Menschikoff

Menschikoff, ALEXANDER DANILOVITCH, a Russian field-marshal and minister of state, was born at Moscow, 16th November 1672. Lefort, the favourite of Peter the Great, saw him selling tarts in the street, took him into his own service, and introduced him to the notice of his imperial master. Rising rapidly in the Czar's favour, he distinguished himself at the siege of Azov, and afterwards accompanied Peter in his travels to Holland and England. On the death of Lefort (1699) he was made chief favourite. During the years (1702-13) of the war with Sweden he played important parts at the siege of Schlüsselburg, the battles of Kalisch and Pultowa—on the field of Pultowa Peter made him field-marshal—the capture of Riga, in the occupation of Courland and Pomerania, and at the capture of Stettin. At the capture of Marienburg the woman who afterwards became the wife of Peter, Catharine I., fell into Menschikoff's hands, and was through him introduced to the czar. Towards the end of Peter's reign Menschikoff lost favour owing to his extortions and suspected duplicities. But when Peter died he secured the succession of Catharine, and during her reign and that of her successor, her youthful grandson, Peter II., he governed Russia with almost absolute authority. His ambitious schemes—he was about to marry his daughter to the young czar—and the dislike of the old nobility led to his overthrow by the Dolgoroukis, who banished him to Siberia (September 1727) and confiscated his immense estates and treasures. He died 2d November 1729.—His great-grandson, ALEXANDER SERGEEVITCH, was born in 1789. He served in the campaigns of 1812-15, and rose to the rank of general. In the Turkish campaign of 1828 he took Anapa after a short siege, but before Varna received so severe a wound as compelled his retirement. After his recovery he was made head of the Russian navy, which he raised to a high state of efficiency. In March 1853 he was sent as ambassador to Constantinople, where his overbearing behaviour produced a speedy rupture between the Porte and the czar, and brought about the Crimean war. In this war he commanded at the battles of Alma and Inkermann, and displayed great energy in defending Sebastopol; but in 1855 he was recalled because of a severe attack of illness. Menschikoff was till his death on 2d May 1869 one of the most prominent members of the old Russian party.