The Russian Emperor Peter III (Peter Fedorovich, born Karl Peter Ulrich Holstein of Gottorp) was born on February 21 (10 old style) 1728 in the city of Kiel in the Duchy of Holstein (now - the territory of Germany).
His father is Karl Friedrich, Duke of Holstein of Gottorp, nephew of the Swedish King Charles XII, his mother is Anna Petrovna, daughter of Peter I. Thus, Peter III was the grandson of two sovereigns and could, under certain conditions, be a pretender to both the Russian and Swedish thrones .
In 1741, after the death of Queen Ulrika Eleonora of Sweden, he was chosen to succeed her husband Frederick, who received the Swedish throne. In 1742, Peter was brought to Russia and declared by his aunt to be the heir to the Russian throne.
Peter III became the first representative of the Holstein-Gottorp (Oldenburg) branch of the Romanovs on the Russian throne, which ruled until 1917.
Peter's relationship with his wife did not work out from the very beginning. He spent all his free time doing military exercises and maneuvers. During the years spent in Russia, Peter never made any attempt to get to know this country, its people and history better. Elizaveta Petrovna did not allow him to participate in solving political issues, and the only position in which he could prove himself was the position of director of the gentry corps. Meanwhile, Peter openly criticized the activities of the government, and during the Seven Years' War he publicly expressed sympathy for the Prussian king Frederick II. All this was widely known not only at court, but also in the wider strata of Russian society, where Peter did not enjoy either authority or popularity.
The beginning of his reign was marked by numerous favors to the nobility. Returned from exile, the former regent Duke of Courland and many others. The Secret Investigation Office was destroyed. On March 3 (February 18, old style), 1762, the emperor issued a Decree on the Liberty of the Nobility (Manifesto "On the Granting of Liberty and Freedom to All the Russian Nobility").
The material was prepared on the basis of information from open sources
The reign of Peter 3, if my memory serves me, was the shortest in the history of Russia. Even the impostors in the Time of Troubles ruled even more! The years of his reign: from December 1761 to June 1762. Nevertheless, under him many innovations were adopted, which went both in line with the policy of his predecessors and not. In this article, we will briefly analyze his reign and characterize the emperor himself.
Peter the Third
The real name of Peter III Fedorovich is Karl Peter Ulrich. He, like his wife, Sophia Augusta Frederic Anhalt Zerbskaya, is a native of an impoverished North German family. Some people subscribe to newspapers or magazines, but Elizaveta Petrovna subscribed to herself an heir - himself! At that time, Northern Germany "supplied" noble princes to all of Europe!
Karl was crazy about Prussia (Germany), from its emperor Frederick. While he was the heirs - all the game of war games, like his grandfather - Peter the Great. Yes Yes! Moreover, Karl Peter was also a relative of Charles XII, the Swedish emperor, with whom Peter the Great fought in the years. How did it happen? The fact is that Karl's mother was the daughter of Peter Anna Petrovna, who was married off to the Duke of Holstein-Gottorp. And the husband of Anna Petrovna, Karl Friedrich of Holstein-Gottorp, was the nephew of Charles XII. In such an amazing way, two opponents found their continuation in him!
Meanwhile, you can call him a fool. Well, judge for yourself: he forced his wife, Sophia Augusta (the future Catherine the Great), to carry a gun at the ready so that she would guard the castle in his amusing games! Moreover, he told her about all his love affairs - his wife! It is clear that she did not take him seriously, and, in general, predetermined his fate, probably even during the life of Elizabeth Petrovna.
Karl Peter Ulrich (future Peter the Third) with his wife Sophia Augusta Frederika Anhalt of Zerbskaya (future Catherine the Great)
It is precisely because of his eccentricity and tomfoolery that many researchers believe that he was not the initiator of all those decrees, perhaps, except for the first, that followed in his reign.
A summary of the reign of Peter III is reduced to the following points.
In the field of foreign policy, you should know that Russia under Elizaveta Petrovna was at war with Prussia (Seven Years' War). And since the new emperor was a fan of this country, he himself issued a decree on the immediate cessation of the military conflict. He returned all the lands richly watered with the blood of Russian soldiers to the German emperor and made an alliance with him against the rest of the world.
It is clear that such news was extremely negatively received by the guard, which, as we remember, became a political force in.
In the field of domestic policy, you need to know the following points:
The coup of 1762 can be briefly described as follows. In general, a conspiracy to remove Peter the Third to his wife had been ripe for a long time, since 1758. The founder of the conspiracy was Alexei Petrovich Bestuzhev-Ryumin, chancellor of the empire. However, he fell into disgrace, and Ekaterina Alekseevna herself did not want to go to the monastery, so she did nothing.
However, as soon as Peter reigned, the conspiracy began to mature with renewed vigor. Its organizers were the Orlov brothers, Panin, Razumovsky and others.
The reason was that on June 9 the tsar publicly called his wife a fool, and told everyone that he would divorce her and marry his mistress Vorontsova. The conspirators simply could not allow such an intention to materialize. As a result, on June 28, when the emperor left for Peterhof on the occasion of his namesake, Ekaterina Alekseevna left with Alexei Orlov for Petersburg. There, the Senate, the Synod, the Guards and other state bodies swore allegiance to her.
But Peter the Third was out of work, and was soon arrested and strangled. Of course, everyone was told that the king de died of apoplexy. But we know the truth =)
That's all. Share this article with your friends on social networks! Write what you think about this emperor in the comments!
Sincerely, Andrey Puchkov
There are many sharp turns in the biography of Peter III. He was born on February 10, 1728, but very soon lost his mother, and eleven years later, his father. From the age of eleven, the young man was prepared to rule Sweden, but everything changed when the new ruler of Russia, Empress Elizabeth, announced him in 1742 as her successor. Contemporaries note that Peter III himself was not very educated for a ruler and knew only a little of the Latin, French and Lutheran catechism.
At the same time, Elizabeth insisted on the re-education of Peter and he persistently studied the Russian language and the foundations of the Orthodox faith. In 1745, he was married to Catherine II, the future Empress of Russia, who bore him a son, Paul the First, the future heir. Immediately after the death of Elizabeth, Peter was declared the Russian emperor without coronation. However, he was destined to rule only one hundred and eighty-six days. During his reign, Peter the Third openly expressed sympathy for Prussia in the era of the Seven Years' War and for this reason was not very popular in Russian society.
With his most important manifesto of February 18, 1762, the monarch abolishes the obligatory service of the nobility, dissolves the Secret Chancellery, and also issues permission for the schismatics to return to their homeland. But even such innovative bold orders could not bring Peter popularity in society. During the short period of his reign, serfdom was significantly strengthened. In addition, according to his decree, the clergy were to shave their beards, leaving only the icons of the Savior and the Mother of God in the churches, and also to dress from now on like Lutheran pastors. Also, Tsar Peter the Third tried to remake the charter and life of the Russian army in the Prussian manner.
Admiring Frederick the Second, who at that time was the ruler of Prussia, Peter the Third leads Russia out of the Seven Years' War on unfavorable terms, returning to Prussia all the lands conquered by the Russians. This caused general outrage. Historians believe that it was after this important decision that most of the tsar's entourage became participants in a conspiracy against him. In the role of the initiator of this conspiracy, which was supported by the guards, was the wife of Peter the Third herself - Ekaterina Alekseevna. It is from these events that the palace coup of 1762 begins, which ends with the overthrow of the tsar and the accession of Catherine II.
On Channel One - the premiere of the historical series.
Spectacular costumes, large-scale scenery, famous actors - all this and much more awaits the audience in the new historical drama "The Great", which comes out on Channel One this week. The series will take us to the middle of the 18th century - during the reign of Catherine II, whose role was played by Yulia Snigir.
In particular, the personality of Peter 3 is revised in the series.
SLANDER THROUGH THE CENTURIES
In Russian history, there is, perhaps, no ruler more blasphemed by historians than Emperor Peter III
Even about the crazy sadist Ivan the Terrible, the authors of historical studies speak better than about the unfortunate emperor. What kind of epithets historians did not reward Peter III with: "spiritual insignificance", "reveler", "drunkard", "Holstein martinet" and so on and so forth.
Usually in our textbooks, Peter 3 is presented as a half-wit, spitting on the interests of Russia, leading to the idea that Catherine 2 did the right thing by overthrowing him and killing him.
How did the emperor, who reigned for only half a year (from December 1761 to June 1762), guilty of pundits?
Holstein prince
The future Emperor Peter III was born on February 10 (21 - according to the new style) February 1728 in the German city of Kiel. His father was Duke Karl Friedrich of Holstein-Gottorp, the ruler of the North German land of Holstein, and his mother was the daughter of Peter I, Anna Petrovna. Even as a child, Prince Karl Peter Ulrich of Holstein-Gottorp (that was the name of Peter III) was declared heir to the Swedish throne.
Emperor Peter III
However, at the beginning of 1742, at the request of the Russian Empress Elizaveta Petrovna, the prince was taken to St. Petersburg. As the only descendant of Peter the Great, he was declared heir to the Russian throne. The young Duke of Holstein-Gottorp converted to Orthodoxy and was named Grand Duke Peter Fedorovich.
In August 1745, the empress married the heir to the German princess Sophia Frederick Augusta, daughter of the prince of Anhalt-Zerbst, who was in the military service of the Prussian king. Having converted to Orthodoxy, the Princess of Anhalt-Zerbst began to be called Grand Duchess Ekaterina Alekseevna.
Grand Duchess Ekaterina Alekseevna - future Empress Catherine II
The heir and his wife could not stand each other. Pyotr Fedorovich had mistresses. His last passion was Countess Elizaveta Vorontsova, daughter of General-in-Chief Roman Illarionovich Vorontsov. Ekaterina Alekseevna had three constant lovers - Count Sergei Saltykov, Count Stanislav Poniatovsky and Count Chernyshev. Soon, the officer of the Life Guards Grigory Orlov became the favorite of the Grand Duchess. However, she often had fun with other guards officers.
September 24, 1754 Catherine gave birth to a son, who was named Paul. It was rumored at court that the real father of the future emperor was Catherine's lover, Count Saltykov. Pyotr Fyodorovich himself smiled bitterly:
- God knows where my wife gets her pregnancy from. I don't really know if this is my child or if I should take it personally...
Short reign
On December 25, 1761, Empress Elizaveta Petrovna reposed in the Bose. Peter Fedorovich - Emperor Peter III came to the throne.
First of all, the new sovereign stopped the war with Prussia and withdrew Russian troops from Berlin. For this, Peter was hated by the guards officers, who craved military glory and military awards. Dissatisfied with the actions of the emperor and historians: pundits complain that de Peter III "brought to naught the results of Russian victories."
It would be interesting to know what kind of results the respected researchers have in mind?
As you know, the Seven Years' War of 1756-1763 was caused by the intensification of the struggle between France and England for overseas colonies. For various reasons, seven more states were drawn into the war (in particular, Prussia, which was in conflict with France and Austria). But what interests the Russian Empire pursued, speaking in this war on the side of France and Austria, is completely incomprehensible. It turned out that Russian soldiers died for the right of the French to rob the colonial peoples. Peter III stopped this senseless slaughter. For which he received a "severe reprimand with an entry" from grateful descendants.
Soldiers of the army of Peter III
After the end of the war, the emperor settled in Oranienbaum, where, according to historians, he "indulged in drunkenness" with his Holstein companions. However, judging by the documents, from time to time Peter was also involved in state affairs. In particular, the emperor wrote and published a number of manifestos on the transformation of the state system.
Here is a list of the first events that Peter III outlined:
First, there was abolished secret office- the famous secret state police, which terrified all the subjects of the empire without exception, from commoners to high-born nobles. According to one denunciation, agents of the Secret Chancellery could seize any person, imprison him in casemates, betray him to the most terrible torture, and execute him. The emperor freed his subjects from this arbitrariness. After his death, Catherine II restored the secret police - under the name "Secret Expedition".
Secondly, Peter declared religious freedom for all his subjects: "let them pray to whom they want, but - do not have them in reproach or in a curse." It was an almost unthinkable step for that time. Even in enlightened Europe there was still no complete freedom of religion. After the death of the emperor, Catherine II, a friend of the French enlighteners and a "philosopher on the throne", canceled the decree on freedom of conscience.
Third, Peter abolished church oversight for the personal life of subjects: "for the sin of adulterous not to have condemnation for anyone, for even Christ did not condemn." After the death of the king, church espionage was revived.
Fourth, realizing the principle of freedom of conscience, Peter stopped the persecution of the Old Believers. After his death, the government resumed religious persecution.
Fifth, Peter announced liberation of all monastic serfs. He subordinated the monastic estates to civil collegiums, gave arable land to the former monastic peasants for perpetual use and overlaid them with only ruble dues. For the maintenance of the clergy, the king appointed "his own salary."
Sixth, Peter allowed the nobles free travel abroad. After his death, the "iron curtain" was restored.
Seventh, Peter announced the introduction of the Russian Empire public court. Catherine canceled the publicity of legal proceedings.
Eighth, Peter issued a decree on " silver service", forbidding senators and government officials to present gifts with peasant souls and state lands. Signs of encouragement for senior officials should have been only orders and medals. Having ascended the throne, Catherine first of all presented her associates and favorites with peasants and estates.
One of the manifestos of Peter III
In addition, the emperor prepared mass other manifestos and decrees, including on limiting the personal dependence of peasants on landowners, on the non-obligation to serve in the army, on the non-obligation to observe religious fasts, etc.
And all this was done in less than six months of the reign! Knowing this, how can one believe the fables about the "unrestrained drunkenness" of Peter III?
Obviously, the reforms that Peter intended to implement were far ahead of their time. Could their author, who dreamed of establishing the principles of freedom and civic dignity, be a "spiritual nonentity" and a "Holstein martinet"?
Conspiracy
So, the emperor was engaged in state affairs, in between which, according to historians, he smoked in Oranienbaum.
And what was the young empress doing at that time?
Ekaterina Alekseevna with her numerous lovers and hangers-on settled in Peterhof. There she actively intrigued against her husband: she gathered supporters, spread rumors through her lovers and their drinking companions, and attracted officers to her side.
By the summer of 1762, a conspiracy arose, the soul of which was the empress. Influential dignitaries and commanders were involved in the conspiracy:
Count Nikita Panin, active privy councilor, chamberlain, senator, tutor of Tsarevich Pavel;
His brother Count Pyotr Panin, general-in-chief, hero of the Seven Years' War;
Princess Ekaterina Dashkova, nee Countess Vorontsova, Ekaterina's closest friend and companion;
Her husband, Prince Mikhail Dashkov, one of the leaders of the St. Petersburg Masonic organization;
Count Kirill Razumovsky, marshal, commander of the Izmailovsky regiment, hetman of Ukraine, president of the Academy of Sciences;
Prince Mikhail Volkonsky, diplomat and commander of the Seven Years' War;
Baron Korf, head of the St. Petersburg police, as well as numerous officers of the Life Guards, led by the Orlov brothers.
According to a number of historians, influential Masonic circles were involved in the conspiracy. In Catherine's inner circle, the "freemasons" were represented by a certain mysterious "Mr. Odar". According to an eyewitness to the events of the Danish envoy A. Schumacher, under this name the famous adventurer and adventurer Count Saint-Germain was hiding.
Events were accelerated by the arrest of one of the conspirators, Captain-Lieutenant Passek.
Count Alexei Orlov - the murderer of Peter III
On June 26, 1762, the Orlovs and their friends began to solder the soldiers of the capital's garrison. With the money that Catherine borrowed from the English merchant Felten, allegedly to buy jewelry, more than 35 thousand buckets of vodka were bought.
On the morning of June 28, 1762, Catherine, accompanied by Dashkova and the Orlov brothers, left Peterhof and headed for the capital, where everything was already ready. The dead drunken soldiers of the guard regiments swore an oath to "Empress Ekaterina Alekseevna", a heavily drunken crowd of townsfolk greeted the "dawn of a new reign".
Peter III with his retinue was in Oranienbaum. Upon learning of the events in Petrograd, the ministers and generals betrayed the emperor and fled to the capital. Only the old Field Marshal Munnich, General Gudovich and a few close associates remained with Peter.
On June 29, the emperor, struck by the betrayal of the most trusted people and having no desire to get involved in the struggle for the hateful crown, abdicated. He wanted only one thing: to be released to his native Holstein with his mistress Ekaterina Vorontsova and faithful adjutant Gudovich.
However, by order of the new ruler, the deposed king was sent to the palace in Ropsha. On July 6, 1762, the brother of the Empress' lover, Alexei Orlov, and his drinking buddy, Prince Fyodor Baryatinsky, strangled Peter. It was officially announced that the emperor "died of inflammation in the intestines and apoplexy" ...
Slander
So, the facts do not give any grounds to consider Peter III as a "nonentity" and a "martinet". He was weak-willed, but not weak-minded. Why do historians so stubbornly blaspheme this sovereign? St. Petersburg poet Viktor Sosnora decided to look into this problem. First of all, he was interested in the question: from what sources did the researchers scoop (and continue to scoop!) Dirty gossip about the "dementia" and "insignificance" of the emperor?
And this is what was discovered: it turns out that the sources of all the characteristics of Peter III, all these gossip and fables are the memoirs of the following persons:
Empress Catherine II - who hated and despised her husband, who was the inspirer of a conspiracy against him, who actually directed the hand of Peter's murderers, who, finally, as a result of a coup, became an autocratic ruler;
Princess Dashkova - a friend and like-minded person of Catherine, who hated and despised Peter even more (contemporaries gossip: because Peter preferred her older sister, Ekaterina Vorontsova), who was the most active participant in the conspiracy, who after the coup became "the second lady of the empire" ;
Count Nikita Panin, a close associate of Catherine, who was one of the leaders and the main ideologist of the conspiracy against Peter, and soon after the coup became one of the most influential nobles and headed the Russian diplomatic department for almost 20 years;
Count Pyotr Panin, brother of Nikita, who was one of the active participants in the conspiracy, and then became a commander trusted and treated with royal grace (it was Pyotr Panin that Catherine instructed to suppress the uprising of Pugachev, who, by the way, declared himself "Emperor Peter III").
Even without being a professional historian and not being familiar with the intricacies of source study and criticism of sources, it can be safely assumed that the above-mentioned persons are unlikely to be objective in assessing the person they betrayed and killed.
It was not enough for the Empress and her "accomplices" to overthrow and kill Peter III. To justify their crimes, they had to slander their victim!
And they zealously lied, heaping vile gossip and dirty fiction.
Ekaterina:
In her memoirs, the empress portrayed her murdered husband as a drunkard, a reveler, a coward, a fool, an idler, a tyrant, an idiot, a debauchee, an ignoramus, an atheist ... "What kind of slop does she pour over her husband just because she killed him!" exclaims Viktor Sosnora.
But, oddly enough, pundits who wrote dozens of volumes of dissertations and monographs did not doubt the veracity of the killers' memories of their victim. Until now, in all textbooks and encyclopedias, one can read about the "insignificant" emperor, who "brought to naught the results of Russian victories" in the Seven Years' War, and then "drunk with the Holsteiners in Oranienbaum."
Lies have long legs...
The series “Catherine” was released on the screens, in connection with this there is a surge of interest in the controversial figures in the history of Russia, Emperor Peter III and his wife, who became Empress Catherine II. Therefore, I present a selection of facts about the life and reign of these monarchs of the Russian Empire.
Peter and Catherine: a joint portrait by G.K.Groot
Peter III (Peter Fedorovich, born Karl Peter Ulrich of Holstein-Gottorp)was a very extraordinary emperor. He did not know the Russian language, he liked to play with soldiers and wanted to baptize Russia according to the Protestant rite. His mysterious death led to the emergence of a galaxy of impostors.
Already from birth, Peter could claim two imperial titles: Swedish and Russian. On his father's side, he was the great-nephew of King Charles XII, who himself was too busy with military campaigns to marry. Peter's grandfather on his mother's side was the main enemy of Charles, the Russian Emperor Peter I.
An early orphaned boy spent his childhood with his uncle, Bishop Adolf of Eitinsky, where he was raised to hate Russia. He did not know the Russian language and was baptized according to the Protestant custom. True, he also did not know other languages \u200b\u200bbesides his native German, he only spoke a little French.
Peter was supposed to take the Swedish throne, but the childless Empress Elizabeth remembered the son of her beloved sister Anna and declared him heir. The boy is brought to Russia to meet the imperial throne and death.
In fact, the sickly young man was not particularly needed by anyone: neither the aunt-empress, nor the tutors, nor, subsequently, his wife. Everyone was only interested in his origin, even the cherished words were added to the official title of the heir: "Grandson of Peter I."
And the heir himself was interested in toys, first of all - soldiers. Can we accuse him of infantilism? When Peter was brought to St. Petersburg, he was only 13 years old! Dolls attracted the heir more than state affairs or a young bride.
True, with age, his priorities do not change. He continued to play, but secretly. Ekaterina writes: “During the day, his toys were hidden in my bed and under it. The Grand Duke went to bed first after dinner, and as soon as we were in bed, Kruse (the chambermaid) locked the door with a key, and then the Grand Duke played until one or two in the morning.
Over time, toys become bigger and more dangerous. Peter is allowed to write a regiment of soldiers from Holstein, whom the future emperor enthusiastically drives around the parade ground. Meanwhile, his wife is learning Russian and studying French philosophers...
In 1745, the wedding of the heir Peter Fedorovich and Ekaterina Alekseevna, the future Catherine II, was magnificently celebrated in St. Petersburg. There was no love between the young spouses - they differed too much in character and interests. The more intelligent and educated Catherine makes fun of her husband in her memoirs: “he doesn’t read books, and if he does, it’s either a prayer book or descriptions of torture and executions.”
Letter from the Grand Duke to his wife. obverse, bottom left: le .. fevr./ 1746
Madame, this night I ask you not to inconvenience yourself - to sleep with me, since the time to deceive me has passed. After living apart for two weeks, the bed was too narrow. This afternoon. Your most unfortunate husband, whom you would never deign to call that Peter.
February 1746, ink on paper
With marital duty, Peter also did not have everything going smoothly, his letters testify to this, where he asks his wife not to share the bed with him, which has become “too narrow”. This is where the legend originates that the future Emperor Paul was born not at all from Peter III, but from one of the favorites of the loving Catherine.
However, despite the coldness in the relationship, Peter always trusted his wife. In difficult situations, he turned to her for help, and her tenacious mind found a way out of any trouble. Therefore, Catherine received from her husband the ironic nickname "Lady Help".
But not only children's games distracted Peter from the matrimonial bed. In 1750, two girls were presented to the court: Elizaveta and Ekaterina Vorontsov. Ekaterina Vorontsova will be a faithful companion of her royal namesake, while Elizabeth will take the place of the beloved of Peter III.
The future emperor could take any court beauty as his favorite, but his choice fell, nevertheless, on this “fat and awkward” maid of honor. Love is evil? However, is it worth trusting the description left in the memoirs of a forgotten and abandoned wife.
The sharp-tongued Empress Elizaveta Petrovna found this love triangle very amusing. She even nicknamed the good-natured, but narrow-minded Vorontsova "Russian de Pompadour."
It was love that became one of the reasons for the fall of Peter. At court, they began to say that Peter was going, following the example of his ancestors, to send his wife to a monastery and marry Vorontsova. He allowed himself to insult and bully Catherine, who, apparently, endured all his whims, but in fact cherished plans for revenge and was looking for powerful allies.
During the Seven Years' War, in which Russia took the side of Austria. Peter III openly sympathized with Prussia and personally with Frederick II, which did not add to the popularity of the young heir.
Antropov A.P. Peter III Fedorovich (Karl Peter Ulrich)
But he went even further: the heir handed over to his idol secret documents, information about the number and location of Russian troops! Upon learning of this, Elizabeth was furious, but she forgave a lot of her near-nephew for the sake of his mother, her beloved sister.
Why is the heir to the Russian throne so openly helping Prussia? Like Catherine, Peter is looking for allies, and hopes to find one of them in the person of Frederick II. Chancellor Bestuzhev-Ryumin writes: “The Grand Duke was convinced that Frederick II loves him and speaks with great respect; therefore, he thinks that as soon as he ascends the throne, the Prussian king will seek his friendship and will help him in everything.
After the death of Empress Elizabeth, Peter III was proclaimed emperor, but was not officially crowned. He showed himself to be an energetic ruler, and in the six months of his reign he managed, contrary to popular opinion, to do a lot. Estimates of his reign vary greatly: Catherine and her supporters describe Peter as a weak-minded, ignorant martinet and Russophobe. Modern historians create a more objective image.
First of all, Peter made peace with Prussia on unfavorable terms for Russia. This caused discontent in army circles. But then his "Manifesto on the Liberty of the Nobility" gave the aristocracy huge privileges. At the same time, he issued laws prohibiting the torture and murder of serfs, and stopped the persecution of the Old Believers.
Peter III tried to please everyone, but in the end, all attempts turned against him. The reason for the conspiracy against Peter was his ridiculous fantasies about the baptism of Russia according to the Protestant model. The guards, the main support and support of the Russian emperors, took the side of Catherine. In his palace in Orienbaum, Peter signed the abdication.
Tombs of Peter III and Catherine II in the Peter and Paul Cathedral.
The headstones of the buried have the same date of burial (December 18, 1796), which gives the impression that Peter III and Catherine II lived together for many years and died on the same day.
Peter's death is one big mystery. It was not in vain that Emperor Paul compared himself with Hamlet: during the entire reign of Catherine II, the shadow of her deceased husband could not find peace. But was the Empress guilty of her husband's death?
According to the official version, Peter III died of an illness. He was not in good health, and the upheavals associated with the coup and abdication could have killed a stronger person. But the sudden and so quick death of Peter - a week after the overthrow - caused a lot of talk. For example, there is a legend according to which the favorite of Catherine, Alexei Orlov, was the killer of the emperor.
The illegal overthrow and suspicious death of Peter gave rise to a whole galaxy of impostors. In our country alone, more than forty people tried to impersonate the emperor. The most famous of them was Emelyan Pugachev. Abroad, one of the false Peters even became the king of Montenegro. The last impostor was arrested in 1797, 35 years after the death of Peter, and only after that the shadow of the emperor finally found peace.
Under the reignCatherine II Alekseevna the Great(nee Sophia Augusta Frederick of Anhalt-Zerbst) from 1762 to 1796, the possessions of the empire expanded significantly. Of the 50 provinces, 11 were acquired during the years of her reign. The amount of state revenues increased from 16 to 68 million rubles. 144 new cities were built (more than 4 cities per year throughout the reign). The army almost doubled, the number of ships of the Russian fleet increased from 20 to 67 battleships, not counting other ships. The army and navy scored 78 brilliant victories, which strengthened Russia's international prestige.
Anna Rosina de Gask (née Lisevski) Princess Sophia Augusta Friederike, in the future Catherine II 1742
Access to the Black and Azov Seas was won, Crimea, Ukraine (except for the Lvov region), Belarus, Eastern Poland, and Kabarda were annexed. The annexation of Georgia to Russia began. At the same time, during her reign, only one execution was carried out - the leader of the peasant uprising, Emelyan Pugachev.
Catherine II on the balcony of the Winter Palace, being greeted by the guards and the people on the day of the coup on June 28, 1762
The daily routine of the Empress was far from the idea of \u200b\u200bthe inhabitants of the royal life. Her day was scheduled by the hour, and its routine remained unchanged throughout her reign. Only the time of sleep changed: if in her mature years Catherine got up at 5, then closer to old age - at 6, and by the end of her life even at 7 in the morning. After breakfast, the empress received high-ranking officials and secretaries of state. The days and hours of reception of each official were constant. The working day ended at four o'clock, and it was time for rest. The hours of work and rest, breakfast, lunch and dinner were also constant. At 10 or 11 pm Catherine finished the day and went to bed.
Every day, 90 rubles were spent on the food of the Empress (for comparison: the salary of a soldier during the reign of Catherine was only 7 rubles a year). Boiled beef with pickles was a favorite dish, and currant juice was used as a drink. For dessert, preference was given to apples and cherries.
After dinner, the empress took up needlework, while Ivan Ivanovich Betskoy read aloud to her at that time. Ekaterina “skillfully sewed on canvas”, knitted on knitting needles. Having finished reading, she moved to the Hermitage, where she sharpened from bone, wood, amber, engraved, played billiards.
Artist Ilyas Faizullin. Visit of Catherine II to Kazan
Catherine was indifferent to fashion. She did not notice her, and sometimes quite deliberately ignored her. On weekdays, the Empress wore a simple dress and did not wear jewelry.
By her own admission, she did not have a creative mind, but she wrote plays, and even sent some of them to Voltaire for "reviewing".
Catherine came up with a special suit for the six-month-old Tsarevich Alexander, the pattern of which was asked from her by the Prussian prince and the Swedish king for their own children. And for her beloved subjects, the empress invented the cut of the Russian dress, which they were forced to wear at her court.
Portrait of Alexander Pavlovich, Jean Louis Veil
People who knew Ekaterina closely note her attractive appearance not only in her youth, but also in her mature years, her exceptionally friendly appearance, and ease of handling. Baroness Elizabeth Dimsdale, who was first introduced to her with her husband in Tsarskoye Selo at the end of August 1781, described Catherine as follows: “a very attractive woman with lovely expressive eyes and an intelligent look”
Catherine was aware that men liked her and she herself was not indifferent to their beauty and masculinity. “I received from nature a great sensitivity and appearance, if not beautiful, then at least attractive. I liked the first time and did not use any art and embellishment for this.
The empress was quick-tempered, but knew how to control herself, and never made decisions in a fit of anger. She was very polite even with the servants, no one heard a rude word from her, she did not order, but asked to fulfill her will. Her rule, according to the testimony of Count Segur, was "to praise out loud, and to scold on the sly."
Rules hung on the walls of the ballrooms under Catherine II: it was forbidden to stand in front of the empress, even if she approached the guest and spoke to him while standing. It was forbidden to be in a gloomy mood, insult each other. And on the shield at the entrance to the Hermitage there was an inscription: "The mistress of these places does not tolerate coercion."
Catherine II and Potemkin
Thomas Dimsdale, an English physician, was called from London to introduce smallpox inoculation into Russia. Knowing about the resistance of society to innovation, Empress Catherine II decided to set a personal example and became one of the first patients of Dimsdale. In 1768, an Englishman vaccinated her and Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich with smallpox. The recovery of the Empress and her son was a significant event in the life of the Russian court.
The Empress was a heavy smoker. The cunning Ekaterina, not wanting her snow-white gloves to be saturated with a yellow nicotine coating, ordered to wrap the tip of each cigar with a ribbon of expensive silk.
The Empress read and wrote in German, French and Russian, but made many mistakes. Ekaterina was aware of this and once confessed to one of her secretaries that “she could only learn Russian from books without a teacher,” since “Aunt Elizaveta Petrovna told my chamberlain: teach her enough, she’s already smart.” As a result, she made four mistakes in a three-letter word: instead of "more", she wrote "ischo".
Johann Baptist Elder Lampi, 1793. Portrait of Empress Catherine II, 1793
Long before her death, Catherine composed an epitaph for her future tombstone: “Catherine the Second rests here. She arrived in Russia in 1744 to marry Peter III. At fourteen, she made a threefold decision: to please her husband, Elizabeth, and the people. She did not miss anything in order to achieve success in this respect. Eighteen years of boredom and loneliness led her to read many books. Having ascended the Russian throne, she made every effort to give her subjects happiness, freedom and material well-being. She forgave easily and hated no one. She was indulgent, loved life, had a cheerful disposition, was a true republican in her convictions and had a good heart. She had friends. The job was easy for her. She enjoyed secular entertainment and the arts."
