Count Fyodor Alexeyevich Golovin (; 1650 – ) was a Russian statesman, diplomat, and military leader. During the reign of Peter the Great, Golovin served as foreign minister from 1699–1706, and became the first chancellor of Russia. In addition to his political roles, he held the positions of field marshal and general admiral, mostly holding the titles nominally and acting more in the capacity of a military administrator.
Biography
Golovin came from a family of Russian treasurers of Byzantine Greek descent.
Diplomatic career
thumb|Portrait in the Sytin Military Encyclopedia
During the regency of Sophia Alekseyevna, Golovin was sent on a diplomatic mission to the Amur River region and entered into negotiations with the Qing dynasty over border disputes with Russia. In August 1689, he served as the Russian representative in signing the Treaty of Nerchinsk with the Qing. Upon his return to Moscow, he was granted the title of boyar by Peter the Great, who had overthrown Sophia, his half-sister, in September 1689.
In 1697, Golovin was appointed as one of three diplomats to head Peter's Grand Embassy to Western Europe, along with Franz Lefort, the chief ambassador, and Prokopii Voznitsyn. When Lefort died in 1699, Golovin succeeded him as general admiral.
Death
Golovin died on , in Glukhov, on the road from Moscow to Kiev<!--See WP:KIEV-->. His remains were transported to the Simonov Monastery.
References
Sources
- Bushkovitch, Paul, A Concise History of Russia. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2012.