On one of the days of 1662 (the exact date is unknown) in the family of the sovereign's steward - Semyon Shein - a joyful and very noteworthy event for national history took place: the son Alexei, a future prominent statesman and commander, was born. The father, who was in charge of the royal meals by the nature of his occupation, could hardly imagine that his offspring was destined to become the first Russian generalissimo. Let's open the pages of the biography of Alexei Semenovich Shein and get acquainted with the life of this amazing person.
Scion of a noble family
Aleksey Semenovich Shein (1662-1700) came from an ancient boyar family, first mentioned in the annals of the 13th century. His ancestors served the fatherland a lot, and one of them, Mikhail Borisovich, who is the great-grandfather of the future generalissimo, even went down in history as one of the heroes of the Smolensk War of 1632-1634. Slandered by slanderers, he was beheaded at the will of the sovereign Alexei Mikhailovich, but then posthumously acquitted. The same fate befell many of his companions. This suggests that the traditionmass repression followed by rehabilitation has deep roots in Russia.
The start of a brilliant career
The career of the future Generalissimo Shein was distinguished by unprecedented swiftness. Becoming a witness to the execution of Stepan Razin in his adolescence, he devoted his entire subsequent life to strengthening the Russian autocracy and fighting its enemies. By order of Sovereign Alexei Mikhailovich, a young man at the age of 14 was brought closer to the court and received the position of steward, taking the same position as his father.
After 5 years, Alexey became the Tobolsk governor, and soon he was granted the boyar title. A year later, he was transferred to the same position in the border city of Kursk and, as an official, arrived in Moscow for the coronation of two then-young tsars, Ivan V and his brother Peter I.
Unlike most of the highest dignitaries, who believed that the nobility of origin can replace business qualities, Shein constantly studied and soon became one of the most educated people of his time. Participating in two Crimean campaigns in 1687 and 1689, which ended in major defeats for the Russian troops, he did not try to look for the secret culprits of the failures, but openly declared the need for a large-scale military reform.
In the rays of royal mercy
Aleksey Semenovich Shein became one of the closest assistants of the young sovereign Peter Alekseevich in creating a fleet that made it possible in 1696 to block Azov from the sea and thereby ensure victory over the Crimean Tatars. In this campaign, commanding the landtroops, he brilliantly conducted the siege and capture of the previously impregnable fortress. For this victory, the sovereign awarded Shein the highest military rank, making him the first generalissimo in the history of the state. Not limited only to the glorification of his faithful servant, the king granted him a fiefdom of 305 households, a precious goblet, a caftan of gold embroidery and a specially minted medal. It is known that the generosity of Peter I had no limits, as, indeed, cruelty.
Then the newly minted Generalissimo received a number of new high appointments. Inspired by the capture of the impregnable Azov fortress, the sovereign placed the entire Russian army under his command, simultaneously making him the head of the Foreign Order, which by modern standards corresponds to the position of Minister of Foreign Affairs. From now on, both the military and diplomats were subordinate to him, who successfully complemented each other and made it possible to solve the most complex foreign policy issues.
Builder of the Taganrog harbor
Among other merits of Alexei Semenovich, an important place is occupied by the construction of a sea harbor in Taganrog carried out by him. The task entrusted to him was a twofold one. Firstly, it was necessary to solve a number of purely engineering problems, in which he was invaluably helped by extensive knowledge acquired in his youth, and, secondly, he had to constantly interrupt work and, with arms in hand, repel the raids of the Turks and Tatars. Nevertheless, in 1698 the construction was successfully completed and was marked by the creation under his patronage of the first “navigation school” in Russia −an educational institution that trained personnel for the needs of the fleet.
Disputes with the sovereign himself
It is curious to note that Alexei Semenovich Shein remained in the people's memory not as a meek executor of the sovereign's will, but as one of the few who dared to object to the formidable autocrat. It is known, for example, that he unsuccessfully tried to mitigate the fate of the rebel archers sentenced to death, and, despite the fact that the efforts made were unsuccessful, he showed considerable courage, because for such impudence he himself could pay with his head.
As a true Russian patriot, he also spoke out against the thoughtless introduction of various foreign innovations by Peter I, one of which was the total shaving of beards. But here, too, the sovereign forgave his insolence, confining himself only to forcing him to become the first "victim" of the court barber.
According to the memoirs of contemporaries, Generalissimo Shein did not consider it necessary to hide his disagreements with the sovereign, which is why he was sometimes on the verge beyond which any other person would face inevitable disgrace, or even death. But the sovereign was sometimes generous, especially in relation to people whom he valued for their intelligence, education and business qualities.
Petrov's Nest Chick
posts. Among them is Aleksey Semenovich Shein, whose pedigree only partly contributed to the rise of his future career.
The following fact testifies to how much the sovereign valued his first generalissimo. In 1624, he decided to erect in St. Petersburg, which became the new capital of Russia, a monument to the most prominent statesmen of his reign, among whom he included Shein. In addition to him, this high honor was awarded to the Russian admiral of Scottish origin - Patrick Leopold Gordon, who supported Peter in the period of his earliest undertakings, as well as his closest friend and adviser - the Swiss Franz Lefort, who served to create a new regular army.
Unfortunately, the sudden death of the sovereign, which followed in February 1725, prevented him from carrying out the planned project, and Catherine I, who replaced him on the throne, was full of other concerns. Nevertheless, from the memoirs of contemporaries of Peter the Great, who were near him in the last days of his life, it is known that he considered the merits of these people so significant that he considered them worthy of the most magnificent monument.
The door to the Black Sea
According to the researchers, giving such a high assessment of the activities of Generalissimo Shein, the sovereign was hardly exaggerating. If his father distinguished himself only by the fact that he regularly changed dishes during the royal feasts, then he himself played a prominent role in the entire Russian history. Just as the victory in the Northern War, which began shortly after the death of Shein, openedRussia's "window" to Europe, and the capture of Azov, carried out by troops under his command, "opened the door" to the Black Sea.
In addition, the victory in the Crimea significantly accelerated the end of the Russian-Turkish war, which lasted from 1686-1700. The peace treaty signed in Constantinople allowed Russia to move its main forces to the western borders and put them in the fight against the Kingdom of Sweden over the shores of the B altic Sea. Thanks to Generalissimo Shein, over the next ten years, Russia was not threatened by a war on two fronts.
The end of a glorious life
One can only speculate about how the military and administrative talents of Alexei Semenovich could be realized in the future. It is possible that with his unfading glory he would have overshadowed such prominent figures of the Petrine era as princes F. D. Menshikov and M. M. Golitsyn, Count B. M. Sheremetev and Admiral F. M. Apraksin. But fate was pleased to interrupt his activity at the moment of its highest rise. After a short but serious illness, on February 12, 1700, Generalissimo Shein died in Moscow at the age of 39. At the sovereign's throne, his place was taken by representatives of the next, later generation of "chicks from Petrov's nest."
Commemorative coins dedicated to A. S. Shein
As part of the state program aimed at patriotic education of citizens and perpetuating the memory of the heroic past of the country, the Bank of Russia in 2000 began issuing coins dedicated to outstanding Russian military leaders and naval commanders. Among them are many historical figures,gained glory on the battlefields and in naval battles. In 2013, this series was replenished with commemorative coins with the image of A. S. Shein.
Two types of silver coins were issued - 25 rubles and 3 rubles. In addition, a small batch of gold coins worth 50 rubles came into circulation. Since all of them then settled in private collections, did not become the property of the general public, let us dwell on a brief description of each of them.
Features of each type of coin
Thus, the reverse (back side) of a silver coin worth 3 rubles is made in the form of a mirror disk surrounded by a piping. On the left side is a portrait of Generalissimo Shein, holding a saber in his hand, and to the right of him is a relief image of the fortress, which, according to the authors, should remind of the capture of Azov. Above it, along the edging line, there is an inscription: “A. S. Shein. On the obverse (front side) of all commemorative coins there is an image of a double-headed eagle and an indication of the value.
Then in ascending denomination comes a silver coin of 25 rubles. On the right side of its reverse, which is also a mirror field, there is a portrait of the Generalissimo, but in an old Russian caftan and with a mace in his hand. To the left of him is an image of the fortress wall, on which the years of his life are indicated in a cartouche (decorative frame) - 1662-1700. The rest of the space is occupied by various generalized symbols of state reforms and military victories. This is a soldier dressed in a European uniform, and a gun, and a spear with a pennant. ATin the upper right part of the disc, in accordance with the direction of the edge, as on the previous coin, there is an inscription: “A. S. Shein.”
And finally, the most valuable in this series is a gold fifty-ruble coin. It depicts the illustrious generalissimo in full ceremonial attire. He wears an exquisite European-style uniform of that era and a wig. On the left are the years of birth and death, and below is an oval inscription indicating the surname and initials.
Recall that the nominal value of collectible commemorative coins, indicated on their obverses, is many times lower than their real market value. It is known, for example, that the cheapest of them, a three-ruble coin, was valued at 2,500 thousand rubles or more at auctions in 2018.
