On one of the days of 1662 (the exact date is unknown) in the family of the sovereign stolnik - Semyon Shein - a joyful and very remarkable event for Russian history occurred: the son Alexei was born - the future prominent statesman and commander. The father, who knew the nature of his occupation of the royal feast, could hardly have imagined that fate had prepared his offspring to become the first Russian generalissimo. We will 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
Alexei Semenovich Shein (1662-1700) came from an ancient boyar clan, first mentioned in the annals of the XIII century. His ancestors served the homeland 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. Tortured by slanderers, he was beheaded by the will of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, but then he was posthumously acquitted. The same fate befell many of his associates. This suggests that the tradition of mass repressions with subsequent rehabilitation has deep roots in Russia.
Beginning of a brilliant career
The career of the future Generalissimo Shein was characterized by unprecedented swiftness. Having become a witness to the execution of Stepan Razin in adolescence, he devoted his whole subsequent life to strengthening the Russian autocracy and the fight against his enemies. By the command of sovereign Aleksei Mikhailovich, a young man at the age of 14 was brought close to the court and received the post of steward, taking the same position as his father.
After 5 years, Alexei 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 town of Kursk, and as an official arrives in Moscow to the coronation of two then-young tsars — Ivan V and his brother Peter I.
Unlike most senior dignitaries, who believed that nobility of origin can replace business qualities, Shein studied constantly and soon became one of the most educated people of his time. Participating in two Crimean campaigns of 1687 and 1689, which ended in major defeats of 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
Alexei Semenovich Shein became one of the closest assistants to the young sovereign Pyotr Alekseevich in the creation of the fleet, which allowed in 1696 to block Azov from the sea and thereby ensure victory over the Crimean Tatars. In this campaign, commanding the ground forces, he brilliantly conducted a siege and the capture of a 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 to glorifying his faithful servant, the king granted him a patrimony of 305 yards, a precious goblet, a caftan of gold embroidery and a specially minted medal. It is known that the generosity of Peter I had no boundaries, 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 gave the entire Russian army under his command, making at the same time the head of the Foreign Order, which, by modern standards, corresponds to the post 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.
The builder of the Taganrog harbor
Among the other merits of Alexei Semenovich, an important place is occupied by the construction of the sea harbor in Taganrog. The task entrusted to him was a double complexity. Firstly, it was necessary to solve a number of purely engineering problems, in which he gained invaluable knowledge acquired in his youth, and, secondly, he had to constantly interrupt his work and with arms in his hands 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 “navigational 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 in the people's memory Aleksey Semenovich Shein remained by no means as a meek executor of sovereign 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 who were sentenced to death, and, despite the fact that the efforts made were not crowned with success, he showed a fair amount of courage, because he could have paid his own head for such insolence.
As a true Russian patriot, he spoke out against the thoughtless introduction of various foreign innovations by Peter I, one of which was the complete shaving of beards. But even here the emperor forgave him insolence, limiting himself only to making him become the first “victim” of the court barber.
According to the memoirs of contemporaries, Generalissimo Shein did not consider it necessary at all to hide his disagreements with the sovereign, which is why he was sometimes on the verge beyond which inevitable disgrace would await any other person, or even death. But the sovereign was sometimes generous, especially in relation to people whom he valued for their intelligence, education and business qualities.
"Nestling of Petrov's Nest"
In the domestic history of the late 17th century and the first two decades of the 18th century, the concept of “chicks of Petrov’s nest” came to be understood, which is understood as the totality of statesmen who became the closest associates of the tsar and, thanks to their personal qualities, put forward to key posts. Among them is Aleksei Semenovich Shein, whose pedigree only partially contributed to the rise of his further career.
The fact that the sovereign valued his first generalissimo is evidenced by the following fact. In 1624, he planned to establish in St. Petersburg, which became the new capital of Russia, a monument to the most prominent statesmen of his reign, among whom Shein was included. Besides him, this high honor was given to the Russian admiral of Scottish descent - Patrick Leopold Gordon, who supported Peter during his earliest endeavors, 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 worries. 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.
Door to the Black Sea
According to researchers, giving such a high assessment of the activities of Generalissimo Shein, the sovereign hardly exaggerated. 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 all of Russian history. Just as the victory in the Northern War, which began shortly after Shein’s death, opened a “window” to Europe for Russia, so the capture of Azov by the troops under his command “opened the door” to the Black Sea.
In addition, the victory in the Crimea significantly accelerated the end of the Russo-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 Swedish kingdom over the shores of the Baltic Sea. Thanks to Generalissimo Shein, the war on two fronts did not threaten Russia over the next ten years.
The end of a glorious life
We can only make assumptions about how the military and administrative talents of Aleksey 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 activities at the time of its highest rise. After a short but serious illness on February 12, 1700, Generalissimo Shein died in Moscow at the age of 39. Representatives of the next, later generation of “Petrov’s nestlings” took his place at the sovereign’s throne.
Commemorative coins dedicated to A. S. Shein
In the framework of the state program aimed at patriotic education of citizens and perpetuation of the memory of the country's heroic past, in 2000 the Bank of Russia began issuing coins dedicated to outstanding domestic military commanders and naval commanders. These include many historical figures who gained fame on the battlefields and in sea battles. In 2013, this series was replenished with commemorative coins depicting 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 they all settled in private collections at the same time, 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
So, the reverse (reverse side) of a silver coin of 3 ruble denomination is made in the form of a mirror disk surrounded by a piping. On the left side there 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 line of the edging is the inscription: “A. S. Shein. " On the obverse (front side) of all commemorative coins is an image of a two-headed eagle and an indication of value.
Then in ascending denomination is a silver coin of 25 rubles. On the right side of her reverse, also a mirror field, is a portrait of a generalissimo, but in an old Russian caftan and with a mace in his hand. To his left is an image of the fortress wall, on which the years of his life - 1662-1700 are indicated in a cartouche (decorative frame). 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 weapon, and a spear with a pennant. In the upper right part of the disk, in accordance with the direction of the edging, as on the previous coin, the inscription is placed: “A. S. Shein. "
And finally, the most valuable in this series is a fifty-ruble gold coin. On it, the celebrated Generalissimo is depicted in full ceremonial vestment. He is wearing an exquisite European uniform of that era and a wig. On the left are the years of birth and death, and at the bottom there is an oval inscription indicating the name and initials.
Recall that the nominal value of collectible commemorative coins indicated on their obverse is many times lower than their real market value. It is known, for example, that the cheapest of them - a three-ruble coin - at auctions in 2018 was estimated at 2500 thousand rubles and higher.