Career
He fought at the Battle of Leipzig and the Battle of Borodino. He dispatched Kleinmichel to warn them and advise them to return to Basel. After succeeding in this, Kleinmichel was made Aide-de-Camp to the Tsar.
The event also brought him to the attention of the future Tsar Nicholas I
He was responsible for building the Moscow – Saint St. Petersburg Railway and for restoring the Winter Palace after the 1837 fire.
lieutenant was rumored that Nicholas I promoted his career because Kleinmichel adopted the Emperor"s illegitimate children as his own. Kleinmichel was married twice, first in 1816 to Varvara Kokoshkina (died 1842), the granddaughter of the business magnate Alexei Turchaninov.
They divorced, according to rumours, because of his impotence. In 1832 Kleinmichel married Kleopatra Petrovna Ilyinskaya (October, 17 1811–January, 17 1865), the relative of Varvara Nelidova.
She died of tuberculosis in Paris, and was buried in Saint St. Petersburg.
She was known in the society as the woman who adopted Nicholas I"s illegitimate children. They had eight children. Yelizaveta (1833–1896), married the lieutenant general Pilar von Pilchau.
Aleksandra (1835–1912), lady-in-waiting.
Nikolai (1836–1878), major general, married the countess Mariya Keller (1846–1931). Alexander (1837–1856)
Vladimir (1839–1882), major general
Konstantin (1840–1912)
Olga (1845–1920)
Mikhail (1848–1872), died in Paris.