Alexander Vasilievich Kikin (; ca. 1670–1718) was a political mentor and advisor to

Alexei Petrovich, Tsarevich of Russia Grand Duke Alexei Petrovich of Russia (28 February 1690 – 26 June 1718) was a Russian Tsarevich. He was born in Moscow, the son of Tsar Peter the Great, Peter I and his first wife, Eudoxia Lopukhina. Alexei did not get along with his father ...

; accused of having arranged the flight abroad of the latter, Kikin was

broken on the wheel The breaking wheel, also known as the execution wheel, the Wheel of Catherine or the (Saint) Catherine('s) Wheel, was a Torture, torture method used for Capital punishment#Public execution, public execution primarily in Europe from Classical ant ...

. Kikin began his career as a bombardier in the

toy army of Peter I The toy army of Peter the Great (), initially called Peter's regiment (), was a collection of young Peter I of Russia's playmates, the sons of noblemen, and attendants from his father Aleksey's court. History In 1682, when Peter with his ...

. He accompanied the monarch in the

Great Embassy The Grand Embassy () was a Russian diplomatic mission to Western Europe from 9 March 1697 to 25 August 1698 led by Peter the Great. Description In 1697 and 1698, Peter the Great embarked on his Grand Embassy. The primary goal of the mission was ...

and learned the mast-maker's craft in the

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

. Upon returning to Russia, Kikin helped build the first Russian warships in

Voronezh Voronezh ( ; , ) is a city and the administrative centre of Voronezh Oblast in southwestern Russia straddling the Voronezh River, located from where it flows into the Don River. The city sits on the Southeastern Railway, which connects wes ...

and

Olonets Olonets (; , ; ) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, town and the administrative center of Olonetsky District of the Republic of Karelia, Russia, located on the Olonka River to the east of Lake Ladoga. Geography Olonets is located ...

. In the January campaign of 1706 he had Mitau Castle blown up and retreated with his regiment toward

Minsk Minsk (, ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach (Berezina), Svislach and the now subterranean Nyamiha, Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is the administra ...

. In 1707 Kikin was put in charge of the

Admiralty Shipyard The JSC Admiralty Shipyards () (''formerly Soviet Shipyard No. 194'') is one of the oldest and largest shipyards in Russia, located in Saint Petersburg. The shipyard's building ways can accommodate ships of up to , in length and in width. Mili ...

. He was a

groomsman A groomsman or usher is one of the male attendants to the groom in a wedding ceremony. Usually, the groom selects close friends and relatives to serve as groomsmen, and it is considered an honor to be selected. From his groomsmen, the groom usuall ...

at Peter's second wedding.The Russian Biographical Dictionary
/ref> Kikin's old rivalry with

Alexander Menshikov Alexander Menshikov may refer to: * Alexander Danilovich Menshikov (1673–1729), Russian statesman * Alexander Sergeyevich Menshikov (1787–1869), Finnish-Russian nobleman * Alexander Alexandrovich Menshikov Prince Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Mens ...

put him in a precarious position, however. In 1715 he was arrested on suspicion of

graft Graft or grafting may refer to: *Graft (politics), a form of political corruption *Graft, Netherlands, a village in the municipality of Graft-De Rijp Science and technology *Graft (surgery), a surgical procedure *Grafting, the joining of plant ti ...

and was forced to leave the capital for

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

. A year later Peter relented, allowing him to return to the court. In 1718 Kikin was implicated in the conspiracy of Tsarevich Alexei, tortured and executed. Among other things he was accused of trying to kill the monarch when he had been asleep. He had apparently visited

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

in order to persuade

Emperor Charles VI Charles VI (; ; 1 October 1685 – 20 October 1740) was Holy Roman Emperor and ruler of the Austrian Habsburg monarchy from 1711 until his death, succeeding his elder brother, Joseph I. He unsuccessfully claimed the throne of Spain follow ...

to shelter the

heir apparent An heir apparent is a person who is first in the order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person. A person who is first in the current order of succession but could be displaced by the birth of a more e ...

.Peter Julicher. ''Renegades, Rebels and Rogues under the Tsars''. . Pages 124-127. Kikin's properties, including the unfinished

Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

residence in the vicinity of the

Smolny Convent Smolny Convent or Smolny Convent of the Resurrection (''Voskresensky'', Russian language, Russian: Воскресенский новодевичий Смольный монастырь), located on Ploschad Rastrelli (Rastrelli Square), on the le ...

, were confiscated by the Tsar. The much restored Kikin Palace is one of the oldest buildings in the city.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kikin Russian nobility Russian politicians People executed by breaking wheel 18th-century European people 17th-century Russian people 1670s births 1718 deaths 18th-century executions by Russia