Friedrich Wilhelm von Buxhoeveden

Friedrich Wilhelm Graf von Buxhoevden (Фёдор Фёдорович Буксгевден; other spellings: Feodor Buxhoeveden, Buxhœwden, Buxhöwden; September 14, 1750 – August 23, 1811) was a Russian general of the infantry 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 illegitimate daughter of Grigory 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 the villa and manor of Ligovo near Saint Petersburg.

Awards
Russian Empire awards:


 * Order of Saint George, 4th Degree (26 November 1774)
 * Order of Saint George, 3rd Degree (22 August 1789)
 * Order of Saint Anna (8 September 1790)
 * Cross "For the Capture of Praga" (1794)
 * Golden Weapon for Bravery with diamonds (1794)
 * Order of Saint Vladimir, 2nd Class (1794)
 * Order of Saint Alexander Nevsky (15 February 1797)
 * Order of Saint Vladimir, 1st Degree (1806)
 * Order of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called (17 September 1807), diamond badges added in 1808
 * Order of Saint George, 2nd Degree (27 April 1808)

Foreign state awards:


 * Order of the White Eagle, 1795 from the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
 * Order of Saint Stanislaus, 1795, from the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
 * Order of the Black Eagle, from Kingdom of Prussia
 * Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, from Kingdom of Prussia