Alexander Gerve Lieutenant General, Commandant of Tobolsk. Date of Birth: 01.01.1779

1. Early Life and Military Career
2. Service in the Leib-Guard Finland Regiment
3. Command of the 21st Infantry Division and 1st Infantry Division
4. Polish-Russian War and Later Career

Early Life and Military Career

Alexander Karlovich Zhervy was born on October 26, 1779, in Vyborg. His father, Karl Yeremeyevich Zhervy, was the commandant of Vyborg. Alexander graduated from the 2nd Cadet Corps and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the 1st Siege Artillery Battalion on December 13, 1798.

In 1806, Zhervy was selected by Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich to serve in the Imperial Militia Battalion, the precursor to the Leib-Guard Finland Regiment. He fought with distinction in the Prussian campaign against Napoleon, receiving a golden sword for bravery.

Service in the Leib-Guard Finland Regiment

By 1812, Zhervy had risen to the rank of colonel and commanded the 3rd Battalion of the Leib-Guard Finland Regiment. He distinguished himself at the Battle of Borodino, where he led a bayonet charge and was wounded in the leg. For his actions, he received the Order of Saint Anna, 2nd Class with diamond insignia.

Zhervy continued to serve in the regiment throughout the War of the Sixth Coalition (1813-1814), fighting at Lützen, Bautzen, Kulm, and Leipzig. At Leipzig, he was wounded again and took command of the regiment after its commander was injured. He led the regiment across the Rhine and into Paris, earning the Prussian Pour le Mérite.

Command of the 21st Infantry Division and 1st Infantry Division

In 1815, Zhervy married Ekaterina Petrovna Pisemskaya. He commanded the 2nd Jaeger Regiment for a brief period before being promoted to major general and assigned to the 21st Infantry Division. From 1817 to 1827, he commanded the 3rd Brigade within that division. He then led the 1st Infantry Division for four years.

Polish-Russian War and Later Career

During the Polish-Russian War of 1831, Zhervy commanded the 16th Infantry Division and distinguished himself at the Battle of Grochów and the capture of Minsk. He was awarded the Order of Saint Anna, 1st Class and the Polish Virtuti Militari, 2nd Class.

In 1833, Zhervy was appointed commandant of Tobolsk, a position he held until retiring in 1839 due to ill health. He spent his later years in Paris, where he passed away in 1858.