Mikhail Kamensky by unknown painter, end of 18-th century

Count Mikhail Fedotovich Kamensky (russian: Михаи́л Федо́тович Каме́нский; 19 May 1738 – 12 August 1809) was a Russian

Field Marshal Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, ordinarily senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army and as such few persons are appointed to it. It is considered as ...

prominent in the Catherinian wars and the

Napoleonic campaigns The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...

Biography

Mikhail Kamensky served as a volunteer in the

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

army in 1758-1759. He then took part in the Seven Years' War. In 1783, Kamensky was appointed Governor General of Ryazan and Tambov guberniyas. During the war with Turkey, in 1788, he defeated the Turks at the Moldavian settlement of Gangur. When prince

Potemkin Prince Grigory Aleksandrovich Potemkin-Tauricheski (, also , ;, rus, Князь Григо́рий Алекса́ндрович Потёмкин-Таври́ческий, Knjaz' Grigórij Aleksándrovich Potjómkin-Tavrícheskij, ɡrʲɪˈɡ ...

fell ill and entrusted his command of the army to

Mikhail Kakhovsky Count Mikhail Vasilyevich Kakhovski (russian: Михаил Васильевич Каховский; 1734–1800) was a senior Russian general who led the imperial army to a rapid and brilliant victory in the Polish–Russian War of 1792. Afte ...

, Kamensky refused to subordinate himself, referring to his seniority. For this, he was discharged from military service. In 1797, Emperor Paul I granted Kamensky the title of count and made him retire. In 1806, Kamensky was appointed commander-in-chief of the Russian army in Prussia, which had been fighting the French armies of

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

. After six days of being in command, on the eve of the battle of Pułtusk, he transferred the command to Feodor Buxhoeveden under pretence of illness and left for his estate near

Oryol Oryol ( rus, Орёл, p=ɐˈrʲɵl, lit. ''eagle''), also transliterated as Orel or Oriol, is a city and the administrative center of Oryol Oblast situated on the Oka River, approximately south-southwest of Moscow. It is part of the Central Fed ...

. Kamensky was notorious for his maltreatment of his

serf Serfdom was the status of many peasants under feudalism, specifically relating to manorialism, and similar systems. It was a condition of debt bondage and indentured servitude with similarities to and differences from slavery, which developed ...

s, and he was killed by one of them in 1809 at the age of 71. His death occasioned a sentimental poem by Vasily Zhukovsky. He was the father of Generals Sergei Kamensky and

Nikolai Kamensky Count Nikolay Mikhailovich Kamensky (russian: Никола́й Миха́йлович Каме́нский; 27 December 1776 – 4 May 1811) was a Russian general who outlived his father, Field Marshal Mikhail Kamensky, by two years. Life and ca ...

. British actress

Helen Mirren Dame Helen Mirren (born Helen Lydia Mironoff; born 26 July 1945) is an English actor. The recipient of numerous accolades, she is the only performer to have achieved the Triple Crown of Acting in both the United States and the United Kingdom. ...

is one of his descendents.

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kamensky, Mikhail Fedotovich Field marshals of Russia Russian commanders of the Napoleonic Wars Members of the State Council (Russian Empire) Counts of the Russian Empire Russian murder victims 1728 births 1809 deaths People murdered in Russia Recipients of the Order of St. George of the Second Degree Recipients of the Order of St. George of the Third Degree People of the Russo-Turkish War (1768–1774)