Pavel Meneziy (nee Paul Menzies , English Paul Menzies ; 1637 , Scotland - 1694 ) - Scottish diplomat and military leader in the service of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich and his children.
Content
Early years
Descended from an ancient and rich Scottish race. The Menezia family was zealously catholic and conservative; in 1639 she had to emigrate. Menezius studied in France, in Douai , at the Jesuit College. After the death of Cromwell (1658), the family returned to Scotland, but its welfare, despite the return of land to her by Charles II , was greatly undermined.
Menezius, as the younger son, had to look for a living. Fluent in English, French, German, as well as Latin, he entered military service in Poland , but he was soon lured along with Gordon to Russia (1661); here he was made captain; in 1662, he participated in the suppression of the copper riot ; then he was sent to Smolensk , where he became friends with KP Naryshkin ; in 1667 he traveled to Sweden to hire miners. In 1671–1672 he traveled to his homeland; When he returned, he was asked to report on the international situation.
Embassy in Rome
In 1672, the Moscow government had, in pursuance of the Treaty of Andrusovo , to search among the European sovereigns for Poland’s allies and himself in the beginning struggle with the Turks . From Moscow sent 3 dispatched sent to European yards: Vinnius , Ukraintseva and Menezia; the latter accounted for Berlin , Dresden , Vienna , Venice and Rome . Menezius met everywhere a kindly, but evasive, and in Vienna even a suspicious attitude.
In 1673, Menezius arrived at the papal court in Rome , where his proposals found suitable soil. But the negotiations here did not lead to the desired end. Not finding it possible to accept the letter, where Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich was called the “Grand Duke”, Menezius bade farewell to the pope at a private audience and brought a copy of the letter to the Pope, which did not oblige Rome, which was obliging him to Rome.
Menezius and Peter
The results of the embassy did not cause discontent in Moscow. Menezia was appointed (1674) colonel and ranked as a foreign affairs agency. Acquaintance with the above-mentioned Naryshkin, who became the king's father-in-law, an old friendship with Gordon and, finally, through Hamilton, the property of both the Naryshkins and Matveyev brought Menezia closer to the king. He apparently became one of the leaders of the military fun and the first study of Peter; Neuville says that before his death, the king definitely appointed Menezia as tutor to Peter.
The death of Tsar Alexei worsened the situation of Menezia. In 1677–1678, he participated in the Chigirin campaigns , in 1680–1689 he sits in Smolensk; when he comes from there to Moscow, he participates in diplomatic negotiations, although he is expelled from the department of foreign affairs; in 1688 participates in the second Crimean campaign . Under Peter, Menezia was returned to Moscow. Peter was located to him and helped his family when he died. After 1702 there is no news of his descendants.
Literature
- N.V. Charykov. Embassy in Rome and service in Moscow of Pavel Menezius (1613-1684). - SPb. : type of. Suvorin, 1906.