Menshikov accompanied the Russian forces of the Tsar to besiege the fortress of
Nöteborg (renamed
Shlisselburg by the Russians), then held by the Swedish forces of
Charles XII of Sweden in 1702. In October, Russian forces succeeding in taking the fortress after the Swedish
surrendered following a ten day bombardment. As a reward for his service under the Tsar and Marshall
Boris Sheremetev, he was made the first Russian governor the re-christened fortress. In May 1703, Menshikov participated in the capture of the Swedish fortress of
Nyenskans (Nyenschantz), which brought an area of control suitable for the Tsar to establish
Saint Petersburg. He also accompanied the Tsar in a force of Guards in some 30 boats in a naval action following the seizure in which two Swedish ships were captured. As a result of this naval action, Menshikov was awarded the
Order of St. Andrew. Later in 1703, following the Russian seizure of land along the
Neva and the
Gulf of Finland he was appointed the first Governor of the newly established Saint Petersburg. He acted as subordinate to
Boris Sheremetev and
Georg Benedikt von Ogilvy during the campaigns before
Charles XII in 1708. He commanded the cavalry at the
Battle of Grodno and during the subsequent retreat. He subsequently participated in the
battle of Holowczyn in July 1708. Following a series of defensive river manoeuvres, Menshikov accompanied the Tsar to intercept the Swedish army of
Adam Ludwig Lewenhaupt which resulted in a Russian victory at the
Battle of Lesnaya. Menshikov commanded the left wing of the Russian army, some eight regiments of Guards and dismounted dragoons. Later at the
sack of Baturyn in November 1708, Menshikov led Russian forces to sack the capital of the Cossack Hetmanate
Ivan Mazepa who had decided to support the Swedish invasion of Russia. In January 1709, Menshikov narrowly escaped captured at
Opishnia after Charles XII himself led five cavalry regiments to seize control of a river crossing where Menshikov and his forces were resting and having dinner. Menshikov led the Russian defences of the region during early 1709, with his headquarters at the village of Krutoy Bereg on the
Vorskla river. The Tsar arrived in June 1709 to renew offensive actions with Menshikov, resulting in the crowning victory of
Poltava () where Menshikov won his
field-marshal's baton. At the battle of Poltava, he initially commanded the
vanguard of the Russian army, with dragoons at a series of fortified redoubts, before commanding the entire left flank of the Russian forces. After the battle, as the surviving Swedish forces retreated, Menshikov and some 6,000 Russian soldiers pursued them over several days. This led to the subsequent
Surrender at Perevolochna in which Menshikov, who had only a third of the number of soldiers of the Swedish forces opposite him, offered terms to the surviving army under Lewenhaupt. As King Charles XII had managed to escape, Lewenhaupt surrendered to Menshikov, resulting in the complete destruction and imprisonment of the remaining Swedish forces outside greater Sweden, which further contributed towards the Russian victory in the Great Northern War. ==Later life and corruption==