Alexander Shuvalov
 |
Pyotr Ivanovich Shuvalov
.
The Shuvalov brothers were two sons of a general who commanded the castle of
coup d'etat that brought her to the throne. Alexander, in particular, persuaded many of his fellow imperial guards to join Elizabeth's cause. He was rewarded for his allegiance with the rank of Chamberlain in 1741 and the title of count
in 1746.
For many years Shuvalov presided over the Secret Chancellory, a sort of political police whose victims included his personal enemies, Field-Marshals
Aleksey Bestuzhev and Stepan Fyodorovich Apraksin. By the end of Elizabeth's reign, the Shuvalovs successfully eliminated all their political rivals and virtually monopolized state power. They also flirted with the future Peter III of Russia
, hoping to retain their positions after his eventual accession to the throne.
Their intrigues succeeded in 1761 when Peter III assumed the throne and promoted both Shuvalovs to
memoirs
Alexander Shuvalov of plotting to murder her.
Thereupon Shuvalov retired from service and withdrew to his villages. His only daughter was the wife of Count Golovkin.