António Manuel de Vieira, known in

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

as Count Anton Manuilovich Devier (also spelled ''Divier''; – – ), was one of Peter I's foreign associates, who proved to be an efficient administrator in

St Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...

and

Siberia Siberia ( ; , ) is an extensive geographical region comprising all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has formed a part of the sovereign territory of Russia and its predecessor states ...

. He was St. Petersburg's first chief of police and was identified as a main rival of

Alexander Danilovich Menshikov Prince Alexander Danilovich Menshikov (; – ) was a Russian statesman, whose official titles included Generalissimo, Prince of the Russian Empire and Duke of Izhora ( Duke of Ingria), Prince of the Holy Roman Empire, Duke of Cosel. A highl ...

Catherine I Catherine I Alekseyevna Mikhailova (born Marta Samuilovna Skavronskaya; – ) was the second wife and Empress consort of Peter the Great, whom she succeeded as Emperor of all the Russias, Empress of Russia, ruling from 1725 until her death in 1 ...

's court. De Vieira was the father of

Peter Devier Count Peter Antonovich Devier (1710—1773) was a Russian military officer who served as general-in-chief of the Russian Imperial Army. He was the eldest son of Anton de Vieira, A. M. Devier, and was a nephew of Alexander Danilovich Menshikov. B ...

Biography

His date and place of birth are uncertain - sources differ on whether he was born in Portugal, in the province of Minho, in 1673–1674, or less likely in Amsterdam c. 1682. An account cited that he was an alleged descendant of the Portuguese Marranos. His mother was a Christian but his father was a

Jew Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, religion, and community are highly inte ...

who moved with his family from

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

to the

Low Countries The Low Countries (; ), historically also known as the Netherlands (), is a coastal lowland region in Northwestern Europe forming the lower Drainage basin, basin of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta and consisting today of the three modern "Bene ...

where he converted to Christianity. During the

Grand 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 ...

Peter the Great Peter I (, ; – ), better known as Peter the Great, was the Sovereign, Tsar and Grand Prince of all Russia, Tsar of all Russia from 1682 and the first Emperor of Russia, Emperor of all Russia from 1721 until his death in 1725. He reigned j ...

to Europe (1697), the tsar was allowed by the Dutch sailors to command a ship, where Vieira served as a cabin-boy. He was taken by the tsar to Russia in the capacity of his page and orderly, gradually rising to the rank of adjutant-general in 1718. That same year, he fell in love with Prince Menshikov's sister and seduced her. They were apprehended by her brother, who ordered Vieira to be beaten to death. The latter, however, appealed to the tsar for mercy, and Peter ordered Vieira to be liberated and married to Menshikov's sister the very next day. A month later, he was appointed the first chief of St Petersburg Police. During his term in office, Vieira gained renown for his strict attitude towards brigands and outlaws who had previously crowded to the newly built Russian capital. After Peter's death, Vieira managed to maintain his position, chiefly through the influence of his wife, a lady-in-waiting at the court of

. On 24 October 1726 he was made count and admitted to the

Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

. His brother-in-law's influence on the Empress, however, was paramount. As Vieira dared to oppose Menshikov's plan of marrying his daughter to the future

Peter II of Russia Peter II Alexeyevich ( Russian: Пётр II Алексеевич; 23 October 1715 30 January 1730) was Emperor of Russia from 1727 until 1730, when he died at the age of 14. He was the only son of Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich and Charlotte Chris ...

, he was arrested and put to the torture. After 10 days of inquest, Vieira was stripped of his estates and titles and exiled to

Yakutia Sakha, officially the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), is a republics of Russia, republic of Russia, and the largest federal subject of Russia by area. It is located in the Russian Far East, along the Arctic Ocean, with a population of one million ...

, where he would live in utter oblivion for four years. In 1731, when

Vitus Bering Vitus Jonassen Bering ( , , ; baptised 5 August 1681 – 19 December 1741),All dates are here given in the Julian calendar, which was in use throughout Russia at the time. also known as Ivan Ivanovich Bering (), was a Danish-born Russia ...

was commissioned to set a separate government for

Okhotsk Okhotsk ( rus, Охотск, p=ɐˈxotsk) is an urban locality (a work settlement) and the administrative center of Okhotsky District of Khabarovsk Krai, Russia, located at the mouth of the Okhota River on the Sea of Okhotsk. Population: ...

, he could not find anywhere in the

Far East The Far East is the geographical region that encompasses the easternmost portion of the Asian continent, including North Asia, North, East Asia, East and Southeast Asia. South Asia is sometimes also included in the definition of the term. In mod ...

a more capable and experienced man than Vieira. The latter was summoned to Okhotsk and appointed its governor in 1739. During his term in office, he established a shipyard and a nautical school, which would continue for a century. Upon

Elizaveta Petrovna Elizabeth or Elizaveta Petrovna (; ) was Empress of Russia from 1741 until her death in 1762. She remains one of the most popular Russian monarchs because of her decision not to execute a single person during her reign, her numerous constructi ...

's ascension to the throne in 1741, she was told that the associate of her father was still living on the shores of the Pacific. The old man was recalled to St Petersburg and reinstated as its police chief. Having been restituted in his comital title and invested with the

Order of St. Alexander Nevsky The Imperial Order of Saint Alexander Nevsky was an order of chivalry of the Russian Empire first awarded on by Empress Catherine I of Russia. History The introduction of the Imperial Order of Saint Alexander Nevsky was envisioned by Emperor ...

, Vieira died in 1745.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vieira, Anton de 17th-century births 1745 deaths Counts of the Russian Empire Immigrants to the Tsardom of Russia Russian police chiefs Russian municipal police chiefs 18th-century Portuguese Jews Russian Sephardi Jews Commissioners of the Saint Petersburg Police Russian people of Portuguese descent Burials at Lazarevskoe Cemetery (Saint Petersburg)