Alexander Shuvalov

{{Short description|Russian statesman}}

{{more sources|date=November 2024}}

File:RusPortraits v3-063 Graf Aleksandr Ivanovich Shuvalov, 1710-1771.jpg

Count Alexander Ivanovich Shuvalov ({{langx|ru|Алекса́ндр Ива́нович Шува́лов|Aleksandr Ivanovič Šuvalov}}; 1710{{cite book |last1=Иванович |first1=Колпакиди Александр |title=Щит и меч.Руководители органов гос. безопасности: руководители органов государственной безопасности Московской Руси, Российскои Империи, Советского Союза и Российской Федерации : энциклопедический справочник |date=30 June 2002 |publisher=ОЛМА Медиа Групп |isbn=978-5-7654-1497-2 |page=119 |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/%D0%A9%D0%B8%D1%82_%D0%B8_%D0%BC%D0%B5%D1%87_%D0%A0%D1%83%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%BE%D0%B4%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BB/PbWp68vV6ysC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%D0%90%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BA%D1%81%D0%B0%CC%81%D0%BD%D0%B4%D1%80+%D0%98%D0%B2%D0%B0%CC%81%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%87+%D0%A8%D1%83%D0%B2%D0%B0%CC%81%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B2+%221710%22&pg=PA119&printsec=frontcover |access-date=29 November 2024 |language=ru}} – 13 October 1771{{cite book |last1=Курков |first1=Константин Николаевич |title=Члены Правительствующего Сената--высшего законосовещательного органа Российской империи: 22 февраля 1711 - 3 марта 1917 |date=2005 |publisher=Готика |isbn=978-5-7834-0153-4 |page=117 |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/%D0%A7%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%8B_%D0%9F%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BB%D1%8C%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B2%D1%83%D1%8E/LRWKAAAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=%D0%90%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BA%D1%81%D0%B0%CC%81%D0%BD%D0%B4%D1%80+%D0%98%D0%B2%D0%B0%CC%81%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%87+%D0%A8%D1%83%D0%B2%D0%B0%CC%81%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B2+%2213+%D0%BE%D0%BA%D1%82%D1%8F%D0%B1%D1%80%D1%8F+1771+%D0%B3.%22&dq=%D0%90%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BA%D1%81%D0%B0%CC%81%D0%BD%D0%B4%D1%80+%D0%98%D0%B2%D0%B0%CC%81%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%87+%D0%A8%D1%83%D0%B2%D0%B0%CC%81%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B2+%2213+%D0%BE%D0%BA%D1%82%D1%8F%D0%B1%D1%80%D1%8F+1771+%D0%B3.%22&printsec=frontcover |access-date=29 November 2024 |language=ru}}) was a Russian statesman from the Shuvalov family. His career was dependent on and overshadowed by that of his more brilliant brother, Pyotr Ivanovich Shuvalov.

The Shuvalov brothers were two sons of a general who commanded the castle of Vyborg and governed Arkhangelsk during the reign of Empress Anna. They were the closest aides to Elizabeth Petrovna during the 1741 coup d'etat that brought her to the throne. Alexander, in particular, persuaded many of his fellow imperial guards to join Elizabeth's cause. He was rewarded for his allegiance with the rank of Chamberlain in 1741 and the title of count in 1746.{{cite web |title=ШУВАЛОВ АЛЕКСАНДР ИВАНОВИЧ • Большая российская энциклопедия - электронная версия |url=https://old.bigenc.ru/domestic_history/text/4923100 |website=old.bigenc.ru |access-date=29 November 2024}}

For many years Shuvalov presided over the Secret Chancellory,{{cite book |last1=Andreev |first1=A. R. |title=История спецслужб России |date=2004 |publisher=Крафт+ |isbn=978-5-93675-052-6 |page=292 |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/%D0%98%D1%81%D1%82%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%8F_%D1%81%D0%BF%D0%B5%D1%86%D1%81%D0%BB%D1%83%D0%B6%D0%B1_%D0%A0%D0%BE%D1%81/s5s4AAAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=%D0%90%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BA%D1%81%D0%B0%CC%81%D0%BD%D0%B4%D1%80+%D0%98%D0%B2%D0%B0%CC%81%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%87+%D0%A8%D1%83%D0%B2%D0%B0%CC%81%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B2+%D0%A1%D0%B5%D0%BA%D1%80%D0%B5%D1%82%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%8F+%D0%BA%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%86%D0%B5%D0%BB%D1%8F%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%8F&dq=%D0%90%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BA%D1%81%D0%B0%CC%81%D0%BD%D0%B4%D1%80+%D0%98%D0%B2%D0%B0%CC%81%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%87+%D0%A8%D1%83%D0%B2%D0%B0%CC%81%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B2+%D0%A1%D0%B5%D0%BA%D1%80%D0%B5%D1%82%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%8F+%D0%BA%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%86%D0%B5%D0%BB%D1%8F%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%8F&printsec=frontcover |access-date=29 November 2024 |language=ru}} a sort of political police whose victims included his personal enemies, Field-Marshals Aleksey Bestuzhev and Stepan Fyodorovich Apraksin. By the end of Elizabeth's reign, the Shuvalovs successfully eliminated all their political rivals and virtually monopolized state power. They also flirted with the future Peter III of Russia, hoping to retain their positions after his eventual accession to the throne.

Their intrigues succeeded in 1761 when Peter III assumed the throne and promoted both Shuvalovs to Field Marshals, although they had never taken part in any war. But their careers were undone within a year, as the throne was usurped by Peter's wife Catherine, who detested the Shuvalovs for their pernicious influence on her husband and even accused in her memoirs Alexander Shuvalov of plotting to murder her.

Thereupon Shuvalov retired from service and withdrew to his villages. His only daughter was the wife of Count Golovkin.