November 14, 2013

Perks and Perils of Being the Tsar's Favorite


Perks and Perils of Being the Tsar's Favorite

This Saturday, November 16th, marks the 340th birthday of Alexander Danilovich Menshikov, a favorite of Peter the Great, Generalissimus of the Russian Army and Duke of Ingria.

About 25 miles outside the imperial capital of St. Petersburg, in the quiet suburban town of Lomonosov, you can still find a gem of a palace, untouched by the horrors of German occupation. Restored for the estate’s 300th anniversary, the Oranienbaum palace recalls the days of glory of a former pie-seller, Alexander Danilovich Menshikov.

Young Menshikov (in Holland during the Grand Embassy)

Built into a hillside, the palace seems to represent Menshikov himself: it’s a small structure when looking downhill, not much bigger than the average nobleman’s residence. Looking uphill, though, suddenly the ensemble is overwhelmingly ornate and magnificent, with multiple layers of marble staircases and imposing galleries seeming to embrace the sky. Top it all off with an imperial crown, to drive the point home: to get this kind of opulence, you need to be in the tsar’s good books.

Oranienbaum palace, looking downhill

Same building, looking uphill

From his (relatively) humble roots, Menshikov rose to the highest position in the land – second only to Tsar Peter himself, of course. All of Peter’s ideas and decisions were subject to feedback from his right-hand man. He had command of the armies, and was the only duke in Russian history – Duke of Ingria (a.k.a. Izhora or Ingermanland), more or less modern St. Petersburg and environs. Menshikov’s mansion was the first stone house in St. Petersburg, right in the center of the new capital.

Menshikov's center-city residence

It all sounds like a meritocracy, doesn’t it? And yet, Menshikov’s merits had their pros – his wit, his military leadership, his ability to turn ideas into action – and their cons. In addition to all the favors he already got from Peter, Menshikov felt the need to constantly bend the rules and take money for himself, illegally confiscating property and accepting money from fugitives for the right to live on his land. The luxuries of Oranienbaum serve as a testament to Menshikov’s corruption and greed as much as to his deserved success.

 

How much land did Menshikov have to confiscate elsewhere to afford this grand of an estate?

How did Menshikov ever stay in power, with that kind of attitude? Simple: he was useful. “In cases of a man’s life or honor,” Peter wrote of Menshikov, “justice requires us to impartially weigh both his crimes and his services to tsar and to fatherland – and I’ll need him later.” Menshikov was happy to wear Western clothes, shave his beard, and help Peter get everyone else to do the same, not to mention command his armies and convict his son for treason.

Menshikov in exile (1883 painting by Surikov)

The only trouble is, tsars are just as mortal as everyone else. Peter died in 1725. Still on a roll, Menshikov was practically in control of the country for two more years before being arrested and exiled in 1727 – the dangerous flipside to being a monarch’s favorite. As for Oranienbaum, it was confiscated (a taste of Menshikov’s own medicine!) and later expanded as an imperial residence. Menshikov never saw its expansion: he died in 1729, still in exile.

Sunset over Oranienbaum

 

Photo credits: Wikimedia Commons and Eugenia Sokolskaya

Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.
The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.
Survival Russian

Survival Russian

Survival Russian is an intensely practical guide to conversational, colloquial and culture-rich Russian. It uses humor, current events and thematically-driven essays to deepen readers’ understanding of Russian language and culture. This enlarged Second Edition of Survival Russian includes over 90 essays and illuminates over 2000 invaluable Russian phrases and words.
93 Untranslatable Russian Words

93 Untranslatable Russian Words

Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. Difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context.
Fish: A History of One Migration

Fish: A History of One Migration

This mesmerizing novel from one of Russia’s most important modern authors traces the life journey of a selfless Russian everywoman. In the wake of the Soviet breakup, inexorable forces drag Vera across the breadth of the Russian empire. Facing a relentless onslaught of human and social trials, she swims against the current of life, countering adversity and pain with compassion and hope, in many ways personifying Mother Russia’s torment and resilience amid the Soviet disintegration.
Murder and the Muse

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.
The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

This exciting new trilogy by a Russian author – who has been compared to Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco – vividly recreates a lost world, yet its passions and characters are entirely relevant to the present day. Full of mystery, memorable characters, and non-stop adventure, The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and international thrillers.  
Moscow and Muscovites

Moscow and Muscovites

Vladimir Gilyarovsky's classic portrait of the Russian capital is one of Russians’ most beloved books. Yet it has never before been translated into English. Until now! It is a spectactular verbal pastiche: conversation, from gutter gibberish to the drawing room; oratory, from illiterates to aristocrats; prose, from boilerplate to Tolstoy; poetry, from earthy humor to Pushkin. 
A Taste of Russia

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.
Bears in the Caviar

Bears in the Caviar

Bears in the Caviar is a hilarious and insightful memoir by a diplomat who was “present at the creation” of US-Soviet relations. Charles Thayer headed off to Russia in 1933, calculating that if he could just learn Russian and be on the spot when the US and USSR established relations, he could make himself indispensable and start a career in the foreign service. Remarkably, he pulled it of.
Tolstoy Bilingual

Tolstoy Bilingual

This compact, yet surprisingly broad look at the life and work of Tolstoy spans from one of his earliest stories to one of his last, looking at works that made him famous and others that made him notorious. 
Murder at the Dacha

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955