, as a rule, were written by his assistants. However, the fact that the courtier did not write himself is most likely a consequence of the fact that in this way Menshikov emphasized his high status, as well as the fact that he had very little time. Signatures made personally by Menshikov, drawn by a clearly confident hand, have come down to us. In addition, his very speech, recorded in documents, and fluency in German testify in favor of the fact that he was a literate person. Although his main teacher, of course, was life itself, ”said Krotov.

According to the expert, Menshikov's contribution to the history of Russia is "easier to underestimate than to overestimate."

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

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

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

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

Orderly and valet Menshikov

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

“... Menshikov came from Belarusian nobles. He was looking for his family estate near Orsha. He was never a footman and never sold hearth pies. This is a joke of the boyars, accepted by historians as the truth..

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

military glory

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

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

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

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

Brilliant career

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

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

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

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

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

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

Intrigues and upheavals

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

Illness and exile

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

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

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

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

Prince Menshikov A.D., 1727

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Menshikov - fulfillment of desires

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sunset of the brightest

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

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

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

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

There were a lot of those "once".

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

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

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

Link A.D. Menshikov

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

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

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

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

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

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

D.M. Menshikov, 1725

Maria Menshikova, 1723

Alexandra Menshikov, 1723

First oligarch

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

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

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

The origins of his wealth look very modern:

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

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

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

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

Dates of life and activity

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

"At last I will tell you"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Doctor of Historical Sciences N. PAVLENKO.

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

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

Portrait of Catherine I by J. M. Nattier.

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

AD Menshikov (portrait by an unknown artist).

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

Science and life // Illustrations

Science and life // Illustrations

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In a special chapter, Yu. N. Bespyatykh tries to prove that Alexander Danilovich could not only read, but also write. The evidence is so inconclusive that it is embarrassing to refute it. For example, he quotes from an article by the historian V.F. Ratch, characterizing the bombardment company: “These were people who had to know the art of war, artillery, shipbuilding, architecture, foreign languages ​​and other sciences in order to fully understand the various assignments, given by the tsar, correctly transmit the tsar's orders and monitor their exact execution" (p. 29).

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nor does Menshikov's ability to read indisputably prove his vast library, stocked with books from various fields of knowledge. Yu. A. Samarin, being careful, writes: "It is possible that some of them (the books of the library. - N.P.) were still read by A. D. Menshikov himself, since the widespread opinion about his illiteracy has not yet received either final confirmation or a thorough refutation in science. "(Samarin Yu. A. A. D. Menshikov and the St. Bibliophile: people, manuscripts, books, secrets and discoveries, 2001, No. 1, p. 45.)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"SEMI-POWERFUL LORD"

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

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

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

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

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