Friedrich Wilhelm Graf von Buxhoevden (, Fyodor Fyodorovich Buksgevden; other spellings: Feodor Buxhoeveden, Buxhœwden, Buxhöwden) (September 14, 1750 Võlla, Governorate of Livonia – August 23, 1811 near Kullamaa) was a Russian infantry general and government official. Buxhoeveden commanded the Russian armies during the Finnish War. Family The Buxhoevedens, a Baltic German family from Estonia, traced their roots to Bexhövede in Lower Saxony. Buxhoevden's wife, countess Natalia Alexeyeva, was the illegitimate daughter of Grigory Orlov (1734–1783) by a lady of the court, but her mother – contrary to some claims – was not the Empress Catherine, but a member of the Apraksin family. Buxhoeveden's granddaughter Varvara Nelidova was a mistress of Nicholas I of Russia (1796–1855) for 17 years (1832–1855). Career In 1805 Buxhoevden took part in the Battle of Austerlitz as a commander, contributing to the Third Coalition's failure to defeat Napoleon by being drunk during the battle. In 1808 he served as Commander-in-Chief in the Russian conquest of Finland, and led Russian troops during the initial battles of the Finnish War (1808-1809). Estates Buxhoevden received the castle and lands of Koluvere in western Estonia after Duchess Augusta of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel had died there in 1788 in suspicious circumstances. He also owned the villa and manor of Ligovo near Saint Petersburg. Awards Russian Empire awards: Order of Saint George, 4th Degree (26 November 1774) Order of Saint George, 3rd Degree (22 August 1789) Order of Saint Anna (8 September 1790) Cross "For the Capture of Praga" (1794) Golden Weapon for Bravery with diamonds (1794) Order of Saint Vladimir, 2nd Class (1794) Order of Saint Alexander Nevsky (15 February 1797) Order of Saint Vladimir, 1st Degree (1806) Order of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called (17 September 1807), diamond badges added in 1808 Order of Saint George, 2nd Degree (27 April 1808) Foreign state awards: Order of the White Eagle, 1795 from the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth Order of Saint Stanislaus, 1795, from the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth Order of the Black Eagle, from Kingdom of Prussia Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, from Kingdom of Prussia See also Albert of Buxhoeveden (c. 1165–1229) - an earlier member of the family References External links Biography From Buxhoeveden family tree 1750 births 1811 deaths People from Muhu Parish People from Kreis Ösel Friedrich Wilhelm Baltic-German people Imperial Russian Army generals 18th-century Estonian people 19th-century Estonian people Russian commanders of the Napoleonic Wars Russian military personnel of the