Aleksandr Aleksandrov
Alexander Andreevich Alexandrov | |
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Portrait by Woldemar Hau, 1837 | |
| Native name | Александръ Александровъ, Aleksandr Aleksandrov |
| Birth name | Nadezhda Andreyevna Durova |
| Nicknames |
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| Born | September 17, 1783 |
| Died | March 21, 1866 (aged 82) Yelabuga, Russian Empire |
| Allegiance | Russian Empire |
| Branch | Imperial Russian Army |
| Service years | 1806–1816 |
| Rank | Shtabs-kapitan (staff riding master) |
| Conflicts | |
| Awards | Cross of St. George |
Alexander Andreevich Alexandrov (born Nadezhda Andreyevna Durova; 17 September 1783 – 21 March 1866) was a Russian cavalry soldier and writer who participated in the Napoleonic Wars. Alexandrov was assigned female at birth, but solely presented as a man in adulthood.
At twenty-three, Alexandrov fled his home, and enlisted in an uhlan (light cavalry) regiment, dressing as a male soldier and taking on the name Alexander Sokolov. He served from 1806 to 1816, and received the Cross of St. George for bravery. After his service, he published a memoir, originally titled, "Notes of Alexsandrov", one of the earliest autobiographies in the Russian language. To his outrage, publishers disregarded the chosen name and title, re-titling it "Notes of N.A. Durova", and eventually The Cavalry Maiden.
Historians have traditionally regarded him as a female wartime cross-dresser, while several modern scholars describe him as a transgender man.