On February 14, 1744, an event occurred that was extremely important for the subsequent history of Russia. Arrived in St. Petersburg, accompanied by her mother Princess Sophia Augusta Frederica of Anhalt-Zerbst. The 14-year-old girl was entrusted with a high mission - she was to become the wife of the heir to the Russian throne, bear sons to her husband and thereby strengthen the ruling dynasty.
Court leapfrog
The middle of the 18th century in Russia went down in history as the “era palace coups" In 1722 Peter I issued a decree on succession to the throne, according to which the emperor himself could appoint a successor. This decree played a cruel joke on Peter himself, who did not have time to express his will before his death.
There was no obvious and unconditional contender: Peter's sons had died by that time, and all other candidates did not find universal support.
To the Most Serene Prince Alexander Danilovich Menshikov succeeded in enthroning the wife of Peter I Ekaterina, who became empress under the name Catherine I. Her reign lasted only two years, and after her death, the grandson of Peter the Great, the son of the prince, ascended the throne Alexei Peter II.
The struggle for influence over the young king ended with the unfortunate teenager catching a cold during one of the many hunts and dying on the eve of his own wedding.
The nobles, who were again faced with the problem of choosing a monarch, gave preference to the dowager Duchess of Courland Anna Ioannovna, daughters Ivan V, brother of Peter the Great.
Anna Ioannovna did not have children who could legally occupy the Russian throne, and appointed her nephew as heir Ioann Antonovich, who was less than six months old at the time of his accession to the throne.
In 1741, another coup took place in Russia, as a result of which the daughter of Peter the Great ascended the throne Elizabeth.
Looking for an heir
Elizaveta Petrovna, 1756. Artist Toke Louis (1696-1772)
Elizabeth Petrovna, who by that time was already 32 years old, ascended the throne, immediately faced the question of an heir. The Russian elite did not want a repetition of the Troubles and sought stability.
The problem was that the officially unmarried Elizaveta Petrovna, like Anna Ioannovna, could not give the empire, so to speak, a natural heir.
Elizabeth had many favorites, with one of whom, Alexey Razumovsky, she, according to one version, even entered into a secret marriage. Moreover, the empress may even have given birth to his children.
But in any case, they could not become heirs to the throne.
Therefore, Elizaveta Petrovna and her entourage began to look for a suitable heir. The choice fell on the 13-year-old Karl Peter Ulrich of Holstein-Gottorp, son of Elizaveta Petrovna's sister Anna And Duke of Holstein-Gottorp Karl Friedrich.
Elizabeth’s nephew had a difficult childhood: his mother died of a cold, which she got during a fireworks display in honor of the birth of her son. The father did not pay much attention to raising his son, and the appointed teachers preferred the rod out of all pedagogical methods. Things got really bad for the boy when, at the age of 11, his father died and distant relatives took him in.
At the same time, Karl Peter Ulrich was a great-nephew Charles XII and was a contender for the Swedish throne.
Nevertheless, the Russian envoys managed to get the boy to move to St. Petersburg.
What didn't work out for Elizabeth and Catherine?
Pyotr Fedorovich when he was Grand Duke. Portrait Georg Christopher Groth (1716-1749)
Elizaveta Petrovna, who saw her nephew alive for the first time, was in a slight shock - a thin, sickly-looking teenager with a wild look, could hardly speak French, had no manners, and was generally not burdened with knowledge.
The Empress rather arrogantly decided that in Russia the guy would quickly be re-educated. To begin with, the heir was converted to Orthodoxy and named Petr Fedorovich and assigned him teachers. But the teachers wasted their time with Petrusha - until the end of his days, Pyotr Fedorovich never mastered the Russian language, and in general he was one of the least educated Russian monarchs.
After the heir was found, it was necessary to find a bride for him. Elizaveta Petrovna generally had far-reaching plans: she was going to get offspring from Peter Fedorovich and his wife, and then independently raise her grandson from birth so that he would become the empress’s successor. However, in the end this plan was not destined to come true.
It is curious that Catherine the Great would subsequently try to carry out a similar maneuver, preparing her grandson as heir. Alexander Pavlovich, and will also fail.
Princess as Cinderella
However, let's return to our story. The main “fair for royal brides” in the 18th century was Germany. One State there was none, but there were many principalities and duchies, small and insignificant, but with an overabundance of well-born, but poor young girls.
Considering the candidates, Elizaveta Petrovna remembered the Holstein prince, whom in her youth was predicted to be her husband. The prince's sister Johannes Elisabeth, daughter was growing up - Sofia Augusta Frederica. The girl's father was Christian August of Anhalt-Zerbst, representative of an ancient princely family. However, a big name did not come with large incomes, because Christian Augustus was in the service of the Prussian king. And although the prince ended his career with the rank of Prussian field marshal, most He and his family spent their lives in poverty.
Sophia Augusta Frederica was educated at home solely because her father could not afford to hire expensive tutors. The girl even had to darn her own stockings, so there was no need to talk about the princess being spoiled.
At the same time, Fike, as Sophia Augusta Frederica was called at home, was distinguished by her curiosity, thirst for study, as well as for street games. Fike was a real daredevil and took part in boyish amusements, which did not make her mother too happy.
The Tsar's Bride and the Would-be Conspirator
The news that the Russian Empress was considering Fike as the bride of the heir to the Russian throne struck the girl’s parents. For them it was a real gift of fate. Fike herself, who had a sharp mind since her youth, understood that this was her chance to escape from her poor parental home into another, brilliant and vibrant life.
Catherine after her arrival in Russia, portrait by Louis Caravaque.
The life of the Russian Empress Catherine the Great, which has attracted the attention of both ordinary people and creative individuals for more than two centuries, is surrounded by a large number of all kinds of myths. AiF.ru recalls the five most common legends about the most famous Russian ruler.
Myth one. “Catherine II gave birth to an heir to the throne not from Peter III”
One of the most persistent myths associated with the Russian Empress concerns who was the father of the heir to the throne, Pavel Petrovich. For Paul I, who ascended the throne, this topic remained painful until his very last days.
The reason for the persistence of such rumors is that Catherine II herself did not seek to refute them or somehow punish those who spread them.
The relationship between Catherine and her husband, the future emperor Peter III, really weren't very warm. The marital relationship in the early years was incomplete due to Peter's illness, which was subsequently overcome as a result of the operation.
Two years before Pavel was born, Catherine had her first favorite, Sergey Saltykov. The relationship between him and Catherine ended after the future empress showed signs of pregnancy. Subsequently, Saltykov was sent abroad as a Russian envoy, and practically did not appear in Russia.
There seem to be many reasons for the version of Saltykov’s paternity, but they all do not look convincing against the backdrop of the undoubted portrait similarity between Peter III and Paul I. Contemporaries, focusing not on rumors, but on facts, had no doubt that Pavel was the son of Peter Fedorovich.
Myth two. “Catherine II sold Alaska to America”
The persistent myth at the end of the 20th century was reinforced by the song of the group “Lube”, after which the empress’s status as “liquidator of Russian America” was finally established.
In reality, during the reign of Catherine the Great, Russian industrialists were just beginning to develop Alaska. The first permanent Russian settlement was founded on Kodiak Island in 1784.
The Empress was indeed unenthusiastic about the projects presented to her for the development of Alaska, but this was caused by who intended to develop it and how.
In 1780, secretary of the Commerce Collegium Mikhail Chulkov submitted to the Prosecutor General of the Senate, Prince Vyazemsky, a project for creating a company that was to receive a 30-year monopoly on fishing and trade in the entire Pacific North. Catherine II, who was an opponent of monopolies, rejected the project. In 1788, a similar project, which provided for the transfer of a trade and fishing monopoly of monopoly rights to the extraction of furs in newly discovered territories in the New World, was submitted by industrialists Grigory Shelikhov And Ivan Golikov. The project was also rejected. Only after the death of Catherine II, the development of Alaska by a monopoly company was approved by Paul I.
As for the sale of Alaska, the deal with the United States was concluded in March 1867 on the initiative of the great-grandson of Catherine the Great, Emperor Alexandra II.
Myth three. “Catherine II had hundreds of lovers”
Rumors about the incredible sexual exploits of the Russian Empress, which have been circulating for the third century, are greatly exaggerated. The list of her hobbies throughout her life contains just over 20 names - this, of course, is uncharacteristic for the Russian court of the pre-Catherine era, but for the morals of Europe at that time the situation was quite normal. With a small clarification - for male monarchs, not for women. But the whole point is that there were not so many women who ruled states single-handedly at that time.
Until 1772, Catherine’s love list was very short - in addition to her legal spouse Peter Fedorovich, it featured Sergey Saltykov, future Polish king Stanislav August Poniatowski And Grigory Orlov, the relationship with whom lasted about 12 years.
Apparently, 43-year-old Catherine was further influenced by the fear of her own beauty fading. In an effort to catch up with her youth, she began to change her favorites, who became younger and younger, and the duration of their stay with the empress became shorter and shorter.
The last of the favorites lasted for seven whole years. In 1789, 60-year-old Catherine approached a 22-year-old Horse Guards Platon Zubov. The aging woman was very attached to Zubov, whose only talent was extracting money from the state treasury. But this sad story definitely has nothing to do with the mythical “hundreds of lovers.”
Myth four. “Catherine II spent most of her time at feasts and balls”
Little Fike's childhood was indeed far from the classical ideas of how a princess should live. The girl was even forced to learn how to darn her own stockings. It would not be surprising if, having arrived in Russia, Catherine rushed to compensate for her “difficult childhood” with a passion for luxury and entertainment.
But in fact, having ascended the throne, Catherine II lived in the strict rhythm of the head of state. She got up at 5 am, and only in later years did this time shift to 7 am. Immediately after breakfast, the reception of officials began, and the schedule of their reports was clearly outlined by hours and days of the week, and this order did not change for years. The empress's working day lasted up to four hours, after which it was time to rest. At 10 p.m. Catherine went to bed, because in the morning she had to get up for work again.
Officials who visited the empress on official business outside of solemn and official events saw her in simple dresses without any jewelry - Catherine believed that she did not need to dazzle her subjects with her appearance on weekdays.
Myth fifth. “Catherine II was killed by a Polish dwarf avenger”
The death of the empress was also surrounded by many myths. A year before her death, Catherine II was one of the initiators of the Third Partition of Poland, after which the country ceased to exist as a independent states. The Polish throne, on which the empress's former lover, King Stanisław August Poniatowski, had previously sat, was sent to St. Petersburg, where, on the orders of the empress, it was allegedly made into a “toilet” for her dressing room.
Of course, Polish patriots could not endure such humiliation of their own country and the ancient throne of the Piast dynasty.
The myth says that a certain Pole-dwarf allegedly managed to sneak into Catherine’s chambers, ambushed her in the restroom, stabbed her with a dagger and disappeared safely. The courtiers who discovered the empress could not help her, and she soon died.
The only truth in this story is that Catherine was actually found in the restroom. On the morning of November 16, 1796, the 67-year-old empress, as usual, got out of bed, drank coffee and went to the toilet room, where she lingered for too long. The valet on duty dared to look there and found Catherine lying on the floor. Her eyes were closed, her complexion was purple, and wheezing came from her throat. The Empress was taken to the bedchamber. In the fall, Catherine sprained her leg, her body became so heavy that the servants did not have enough strength to lift him onto the bed. Therefore, they laid a mattress on the floor and laid the empress on it.
All signs indicated that Catherine had suffered an apoplexy - this term then meant a stroke and cerebral hemorrhage. She did not regain consciousness, and the court doctors who assisted her had no doubt that the empress had only a few hours left to live.
According to doctors, death should have occurred around three o'clock in the afternoon on November 17. Catherine’s strong body made its own adjustments here too - great empress passed away at 9:45 pm on November 17, 1796.
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On February 14, 1744, an event occurred that was extremely important for the subsequent history of Russia. Princess Sophia Augusta Frederica of Anhalt-Zerbst arrived in St. Petersburg, accompanied by her mother.
From Fike to the Mistress of Russia. 10 facts about the early years of Catherine the Great
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Poor Lisa. The story of Catherine the Great's unrecognized daughter
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After the shameful reign of Emperor Peter 3, the Russian throne was taken by Empress Catherine 2 the Great. Her reign lasted 34 (thirty-four) years, during which Russia managed to restore order within the country and strengthen the position of the fatherland in the international arena.
The reign of Catherine 2 began in 1762. From the moment she came to power, the young empress was distinguished by her intelligence and desire to do everything possible to bring order to the country after long palace coups. For these purposes, Empress Catherine 2 the Great carried out the so-called policy of enlightened absolutism in the country. The essence of this policy was to educate the country, give peasants minimal rights, promote the opening of new enterprises, annex church lands to state lands, and much more. In 1767, the empress assembled a Legislative Commission in the Kremlin, which was supposed to develop a new, fair set of laws for the country.
While dealing with the internal affairs of the state, Catherine 2 had to constantly look back at her neighbors. In 1768, the Ottoman Empire declared war on Russia. Each side pursued different goals in this war. The Russians entered the war hoping to secure access to the Black Sea. Ottoman Empire hoped to expand the borders of its possessions at the expense of the Russian Black Sea lands. The first years of the war did not bring success to either side. However, in 1770, General Rumyantsev defeated the Turkish army at the Larga River. In 1772, the young commander Suvorov A.V. was involved in the war, transferred to the Turkish front from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The commander immediately, in 1773, captured the important fortress of Turtukai and crossed the Danube. As a result, the Turks offered peace, signed in 1774 at Kuçyur-Kaynarci. Under this treaty, Russia received the territory between southern But and the Dnieper, as well as the fortresses of Yenikale and Kerch.
Empress Catherine II the Great was in a hurry to end the war with the Turks, since by 1773 popular unrest began to arise for the first time in the south of the country. These unrest resulted in peasant war under the leadership of E. Pugachev. Pugachev, posing as the miraculously saved Peter 3, raised the peasants to war with the empress. Russia has never known such bloody uprisings. It was completed only in 1775. Pugachev was quartered.
In the period from 1787 to 1791, Russia was again forced to fight. This time we had to fight on two fronts: in the south with the Turks, in the north with the Swedes. The Turkish company became the benefit of Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov. The Russian commander glorified himself by winning great victories for Russia. In this war, under the command of Suvorov, his student, Kutuzov M.I., began to win his first victories. The war with Sweden was not as fierce as with Turkey. The main events took place in Finland. The decisive battle took place in Vyborg naval battle in June 1790. The Swedes were defeated. A peace treaty was signed, preserving the existing borders of the state. On the Turkish front, Potemkin and Suvorov won one victory after another. As a result, Türkiye was again forced to ask for peace. As a result of which, in 1791, the Dniester River became the border between Russia and the Ottoman Empire.
Empress Catherine the Great did not forget about the western borders of the state. Together with Austria and Prussia, Russia took part in three sections of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. As a result of these divisions, Poland ceased to exist, and Russia regained most of the original Russian lands.
The period of the reign of Catherine II is rightly called the “golden age” of the empire. This was the heyday of Russia's political and military power. At the same time, Catherine herself appears before us in a very contradictory light.
- The reign of Catherine II (1762-1796) contributed to the growth of Russia in many areas. Treasury revenues increased from 16 to 68 million rubles, the size of the army almost doubled, and the number of battleships increased from 20 to 67, 144 new cities were built and 11 provinces were acquired, and the population increased from 30 to 44 million people.
- By 1782, Catherine II was ripe for a grandiose plan. She was seized by the idea of dividing Turkish territories and creating a Greek one - read Byzantine Empire with its capital in Constantinople. The plans also included the formation of the puppet state of Dacia, which would serve as a kind of buffer zone between Russia, the Greek Empire and Austria. The “Greek project” was not destined to live, however, this year brought reinforcements - Crimea was recaptured for Russia.
- Catherine's dining table impressed with its sophistication and variety. On it one could see such exotic dishes as poulards with truffles, chiryata with olives, and gateau Compiègne. It is quite natural that the daily expenses for food for the empress cost up to 90 rubles (for example, the annual salary of a soldier was only 7 rubles).
- The domestic policy of Catherine II was distinguished by religious tolerance. During her reign, the persecution of Old Believers was stopped, and Catholic and Protestant churches were actively built. For promoting the popularization of Buddhism by the lamas of Buryatia, Catherine was considered one of the manifestations of White Tara.
- It is known that the empress recognized the polygamy existing among Muslims as beneficial, which, according to her, contributed to population growth. When representatives of the Russian clergy complained to Catherine about the construction of a mosque in Kazan near Orthodox churches, she answered something like this: “The Lord tolerates different faiths, which means their temples can stand next to each other.”
- In 1791, Catherine II signed a decree prohibiting Jews from settling outside the Pale of Settlement. Despite the fact that the Empress was never suspected of having a bad attitude towards Jews, she was often accused of anti-Semitism. However, this decree was dictated by purely economic considerations - to prevent competition from Jewish businessmen, which could undermine the position of the Moscow merchants.
- It is estimated that during her entire reign, Catherine gave away more than 800 thousand serfs to landowners and nobles, thereby setting a kind of record. There is an explanation for this. The Empress had every reason to fear a noble rebellion or another coup d'etat.
- During the war between England and its North American colonies, Catherine refused the kingdom military assistance. On the initiative of diplomat Nikita Panin, in 1780 the Empress issued a Declaration of Armed Neutrality, which was joined by most European countries. This step greatly contributed to the victory of the colonies and the early independence of the United States of America.
- Catherine initially reacted to the Great French Revolution with a certain degree of sympathy, seeing it as a consequence of the unreasonable and despotic policies of the French monarchs. However, everything changed with the execution of Louis XVI. Now, Paris, embraced by freedom, is for her “a hellish heat” and “a den of robbers.” She could not help but see the danger of revolutionary revelry, both for Europe and for Russia itself.
- Catherine's time was the heyday of favoritism, which was very characteristic of Europe in the second half of the 18th century. Catherine's scholar Pyotr Bartenev attributed 23 novels to the Empress herself. If you believe the surviving correspondence, she was attracted to all her lovers by an “uncontrollable feeling.”
- None of Catherine's favorites was allowed to resolve important political issues, with the exception of two - Grigory Potemkin and Pyotr Zavadovsky. Catherine usually lived with her favorites for no more than two or three years - problems got in the way longer: age difference, incompatibility of characters, or the queen’s strict daily routine. None of the favorites was disgraced; on the contrary, they were all generously rewarded with titles, money, and estates.
- Shortly before her death, Catherine the Great composed an epitaph for her future tombstone, which became a kind of self-portrait of the ruler. Among other things, there are the following lines: “She easily forgave and did not hate anyone. She was forgiving, loved life, had a cheerful disposition, was a true Republican in her convictions and had a kind heart. She had friends. The work was easy for her. She liked social entertainment and the arts."
On November 17, 1796, Catherine II died. The empress's 34-year reign was marked by both failures and notable successes. In particular, 144 cities were built and 78 military victories were won. During her reign, medicine, education and science actively developed. We decided to talk about five glorious deeds of Catherine II.
Education and science
Catherine enthusiastically accepted the ideas of the Enlightenment and gave great importance education. In 1768, a network of city schools was created, based on a class-lesson system. Schools began to open actively.
In addition, under Catherine it was given Special attention development of women's education. In 1764, the Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens and the Educational Society for Noble Maidens were opened. The Academy of Sciences has become one of the leading scientific bases in Europe. An observatory, a physics laboratory, an anatomical theater, a botanical garden, instrumental workshops, a printing house, a library, and an archive were founded. On October 11, 1783, the Russian Academy was founded.
However, historians also note the negative aspects of Catherine’s initiatives in the field of education and science. In particular, they point out that the work of the academy was based mainly not on training its own personnel, but on inviting eminent foreign scientists.
Medicine and social policy
Under Catherine, new areas of medicine developed in Russia: hospitals were opened to treat syphilis, psychiatric hospitals and shelters. A number of fundamental works on medical issues have been published.
Orders for public charity were opened in the provinces. In Moscow and St. Petersburg there are educational homes for street children, where they received education and upbringing. To help widows, the Widow's Treasury was created.
Under the queen, compulsory smallpox vaccination was introduced. The fight against epidemics in Russia began to acquire the character of state events that were directly included in the responsibilities of the Imperial Council and the Senate.
Land gathering and population growth
During the reign of Catherine, lands with a population of up to 7 million people were conquered from Poland and Turkey. Catherine the Great established herself on the shores of the Black Sea, pushing the borders to the south and incorporating the Crimean peninsula into the empire.
During Catherine's era, the talent of commander Alexander Suvorov flourished. In July 1789 he defeated the Turks at Focsani, and in August 1789 on the Rymnik River. In the early morning of December 11, 1790, Russian troops launched an assault on the Izmail fortress. After 6 hours, Ishmael was captured. The way to Istanbul was opened for Russian troops.
Brilliant victories were also won at sea. The commander of the young Black Sea Fleet, Ushakov, defeated the Turkish fleet at Cape Kaliakria in 1791. After this, the Turks hurried to the negotiating table. According to the peace treaty, the Ottoman Empire recognized Crimea as the possession of Russia; Russia included the territories between the Bug and Dniester rivers, as well as Taman and Kuban; Türkiye recognized Russian patronage of Georgia.
During Catherine's reign, the total population of the empire increased from 19 million people (1762) to 36 million (1796).
Strengthening the army and navy
Military successes would have been impossible to achieve without strengthening the army and navy, which is also the merit of Catherine. During her reign, the army of 162 thousand people was strengthened to 312 thousand. The fleet, which in 1757 consisted of 21 battleships and 6 frigates, in 1790 consisted of 67 battleships, 40 frigates and 300 rowing ships. Expenditures on the army increased under Catherine by 2.6 times.
City building
It is believed that thanks to Catherine the Great, 144 cities were built. In 1794, Catherine II issued a decree, thanks to which the construction of Odessa, a new port city, began on the Black Sea coast. The empress entrusted the construction of the city to the talented military engineer Franz de Vollan. The city was named Odessa, in honor of the ancient Greek settlement of Odessos that was once located in this area. The Empress patronized him in every possible way and allocated huge funds for the construction of a port, schools, gymnasiums and other institutions.
