Pyotr Andreyevich Kikin

Pyotr Andreyevich Kikin (Russian: Пётр Андреевич Кикин; 27 December 1775, Alatyr - 18 May 1834, Saint Petersburg?) was a Russian general and a Secretary of State under Tsar Alexander I.

He was one of twelve children born to Major Andrei Kikin (1747-1790) and his wife Maria Yermolova (1754-1819). His baptismal name was Bartholomei, but he never used it. As soon as he was old enough to take some responsibility, he was enrolled in the Guards and was a sergeant by the age of ten. He later studied in a boarding school at Moscow University and began his regular military career as an ensign in the Semyonovsky Regiment. From 1806 to 1812, he fought in the Russo-Turkish War, serving as an adjutant under General Michelson.

He was promoted to colonel and almost immediately became involved in the French invasion of Russia, serving in the First Western Army. He was wounded in the eye at the Battle of Valutino and was injured in a counter-attack at the Battle of Borodino, but was still able to fight at the Battle of Krasnoi. In 1813, he was awarded the Order of St. George of the Third Degree and the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky. From 1813 to 1814, he commanded a brigade under Field Marshal Wittgenstein and distinguished himself at the Battle of Lützen.

After completing that campaign, he retired from military service. Until the invasion, he had been considered a Francophile, but his wartime experiences brought a new perspective. After reading the "Discourse on Old and New Styles" by Alexander Shishkov, he became a committed Slavophile; joining the "Lovers of the Russian Word" society. He also wrote a letter to Shishkov, suggesting a memorial to celebrate the victory over Napoleon, which is sometimes cited as the inspiration for the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, but this is far from certain.

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