Alexander Mamonov is a hereditary nobleman who served in the Izmailovsky regiment and in 1784 was appointed adjutant of Prince Potemkin. The count was known for being one of the favorites of Catherine II.
Biography and career
Alexander Matveyevich came from the Dmitriev-Mamonov family. He was born in 1758 in Smolensk in the family of a famous general.
The boy was given a good education. He spoke German and English decently, and knew French perfectly. Also, Alexander Matveyevich wrote poetry well, was fond of drama and wrote several plays himself.
The Dmitrievs-Mamonovs were related to the Potemkins, thanks to which Alexander was able to get a job in the prestigious Izmailovsky regiment. Soon he was appointed adjutant to the prince and, in addition to the main service, carried out personal orders for Potemkin.
Mamonov constantly studied, read a lot, was actively interested in political and economic issues. By nature, he was a very restrained, intelligent and versatile young man.
The Empress's Favorite
Potemkin, during his official absences from the capital, needed his own man near the empress. It was for this purpose that he introduced Alexander Mamonov to Catherine II in 1786.
And although the young officer was not a standard handsome man, the empress liked him for his modesty and charm.
Already in the summer of 1786, Mamonov was promoted to colonel and made the empress's personal aide-de-camp. In the same year he was awarded the rank of major general and the rank of chamberlain.
In 1787, Catherine II took Mamonov with her on a trip to the Crimea. The favorite began to spend more time with the empress and participate in various conversations, including on important political and economic topics with dignitaries and dignitaries.
It was after this trip that Alexander Matveyevich became a member of the inner circle of the tsar's advisers and began to take part in some state affairs.
In 1788, Catherine II appointed Mamonov as her adjutant general and officially ordered him to be present on the council.
Thanks to the empress's favor, he became one of the richest people in Russia. Mamonov's income from estates alone totaled up to sixty-three thousand rubles a year, and numerous payments according to ranks and positions exceeded two hundred thousand rubles a year.
Personal life
Dmitriev-Mamonov's position at court was very strong, but he ruined everything himself, secretly falling in love with Princess Daria Shcherbatova, who served as a maid of honor.
This was immediately told to the Empress, who immediately ordered the lovers to get married. According to the records of secretary Khrapovitsky, the newlyweds tearfully prayed to the queen for forgiveness and eventually received her blessing.
The groom was given over two thousand souls of peasants and one hundred thousand rubles as a gift. However, the young were ordered to leave St. Petersburg the very next day after the wedding. In the marriage, the couple had two children: a son, Matthew and a daughter, Maria.
At first, the young husband was pleased with his fate. The couple settled in Moscow and did not need anything. However, after a while, Alexander began to write plaintive letters to the empress, in which he asked her for her former favor and permission to return to the capital to the court. But the answer of Catherine II was unequivocal and Mamonov realized that his hopes were in vain.
According to the "good old memory", who ascended the throne, Pavel in 1797 awarded Mamonov the title of count, but did not summon him to the court.
Count Mamonov died in the fall of 1803.
