Count Aleksander Borisovich Buturlin ( Russian, in full: граф Александр Борисович Бутурлин; 1694 – 1767) was a Russian general and courtier whose career was much furthered by his good looks and personal affection of Empress Elizabeth. Buturlin came from the most senior Ratshid family, whose members had been prominent as

boyar A boyar or bolyar was a member of the highest rank of the Feudalism, feudal nobility in many Eastern European states, including Kievan Rus', Bulgarian Empire, Bulgaria, Russian nobility, Russia, Boyars of Moldavia and Wallachia, Wallachia and ...

s and

voevod Voivode (, also spelled ''voievod'', ''voevod'', ''voivoda'', ''vojvoda'' or ''wojewoda'') is a title denoting a military leader or warlord in Central, Southeastern and Eastern Europe since the Early Middle Ages. It primarily referred to the me ...

s since the 12th century. His father, who served as the Captain of the

Leub Guard The Russian Imperial Guard, officially known as the Leib Guard (russian: Лейб-гвардия ''Leyb-gvardiya'', from German ''Leib'' "body"; cf. Life Guards / Bodyguard) were military units serving as personal guards of the Emperor of Rus ...

, sent him to the newly established naval academy, where Alexander studied navigation, fencing, and foreign languages for four years. He graduated from the academy in 1720 and was employed by

Peter the Great Peter I ( – ), most commonly known as Peter the Great,) or Pyotr Alekséyevich ( rus, Пётр Алексе́евич, p=ˈpʲɵtr ɐlʲɪˈksʲejɪvʲɪtɕ, , group=pron was a Russian monarch who ruled the Tsardom of Russia from t ...

as his orderly and confidant, especially on several secretive missions during the Persian Expedition. In due time he was promoted Chamberlain and attached to the "junior court" of Tsesarevna

Elizaveta Petrovna Elizabeth Petrovna (russian: Елизаве́та (Елисаве́та) Петро́вна) (), also known as Yelisaveta or Elizaveta, reigned as Empress of Russia from 1741 until her death in 1762. She remains one of the most popular Russian ...

. The young officer impressed the princess so much that she was said to cherish an affection for him until her very end. It was widely rumoured that Elizabeth, then 17, lost her virginity with him. Peter II of Russia, apparently jealous of Buturlin's influence on his beloved aunt, sent him away to Little Russia. During the following reign Buturlin's career slowly gathered momentum, as he operated against the Turks under Munnich and governed Smolensk in 1735. Upon Elizabeth's accession to the throne in 1741, his fortunes soared and he was sent to defend imperial interests in Lesser Russia. He then governed Livonia for a short time and commanded an army stationed in Moscow. In 1756 he was promoted

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 ...

, and four years later he was granted the hereditary title of count. The Seven Years' War was then escalating as the Russian forces approached Berlin. At the crucial moment Buturlin, then 66, was unexpectedly appointed the commander-in-chief of the Russian army operating in Prussia. They say that Russian officers long refused to believe the news of his appointment, knowing Buturlin for a heavy drunkard. "His good looks are his only merit", a contemporary foreign diplomat commented on the issue. The campaign of 1760 justified uneasy apprehensions, as Buturlin's cautiousness often degenerated into timidity and the atmosphere was spoiled by his jealousy towards a more illustrious colleague,

Laudon Laudon may refer to: * Laudon Symphony, a symphony by Joseph Haydn in C major * Laudon (river), a river that feeds Lake Annecy * Mount Laudon, Antarctica People with the surname * Adolf Laudon (1912–1984), Austrian football player * Ernst Gi ...

. The war over, he was recalled by

Peter III Peter III may refer to: Politics * Peter III of Bulgaria (ruled in 1072) * Peter III of Aragon (1239–1285) * Peter III of Arborea (died 1347) * Peter III Aaron (died 1467) * Pedro III of Kongo (ruler in 1669) * Peter III of Russia (1728–1762) * ...

to Moscow and given the task of preparing his coronation festivities. Buturlin died on 30 August 1767 and was interred in the Alexander Nevsky Monastery.

References

External links

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Biography by Dmitry Bantysh-Kamensky (1840)
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Buturlin, Alexander Buturlin, Alexander Buturlin, Alexander Buturlin, Alexander Buturlin, Alexander Buturlin, Alexander 18th-century military personnel from the Russian Empire Male lovers of Russian royalty Collegium of Little Russia (1722–1727)