Alexander Lanskoy
There is quite a lot of information about predators in historical archives. In any case, there is a lot of information about people with strong magnetism who used it, charming the first government officials and obtaining their wealth.
Magnetism is not just beauty. Among the magnetic historical figures, there were beautiful ones, some not so beautiful ones, and sometimes even ugly ones, but the most beautiful ones were magnetic not only due to their beauty. Next to them were always no less beautiful physically, but less charming and did not have such an impact.
Magnetism is a particularly strong charm, a lasting charm of a person, drawing others into one's own field.
I’ll tell you about one family from the 18th century, whose charm was either partly in their genes, or formed in early youth by copying each other, or was akin to talent, and talent, go figure out what its nature is.
Most is known about two representatives of this family: Platon Zubov, the last favorite of Catherine II, and his older sister (probably the same age) Zubova Olga. But the Zubovs’ younger brother, Valerian (three years younger than Plato), apparently had a potential not much less than his brother.
Already in love with Plato so much that those around her were shocked by the scale, the Empress met the younger Zubov and noticed that he was “the spitting image of Platosha, but only with an even more beautiful face.”
Platon Zubov
Valerian Zubov 
“This is such a sweet child,” she wrote to Potemkin about Valerian. “He is so sincere that he cries every time he is not allowed into my bedroom.”
Cries when he is not allowed into the Empress's bedroom. Not bad, isn't it?
Plato was so frightened by the competition of his playful little brother that, taking advantage of Catherine’s even greater love, he persuaded her to send nineteen-year-old Valerian away, into Potemkin’s active army, where he soon received many titles and awards, then became a general, fought with Suvorov, and a few years later , in Poland, was wounded by a cannonball in the leg, which was soon taken away. The Empress cried when she saw the beautiful Valerian in a wheelchair; he could no longer compete with his older brother. Although three years later he was given an excellent prosthesis, but this was after the death of the Empress.
Even before Valerian’s leg was taken away, he, as Georg von Gelbig wrote, “stained himself with unacceptable behavior with Polish wives.” As a result of a scandal due to his affair with the wife of Voivode Potocki and her pregnancy, Valerian was forced to marry her, and she left her husband.
Plato's life was much more pleasant and comfortable.
The Zubovs were from a poor family with a Turkic ancestor, thanks to whom they had beautiful dark hair and beautiful big eyes(Ekaterina called “Darkie” Plato, and also “Rezvushka”, and “Scribbled Boy”, “Child”, “Child”). Potemkin was shocked by how quickly Catherine's passion for Plato flared up and how quickly it turned into love. And although he hinted in his letters that he would soon return to the capital and “pull out the tooth that was bothering him,” he still could not openly object to her, since Catherine wrote that thanks to the “dear child” she came to life like a sleepy fly in the spring and feels healthy and happy . Isn't this the mission of the favorite? (By the way, Potemkin never got to the bad tooth and soon died).
They said that the Empress's acquaintance with Platon Zubov was a planned action of her ladies-in-waiting, especially Naryshkina, and his mentor Saltykov, who wanted to reduce Potemkin's influence and saw rich potential in Zubov. The Empress was experiencing the betrayal of her previous favorite, Mamonov, who fell in love with her maid of honor Shcherbatova (with whom she later forcibly married him and drove him away), and a little before his expulsion, the ladies-in-waiting informed her about a young handsome officer who had long been in love with her. The Empress allowed him to accompany her carriage at the head of a detachment to Tsarskoe Selo. Zubov turned a stream of charm on the Empress, and on the same day he was invited to dinner with her, and then to her chambers. Where he lived until the end of her days.
Everyone who described the Empress’s novel in the summer of 1789 believed that this boy was a passing option, too stupid, uneducated, frail in body and soul, but everyone was wrong. Soon he occupied Mamonov’s chambers and was appointed adjutant of the Empress. And a few years later, Count Rastopchin wrote to Vorontsov: “There are ALL teeth here.”
Platon Zubov remained among Catherine’s favorites for seven years and would have lasted longer if the Empress had not died. During this time, he did not let anyone near her (he even quickly drove away his beloved brother, and did not allow others to take a step at all). But Zubov did not throw scenes of jealousy like the previous favorite, Mamonov, he had the role of an easy-going boy, looking with adoration at his mistress. In descriptions of Plato, Catherine constantly used the words “modest”, “sweet”, “kind”, “gentle”. While those around him who hated Zubov considered him arrogant, greedy and arrogant, the Empress admired Zubov’s modesty. He refused all gifts, so she wanted to give him gifts and rewards more and more often. Zubov was one of the richest people in the state (after his death, his brother, Dmitry Zubov, inherited 20 million of his fortune), and the list of his awards and titles did not fit on a piece of paper in small handwriting. He was like a New Year tree, entwined with ribbons with orders, although he had not been in the war.
His handsome brother, Valerian, was at the wars, and many biographers mention with shame the words from Catherine’s letter, where she wrote that Valerian Zubov did in two months what Peter the Great did in two years. Her weakness for the Zubov brothers made the Empress’s great mind... not entirely clear and objective.
Platon Zubov always acted with cunning against potential rivals. Aldanov describes how in 1794 Catherine was introduced to the Chevalier de Sax, a handsome man, ladies' man and adventurer, whom Aldanov compares to Casanova and Cagliostro. Catherine liked him, received her protection, and the jealous Zubov immediately noticed this. He reacted very quickly. (A quick reaction and an effective strategy are only possible in the absence of corona, otherwise you will not notice the threat). At the first opportunity, when the Chevalier made a harmless pun, Zubov convinced one young man, Nikolai Shcherbatov, that Sax had mortally insulted him, and pushed him into a fight. Shcherbatov caught Sax and called him obscene names, he hit him and then Shcherbatov hit Sax with a specially prepared stick. This scene was described to the Empress, the Chevalier was immediately expelled with a scandal, and Shcherbatov was sent to the village for correction.
Later, Sax guessed who was responsible for what happened, and for a long time tried to challenge Zubov to a duel. He insulted him in letters, published his insults in various magazines, conveyed them through public figures, tried his best to offend Zubov, but Zubov did not react. Perhaps he even laughed. After Catherine’s death, Sachs managed to catch Plato somewhere in Europe and managed to insult him publicly so much that Zubov had to reluctantly agree to a duel. But during the duel, Zubov immediately pointedly bumped his palm against Sax’s sword and, showing everyone the wound, said that he could not fight now. And he left, not paying attention to the indignation of those present.
This was Platon Zubov. He took great care of himself and did not care about other people's opinions.
When his brother Nikolai Zubov personally killed Paul the First among other conspirators, Plato was allegedly present in the same room, but stood turning to the window and said: “My God, how this man screams!”
During the reign of Catherine, Derzhavin dedicated odes to him, Kutuzov brewed him some special oriental coffee in the morning and brought him to bed (according to Rostopchin), Zubov met Suvorov almost underwear, and generally met everyone in a negligee, lounging on the sofa and playing with his monkey, which everyone called the favorite of the favorite. Suvorov threatened to take revenge on Zubov for his disrespect, but took revenge only by the fact that one day, when Plato came to him, he quickly undressed and appeared before him in his underwear.
And special mention should be made about Zubov’s monkey. She behaved extremely impudently and unbridledly and loved to jump on the heads of courtiers, tearing off their wigs. But if at first some were indignant at the behavior of the favorite’s favorite, then, when Zubov’s influence increased, many began to deliberately make their hair higher and attract the monkey to their heads. This was considered a special honor and even a good omen.
They tried to quarrel between Zubov and the Empress many times, very cleverly weaving intrigues and doing their best to incite the Empress’s jealousy. But several days passed after the quarrel, the Empress made peace with Zubov, and the informers and perpetrators of the quarrel were so severely punished that others were afraid to interfere in the relationship of this couple.
When the Empress died, the Zubovs naturally fell into disgrace with her son, but thanks to the charm of the same Plato, they soon regained everything. Platon was expelled, but managed to charm the daughter of Pavel Kutaisov’s closest friend, and he asked for him as a future son-in-law. So the Zubovs returned to the capital, received back all their confiscated luxurious property and were able to slowly prepare a conspiracy against Pavel.
What was the charm of Platon Zubov, besides a moist and radiant look and skin glowing from within? (Which is just an indirect indicator of a very good energy state)
If we do not take into account the opinion of ill-wishers and envious people, for whom the favorite, of course, was a squalor, and the Empress a nymphomaniac out of her mind, if you pay attention and respect to the way Catherine the Second herself described him, this is what can be particularly highlighted.
1. Incredible, overflowing spontaneity, from which the ailing 60-year-old Empress immediately “came to life like a fly, healthy and cheerful” and felt good for seven years. They say that even when Plato pranced on a horse in front of her on the first day of their acquaintance, Catherine was fascinated by his overflowing energy. “My playfulness” was Plato’s main nickname in the first year. However, his agility was not annoying, did not tire the elderly Empress, but was appropriate and comfortable, that is, Plato had enough empathy.
2. Childishness in the best sense of the word, that is, spontaneity, restlessness, ease, uncloudedness in statements, frivolity and curiosity. The Empress did not agree that Plato was stupid; she considered him smart and very capable. He really had a good memory and a passionate desire to grasp the study of everything that the Empress told him about. He was devoted to her and hardly only outwardly. That is, she saw in him a very capable and grateful student and called him “My student Platosha.”
3. Plato looked like a child. He was thin, of average height, quite muscular, but very compact, with delicate features. Very funny, always positive and completely restless. He never got tired of the game, first of all, of the love game, and was always disposed to it. "Fool" - they called Plato, but he fooled around deliberately and very artistically. He loved to entertain himself by flying paper kites from the towers of Tsarskoye Selo.
4. The main thing that the Empress noted when praising her favorite Potemkin: “He never betrays himself for anything.” Apparently, it was about the fact that Plato truly loved himself, his mind and heart were in harmony (the King and Queen were married), he always made choices in his favor, did not betray himself, did not lose his temper, was pleased with himself and did not need illusions to like himself, accepted himself as he was, felt comfortable in his body and was in the state of an imposing “narcissistic cat,” as Freud described the basis for charm.
In the Russian State there were people much, much more significant than Platon Zubov, much greater, more brilliant and important personalities. However, he also deserves attention, since he had an influence on politics, domestic and foreign, solely due to his charm. His other abilities were rated very low by his contemporaries and descendants. But this only proves that charm itself has power.
In continuation, I will talk about Olga Zubova, an equally interesting predator, my own sister Zubov brothers.
November 26 marked the 250th anniversary of the birth of Platon Zubov, a man whose name would hardly have gone down in history if Catherine II herself had not been his patron. When they write about her favorites, the main attention is usually paid to Grigory Orlov and Grigory Potemkin - and it is not surprising, because they played a significant role not only in personal life empress, but also in the socio-political life of the country. The same cannot be said about Platon Zubov - he was called a pale shadow of his predecessors. But the empress herself, whose last favorite was 38 years younger than her, did not think so...
F. Rokotov. Portrait of Catherine II, 1780s.
Platon Zubov came from a family of small landed nobles; his father was a provincial vice-governor. Catherine drew attention to the lieutenant of one of the guards regiments when he was 22 years old and she was 60. He became her last favorite and the first of those who was her official chosen one not through the patronage of Potemkin, but thanks to the efforts of his opponents - Saltykov and Naryshkina . 
I. Lampi. Portrait of Prince Platon Alexandrovich Zubov, 1802
The young favorite had an eye on the aging empress a huge impact. They say that once a performance based on Moliere was given in the theater, and the actress said from the stage: “That a woman at 30 years old can be in love, let her!” But at 50?! This is intolerable! After these words, Catherine stood up and said: “This thing is stupid and boring!” – and left the hall. She was convinced that even at the age of 60 she was quite attractive. The court ladies strengthened this confidence by repeating to her that Zubov was completely crazy about her. 
I. Lampi. Portrait of Platon Zubov, 1793
Most contemporaries argue that youth was the only advantage of the last favorite of the empress. Apparently, neither a brilliant mind nor strategic thinking, unlike his predecessors, he did not possess any other talents. They wrote about him: “He tortures himself with all his might over papers, having neither a fluent mind nor extensive abilities, a burden beyond his real strength.” Count Bezborodko, an experienced diplomat, noted indignantly in a letter to Vorontsov: “I am a goldsmith - I clean up what dirty Zubov... This child with good manners, but not a distant mind; I don't think he'll last long in his position. However, that doesn’t bother me.” 
I. Sablukov. Portrait of Catherine II, 1770s.
Meanwhile, the empress herself did not lose hope of raising a new one from her last favorite. statesman. However, all her efforts were in vain: he political projects were divorced from reality, and the most common order was: “Do as it was before.” Catherine called Zubov “my dear child Platosha” and confessed to Potemkin: “I returned to life like a fly after hibernation... I am cheerful and healthy again.” He did not share her enthusiasm, but he came to terms with the presence of his favorite. 
Unknown artist of the 19th century. Prince G. A. Potemkin-Tavrichesky
After Potemkin's death, Platon Zubov's influence at court increased. He was “inherited” by many of the positions that Potemkin had previously held, he became the owner of a 20-million-dollar fortune and was appointed Feldzeichmeister-General, Novorossiysk Governor-General, and head of the Black Sea Fleet. True, three assistants handled all matters instead of him: Altesti, Gribovsky and Ribas. Under Zubov, bribery flourished - nobles lined up to him to ask for help in resolving various issues. And the young favorite reveled in power and actively protected his many relatives. 
P. Drozhdin. Portrait of Catherine II, 1796
Charles François Masson, author of “Secret Notes on Russia during the Reign of Catherine II and Paul I,” wrote: “Lounging in an armchair, in the most obscene negligee, with his little finger stuck in his nose, with his eyes aimlessly directed at the ceiling, this young man, with his face cold and sulky, barely deigning to pay attention to those around him. He amused himself with the foolishness of his monkey, which jumped over the heads of vile flatterers, or talked with his jester. And at this time, the elders, under whose command he began to serve as a sergeant - the Dolgorukys, the Golitsyns, the Saltykovs and everyone else were waiting for him to lower their gaze in order to humbly rest at his feet. Of all the darlings of happiness, not one, except Zubov, was so frail both externally and internally.” 
D. Levitsky. Left – Portrait of Catherine II. Right – Portrait of Catherine II as a legislator in the Temple of the Goddess of Justice, 1780s. |
7 years later, after the death of his patroness, Platon Zubov left high society and settled on his estate. Together with his brothers, he participated in the conspiracy and murder of Paul I, but soon found himself on the sidelines of political life. At the age of 54, he finally decided to get married - his chosen one was a young, poor and humble Polish beauty. A year later, Platon Zubov died, leaving his wife a multi-million dollar fortune. 
Virgilius Eriksen. Catherine the Great
- The Empress's Last Favorite Catherine the Great, Horse Guardsman Platon Zubov, was 38 years younger than his royal passion. At the time of their acquaintance, Plato was 22 years old, and Catherine was 60 years old.
- Third son of a retired lieutenant colonel and provincial vice-governor Alexandra Zubova Plato was not endowed with any special talents. Enlisted at the age of 8 as a sergeant in the Semenovsky regiment, in 1779 he was transferred to the Horse Guards with the rank of sergeant. The young man did not show himself in any way and rose in rank solely thanks to his parental connections.
- The acquaintance of Platon Zubov and the Empress took place at the moment when the Horse Guardsman headed the convoy that accompanied Catherine from St. Petersburg to Tsarskoe Selo. The stately figure of 22-year-old Plato attracted an older woman, and he was first invited to dinner, and then ended up in the royal chambers.
- None of the favorites of Empress Catherine the Great was showered with so many favors and awards as Platon Zubov. By the end of the empress’s life, the full title of the favorite sounded like this: “General-Feltzeichmeister, director-general over fortifications, over the Black Sea fleet, Voznesensk light cavalry and the Black Sea Cossack army, commander-in-chief, Her Imperial Majesty Adjutant General, Chief of the Cavalry Corps, Ekaterinoslav, Voznesensky and Tauride Governor-General, member of the State Military Collegium, honorary benefactor of the Imperial Orphanage, honorary lover of the Imperial Academy of Arts and the Russian orders of St. Apostle Andrew, St. Alexander Nevsky, St. Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir I degree, the royal Prussian Black and Red Eagle, the Polish White Eagle and St. Stanislaus and the Grand Duke of Holstein St. Anne's Knight."
- During the rise of Platon Zubov, numerous members of his family were also awarded imperial favors. For example, a charter from the German-Roman emperor Franz II dated January 27, 1793, Senator, Privy Councilor Alexander Nikolaevich Zubov and his sons, Adjutant General, Lieutenant General Platon, Major General Nikolay, chamber cadet Dmitriy and Major General Valerian Alexandrovich, were elevated, with their descendants, to the dignity of count of the Roman Empire. Francis II made this decision at the urgent request of Catherine the Great.
- Death Grigory Potemkin led to the fact that many of his titles and positions passed to Platon Zubov, in whom Catherine the Great saw a replacement for her faithful companion and assistant. In reality, Zubov’s activities only led to the disruption of state affairs and problems in foreign policy. Graph Alexander Bezborodko, who oversaw relations with other countries, remarked: “I am a goldsmith; I clean what’s dirtying the teeth.”
- Embezzlement and bribery during the period when Platon Zubov was in the status of favorite went beyond all imaginable boundaries. Catherine the Great spent six years on Plato more funds state treasury than for almost 20 years for Grigory Potemkin. At the same time, it is simply impossible to compare the state activities of Zubov and Potemkin. As contemporaries wrote, unlike the empress’s former favorites, Platon Zubov “never spent a ruble” on the needs of society.
- During the reign Paul I Platon Zubov's position was precarious and changeable. Initially, the new emperor expressed his favor to his mother’s last favorite, but soon Platon Zubov fell into disgrace for embezzlement of state funds and improper performance of his duties - the estates were taken into the treasury, and he himself was ordered to go abroad. In 1800, disgrace gave way to mercy - Zubov returned to Russia, received his estates back and was appointed director of the First Cadet Corps and renamed infantry general.
- Platon Zubov was an active participant palace coup in March 1801, during which Paul I was overthrown and killed. The greatest contribution to the massacre of the emperor was made by Plato's brother Nicholas, who is believed to have stabbed Paul I in the head with a massive gold snuffbox. The former favorite of Catherine himself suggested that the emperor sign an act of renunciation, and after his refusal he did not take an active part in the murder, leaving this to other participants in the conspiracy.
- After the death of Paul I, Platon Zubov expected to become a prominent statesman, but was quickly removed Alexander I from participating in politics. The former favorite spent the last period of his life as a Lithuanian landowner. Possessing a huge fortune and extensive possessions, Platon Zubov towards the end of his life became an extremely greedy and economical person. It is believed that his Stingy Knight Alexander Pushkin I copied it from Platon Zubov. The last lover of Catherine the Great died on April 7, 1822, at the age of 54, at Ruenthal Castle in Courland.
Booker Igor 03.29.2019 at 20:00
In the fall of 1779, the theater gave a performance based on Moliere. When the heroine said: “That a woman at 30 years old can be in love, yes! But at 50?! This is intolerable!”, Empress Catherine II jumped up with the words: “This thing is stupid, boring!” - and left the hall. The Empress turned 60 when the young Horse Guards officer Platon Zubov appeared in her life.
The Great Empress of a vast empire, obeying her ever-present inclination “to be willing to be without love for an hour,” changed her favorites many times. The latter, as a rule, were proteges of Grigory Potemkin, who at one time also visited Catherine’s bed - even after leaving the royal alcove, he remained her adviser.
Unexpectedly, his next creation, Alexander Matveevich Dmitriev-Mamonov, was replaced by his protégé, the teacher of the Grand Dukes Alexander and Konstantin, the dry and pious old man Nikolai Ivanovich Saltykov, who in Potemkin’s absence became vice-president of the Military Collegium. The choice of a sophisticated courtier fell on the 21-year-old officer Platon Aleksandrovich Zubov.
In the summer of 1789, Zubov obtained permission from his superiors to command the convoy that accompanied the empress during her trip. The handsome man pranced so dashingly near the Empress's carriage that Catherine invited Zubov to dinner. A few days later, one of the courtiers wrote in his diary that Catherine’s valet “suspects the guard second-captain Platon Aleksandrovich Zubov... He began to walk over the top.” This meant: through the personal chambers of the empress.
After a positive report made by the maid of honor Protasova, who, in accordance with her duties, was called a “tester,” and Rogerson’s physician, Platon Zubov, was granted an aide-de-camp, making a gift of 100 thousand rubles for “procuring shirts.” He also occupied the chambers of Mamonov's former favorite.
To characterize a young man as a complete nonentity is to deliberately label him. Judge for yourself, one of his contemporaries spoke of Platosh like this: “He tortures himself with all his might over papers, having neither a fluent mind nor extensive abilities, a burden beyond his real strength.” The aging Catherine would have had only the pumped up muscles and fluent French speech of her young chosen one.
Perhaps a more accurate portrait of Catherine’s favorite was painted by a Frenchman in Russian service, Charles François Philibert Masson (1762-1807): “As the empress loses her strength, activity, genius, he gains power and wealth. Every morning there are numerous crowds of flatterers they besieged his doors, filling the hallway and reception room. Old generals and nobles were not ashamed to caress his insignificant lackeys. They often saw how these lackeys pushed away the generals and officers who had been crowding at the door for a long time and prevented them from being locked.
Lounging in an armchair, in the most obscene negligee, with his little finger stuck in his nose, with his eyes aimlessly directed at the ceiling, this young man, with a cold and pouting face, barely deigned to pay attention to those around him. He amused himself with the foolishness of his monkey, which jumped over the heads of vile flatterers, or talked with his jester. And at this time, the elders, under whose command he began to serve as a sergeant - the Dolgorukys, the Golitsyns, the Saltykovs and everyone else, were waiting for him to lower their gaze in order to humbly rest at his feet. Of all the darlings of happiness, not one, except Zubov, was so frail both externally and internally."
The testimony of S. Masson, the author of “Secret Notes on Russia during the Reign of Catherine II and Paul I,” is valuable because this captain of the dragoon regiment conducted foreign correspondence and was a tutor under the sons of N. I. Saltykov. Taking advantage of his patronage, Masson was assigned as a mathematics teacher to the Grand Dukes and was subsequently appointed secretary of Grand Duke Alexander Pavlovich. A month and a half after the death of Catherine the Great, he was expelled from Russia, but his family - his wife and daughter - remained to live in St. Petersburg.
The beautiful Olga Masson was one of Alexander Pushkin’s circle of acquaintances; his poems “Olga, Goddaughter of Cyprida” were addressed to her. Let Charles Masson’s pen be driven by resentment and wounded pride when he wrote his “Notes” about Russian temporary workers. Let him write a libel against Zubov, but here’s the thing: after all, other sources are not eager to present Platon Alexandrovich in a more favorable light.
“I also do considerable good for the state by educating young people,” Catherine herself noted casually, trying to raise her new beloved to be a statesman. The Empress wrote to Potemkin that “this is a very sweet child, not stupid, has a kind heart and, I hope, will not be spoiled. Today, with one stroke of the pen, he composed a sweet letter to you, in which he outlined how nature created him.” During the life of His Serene Highness - Prince Grigory Alexandrovich Potemkin - Platon Zubov did not dare to openly oppose the morganatic husband of his royal patroness.
Grigory Potemkin, rightly fearing intrigues against him, nevertheless reassured Catherine: “My dear mother, can I not love a humble man who pleases you? You can be sure that I will have an unflattering friendship towards him for his towards you attachment". Maybe he protected the heart of his middle-aged mistress, or maybe he resigned himself when he encountered opposition. Usually obedient to his will, Catherine showed her temper in the case of Zubov and refused to leave her “little newcomer.”
On August 5, 1789, Catherine wrote to Potemkin that Plato had a younger brother, 18-year-old Valerian, who “is here on guard now, in his place; a real child, a written boy, he is a lieutenant in the Horse Guards, help us eventually bring him to people... I am healthy and cheerful, and like a fly, I have come to life...". The change in the empress's mood was evidenced by the change in her literary works. Instead of librettos for operas, which she composed in hours of sadness, Catherine returned to writing comedies.
After the unexpected death of Potemkin in the fall of 1791, Catherine the politician seemed to have been replaced. The place of her favorite, wise over the years, was taken by the “rezvusha”, who decided matters of national importance according to the principle: “Do as it was before.” When Catherine said to her son: “I see that you agree with the opinion of Prince Zubov,” Grand Duke Pavel responded by asking: “Your Majesty, did I say anything stupid?” The future Alexander I, who was often in the company of his grandmother, did not hide his hatred and contempt for her lover.
The autocrat, revived in body, became greatly weakened in mind. Although his behavior sometimes got to her. From the notes of the Empress's Secretary of State Alexander Khrapovitsky, it is known that Platon Zubov often irritated the Empress with his inability to publicly fulfill his duties.
After the death of Catherine II, the favorite went into hiding for a while. The heir to the throne did not expel him from the capital, but he repaid him with black ingratitude. Three Zubov brothers took part in a conspiracy against Paul I. At the same time, Nikolai Zubov was the first to deal a fatal blow to the emperor. This did not bring benefits to anyone - Alexander I avoided communicating with his father’s murderers.
Zubov settled in Lithuania in Janishka's castle and became famous throughout the area for his extraordinary greed. One of richest people Russia, like Gogol's Plyushkin, walked around in shabby condition, and its peasants were the poorest in the area. Another literary character, the Miserly Knight, was also copied by Pushkin from Platon Zubov.
Platon Aleksandrovich Zubov came from a poor noble family. The boy grew up handsome: a slender figure, expressive eyes, regular facial features. At the time of his acquaintance with the empress, he held the rank of second captain and was not considered by his leadership to have any talents. Zubov took command of the horse guards detachment that accompanied Catherine to Tsarskoe Selo. This is how a fateful acquaintance took place. It must be said that Plato was the only favorite who was not “promoted” by Potemkin. On the contrary, his enemies sought to bring the young man closer to the court. Nikolai Ivanovich Saltykov and Anna Nikitichna Naryshkina stood up for Zubov.
After meeting Plato, she resigned from her previous favorite. By this time, Count Alexander Dmitriev-Mamonov had already received many gifts, including diamond aiguillettes worth 50 thousand rubles. His positions brought him about 200 thousand annually. The Count himself shook his position by starting an affair with his maid of honor Daria Shcherbatova. And so Plato settled in his chambers in the palace. In the evenings he spent time with the empress, and during the day he entertained himself with games - for example, flying paper kites. In 1789, the young man was appointed cornet of the Cavalry Corps and was promoted to major general.
Platon Zubov. (wikipedia.org)
Zubov received a countless number of valuable gifts. The Empress gave him several million rubles. Plato sported luxurious clothes and was extremely vain. The arrogant young man was disliked at court. Count Bezborodko, in a letter to Vorontsov, noted: “This child has good manners, but not a far-reaching mind; I don't think he'll last long in his position. However, that doesn’t bother me.”
It turned out differently - Zubov’s influence increased, and Catherine admired his character and abilities. “I returned to life like a fly after hibernation... I am cheerful and healthy again,” the Empress reported to Potemkin.
Catherine II. (wikipedia.org)
Plato had three brothers, and he pulled more and more more money for their content. After Potemkin's death, Zubov becomes one of the main officials in Russia. In 1793, a man who spent his days in the company of a kite took office as governor of Ekaterinoslav and Taurida. “Every day, from eight o’clock in the morning, his hallway was filled with ministers, courtiers, generals, foreigners, petitioners, seekers of places or favors. Usually they waited in vain for four or five hours and left, only to return the next day. Finally, the desired day came: the doors opened wide, the crowd rushed through them and found the favorite, who was combed sitting in front of the mirror, leaning his leg on a chair or the edge of the table. The visitors, bowing at their powder-covered feet, stood in a row in front of him, not daring to move or speak. The favorite did not notice anyone. He printed out letters and listened to them, carefully pretending to be busy with business. No one dared to speak to him,” wrote Alexander Fedorovich Langeron.
The favorite surrounded himself with luxury, but behind this magnificent form there was a dummy. Zubov's ideas in the field foreign policy were fantastic for the sane. He believed that in a new war with Ottoman Empire Russia will easily besiege Constantinople from the sea, having first occupied the most important trading points. Preparations for the trip began. The army had already set out when it became clear that such a project would require a lot of money.
After Catherine's death, difficult times came for Zubov. By order of Paul I, his lands were confiscated, and he himself left the country. In 1798, the former favorite returned and took part in a conspiracy against Paul I.
From 1814 he lived in the Vilna province and devoted himself to economic concerns. A year before his death, he married a young Lithuanian girl, Tekla Valentinovich.
