Childhood, education and upbringing

Pavel was born on September 20 (October 1), 1754 in St. Petersburg, in the Summer Palace of Elizabeth Petrovna. Subsequently, this palace was demolished, and in its place the Mikhailovsky Castle was built, in which Pavel was killed on March 11 (March 23), 1801.

On September 20, 1754, in the ninth year of marriage, Her Imperial Highness Grand Duchess Ekaterina Alekseevna finally had her first child. Empress Elizaveta Petrovna, Grand Duke Peter and the Shuvalov brothers were present at the birth. Elizaveta Petrovna immediately picked up the newborn baby, washed and sprinkled with holy water, and carried it into the hall to show the future heir to the courtiers. The Empress baptized the baby and ordered him to be named Paul. Catherine, like Peter III, were completely removed from raising their son.

Essentially deprived of his parents, due to the vicissitudes of a merciless political struggle, Pavel was deprived of the love of people close to him. Of course, this affected the child’s psyche and his perception of the world. But, we should pay tribute to Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, she ordered to surround him with the best, in her opinion, teachers.

The first educator was the diplomat F.D. Bekhteev, who was obsessed with the spirit of all kinds of regulations, clear orders, and military discipline comparable to drill. This created in the impressionable boy’s mind that this is how everything happens in everyday life. And he didn’t think about anything except soldiers’ marches and battles between battalions. Bekhteev came up with a special alphabet for the little prince, the letters of which were cast from lead in the form of soldiers. He began to print a small newspaper in which he talked about all, even the most insignificant, actions of Paul.

The birth of Paul was reflected in many odes written by the poets of that time.

In 1760, Elizaveta Petrovna appointed a new teacher for her grandson. He became, by her choice, Count Nikita Ivanovich Panin. He was a forty-two-year-old man who occupied a very prominent place at court. Possessing extensive knowledge, he had previously spent several years on a diplomatic career in Denmark and Sweden, where his worldview was formed. Having very close contacts with the Freemasons, he picked up Enlightenment ideas from them, and even became a supporter of a constitutional monarchy. His brother Pyotr Ivanovich was a great local master of the Masonic order in Russia.

The first wariness towards the new teacher was soon erased, and Pavel quickly became attached to him. Panin opened Russian and Western European literature to young Pavel. The young man was very willing to read, and in the next year he read quite a lot of books. He was well acquainted with Sumarokov, Lomonosov, Derzhavin, Racine, Corneille, Moliere, Werther, Cervantes, Voltaire and Rousseau. He was fluent in Latin, French and German, and loved mathematics.

His mental development proceeded without any deviations. One of Pavel’s younger mentors, Poroshin, kept a diary in which he noted all of little Pavel’s actions day after day. It does not indicate any deviations in mental development the personality of the future emperor, about whom numerous haters of Pavel Petrovich subsequently loved to talk.

On February 23, 1765, Poroshin wrote: “I read to His Highness Vertotov a story about the Order of the Knights of Malta. He then deigned to amuse himself and, tying the admiral’s flag to his cavalry, pretend to be a Cavalier of Malta.”

Already in his youth, Paul began to be fascinated by the idea of ​​chivalry, the idea of ​​honor and glory. And in the military doctrine presented to his mother at the age of 20, who by that time was already the Empress of All Russia, he refused to wage an offensive war, explained his idea by the need to observe the principle of reasonable sufficiency, while all the efforts of the Empire should be aimed at creating internal order .

The Tsarevich's confessor and mentor was one of the best Russian preachers and theologians, Archimandrite, and later Metropolitan of Moscow Platon (Levshin). Thanks to his pastoral work and instructions in the Law of God, Pavel Petrovich became a deeply religious, true Orthodox man for the rest of his short life. In Gatchina, until the revolution of 1917, they preserved a rug worn by Pavel Petrovich’s knees during his long night prayers.

Thus, we can notice that in childhood, adolescence and teenage years Pavel received an excellent education, had a broad outlook and even then came to knightly ideals and firmly believed in God. All this is reflected in his future policies, in his ideas and actions.

Relations with Catherine II

Immediately after birth, Pavel was removed from his mother by Empress Elizabeth. Catherine could see him very rarely and only with the permission of the Empress. When Paul was eight years old, his mother, Catherine, relying on the guard, carried out a coup, during which Paul's father, Emperor Peter III, was killed. Paul was to ascend the throne.

Catherine II removed Paul from interfering in any state affairs; he, in turn, condemned her entire way of life and did not accept the policies that she pursued.

Pavel believed that this policy was based on love of fame and pretense; he dreamed of introducing strictly legal governance in Russia under the auspices of the autocracy, limiting the rights of the nobility, and introducing the strictest, Prussian-style, discipline in the army. In the 1780s he became interested in Freemasonry.

Pavel's ever-increasing relationship with his mother, whom he suspected of complicity in the murder of his father - Peter III, led to the fact that Catherine II gave her son the Gatchina estate (that is, “removed” him from the capital). Here Pavel introduced customs that were sharply different from those in St. Petersburg. But in the absence of any other concerns, he concentrated all his efforts on creating the “Gatchina army”: several battalions placed under his command. Officers in full uniform, wigs, tight uniforms, impeccable order, punishment with spitzrutens for the slightest omissions and a ban on civilian habits.

Significantly narrowed the rights of the noble class in comparison with those that were granted by Catherine II, and the orders established in Gatchina were transferred throughout Russian army. The most severe discipline and unpredictability of the emperor’s behavior led to massive dismissals of nobles from the army, especially the officers of the guard (of the 182 officers who served in the Horse Guards Regiment in 1801, only two had not resigned). All officers on the staff who did not appear by order at the military board to confirm their service were also dismissed.

It should be noted, however, that Paul I started the military, as well as other reforms, not only out of his own whim. The Russian army was not at its peak, discipline in the regiments suffered, titles were not given out deservedly - so, from birth, noble children were assigned to some rank, to this or that regiment. Many, having a rank and receiving a salary, did not serve at all (apparently, mostly these officers were dismissed from the staff). For negligence and laxity, gross mistreatment of soldiers, he personally tore off the epaulets from officers and even generals and sent them to Siberia. Paul I especially persecuted the theft of generals and embezzlement in the army. As a reformer, Paul I decided to follow his favorite example - Peter the Great - as did famous ancestor he decided to take as a basis the model of the modern European army, in particular the Prussian one, and what else but the German one could serve as an example of pedantry, discipline and perfection. In general, military reform did not stop after Paul’s death.

During the reign of Paul I, the Arakcheevs, Kutaisovs, and Obolyaninovs, who were personally devoted to the emperor, rose to prominence.

Fearing the spread of the ideas of the French Revolution in Russia, Paul I banned young people from traveling abroad to study, the import of books was completely prohibited, even sheet music, and private printing houses were closed. The regulation of life went so far as to set a time when the fires in houses were supposed to be turned off. By special decrees, some words of the Russian language were removed from official use and replaced with others. Thus, among those seized were the words “citizen” and “fatherland” that had a political connotation (replaced with “everyman” and “state”, respectively), but a number of Paul’s linguistic decrees were not so transparent - for example, the word “detachment” was changed to “detachment” or “command”, “execute” to “execute”, and “doctor” to “doctor”.

Foreign policy

Foreign policy Pavla was distinguished by inconsistency. In 1798, Russia entered into an anti-French coalition with Great Britain, Austria, Turkey, and the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. At the insistence of the allies, the disgraced A.V. Suvorov was appointed commander-in-chief of the Russian troops. Austrian troops were also transferred to his jurisdiction. Under the leadership of Suvorov, Northern Italy was liberated from French rule. In September 1799, the Russian army made Suvorov's famous crossing of the Alps. However, already in October of the same year, Russia broke the alliance with Austria due to the Austrians’ failure to fulfill allied obligations, and Russian troops were recalled from Europe.

Shortly before his murder, Paul sent the Don army of 22,507 people on a campaign against India. The campaign was canceled immediately after the death of Paul by decree of Emperor Alexander I.

Conspiracy and death

Mikhailovsky Castle - the place of the emperor's death

All-Russian Emperors, Romanovs Holstein-Gottorp branch (after Peter III)

Paul I Maria Fedorovna

Nicholas I Alexandra Fedorovna

Alexander II Maria Alexandrovna

Paul I was strangled in his own bedroom on March 11, 1801 at Mikhailovsky Castle. The conspiracy involved Agramakov, N.P. Panin, vice-chancellor, L.L. Benningsen, commander of the Izyuminsky light horse regiment P.A. Zubov (Catherine’s favorite), Palen, governor general of St. Petersburg, commanders of the guards regiments: Semenovsky - N. I. Depreradovich, Kavalergardsky - F.P. Uvarov, Preobrazhensky - P.A. Talyzin.), and according to some sources - the emperor's aide-de-camp, Count Pyotr Vasilyevich Golenishchev-Kutuzov, immediately after the coup was appointed commander of the Cavalry Regiment.

Initially, the overthrow of Paul and the accession of an English regent were planned. Perhaps the denunciation to the tsar was written by V.P. Meshchersky, the former chief of the St. Petersburg regiment stationed in Smolensk, perhaps by Prosecutor General P.Kh. Obolyaninov. In any case, the conspiracy was discovered, Lindener and Arakcheev were summoned, but this only accelerated the execution of the conspiracy. According to one version, Pavel was killed by Nikolai Zubov (Suvorov’s son-in-law, Platon Zubov’s older brother), who hit him with a massive golden snuffbox (a joke later circulated at court: “The Emperor died of an apoplectic blow to the temple with a snuffbox”). According to another version, Paul was strangled with a scarf or crushed by a group of conspirators who, leaning on the emperor and each other, did not know exactly what was happening. Mistaking one of the killers for the son of Constantine, he shouted: “Your Highness, are you here too? Have mercy! Air, Air!.. What have I done wrong to you?” These were his last words.

The question of whether he knew and gave sanction to palace coup and the murder of his father Alexander Pavlovich, for a long time remained unclear. According to the memoirs of Prince A. Czartoryski, the idea of ​​a conspiracy arose almost in the first days of Paul’s reign, but the coup became possible only after it became known about the consent of Alexander, who signed the corresponding secret manifesto, in which he recognized the need for a coup and pledged not to persecute conspirators after accession to the throne. One of the organizers of the conspiracy, Count Palen, wrote in his memoirs: “ Grand Duke Alexander did not agree to anything without first demanding an oath from me that no attempt would be made on his father’s life; I gave him my word: I was not so devoid of sense as to internally undertake an obligation to fulfill an impossible thing, but it was necessary to calm the scrupulousness of my future sovereign, and I encouraged his intentions, although I was convinced that they would not be fulfilled.” Most likely, Alexander himself, like Count Palen, understood perfectly well that without murder, a palace coup would be impossible, since Paul I would not voluntarily abdicate the throne.

The conspirators got up from dinner after midnight. According to the developed plan, the signal for the invasion of the inner apartments of the palace and the emperor’s office itself was to be given by Argamakov, the adjutant of the grenadier battalion of the Preobrazhensky regiment, whose duty was to report to the emperor about the fires occurring in the city. Agramakov ran into the front of the sovereign's office and shouted: "fire"!

At this time, the conspirators, numbering up to 180 people, rushed through door a (see figure). Then Marin, who commanded the internal infantry guard, removed the loyal Grenadians of the Preobrazhensky life battalion, placing them as sentries, and placed those of them who had previously served in the life grenadier regiment in the front of the sovereign’s office, thus retaining this important post in the hands conspirators.

Two chamber hussars standing at the door bravely defended their post; one of them was stabbed to death and the other was wounded*. Having found the first door leading to the bedroom unlocked, the conspirators at first thought that the emperor had disappeared into the inner staircase (and this could have easily been done), as Kuitasov did. But when they approached the second door, they found it locked from the inside, which proved that the emperor was undoubtedly in the bedroom.

Having broken open the door, the conspirators rushed into the room, but the emperor was not in it. A search began, but to no avail, despite the fact that the door leading to the Empress’s bedchamber was also locked from the inside. The search continued for several minutes, when Generalo Bennigsen entered, he went up to the fireplace, leaned against it and at that time saw the emperor hiding behind the screen.

Pointing his finger at him, Bennigsen said in French “le voila,” after which Pavel was immediately pulled out of his cover.

Prince Platon Zubov**, who acted as a speaker and the main leader of the conspiracy, addressed the emperor with a speech. Pavel, usually distinguished by great nervousness, this time, however, did not seem particularly excited, and, maintaining full dignity, asked what they all needed?

Platon Zubov replied that his despotism had become so difficult for the nation that they came to demand his abdication from the throne.

The emperor, filled with a sincere desire to bring happiness to his people, to preserve the laws and regulations of the empire inviolably and to establish justice everywhere, entered into an argument with Zubov, which lasted about half an hour, and which, in the end, took on a stormy character. At this time, those of the conspirators who had drunk too much champagne began to express impatience, while the emperor spoke louder and louder and began to gesticulate strongly. At this time, the master of the horse, Count Nikolai Zubov***, a man of enormous stature and extraordinary strength, being completely drunk, hit Pavel on the hand and said: “Why are you shouting like that!”

________________

• This was the chamberlain hussar Kirilov, who later served as a valet under the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna.
  • Zubov, Prince Platon Alexandrovich.1767 - 1822. General-from. inf., chief of the 1st cadet corps. Subsequently, member of the state. advice.
    • Zubov, Count Nikolai Alexandrovich. Chief of the Horse. 1763 - 1805 He was married to the only daughter of Field Marshal Suvorov, Princess Natalia Alexandrovna, known under the name "Suvorochki".

At this insult, the emperor indignantly pushed away left hand Zubov, to which the latter, clutching a massive golden snuffbox in his fist, struck with his right hand a blow to the emperor’s left temple, as a result of which he fell senseless to the floor. At the same moment, Zubov’s French valet jumped up with his feet on the emperor’s stomach, and Skaryatin, an officer of the Izmailovsky regiment, taking in the emperor’s own scarf hanging over the bed, strangled him with it. This is how he was killed.

Based on another version, Zubov, being very drunk, allegedly put his fingers into the snuff box that Pavel was holding in his hands. Then the emperor was the first to hit Zubov, and thus started the quarrel himself. Zubov allegedly snatched the snuffbox from the hands of the emperor and with a strong blow knocked him off his feet. But this is hardly plausible, considering that Pavel jumped straight out of bed and wanted to hide. Be that as it may, there is no doubt that the snuff box played a certain role in this event.

So, the words spoken by Palen at dinner: “qu”il faut commencer par casser les ocufs” were not forgotten, and, alas, were carried out.*

The names of some persons were named, who on this occasion expressed a lot of cruelty, even atrocity, wanting to take out the insults received from the emperor on his lifeless body so that it was not easy for doctors and make-up artists to bring the body into such a form that it could be exposed for worship, according to existing customs. I saw the late emperor lying in a coffin.** On his face, despite diligent make-up, black and blue spots were visible. His triangular hat was pulled down on his head so as to, if possible, hide his left eye and temple, which was bruised.

Thus died on March 12, 1801, one of the sovereigns, whom history speaks of as a monarch filled with many virtues, distinguished by tireless activity, who loved order and justice.

________________

• This needs to be done now so as not to break later.
  • They say (from a reliable source) that when the diplomatic corps was admitted to the body, French ambassador As he passed, he bent over the coffin and, touching the emperor’s tie with his hand, discovered a red mark around his neck made by the scarf.

Versions of the origin of Paul I

Due to the fact that Paul was born almost ten years after the wedding of Peter and Catherine, when many were already convinced of the futility of this marriage (and also under the influence of the free personal life of the empress in the future), there were persistent rumors that the real father Paul I was not Peter III, but his first favorite Grand Duchess Ekaterina Alekseevna, Count Sergei Vasilievich Saltykov.

Historical anecdote

The Romanovs themselves related to this legend
(about the fact that Paul I was not the son of Peter III)
with great humor. There is a memoir about
how Alexander III, having learned about her,
crossed himself: “Thank God, we are Russian!”
And having heard a refutation from historians, again
crossed himself: “Thank God we are legal!”

The memoirs of Catherine II contain an indirect indication of this. In the same memoirs one can find a hidden indication of how the desperate Empress Elizaveta Petrovna, so that the dynasty would not fade away, ordered the wife of her heir to give birth to a child, no matter who his genetic father would be. In this regard, after this instruction, the courtiers assigned to Catherine began to encourage her adultery. However, Catherine is quite crafty in her memoirs - there she explains that the long-term marriage did not produce offspring, since Peter had “a certain obstacle”, which, after the ultimatum given to her by Elizabeth, was eliminated by her friends, who performed a violent surgical operation on Peter , and therefore he was still able to conceive a child. The paternity of Catherine’s other children born during her husband’s lifetime is also doubtful: Grand Duchess Anna Petrovna (b.) was most likely the daughter of Poniatovsky, and Alexey Bobrinsky (b.) was the son of G. Orlov and was born in secret. More folklore and in line with traditional ideas about the “switched baby” is the story that Ekaterina Alekseevna allegedly gave birth to a stillborn child and he was replaced by a certain “Chukhon” baby.

Family

Gerard von Kügelgen. Portrait of Paul I with his family. 1800. State Museum-Reserve "Pavlovsk"

Married twice:

• 1st wife: (since October 10, St. Petersburg) Natalya Alekseevna(1755-1776), born. Princess Augusta Wilhelmina Louise of Hesse-Darmstadt, daughter of Ludwig IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt. Died during childbirth with a baby.

• 2nd wife: (since October 7, St. Petersburg) Maria Fedorovna(1759-1828), born. Princess Sophia Dorothea of ​​Württemberg, daughter of Frederick II Eugene, Duke of Württemberg. Had 10 children:
  • Alexander I(1777-1825), Russian Emperor
  • Konstantin Pavlovich(1779-1831), Grand Duke.
  • Alexandra Pavlovna (1783-1801)
  • Elena Pavlovna (1784-1803)
  • Maria Pavlovna (1786-1859)
  • Ekaterina Pavlovna (1788-1819)
  • Olga Pavlovna (1792-1795)
  • Anna Pavlovna (1795-1865)
  • Nicholas I(1796-1855), Russian Emperor
  • Mikhail Pavlovich(1798-1849), Grand Duke.

Military ranks and titles

Colonel of the Life Cuirassier Regiment (July 4) (Russian Imperial Guard) Admiral General (December 20) (Imperial Russian Navy)

After death Catherine 2 her son ascended the throne Pavel 1. During her lifetime, Catherine actually removed Paul from power; their relationship was very cool. In 1794, she tried to deprive him of the right to inherit the throne and transfer power to her grandson. However, the empress could not carry out her intention.

Having become emperor, Paul changed the order that existed at Catherine's court. His policies in all areas were extremely inconsistent. He restored the abolished boards, changed administrative division Russia, having reduced the number of provinces, returned the previous forms of government of the provinces of Russia. Paul deprived the nobility of their privileges, limited the effect of letters of grant, and constrained local self-government. In 1797, he established a standard for peasant labor (three days of corvée per week), this was the first limitation of landowner power. However, during the 4 years of his reign, he distributed more than 600 thousand peasants belonging to the state to the landowners.

In all his activities, Paul 1 allowed extremes and pursued inappropriate policies. He banned the words “club”, “council”, “fatherland”, “citizen”. Banned the waltz and certain items of clothing. He granted amnesty to political prisoners arrested under Catherine 2, but at the same time continued to fight against revolutionary manifestations in society. In 1797-1799 he established the most severe censorship, banning 639 publications. On July 5, 1800, many printing houses were sealed for censorship inspection. Paul interfered in religious affairs, trying to introduce elements of Catholicism into Orthodoxy.

The emperor repealed the law prohibiting the purchase of peasants to work in enterprises. Without any justification, contrary to the meaning, he restored the collegial system, abolished by Catherine II.

Among the innovations introduced by the emperor, the creation of the Medical-Surgical Academy, the Russian-American Company, and a school for military orphans stands out positively.

The Emperor attached great importance to regulations in military relations. The drill in the army acquired unprecedented proportions, which caused discontent in the guard and among senior officers.

In 1798, an anti-French coalition was created, which included England, Austria, Turkey and Russia. The Black Sea squadron under the command of F.F. was sent to the Mediterranean Sea. Ushakova. The Russian fleet liberated the Ionian Islands and Southern Italy from French occupation. In February 1799, a major battle took place for the island of Corfu, where a three-thousand-strong French garrison was defeated. Russian troops entered Naples and Rome.

In 1799, Russia began the land phase of the war. At the insistence of the Allies, command of the troops was entrusted to A.V. Suvorov. In a month and a half of fighting, Russian troops managed to oust the French from Northern Italy. Fearing the growth of Russian influence in Italy, Austria achieved the transfer of Suvorov’s troops to Switzerland. On August 31, 1799, to provide assistance to the troops of General A.M. Rimsky-Korsakov, Suvorov makes a heroic transition from Northern Italy through the Alps to Switzerland. Russian troops defeated the enemy in the battles of St. Gotthard and Devil's Bridge. But help was late, and Rimsky-Korsakov’s troops were defeated.

In 1800, Paul 1 made a sharp turn in foreign policy. He ceases hostilities, recalls troops to Russia and breaks the alliance with England and Austria. Having made peace with France, Paul 1 entered into an alliance with Prussia against Austria and with Prussia, Switzerland and Denmark against England. The aggravation of relations with England caused discontent among the nobility, since England was Russia’s main partner in trade and the purchase of grain.

But palace coup on the night of March 11-12, 1801, interrupted plans for war against England. Paul 1 was killed as a result of this coup, organized by senior guards officers who did not forgive him for the oppression and the will taken away from them.

Potemkin Grigory Alexandrovich born in the village Chizhovo in the Smolensk region (Russia) in a noble family. In 1762, Potemkin G.A., while serving in the guard, participated in a palace coup, as a result of which Catherine II received the Russian throne. Potemkin G.A. - participant in the Russian-Turkish war of 1768-1774. Becoming a favorite of Catherine II in 1774, he gained a decisive influence on state affairs. With his participation, the peasant war led by E. Pugachev was suppressed. In 1775, on the initiative of G.A. Potemkin, the New Sich was liquidated. In 1776 Potemkin G.A. appointed Governor-General of Novorossiysk, Azov and Astrakhan. For the annexation of Crimea to Russia in 1783, he received the title of “Prince of Tauride”. G.A. Potemkin contributed to the development of the Black Sea region. According to the decree of Catherine II addressed to G.A. Potemkin, Kherson was founded on June 18, 1778. For the first time G.A. Potemkin arrived in Kherson in May 1780 with considerable funds for the construction and improvement of the city. He summoned 2,000 craftsmen, carpenters, blacksmiths and masons from Russia for ship and city construction, and transferred 10 infantry regiments from his fourth division to Kherson for the construction of a fortress and settlement in the city. Potemkin G.A. visited Kherson in 1782 and 1783, and from 1786 until the end of his life he visited the city regularly, carefully following its development. Talented engineers and architects from St. Petersburg and Moscow, France, Holland and Germany worked in Kherson. The right of free trade granted to Kherson contributed to the opening of foreign trading offices in the city. During the period of management of G.A. Potemkin settled the region in Novorossiya. New villages, cities, and foreign colonies arose. Kherson, Sevastopol, Nikolaev, Ekaterinoslavl (Dnepropetrovsk) were built under his leadership. G.A. Potemkin carried out a number of measures to reorganize the Russian army and organize the Black Sea Fleet. During the Russian Turkish war 1787-1791 Potemkin G.A. - Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Army. During peace negotiations with Turkey, he fell ill and died on the way from Iasi (Moldova) to Nikolaev. Many plans of Potemkin G.A. regarding Kherson remained unrealized. He was buried by order of Catherine II in the Catherine Cathedral of Kherson, where his remains are kept in a crypt to this day. Two islands on the Dnieper near Kherson are called Potemkin Islands - Big and Small. In the Kherson city park, a monument to the “Prince of Tauride” was erected in his name; one of the city’s schools bears his name.

Petr Aleksandrovich Rumyantsev was one of the outstanding Russian commanders. His successes in the wars with Prussia and Turkey marked the beginning of the glory of Russian weapons in Europe. He gave rise to the future successes of Suvorov and Ushakov.

In August 1756, the Seven Years' War began in Europe. On one side were the participants in the Whitehall Treaty of England and Prussia, on the other side were the participants in the Triple Alliance of Russia, Austria and France. On August 19, 1757, the first battle between the Russian army and Prussian troops took place.

The Russian losses were huge, vanity and confusion began. The outcome of the battle was decided by Rumyantsev, who, without an order from the commander-in-chief, reorganized the infantry under artillery fire and led it through the forest to the enemy’s rear. The Prussian army did not expect such a turn of events, and was swept away by Russian soldiers.

Pyotr Alexandrovich was entrusted with command of the cavalry corps. In a war situation, he had to study new sciences, establish order and discipline, and solve economic problems. He coped well with all the difficulties, and he was awarded the rank of lieutenant general.

In the seven-year war he showed his best side. The cavalry detachment under his leadership fearlessly went on the attack and mercilessly pricked the enemy. For his successes at the front, he was awarded the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky, and received cash gift from the Austrian Archduchess Maria Theresien. And for the capture of the Kolberg fortress in December 1761, he was worthy of the title of general-in-chief.

After the war, by order of Catherine II, he became closely involved in the affairs of the army. He formed new principles of warfare. Made the army more mobile and flexible. On September 25, 1768, the war began with Ottoman Empire. A year after its start, Rumyantsev takes command of the first army to lead fighting in Moldavia and Wallachia.

The governor won his first victory in this company over the enemy in June 1770 over a united army of Turks and Crimean Tatars twice as numerous. A little later, between the Largo and Bibikul rivers, Russian troops discovered the enemy and defeated him. The Turks fled, leaving 33 cannons on the battlefield. On July 21, the Battle of Cahul took place. The Russian army defeated selected detachments of the Turks, who outnumbered them.

The Battle of Cahul greatly changed the course of the war. The Russians practically occupied Turkish fortresses without firing a single shot.

Catherine II notably rewarded the winner. Pyotr Aleksandrovich Rumyantsev now began to be honorably called Transdunaysky. The military leader received the cross and star of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called, a village in Belarus, and a monetary award. He lived another 20 years, but after the war with the Turks, he no longer participated in military campaigns.

Alexander Vasilievich Suvorov (1730 - 1800) – great commander, Prince of Italy, Count of Rymniksky, Generalissimo, Field Marshal General. Recipient of all Russian military orders of that time, as well as many foreign awards.

Early years

The date and place of birth of Alexander Suvorov is not known for certain, but many scientists believe that he was born on November 13 (24), 1730 in Moscow in the family of a general. Got my name in honor Prince Alexander Nevsky. He spent his childhood in the village, on his father’s estate.

The military family left its mark on Suvorov’s fate from childhood. Despite the fact that Alexander was a weak and often ill child, he wanted to become a military man. Suvorov began to study military affairs, strengthened his physical training. In 1742 he went to serve in the Semenovsky regiment, where he spent 6.5 years. At the same time, he studied in the Land Cadet Corps, learned foreign languages, and was engaged in self-education. On future fate Suvorov received great attention from General Abram Hannibal, who was a friend of the Suvorov family and great-grandfather Alexandra Pushkina.

A short biography of Suvorov for children and students of different classes is a small but meaningful and interesting story about his exploits and services to his homeland.

Beginning of a military career

During the Seven Years' War (1756-1763) he was in the military rear (major, prime major), then was transferred to the active army. The first military actions in which Suvorov took part occurred in July 1759 (attacked German dragoons). Then Suvorov held the position of duty officer under the commander-in-chief, in 1762 he received the rank of colonel, and commanded the Astrakhan and Suzdal regiments.

Military campaigns

In 1769 - 1772, during the war with the Bar Confederation, Suvorov commanded brigades of several regiments. In January 1770, Suvorov was awarded the rank of major general. He won several battles against the Poles and received his first award - the Order of St. Anne (1770). And in 1772 he was awarded the most honorable military order of St. George, third degree. The Polish campaign ended in victory for the Russians, largely thanks to the actions of Suvorov.

During the Russian-Turkish War, he decided to capture the garrison, for which he was convicted and later pardoned by Catherine II. Then Suvorov defended Girsovo and took part in the battle of Kozludzha. After this, in the biography of Alexander Suvorov, a hunt for Emelyan Pugachev, whose uprising had already been suppressed by that time.

In September 1786 he received the rank of general-in-chief. During the second Russian-Turkish War (1787-1792), commander Suvorov took part in the Battle of Kinbur, the Battle of Foksha, Izmail, and the Battle of Rymnik. During the Polish uprising of 1794, Suvorov's troops stormed Prague. Under Paul I, the commander took part in the Italian campaign in 1799, then in the Swiss campaign.

In January 1800, Suvorov, by order of Paul I, returned to Russia with his army. On the way home, he fell ill, and on May 6 (18), 1800, Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov died in St. Petersburg. The great commander was buried in the Annunciation Church of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra.

Fedor Fedorovich Ushakov born into a noble family. The family did not live richly. At the age of 16, Fyodor Ushakov entered the Marine Corps in St. Petersburg. At this time, Catherine II sat on the Russian throne. Russia was preparing for war with Turkey, so the country needed to create a powerful fleet in the Azov and Black Seas.

The construction of the fleet was entrusted to Vice Admiral Senyavin, who early spring In 1769 he began to create a naval base in Taganrog. Ushakov arrived at Senyavin’s location among the seconded officers.

In the spring of 1773, the Russian fleet began to dominate the Sea of ​​Azov. After the final defeat of the Turks in the Sea of ​​Azov, the fighting moved to the Black Sea. The fleet dealt sensitive blows to the Turks, and the position of the Russian army in the war with the Turks improved significantly.

After four years of war, Ushakov began to command the messenger bot “Courier”. He subsequently became the commander of a large 16-gun ship. In the final part of the Russian-Turkish war, he participated in the defense of the Russian military base on the Crimean coast - Balakva.

In the second Russian-Turkish war, during a major battle on the Black Sea in 1788, he showed himself brilliantly as the head of the avant-garde. The Battle of Fidonisia ended with the defeat of the Turkish fleet. Many famous military leaders highly praised Fedor Fedorovich.

A year later he became a rear admiral, and in 1790 he became commander of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Empire. The Turks launched large-scale military operations and planned to land a large troop landing in the Crimea. These plans, thanks to the skillful actions of the fleet under the leadership of Fyodor Ushakov, were not destined to come true.

On July 8, 1790, the Battle of Kerch took place, where the Russian fleet won and secured Crimea from the Turkish landing. In August 1791, a major naval battle took place off Cape Kaliaria. The Russian fleet was outnumbered, but thanks to the effect of surprise, Ushakov managed to put the Turks to flight.

In 1793 Fyodor Ushakov received another military rank Vice Admiral. In 1798, he successfully led the Mediterranean campaign. He was faced with a difficult task: the liberation of the Ionian Islands from the French. The voivode brilliantly coped with this task in short terms, capturing the desired islands. In 1799 he returned to his homeland. A year later he left for Sevastopol, and a little later became commander of the Baltic Rowing Fleet. In 1807 he resigned. Died in 1817.

Fedor Fedorovich was a contemporary of Suvorov. Ushakov is a fearless, courageous, talented Russian naval commander who laid down his life for the glory of Russian weapons. He is the pride and glory of the Russian fleet and army. Fedor Ushakov was directly involved in the construction of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. He is one of the creators of Russia's success in the fight against Turkey. Under his command, the Russian fleet first entered the Mediterranean Sea, where it conducted a number of successful operations with Russia's allies.

Novikov Nikolay Ivanovich(1744 - 1818). Coming from a family of minor nobles, Novikov studies at Moscow University and then joins the Izmailovsky Guards Regiment, which takes part in the coup. 1762 . In 1767, he worked under the Commission for the preparation of a new Code. Having received the rank of lieutenant, he goes to the first Russian-Turkish war, but soon after the outbreak of hostilities he resigns and decides to devote himself entirely to literary and journalistic work. In 1769, he began publishing the magazine Drone, in which he criticized high society, court life with its passion for everything French and castigated serfdom. The magazine is soon banned, but Novikov does not despair and 1772 publishes a new magazine "Painter", which suffers the same fate; two years later the same thing is repeated with the magazine "Wallet". Then Novikov began publishing a series of his works on history and various fields of knowledge. With approval Catherine II , which gave him access to the archives, he publishes ancient chronicles in his “Ancient Russian Vivliofika”. He is responsible for the compilation of the "Experience of a dictionary about Russian writers." He joined the first purely Russian Masonic lodge immediately after its founding in 1781. Thanks to his Masonic connections, he first rents a printing house Moscow University, and in 1784 creates a "Printing Company" in Moscow. In addition, he founded a pedagogical seminary at the university, training teachers and existing at the expense of Masonic lodges. With the beginning of the politics of reaction, he was arrested in 1792 and imprisoned in the Shlisselburg fortress. Released by Paul 1 in 1796, but broken by the dungeons, he withdraws from public life and plunges into mystical meditations of the Rosicrucian type. He dies in 1818.

Alexander Nikolaevich Radishchev(1749 - 1802) - writer, poet, philosopher.

At the beginning of his biography, Radishchev lived in Nemtsov, after which he moved to the village of Verkhnee Ablyazovo. Since childhood, the conversations of the serfs revived in him hatred for the landowners and pity for the people. He received his first education at home: he was raised by servants and studied from the psalter.

Then he moved to Moscow, where he settled with Armagakov, who served as director of Moscow University. It was then that the foundations of the philosophy of enlightenment were learned in Radishchev’s life. Alexander studied at the gymnasium and went to the St. Petersburg Page Corps. After 4 years of study there he headed to Leipzig.

In 1771, in the biography of Alexander Radishchev, there was a return to St. Petersburg. Having received the title of adviser, he began to serve in the Senate. In 1789, Radishchev's first work was published. Having opened a printing house, the writer published “Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow.” For Radishchev, the creativity of that period was a way to condemn the serfdom system of the state. Undoubtedly, this caused a protest from the empress, so the writer was soon arrested.

Afterwards, the death penalty was replaced by exile to Siberia for 10 years. Radishchev’s stories are even written there. However, Emperor Paul I returned the writer from exile, and Alexander I granted him complete freedom.

Then, in Radishchev’s biography, he received the position of member of the commission for drafting laws. In September 1802 he committed suicide.

The writer has completed several translations of books. Radishchev’s ode “Liberty” was written in 1783, the work “The Life of F.V. Ushakov” - in 1788. The Radishchev Museum is located in Saratov.

Alexander 1 king, ruled Russia from 1801 to 1825, grandson of Catherine 2 and son of Paul 1 and Princess Maria Feodorovna, born December 23, 1777. Catherine 2 had a serious influence on the personality of Alexander 1. In an effort to raise a good sovereign, she insisted that the boy live with her. However future emperor Alexander 1, after the death of Catherine and the accession to the throne of Paul, entered into a conspiracy against his own father, because he was not happy with the new rule. Paul was killed on March 11, 1801. As they say, despite the son’s protests. Initially, it was planned that the internal policy of Alexander 1 and foreign policy would develop in accordance with the course outlined by Catherine 2. In the summer of June 24, 1801, a secret committee was created under Alexander 1. It included associates of the young emperor. In fact, the council was the highest (unofficial) advisory body of Russia.

The beginning of the reign of the new emperor was marked by the liberal reforms of Alexander 1. The young ruler tried to give the country a constitution and change the political system of the country. However, he had many opponents. This led to the creation of the Permanent Committee on April 5, 1803, whose members had the right to challenge the royal decrees. But, nevertheless, some of the peasants were freed. The decree “On free cultivators” was issued on February 20, 1803.

Serious importance was also attached to training. The educational reform of Alexander 1 actually led to the creation of a state education system. It was headed by the Ministry of Public Education. Also, the State Council was formed under Alexander 1, which was opened with great solemnity on January 1, 1810.

Further, during the public administration reform of Alexander 1, the collegiums that actually ceased to function (established in the era of Peter 1) were replaced by ministries. A total of 8 ministries were established: internal affairs, finance, military and ground forces, naval forces, commerce, public education, foreign affairs, and justice. The ministers who governed them were subordinate to the Senate. The ministerial reform of Alexander 1 was completed by the summer of 1811.

Speransky M.M. had a serious influence on the course of further reforms. He was entrusted with the development of government reform. According to the project of this outstanding figure the country should have created constitutional monarchy. The power of the sovereign was planned to be limited by parliament (or a body of a similar type), consisting of 2 chambers. However, due to the fact that the foreign policy of Alexander 1 was quite complex, and tensions in relations with France were constantly increasing, the reform plan proposed by Speransky was perceived as anti-state. Speransky himself received his resignation in March 1812.

1812 became the most difficult year for Russia. But the victory over Bonaparte significantly increased the authority of the emperor. It is worth noting that under Alexander 1 they slowly, but still tried to resolve the peasant issue. It was planned to gradually eliminate serfdom in the country. By the end of 1820, the draft “State Charter of the Russian Empire” had been prepared. The Emperor approved it. But the commissioning of the project was impossible due to many factors.

In domestic politics, it is worth noting such features as military settlements under Alexander 1. They are better known under the name “Arakcheevsky”. Arakcheev’s settlements caused discontent among almost the entire population of the country. Also, a ban was introduced on any secret societies. It began operating in 1822. The liberal rule that Alexander 1 dreamed of short biography which simply cannot contain all the facts, turned into harsh police measures of the post-war period.

The death of Alexander 1 occurred on December 1, 1825. Its cause was typhoid fever. Emperor Alexander 1 left his descendants a rich and controversial legacy. This is the beginning of resolving the issue of serfdom, and Arakcheevism, and the greatest victory over Napoleon. These are the results of the reign of Alexander 1.

Mikhail Mikhailovich Speransky(1772-1839) – Russian political and public figure, author of numerous theoretical works on jurisprudence and law, lawmaker and reformer. He worked during the reign of Alexander 1 and Nicholas 1, was a member of the Imperial Academy of Sciences and was the educator of the heir to the throne, Alexander Nikolaevich. The name of Speransky is associated with major transformations in Russian Empire and the idea of ​​the first constitution.

Pavel I Petrovich (October 1, 1754-March 23, 1801) - Emperor of Russia (1796-1801) from the Romanov dynasty, son of Catherine II and Peter III.

Early years

Pavel Petrovich did not receive any serious education, which was led by Nikita Ivanovich Panin, who had a decisive influence on the formation of the character and views of the future emperor. From childhood, distinguished by poor health and more than limited abilities, he grew up extremely nervous, impressionable and excessively hot-tempered, suspicious of the people around him. He was hated by his mother, Empress Catherine II, as a child from her unloved husband, Peter III. Removed by her from interfering in the resolution of any state affairs, he, in turn, irrevocably condemned her entire way of life and did not accept the policies that she pursued. Pavel believed that this policy was based on love of fame and pretense; he dreamed of introducing strictly legal governance in Russia under the auspices of the autocracy, limiting the rights of the nobility, and introducing the strictest, Prussian-style, discipline in the army. In the 1780s he became interested in Freemasonry.

Pavel was married twice. In 1773, not even 20 years old, he married the Hesse-Darmstadt princess Wilhelmina (in Orthodoxy - Natalya Alekseevna), but three years later she died from childbirth, and in the same 1776 Paul married a second time, to the Württemberg princess Sophia-Dorothea (in Orthodoxy - Maria Feodorovna).

The ever-increasing relationship between Paul and his mother, whom he suspected of complicity in the murder of his father, Peter III, led to the fact that Catherine II gave her son the Gatchina estate in 1783 (that is, she “removed” him from the capital). Here Pavel introduced customs that were sharply different from those in St. Petersburg. But in the absence of any other concerns, he concentrated all his efforts on creating the “Gatchina army”: several battalions placed under his command. Officers in full uniform, wigs, the tightest uniforms, impeccable order, punishment with sticks or spitzrutens for the slightest omissions and no civilian habits - such was Pavlov’s Gatchina.

In 1794, the empress decided to remove her son from the throne and hand him over to her eldest grandson Alexander Pavlovich, but did not meet with sympathy from the highest state dignitaries. The death of Catherine II on November 6, 1796 opened the way for Paul to the throne.

Domestic policy

He began his reign by breaking all the orders of his mother's rule. He canceled Peter's decree on the appointment by the emperor himself of his successor to the throne. The decree on the “three-day corvee” prohibited landowners from performing corvée on Sundays and more than three days a week. The law was never put into practice, but caused the indignation of landowner Russia. Not knowing the true state of the Russian estates, Paul considered that the position of the landowner serfs was better than the fate of the state-owned peasants, and distributed 600 thousand souls of state-owned peasants into private ownership, which aroused hatred on their part.

He significantly narrowed the rights of the noble class compared to those granted by Catherine II, and the rules established in Gatchina were transferred to the entire Russian army. The most severe discipline, unpredictability and arbitrariness of the imperial whims led to massive dismissals of nobles from the army, especially the officers of the guard (out of 182 officers of the Horse Guards regiment in 1786, only two remained by 1801).

During the reign of Paul I, Gatchina natives, sycophants and careerists, rose to prominence - Arakcheev, Kutaisov, Obolyaninov.

Discontent in all layers of society was growing. Without feeling or understanding this, Paul I banned the travel of young people abroad to study, the import of books, even sheet music, was closed from abroad, and private printing houses were closed. It got to the point that the time was set when the fires in houses were supposed to be turned off. The words “citizen”, “fatherland”, etc. were removed from the Russian language.

Paul's suspicion and mistrust reached its climax, he did not even trust his family members and was going to transfer the throne to Maria Feodorovna's nephew, Prince Eugene of Württemberg, eliminating the heir - his son Alexander.

It should be noted that, in general, the short reign of Paul I, his politics and personality are assessed by some historians in a completely different way. For example, Nathan Eidelman considers Pavel an intelligent, consistent and progressive politician who was not understood by his time. Most modern historians do not share this point of view.

Foreign policy

It was characterized by unsystematicity and arbitrariness. Russia changed allies in Europe like gloves. Shortly before his death, Paul sent the Don army on a campaign against India - 22,507 people without convoys, supplies or any strategic plan. The campaign was canceled immediately after the death of Paul.

Conspiracy and death

Paul I was strangled in his own bedroom on March 11, 1801 in the Mikhailovsky Castle. The conspiracy was attended by Agramakov, N.P. Panin, Vice-Chancellor, L.L. Beningsen, commander of the Izyuminsky Light Horse Regiment P.A. Zubov (Catherine’s Favorite), Palen, Governor General of St. Petersburg, commanders of the Guards regiments: Semenovsky - N. I. Depreradovich, Kavalergardsky - F.V. Uvarov, Preobrazhensky - P.A. Talyzin.).

Initially, the overthrow of Paul and the accession of an English regent were planned. Perhaps V.P. Meshchersky, the former chief of the St. Petersburg regiment stationed in Smolensk, wrote a denunciation to the Tsar, perhaps - Prosecutor General P.Kh. Obolyaninov. In any case, the conspiracy was discovered, Lindener and Arakcheev were summoned, but this only accelerated the execution of the conspiracy and signed Pavel’s death warrant. According to one version, he was killed by Nikolai Zubov (Suvorov’s son-in-law, Platon Zubov’s older brother), who hit him in the temple with a massive gold snuffbox. According to another version, Paul was strangled with a scarf or crushed by a group of conspirators who, leaning on the emperor and each other, did not know exactly what was happening. Mistaking one of the killers for the son of Konstantin, he shouted: “Your Highness, are you here too? Have mercy! Air, Air!.. What have I done wrong to you?” These were his last words.

The question of whether Alexander Pavlovich knew and gave sanction to the palace coup and the murder of his father remained unclear for a long time. According to the memoirs of Prince A. Czartoryski, the idea of ​​a conspiracy arose almost in the first days of Paul’s reign, but the coup became possible only after it became known about the consent of Alexander, who signed the corresponding secret manifesto, in which he recognized the need for a coup and pledged not to persecute conspirators after accession to the throne. One of the organizers of the conspiracy, Count Palen, wrote in his memoirs: “Grand Duke Alexander did not agree to anything without first demanding an oath from me that they would not attempt to kill his father; I gave him my word: I was not so devoid of sense as to internally undertake an obligation to fulfill an impossible thing, but it was necessary to calm the scrupulosity of my future sovereign, and I encouraged his intentions, although I was convinced that they would not be fulfilled.”

Most likely, Alexander himself, like Count Palen, understood perfectly well that without murder, a palace coup would be impossible, since Paul I would not voluntarily abdicate the throne, and leaving him alive - even in prison - would mean causing a revolt of the troops trained by Paul. Thus, by signing the manifesto, Alexander thereby signed his father’s death sentence.

Emperor Paul I and his sons

Paul I had four sons - Alexander, Konstantin, Nikolai and Mikhail. Two of them became emperors - Alexander I and Nicholas I. Constantine is interesting to us because he abandoned the throne for the sake of love. Mikhail did not stand out in any way. In this chapter we will talk about Paul himself, when he was the Grand Duke, and about his two sons - Alexander and Constantine. A separate chapter will be devoted to Nicholas and his numerous offspring.

From the book Newest book facts. Volume 3 [Physics, chemistry and technology. History and archaeology. Miscellaneous] author Kondrashov Anatoly Pavlovich

From the book Emperors. Psychological portraits author Chulkov Georgy Ivanovich

Emperor Paul

From the book History of Russia in stories for children author Ishimova Alexandra Osipovna

Emperor Paul I from 1796 to 1797 The reign of Emperor Pavel Petrovich was distinguished by extraordinary activity. From the first days of his accession to the throne, he worked tirelessly state affairs, and many new laws and regulations in a short time

From the book History of Russia. XVII–XVIII centuries. 7th grade author

From the book History of Russia [ Tutorial] author Team of authors

5.4. Emperor Paul I Paul I was born on September 20, 1754. In 1780, Empress Catherine the Great arranged for her son and his wife Maria Feodorovna to travel around Europe under the name of the Counts of the North. Acquaintance with the Western way of life did not affect the Grand Duke, and he

From the book History of Russia. XVII-XVIII centuries. 7th grade author Kiselev Alexander Fedotovich

§ 32. EMPEROR PAUL I Domestic policy. The son of Peter III and Catherine II, Paul I, was born in 1754. Empress Elizaveta Petrovna took him from his mother early and placed him in the care of nannies. Pavel's main teacher was N.I. Panin. Pavel was taught history, geography, mathematics,

From the book History of Russia in the 18th-19th centuries author Milov Leonid Vasilievich

Chapter 15. Emperor Paul I

From the book Textbook of Russian History author Platonov Sergey Fedorovich

§ 138. Emperor Pavel before ascending the throne Emperor Pavel Petrovich was born in 1754. The first years of his life were unusual in that he hardly knew his parents. Empress Elizabeth took him away from Catherine and raised him herself. About six years old he was transferred

From the book Great Caesars author Petryakov Alexander Mikhailovich

Chapter XIII. The Emperor is dead, long live the Emperor! Tacitus, in the first book of the Annals, wrote: “So, the foundations of the state order have undergone a profound change, and nothing remains of social institutions anywhere. Forgetting about the recent universal equality, everyone

From the book A Crowd of Heroes of the 18th Century author Anisimov Evgeniy Viktorovich

Emperor Paul I: the fate of the Russian Hamlet During a visit to Vienna by the heir to the Russian throne, Tsarevich Pavel Petrovich, in 1781, it was decided to stage a ceremonial performance in honor of the Russian prince. Shakespeare's Hamlet was chosen, but the actor refused to play

From the book Unified Textbook of Russian History from Ancient Times to 1917. With a foreword by Nikolai Starikov author Platonov Sergey Fedorovich

Emperor Pavel Petrovich (1796–1801) § 138. Emperor Pavel before ascending the throne. Emperor Pavel Petrovich was born in 1754. The first years of his life were unusual in that he was distant from his parents. Empress Elizabeth took him away from Catherine and

From the book Psychiatric Sketches from History. Volume 1 author Kovalevsky Pavel Ivanovich

EMPEROR PAUL I The opinions of contemporaries about Emperor Paul are extremely opposite. This discrepancy concerns not only him political activity, but also mental activity and is determined by Paul’s personal relationships with these individuals and vice versa. Depending on this and

From the book of Paul I without retouching author Biographies and memoirs Team of authors --

Part II Emperor Paul I The Death of Catherine II From the memoirs of Count Fyodor Vasilyevich Rostopgin: ... she [Catherine II] did not leave the wardrobe for more than half an hour, and the valet Tyulpin, imagining that she had gone for a walk to the Hermitage, told Zotov about this, but this one, looking in the closet,

From the book Alphabetical reference list of Russian sovereigns and the most remarkable persons of their blood author Khmyrov Mikhail Dmitrievich

157. PAUL I PETROVICH, emperor son of Emperor Peter III Fedorovich, before the adoption of Orthodoxy by Karl-Peter-Ulrich, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp (see 160), from marriage with Grand Duchess Ekaterina Alekseevna, before the adoption of Orthodoxy by Sophia-Augusta-Fryderike, princess

From the book All the Rulers of Russia author Vostryshev Mikhail Ivanovich

EMPEROR PAUL I PETROVICH (1754–1801) Son of Emperor Peter III and Empress Catherine II. Born on September 20, 1754 in St. Petersburg. Pavel’s childhood passed in unusual conditions, which left a sharp imprint on his character. Immediately after birth the child was taken

From the book Family Tragedies of the Romanovs. Difficult choice author Sukina Lyudmila Borisovna

Emperor Pavel I Petrovich (09/20/1754-03/11/1801) Years of reign - 1796-1801 Pavel Petrovich was born on September 20, 1754. He was a legitimate scion of the imperial family, and it would seem that everything in his fate was predetermined. But Paul’s great-grandfather, Peter the Great, issued a decree on the transfer

Pavel 1

Pavel Petrovich was born on September 20, 1754 in the city of St. Petersburg, in the Summer Palace. Subsequently, on the orders of Paul, this palace was demolished, and Mikhailovsky Castle was erected in that place. At the birth of Paul 1, Paul's father, Prince Pyotr Fedorovich, the Shuvalov brothers and Empress Elizaveta Petrovna were present. After the birth of Pavel, his mother and father, in fact, due to political struggle, almost did not take part in raising their child. In his childhood, Pavel was deprived of the love of his relatives, since, by order of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, he was separated from his parents and surrounded by a large number of nannies and educators. Despite the external resemblance between Pavel and his father, rumors constantly spread at court that the child was born from a union with one of his favorites, Sergei Saltykov. These rumors were aggravated by the fact that Pavel was born after 10 years of marriage between Catherine and Peter, when many already considered their marriage barren.

Childhood and upbringing of Pavel 1

One of the first people involved in raising Pavel was the famous diplomat F.D. Bekhteev, obsessed with compliance with various regulations, orders, military discipline bordering on drill. Bakhteev even published a newspaper in which he reported on all the actions of the boy Pavel. In 1760, grandmother Elizaveta Petrovna changed her mentor, creating new regulations that indicated the main parameters for training the future emperor; N.I. became his new mentor. Panin. The new teacher reached the age of 42, had extensive knowledge, introducing additional subjects when teaching Pavel. A significant role in Paul’s upbringing was played by his entourage, among whom were the most educated people of that time, among whom it is worth highlighting G. Teplov and Prince A. Kurakin. Among Pavel's mentors was S.A. Poroshin, who from 1764 to 1765 kept a diary, which later became a source for studying the personality of Paul 1. To raise Paul, his mother Catherine acquired a large library in Corf. Pavel studied subjects such as arithmetic, history, geography, the Law of God, fencing, drawing, astronomy, dancing, as well as French, Italian, German, Latin and Russian. In addition to the main training program, Pavel became interested in studying military affairs. During his studies, Pavel showed good abilities, was distinguished by a developed imagination, loved books and at the same time was impatient and restless. Loved French and German, mathematics, military exercises and dancing. At that time Paul received better education, which others could only dream of.

In 1773, Pavel married Wilhelmine of Hesse of Darmstadt, who later cheated on him with Count Razumovsky, dying 2.5 years later during childbirth. In the same year, Paul 1 found himself a new wife, who became Sophia Dorothea of ​​Württemberg, who later received the name after accepting Orthodoxy. Traditionally, at that time, the final stage of training was a trip abroad, on which Paul and his new wife went in 1782 under the names of the fictitious Count and Countess of the North. During the journey, Paul visited Italy and France; his journey abroad lasted 428 days, during which the future emperor covered 13,115 miles of travel.

Relationship between Catherine 2 and Paul 1

Immediately after his birth, Pavel was removed from his mother; subsequently, Catherine saw her son very rarely and only with the permission of her mother Elizabeth. When Pavel was 8 years old, his mother, with the support of the guard, carried out a coup, during which Pavel’s father died under unclear circumstances. When Catherine 2 ascended the throne, the troops swore an oath not only to her, but also to her son Paul. But Catherine did not intend to transfer full power to him in the future, after her son reached adulthood, using him only as a possible heir to the throne after her death. During the uprising, the name of Paul was used by the rebels; Pugachev himself said that after the overthrow of Catherine’s power, he did not want to reign and was only working in favor of Tsarevich Paul. Despite this upbringing as the heir to the throne, the older Paul became, the further he was kept from government affairs. Subsequently, mother Empress Catherine II and son Pavel became strangers to each other. For Catherine, her son Pavel was an unloved child, born to please politics and the interests of the state, which irritated Catherine, who contributed to the spread of rumors that Pavel was not her own child, but was replaced in his youth on the orders of his mother Elizabeth. When Paul came of age, Catherine deliberately did nothing to mark the onset of this event. Subsequently, people close to Paul fell out of favor with the empress; relations between mother and son worsened in 1783. Then for the first time invited to the discussion government issues Paul showed the opposite point of view to the empress in resolving important matters of the state. Subsequently, before the death of Catherine 2, she prepared a manifesto, according to which Paul was expected to be arrested, and his son Alexander was to ascend the throne. But this manifesto of the empress after her death was destroyed by secretary A.A. Bezborodko, thanks to which, under the new Emperor Paul 1, he received the highest rank of chancellor.

Reign of Paul 1

On November 6, 1796, having reached the age of 42, Paul 1 ascended the throne, after which he began to actively destroy the order established by his mother. On the day of his coronation, Paul passed a new law according to which women were deprived of the right to inheritance Russian throne. Subsequently, the reforms carried out by Emperor Paul 1 greatly weakened the position of the nobility, among which it is worth noting the introduction of corporal punishment for committing crimes, an increase in taxes, limited the power of the nobles, and introduced liability for the evasion of nobles from military service. The reforms carried out during the reign of Paul 1 improved the situation of the peasants. Among the innovations, it is worth noting that the abolition of corvee on holidays and weekends and no more than three days a week, the grain offense was abolished, preferential sales of salt and bread began, a ban was introduced on the sale of peasants without land and the division of peasant families when they were sold. Administrative reform, carried out by Pavel, restored the boards previously simplified by Catherine, the department of water communications was created, the state treasury was created and the position of state treasurer was introduced. But the main part of the reforms carried out by Emperor Paul 1 affected the army. During the reforms, new military regulations were adopted, limiting the service life of recruits to 25 years. A new uniform was introduced, among which it is worth noting the introduction of the overcoat, which later saved thousands of soldiers from the cold of the War of 1812; for the first time in Europe, badges were introduced for privates. The widespread construction of new barracks began, new units such as engineering, courier, and cartographic units appeared in the army. Enormous influence was given to the drill of the army; for the slightest offense, officers were expected to be demoted, which made the situation among the officers nervous.

Assassination of Emperor Paul 1

The murder of Pavel occurred on the night of March 11-12 in 1801; 12 guards officers took part in the conspiracy. Having burst into the emperor's bedroom, during the conflict that arose, Emperor Paul 1 was beaten and strangled. The masterminds of the assassination attempt were N. Panin and P. Palen (they were not directly involved in the murder). The reason for the rebels' discontent was the unpredictable, especially in relation to the nobility and army officers. The official cause of Pavel's death was apoplexy. Subsequently, almost all evidence incriminating the conspirators was destroyed.

The results of Paul's reign are perceived ambiguously; on the one hand, it is a petty and absurd regulation of everything, an infringement of the rights of the nobility, which strengthened his reputation as a tyrant and tyrant. On the other hand, there is a heightened sense of justice of Paul, and rejection of the era of the hypocritical reign of his mother Catherine, as well as innovative ideas and isolated positive aspects of the reforms he carried out in the empire.