Biography
Alexander Benkendorf was a Russian general who headed the highest body of the Imperial Police and received the title of Count and Order of St. Vladimir. On behalf of the sovereign, he participated as follows after the uprising of the Decembrists and personally opened the poet of Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin.Childhood and youth
Alexander Christorovich Benkendorf belonged to the old nobility name, and his ancestors lived on the territory of the Baltic States since the 1660s. He was born on July 4, 1781 or 1782 in the family of the Riga Military Governor who served in a number of Russian cities.
The mother of the future General Anna Julian was a daughter of Baron from Württemberg county and with her husband had access to the Palaces of the Imperial Family. Therefore, after the end of the aristocratic boarding house, Alexander began his career of the military and in Semenovsky regiment of Paul I received the rank of ensign of the Life Guard.
By fulfilling the duties of the Flegene Adjutant, the young man was accustomed to a tough discipline, which helped to cope with the difficulties during the expedition on the country's expanses. Then he participated in a number of battles in the post of entrusted to Peter Alexandrovich Tolstoy and showed courage and diplomacy skills during the Russian-Austria-French War.
In 1809, Benkendorf headed the detachments that fought with the Turks, and joined the secret society of Masons at the St. Petersburg bed "United Friends". There, along with Prince, Konstantin Pavlovich and Ober-Ceremony Master, Ivan Naryshkin attended the whole color of Russian society and representatives of the imperial yard.
Military Career
The beginning of a truly adult biography of Benkendorf became the Patriotic War of 1812, during which he was a fuel-adjutant and commander of the partisan squad. He communicated with Alexander I with the combat parts of Prince Bagration and Veliam and Zvenigorod gave federal forces.
After the flight of Napoleon, Alexander performed the duties of the Moscow commandant, and then returned to the forefront and freed 6 hundred of prisoners of the British. He quickly moved through the career ladder from the team of the Brigade to the Chief of Division and in December 1821 received the title of Lieutenant-General.
This allowed the outstanding commander to lead the Guards Cavalry Division and thanks to the public initiatives to earn the location of the Russian king. After the investigation in the case of Decembrists, Nikolai I considered the projects of Benkendorf, and soon under the beginning of a special minister was established by the highest police.
Alexander Christorovich became the chief of gendarmes and head of the secret imperative office, which was engaged in supervision of the subjects and search for politically unreliable people. Judging by the reports found in the archives, he opened the state correspondence under the pretext of the struggle with the embezzlement and lawlessness, as well as corruption and bureaucracy.
According to Anton Delivia and Alexander Herzen, Benkendorf possessed an endless power, and his "terrible" organization had the right to interfere in all the cases. So, as part of the supervision of Alexander Pushkin, the head of the office wrote letters, after which the poet could lose inspiration, gift and skill.
The report on the work of the Gendarmes made by Nicholas I was provided, and the sovereign demanded his personal presence during military campaigns and the siege. In April 1829, Alexander Christorovich became a general of Cavalry and received a sign of distinction for the behable service and a number of other honorary awards.
The most interesting facts from the life of Benkendorf reflected in his own memoirs. The descendants learned that the gendarme chief was a focus on flooding, paralyzed Petersburg. He participated in the transportation of victims together with the governor Mikhail Miloradovich and did not consider this act to the category of outstanding merit.
However, his imperial majesty estimated the devotion and zeal of approximate, and in November 1832 Alexander was granted the title of Count. This mercy with all privileges spread to his wife and descendants, and also touched Konstantin Konstantinovich, his native nephew.
Personal life
Judging by family archives, where recorded records about personal life, Benkendorf officially combined with a marriage in 1817. His wife Elizabeth Bibikova was a relative of the metropolitan commandant and the widow of the Russian lieutenant colonel, at the young age of the went to war.
In addition to two children from the first husband, three native daughters were brought up in the family, one of whom presented the premiere of the Russian hymn "God, King Gran." Others successfully married Grigori Volkonsky and Sergey Kochubey and became the latest representatives of the genus Benkendorf, subsequently disappeared from the face of the Earth.
Death
The cause of the death of Alexander Benkendorf on September 23, 1844 was the disease, from which he was treated at the resorts of the current Czech Republic. The tragedy that occurred on the steamer between Karlsbad and St. Petersburg, deeply wicked relatives and relatives, as well as members of the imperial family.
The image of Count Alexander Christophore was repeatedly used in cinema and literature, and he became a hero of films such as "satisfaction", "Glinka" and "Lermontov". In the new reading of the history of the Decembrists called the "Union of Salvation" The role of Benkendorf was talented by Alexander Lazarev, the Russian actor.