MENCHIBOW, or MENCRIKOFF, ALEXANDER DANILOVITCIL a Russian field-marshal and minister of state, was b. at Moscow on Nov. 28, 1672. He was a baker's apprentice, when his intelligent countenance altt.acted the notice of gen. Lefort, through whose patronage he was taken into the service of Peter the great. He had the• good fortune to discover £L conspiracy' among the ezar's guards, aud his rapid promotion was secured. He accompanied Peter in his travels to Holland and England, and on the death of Lefort was raised to the post of chief adviser. 3Ienchikow was one of the • greatest men of his time, excelling equally as a gen. and a diplomatist; and although . totally uneducated, lie did much to promote the education of the people, and was a liberal patron of the arts and sciences. On Oct. 30, 1700, he defeated the Swedes Kalisch; he contributed to some of the czar's other victories; was made a field-marshal on the field of Pultawa; and compelled LOwenhaupt to capitulate with great part of the Swedish army. In 1710 he took Riga; in 1713 lie led the Russian troops into Pomerania and Holstein, and took Stettin, but gave it up to Prussia, con trai•y to the will of the czar. This and his avarice so displeased Peter that he subjected: him to a court-martial. He was condemned to death by a majority of voices; but was: pardoned on payment of a heavy fine. During the reign of Cathirhie I. he regained his influence at court, and, after her death, governed Russia with almost absolute authority in the name of Peter II., whose father-in-law he was just about to become,
-when he was overthrown by Dolgorouki, and banished to Siberia (Sept. 1727). His immensee states and treasures were confiscated. He died Oct. 22 (Nov. '2) 1729. His great-grandson, prince ALEX."A_NITER SERGEJEVITCH MENCIIIKOW, 'MIS b. in 1789, and after being long an attache' of legation at Vienna, served in the campaimas of 1812-15, rose to the rank of gen., and after the accession of the emperor 7Nicholas, was ,employed both in diplomatic and military services. In the Turkish campaign of 1828 he took. Anapa after a short siege, but received so severe a wound before Varna as com pelled his retirement. He was afterwards for a time at the head of the Russian navy, and raised it to a high state of efficiency. In March, 1853, he was sent as ambassador to Constantinople, where his overbearing behavior produced a speedy rupture between the porte atrd the czar, and brought about the Crimean war. In this war he commanded both the land and naval forces of Russia, and displayed the utmost energy in defending Sebastopol. In March, 1855, he was appointed commander of Cronstadt. Menchikow was till his death in 1869 one of the most prominent members of the old Russian party.