Count Ivan Petrovich Saltykov (russian: Иван Петрович Салтыков; 28 June 1730 – 14 November 1805) was a
Russian Field Marshal, the
Governor-General of Moscow
Tsardom of Russia and Russian Empire
Governorates of the Russian Empire was created by the edict (ukase) of Peter the Great on 18 December 1708 "On the establishment of the gubernias and cities assigned to them", which divided Russia into eig ...
from 1797 to 1804, and owner of the grand estate of
Marfino
Marfino (russian: Марфино) is the name of several rural localities in Russia.
Astrakhan Oblast
As of 2010, one rural locality in Astrakhan Oblast bears this name:
*Marfino, Astrakhan Oblast, a '' selo'' in Marfinsky Selsoviet of Volodar ...
.
Biography
Ivan was the only son of Field-Marshal
Pyotr Semyonovich Saltykov. He began military service at the age of 15 in the
Semenovsky Regiment
The Semyonovsky Lifeguard Regiment (, ) was one of the two oldest guard regiments of the Imperial Russian Army. The other one was the Preobrazhensky Regiment. In 2013, it was recreated for the Russian Armed Forces as a rifle regiment, its name ...
at the rank of private. In 1758 he was inducted into the Imperial Court at the junior rank of Kamer-Junker.
During the
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (1754 ...
Saltykov distinguished himself at the capture of both
Königsberg
Königsberg (, ) was the historic Prussian city that is now Kaliningrad, Russia. Königsberg was founded in 1255 on the site of the ancient Old Prussian settlement ''Twangste'' by the Teutonic Knights during the Northern Crusades, and was named ...
and
Elbing, and at the
Battle of Zorndorf
The Battle of Zorndorf, during the Seven Years' War, was fought on 25 August 1758 between Russian troops commanded by Count William Fermor and a Prussian army commanded by King Frederick the Great. The battle was tactically inconclusive, with b ...
. After the onset of peace he received a promotion to
major general
Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...
and was decorated with the
Order of St. Anna
The Imperial Order of Saint Anna (russian: Орден Святой Анны; also "Order of Saint Anne" or "Order of Saint Ann") was a Holstein ducal and then Russian imperial order of chivalry. It was established by Karl Friedrich, Duke of Holst ...
, 2nd class by
Peter III. At
Catherine the Great
, en, Catherine Alexeievna Romanova, link=yes
, house =
, father = Christian August, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst
, mother = Joanna Elisabeth of Holstein-Gottorp
, birth_date =
, birth_name = Princess Sophie of Anhal ...
's coronation, he was awarded the
Order of St. Alexander Nevsky
The Imperial Order of Saint Alexander Nevsky was an order of chivalry of the Russian Empire first awarded on by Empress Catherine I of Russia.
History
The introduction of the Imperial Order of Saint Alexander Nevsky was envisioned by Empero ...
.
At the start of the
Russo-Turkish War of 1768–1774 the now Lieutenant-General Saltykov served under the command of
Rumyantsev
The Rumyantsev family (') were Russian counts prominent in Russian imperial politics in the 18th and early 19th centuries. The family claimed descent from the boyar Rumyanets who broke his oath of allegiance and surrendered Nizhny Novgorod to Vasi ...
at the
Battle of Kagul
The Battle of Cahul (russian: Сражение при Кагуле, ) occurred on 1 August 1770 (21 July 1770 in Julian Calendar) during the Russo-Turkish War of 1768–1774. It was the decisive and most important land battle of the war and one o ...
. He was also present at the seizure of
Khotyn
Khotyn ( uk, Хотин, ; ro, Hotin, ; see other names) is a city in Dnistrovskyi Raion, Chernivtsi Oblast of western Ukraine and is located south-west of Kamianets-Podilskyi. It hosts the administration of Khotyn urban hromada, one of the h ...
. Commanding the army's heavy cavalry forces, he gained marked distinction for his bravery and received both the
Order of St. George
The Order of Saint George (russian: Орден Святого Георгия, Orden Svyatogo Georgiya) is the highest military decoration of the Russian Federation. Originally established on 26 November 1769 Julian (7 December 1769 Gregorian) a ...
, 2nd Class and the
Gold Sword for Bravery
The Gold Sword for Bravery (russian: Золотое оружие "За храбрость") was a Russian award for bravery. It was set up with two grades on 27 July 1720 by Peter the Great, reclassified as a public order in 1807 and abolished ...
with Diamonds.
With the end of yet another war, Saltykov was now a full General and sent to command a corps stationed in the newly acquired Polish provinces of the empire.
In 1780, to improve the health of his family he set out on an extended journey beyond the borders of Russia. With his wife and young children he traveled to
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
,
Dresden
Dresden (, ; Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; wen, label=Upper Sorbian, Drježdźany) is the capital city of the German state of Saxony and its second most populous city, after Leipzig. It is the 12th most populous city of Germany, the fourth larg ...
, and
Brussels
Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
. They lived for three months in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
and spent the better part of a year in
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
, where the Saltykovs lived so extravagantly that a Russian messenger to the French court wrote to Count
Alexander Vorontsov
Count Alexander Romanovich Vorontsov (russian: Алекса́ндр Рома́нович Воронцо́в) (4 February 17412 December 1805) was the Chancellor of the Russian Empire during the early years of Alexander I's reign.
He began his ca ...
that "They are the disgrace of our whole nation."
[Е. П. Карнович. Замечательные богатства частных лиц в России.- Спб., 1874.- С. 95.]
In 1784 he was given governorship over both Vladimir and Kostroma Viceroyalties while also being appointed a
General-Adjutant
An adjutant general is a military chief administrative officer.
France
In Revolutionary France, the was a senior staff officer, effectively an assistant to a general officer. It was a special position for lieutenant-colonels and colonels in staf ...
. In 1788
War
War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...
broke out anew with Turkey, and the general was called to join the ranks of the field army. His army succeeded in retaking the
Khotyn Fortress
The Khotyn Fortress ( uk, Хотинська фортеця, pl, twierdza w Chocimiu, tr, Hotin Kalesi, ro, Cetatea Hotinului) is a fortification complex located on the right bank of the Dniester River in Khotyn, Chernivtsi Oblast (province) o ...
. In 1790 Catherine entrusted him with command of
the army based in Finland. Upon the signing of the
Treaty of Värälä
The Treaty of Värälä (sometimes known as the Treaty of Wereloe) was signed in Värälä, Elimäki, Elimäki Municipality, Finland under Swedish rule, Finland, between Russian Empire, Russia (represented by Otto Heinrich Igelström) and Gustavi ...
, Saltykov was granted the honorary lieutenant-colonelcy of the Life Guard Horse Regiment and the
Order of St. Andrew
The Order of St. Andrew the Apostle the First-Called (russian: Орден Святого апостола Андрея Первозванного, translit=Orden Svyatogo apostola Andreya Pervozvannogo) is the highest order conferred by both the ...
with Diamonds.
Saltykov's military leadership was primarily distinguished by his tremendous bravery. His skills in other areas of command were considered somewhat lacking.
Suvorov
Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov (russian: Алекса́ндр Васи́льевич Суво́ров, Aleksándr Vasíl'yevich Suvórov; or 1730) was a Russian general in service of the Russian Empire. He was Count of Râmnicu Sărat, Rymnik, C ...
, for example was reportedly highly skeptical of his abilities. Additionally, Saltykov became enmeshed in a controversy with Rumyantsev which forced him in 1795 to retire, yet the following year
Paul
Paul may refer to:
*Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name)
*Paul (surname), a list of people
People
Christianity
*Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chris ...
ascended to the throne and recalled him to the service. The new emperor showered him with distinctions, updating his rank to full general, making him the chief of His Majesty's
Cuirassier
Cuirassiers (; ) were cavalry equipped with a cuirass, sword, and pistols. Cuirassiers first appeared in mid-to-late 16th century Europe as a result of armoured cavalry, such as men-at-arms and demi-lancers, discarding their lances and adoptin ...
Regiment, and Governor-General of
Kiev
Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the List of European cities by populat ...
. Not soon after he was made a field marshal and inspector general of cavalry for the entire army.
Towards the end of 1797, Saltykov was appointed Governor-General of Moscow, which in a previous era had been held by his father. In reality, the reins of government were held by another appointee of Paul; the Prussian-born police chief
Fyodor Ertel
Fyodor, Fedor (russian: Фёдор) or Feodor is the Russian form of the name "Theodore" meaning “God’s Gift”. Fedora () is the feminine form. Fyodor and Fedor are two English transliterations of the same Russian name.
It may refer to:
Giv ...
. The Count left for himself only the responsibilities of command over the city's military parades and ceremonial appearances. Muscovites for a long time afterwards recalled his magnificent and wasteful lifestyle.
The death of his wife in 1802 was a heavy blow for Saltykov, and was a major factor in the decline of his own health, which prompted him to ask for retirement in 1804. He moved to
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
, living in the home of his wealthy son-in-law
Pyotr Myatlev, and died soon after. He was buried near his father at the village of Nikolskoye near
Rostov
Rostov ( rus, Росто́в, p=rɐˈstof) is a town in Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia, one of the oldest in the country and a tourist center of the Golden Ring. It is located on the shores of Lake Nero, northeast of Moscow. Population:
While t ...
.
Family
Count Saltykov was married to
Darya Petrovna Saltykova
Countess Darya Petrovna Saltykova (née Countess Chernyshyova; ; 20 September 1739 – December 23, 1802), was a Russian lady in waiting, socialite and noble and Dame of the Order of St. Catherine's first degree. She was the sister of the lady in ...
, daughter of the noted diplomat
Pyotr Grigoryevich Chernyshyov. She was esteemed as a pillar of the Moscow high society and had an extremely close relationship to her husband. Together they had four children: Praskovya (1772–1859), Ekaterina (1776–1815), Anna (1777–1824), and Pyotr (1784–1813). The daughters all served as ladies-in-waiting at the Imperial Court, and two went on to marry and have children. Pyotr followed in his father's footsteps as a cavalry officer. He became a decorated colonel in the army during Napoleon's Invasion of Russia, but died less than a year later from medical complications that resulted from being wounded in battle. He was unmarried and childless.
References
* Великий князь Николай Михайлович. «Русские портреты XVIII и XIX столетий». Выпуск 2, № 104.
* Бантыш-Каменский, Д. Н. 33-й Генералъ-Фельдмаршалъ Графъ Иванъ Петровичь Салтыковъ // Биографии российских генералиссимусов и генерал-фельдмаршалов. В 4-х частях. Репринтное воспроизведение издания 1840 года. – М.: Культура, 1991.
Governors-General of Moscow
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saltykov, Ivan Petrovich
1730 births
1805 deaths
Field marshals of Russia
Governors-General of Kiev