On June 24, 1812, Napoleon's army crossed the border of Russia, beginning its advance into its vast territories. Alexander I, seeking to avoid war, sent his trusted envoy, Police Minister Alexander Balashov, for negotiations. Napoleon accepted the envoy. Balashov tried to convince him: "Sire, you are starting a terrible war. It will become a war of the entire nation, which represents a formidable force: the Russian soldier is brave, and the people are devoted to their homeland." According to eyewitness accounts, the negotiations for a peaceful settlement were tense, and at one point, the French emperor accidentally tore open a window that kept opening and banging against the wall due to the strong wind.

Suddenly, Napoleon decided to make a quip and asked the minister about the shortest way through Moscow. Balashov, thinking for a moment, replied that there are several roads leading to the White Stone City, one of which goes through Poltava, hinting at the defeat of Charles XII, who also invaded deep into Russia. Napoleon did not appreciate the joke, wrote a letter to Alexander I, and ordered Balashov to leave his army. Later, the French commander tried several more times to initiate negotiations with the Russian emperor, but he ignored him.

Subsequently, Balashov had a successful career, becoming an ambassador and governor-general of the Ryazan region, which included the Tambov, Oryol, Voronezh, Ryazan, and Tula provinces. There, he tried to implement the provisions of the State Constitutional Charter, a draft constitution for the Russian Empire. The police were reformed in the region, and self-government was introduced. However, with the rise of Nicholas I, democratic initiatives had to be rolled back, as the new emperor was against free-thinking experiments.

In addition, Alexander Balashov was one of the initiators of the installation of a monument to Dmitry Donskoy at Kulikovo Field. In Russia, Balashov's figure is not very well known, but in the West, he was even portrayed in the British version of "War and Peace," where the sharp-tongued minister was played by Michael Gover.