Friedrich Wilhelm von Buxhoeveden



Friedrich Wilhelm Count von Buxhoevden (Федор Федорович Буксгевден, Fyodor Fyodorovich Booksgevden; other spellings: Feodor Buxhoeveden, Buxhœwden) (September 14, 1750 – August 23, 1811) was a Russian infantry general and government official. Buxhoeveden commanded the Russian armies during the Finnish War.

Family
The Buxhoevedens, a Baltic German family from Estonia, traced their roots to Bexhövede in Lower Saxony.

Buxhoevden's wife, countess Natalia Alexeyeva, was the illicit daughter of Grigori Orlov (1734–1783) by a lady of the court, but her mother – contrary to some claims – was not the Empress Catherine, but a member of the Apraksin family. Buxhoeveden's granddaughter Varvara Nelidova was a mistress of Nicholas I of Russia (1796-1855) for 17 years (1832-1855).

Career
In 1805 Buxhoevden took part in the Battle of Austerlitz as a commander, contributing to the Third Coalition's failure to defeat Napoleon by being drunk during the battle. In 1808 he served as Commander-in-Chief in the Russian conquest of Finland, and led Russian troops during the initial battles of the Finnish War (1808-1809).

Estates
Buxhoevden received the castle and lands of Koluvere in western Estonia after Duchess Augusta of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel had died there in 1788 in suspicious circumstances. He also owned a manor at Ligovo near Saint Petersburg.