St. Peter’s City. The Album ‘Peter the Great and His AssociatesSt. Peter’s City.

Son of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich and his second wife, Natalya Kirillovna Naryshkina.

From 1682, the regent for the young tsar was his sister, Tsarevna Sophia, who effectively ruled the state and was forcibly removed from power in 1689. Until 1696, Peter I's co-ruler was considered to be his brother, Ivan V.

He was first married to Evdokia Feodorovna Lopukhina, who was forcibly tonsured as a nun. His son from this marriage, Tsarevich Alexei, due to political differences with his father, fled abroad, then returned and was sentenced to death for high treason (1718). Peter I's second wife, Marta (Catherine) Skavronskaya, ruled from 1725 to 1727 after her husband's death. His daughter from this marriage, Elizaveta Petrovna, was Empress of Russia from 1741 to 1761.

During the reign of Peter I, Russia became one of the great powers; a new state-administrative system was formed; industry, culture, and education developed rapidly.

The most significant successes were in foreign policy. Although Russia failed to gain access to the Black Sea during two wars with Turkey, this setback was compensated by victory in the Great Northern War (1700–1721), after which Russia established itself on the Baltic Sea and became an empire. In 1722–1723, during the war with Persia, the Caspian regions were conquered.

In 1703, Peter I founded the capital of the future empire — St. Petersburg.

The personality of the reforming tsar made a huge impression on his contemporaries and continues to inspire admiration in descendants. Historians rank him alongside such empire-builders as Caesar, Charlemagne, Genghis Khan, Washington, and Napoleon.

A native of Switzerland, he joined the Dutch army in his youth, fought against the French, then traveled across Europe and finally ended up in Russia (1675). He was accepted into service with the rank of captain, participated in the defense of Chyhyryn against the Turks (1678) and in Prince V. V. Golitsyn's unsuccessful campaigns to Crimea (1687, 1689). The young Tsar Peter enjoyed visiting the German Quarter in Moscow, and it was there that he met Lefort. The cheerful and charming Swiss completely charmed the Russian monarch, becoming his chief advisor in all reformist projects and undertakings.

In 1695–1696, Lefort participated in the Azov campaigns, and in 1697, together with F. A. Golovin, he led the "Grand Embassy," during which the young Peter I visited Europe, posing as one of the ordinary members of the mission, "sergeant Pyotr Mikhailov." This disguise allowed the tsar to avoid official ceremonies and devote more time to studying the daily life of Europe. For instance, the tsar spent most of his time learning shipbuilding at the shipyards of the Dutch town of Saardam. Though a capable statesman, Lefort had an excessive fondness for drink, which earned him a reputation as a "French debauchee" and ultimately led to his early death.

A representative of an ancient boyar family. According to legend, before his death, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich bequeathed him to "protect Tsarevich Peter as the apple of his eye," and during the Streltsy uprising (1682), it was Golovin who took his charge to the Trinity Monastery.

Princess Sophia, becoming regent, sent Fyodor Alexeyevich to the Far East, where in 1689 he concluded the Treaty of Nerchinsk on the border with China. Golovin returned to Moscow when Peter had already become autocrat and immediately joined the transformative reforms as head of the foreign policy department (Posolsky Prikaz).

In 1698–1699, together with F. Ya. Lefort, he was the head of the "Grand Embassy," which included the young monarch, appearing under the name of "sergeant Pyotr Mikhailov," who visited Europe.

Although Golovin was primarily a diplomat, he exerted enormous influence on all spheres of government. At various times, he managed the Naval Prikaz, the Armory, the Gold and Silver Chambers, the Siberian Viceroyalty, the Yamsky Prikaz, and the Mint. In March 1699, he became the first holder of Russia's first Order of St. Andrew the First-Called.

From 1680 to 1685, he served as voivode in Tobolsk and Kursk. In 1687 and 1689, he participated in V. Golitsyn's Crimean campaigns. For distinction during the first Azov campaign (1695), he was elevated to the rank of close boyar.

In 1696, Peter declared him Generalissimus and entrusted him with command of the troops in the victorious second Azov campaign. Nevertheless, most historians call Menshikov, not Shein, the first Russian generalissimus, pointing out that in 1696 the title "generalissimus" was considered more an honorary title than a military rank. After the capture of Azov, Shein was showered with awards. During Peter's absence, he effectively led all military affairs and in 1698 defeated four mutinous Streltsy regiments on the banks of the Istra River. The insufficient zeal shown by the generalissimus in investigating the instigators of the mutiny incurred the sovereign's disfavor. Without ever receiving forgiveness, he died shortly before the start of the Great Northern War.

"Having an innate inclination for the military craft," from a young age he participated in wars against the Turks and Crimean Tatars. At the Battle of Narva (1700), he commanded the noble cavalry. When the situation became hopeless, he promptly led his men off the battlefield, saving the lives of his subordinates.

A year later, Sheremetev was appointed commander of troops operating in Ingria and the Baltics against the Swedish corps of General Schlippenbach; he defeated the enemy at the battles of Erastfer (1701) and Hummelshof (1702) and during subsequent campaigns (1703–1704) completely drove the enemy out of Ingria and most of the Baltics. It is to Sheremetev that Russia owes the acquisition of the Neva lands.

Acting cautiously and prudently, Boris Petrovich managed to rid the Russian army of its "inferiority complex" before the Swedes and "accustomed it to victories." When Peter I himself was with the army (the sieges of Marienburg, Noteburg, Nienchantz, and Dorpat, the battles of Poltava and the Prut), Sheremetev was still considered the commander-in-chief, but actual command was in the hands of the tsar.

Sheremetev died in his St. Petersburg house on the Fontanka, opposite the Summer Garden, and was buried in the Lazarev Church of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra.

He began his service in the "toy" troops. From 1691, he was voivode of Arkhangelsk. In 1697, he built a fleet in Voronezh. From 1700, he was head of the Admiralty and governor of Azov. From 1707, admiral. He was equally successful in military affairs on land and at sea.

In 1708, he defended Petersburg from the troops of Swedish General Lübecker. In 1710, he took Vyborg. In 1713–1714, Apraksin won a series of victories in Finland but instead of a reward, he ended up on trial for numerous embezzlements and abuses. He paid a huge fine, however, as consolation, he received from the sovereign the estate of his late sister, Marfa Matveyevna.

He nominally commanded the Russian squadron at the Battle of Gangut, though the actual commander was Peter I himself.

The Spanish ambassador, the Duke of Liria, wrote of Apraksin: "He served Peter I with the greatest zeal; he had average abilities, was brave, resolute, and sufficiently far-sighted; but never having left his own country, he disliked the innovations introduced by Peter I to the extent that he would have spared nothing to restore ancient customs."

From 1717, he was President of the Admiralty Board and General-Admiral. From 1719, Governor-General of Estonia. From 1726, member of the Supreme Privy Council. Died in Moscow.

He traced his genealogy to Lithuanian gentry, but according to popular legend, in childhood he sold pies in the Moscow Kremlin, where he drew the attention of Peter I with his liveliness and wit.

He began his career as the tsar's orderly. He participated in the Azov campaigns, accompanied the monarch on the "Grand Embassy," and together with him learned shipbuilding at the Saardam shipyards.

In 1703, he became the first Governor-General of St. Petersburg. For capturing Swedish ships at the mouth of the Neva together with the tsar, he was awarded the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called. In 1706, he won the first major victory of the Great Northern War over the Swedes at Kalisz. As a cavalry commander, he distinguished himself at the battles of Lesnaya (1708) and Poltava (1709). He completed his military career with the capture of Stettin (1713).

Overseeing the construction of Petersburg and other major projects, he became notoriously "famous" for corruption and embezzlement, but the death of Peter I saved him from trial and punishment.

He played a decisive role in elevating the tsar's widow, Catherine I, to the throne. Under Peter II, he became, in the words of A. S. Pushkin, a "semi-sovereign ruler," appropriated the rank of Generalissimus for himself, and even planned to marry the tsar to his daughter, but as a result of court intrigues, he lost his ranks and property and was exiled to the Siberian town of Berezov, where he died. Shortly before his death, he built a wooden church with his own hands and constantly repeated in prayer: "It is good for me, Lord, that You have humbled me."

He began his service at the age of twelve as a drummer in the Semyonovsky Regiment. In 1706, he received the rank of general. In 1708, in the battle near the village of Dobroye, he defeated Swedish General Ross. At the Battle of Lesnaya, he "fought like a lion."

In 1714, he routed the enemy at Lapal and later participated in the Battle of Gangut. From 1714 to 1721, he fought in Finland, reaching "the cold Lapland borders" with his detachments. In 1720, at the naval battle of Grengam, he won the last major victory of the Great Northern War. He enjoyed immense popularity in the army. "Before a battle, when the enemy was weaker than him, he always reduced his own forces, not wishing to gain victory by sheer force."

During Peter I's Persian campaign (1722–1723), together with Menshikov, he performed the duties of St. Petersburg Governor-General. In 1723, he was appointed commander of troops in Little Russia. In 1728, he was inducted into the Supreme Privy Council.

He participated in the attempt to limit the autocracy with "conditions" but never dared to back the "supreme leaders'" demands with the bayonets of the Ukrainian Army he commanded. Death overtook him before possible royal disfavor.

Father of Field Marshal of Catherine the Great's era, Alexander Mikhailovich Golitsyn (1718–1783).

At 16, he began his court service as a chamberlain to the young Tsarevich Peter. He was one of the "toy" soldiers, later helping him form the new army. Failing to arrive with his regiments in time for the Battle of Narva, he put the retreating units in order (1700). From 1701 to 1706, he commanded contingents aiding Peter's ally, Elector Augustus II of Saxony. He was defeated by Charles XII at Golovchin and demoted to soldier, but just three months later, thanks to his bravery at the Battle of Lesnaya, he regained his general's rank (1708).

For the Battle of Poltava, where he commanded the Russian center, he was awarded the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called.

He served as Sheremetev's deputy during the conquest of Riga (1710), and from 1719 until the end of his life, held the post of governor of the Riga Governorate. From 1724, he was President of the Military College.

Father of General Vasily Repnin (1696–1748) and Field Marshal of Catherine the Great's era, Nikolai Vasilyevich Repnin (1734–1801), who distinguished himself in wars with the Turks and Poles.

Since N. V. Repnin left no male heirs, by imperial decree, the eldest of his grandsons through the female line, Nikolai Grigoryevich Volkonsky (1778–1845), was ordered to bear the name Repnin-Volkonsky.

He left his homeland at the age of 16, becoming a professional mercenary. He fought for the Swedes against the Poles, and later for the Poles against the Tatars and Russians. In 1661, together with a group of other Scottish officers, he transferred to the tsar's service.

He participated in border skirmishes with the Tatars and in military operations on the territory of Ukraine.

He gained fame in 1677–1678 when, after the death of voivode Ivan Rzhevsky, he took command of the garrison of the Chyhyryn fortress, which he successfully defended against superior forces of Turks and Crimean Tatars.

After Peter I came to power, Gordon became his closest associate in creating a regular army reorganized on the European model.

In 1695–1696, he effectively directed the siege of Azov. He suppressed the Streltsy Uprising of 1698 and helped the tsar build a fleet on the White Sea.

He held high court positions under Tsars Alexei Mikhailovich, Fyodor Alexeyevich, and Princess Sophia. In 1687, he was Russia's ambassador to France and Spain. In 1695–1696, he distinguished himself during the Azov campaigns. Later, he fought successfully against the Turks near Ochakov (1698) and was promoted to boyar and privy councillor. In 1700, with the rank of General-Kriegskommissar, he was captured at Narva.

In 1711, together with 44 other Russian prisoners, he was sent by sea from Stockholm to Umeå, but en route he captured the galley and safely reached Kronstadt. Admiring this feat, Peter included him in the newly established Senate. Later, Dolgoruky insisted on strict adherence to the laws and, on this matter, did not hesitate to speak "the plain truth" to the tsar's face. The sovereign often grew angry with him for this, yet said: "You scold me more than anyone and so vex me with your arguments that I can scarcely endure it. But when I reflect, I see that you love me and the state faithfully and speak the truth, and for that I thank you from the bottom of my heart."

Joining the Dutch fleet, he changed his name to Cornelius Cruys. He participated in voyages to India and America. By age forty, he had settled ashore, finding a quiet job at the Admiralty. In 1697, Peter I during his visit to Amsterdam lured Cruys into Russian service, promising him the rank of Rear Admiral and a high salary.

In 1705, Cruys commanded a squadron defending Petersburg and Kronshlot from the enemy. On June 4, the Swedish fleet of Admiral Ankerstern approached Kotlin Island. Despite the enemy's quantitative and qualitative superiority, Cruys positioned his ships so skillfully that after a short artillery duel, the enemy was forced to retreat.

In 1712, one of Cruys's ships ran aground. Peter treated the old sea dog extremely harshly: first, the admiral was sentenced to be shot, but then the death sentence was commuted to exile in Kazan. A year later, Cruys was returned to St. Petersburg. The tsar declared to the naval commander: "I am no longer angry with you!" To which he replied: "And I have stopped being angry with you!" Subsequently, Cruys participated in the development of the Naval Regulations. He rose to the rank of admiral and the position of Vice-President of the Admiralty Board.

During Peter I's youth, he was a room stolnik, then helped the tsar organize the "toy" troops. In 1692, Peter I awarded him the rank of Major General and the position of commander of the 3rd Moscow Elective Regiment, which united the future guard — the "toy" Preobrazhensky and Semyonovsky Regiments. In both Azov campaigns, Golovin commanded a "generality" (division) composed of former "toy" soldiers, as well as Streltsy regiments, and took an active part in capturing the fortress of Azov (1696).

At the Battle of Narva (1700), Golovin's regiments could not withstand the clash with the experienced Swedish army and fled, and he himself was captured and taken to Stockholm. Peter I tried several times to exchange him, but King Charles XII of Sweden refused. Only after the death of the Swedish monarch (1718) was Avtonom Mikhailovich exchanged for the Swedish Field Marshal Count Carl Rhenskiöld.

Upon returning to Russia, Golovin was awarded the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called, but died soon after.

He began his service under Peter I simultaneously with his brother Roman (future first commandant of St. Petersburg) as a "toy" soldier (1683). In the first Azov campaign, he was an engineer; in the second, he commanded a galley and for bravery was promoted to colonel. After the defeat at Narva, he became acting General-Feldzeugmeister (commander of artillery) in place of the captured Tsarevich of Imereti. From 1701 to 1705, he served as governor in Novgorod and simultaneously directed the artillery during the sieges of Noteburg, Nienchantz, and Narva. Later, he distinguished himself at the battles of Kalisz, Lesnaya, and Poltava. From 1717, he was a senator, President of the Berg and Manufactory Colleges, which oversaw Russian industry. He led the Russian delegation to the peace negotiations with Sweden, which concluded with the Treaty of Nystad. In 1726, he was retired, receiving the rank of General-Field Marshal as a farewell. Thereafter, he lived a secluded life, engaged in science. He compiled an atlas of lands from Moscow to Asia Minor. Bruce's passion for physics, chemistry, and geology was not always correctly interpreted by his contemporaries, many of whom regarded him as a sorcerer and warlock.

In 1687, Peter I promoted him to Prime Major of the newly formed Preobrazhensky Regiment. Participant in the Azov campaigns. At Narva in 1700, with the rank of Major General, he commanded the Preobrazhensky and Semyonovsky Regiments. Among ten other generals, he was taken prisoner by the Swedes and held in Stockholm.

His attempt in 1703 to escape together with General Adam Weide and Prince Ivan Trubetskoy failed: he was caught, "heavily abused, dishonored by the city governor," and imprisoned. In 1710, Buturlin was exchanged for the Swedish General Meyerfeld.

Returning to Russia, he participated in all subsequent battles of the Great Northern War. After the conclusion of the Treaty of Nystad, he was promoted to General-in-Chief.

In 1718, Buturlin took a prominent part in the investigation of the case of Tsarevich Alexei. During the reign of Peter II, he incurred the displeasure of Prince Menshikov and the Dolgorukov princes, through whose machinations he was deprived of his ranks, orders, estates, and exiled to the village of Krutzy in Vladimir Governorate. He died in exile.

At 17, he became a stolnik. He was one of the first to join the Preobrazhensky Regiment and by 1693 was already a captain, and a year later a lieutenant colonel. It was to Ivan Yuryevich that the guard of Princess Sophia, imprisoned in the Novodevichy Convent, was entrusted — the prince miraculously survived an attack by the Streltsy.

Giving Trubetskoy the rank of Major General, Peter I appointed him viceroy of Novgorod in 1698. During the Battle of Narva, the prince commanded a division and was captured, where he remained for 18 years. In 1718, the tsar exchanged him and General Avtonom Golovin for the captive Swedish Field Marshal Count Carl Rhenskiöld. Under Peter II, he was granted the rank of General-Field Marshal.

Historian D. N. Bantysh-Kamensky (1788–1850) wrote of him: "Prince Ivan Yuryevich Trubetskoy, although he should not occupy a place among our commanders, for he did not distinguish himself on the battlefield, nevertheless, by his loyalty to the throne and love of truth, deserves the respect of posterity."

He began his service as a stolnik, then in 1700 was enrolled by Peter I in the Preobrazhensky Regiment as a sergeant. Participant in the Great Northern War. In 1705, with the rank of captain of the guard, he distinguished himself at the capture of Mitava, where he was wounded. As a major, he led the suppression of the Bulavin Rebellion on the Don in 1707–1708. In 1716–1717, he accompanied Peter I on a trip abroad. Despite the tsar's favor, he viewed many of his reforms negatively and sided with the supporters of Tsarevich Alexei, for which in 1718 he was stripped of all ranks and estates and exiled to Kazan. On May 7, 1724, the day of the coronation of Empress Catherine I, he was pardoned and returned from exile.

In 1726, he was granted the rank of General-in-Chief with the return of his awards and appointed commander-in-chief in the Caucasus. Under Peter II, Dolgoruky, as the uncle of the tsar's bride, Catherine Dolgorukova, assumed an influential position and joined the Supreme Privy Council. In 1731, for sharply criticizing Empress Anna Ioannovna, who had begun persecuting his relatives, he was arrested, sentenced to death, which was commuted to imprisonment in the Ivangorod fortress. In 1739, he was exiled to the Solovetsky Monastery.

In 1741, Empress Elizaveta Petrovna (it is noted that V. V. Dolgoruky was her godfather) again summoned the prince to court, restored his rank of General-Field Marshal, awards, and estates, and appointed him President of the Military College and member of the Senate.

Godson of Peter I, in childhood he was enrolled in the Preobrazhensky Regiment. From 1722 to 1727, he served in the Holstein troops under the tsar's son-in-law, the reigning Duke of Schleswig-Holstein, Karl Friedrich, as a page, chamber-junker, and then captain-lieutenant. From 1741 to 1763, he held the posts of envoy extraordinary to the Danish court, in Berlin, London, and Paris. Recalled from France by Empress Catherine II in August 1763, Pyotr Grigorievich returned to St. Petersburg and was appointed to serve in the Senate.

Unusually stingy, Chernyshev amassed a large fortune. According to Prince Dolgorukov, "he was an intelligent and talented man, but immoderately haughty, unusually vain, and unbearably arrogant; no one liked him."

He served in the English, French, and Austrian armies. In Russian service from 1700. He participated in all the most important battles of the Great Northern War. In 1719–1720, he commanded landing forces on the Swedish coast that devastated the outskirts of Stockholm.

In 1727, he was promoted to General-in-Chief and appointed commander of troops in St. Petersburg and Novgorod Governorates, the Baltics, and Karelia. Around the same time, he conducted an operation to expel the French protégé, Prince Moritz of Saxony, from Courland. From 1730 until the end of his life, he held the post of Governor-General of Livonia (the so-called Ostsee region).

In 1734, during the War of the Polish Succession, he commanded the troops besieging Danzig, but was accused of indecisiveness and replaced by B. K. Minich. He later won several victories over the Poles. In 1735, he marched with his troops through Germany to aid the Austrian allies.

He commanded a separate corps during the war with Turkey (1735–1739). In 1736, he captured the fortress of Azov; in 1737 and 1738, he twice undertook successful invasions of Crimea.

From 1741 to 1743, he successfully commanded the Russian army operating against the Swedes in Karelia and Finland. This war was called the "War of Memories," as it involved many associates of Peter I and Charles XII. He died in Riga, where he was buried.

В 1741–1743 годах успешно командовал русской сухопутной армией, действовавшей против шведов в Карелии и Финляндии. Эту войну называли «войной воспоминаний», поскольку в ней участвовали многие соратники Петра I и Карла XII. Скончался в Риге, где и был похоронен.

He participated in the Crimean campaigns and the Great Northern War. In September 1701, Mikhail Sheremetev commanded a combined detachment at the battle near Rappina Manor, during which the Swedes were defeated. This was the first victory after the "Narva confusion."

On July 12, 1711, after the unsuccessful Prut campaign for the Russian army, Mikhail Sheremetev, together with Baron Pyotr Shafirov, signed the peace treaty. They were also to become amanats, i.e., hostages of the Turkish Sultan, guaranteeing the fulfillment of the peace treaty's terms. Sheremetev was granted the rank of Major General, received a year's salary in advance, and a portrait of the tsar covered in diamonds worth one thousand rubles.

The conditions of confinement were extremely harsh. Shafirov wrote to B. P. Sheremetev: "The Sultan imprisoned us in November in the Edikule (dungeon), where we remain to this day with your son Mikhail Borisovich, and we live in great need, having light only from above through a grating, and we suffer great hardship from the closeness and the stench. If the war continues, in that case we shall be forced to die in our miserable confinement."

After lengthy negotiations, the hostages were released, but Sheremetev's health was severely undermined, and he suffered a serious mental illness. On the way home, he died in Kiev and was buried in the Pechersk Monastery.

He joined the Dutch fleet as a sailor and during exercises, his agility drew the attention of Peter I, who was visiting the count

Becoming the tsar's orderly, he gradually advanced through the ranks, greatly aided by his marriage to the tsar's former favorite and sister of another former orderly, Darya Menshikova.

In 1718, he became the first Chief of Police of St. Petersburg and all of Russia, effectively creating a new law enforcement structure. He constantly clashed with his brother-in-law, exposing his abuses.

In 1727, he joined the party hostile to Menshikov and led by P. A. Tolstoy, which advocated for transferring the throne to the future Peter II. He was exiled to Yakutsk, and in 1731 transferred to collect yasak and serve as port master in Okhotsk. He performed well in organizing Vitus Bering's Second Kamchatka Expedition.

After Elizaveta Petrovna came to power (1741), he was fully rehabilitated and returned to St. Petersburg.

In the last months of his life, he again held the post of Chief of Police of St. Petersburg.

Thanks to his resourcefulness and diligence, he proved himself excellently in the service of F. A. Golovin as a page, then as a chamber page. In 1701, he was enrolled in the Preobrazhensky Regiment, becoming Peter I's orderly (replacing Menshikov).

He converted from Lutheranism to Orthodoxy. He regularly carried out diplomatic missions for Peter I and traveled abroad with him. On February 19, 1712, he became the second chamberlain in Russian history (after S. G. Naryshkin).

One of the few who attended the tsar's wedding to Marta Skavronskaya — the future Empress Catherine I. He was renowned for his honesty and incorruptibility, which was what Peter the Great valued most in him. From 1722, he was Lieutenant General and the first Prosecutor General of the Governing Senate (in modern terminology, the Procurator General).

His duty was to combat embezzlement. But Yaguzhinsky is famous for his response to Peter's angry remark about the need to pass a law that anyone who stole from the state more than the cost of a rope should be hanged on that rope: "Sovereign, you will not have a single subject left, because we all steal, some more, some less."

As Prosecutor General, Yaguzhinsky served as a counterbalance to the powerful Prince Menshikov and somewhat limited his appetites. At court, Yaguzhinsky was seen as the "denouncer and enemy of all those personal and selfish aspirations" that were characteristic of the "chicks of Petrov's nest."

In 1704, he began service in the dragoons. As governor of Astrakhan, he actively prepared for the Persian campaign of 1722–1723 but was caught embezzling, beaten by Peter I, and fell into disfavor. Under Catherine I, he served as governor of Kazan and again came under investigation for various abuses.

In 1734, he fought under the command of Lacy and Minich near Gdansk. With the support of Empress Anna Ioannovna's favorite, Ernst Johann Biron, he attained the rank of Cabinet Secretary (1738), after which he began playing his own game under the banner of combating German dominance.

However, he failed to overthrow Biron; together with his associates, Volynsky was accused of high treason and executed on June 27, 1740, on the square of the Sytny (at that time Obzhorny) market. Later, his name became a symbol of patriotism.

Volynsky's body, along with those of the other conspirators, Eropkin and Khrushchev, was buried near St. Samson's Cathedral. On the monument erected in 1886 are inscribed verses by K. F. Ryleev:

"Sons of the Fatherland! In tears
To the temple of ancient Samson.
There, behind the fence, at the gates,
Rests the dust of Biron's foe."

Born in Novgorod Governorate into the large family of a poor nobleman and was orphaned early. In 1691, by decree of Peter I, among other nobles free from service, he presented himself in Moscow and was enrolled as a soldier in the Preobrazhensky Regiment.

In 1708, the tsar granted him the rank of captain-lieutenant and then bestowed the title of secret fiscal, entrusting him with overseeing ship construction: conducting investigations into "various extortions and irregularities in legal proceedings." After the death of F. Yu. Romodanovsky in 1717, the Secret Chancellery was moved to St. Petersburg, and its leadership was entrusted to Ushakov and P. A. Tolstoy. During the investigation into the case of Tsarevich Alexei, Ushakov diligently interrogated witnesses, even sleeping in the torture chambers, and was among those who signed the tsarevich's death sentence.

In 1731, under Anna Ioannovna, he headed the reorganized Chancellery of Secret Investigative Affairs. Despite the fact that Ushakov supported E. I. Biron and did not approve of the coup that brought Elizaveta Petrovna to the throne, he did not fall into disgrace, was included in the renewed Senate, and in 1744 received the title of count.

Historian D. N. Bantysh-Kamensky (1788–1850) wrote of Ushakov: "Managing the Secret Chancellery, he conducted the most brutal tortures, but in society he was distinguished by charming manners and possessed a particular gift for eliciting the thoughts of his interlocutors."

He was the de facto head of the Russian government during the regency of Princess Sophia Alekseyevna (1682–1689), her favorite. He held the title of voivode and the title "Keeper of the Great Royal Seal and State Great Ambassadorial Affairs, Close Boyar and Viceroy of Novgorod." This title, equivalent to that of chancellor, had previously been held only by A. L. Ordin-Nashchokin. Golitsyn was a prominent reformer but an unsuccessful military commander, suffering serious defeats in the Crimean campaigns (1687, 1689). As a diplomat, he clearly understood the need for rapprochement with the West.

Besides strengthening ties with all European courts, he paid attention to relations with China. During his time, the Treaty of Nerchinsk was concluded in 1689.

After the regency of Princess Sophia ended, Golitsyn left Moscow for his estate, and then, together with his associates, arrived before Peter I at the Trinity-St. Sergius Monastery. On September 9, 1689, Vasily Vasilyevich and his son Alexei were read the verdict depriving them of boyar ranks, estates, and sentencing them to indefinite exile.

He died in the Velikopinezhskaya volost of Arkhangelsk Governorate.

Representative of a most noble family descended from Rurik in the 23rd generation. Romodanovsky's sharp rise occurred in the first years of Peter I's independent reign. The prince supported the young tsar in his struggle with his sister Sophia — it was to him that the supervision of the princess imprisoned in the Novodevichy Convent was entrusted. Participant in all the tsar's amusements and military games.

The young monarch bestowed upon Romodanovsky the grandiose title of "Generalissimus of the Toy Troops" and personally shaved off his beard and ancient Russian kaftan. He also bore the title of Prince-Pope of the "Most Drunken, Most Foolish, and Most Extravagant Council," within which Peter organized drunken debauches and parodied church rituals.

Romodanovsky also handled serious matters, heading the Preobrazhensky Prikaz of Investigative Affairs (the political police) from 1686. He persecuted opponents of the reforming tsar with exceptional cruelty, striking terror into his contemporaries by his very name. Besides his sincere devotion to Peter I, he displayed extraordinary administrative abilities, also managing the Siberian and Apothecary Prikaz.

He enjoyed the unlimited trust of Peter I, effectively governing the state during periods of the tsar's absence from the capital, with the unprecedented title of Prince-Caesar.

When Peter, effectively excluded from real power, lived in the village of Preobrazhenskoye (1682–1689), Boris Alexeyevich maintained contact with his charge, encouraging his interests in military affairs and sciences. During the tsar's conflict with his sister-regent Sophia Alekseyevna (1689), he actively supported the 17-year-old sovereign, following him to the Trinity-St. Sergius Monastery and becoming his chief advisor and manager.

After the conflict ended and Sophia was removed from power, Golitsyn received the rank of boyar.

Together with L. K. Naryshkin, the tsar's uncle, he managed all state affairs during Peter I's foreign travels, accompanied him on trips to the White Sea, and participated in the Kozhukhov and Azov campaigns. But at the beginning of the 18th century, while governing the Volga region, he fell into disfavor. In 1705, during the Astrakhan Uprising, Peter was irritated both by the rebellion and by Golitsyn's "foolish letter," which "greatly" brought him "into doubt," and around 1707, he dismissed the prince. However, Peter retained his personal regard for Golitsyn until his death, a year before which he took monastic vows.

In his youth, he was a royal stolnik. He then studied "the science of military affairs." From 1707 to 1718, he served first as voivode, then as governor in Kiev (under Mazepa and his successors as hetman). From 1718 to 1722, he was a senator and President of the Chamber College. M. M. Shcherbatov called him "the most intelligent man of his age."

In 1726, he joined the Supreme Privy Council. As President of the Commerce College (1726–1730), he promoted the development of trade, the abolition of several state monopolies, and the reduction of customs tariffs.

In 1730, he drew up the so-called "Conditions" for Anna Ioannovna, limiting her power. After the Conditions were torn up, he found himself excluded from state activity. In 1736, he was arrested, stripped of his ranks and property. A year later, he died under unclear circumstances while imprisoned in Shlisselburg.

В 1730 году составил для Анны Иоанновны т. н. «кондиции», ограничивающие ее власть. После уничтожения кондиций оказался отстранен от государственной деятельности. В 1736 году был арестован, лишен чинов и имущества. Через год погиб при невыясненных обстоятельствах, находясь в заточении в Шлиссельбурге.

During Peter's youth, he belonged to a party hostile to him and for this reason could not gain the sovereign's trust for a long time.

Already at a mature age, he volunteered to study maritime affairs and went to Europe, where he made good connections in high society.

From 1700 to 1713, he was ambassador in Constantinople and during periods of Russo-Turkish conflicts was twice imprisoned in the Seven Towers Castle.

From 1715 to 1719, he participated in complex diplomatic intrigues with the Danes, English, and Prussians, and also played a decisive role in the operation to return Tsarevich Alexei to Russia.

In 1724, receiving the title of count, he became the founder of the comital branch of the Tolstoy family.

After the death of Peter I, he was a member of the Supreme Privy Council, but entered into conflict with Menshikov, who advocated for appointing the son of Tsarevich Alexei, Peter (the future Peter II), as heir to the throne.

As a result, Tolstoy was stripped of his title and property and exiled to the Solovetsky Monastery, where he soon died.

He was a room stolnik to the young Peter I. During the tsar's conflict with his sister-regent Sophia Alekseyevna (1689), he accompanied him to the Trinity-St. Sergius Monastery. He participated in the Azov campaigns. He was adjutant general, envoy extraordinary, and minister plenipotentiary to the Polish court (1701). He skillfully kept Poland within the anti-Swedish Northern Alliance, repeatedly acting as an arbiter in resolving internal political conflicts among the Polish aristocracy. In 1708, after Mazepa's betrayal, he oversaw the election of a new Ukrainian hetman and secured the election of Ivan Skoropadsky, who was loyal to Russia. In 1709, Dolgoruky distinguished himself at the Battle of Poltava, for which he received the rank of Active Privy Councillor and several villages. He was again appointed ambassador to Poland. His concern for Russia's interests and Orthodoxy aroused such hatred among the Polish clergy and all society that in 1721 Dolgoruky was recalled from Warsaw at his own request. Upon his return, he received the rank of senator.

During the Streltsy Uprising (1682), together with F. A. Golovin, he organized the removal of Tsarevich Peter to the Trinity Monastery (1682), actively supported his charge during his struggle with Princess Sophia, and in gratitude was appointed head of the Treasury Prikaz (1689).

After the death of F. A. Golovin (1706), he directed the diplomatic department. From 1709, he was State Chancellor, and from 1717, the first President of the College of Foreign Affairs.

After the death of Peter I, he became a member of the Supreme Privy Council (1726–1730).

He insisted on concluding the Austro-Russian alliance, which determined Russian policy until the mid-19th century.

In 1730, he was among the "supreme leaders" who forced Anna Ioannovna to sign the "Conditions" limiting the monarch's power, but timely distanced himself from the other participants in this scheme and did not fall into disfavor.

From 1731 to 1734, he held the post of Cabinet Minister.

A descendant of the crusaders who conquered the Baltics, he was a subject of the Swedish crown and advocated before Charles XI for the restoration of the privileges of the Livonian nobility.

In 1694, trying to expose official abuses, he was sentenced to have his right hand chopped off and his property confiscated. Having managed to escape, he entered the service of the Elector of Saxony, Augustus II, and was appointed ambassador to the court of Peter I. He tried to enlist the support of the Livonian nobility in the struggle against Charles XII.

In 1702, he transferred to Russian service, participated in military operations against the Swedes, then became ambassador to the Saxon court and commander of the Russian corps in Saxony. Entering into conflict with the Saxon ministers, he was arrested on charges of treasonous contacts with Sweden (1705).

After Augustus II concluded a separate peace with Charles XII, he was handed over to the Swedes and broken on the wheel as a traitor.

Son of boyar A. S. Matveev and E. G. Hamilton (daughter of a Scottish officer). He was brought up at the court of Alexei Mikhailovich, received a good education, knew foreign languages, and was fluent in Latin.

In 1699, after the conclusion of the "Grand Embassy," he was sent as envoy extraordinary and plenipotentiary to Holland. Foreigners did not hide their hostility and contempt for the "Muscovite barbarians" who had just been defeated by the "civilized" Swedes at Narva. Matveev's main task was to strengthen Russia's international prestige, which he successfully accomplished. He was also ambassador to France, England, and Austria.

In 1708, in London, he was arrested at the complaint of a creditor, which aroused the indignation of the Russian government and led Parliament to pass a law that first codified the concept of diplomatic immunity. Upon A. A. Matveev's departure from Vienna, the Austrian Emperor Charles VI granted him the title of Count of the Holy Roman Empire.

From 1691, like his father, he served as a translator in the Posolsky Prikaz. In 1697–1698, he participated in the "Grand Embassy," during which Peter I brought Shafirov close to him. He prepared the Russo-Danish-Polish alliance of 1699 and the Russo-Polish alliance of 1701. From 1703, he was secret secretary to Chancellor F. A. Golovin, and from 1709, Vice-Chancellor and Director of Posts.

He participated in the preparation and conclusion of most major international treaties. When the College of Foreign Affairs was established, he was appointed its Vice-President. In 1722, he was promoted to senator and Active Privy Councillor. In 1723, due to a quarrel and intrigues with A. D. Menshikov, he was convicted of extortion and sentenced to death, which the tsar commuted to exile.

In 1725, he was restored to court by Catherine I, reinstated in all his ranks, and appointed President of the Commerce College. In 1730–1732, he was ambassador to Iran, concluding the Treaty of Resht in 1732.

Son of a baptized Jew, Pavel Yakovlevich Veselovsky (d. 1715), who was curator of German schools and commissioner of the Apothecary Chancellery in Moscow. He underwent diplomatic training with the missions of Prince Kurakin and Baron Huissen (1705–1708). He engaged in translations for the Posolsky Prikaz. In 1715, he was appointed resident in Vienna. In 1716–1717, on the orders of Peter I, he led the search abroad for Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich.

In Berlin, Veselovsky learned of the executions of those who had supported the tsarevich, and instead of returning to Russia, he fled to the domains of the Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel, and then left for England. Peter I demanded that the fugitive diplomat be found and arrested. The ciphers used in correspondence with Veselovsky were replaced. Although Yaguzhinsky succeeded in locating Veselovsky, attempts to bring him back to Russia proved unsuccessful.

In November 1724, Veselovsky petitioned for English citizenship, which was rejected by Parliament. In the 1730s, he settled in Geneva, where he died half a century later at the age of 97.

The Khilkov family was considered one of the most noble in the Tsardom of Russia. In 1697, Andrei Khilkov, with the rank of room stolnik, was sent to Italy to study navigation and shipbuilding. Soon after returning to Russia, in June 1700, he was sent as resident (representative) to Sweden. Peter the Great appointed a resident to Stockholm solely to lull the vigilance of Charles XII and conceal his preparations for war, which he decided to begin immediately after concluding peace with Turkey.

On August 19, 1700, Moscow declared the Great Northern War against Sweden "for many Swedish falsehoods." The military were ordered to march against Swedish cities. As soon as this became known in Stockholm, the Russian resident was arrested, his property sealed, and a guard placed at his house. Initially, the Swedish government announced to the prince that it agreed to exchange him for the Swedish resident in Moscow, Kniper, but later refused, and Khilkov had to live in harsh captivity for 15 years and die in a foreign land.

One of Peter I's closest associates, he was married to K. F. Lopukhina, sister of Peter I's first wife. From the age of six, being near Peter, he participated in all his undertakings. In 1696, Peter sent him to Italy, where he studied mathematics, astronomy, mechanics, fortification, and mastered Italian magnificently. He participated in the Azov campaigns; during the Battle of Poltava, he commanded the Semyonovsky Regiment.

As one of the most educated men of his time, he distinguished himself in the diplomatic field and from 1709 until the end of his life was abroad, returning to Russia only briefly in 1711. Russia owed much to his intellect and political tact in the post-Poltava period of the Great Northern War. Kurakin defended Russia's interests at the English court, in The Hague, and was ambassador to Paris, where he died in 1727.

Boris Ivanovich left a huge archive, which, along with documents, an autobiography, and notes on the Russo-Swedish war, contains his "History of Tsar Peter Alekseevich." Many of his descendants also made brilliant careers in diplomacy.

Борис Иванович оставил огромный архив, в котором наряду с документами, автобиографией, записками о русско-шведской войне находится написанная им «Гистория о царе Петре Алексеевиче». Многие из его потомков также сделали блестящую карьеру в дипломатии.

As a sergeant and then officer of the guard, he distinguished himself in the most important battles of the Great Northern War. From 1717, he was an adjutant to Peter I. He participated in events related to the return of Tsarevich Alexei, who had fled abroad from Peter I's wrath. He carried out various diplomatic and intelligence missions.

At the end of Peter's reign, he was ambassador to Constantinople, then commander of troops in the Caspian territories.

Under Anna Ioannovna, he headed the Chamber College, fell into disfavor, and was sent to the provinces, where he held the posts of governor of Astrakhan and Kazan.

From 1740, he again worked in the diplomatic field, where his main achievement is considered the so-called Treaty of Åbo with Sweden (1743), under which Russia acquired the northeastern territories of present-day Finland.

In marriage to the tsar's former lover, Maria Andreyevna Matveeva, he had three daughters and a son, Peter (1725–1796), the godson of Peter I and the future famous military commander of Catherine the Great's era.

Born in Westphalia. He began his service in Russia as secretary to Vice-Admiral K. I. Cruys. Later, he transferred to work in the Ambassadorial Chancellery. As a diplomat, he distinguished himself at the Åland (1718–1719) and Nystad (1721) peace congresses. From 1725, he was Vice-Chancellor and Active Privy Councillor.

As a member of the Supreme Privy Council, he supported the absolutist aspirations of Anna Ioannovna. In gratitude, he was showered with favors and over time became one of the most influential statesmen of the empire. Contemporaries unanimously noted Osterman's "sophistication" in intrigue and his habit of falling ill during each new political crisis.

In 1731, Andrei Ivanovich was promoted to count and cabinet minister. In 1740, without having served a single day in the navy, he received the highest naval rank of General-Admiral. After Elizaveta Petrovna ascended the throne, as one of the most influential (along with E. I. Biron and B. K. Minich) representatives of the "German" party, Osterman was accused of a political crime and exiled to Berezov, where he died.

He emerged under Peter I as a capable diplomat. He worked in Denmark and Germany. From 1735 to 1740, he was ambassador to Denmark and the Lower Saxon Circle. Returning to St. Petersburg, he joined the party of E. I. Biron and after the fall of the temporary favorite was briefly imprisoned in the Shlisselburg fortress. During the reign of Elizaveta Petrovna, thanks to the patronage of the then favorite of the empress, life physician I. G. Lestocq, he achieved the rank of Vice-Chancellor.

In 1744, having intrigued against Lestocq, he brought about his downfall. Bestuzhev-Ryumin then became Chancellor and from that moment effectively directed all of Russia's foreign policy. In 1758, during Elizaveta Petrovna's illness, he attempted to organize a conspiracy to transfer the throne to the future Catherine II. Elizaveta recovered, and the chancellor was deprived of all ranks and even sentenced to beheading. The empress commuted the sentence and exiled Alexey Petrovich to his estate near Moscow, the village of Gorelovo.

After Catherine II ascended the throne, he was reinstated in his former ranks and even elevated to General-Field Marshal, despite never having served a single day in the military. However, knowing Bestuzhev's capacity for intrigue, the empress never allowed him near the levers of power, sending him into honourable retirement.

В 1744 году, проведя интригу против Лестока, добился его опалы. Тогда же Бестужев-Рюмин стал канцлером и с этого момента фактически руководил всей внешней политикой России. В 1758 году, в период болезни Елизаветы Петровны, пытался организовать заговор с целью передачи престола будущей Екатерине II. Елизавета выздоровела, а канцлер лишился всех чинов и даже был приговорен к отсечению головы. Императрица смягчила приговор и сослала Алексея Петровича в принадлежавшее ему подмосковное село Горелово.