Gavriil Ivanovich Golovkin - a well-known associate of the first Russian emperor Peter I. He had the title of count, from 1709 he served as chancellor of the Russian Empire (the post was established under him), from 1731 to 1734 he was the first cabinet minister. In history, he remained as a skilful and clever courtier, who became the founder of the Golovkin family. In 1720, when the collegiums were established, he became president of the College of Foreign Affairs.
Origin
Gavriil Ivanovich Golovkin was born in 1660. He was a cousin of Anna Leontyevna Naryshkina, mother of Natalia Kirillovna, wife of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. The hero of our article was connected with them through the noble family of Raevskys.
After the marriage of the Romanovs and Naryshkins, many relatives of the latter were granted in the boyar. His young son Gavril, who was the second cousin of the new queen, was also called to the court.
Court Career
Gavriil Ivanovich Golovkin since 1677 was considered a steward under Tsarevich Peter Alekseevich. That is, he was engaged in servicing the meal of the sovereign and accompanied him on trips.
Over time, he became the supreme prisoner. This was an old post of the courtier, his duties included monitoring the decoration, cleanliness and safety of the royal bed. As a rule, this place went to the boyars from among those close to the king.
In fact, Gavriil Ivanovich Golovkin was the closest servant under the prince. He went with him to the bathhouse, slept in the same room, made sure that the little bench under his feet was always in place, accompanied during the ceremonial exits.
When the Streletsky revolt began, it was Golovkin who took the future emperor to the Trinity Monastery, after which he earned unconditional trust. This is the uprising of the capital's archers, which occurred in 1682. It happened at the very beginning of the reign of Peter I. As a result, he had a co-ruler, older brother Ivan, while their sister Sofya Alekseevna became the actual ruler for a certain time.
In 1689, the Tsar Workshop came under the authority of Golovkin. This is the government agency that was responsible for the attire of the king.
Relations with Peter I
In telling a brief biography of Gavriil Ivanovich Golovkin, historians often erroneously indicate that he accompanied Peter I during his first trip abroad, the so-called Great Embassy, which took place in 1697–1698. In fact, this is a fallacy based on the error of the Dutch historian. In fact, Golovkina was not in Saardam, he did not work in shipyards with the future emperor.
The official did not leave the territory of Moscow, a conclusion about this can be made on the basis of letters of that time. It is believed that the confusion occurred due to the fact that Golovkina, who was named for one of the letters that reached us in Dutch, was simply confused with Grigory Menshikov.
In 1706, after the death of Admiral General Fedor Alekseevich Golovin, the hero of our article began to manage embassy affairs. The agency was responsible for relations with foreign countries, the exchange and redemption of prisoners, managed a number of territories located in the south-east of the country. In this position, he showed no initiative, strictly following the instructions of the king. But he noted that for many years he was in conflict with other prominent diplomats - Pyotr Andreevich Tolstoy, Pyotr Pavlovich Shafirov.
Foreign policy participation
In 1707, Golovkin tried to achieve the election of a friendly monarch in the Commonwealth, the next year he oversaw affairs related to Ukrainian territories. For example, he supported the general judge of the Zaporizhzhya Army, who was executed in 1708 on charges of false denunciation of hetman Mazepa.
In 1709, the king congratulated Golovin after the Battle of Poltava, assigning him the rank of chancellor. In Russia, it was the highest civilian rank, which corresponded to the naval admiral general and field marshal. As a rule, he was awarded to foreign ministers.
Companion of Peter the Great was remembered for the fact that he managed to convince the tsar of the futility of the Prut campaign in Moldova in 1711, directed against the Ottoman Empire. The emperor personally supervised it. The Russian army was pressed against the banks of the Yass River by Turkish troops and the cavalry of the Crimean Tatars. At the initiative of Chancellor Golovkin, negotiations began, which culminated in the signing of a peace agreement. In particular, Turkey took possession of the coast of the Sea of Azov and the Sea of Azov, which it conquered in 1696.
In 1707, the Holy Roman Emperor Joseph I elevated the hero of our article to the count dignity of the Roman Empire, at that time he also served as president of embassy affairs. Two years later, a similar decree was issued in Russia, confirming it in count dignity in the Russian kingdom.
Amsterdam treatise
Golovkin oversaw foreign policy throughout the reign of Peter the Great, until his death in 1725. It is worth noting that, on the whole, it was conducted collectively with Shafirov, and the sovereign himself exercised general leadership. In correspondence, as a rule, he adhered to a mentoring and edifying tone. In total, during all this time 55 international treaties were concluded, including the Amsterdam Treaty of 1717, signed by him personally. This agreement between Russia, Prussia and France, signed when the outcome of the Northern War was already a foregone conclusion. In particular, following its results, France refused an alliance with Sweden, recognizing the conditions of the Russian-Swedish world.
After signing the Nishtad peace, he asked on behalf of the Senate to accept Peter the title of Father of the Fatherland.
In 1713, it was Count Golovkin who was instructed to engage in the fight against embezzlement in the distribution of state orders. The proceedings arranged by him showed that the contracts concluded for the supply of provisions were, in most cases, concluded at inflated prices, formalized by dummies. Thus, some of Peter's associates managed to illegally enrich themselves. Among these violators was Golovkin himself.
After the death of the emperor
During the reign of Peter the Great, Golovkin's career flourished. But even after the death of the emperor, he remained in the highest public office. He was a member of the Supreme Privy Council, skillfully maneuvering in the intricacies of the court parties. Unlike many other officials influential under Peter, he managed not only to maintain his former importance, but also significantly increase his fortune. In addition to large estates, he owned the Stone Island in St. Petersburg, a palace in the village of Konkovo near Moscow.
Under Catherine I, he achieved certain successes in the field of foreign policy. In particular, he managed to break the resistance of several influential "leaders" in order to conclude a Russian-Austrian alliance. This happened in 1726. It became the basis of one of the longest and most productive alliances in the history of the New Age, a stable element of international politics in the 18th century, the basis of Russia's foreign policy until the Crimean War of 1853-1856.
The empress herself considered Golovkina to be one of the most impartial and reliable people, entrusting him with her spiritual testament. He became one of the guardians of Peter II.
During the reign of Anna Ioannovna
When he died in 1730, he burned this state act, since in the event of the childless death of the young emperor, the throne was guaranteed to the next descendants of Peter I. Golovkin spoke out for the candidacy of Anna Ivanovna.
The new empress did not forget what role the count played in her accession to the throne. As a result, Golovkin stood at the head of the Cabinet of Ministers. Summing up the chancellor’s incredibly successful career, the Russian publicist and historian Petr Vladimirovich Dolgorukov wrote that he, having been born the son of a poor nobleman who had only five serf families in the Tula province, reached the count position in two empires, and by the end of his life owned 25,000 peasants.
Death of the count
Golovkin Gavriil Ivanovich (1660-1734) died in Moscow on July 25. He was 74 years old.
A prominent Russian official was buried in the Nicholas Church at the Vysotsky Monastery, located in Serpukhov.
Estimates of contemporaries
It is noteworthy, as Golovkin described the relative of the English king James II, James Fitzjames Liria. He noted that he was a venerable old man, distinguished by his modesty and caution, sound mind and education, combining all the best abilities. He was attached to antiquity, loved his country, while rejecting the introduction of new customs. The British wrote that he was incorruptible, attached to his sovereigns. This, according to the foreign diplomat, allowed him to be in the first positions with all the rulers.
The Prussian envoy Friedrich Wilhelm Berchholz noted that Golovkin’s main decoration was a huge wig, which he wore only on holidays.