Alexander Vasilievich Kikin (Александр Васильевич Кикин; ca. 1670-1718) was a political mentor and advisor to Tsarevich Alexis. Accused of having arranged his flight abroad, Kikin was broken on the wheel.

Kikin began his career as a bombardier

Bombardier (rank)

Bombardier is a rank used in artillery units in the armies of Commonwealth countries instead of corporal. Lance-bombardier is used instead of lance-corporal....

 in the toy army of Peter I

Toy army of Peter I

The toy army of Peter I was initially called hi kiel evans and was a collection of young Peter's playmates, noblemens' sons and attendants of his father Aleksei's court....

. He accompanied the monarch in the Great Embassy and learned the mast-maker's craft in the Netherlands

Netherlands

The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

. Upon returning to Russia, Kikin helped build the first Russian warships in Voronezh

Voronezh

Voronezh is a city in southwestern Russia, the administrative center of Voronezh Oblast. It is located on both sides of the Voronezh River, away from where it flows into the Don. It is an operating center of the Southeastern Railway , as well as the center of the Don Highway...

 and Olonets

Olonets

Olonets is a town and the administrative center of Olonetsky District of the Republic of Karelia, Russia, situated on the Olonka River, to the east from Lake Ladoga. Population: -History:...

. In the January campaign

Great Northern War

The Great Northern War was a conflict in which a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in northern Central Europe and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the anti-Swedish alliance were Peter I the Great of Russia, Frederick IV of...

 of 1706 he had Mitau Castle blown up and retreated with his regiment toward Minsk

Minsk

- Ecological situation :The ecological situation is monitored by Republican Center of Radioactive and Environmental Control .During 2003–2008 the overall weight of contaminants increased from 186,000 to 247,400 tons. The change of gas as industrial fuel to mazut for financial reasons has worsened...

. In 1707 Kikin was put in charge of the Admiralty Shipyard

Admiralty Shipyard

The Admiralty Shipyard is one of the oldest and largest shipyards in Russia, located in Saint Petersburg. The shipyard's building ways can accommodate ships of up to , 250 meters in length and 35 meters in width...

. He was a groomsman

Groomsman

A groomsman is one of the male attendants to the groom in a wedding ceremony. The term usher is more common in the UK while the term 'groomsman' is considered somewhat lower-middle- class and used by those who have adopted the term from America. Usually the groom selects his closest friends and...

 at Peter's second wedding.

Kikin's old rivalry with Alexander Menshikov put him in a precarious position, however. In 1715 he was arrested on suspicion of graft

Political corruption

Political corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by...

 and was forced to leave the capital for Moscow

Moscow

Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...

. A year later Peter relented, allowing him to return to the court. In 1718 Kikin was implicated it the conspiracy of Tsarevich Alexis, put to torture and executed. Among other things he was accused of trying to kill the monarch when he had been asleep. He had apparently visited Vienna

Vienna

Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...

 in order to persuade Emperor Charles VI to shelter the heir apparent

Heir apparent

An heir apparent or heiress apparent is a person who is first in line of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting, except by a change in the rules of succession....

.

Kikin's properties, including the unfinished Baroque

Baroque

The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...

 residence in the vicinity of the Smolny Convent

Smolny Convent

Smolny Convent or Smolny Convent of the Resurrection , located on Ploschad Rastrelli, on the bank of the River Neva in Saint Petersburg, Russia, consists of a cathedral and a complex of buildings surrounding it, originally intended for a convent.-History:This Russian Orthodox convent was built to...

, were confiscated by the Tsar. The much restored Kikin Palace

Kikin Palace

The Kikin Hall is one of the oldest buildings in Saint Petersburg, Russia. The diminutive residence was commissioned by Alexander Kikin in 1714. The name of the architect is unknown, but similarities to the old Peterhof palace abound, suggesting an attribution to Andreas Schlüter.The palace was...

is one of the oldest buildings in the city.