Who was the last favorite of Catherine 2. List of all the men of Catherine II the Great
The intimate life of Catherine the Great has long been the subject of discussion and controversy. This section lists officially confirmed men, some of whom had the official status of favorite, while others were listed only as lovers (which, however, did not prevent them from receiving generous gifts and titles from the empress).
Confirmed and official relationships:
1. Romanov Petr III Fedorovich
Status: husband
Add. information: the children of Peter III - Pavel and Anna, were presumably the children of two lovers of Catherine II. Pavel Petrovich, according to the most popular theory, is the son of Sergei Saltykov, Anna Petrovna is the daughter of Stanislav Poniatovsky, who later became the Polish king. The Empress accused her husband of the lack of a normal intimate life and justified her novels by his lack of interest in her person.
2. Saltykov Sergey Vasilievich
Status: Lover
Start of relationship: spring 1752
End of relationship: October 1754 - already a few months before the birth of Paul I, he was no longer allowed to see the Empress; after his birth, he was sent as ambassador to Sweden.
Add. information: according to one version, he is the real father of Paul I. He was recommended to Catherine II by Bestuzhev, during the period of final disappointment with Empress Elizabeth in Peter III.
3. Stanislav August Poniatowski
Status: Lover
Start of relationship: 1756, came to Russia as part of the retinue of the English ambassador
End of relationship: when in 1758 Bestuzhev fell into disgrace as a result of an unsuccessful intrigue - Poniatowski was forced to leave the Russian Empire
Add. information: probable father of Anna Petrovna, which was indirectly confirmed by Peter III himself. Subsequently, thanks to the patronage of Catherine the Great, he became the Polish king and contributed to the division of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
4. Orlov Grigory Grigorievich
Status: Lover before 1762, 1762-1772 – official favorite
Start of relationship: 1760
End of relationship: in 1772 he went to negotiate with the Ottoman Empire, during this period Catherine II lost interest in the relationship and turned her attention to Alexander Vasilchakov.
Add. information: one of the empress's longest-lasting novels. In 1762, Catherine the Great even planned a wedding with Orlov, but her entourage considered such an idea too adventurous and was able to dissuade her. From Orlov, the Empress in 1762 gave birth to an illegitimate son, Alexei Grigorievich Bobrinsky. He took direct part in the coup of 1762. One of the empress's most intimate people.
5. Vasilchikov Alexander Semenovich
Status: official favorite
Start of relationship: in 1772 he attracted the attention of Catherine II while Count Orlov was away.
End of relationship: after the start of the empress's relationship with Potemkin in 1774, he was sent to Moscow.
Add. information: was 17 years younger than Catherine, could not be a serious opponent to Potemkin in the struggle for attention.
6. Potemkin-Tavrichesky Grigory Alexandrovich
Status: official favorite
Start of relationship: in 1774.
End of relationship: during his vacation in 1776, the empress turned her attention to Zavadovsky.
Add. information: secretly married to Catherine since 1775. One of the most famous favorites of the empress, having influence on her even after the end of intimacy. Presumably, his daughter, Tyomkina Elizaveta Grigorievna, was born by Catherine.
7. Zavadovsky Petr Vasilievich
Status: official favorite
Start of relationship: in 1776.
End of relationship: in May 1777 he was displaced by Potemkin’s intrigues and sent on vacation.
Add. information: a capable administrative figure who loved the empress too much. Only Zavadovsky was allowed by Catherine to continue his political career after the end of the relationship.
8. Zorich Semyon Gavrilovich
Status: official favorite
Start of relationship: in 1777 he appeared as Potemkin's adjutant, and then became commander of the empress's personal guard.
End of relationship: sent away from St. Petersburg in 1778 after a quarrel with Potemkin
Add. information: a hussar who had no education, but enjoyed the attention of Catherine, who was 14 years older than him.
9. Rimsky-Korsakov Ivan Nikolaevich
Status: official favorite
Start of relationship: in 1778 he was selected by Potemkin, who was looking for a more accommodating and less gifted favorite to replace Zorich.
End of relationship: in 1779 he was caught by the empress in a relationship with Countess Bruce and lost favor.
Add. information: was 25 years younger than Catherine. After the Countess, Bruce became interested in Stroganova and was sent from St. Petersburg to Moscow.
10. Lanskoy Alexander Dmitrievich
Status: official favorite
Start of relationship: in the spring of 1780 he attracted attention on the recommendation of Potemkin.
End of relationship: in 1784 he died of a fever. Different versions suggest poisoning or abuse of an aphrodisiac.
Add. information: did not interfere in political intrigues, preferring to devote time to studying languages and philosophy. A close intimate relationship with the empress is confirmed by descriptions of her “broken feelings” in connection with the death of Lansky. 29 years younger than the Empress.
11. Ermolov Alexander Petrovich
Status: official favorite
Start of relationship: 1785, February. The officer, Potemkin's adjutant, was introduced by him. Potemkin specially organized a holiday to introduce Yermolov to the empress. Only 9 months after the death of Lansky, whose loss hit her hard, did Catherine resume her personal life.
End of relationship: 1786, June 28. He decided to act against Potemkin, in addition, the empress also lost interest in him. He was expelled from St. Petersburg - he was “allowed to go abroad for three years.”
Add. Information: Ermolov was tall and slender, blond, gloomy, taciturn, honest and too simple.
12. Dmitriev-Mamonov Alexander Matveevich
Status: official favorite
Start of relationship: introduced by Potemkin to replace Ermolov in 1786
End of relationship: 1789 fell in love with the Empress's maid of honor
Add. information: Wasn't interested in political influence. Despite the opportunity, he was blessed by Catherine for marriage, presented with gifts and sent away from the capital. 28 year old at the start of the relationship. He was distinguished by his tall stature and intelligence. He wrote poetry and plays.
13. Zubov Platon Alexandrovich
Status: official favorite
Start of relationship: promoted in 1789 under the patronage of Prince Saltykov.
End of relationship: in 1796 the empress died.
Add. information: The age difference with Catherine II is 38 years. Seriously displaced Count Potemkin in influence. Subsequently he participated in a conspiracy against Paul I and his murder.
Plan
Introduction
1 Characteristics
2 Chronological lists
2.1 Husbands, lovers and favorites
2.2 Children
3 In books, films and propaganda
4 See also
5 Bibliography
References
Introduction
The list of Catherine II's men includes men who figured in the intimate life of Empress Catherine the Great (1729-1796), including her spouses (legal and possibly morganatic; highlighted in purple in the table), official favorites and lovers.
Catherine enjoys notoriety because of her connections with numerous lovers, however, the number of names actually known from the memoirs of contemporaries reaches only 23 (according to the list of Catherine scholar P. I. Bartenev with additions by Ya. L. Barskov; there are discrepancies). Only 10 of them officially held the post of favorite with all its privileges and responsibilities, and therefore information about the others is quite vague, in particular, it is not always clear to what stage their relationship with the empress reached and how long it lasted, and for several it is not known exact surnames (highlighted in green in the table).
The most famous of her favorites were Grigory Orlov, Grigory Potemkin and Platon Zubov. After the death of her husband Peter III in 1762, she planned a marriage with Orlov, but on the advice of those close to her, she abandoned this idea, and with Potemkin, most likely, Catherine was secretly married in 1775 (see The wedding of Catherine II and Potemkin) - with these two She had the strongest feelings with men, as well as with the early deceased Alexander Lansky. Catherine bore three or four children, and two or three more are attributed to her (see separate table).
1. Characteristics
In 1778, the Frenchman Corberon reported to his government that “in Russia, from time to time, a kind of interregnum in affairs is noticed, which coincides with the displacement of one favorite and the emergence of a new one. This event outshines all others. It concentrates all interests on itself and directs them in one direction; even the ministers, to whom this general mood responds, suspend affairs until the final choice of a temporary worker brings everyone back to normal and gives the government machine its normal course.”
Usually (with the exception of a short period in 1778-1780, when she was nearing fifty, and she changed several lovers in a short period of time), Catherine spent several years with her favorites, usually parting with them due to incompatibility of characters, poor education of her favorites, their betrayals or unworthy behavior (problems for the favorites arose due to the large age difference with the empress, her strict daily routine and control over their schedule, and the need to show respect to Potemkin). Catherine’s surviving correspondence with her lovers reveals “her unbridled sensuality,” but “as far as we know, she never entered into a relationship without love. There is no evidence that she ever approached a man without believing that she was entering into a long-term, serious relationship.” There were probably “transitional occasions” and “one-night stands” in search of a suitable companion, but they were inevitably rare, since it was practically impossible to bring someone in and out of the palace without bypassing the numerous servants, guards and courtiers who invariably noticed and commented any actions of the empress (information about a potential future favorite was valuable - letters from foreign diplomats to their homeland indicate that they carefully collected rumors of this kind).
Catherine's relationship with her favorites was the warmest; she actually fell passionately in love with each of them, surrounding each with care and attention. The romance usually began "with a flash of her maternal love, German sentimentality and admiration for the beauty of her new lover." She admired her current favorite when communicating with others, and when the need arose to part with him, she became depressed and sometimes abandoned her work for several weeks. None of the lovers who lost her favor, even those who cheated on her, were subjected to serious disgrace; they were usually sent from the capital with large gifts to the granted estates. Contemporaries and historians (especially Soviet ones) calculated the amounts that Catherine spent on gifts to her lovers during the period of favor, and named colossal figures.
Potemkin shortly before his death, April 1791
Almost all of her favorites after Potemkin were introduced to Catherine personally by him (except for Zubov) and defended his interests. Apparently, after the crisis caused by the appearance of Zavadovsky’s next favorite after Potemkin, an “unspoken agreement” was concluded between Catherine and Potemkin: each favorite must protect the interests of the prince at court. She demanded unquestioning obedience to Potemkin from her favorites, and if this rule was violated, the favorite received dismissal. The empress's favorites were young people who had neither wealth nor influential relatives, who owed their rise entirely to Potemkin and Catherine and subsequently did not play an independent role. Potemkin's biographer writes that historians often lost sight of the triangle “Catherine - Potemkin - young favorite,” but it was precisely this triangle that made up the “family” of the empress. Potemkin's rooms were still connected to the empress's apartments, he had the right to enter without reporting, and the current favorite at any moment could be faced with the need to endure his company or even leave. Apparently, Catherine and Potemkin did not interrupt their “marital relationship” until the end of their lives. Some memoirists call it "favorite-chief", and the rest - "non-commissioned favorites".
2. Chronological lists
2.1. Husbands, lovers and favorites
| № | Name | Portrait | Start of a relationship | End of relationship | Status | Note |
| 1 | Grand Duke Peter Fedorovich (Emperor Peter III) (1728-1762) | 1745, August 21 (September 1) - wedding | June 28 (July 9) 1762 - death of Peter III | Legal spouse | His children, according to the Romanov tree: Pavel Petrovich(1754) (according to one version, his father is Sergei Saltykov) and officially - Grand Duchess Anna Petrovna(1757-1759, most likely the daughter of Stanisław Poniatowski). He suffered, according to rumors, from some kind of impotence associated with deformation of the penis - possibly phimosis, and in the early years he did not have marital relations with her. Then this problem was solved with the help of a surgical operation, and in order to perform it, Peter got Saltykov drunk. | |
| 2 | Saltykov, Sergey Vasilievich (1726-1765) | 1752 Since this period, he has been at the “small court” of the Grand Dukes Ekaterina Alekseevna and Pyotr Fedorovich. The beginning of the novel is probably the spring of the same year. | 1754, October. 2 weeks after birth led. book Paul was hastily sent as envoy to Sweden. A few months earlier, when signs of Catherine's pregnancy became noticeable, he was no longer allowed to see her and she suffered from separation anxiety. | Secret Lover | The only known man of the empress older than her in age. Catherine II, wanting to discredit her son Paul, did not refute rumors that Saltykov was his father. After the story with Catherine, he remained at foreign courts almost his entire life. | |
| 3 | Stanislav August Poniatowski (1732-1798) | 1756 Catherine, having recovered from childbirth and separation from her beloved Saltykov, fell in love again with a young Pole who came to Russia in the retinue of the English Ambassador Williams. | 1758 After the fall of Chancellor Bestuzhev, Williams and Poniatovsky were forced to leave St. Petersburg. | Secret Lover | Officially recognized Grand Duchess Anna Petrovna(1757-1759), most likely, was the daughter of Poniatovsky, as Grand Duke Peter Fedorovich himself believed, who, judging by “Notes of Catherine,” said: “God knows how my wife gets pregnant; I don’t know for sure whether this child is mine and whether I should recognize him as mine.” In the future, Catherine will make him King of Poland, and then annex Poland and annex it to Russia. The only foreigner on the list of lovers of Catherine, a German-born princess: such a passion for Russian beauties pleased her subjects, who remembered the “German dominance” of the favorites Anna Ioannovna and Anna Leopoldovna. | |
| 4 | Orlov, Grigory Grigorievich (1734-1783) | 1759 or 1760. In the spring of 1759, Count Schwerin, the aide-de-camp of Frederick II, who was captured in the Battle of Zorndorf, arrived in St. Petersburg, to which Orlov was assigned as a guard. Orlov gained fame by wresting his mistress from Pyotr Shuvalov. | 1772 In total, the couple was together for 12 years; after the death of her husband, Catherine even wanted to marry him, but she was dissuaded. At the same time, he had many mistresses, about whom Catherine knew. Finally, at the beginning of 1772, he left for a peace congress with the Turks in Focsani, and in his absence the favorite’s star sank, as Catherine turned her attention to Vasilchikov. | Secret lover, then official favorite (from 1762). | Bobrinsky, Alexey Grigorievich- son of Catherine and Orlov, born on April 22, 1762, a few months after the death of Elizaveta Petrovna. It is reported that on the day she went into labor, her faithful servant Shkurin set his house on fire, and Peter rushed off to watch the fire. Orlov and his passionate brothers contributed to the overthrow of Peter and the accession of Catherine to the throne. Having lost favor, he married his cousin Ekaterina Zinovieva, and after her death he went crazy. | |
| 5 | Vasilchikov, Alexander Semenovich (1746-1803/1813) | 1772, September. In the spring and summer of this year, he often stood guard in Tsarskoe Selo, where he attracted the attention of the Empress and soon received a golden snuffbox “for maintaining the guard.” Then he occupied the rooms in the palace in which Orlov lived, and out of fear of the sudden return of the former favorite, a guard was posted at the doors of his premises. Such a change in the favorite, after the Oryol decade, was new and caused a great stir at court. | 1774, March 20. In connection with the rise of Potemkin, Vasilchikov was sent the highest order to go to Moscow. | Official Favorite | The first of Catherine’s favorites was much younger than her in age (14 years difference) and was distinguished by her beauty. He was unselfish and made little use of his position. Catherine, however, felt his emptiness and lack of education and considered him boring. After retirement, he settled in Moscow with his brother, but did not marry. | |
| 6 | Potemkin, Grigory Alexandrovich (1739-1791) | 1774, spring. A longtime acquaintance of Catherine, who took part in the coup | 1776 In April 1776, he went on vacation to inspect the Novgorod province, at which time Zavadovsky, on whom the Empress had her eye, took his place. | The official favorite, apparently, has been the morganatic spouse since 1775 (see Wedding of Catherine II and Potemkin) | Catherine gave birth to Potemkin's daughter - Elizaveta Grigorievna Tyomkina. Despite the gap in his personal life, thanks to his abilities, he maintained the friendship and respect of Catherine and for many years remained the second person in the state. He was not married, his personal life consisted of “enlightening” his young nieces, including Ekaterina Engelgart (see). | |
| 7 | Zavadovsky, Pyotr Vasilievich (1739-1812) | 1776, November. He was under Rumyantsev and was introduced to the empress as the author of dispatches and reports on the affairs of Little Russia in the summer of 1775 during her stay in Moscow. He interested her as a “quieter and more humble” person than Potemkin. | 1777, July. He joined the party of the Orlovs and Count Rumyantsev, did not suit Potemkin and was removed through his efforts. In May 1777, after Catherine met Zorich, Zavadovsky was given a 6-month official leave. | Official Favorite | Little Russian by birth. After his resignation, he held prominent positions in the administration. He loved the empress “like a woman” and was truly jealous of her, which harmed him in her eyes. I couldn’t forget her even after the breakup. He went to the Lyalichi estate granted to him, in 1777 he was recalled by the empress back to the capital, and since 1780 he has been engaged in administrative activities on her behalf. Became the first Minister of Public Education. He married Vera Nikolaevna Apraksina, daughter of S. O. Apraksina, niece and mistress of Kirill Razumovsky. Considered next in ability after Potemkin among Catherine's favorites; the only one besides him whom she allowed to return and assigned to engage in government activities. | |
| 8 | Zorich, Semyon Gavrilovich (1743/1745-1799) | 1777, June. Potemkin, wanting to remove Zavadovsky, looked for a replacement for him and took Zorich as his adjutant, and then appointed him commander of the Life Hussar Squadron - Catherine’s personal guard. | 1778, June. He displeased the Empress with his immoderate card game, and displeased Potemkin with his unwillingness to take into account his interests; in a fit of temper, he said a bunch of insolence to the prince. He was expelled from St. Petersburg. | Official Favorite | A handsome hussar of Serbian origin, 14 years younger than the Empress. Catherine was dissatisfied with his poor education and the fact that he did not share her cultural interests, always expecting that he could “do something dirty.” As a result, he was dismissed with a large reward, granted 7 thousand peasants and settled in the town of Shklov, given to him by Catherine II, where he founded the Shklov Noble School at his own expense. Enmeshed in debt and suspected of counterfeiting. | |
| 9 | Rimsky-Korsakov, Ivan Nikolaevich (1754-1831) | 1778, June. Noticed by Potemkin, who was looking to replace Zorich, and distinguished by him due to his beauty, as well as ignorance and lack of serious abilities that could make him a political rival. Potemkin introduced him to the Empress among three officers (including Bergman, Rontsov). On June 1, he was appointed aide-de-camp to the Empress. | 1779, October 10. Removed from the court after the Empress found him in the arms of Countess Praskovya Bruce, sister of Field Marshal Rumyantsev. This intrigue of Potemkin was aimed not at removing Korsakov, but at Bruce herself. | Official Favorite | 25 years younger than the Empress; Catherine was attracted by his announced “innocence.” He was very handsome and had an excellent voice (for his sake, Catherine invited world-famous musicians to Russia). After the loss of favor, he first stayed in St. Petersburg and talked in living rooms about his connection with the empress, which hurt her pride. In addition, he left Bruce and began an affair with Countess Ekaterina Stroganova (he was 10 years younger than her). This turned out to be too much, and Catherine sent him to Moscow. Stroganova’s husband eventually gave her a divorce. Korsakov lived with her until the end of her life, they had a son and two daughters. | |
| The year 1778/1779 was chaotic in Catherine’s personal life; she could not choose a permanent lover. Perhaps this was due to the blow from Korsakov's betrayal. Information about men of this period is contradictory. | Chronology of the “interregnum” (according to Kazimir Waliszewski):· 1778, June - rise of Korsakov · 1778, August - rivals try to take away the favors of the empress from him, they are supported by Potemkin (on the one hand) and Panin and Orlov (on the other) · 1778, September - Strakhov defeats his rivals · 4 months later - the rise of Levashev. A young man, patronized by Countess Bruce, Svejkovsky (or Svikhovsky), pierced himself with a sword in despair that this officer was preferred to him.· Rimsky-Korsakov briefly returns to his previous position· Rimsky-Korsakov fights with Stoyanov | |||||
| 10 | Stakhiev (Strakhov) | 1778; 1779, June. | 1779, October. | According to the description of contemporaries, “a jester of the lowest order.” Strakhov was a protégé of Count N.I. Panin Strakhov may be Ivan Varfolomeevich Strakhov(1750-1793), in this case, he was not the empress’s lover, but a man whom Panin considered insane, and who, when Catherine once told him that he could ask her for some favor, threw himself on his knees and asked her hands, after which she began to avoid him. | ||
| 11 | Stoyanov (Stanov) Possibly two separate people. | 1778 | 1778 | Potemkin's protégé | ||
| 12 | Rantsov (Rontsov), Ivan Romanovich (1755-1791) | 1779. Mentioned among those who participated in the “competition”; it is not entirely clear whether he managed to visit the Empress’s alcove | 1780 | One of the illegitimate sons of Count R.I. Vorontsov, half-brother of Dashkova. A year later he led a London mob in riots organized by Lord George Gordon. | ||
| 13 | Levashov, Vasily Ivanovich (1740(?) - 1804) | 1779, October | 1779, October | Major of the Semenovsky regiment, a young man protected by Countess Bruce. He was distinguished by his wit and cheerfulness. Uncle of one of the subsequent favorites - Ermolov. He was not married, but had 6 “pupils” from a student of the theater school Akulina Semyonova, who were granted the dignity of nobility and his surname. | ||
| 14 | Vysotsky, Nikolai Petrovich (1751-1827) | 1780, March. Potemkin's nephew | 1780, March | |||
| 15 | Lanskoy, Alexander Dmitrievich (1758-1784) | 1780, April. He was introduced to Catherine by Chief of Police P.I. Tolstoy, she drew attention to him, but he did not become a favorite. Levashev turned to Potemkin for help, he made him his adjutant and supervised his court education for about six months, after which in the spring of 1780 he recommended him to the empress as a warm friend. | 1784, July 25. Died after a five-day illness with toad and fever | Official Favorite | 29 years younger than the 54-year-old at the time the empress began her relationship. The only one of the favorites who did not interfere in politics and refused influence, ranks, and orders. He shared Catherine’s interest in science and, under her guidance, studied French and became acquainted with philosophy. He enjoyed universal sympathy. He sincerely adored the Empress and tried his best to maintain peace with Potemkin. If Catherine began to flirt with someone else, Lanskoy “wasn’t jealous, didn’t cheat on her, wasn’t insolent, but so touchingly […] lamented her disfavor and suffered so sincerely that he won her love again.” | |
| 16 | Mordvinov | 1781, May. For a short time, Catherine drew attention to the young man, which almost cost the Empress’s favorite A.D. Lansky the resignation. | 1781, June | Likely, Mordvinov, Nikolai Semenovich(1754-1845). The admiral's son, the same age as Grand Duke Paul, was brought up with him. The episode did not affect his biography and is usually not mentioned. He became a famous naval commander. Relative of Lermontov | ||
| 17 | Ermolov, Alexander Petrovich (1754-1834) | 1785, February. The officer, Potemkin's adjutant, was introduced to them. Gelbig reports that Potemkin specially arranged a holiday to introduce Yermolov to the empress. Only 9 months after the death of Lansky, whose loss hit her hard, did Catherine resume her personal life. Before he got into the “accident,” he had to fight a difficult battle with other rivals, of whom the most serious was 22-year-old Pavel Mikhailovich Dashkov, Dashkova’s son. | 1786, June 28. He decided to act against Potemkin (the Crimean Khan Sahib-Girey was supposed to receive large sums from Potemkin, but they were detained, and the khan turned to Ermolov for help), in addition, the empress also lost interest in him. He was expelled from St. Petersburg - he was “allowed to go abroad for three years.” | Official Favorite | In 1767, traveling along the Volga, Catherine stopped at his father’s estate and took the 13-year-old boy to St. Petersburg. Potemkin took him into his retinue, and almost 20 years later proposed him as a favorite. He was tall and slender, blond, gloomy, taciturn, honest and too simple. With letters of recommendation from the Chancellor, Count Bezborodko, he left for Germany and Italy. Everywhere he behaved very modestly. After retirement, he settled in Moscow and married Elizaveta Mikhailovna Golitsyna, with whom he had children. Nephew of the previous favorite - Vasily Levashov. Then he left for Austria, where he bought the rich and profitable Frosdorf estate near Vienna, where he died at the age of 82. | |
| 18 | Dmitriev-Mamonov, Alexander Matveevich (1758-1803) | 1786, July. A distant relative of Potemkin and his adjutant. Presented to the Empress the day after Yermolov's departure. | 1789, November. He fell in love with the maid of honor, Princess Daria Fedorovna Shcherbatova, which was reported to Catherine. “...Before the evening exit, Her Majesty herself deigned to betroth Count A.M. Mamonov to Princess Shcherbatova; they, on their knees, asked for forgiveness and were forgiven.” The groom was given gifts and ordered to leave St. Petersburg the very next day after the wedding, July 12. | Official Favorite | 28 year old at the start of the relationship. He was distinguished by his tall stature and intelligence. He wrote poetry and plays. Did not interfere in government. Being married in Moscow, he repeatedly turned to Empress Catherine II with a request to allow him to return to St. Petersburg, but was refused. As Golovkin noted: “He was neither this nor that, nor anything at all; he had only one entertainment - to torment his wife, whom he endlessly accused of being the culprit of his complete insignificance.” She bore him 4 children and eventually separated. | |
| 19 | Miloradovich | 1789 He was among the candidates proposed after Dmitriev’s resignation. Their number also included retired second major of the Preobrazhensky regiment Kazarinov, Baron Mengden - all young handsome men, behind each of whom stood influential courtiers (Potemkin, Bezborodko, Naryshkin, Vorontsov and Zavadovsky). | 1789 | Likely, Miloradovich, Mikhail Andreevich(1771-1825). The famous general was killed on Senate Square by the Decembrist Kakhovsky. The episode of Catherine’s possible favor is usually not mentioned in biography. According to the instructions of Ya. L. Barskova, he is included in Catherine’s Don Juan list. | ||
| 20 | Miklashevsky | 1787 | 1787 Miklashevsky was a candidate, but did not become the favorite. | According to evidence, during Catherine II’s trip to Crimea in 1787, a certain Miklashevsky was among the favorite candidates. Perhaps it was Miklashevsky, Mikhail Pavlovich(1756-1847), who was part of Potemkin’s retinue as an adjutant (the first step to favor), but it is unclear from what year.. In 1798, Mikhail Miklashevsky was appointed Little Russian governor, but was soon dismissed. In biography, the episode with Catherine is usually not mentioned. | ||
| 21 | Zubov, Platon Alexandrovich (1767-1822) | 1789, July. A protege of Field Marshal Prince N.I. Saltykov, the chief educator of Catherine’s grandchildren. | 1796, November 6. Catherine's last favorite. The relationship ended with her death. | Official Favorite | 22-year-old at the time of the beginning of a relationship with the 60-year-old empress. The first official favorite since Potemkin, who was not his adjutant. N.I. Saltykov and A.N. Naryshkina stood behind him, and Perekusikhina also worked for him. He enjoyed great influence and practically managed to oust Potemkin, who threatened to “come and snatch tooth" Later he participated in the assassination of Emperor Paul. Shortly before his death, he married a young, humble and poor Polish beauty and was terribly jealous of her. | |
On April 19, 1822, the last favorite of Catherine II, Platon Zubov, died. The young man was 38 years younger than the empress. Their relationship lasted until her death.
Catherine was distinguished, to put it mildly, by an amorous character. However, not all of her favorites left at least some trace in the life and history of Russia. Let's remember the most significant of them.
Actually my husband
Let's start with how Catherine II got to Russia in the first place. Then Empress Elizaveta Petrovna was looking for a profitable match for the heir to the throne, Peter Fedorovich. All the candidates who were around were not suitable, since no political benefits could be obtained from their parents. Those who were the ideal option (politically, of course) themselves were not eager to go to Russia. As a result, Elizabeth Petrovna’s gaze settled on Sophia Frederick of Anhalt-Zerbst, whose father was in the service of the Prussian king.
In 1745, the girl was brought to Russia. During the “look” (it was, of course, not Peter III who was watching, but Elizaveta Petrovna) Sofia showed herself in the right way: she memorized several phrases in Russian, traditions, and norms of behavior. The girl was absolutely healthy and very pretty (this is about the issue of having children). In general, it came up. At the same time, in 1745, the wedding of Pyotr Fedorovich and Sofia took place, who was named Ekaterina Alekseevna upon baptism into Orthodoxy.
There was no love between them. The future emperor paid attention to Elizabeth's ladies-in-waiting and Catherine's assistants, but most of all he was interested in playing toy soldiers (though instead of tin figurines there were living people). Meanwhile, Catherine II was actively learning Russian, and also studied the traditions and foundations of the culture of the country, which now became her fatherland. She found his behavior strange, to put it mildly. Well, how would you react if your husband told you that he executed a rat?
This rat climbed onto the bastions of a cardboard fortress and ate two starch sentries. The sniffer dog caught the culprit. “She is being tried according to martial law,” Peter said calmly when his wife asked what a dead rat was doing in his room.
Historians are silent about the intimate side of Catherine’s relationship with her seemingly crazy hubby. However, in 1754 they had a son, named Paul. However, whether Peter III really is his father is still unclear.
In June 1762, Catherine, with the support of the guards, staged a palace coup and took the throne. The husband, who by that time had ruled the country for about six months, was killed.
Oh, crazy
Catherine also had favorites during her marriage to Peter III. However, in this regard, everything was absolutely mutual. He has mistresses, she has favorites.
The most memorable, one might say, was her husband’s chamberlain Sergei Saltykov. The romance began in the spring of 1752 and ended only in 1754, shortly before the birth of Catherine’s son. It is he, by the way, who is called the probable father of Paul I. Allegedly, Elizaveta Petrovna, seeing that there was no heir to be expected from this couple, took matters into her own hands. It seems like she personally found a suitable match for Catherine and arranged everything. However, whether this is true is now impossible to verify.
How exactly the romance began is not known for certain, however, judging by the diaries of Catherine II, the chamberlain more often began to turn to the then future empress on various issues that “only she could solve.”
He was as beautiful as day, and, of course, no one could compare with him, either in the big court, or especially in ours. He had no lack of either intelligence or that store of knowledge. He was 25 years old; in general, both by birth and by many other qualities, he was an outstanding gentleman,” wrote the future empress.
He confessed his love to her while hunting, where both the heir to the Russian throne and his wife went. A new novel was discussed at court. Husband? And what about the husband - he had a maid of honor Elizaveta Vorontsova. The romance lasted just over a year and ended on October 1, 1754, when Catherine II gave birth to a boy.
Saltykov was sent to convey this good news to the Swedish court. When he returned in 1755, he was sent to Hamburg. Catherine maintained correspondence with him, but nothing more. By 1756, she began an affair with Stanislaw Poniatowski (who later became the last King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania).
Stanislav August Poniatowski
In general, Catherine gave her lovers considerable gifts at the end of the relationship: to whom she wrote out money, to whom - personal estate. But only Poniatowski got the crown. Not Russian, of course, but Polish. But the crown!
He belonged to one of the most influential families in Poland, received a good education and traveled extensively throughout Western Europe. He has established himself as an excellent speaker. He went to Russia in 1755 as the personal secretary of the English envoy Charles Hanbury-Williams. The envoy was required to ensure that Peter III and Catherine advocated a loyal policy towards London. Logically reasoning that the easiest way was through a woman’s heart, the envoy introduced his young, stately assistant to Catherine during a ball in Oranienbaum in the summer of 1756.
After the first meeting, a correspondence began between them. Poniatowski, it seems, really fell in love.
“I forgot that Siberia exists,” he wrote in his memoirs, referring, of course, to exile.
The conductor between the lovers was the Chief of the Horse and the famous court joker Lev Naryshkin. According to rumors, it was he who arranged meetings for them. The lovers also saw each other in the palace - right in Catherine’s chambers. Once, because of this, trouble almost happened - they were almost exposed by Empress Elizaveta Petrovna.
During the reception, Ekaterina Alekseevna showed her chambers in the palace to the Swedish envoy Count Horn. Poniatowski accompanied him. At some point, Catherine’s lapdog ran out of the room and began barking desperately at the count. Then she switched to Poniatowski, to whom... she fawned. Stanislav later recalled how Horn said that there was nothing more treacherous than a small lap dog.
This continued until 1758. Stanislav left for Poland, and soon returned as an envoy of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the Russian Empire.
Count Poniatowski usually took with him a blond wig and a cloak to leave me, and when the guards asked him who was coming, he called himself: the Grand Duke’s musician,” she recalled in her memoirs.
But Elizabeth suspected Catherine of plotting against her and set up surveillance. She was informed that Poniatowski was sneaking into the chambers of the heir's wife. Having learned about this, Pyotr Fedorovich, according to rumors, personally asked not to execute anyone. And let the wife's lover down the stairs.
So Poniatowski was forced to return to Poland, leaving literally the same night. After the shameful separation, they did not maintain correspondence, but, having learned about the coup, Stanislav still sent Catherine a letter, where he told about his intention to return to St. Petersburg. And... he received his resignation. The Empress categorically asked not to do this.
But she found a way to thank her once romantic favorite. After the death of King Augustus III in October 1763, he was nominated to the throne of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth by the Czartoryski Party. In 1764, Catherine II expressed strong support on this issue. The rest is a matter of technology, and in this case, of diplomats.
Grigory Orlov
Stories about the famous hero Grigory Orlov, who during the Seven Years' War received three wounds at Zorndorf (1757), but did not leave the battlefield, captivated, perhaps, the whole of St. Petersburg. This information could not have passed by Catherine. A hero, a handsome man - at court there was only talk about Orlov.
In 1760, Feldzeichmeister General Count Pyotr Shuvalov took him in as his adjutant. But the noble rake charmed Shuvalov’s beloved, Elena Kurakina. The affair was discovered, and Orlov was kicked out.
Of course, the scandalous military man instantly found a place in the grenadier regiment. It was there that Catherine noticed the handsome man. “To fall in love is like a queen,” Orlov apparently reasoned. And he began to do everything so that the one he loved would become that queen. A whirlwind romance broke out between them. During the meetings, they discussed not only themselves, but also how to overthrow Peter III from the throne. And then it turned out that Catherine was pregnant.
What kind of abortion? It's the 18th century on the street, what are you talking about? They desperately tried to convince Peter III that he was the father of the unborn child. The husband himself, who by that time had occupied the imperial throne, shouted that he would send his wife to a monastery, since he had nothing to do with the baby.
In April 1762, labor began. It was necessary to rescue him from the palace. Historians indicate that for this purpose an arson was set somewhere on the outskirts of St. Petersburg. The emperor, who loved to try on the role of a fireman, did not let this pass and left. And Catherine gave birth to a boy named Alexei. The emperor was told that the child had died. In fact, the newborn was given to wardrobe master Vasily Shkurin. He was raised the same as his other children. At the age of 11, the boy and his older “brothers” were sent to study abroad.
Meanwhile, the threat of the monastery hung over Catherine's head. The husband promised to marry his favorite Elizaveta Vorontsova. It was necessary to act immediately. As a result, Gregory, together with his brothers, enlisting the support of the guard, literally brought Catherine to the throne on June 28, 1762.
After the coup and coronation, Orlov spoke more than once or twice about the wedding, but Catherine stopped this topic, recalling that it was Romanov, not Orlova, who was now on the throne. And Orlova will be thrown off this throne. That’s how they lived: both in the palace, everyone knows about their relationship, but nothing happened officially.
The feelings between them cooled down after a couple of years, but Catherine still needed an ally. Contemporaries pointed out that he behaved too freely with her, so the empress either sent her lover to fight the plague in Moscow or appointed him to high positions that required a huge amount of time.
And in 1768, the Russian-Turkish war also began. If Alexey Orlov, in fact, was responsible for the fleet, then Grigory drew up a plan of action for the Russian army. Of course, Catherine did not always listen to him. But my beloved was constantly busy!
By 1772, Catherine’s relationship with Grigory Orlov had completely deteriorated. The final straw was the failure of the Russian-Turkish peace negotiations in 1772. As soon as Orlov left for them, Count Nikita Panin, together with Catherine’s son Pavel, spoke about Orlov’s mistress, Princess Golitsyna.
The favorite was, of course, informed about this. As historians point out, he wanted to return to Russia as soon as possible in order to again win the favor of the empress. Allegedly, therefore, he presented his demands to the Turks in the form of an ultimatum. They responded by refusing to negotiate.
As a result, the war with Turkey dragged on for another two years. And Catherine suggested to Grigory Orlov that he retire to the Gatchina Palace, specially built for him, “or wherever he himself wishes.”
And soon after the “resignation” that she gave to Orlov, the empress wrote a long letter to the new favorite candidate Grigory Potemkin, where she clearly made her attitude towards him clear and demanded to return to St. Petersburg, “because she was worried.”
Grigory Potemkin
Grigory Potemkin was an active participant in the palace coup, thanks to which Catherine took the throne. The ruler then found the officer “rude, sharp-tongued and funny imitating the voices of animals.” After the coup, the empress promoted him, ordering him to be appointed second lieutenant (“one rank from the sergeant”). The military man was invited to a couple of assemblies in 1762, which greatly angered Catherine’s then favorite Grigory Orlov.
According to legend, the Orlov brothers noticed that the second lieutenant was “looking” at the empress and, being drunk, started a fight with him, in which Potemkin allegedly lost his eye. Later, however, he said that he fell ill, turned to a healer, who treated him with some ointments, and this became the reason.
The officer even retired to a remote village for several months and considered joining a monastery. Here the empress intervened. According to legend, at one of the receptions she asked where Grigory Potemkin was and why he was not present. And then she ordered Orlov to personally inform him that his absence was upsetting the empress.
By 1765, Potemkin returned to St. Petersburg, took the post of deputy chief prosecutor of the synod, and soon a prosecutor. In April 1765, he was appointed treasurer of the Life Guards Cavalry Regiment. This is how Potemkin moved up the career ladder at court until the outbreak of the Russian-Turkish War in 1768. Then he asked to go to the front. Later, Field Marshal Pyotr Rumyantsev regularly reported on Potemkin’s exploits in his letters to the Empress.
Compared to Grigory Orlov, who by that time was mostly making not always successful offensive plans and drinking a lot, Potemkin, who fought on the battlefield, seemed like a true hero. They maintained correspondence since 1770, but then it was purely official.
However, after Orlov’s resignation and the open demand to come urgently, the relationship seemed to take on a different dimension. But in the capital it turned out that the empress had another man - Alexander Vasilchakov, who was 17 years younger than her.
Potemkin was appointed lieutenant colonel of the Preobrazhensky regiment (the empress herself was the colonel). He soon became vice-president of the Military College.
At the beginning of 1774, Gregory “revolted” and asked for an audience with the Empress. The request was soon granted. Historians are sure that it was then that the empress promised to soon declare Potemkin the official favorite. Vasilchakov was quickly given his resignation.
Potemkin, according to rumors, secretly married Catherine in July 1774. They lived in Zimny.
Historians point out that, having become a favorite, Potemkin began to behave like a spoiled child. He literally demanded awards from Catherine and honors from the courtiers.
Catherine gave birth to a new favorite (or husband?). This happened in Moscow on July 13, 1775. The girl was named Elizaveta Tyomkina. As a rule, “truncated surnames” were given to Russian bastards. The pregnancy, of course, was carefully hidden from the entire court: the empress was “poisoned” a couple of times, and “fell ill” for two weeks - so she did not go to receptions.
This did not reconcile the lovers, but, it seems, quarreled even more. In any case, at the end of 1775, Potemkin, at a ball in St. Petersburg, personally introduced Peter Zavadovsky to Catherine, who was to become her cabinet secretary. At some point, the Empress passes through the entire hall and hands Zavadovsky a ring, which was considered a sign of the Empress’s highest praise. Can you guess who the next favorite is? However, the relationship did not last long, about six months, under the close attention of Potemkin. Historians are still arguing whether the favorite once personally selected new lovers for the empress.
Platon Zubov
The last favorite of Catherine II, Platon Zubov, was 38 years younger than his royal mistress. But this did not prevent their relationship from lasting for seven years - until the death of the empress. The ruler first paid attention to him when the second captain of the Cavalry Army in 1789 persuaded his superiors to give him command of the convoy that accompanied Catherine II from St. Petersburg to Tsarskoe Selo. All the way, 22-year-old Zubov desperately tried to attract the ruler’s attention with his helpfulness and jokes. And yes, we succeeded. The 60-year-old empress invited the young man to dinner; they met several times, supposedly on official business. It all ended with him taking the “favorite” chambers, which had been in the palace since the time of Orlov.
From the first days, Zubov desperately tried to gain a foothold in some government post, however, the empress fulfilled every whim in this regard. As a result, having no special abilities for anything other than protecting the royal person, he held 36 posts at once: governor-general, member of both the Academy of Arts and the Collegium of Foreign Affairs... They also did not spare awards for him. Already in his first year in favor, he received the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky, the Order of St. Anne, the Order of the Black and Red Eagles, the Polish Orders of St. Stanislaus and the White Eagle. Either it was a coincidence, or it was true that through the efforts of Zubov they removed Potemkin from the court, which in all respects seemed to be closer to the empress.
His fortune over the years of the relationship was estimated in the millions (note that the average salary at that time was 20 rubles), not to mention the palaces on the Black Sea coast, in St. Petersburg and the surrounding area.
When on November 6, 1796, the favorite learned about the death of the empress (he was informed in the very first minutes), he fled from the palace and did not appear in the vicinity of St. Petersburg for 10 days. And when he returned, a serious conversation took place with the new emperor, Catherine II’s son Paul.
Initially, the new ruler framed everything as “who will remember the old” and said that Plato would not fall into any disgrace. However, within a couple of months he changed his mind, first sending some of Zubov’s associates in the palace to the Peter and Paul Fortress, and then advising him to go abroad. All the estates and untold riches were taken away from the last favorite. By 1798, the emperor had mercy and allowed him to return, gave him part of his property and allowed him to settle on his estate in the Vladimir province. “In gratitude,” Zubov took part in the conspiracy and murder of Paul I on March 24, 1801.
Horse
Not only people appear in stories about the loving ruler. There is a legend that Catherine II died shortly after having sexual intercourse with a horse. Most historians are inclined to believe that this is nonsense. In fact, the author of such a legend was the Polish historian Kazimir Waliszewski, known for his works on Russia in the 18th century, and it was supplemented at the French court.
As a result, the following legend developed: the empress tried to sleep with a horse that was placed on top of her with ropes. And soon after that, she allegedly died from organ rupture.
Let us note that, except for the Polish historian and French courtiers, no one talks about this rather strange page in the biography of Catherine II. The official version says that Catherine fainted in the toilet room. When her duty valet Zakhar Zotov, who was concerned about the ruler’s long absence, looked in, he saw the empress with her eyes slightly open and her face pale.
They tried to carry the ruler onto the bed, but she became so heavy that six healthy men could not cope with her. As a result, they placed the mattress next to the bed. The official cause of death was apoplexy. In modern language - cerebral hemorrhage.
There are more than 20 names on the list of Catherine’s lovers, and these are only those they know about. There are legends that the empress could afford to have fun in taverns on the outskirts of St. Petersburg, Moscow (on the road) or other Russian cities. Allegedly, she came to the tavern, dressing up almost like a peasant, and found herself “adventures.” However, there is no factual confirmation, records or even large donations to taverns (which could indirectly indicate a “good evening”).
Over the past year, interest in the era Empress Catherine II has grown significantly. This is largely due to the fact that two leading federal television channels created and showed series about the life of the Empress.
True, in both cases the story ended with the accession of Catherine II to the throne. And if the future life of the empress herself and the sad fate of her deposed husband are told quite often, then less is known about the fate of those who were close to Catherine at the time of her rise to power. So what happened to them next?
Grigory Orlov
Catherine's favorite, who played a big role in her accession to the throne, was promoted to major general on the day of the coup. He was also awarded the title of actual chamberlain, the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky and a sword richly decorated with diamonds.
He remained close to the empress for 12 years, and Catherine even thought about marrying him. To the great regret of the empress, her lover, who distinguished himself by courage, bravery and diligence, could not boast of education and a broad outlook.
Nevertheless, he carried out important assignments well - for example, in 1771 he managed to stop the plague epidemic in Moscow, which resulted in plague riots.
For this, the Empress honored him with an expression of her gratitude and, in memory of his exploits, erected a gate in Tsarskoe Selo with the inscription “Moscow was delivered from troubles by Orlov.”
In 1772, Orlov, as a favorite, was dismissed. Unable to regain influence over Catherine, he went into the shadows.
In 1777, 43-year-old Grigory Orlov married his cousin, 18-year-old Ekaterina Zinovieva. This marriage turned out to be scandalous - in secular circles they said that Orlov had raped a minor who lived in his house as a pupil for several years, and then decided to hush up the matter through marriage.
Attempts to bring Orlov to justice were stopped by Catherine II herself, who approved the marriage.
To the surprise of his contemporaries, it turned out that Grigory Orlov was really in love with his wife, and she reciprocated his feelings. But family happiness was short-lived - Catherine fell ill with consumption and died in 1781 at the age of 22.
For Orlov this was a terrible blow - he soon went crazy. Having outlived his wife by less than two years, Grigory Orlov died on his estate near Moscow in April 1783.
Alexey Orlov
The younger brother of Catherine II’s favorite not only played an important role in the palace coup of 1762, but was also involved in the death Peter III. It is known that Alexey Orlov, unlike Gregory, was actually in Ropsha during the death of the deposed emperor, but there is no exact information that it was he who killed Peter III.
Immediately after the accession to the throne of Catherine II, Alexey Orlov received the rank of major general and the title of count.
Like his brother, Alexey did not receive a good education, but at the same time he patronized the sciences and was one of the founders of the Free Economic Society.
In 1769, Orlov became commander of a squadron of the Russian fleet and a year later defeated the Turkish fleet in the Battle of Chesme. For this, among other awards, he received the right to be called Count Orlov-Chesmensky.
In 1775, on the orders of Catherine II, Alexey Orlov organized the kidnapping and delivery to Russia of a famous adventurer Princess Tarakanova. After this operation he retired.
After the death of Catherine II, Alexey Orlov remembered Paul I, who considered him his father's killer.
By order of the emperor, at the reburial of Peter III, Orlov carried the imperial crown in front of the coffin. Having experienced considerable shock, he immediately left Russia and went abroad, taking his daughter with him.
After accession Alexandra I The Orlovs returned to Russia, settling in Moscow.
It was Alexei Orlov, who brought a gypsy chapel to Russia after one of the Turkish campaigns, who laid the foundation for professional gypsy performance in Russia.
Alexey Grigorievich Orlov-Chesmensky died in December 1807 in Moscow at the age of 70.
Portrait of Count A. G. Orlov-Chesmensky (1737-1807/1808). V. Eriksen. Between 1770 and 1783. Photo: Public Domain
Ekaterina Dashkova
The closest associate of Catherine II during the coup of 1762, Ekaterina Dashkova, was also the sister of the favorite of Peter III Elizaveta Vorontsova. The emperor himself was Catherine’s godfather.
Despite the fact that Dashkova sacrificed her close people for the sake of her friend’s rise to power, her relationship with the empress quickly cooled. Catherine II did not like her friend’s straightforwardness, her openly disdainful attitude towards the empress’s entourage.
Dashkova believed that she made a huge contribution to Catherine’s victory and deserved a higher position.
As a result, she went abroad, where she spent many years meeting with the powers that be, as well as scientists and philosophers. Dashkova became friends with Diderot and Voltaire.
Upon returning to Russia in 1782, Princess Dashkova's relations with Catherine II improved again. In 1783, she took the post of director of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences, becoming the first woman in the world to be entrusted with such a position.
At Dashkova’s suggestion, the Imperial Russian Academy was established in 1783, with one of its main goals being the study of the Russian language.
Having done a lot for the development of science and education in Russia, after the death of Catherine II she found herself in disgrace and was sent into exile.
After the accession to the throne of Alexander I, Ekaterina Dashkova again received an offer to become the head of the academy, but rejected it.
Ekaterina Romanovna Dashkova died on January 16, 1810 at the age of 66 and was buried in the Church of the Life-Giving Trinity in the village of Troitsky in the Kaluga province.
Grigory Potemkin
Grigory Aleksandrovich Potemkin-Tauride, favorite and closest associate of Catherine the Great, who led the annexation and arrangement of Crimea and Novorossiya, the most influential person of Catherine’s era, at the time of the coup of 1762 was still far from the zenith of his glory.
In the series “The Great” he looks like a man who is much older than both Catherine and Grigory Orlov. In fact, in June 1762 he was not yet 23 years old - he was five years younger than Grigory Orlov and ten years younger than Catherine.
At the time of the coup, Potemkin held the rank of sergeant of the horse guards and acted as an orderly to the field marshal general, Prince Georg Ludwig, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein.
Despite his not the most significant role in the coup, Potemkin attracted the attention of the Empress and was distinguished by the fact that when rewarding those who distinguished themselves, instead of the rank of cornet to which he was nominated, he received the higher rank of second lieutenant.
Having distinguished himself in the Russian-Turkish War, Potemkin became the official favorite of Catherine II in 1774. Despite the fact that Potemkin’s personal closeness with the Empress ended two years later, he managed to maintain influence and political weight as the person Catherine needed to solve the most important state problems.
Potemkin's influence began to decline only in 1789, with the rise of Catherine's last favorite Platon Zubov. In October 1791, while conducting peace negotiations with Turkey, Potemkin fell ill and died suddenly during a trip from Iasi to Nikolaev at the age of 52.
Alexey Bestuzhev-Ryumin
All-powerful Chancellor of the times Elizaveta Petrovna, sent into exile in 1758 after the discovery of a conspiracy during which it was planned to prevent Peter III from coming to power, did not take part in the palace coup of 1762.
Returned from exile and completely rehabilitated, Bestuzhev counted on the restoration of his former political influence. But his proposal, voiced in the Senate, to award Catherine the title of “Mother of the Fatherland” was rejected by the Empress herself.
For some time, Bestuzhev, according to contemporaries, attempted to put forward political initiatives when meeting with Catherine, but the empress, listening to them politely, invariably refused.
Realizing this, Bestuzhev resigned, which was accepted. The former chancellor of the Russian Empire died in Moscow on April 10, 1766 at the age of 72.
Elizaveta Vorontsova
The official favorite of Peter III remained, perhaps, the only person who was devoted to the emperor to the last. Together with him, Vorontsova was arrested in Oranienbaum and on her knees begged to be allowed to go to Holstein with Peter III.
Instead, by order of Catherine II, she was sent to her father's village near Moscow, Count Roman Illarionovich Vorontsov. Count Vorontsov was given the order to marry off his daughter “so that she would no longer have anything to do with anyone and would live in silence, not giving people many reasons to talk about herself.”
Catherine's will was fulfilled: in September 1765, the former favorite of the emperor married Colonel Alexander Ivanovich Polyansky. The groom was 44 years old at that time, the bride was 26. The wedding took place on the Vorontsov estate near Moscow, but then the couple moved to St. Petersburg. Elizaveta Polyanskaya was not invited to the court, but she regularly appeared at social events in the capital and was not subject to any persecution or restrictions.
In her marriage to Alexander Polyansky, Elizabeth gave birth to a daughter, Anna, and a son, Alexander. Catherine II's attitude towards the children of her husband's former favorite was more than favorable - Anna was granted a maid of honor, and the empress became Alexandra's godmother.
Having lived in a happy marriage for more than a quarter of a century, Elizaveta Romanovna Vorontsova-Polyanskaya died on February 2, 1792 at the age of 52 years.
Elizaveta Vorontsova. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org
Vasily Zalessky
There is no doubt that television viewers who watched the series “The Great” became interested in the personality and fate of Prince Vasily Zalessky. Perhaps his fate is even sadder than that of Emperor Peter III - the prince actually did not exist at all, at least in the immediate circle of Catherine II.
Some of the actions attributed to Vasily Zalessky by the creators of the series were actually committed by completely different people.
For example, the arson of his own house to distract Peter III’s attention from the birth of Catherine in April 1762 was committed by the Empress’s valet Vasily Shkurin. During the first 13 years of his life, his family raised the illegitimate son of Catherine II and Grigory Orlov Alexey Bobrinsky.
For this, Shkurin was awarded awards, elevated to the hereditary nobility and rose to the rank of Privy Councilor.
Two Vasily Zalesskys left a noticeable mark on Russian history. First, Vasily Anisimovich, born in 1781, distinguished himself during the capture of Anapa and Varna in the Russian-Turkish War of 1828-1829, rose to the rank of major general and the position of chief of artillery of the Black Sea Fleet.
Second, Vasily Gerasimovich, born in 1847, became famous as an engineer and architect, creator of heating and ventilation systems for houses and industrial facilities.
Both of them, for obvious reasons, have nothing to do with the young years of Catherine II.
“The favorite must accompany the empress everywhere”
An unknown manuscript from the family archive of the princes Obolensky-Neledinsky-Meletsky
The life path of Catherine the Great, which ended in November 1796, excited the minds and imagination of both contemporaries and distant descendants. Fifteen-year-old Princess Sophia Frederica Augusta of Anhalt-Zerbst, brought to cold Russia in February 1744, experienced as many dangers and adventures as the famous adventurers of the 18th century could never have dreamed of.
German by nature and upbringing, who did not know the Russian language and customs, became the wife of her compatriot, who, by the will of fate, turned out to be the heir to the throne of a huge power. For eighteen years she endured a quarrelsome husband who hated her, for whom she herself felt nothing but disgust. And at any moment of this period of her life she could become a victim of court intrigue, the mood of a capricious husband or Empress Elizabeth.
Fate saved Catherine. She managed not only to survive, but also to attract to her side such forces that helped her get rid of her hated husband and ascend to the throne.
The next 34 years were filled with continuous work and struggle with numerous secret and overt enemies. Terrible epidemics of plague, smallpox and cholera, riots and uprisings, a peasant war led by the impostor Pugachev, a real threat from the impostor Tarakanova, intrigues of the Western courts, their own courtiers and the courtiers of the son, who was impatiently waiting for the throne, the greed of the nobles ruining the country, wars with Turkey and Sweden, the ever-seething and explosive Poland - all this required constant and enormous effort on the part of the supreme power concentrated in the hands of the empress.
Ekaterina managed to overcome everything. By the end of her reign, the population of Russia almost doubled, and the European territory increased by one and a half times: the western border was moved from Smolensk and Kyiv to Grodno and Brest, Right Bank Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, Crimea and Transnistria were annexed, penetration into the North Caucasus began. The Black Sea Fleet has been created and the security of the southern borders has been ensured. The eternal “dispute of the Slavs” was stopped (as it seemed forever) by eliminating the main disputant, while the “apple of discord” - Poland - was divided in such a way that war with Prussia and Austria was avoided. Important reforms were carried out within the country, legislation was improved, secularization was carried out, which undermined the economic power of the main rival of the supreme power - the clergy, one and a half hundred new cities were built, Russia began the active development of Siberia, the Far East, Alaska...
However, much has been written about Catherine the legislator, Catherine the warrior, Catherine the patroness of science and art, Catherine the philosopher, publicist, playwright, and memoirist. It remains to be stated that the title “Great”, assigned to her at the beginning of her reign, was honestly earned. And it should also be noted that with all her intelligence, talent, intuition and amazing performance, Catherine would hardly have been able to achieve such results without relying on the faithful and courageous associates with whom she managed to surround herself. They were strong, brave and determined executors of her will. We must not forget that Catherine was a woman, and a lonely woman, and, like any normal woman, she needed male attention, affection and love.
The external side of the reign of Catherine II has been studied quite fully, in contrast to the personal life of the empress. The royal descendants jealously guarded Catherine's honor. Even her own Notes, which slightly lift the veil over the Empress’s personal life, were first published in Russia only after the 1905 revolution, which constitutionally enshrined freedom of speech and the press.
Of course, forbidden fruit is always attractive. Despite the threat of cruel punishment, rumors about Catherine’s lovers constantly circulated in society (who, by the way, did not make a secret of this at all). Often the ardent imagination of ordinary people endowed the empress with the properties of the famous Egyptian queen Cleopatra, and the number of lovers amounted to almost dozens annually. More reliable and moderate were the stories of court eyewitnesses to their close friends and relatives. Sometimes these stories were written down and passed down from generation to generation, like secret and very dangerous relics, intended for reading in the narrowest circle.
One of these relics, telling about the secrets of the court of Elizabeth Petrovna, Peter III and Catherine II, was kept in the family archive of the Obolensky-Neledinsky-Meletsky princes, which in 1919 was transferred to the State Historical Museum. This is a notebook made from 14 double sheets of good writing paper with a gold edge and a watermark indicating the year the paper was made - 1829.
The manuscript has the title “About Catherine’s Favorites” and is written in black ink. Features of the outline of a number of letters, as well as some turns of phrase, indicate that the person who wrote the text (and possibly its author) learned to read and write in the 2nd half of the 18th century and was a contemporary of at least the last years of the reign of Catherine II. The facts presented in the manuscript are confirmed by many other sources, which indicates a high degree of its reliability. The manuscript, of course, is not signed, and the source of information is also not indicated. Its appearance suggests that it has been in the hands of many people - the manuscript has been literally read to the core. One of the readers apparently tried a pencil in the margins of one sheet - the half-erased inscription remained: “Kochubey. Prince Lev Kochubey." Lev Viktorovich Kochubey (1810-1890), a St. Petersburg acquaintance of Pushkin, a cavalry guard in 1829, later a privy councilor, archaeologist and numismatist, the son of a major statesman V.P. Kochubey, who in 1787 was a chamber cadet and, together with Yu. A. Neledinsky-Meletsky was constantly with Catherine II during her trip to Crimea. The family of the princes Obolensky, in which this manuscript was kept (and, apparently, created), was related and had friendly ties with almost all the people who made up the inner circle of Catherine II. Therefore, there is no doubt that the information recorded in 1829 or a little later was obtained, as they say, “first-hand.”
Noteworthy is the calm, impartial tone of the presentation, the lack of desire to somehow justify or discredit Catherine II or Peter III. As for Elizabeth Petrovna, the author, noting her “womblessness,” believes that “She reigned weakly for 20 years and is more worthy of vegetating in monastic life than sitting on the throne.”
I would like to hope that the publication of this manuscript will help dispel the myth about the excessive voluptuousness of Catherine II. Historical sources indicate only 12-15 names of her lovers during her 52 years of adult life. In fact, this is not so much - an average of one favorite per 4 years. With two of them - Orlov and Potemkin - Catherine lived for 12 years, constantly taming the violent temper of both. Not every modern woman can boast of such a length of marriage or life together.
And if we take into account that Catherine lived in the “gallant” 18th century, known for the freedom and even unbridled morals that reigned in European courts (and at the court of Elizabeth Petrovna too), then we should recognize Catherine II’s relative restraint in her personal life. The rationalism characteristic of this German woman on the Russian throne forced her, even in love affairs, to strive to combine “business with pleasure.” She tried to attract all her favorites to active government or military activities. It is significant that her most capable and active comrades stayed with her the longest. It is worth remembering Orlov’s pacification of the plague-ridden, rebellious Moscow of 1771 or Potemkin’s courage on the battlefields.
Catherine generously rewarded her comrades, encouraging in others “jealousy for the fatherland” and the desire to earn the personal favor of the empress. It seems that Catherine’s combination of love and politics greatly contributed to the fact that she was able to pass on to her heirs not only a mighty power, but also outstanding figures who, like the legendary “chicks of Petrov’s nest,” strengthened and defended great Russia.
ABOUT CATHERINE'S FAVORITES
1772 Orlov and Vasilchikov 1
Catherine loved Orlov quite a lot; he never loved her and was attached to her out of ambition and gratitude, considering himself the complete ruler over Catherine. Orlov lost interest in her: her very tenderness weighed on him; the more she tried to turn him towards her, the more he turned away from her. Humiliated by Orlov’s coldness and infidelity, but attached to him through his son (Bobrinsky) 2 , having settled down with him, she did not dare to think about terminating her relationship with him.
Bobrinsky was brought up very secretly on the outskirts of the capital, where the Empress often visited him under a false name. One day, returning from her son and thinking about keeping Orlov from going wild, she decided to marry him secretly, but Orlov proudly rejected this proposal and answered her,<что>feels worthy, not secretly, but openly, to bear the name of her husband and sit next to her on the throne that he delivered to her. Catherine hid her feelings.
Graph<Н. И.>Panin, who wished Orlov every death, lay in wait for the Empress’s eyes and soon noticed that she often and tenderly looked at the guard, Second Lieutenant Vasilchikov. Zakhary Grigorievich Chernyshev 3 undertook to help Panin, and Vasilchikov was made Catherine’s lover, granted her chamberlain, and so on. Orlov was then in Focsani to conclude peace 4 . Having learned about the new lover, he forgot about the negotiations and rode to S.<анкт>-P<етер>burg; but at the outpost an order was announced to him: not to let him into the capital; he retired to his dacha. Meanwhile, the Empress, who knew Orlov’s violence and feared that he would not come to her without permission, ordered the guard in the palace to be doubled; station sentries at the doors of his new lover and change the locks of his rooms, to which Orlov had the key. When Orlov was told that he should resign, he proudly replied, “that he doesn’t want to resign, but wants to serve.” Finally, Catherine entered into negotiations with him, as a result of which he agreed to travel for some time in Europe; and for this humility, in addition to significant gifts, he was elevated to the dignity of His Serene Highness.
Orlov died in Moscow in 1784 in madness; remorse tormented him; the bloodied wife of Peter III haunted his imagination. At the end of his life he had a wonderful wife 5 , who died in Lausanne in 1782, multiplying Orlov’s sorrows.
1774. Potemkin 6
Vasilchikov celebrated for 22 months: he was sent to Moscow; Potemkin took his place. This new favorite, awarded from the first date with an advantage over his former rivals, secretly helped the Empress in military troubles; drove away the fear of indignation 7 , which greatly worried her, and reassured her about Orlov’s enmity with Panin. Potemkin's quarrel with Alexei Orlov 8 was the reason for his removal from the Court; he returned to his homeland in Smolensk, lived for about a year in solitude and, following a letter to Catherine, was returned to her. He was placed in the palace. He acquired almost unconditional dominion over Catherine. If she sometimes refused him other inappropriate demands, he forced her to do so with indignation and sometimes with abuse. They claim that Potemkin, like Orlov, beat Catherine.
1776. Zavadovsky 9
Catherine's love for Potemkin cooled, although she swore eternal affection to him. Zavadovsky already possessed it. Potemkin was ordered to travel, he returned - and became a friend of the Empress, retaining all his weight. I liked Zavadovsky - Potemkin was useful.
1777. Zorich (Serbian) 10
Potemkin noticed that Zavadovsky decided to harm him, decided to give him an impetus, promoting Zorich from lieutenant to captain, and placed him in the place where the Empress was supposed to pass. She noticed him, and the next day Zavadovsky was fired, Zorich took his place.
1779. Rimsky-Korsakov 11
A year later, Zorich, promoted to major general, received orders to travel; his place was taken by Rimsky-Korsakov. Potemkin, who hated Field Marshal Rumyantsev, took revenge on his sister Countess Bruce 12 , one of Catherine's closest confidantes. Potemkin realized that Bruce had fallen in love with Rimsky-Korsakov, and provided her with the means to have secret meetings with him. Although Potemkin loved Rimsky-Korsakov, he decided to sacrifice him to hasten the fall of Countess Bruce. Catherine soon found out everything. Rimsky-Korsakov received orders to travel, and Bruce went to Moscow.
1780. Lanskoy 13
On the same day, the Empress chose the cavalry guard Lansky, a most beautiful and captivating man, as her lover; she loved him more than anyone. Lanskoy, who respected Potemkin, who loved him himself, became more amiable to Catherine from day to day. This young man's upbringing was neglectful; Catherine took the trouble to educate him: she adorned his mind with the most useful knowledge and marveled at her creation. Lanskoy fell ill and died in Catherine’s arms. Her bitterness was so great that she did not eat anything for three days and did not leave the Tsarskoe Selo Palace for three months. When Lanskoy died, she went to bed and wanted to die just like her lover. Catherine ordered the erection of a most beautiful mausoleum on Lansky’s grave. Two years later, walking with the courtiers and accidentally approaching the monument, she burst into tears.
1784. Ermolov 14
The idle vacancy after Lansky was filled by Potemkin’s choice with Ermolov, a guard sergeant. Ermolov’s intrigues against his benefactor were due to the fact that he was sent to travel on Potemkin’s complaint.
1788. Mamonov 15
Yermolov’s place was taken by Mamonov, who was also elected by Potemkin. Catherine loved him very much; but he was not attached to her. Soon he started an intrigue with the maid of honor, Princess Shcherbatova. Catherine found out; Mamonov confessed, was married to Shcherbatova and released to Moscow. His wife spread to her friends some details of her husband’s secret meetings with the Empress; Her immodesty was severely punished. One day, as soon as Mamonov went to bed with his wife, the Chief of Police came in to them and, showing the Highest command, went out into another room, leaving six hefty men dressed in women's clothes, who, having stripped their young wife naked, flogged him in the presence of her husband, forced to kneel. At the end of this process, the Chief of Police entered and said: “This is how the Empress punishes the first immodesty; and for the second they are exiled to Siberia.”
1791. Platon Zubov 16
On the very day of Mamonov’s wedding, Horse Guards officer Zubov was appointed as his favorite. Potemkin did not like this choice, but he was unable to convince Catherine to leave Zubov.
1791. Death of Potemkin
Sated with all the pleasures, not satisfied with either himself or the Empress, tormented by Zubov, Potemkin died of a fever, several miles from Iasi, under a tree, on a cloak, in the arms of his beloved niece Countess Branitskaya on October 15, 1791, 52 years old. . For the construction of a monument over his coffin, Catherine assigned 100 tons<ысяч>rubles Potemkin died of intemperance; being sick, he did not listen to doctors, ate and drank immoderately.
In 1794, the St. Petersburg Court was divided into two parties. The first one was run by old Osterman 17 , Vorontsov and Bezborodko 18 ; they were in charge of the second; Zubov, Markov and<Николай>Ivanovich Saltykov 19 .
Platon Zubov, Catherine’s lover, already his Serene Highness Prince and Field Chief General, used the power that Orlov, Lanskoy and Potemkin had.
Positions and differences of Catherine's lovers
As soon as the Empress chose a new lover, he was immediately promoted to chamberlain or aide-de-camp, so that without any reproach he could be with her everywhere. From that time on, he moved to the palace to live on the first floor in separate rooms, above which were the Empress’s bedroom and office with a small secret staircase connecting upstairs to downstairs.
On the first day, he received 100 tons for housewarming<ысяч>rubles, and on the 1st of every month 12t were placed on his table on the restroom<ысяч>rubles He was given a table daily for 24 people and was provided with all household needs. The favorite must accompany the Empress everywhere. He could not leave the palace without a report; he was forbidden to talk to women; and if he was invited to dinner by someone married, the hostess had to leave the house.
When the Empress intended to elevate someone to the level of her lover, then she ordered her confidante Marya Savichna Perekusikhina 20 invite him to dinner, where the Empress came as if by accident. There she talked with the guest and tried to find out: worthy<ли>he was of the high preference that was intended for him. When he attracted the attention of the Empress, then she let Marya Savichna know with her eyes, who, after Her departure, informed the one who liked her about this. Early the next day the court doctor came to see him and testified about his state of health. That same evening, with the new title of chamberlain or aide-de-camp, he accompanied the Empress to the Hermitage and went to the rooms prepared for him. This order started with Potemkin and continued unchanged.
When a lover went out of fashion, he was then ordered to travel with all expenses covered and with the firm confidence of finding in the place where he would settle down a reward worthy of the proud Catherine.
<...>but she was a mother 21 . Field Marshal Count Alexey Grigorievich Razumovsky 22 , taking advantage of Her many weaknesses and piety, persuaded Her to marry him secretly. Two brothers Count Tarakanov and their sister were the fruit of this secretive marriage 23 . Meanwhile, Razumovsky was not the only one who was Elizabeth’s lover; she liked frequent breaks. But the cunning favorite substituted for her those who could not shake his strength.
The voluptuous Elizabeth became addicted to feasts and wine. Dinners, balls, masquerades and all sorts of childish amusements distracted Her from her most important activities.
With the exception of Razumovsky, no one dominated Elizabeth's mind as much as the great chancellor Count Alec<сей>Peter<ович>Bestuzhev-Ryumin; the most daring and crafty man in the state. He controlled the Empress, Her lover and ministers; and alone decided the external and internal affairs of the entire Empire.
Count Yves<ан>Yves<анови>h Shuvalov was also among Elizabeth’s favorites; but he sought only wealth; and left the craftiness to his cousin Peter Iv<анович>at Shuvalov's.
Elizabeth, intending to deprive the offspring of Anna Ioannovna of hope for the Russian throne, appointed Karl-Peter Ulrich (her nephew), the son of the Duke of Holstein-Gottorp and Anna, the daughter of Peter I, as heir, and, calling this prince to P.<етер>burg<в> 1742 <г.>, forced him to renounce Lutheranism and recognize the Greek law with the name of Peter Fedorovich. In 1744, it was proposed to marry him to Sophie Augusta, Princess of Anhalt-Zerb, born on April 25, 1729. She was about a year younger than her groom, and in the Greek faith she was named Ekaterina Alekseevna.
Peter fell in love with Catherine, gifted with all the pleasures of youth in St.<анкт>-P<етер>burg, where she was brought by her mother, Princess Anhalt-Zerb, with the intention of uniting Her with the heir to the throne. At that time, Peter himself still had a very good face and a wonderful figure; affection for him soon became mutual; but when the day of their marriage had already been set, Peter suddenly fell ill with a fever, which was accompanied by the most dangerous smallpox. Having recovered, he remained disfigured and almost disgusting. On their first date, Catherine, having overcome herself, kissed Him with all the signs of joy; but, returning to her room, she fell into bed sobbing and lay unconscious for three whole hours. However, Her ambitious views had a greater effect on the union with Peter than the will of the Empress and Her mother. The marriage was consummated, but more than one change in Peter’s features cooled his young wife towards him; he still had imperfections, from which, however, the last rabbi in P<етербурге>or the worst doctor would have freed Him. Out of shyness, he did not dare to tell anyone about it. All the strains of His love, all the repeated efforts, nothing could facilitate the consummation of the marriage matter.
Catherine added to her beauty and intelligence her extensive knowledge and ease of speaking eloquently in many languages. Peter also had intelligence, but was poorly educated, he had a kind heart, but lacked courtesy. He blushed at his wife’s superiority—the wife because she found Himself unworthy—hatred was reborn between them.
Out of a strange prejudice, Elizabeth was afraid that Peter would not be too knowledgeable in the sciences. — She alienated the smart and learned Brimner from him 24 , and in his place she appointed Choglokova, a limited person.
Even at Peter’s very arrival, the courtiers looked at him with envious eyes. Among those who tried most to harm him was Chancellor Bestuzhev-Ryumin (Bestuzhev knew that Peter was angry with him for the joke he played with his father regarding the hereditary estates in Holstinia). This one outlined in his mind a plan to tear Him away from the throne. He wanted, at least, to remove Peter from military action, and put Catherine in charge of civil affairs. A conspiracy has been formed; courtiers and women made up this. Bestuzhev distributed his instructions to everyone on tickets, folded and placed in the other bottom of the snuff box, from which he served tobacco. Their main duty was to denigrate Peter as much as possible in the eyes of the Empress. Weak Elizabeth listened with pleasure to all the treacherous suggestions. Timid and suspicious, she soon developed a disgust for Peter.
Among Bestuzhev’s like-minded people was Count Kirill Grigorievich Razumovsky, a man, although of low and rude origin and without any education, but cunning and insightful. He easily crept into the favor of Peter, who called him brother and friend and demanded that Razumovsky call him the same. He betrayed Him shamelessly and vilely. Razumovsky's anger at Peter was aggravated by the latter's ridicule, who recalled to him his origin and occupation. Peter had another favorite who never betrayed Him: it was his adjutant general Andrei Vasilyevich Gudovich, whom Peter flattered to become hetman in Little Russia and spoke about this even in the presence of Razumovsky. Even long before Peter got used to drunkenness, they wanted to assure Elizabeth that the Grand Duke was giving himself up to it. Idle life, boredom and the instructions of those around him were the cause of this vice.
When the Empress believed the slander, she not only withheld her usual gift, but on his birthday 50 thousand<ысяч>rubles, but reduced His table expenses to such an extent that he and his guests often left the table hungry. Then Peter began to murmur; His complaints were increasingly conveyed to the Empress. In the spring Peter left P<етер>burg, where in his lifestyle he was more like a state criminal than an Heir to the Throne, and lived in Oranienbaum, which was given to him, which previously belonged to the famous Menshikov 25 ; there he amused himself by dressing his soldiers in German uniforms and teaching them Prussian exercise.
An admirer of Frederick the King of Prussia, he loved to change Russian into Prussian. On the advice of those around him, he got used to smoking tobacco, drinking wine and playing cards in the Prussian way.
Catherine behaved at that time in everything different from Peter; she attracted the most powerful persons at court and enjoyed the respect of the Empress.
Among the young people surrounding Peter, who, like him, indulged in excessive drinking of wine, games and military fun, was Saltykov 26 , chamberlain of the Grand Duke, distinguished by his taste in the fine sciences, beauty of his face and noble bearing; he was temperate and knew French literature quite well. Having barely emerged from his youth, he managed to acquire the favor of many court beauties.
This Saltykov was Catherine’s first lover. It cost him a lot of work and fear to express himself to her, but he overcame everything. At one of the holidays given by Elizabeth in P<етер>Burg, he reached the very pinnacle of happiness: Catherine pretended to be sick. Peter was so blinded by his chamberlain that he asked him to share the solitude of his wife. This was exactly what both lovers wanted, and they took advantage of it... But as soon as the Grand Duchess lost everything most precious, fear took possession of Her. She conveyed her sad premonition to Saltykov. The chamberlain, calming Her down, advised her to try as hard as possible to spend the night with her husband and took it upon himself to speed up the success of this enterprise.
Saltykov found an opportunity to tell Elizabeth about the obstacle separating Peter from his wife, and received Her approval for his extermination. The next day, Saltykov invited the Grand Duke to obey the Institution of the Jewish Legislator, but nothing could incline the prince to agree to this; however, Saltykov did not despair. At one time, when Peter, having gotten quite drunk at dinner, was begging his family to agree to Saltykov’s proposal, the famous Burgaw was brought in 27 with a skilled doctor, and the operation was completed quickly and happily. Elisaveta gave Saltykov a rich diamond ring.
Saltykov's relationship with Catherine was ended by the courtiers. The Empress found out about her, ordered Saltykov to be exiled to Siberia and, moreover, ordered: when Peter is able to enjoy the rights of a spouse, then Catherine should present Her, according to Russian custom, with evidence of her purity, which she was supposed to preserve until that time.
Peter, convinced by Saltykov of his innocence, acquitted him before Elizabeth. Catherine also spoke with Elizabeth, saying among other things: how deceptive and inconclusive can be the testimony that is required of her chastity.
When the pain was over, Catherine’s husband dared to enjoy his rights, he spent the night with her, defending himself as the happiest person in the world, and the next day, at Saltykov’s insistence, he sent to Elizabeth a sealed box with evidence of his wife’s imaginary innocence.
Happy Saltykov, continuing to enjoy Catherine's love, was finally separated from her by the cunning and machinations of Chancellor Bestuzhev: he was sent as an envoy extraordinary to the Swedish court with notification of the birth of Pavel Petrovich; then he was ordered to go to Hamburg and stay there as minister plenipotentiary.
Saltykov’s place in Catherine’s heart was later taken by Count Poniatovsky 28 , who was later the King of Poland, who came to Russia with the English envoy Williams and was his secretary. Soon this connection was recognized by Elizabeth, and Poniatovsky received orders to leave Russia; but then returned to P<етер>to the Burg Court, as an extraordinary envoy from the King of Poland and the Republic, and spent time with Catherine all day and night, having first entered into the favor of Peter. This return followed at the request of Catherine from Bestuzhev, who wrote about this to the Polish minister Count Braly. All the courtiers loudly called the young Pole the father of the child with whom Catherine was then pregnant. This child was Grand Duchess Anna, who died immediately after birth<в>1758
Elizabeth inconspicuously jumped from moderate pleasures to gluttony. She alternated between hypocrisy and debauchery and back again. She often drank to the point of losing her mind, and at that time she was extremely voluptuous and irritable, and did not tolerate being undressed for a long time. Having cut the lacing and dress with scissors, the women carried Her to the bed, where she sometimes returned her feelings in the arms of the new Athlete.
Peter, who for a long time did not know about Catherine’s connection with Poniatovsky, was amazed when Bestuzhev’s enemies revealed it to him. He wept bitterly and asked the Empress to take revenge for the insult inflicted on him, adding that Bestuzhev not only helped Catherine in her debauchery, but also did something contrary to the will of Elizabeth, returning, during Her illness, the troops sent to help Austria against Prussia. Bestuzhev was exiled to Siberia. Count Vorontsov was made chancellor in his place. 29 . Catherine fell out of favor with the Empress, but, in spite of everything, she continued her meetings with Poniatowski.
Shortly before this, Peter became addicted to one of the daughters of Senator Vorontsov, the chancellor's brother, Elisaveta Romanovna, who had neither beauty, nor pleasantness, nor intelligence.
Vorontsov, vile and ambitious, himself provided his daughter to the Grand Duke.
The reconciliation of the Empress with Catherine followed when Catherine searched in vain for him and decided to ask permission to return to Germany. In an important negotiation between them, Catherine promised not to see Poniatowski again.
They think that Elizabeth, hating Peter because of the slander of His enemies, intended to hand over the scepter to Paul, whom she praised before the guards soldiers in the theater, showing Him to them. But death soon struck Her down. Before her death, she drank the cup of death: a box of drinks stood in Her bedroom.
At this time, two parties emerged: the first was formed from the remaining adherents of Bestuzhev under the command of Ivan Iv<анови>Cha Shuvalov; She supported the side of the Grand Duchess. The second, defending the rights of the Grand Duke, was led by Senator Vorontsov. At the strong instigation of this party, Peter strongly suggested that when the Empress died, gather an army, proclaim himself Emperor, drive the Grand Duchess abroad, declare Paul illegitimate and solemnly marry Vorontsova.
Graph<Н. И.>Panin (descended from an obscure surname) was a chamber cadet. Catherine noticed him and considered him capable of her secret pleasures, but Her hope deceived her. Panin, apart from his figure, had nothing significant. This Panin, appointed as Pavel Petrovich’s uncle, joined Catherine’s party. He decided to unite both parties to install the Grand Duke on the throne, but so that he would be proclaimed not by the army, but by the Senate, which at the same time would limit His power and confirm the rank of Grand Duchess and Her son.
During the illness of the Empress, Panin told Peter the following: “The prosperity of your reign and the Glory that you bring upon yourself depends on the first step upon your accession to the throne, Sovereign. There are two ways to endow you with supreme power: the first is to proclaim yourself Emperor from the army, the second is to accept the crown from the hands of the Senate. The first is faster, the second is stronger. The whole of Europe and most of Asia are looking at you with intent eyes. Think, Sovereign, about the Glory that you will acquire when countless peoples subordinate to your scepter, and the very peoples themselves, are alien to see in all its splendor your generosity and determination to establish yourself on the throne not through the bribery of soldiers to whom your predecessors are indebted, but through free election representatives of the state, etc.”
Peter hesitated and was ready to agree, but Gudovich, who came out to him, advised him to rely on the decision of old Prince Trubetskoy 30 , who told Peter: that the remedy offered to him is more dangerous than the one with which they are frightening Him, and is contrary to the customs of the Empire; that the Senate never had any influence in the election of Kings; that if His throne should be shaken, would the Senate have power to strengthen it? and so on.
Trubetskoy's advice received the approval of Catherine, from whom Peter asked her opinion and who, meanwhile, was busy composing a proclamatory Act recognizing Her husband as Emperor and a model oath for the army.
Elizabeth died on January 5, 1762. She reigned weakly for 20 years and was more worthy of vegetating in monastic life than sitting on the throne.
Upon his accession to the throne, Peter III showed himself meek, fair, and enlightened. He did not take revenge on anyone and turned to his wife with affection and confidence. He returned from Siberia up to 17 civilian prisoners exiled by Elizabeth - among them were: Biron 31 , Minich 32 and Lestock 33 . He issued two manifestos, on the freedom of nobles to choose their type of service and travel abroad and on the destruction of the Secret Chancellery. All actions, full of modesty and greatness, in the first days of His reign were the result of the leadership and instructions of Gudovich. Peter listened to his reproaches with shame and amazement. He asked Gudovich: what can He do to satisfy the Empire for the days lost in revelry? Gudovich presented Him with the above two manifestos, corrected by Chancellor Vorontsov, which were approved. Disagreements between Peter and Catherine arose again. His bad lifestyle, commitment to the Germans, blind respect for Frederick, who, at His request, granted Him major general of his troops, neglect of the Russians, turned the hearts of the People away from Him. Although he did not hide his intention to divorce Catherine, recognize Paul as illegitimate and marry Vorontsova, who forced Him to do so with abuse and hand; but, confident of his infertility, he decided to adopt Prince John 34 , overthrown by Elizabeth, and visited him in the Shlisselburg fortress, where he ordered the construction of a new building, intending it for Catherine.
Catherine, it seemed, retained all her affection for Poniatovsky, and after his departure, they did not see anyone possessing Her; but she had short-term connections, brought to Her by Katerina Ivanovna Vrebbe so that those who were introduced to Her did not know with whom they were dealing. Thus, Grigory Orlov did not know his happiness for some time. But the Empress, making sure of his courage and modesty, revealed to him her power-hungry views. Orlov formed a conspiracy with her, adding his brothers, Bibikov 35 , Passeka 36 and several other officers.
The third party, in addition to the two mentioned above, was formed under the command of the 19-year-old Princess Dashkova, the sister of Elisaveta Vorontsova, the Emperor’s mistress. Its active member was the Piedmontese Odart 37 . The goal of all parties was to overthrow the Emperor. But others wanted to elevate Paul to the throne, others Catherine. Count Panin, stubborn and dangerous, belonged to the first; to others Princess Dashkova, Orlov and others. In order to win Panin over to her side, Dashkova sacrificed her affections to him, having previously denied him them, and succeeded in her desire.
The united conspirators thought of nothing more than the speedy execution of their plan. The Orlovs, Bibikovs and Passeks managed to seduce three companies of the Izmailovsky regiment, but they were not enough; the guards needed money to bribe other soldiers. Catherine did not have them. The French envoy Bretel refused her a loan of 60 tons<ысяч>rubles Meanwhile, Catherine was afraid that the conspiracy would not be discovered and that She would not be imprisoned forever; In addition, she was tormented by the fits of pregnancy and the proximity of resolution. No matter how hard she tried to hide her situation, Peter, confident about the time when permission should follow, wanted to catch Her. He went in to her and was deceived: Catherine was already sitting in the chairs on which two hours before she had given birth to her son (Count Alexei Grigorievich Bobrinsky).
The Emperor ordered Prince John to be brought very secretly from Kexholm to St.<анкт>-P<етер>burg, where he visited him at night with Gudovich and Volkov 38 . He appointed the celebration of the feast of Peter and Paul in Peterhof; and the next day, along with his departure to the army moved to conquer Holstinia, to arrest the Empress. But fate wanted otherwise. An accident revealed the conspiracy, and Passek was arrested. They got down to business that same night. Grigory Orlov with his brother Vladimir and Bibikov galloped to the barracks to prepare their soldiers for action. Alexey Orlov was sent to Peterhof to fetch the Empress. The Emperor was at that time in Oranienbaum. Alexey Orlov entered the Empress’s bedroom through the door to which Grigory Orlov gave him the key; he woke her up. Catherine, calling Mrs. Wrebbe, hurried to get dressed, and both set off in a carriage that was waiting for them two miles from Peterhof, prepared by Dashkova. Orlov sat down on the box, but soon the horses stopped; it was still a long way to Petersburg; decided to walk; They came across a peasant cart. Orlov put Catherine in it and galloped off.
The Empress entered the capital at 7 a.m. on June 28, 1762. She was immediately escorted to the Izmailovsky regiment. Seeing the small number of soldiers running out to meet her, she became frightened and, gasping for breath, told the soldiers that the Emperor intended to<ся>kill her and her son. Hetman Razumovsky, the regiment commander, appeared there, and the entire regiment swore allegiance to Catherine; which was followed by Semenovsky and Preobrazhensky, except for two officers Chalkov and Pushkin 39 . Catherine ordered them to be arrested, saying that She did not need them. From the regiment, Catherine, at the suggestion of Razumovsky, went to the Kazan Cathedral, where everything was ready for Her reception. Archbishop Novgor<од>the city with the cathedral met Her; He handed Her the scepter and the orb and proclaimed her Autocrat, and Her heir, Paul. From here they moved to the palace, where they received all the residents of the capital.
Before it got dark, Catherine already had 15 tons<ысяч>a man of the elite army. The city was safe on all sides. Around noon, Catherine, having ascertained the loyalty of St. Petersburg, ordered the dissolution of the manifesto, prepared and printed by Odart in a few days, about her accession to the throne; Meanwhile, she, dressed in the Preobrazhensky uniform, taken from a young officer<А. Ф.>Talyzina, rode on horseback along all the ranks next to Dashkova, also in a guards uniform. The troops were constantly served beer and wine. It was decided: the army should march against the Emperor; Catherine, accompanied by Dashkova and Razumovsky, led them, on horseback with a naked sword in her hand. 7 versts from the capital in Krasnoye Selo she rested for several hours. At 5 o'clock in the morning on the 29th, Catherine made another transition and stopped in the Sergius Desert.
The Emperor, having learned about Catherine's escape and the riot on June 28, came from Oranienbaum to Peterhof with many ladies and courtiers. Bressan informed Him about the latter 40 , a retired hairdresser, through his servant in disguise. Timidity took possession of Him. He didn't know what to do. Chancellor Vorontsov took permission from him to go to the Empress to admonish Her. At first he spoke to Her with firmness, but after that he also swore allegiance to Her. Minich advised the Emperor to oppose the rebels with his Holstinians (600 people), but Peter rejected; then Minikh advised Him to take refuge in Kronstadt as a fortified place, from where He could act on St. Petersburg. The proposal was accepted: they boarded the yachts, but, approaching Kronstadt, they were not allowed into it, by order of Admiral Talyzin, a supporter of Catherine. They answered the Emperor that they did not have an Emperor, and shouted: long live Catherine II. Frightened Peter ordered to set sail. Minich also advised Him to go to Revel, reach Pomerania, where the Russian troops were, and return with them to Russia; but the timidity of the ladies and courtiers overcame the danger: Peter ordered to return to Oranienbaum, where he learned about the approach of Catherine with 20 thousand<ысячами>troops, ordered the destruction of the small fortress as proof that he did not want to defend himself. He wanted to flee, disguised, beyond the borders of Poland, but did not dare and ended up sending two letters to Catherine, of which in the first, confessing his misdeeds, he offered to share supreme power with her; and in the second, in the most humiliating way, he asked for forgiveness, gave up the throne to Her and asked to grant Him a pension and to let Him go to Holstinia. He himself went to see her in Peterhof, convinced that he had given himself over to Ekaterina Izmailov’s side. 41 , chamberlain, taking with him Vorontsova and Gudovich. Upon arrival, they and Vorontsova tore off the sign of the maid of honor, and Gudovich was arrested; The Tsar himself was taken to the top floor and stripped down to his shirt. In this position He sat barefoot for some time, subject to the ridicule of the soldiers; then they put a bad robe on him and locked him in custody. Here Count Panin, sent by Catherine, promising Him soon freedom and departure to Holstinia, proposed an Act of Abdication, which was rewritten and signed by the Emperor. From here they transported Him under guard to Monsou, the dacha of Hetman Razumovsky.
Catherine spent the night in Peterhof, where she received congratulations; the next day she solemnly rode into St. Petersburg on horseback. Panin was named first minister; The Orlovs were given the dignity of counts; of these, Gregory was awarded a lieutenant general and Alexander Nevsky a knight; Estates were distributed to the 24 officers; many have been promoted; finances did not allow distributing anything to the soldiers except wine and beer.
After a little while, some regiments began to grumble and repent of their betrayal of the Tsar. The sailors contemptuously reproached the guards for selling the Emperor for a glass of wine and a glass of beer. In Moscow, the five regiments quartered and the residents of the capital, gathered on Red Square, after reading the manifesto by the commander-in-chief, responded to his proclamation: “Long live Catherine II” with silence and dispersed.
In order to decide to exterminate any cause for alarm, the attackers determined the death of Peter III. Alexey Orlov with guard officer Teplov 42 They came to Peter and, having announced His imminent release, went to have breakfast. Vodka and appetizers were served; when Teplov tried to keep the Emperor busy, Orlov poured glasses and poured poison into one of them for the Emperor, composed by one of the court doctors. Without suspicion, the Emperor drank vodka. Less than 10 minutes passed when He felt pain. Convicting Orlov of his crime, He demanded milk with a terrible cry, but the monsters Teplov and Orlov managed to pour poison into the milk. The valet came running. The emperor, throwing himself on his neck, cried out: “Not only did they take away my throne, they also want to take away my life.” The villains pushed out the valet and rushed at the Emperor.
At that moment Prince Fyodor Baryatinsky entered 43 , in charge of the guard. Orlov had already knocked the Emperor to the floor, crushing his chest with his knees, squeezing his throat with one hand, and squeezing his skull with the other. Baryatinsky and Teplov, wrapping a napkin around His neck, pulled at both ends. Peter, gathering his last strength, scratched Baryatinsky’s face; but soon he became exhausted; the villains put an end to His life.
Alexei Orlov galloped off to report to Catherine that Peter no longer existed. She locked herself in the office with Orlov, Panin, Razumovsky and Glebov 44 for consultations: is it necessary to immediately announce the death of the Emperor? Due: postpone until tomorrow. Catherine spent the rest of the day having fun. In the morning, pretending not to know about Peter’s death, she ordered to report to herself about it during lunch. They barely had time to tell her when, with a lady's sob, she ran into the office and for several days showed the deepest sadness. The manifesto, published at this time, says that the Emperor died of hemorrhoidal seizures (July 5).
The body of the murdered man was brought to the Nevsky Monastery for burial. Those who kissed the deceased on the face returned home with swollen lips, so strong was the poison! The mob that accompanied the Emperor's body showered the guard soldiers with curses for shedding the last drop of Peter the Great's blood. The Holstin soldiers who were present at the funeral were sent the next day to their fatherland on a frigate, which, having sailed several miles from Kronstadt, sank, and those soldiers who could have escaped were not given help.
Bestuzhev-Ryumin returned from Siberia. Biron received back the Duchy of Courland. Minich was made governor-general of Estland and Livonia. Minikh was deliberately removed from the palace as a man unwavering and proud of his merits.
The King of Prussia, who understood Catherine better than other Sovereigns, wrote to Count Folkenstein: “The Russian Emperor was dethroned by his wife, which was to be expected. This empress has a great mind and the same inclinations towards love as her late aunt Eya. She has no religion, but pretends to be pious. This is the second volume of Zeno the Greek Emperor, His wife Adriana 45 and Maria Medicis 46 ».
The wine and money distributed to the commander-in-chief in Moscow changed the spirit and way of thinking among the troops. Catherine was in a hurry to be crowned in Moscow. With a large retinue, She entered the ancient capital in splendor and splendor. Despite the money distributed in advance, the Empress was received without zeal or enthusiasm. She concluded that the people did not like Her presence. As She approached, the people separated and always rushed before the Grand Duke. She was crowned in the presence of troops and courtiers. Dissatisfied with Moscow, Catherine, hiding her indignation, hurried to return to St.<анкт>-Petersburg.
In order to weaken the monks, who were so useful to Her, Catherine ordered the Synod to make an exchange according to the decree of Peter III 47 . Instead of returning to them, as promised, the estates taken from them, the main ranks of the clergy were slowly given money. These hierarchs sold the rest of the brethren. Chentsy 48 woke up. They fanned a rebellion among the people, sowed sparks in the soldiers, and reminded them of the ill-fated John, who was returned to the Shlisselburg fortress by Catherine immediately after Eyan’s accession to the throne. They scattered the lists from the manifesto, which they managed to open, but which Catherine’s followers could not get their hands on. This manifesto was composed by State Councilor Volkov and signed by the Emperor. In him He solemnly revealed all the vices of Catherine and, accusing Her of adultery, announced that he did not recognize Paul as his son, because he was born of Saltykov. Everything foreshadowed indignation; out of prejudice, this Empress forbade the guards soldiers to gather on the streets; whoever was bolder was put in prison and punished with a whip.
Ivan Ivanovich Shuvalov is removed from the courtyard. General Vilboa 49 dismissed from service. Princess Dashkova, upset by the refusal of her request to give her the title of colonel of the Preobrazhensky Regiment and grumbling about Catherine’s ingratitude, was sent to Moscow.
In general, all those who knew Catherine briefly accused Her of ingratitude and selfishness. State Councilor Brodorff, who was Peter III’s secret secretary, said about her: “The Empress thinks that everyone should consider it a blessing to serve Her and is quite rewarded with the honor of being with her; when she is in the mood to make something useful for herself, she does exactly the same thing as with a lemon: she squeezes out all the juice and throws the peel out the window.”
A general unrest appeared in the barracks and increased to such an extent that the Empress was for several days very close to suffering a fate equal to her husband. She didn't lose her courage. Secretly one hundred<ра>tried to put out this fire. The Orlovs and their comrades reassured the soldiers with promises and money. 24 officers were arrested and put on trial. Of these, 4 main ones, 3 brothers Guryev of the Izmailovsky regiment and Khrushchev of the Ingermanland regiment, were exiled to hard labor, and the rest to Siberia.
Always combining cunning with firmness, Catherine managed to seduce the high priests who were most dangerous to her and interrupt the monks’ malice. She returned Dashkova to the Court, who, due to her connections in Moscow and respect, could disturb the calm of the Empire; drove Odart away and bought the Trumpet of Glory with money. The thunder of Her praise, which spread throughout Europe, reverberated in P<тер>burg.
Catherine often said: “You need to be firm in your assumptions. It is better to do something bad than to change your intentions. Some fools are indecisive." She always followed this rule.
It is known that Elisaveta Petrovna had three children from a secret marriage with Count Alexei Grigorievich Razumovsky. The youngest of them was a daughter, raised under the name of Princess Tarakanova. Prince Radzivil 50 , harboring anger towards Catherine for the destruction of Polish rights, planned to pit this princess against Her. He bribed the princess's teachers and took her to Rome in 1767. She ordered the entire estate of Radzivil to be taken away and brought him to the point where, in return for the return of the estate, he refused to participate in the fate of Tarakanova and left her in Rome in a bad situation under the supervision of only one woman.
Alexey Orlov, by the will of Catherine, came to Rome, with the help of the Neapolitan Ribas 51 (who later was a Russian vice-admiral) seduced an innocent princess; assured her of enthronement to the Russian throne; married her, dressing the three lower ranks in clothes: priest, sexton and sexton; in a cunning way he moved with her to Pisa, to Livorna, and finally, when they visited a Russian ship that arrived from Russia under the command of Rear Admiral Greich 52 , bound her in chains, brought her to St. Petersburg, where this unfortunate victim of politics 6 years later, in 1777, in the former P.<етер>Burg flood drowned in her prison in the Peter and Paul Fortress.
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