"THE FALL OF GOLIATH": THE DISSOLUTION OF THE KNYAZ MENSHIKOV'S UKRAINIAN ESTATES IN 1721–1765

The article is devoted to the study of the dissolution of the possessions of Prince Alexander Menshikov on the territory of the Starodub and Nizhyn regiments. This process began in the fall of 1727 after the political collapse of the temporary worker, his ruin for the benefit of the Russian state and exile to Siberia. The author's attention is focused on several plans of these events. The first is regulation from St. Petersburg, which was carried out by the Supreme Privy Council, headed by the Dolgorukovs. The second is the implementation of the decrees of Emperor Peter II and the orders of local senators. Third, the long-term implications of the broad chronological scope of the study. To depict as complete a picture as possible, a number of private cases of reactions to important changes associated with the next palace coup in the Russian capital were given. This made significant adjustments to the alignment of forces among the Starodub regimental-centenary foreman, ordinary Cossacks and the Bourgeoisie.

The aim of the study is a versatile disclosure and analysis of the disintegration of Menshikov's "state" on the territory of the Hetman State.

The research methodology is based on the principles of historicism and scientific character. Historical-genetic (in tracing the formation and disintegration of the princely patrimonial system), historical-comparative (in correlating various planes of the processes) methods were applied. From the general philosophical methods, the dialectical was used, from the general logical – synthesis and analysis.

The scientific novelty lies in the actualization of the study of Russian-Ukrainian relations in the early modern period, due to the events of our time. For the first time, the author brought together and analyzed archival data concerning the final existence of Menshikov's land holdings on the territory of the hetman regiments; along with the presentation of particular cases, a general "plot" of events was formed; it is the Ukrainian context of Menshikov's expansive activities as an imperial administrator that is highlighted.

The proposed publication continues a series of articles by the author, which deals with the Ukrainian estates of Alexander Menshikov, their formation, management, relations between the prince's administration and the regimental-centenary administrations, the political and economic background of various processes due to the so-called Pochep Case.

Studying this topic, it is possible to come to such conclusions. The history of the formation and disintegration of estates belonging to Russian statesmen from Peter's entourage is a characteristic stage in the existence of the Starodub regiment at the beginning of the 18th century. It is also a symptomatic sign of the large-scale process of integration of the Hetman State into the Russian Empire. The main role in the events studied in the article was played by Prince Alexander Menshikov. He, taking advantage of his privileged position at the Tzar's court, launched an aggressive activity, the purpose of which was to form a kind of patrimonial formation with the conventional name "princely state". It is even possible to raise the question of the potential separation of the administrative apparatus of Menshikov's "state" from the general imperial vertical of power. But these plans collapsed as a result of the political defeat of the prince in the struggle for power. Due to the complexity of the problem, the process of dissolving the remnants of the former Menshikov estates in the territory of the Hetman State dragged on until the reign of Catherine II.