Kleinmikhel, Petr

Born Nov. 30 (Dec. 11), 1793, in St. Petersburg; died there Feb. 3 (15), 1869. Russian statesman, general of infantry (1841). Aide-de-camp to A. A. Arakcheev beginning in 1812; chief of staff of the military colonies from 1819.

Kleinmikhel’ was in attendance on Nicholas I and the tsar’s adjutant general in 1826. He directed the rebuilding of the Winter Palace, which had burnt down in 1837; for this he was made a count in 1839. In 1842 he became a member of the State Council. From 1842 to 1855 he was chief director of communications and public buildings. During his administration the Nicholas Bridge (the present-day Lieutenant Shmidt Bridge) was constructed across the Neva, the New Hermitage was erected in St. Petersburg, and the St. Petersburg-Moscow railroad was built. Kleinmikhel’ became implicated in large-scale corruption, which led to his dismissal in 1855.