Arakcheev A.A. (1769-1834), statesman

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ARAKCHEEV Alexey Andreevich (1769-1834), count (1799), statesman and military commander, artillery general (1807). Graduated from the Artillery Engineering Gentry Cadet Corps in St. Petersburg (1787); from 1792, he served with the Grand Prince Pavel Petrovich's (the future Emperor Paul I's) Gatchina Troop. Upon Pavel I's enthronement in 1796, Arakcheev became Commandant of St. Petersburg, one of the highest and closest officials connected to the Emperor. He also acted as Army Quartermeister General, Commander of the Preobrazhensky Life Guards Regiment, and inspector of all artillery. In 1799-1803, he was in retirement. In 1803, he resumed his activities as inspector of all artillery, and in 1808-10 he held the posts of Minister of War and Infantry and Artillery Inspector General (until 1819); in 1810-12 he was the Head of the War Department of the State Council. Arakcheev made a considerable contribution to the development of Russian artillery and the perfection of its equipment. During the war of 1812-14 against Emperor Napoleon I, Arakcheev came to Emperor Alexander I's service, and by the Emperor's order took charge of the organization of military settlements in the country (head of the settlements from 1819). From 1816, he virtually ran domestic state policy, and personally presented reports upon all state affairs to the Emperor (only international and military matters were not controlled by him); the reports also included his own opinions on issues. He retired in 1826, when he settled in his own Gruzino Estate in the Novgorod Province, where he devoted himself to agriculture and charity. After Arakcheev's death, Nicholas I ordered that all his property and capital be handed over to the cadet corps, which had been established at Arakcheev's expense, and later took Arakcheev's name. Arakcheev owned a house in St. Petersburg at 35 Moika River Embankment.

References: Томсинов В. А. Временщик: (А. А. Аракчеев). М., 1996; Его же. Аракчеев. М., 2003; Федоров В. А. М. М. Сперанский и А. А. Аракчеев. М., 1997.

D. N. Shilov. Alexander I, Emperor
Arakcheev Alexey Andreevich
Napoleon I Bonaparte, Emperor
Nicholas I, Emperor
Paul (Pavel) I, Emperor
Moika River Embankment/Saint Petersburg, city, house 35
Томсинов В. А. Временщик: (А. А. Аракчеев). М., 1996
Федоров В. А. М. М. Сперанский и А. А. Аракчеев. М., 1997 Preobrazhensky Life Guards Regiment
State Assembly