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Prince Alexander Danilovich Menshikov (1673-1729) was a Russian statesman. A highly appreciated associate and friend of Tsar Peter the Great, he was the de facto ruler of Russia for two years. He is known to have employed foreign artists. The present wooden portrait was executed by a Swiss, Austrian, or German artist in St. Petersburg. It is known that a sculptor, probably Swiss, named Franz Ludwig Ziegler, residing in Russia, made a trip at Menshikov's expense to western Europe and returned to Russia in 1703 accompanied by three sculptors, two Austria and one German. There is no documentary evidence that any of them or Ziegler carved the bust, but they were available for the task.
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