Alexander Ivanovich Shuvalov

RusPortraits v3-063 Graf Aleksandr Ivanovich Shuvalov, 1710-1771

Count Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New Yor ...

Aleksander Ivanovich Shuvalov (russian: Алекса́ндр Ива́нович Шува́лов; 1710 – 1771) was a Russian statesman from the

Shuvalov The House of Shuvalov (russian: Шува́лов) is the name of a Russian noble family, which was documented since the 16th century. The Shuvalov family rose to distinction during the reign of Empress Elizabeth and was elevated to the rank of c ...

family. His career was dependent on and overshadowed by that of his more brilliant brother, Pyotr Ivanovich Shuvalov. The Shuvalov brothers were two sons of a general who commanded the castle of

Vyborg Vyborg (; rus, Вы́борг, links=1, r=Výborg, p=ˈvɨbərk; fi, Viipuri ; sv, Viborg ; german: Wiborg ) is a town in, and the administrative center of, Vyborgsky District in Leningrad Oblast, Russia. It lies on the Karelian Isthmus n ...

and governed

Arkhangelsk Arkhangelsk (, ; rus, Арха́нгельск, p=ɐrˈxanɡʲɪlʲsk), also known in English as Archangel and Archangelsk, is a city and the administrative center of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. It lies on both banks of the Northern Dvina near i ...

during the reign of

Empress Anna Anna Ioannovna (russian: Анна Иоанновна; ), also russified as Anna Ivanovna and sometimes anglicized as Anne, served as regent of the duchy of Courland from 1711 until 1730 and then ruled as Empress of Russia from 1730 to 1740. Much ...

. They were the closest aides to

Elizabeth Petrovna Elizabeth Petrovna (russian: Елизаве́та (Елисаве́та) Петро́вна) (), also known as Yelisaveta or Elizaveta, reigned as Empress of Russia from 1741 until her death in 1762. She remains one of the most popular Russian ...

during the 1741 coup d'etat that brought her to the throne. Alexander, in particular, persuaded many of his fellow

imperial guards An imperial guard or palace guard is a special group of troops (or a member thereof) of an empire, typically closely associated directly with the Emperor or Empress. Usually these troops embody a more elite status than other imperial forces, in ...

to join Elizabeth's cause. He was rewarded for his allegiance with the rank of Chamberlain in 1741 and the title of

count Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New Yor ...

in 1746. For many years Shuvalov presided over the Secret Chancellory, a sort of political police whose victims included his personal enemies, Field-Marshals Bestuzhev and

Apraksin Apraksin or Apraxin (russian: Апраксин) is a Russian masculine surname, its feminine counterpart is Apraksina or Apraxina. It may refer to * Fyodor Apraksin (1661–1728), Russian admiral *Marfa Apraksina (1664–1716), second wife of Tsar ...

. By the end of Elizabeth's reign, the Shuvalovs successfully eliminated all their political rivals and virtually monopolized state power. They also flirted with the future

Peter III of Russia Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a s ...

, hoping to retain their positions after his eventual accession to the throne. Their intrigues succeeded in 1761 when Peter III assumed the throne and promoted both Shuvalovs to

Field Marshal Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, ordinarily senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army and as such few persons are appointed to it. It is considered a ...

s, although they had never taken part in any war. But their careers were undone within a year, as the throne was usurped by Peter's wife

Catherine Katherine, also spelled Catherine, and other variations are feminine names. They are popular in Christian countries because of their derivation from the name of one of the first Christian saints, Catherine of Alexandria. In the early Christ ...

, who detested the Shuvalovs for their pernicious influence on her husband and even accused in her

memoirs A memoir (; , ) is any nonfiction narrative writing based in the author's personal memories. The assertions made in the work are thus understood to be factual. While memoir has historically been defined as a subcategory of biography or autobio ...

Alexander Shuvalov of plotting to murder her. Thereupon Shuvalov retired from service and withdrew to his villages. His only daughter was the wife of Count Golovkin. {{DEFAULTSORT:Shuvalov, Alexander Russian nobility Field marshals of Russia 1710 births 1771 deaths Secret service personnel of the Russian Empire

Alexander Alexander is a male given name. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history. Variants listed here are Aleksandar, Al ...

Counts of the Russian Empire Recipients of the Order of the White Eagle (Poland)