Purulent is the stage name of one of the most scandalous participants ...
The controversial personality was Catherine II the Great - the Russian empress of German origin. In most articles and films, she is shown as a lover of court balls and luxurious toilets, as well as numerous favorites with whom she once had a very close relationship.
Unfortunately, few people know that she was a very smart, bright and talented organizer. And this is an indisputable fact, since the political changes that took place during the years of her reign were related to In addition, numerous reforms that affected the social and state life of the country are another proof of the originality of her personality.
Origin
Catherine 2, whose biography was so amazing and unusual, was born on May 2, 1729 in the German Stettin. Her full name is Sophia Augusta Frederica, Princess of Anhalt-Zerbst. Her parents were Prince Christian August of Anhalt-Zerbst and his equal title Johann-Elizabeth Holstein-Gottorp, who was related to such royal houses as English, Swedish and Prussian.
The future Russian empress was educated at home. She was taught theology, music, dance, the basics of geography and history, and, in addition to her native German, she also knew French perfectly. Already in early childhood, she showed her independent character, perseverance and curiosity, preferred lively and active games.
Marriage
In 1744, Empress Elizaveta Petrovna invited Princess Anhalt-Zerbst to come to Russia with her mother. Here the girl was christened according to the Orthodox tradition and began to be called Ekaterina Alekseevna. From that moment on, she received the status of the official bride of Prince Peter Fedorovich, the future Emperor Peter 3.
So, the exciting story of Catherine II in Russia began with their wedding, which took place on August 21, 1745. After this event, she received the title of Grand Duchess. As you know, her marriage was initially unhappy. Her husband Peter was at that time still an immature youth who played with the soldiers instead of spending his time with his wife. Therefore, the future empress was forced to entertain herself: she read for a long time, and also invented various fun.
Children of Catherine 2
While the wife of Peter 3 looked like a decent lady, the heir to the throne himself never hid, so almost the entire court knew about his romantic addictions.
After five years, Catherine 2, whose biography, as you know, was also full of love stories, started her first romance on the side. Her chosen one was the guard officer S.V. Saltykov. On September 20, 9 years after her marriage, she gave birth to an heir. This event became the subject of court discussions, which, however, continue to this day, but already in scholarly circles. Some researchers are sure that the boy's father was in fact Catherine's lover, and not at all her husband Peter. Others claim that he was born of a husband. But be that as it may, the mother did not have time to take care of the child, so Elizaveta Petrovna herself took over his upbringing. Soon, the future empress became pregnant again and gave birth to a girl named Anna. Unfortunately, this child only lived for 4 months.
After 1750, Catherine had a love relationship with S. Poniatowski, a Polish diplomat who later became King Stanislaw August. At the beginning of 1760 she was already with G.G. Orlov, from whom she gave birth to her third child - the son of Alexei. The boy was given the surname Bobrinsky.
I must say that due to numerous rumors and gossip, as well as the promiscuous behavior of his wife, the children of Catherine 2 did not evoke any warm feelings in Peter 3. The man clearly doubted his biological paternity.
Needless to say, the future empress categorically rejected all the charges brought against her by her husband. Hiding from the attacks of Peter III, Catherine preferred to spend most of her time in her boudoir. The relationship with her husband, spoiled to the extreme, led to the fact that she began to seriously fear for her life. She was afraid that, having come to power, Peter 3 would take revenge on her, so she began to look for reliable allies at court.
Accession to the throne
After the death of his mother, Peter 3 ruled the state for only 6 months. For a long time they spoke of him as an ignorant and feeble-minded ruler with many vices. But who created such an image for him? Recently, historians are more and more inclined to think that such an unattractive image was created by memoirs written by the very organizers of the coup - Catherine II and E. R. Dashkova.
The fact is that her husband's attitude towards her was not just bad, it was clearly hostile. Therefore, the threat of exile or even arrest hanging over her served as an impetus for the preparation of a conspiracy against Peter 3. The Orlov brothers, KG Razumovsky, NI Panin, ER Dashkova and others helped her to organize the rebellion. On July 9, 1762, Peter III was overthrown, and a new empress, Catherine II, came to power. The deposed monarch was almost immediately taken to Ropsha (30 versts from St. Petersburg). He was accompanied by a guard of guards under the command of
As you know, the story of Catherine II and, in particular, the one arranged by her is full of riddles that excite the minds of most researchers to this day. For example, the cause of the death of Peter 3, 8 days after his overthrow, has not yet been precisely established. According to the official version, he died from a whole bunch of diseases caused by prolonged alcohol use.
Until recently, it was believed that Peter 3 died a violent death at the hands of Alexei Orlov. Proof of this was a letter written by the killer and sent to Catherine from Ropsha. The original of this document has not survived, but there was only a copy allegedly taken by FV Rostopchin. Therefore, there is no direct evidence of the murder of the emperor yet.
Foreign policy
I must say that Catherine II the Great largely shared the views of Peter I that Russia in the world arena should take a leading position in all areas, while pursuing an offensive and even to some extent aggressive policy. Proof of this is the breakdown of the allied treaty with Prussia, concluded earlier by her husband Peter 3. She took this decisive step almost immediately, as soon as she came to the throne.
The foreign policy of Catherine II was based on the fact that she everywhere tried to elevate her proteges to the throne. It was thanks to her that Duke E. I. Biron returned to the throne of Courland, and in 1763 her protégé, Stanislav August Poniatowski, began to rule in Poland. Such actions led to the fact that Austria began to fear an excessive increase in the influence of the northern state. Its representatives immediately began to incite the long-standing enemy of Russia - Turkey - to start a war against it. And Austria still achieved its goal.
We can say that the Russian-Turkish war, which lasted 6 years (from 1768 to 1774), was successful for the Russian Empire. Despite this, the internal political situation inside the country, which had not developed in the best way, forced Catherine II to seek peace. As a result, she had to restore its former allied relations with Austria. And a compromise was reached between the two countries. His victim was Poland, part of which in 1772 was divided between three states: Russia, Austria and Prussia.
Land annexation and the new Russian doctrine
The signing of the Kyuchuk-Kainardzhiyskiy peace with Turkey ensured the independence of the Crimea, which is beneficial for the Russian state. In subsequent years, there was an increase in imperial influence not only on this peninsula, but also in the Caucasus. The result of this policy was the inclusion of Crimea in Russia in 1782. Soon the Treaty of St. George was signed with the king of Kartli-Kakheti Irakli 2, which provided for the presence of Russian troops in Georgia. Subsequently, these lands were also annexed to Russia.
Catherine II, whose biography was inherently connected with the history of the country, from the second half of the 70s of the 18th century, together with the then government, began to form a completely new foreign policy position - the so-called Greek project. Its ultimate goal was the restoration of the Greek or Byzantine Empire. Its capital was to be Constantinople, and its ruler - the grandson of Catherine II, Pavlovich.
By the end of the 70s, the foreign policy of Catherine II returned the country to its former international prestige, which was further strengthened after Russia acted as a mediator at the Teschen Congress between Prussia and Austria. In 1787, the empress, with the Polish king and the Austrian monarch, accompanied by her courtiers and foreign diplomats, made a long journey to the Crimean peninsula. This grandiose event demonstrated the entire military might of the Russian Empire.
Domestic policy
Most of the reforms and transformations that were carried out in Russia were as contradictory as Catherine II herself. The years of her reign were marked by the maximum enslavement of the peasantry, as well as the deprivation of even the most minimal rights. It was with her that a decree appeared prohibiting the filing of a complaint against the arbitrariness of landowners. In addition, corruption flourished among the highest state apparatus and officials, and the empress herself served as an example for them, who generously endowed both relatives and a large army of her fans.
What she was
The personal qualities of Catherine II were described by her in her own memoirs. In addition, the research of historians, based on numerous documents, suggests that she was a subtle psychologist who was well versed in people. Proof of this is the fact that she selected only talented and bright people as her assistants. Therefore, its era was marked by the emergence of a whole cohort of brilliant commanders and statesmen, poets and writers, artists and musicians.
In dealing with her subordinates, Catherine II was usually tactful, restrained and patient. According to her, she always listened carefully to her interlocutor, capturing every practical thought, and then used it for good. Under her, in fact, not a single noisy resignation took place, she did not exile any of the nobles, and even less did she execute them. No wonder her reign is called the "golden age" of the flourishing of the Russian nobility.
Catherine II, whose biography and personality are full of contradictions, at the same time was rather vain and greatly valued the power she had won. In order to keep her in her hands, she was willing to compromise even to the detriment of her own convictions.
Personal life
Portraits of the Empress, painted during her youth, indicate that she had a rather pleasant appearance. Therefore, it is not surprising that the numerous love affairs of Catherine 2. In truth, she could well remarry, but in this case her title, position, and most importantly, the fullness of power, would have been threatened.
According to the prevailing opinion of most historians, in her entire life Catherine the Great changed about twenty lovers. Very often, she presented them with a variety of valuable gifts, generously distributed honors and titles, and all this in order for them to be supportive of her.
Board results
It must be said that historians do not undertake to unequivocally assess all the events that occurred in Catherine's era, since at that time despotism and enlightenment went hand in hand side by side and were inextricably linked. During the years of her reign, there was everything: the development of education, culture and science, the significant strengthening of Russian statehood in the international arena, the development of trade relations and diplomacy. But, as with any ruler, it was not without the oppression of the people, who suffered numerous hardships. Such an internal policy could not fail to cause another popular unrest, which grew into a powerful and full-scale uprising led by Yemelyan Pugachev.
Conclusion
In the 1860s, an idea appeared: to erect a monument to Catherine II in St. Petersburg in honor of her 100-year accession to the throne. Its construction lasted 11 years, and the opening took place in 1873 on Alexandria Square. This is the most famous monument to the Empress. During the years of Soviet power, 5 of its monuments were lost. After 2000, several monuments were opened both in Russia and abroad: 2 - in Ukraine and 1 - in Transnistria. In addition, in 2010 a statue appeared in Zerbst (Germany), but not to Empress Catherine II, but to Sophia Frederica Augusta, Princess of Anhalt-Zerbst.
Portrait of Catherine II. F.S. Rokotov, 1763
During her lifetime, Catherine II was named the Great, and this honorary title was preserved for her in the official imperial historiography. The attitude of Russian and European society to the outstanding empress of the 18th century was, however, completely ambiguous. This is quite natural - in Catherine, as well as in the whole appearance of Catherine's Russia, incompatible features were combined: sin and virtue, greatness and baseness, subtlety of artistic taste and vulgarity, reasonable moderation of enlightened Europeanism and cruel Asian despotism. Empress Catherine II is one of the most striking phenomena of Russian history.
Portrait of Princess Sofia Augusta Friderica. A.R. Lischevskaya. 1742
Sophia Frederica Augusta of Anhalt-Zerbst on April 21 (May 2) 1729 in the then German city of Stettin - the capital of Pomerania (Pomorie). Now the city is called Szczecin, among other territories it was voluntarily transferred by the Soviet Union, following the Second World War, to Poland and is the capital of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship of Poland.
Stettin castle, where the future empress was born
Father, Christian August of Anhalt-Zerbst, came from the Zerbst-Dorneburg line of the House of Anhalt and was in the service of the Prussian king, was a regimental commander, commandant, then governor of the city of Stettin, where the future empress was born, ran for the dukes of Courland, but unsuccessfully , finished his service as a Prussian field marshal.
Christian August of Anhalt-Zerbst - Prince of Anhalt-Dornburg, Prussian Field Marshal General (1742), father of Catherine II.
Mother - Johanna Elizabeth, from the Gottorp sovereign house, was the cousin of the future Peter III. Johanna Elizabeth's lineage goes back to Christian I, King of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, the first Duke of Schleswig-Holstein and the founder of the Oldenburg dynasty.
His maternal uncle, Adolf-Friedrich, was elected heir to the Swedish throne in 1743, to which he entered in 1751 under the name of Adolf-Fredrik. Another uncle, Karl Eitinsky, according to the plan of Catherine I, was to become the husband of her daughter Elizabeth, but died on the eve of the wedding celebrations.
Johann Elisabeth of Holstein-Gottorp is the mother of Empress Catherine the Great, daughter of the Lubeck prince Christian Augustus, princess of the Holstein-Gottorp house.
In the family of the Duke of Zerbst, Catherine received a home education. She studied English, French and Italian, dance, music, the basics of history, geography, theology. She grew up as a playful, inquisitive, playful girl, she loved to flaunt her courage in front of the boys, with whom she easily played on the Stettin streets. The parents were unhappy with their daughter's "boyish" behavior, but they were fine with Frederica taking care of her younger sister Augusta.
Her mother used to call her Fike or Fikkhen nem as a child. Figchen - comes from the name Frederica, that is, "little Frederica" \u200b\u200bParents did not burden her with their upbringing. The father was diligently engaged in the service, and the mother - a quarrelsome and restless woman - from time to time traveled all over Europe in search of adventures in the undercover affairs of Frederick the Great. The daughter, apparently, only thanked fate for the fact that the mother was often not at home, because in raising children, John-Elizabeth adhered to the simplest rules and could easily close up a slap in the face. Home lessons were not in vain, our heroine learned to patiently endure grievances and wait in the wings.
Princess Fike
Catherine owed her marriage to Empress Elizabeth, who, without further ado, decided to look for a bride in the depths of her own family. Sophia-Augusta was a second cousin to the groom on her mother, and Elizabeth considered this marriage to be her family affair. However, family relations did not bring happiness to Sophia-Augusta at the court of the Russian empress.
In 1743, the Russian Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, choosing a bride for her heir, Grand Duke Peter Fedorovich (the future Russian Emperor Peter III), remembered that on her deathbed her mother bequeathed her to become the wife of a Holstein prince, the brother of Johann Elizabeth.
Eitinsky castle
Princess Fike, 1745, Antonio Pesce
Perhaps it was this circumstance that tipped the scales in Frederica's favor; Elizabeth had previously vigorously supported her uncle's election to the Swedish throne and exchanged portraits with her mother. In 1744, the Zerbst princess, together with her mother, was invited to Russia to marry Pyotr Fedorovich. She first saw her future husband at Eitinsky Castle in 1739.
Catherine after her arrival in Russia, portrait by Louis Caravac
Princess Fike by Pesce
Immediately after arriving in Russia, she began to study the Russian language, history, Orthodoxy, Russian traditions, as she tried to get to know Russia as fully as possible, which she perceived as a new homeland. Among her teachers, the famous preacher Simon Todorsky (teacher of Orthodoxy), the author of the first Russian grammar Vasily Adadurov (teacher of the Russian language) and choreographer Lange (dance teacher) are distinguished.
Writing exercises in calligraphy and French by Princess Sophia of Anhalt-Zerbskaya
In an effort to learn Russian as quickly as possible, the future empress studied at night, sitting at an open window in the frosty air. Soon she fell ill with pneumonia, and her condition was so grave that her mother offered to bring in a Lutheran pastor. Sofia, however, refused and sent for Simon Todorsky. This circumstance added to her popularity at the Russian court. On June 28 (July 9) 1744, Sophia Frederica Augusta converted from Lutheranism to Orthodoxy and received the name of Ekaterina Alekseevna (the same name and patronymic as Elizabeth's mother, Catherine I), and the next day was betrothed to the future emperor.
1744, works by Grott
Fike was a pretty girl, but she was not called a beauty. From a political point of view, she also did not have any special advantages - her family did not have any independent influence. In general, she was very lucky - the first time, but not the last. Fike had to do what in the language of the XVIII century was called "to enter the case", that is, to please the tsarina, the grand duke and gain confidence in the wayward St. Petersburg court. And the yard was not easy. Most of all, it resembled a theater, where a permanent performance was staged with a mass of participants circling in a sparkling round dance around the unsurpassed prima - Queen Elizabeth. The real business, as usual, was done behind the scenes.
1744, works by Grott
It was difficult to organically integrate into the ensemble of virtuosos of the court political game, it is even more difficult to understand the cunning mechanics of relations that governed court action. Princess Johanna and her daughter were at first greeted with cordiality; Elizaveta Petrovna even burst into tears when she met, seeing in the face of Johanna Elizabeth features that reminded her of the deceased groom. That was the first and last success of the princess at the St. Petersburg court.
Soon, the frivolous Johanna got involved in intrigues and was forever removed from Russia. The young princess Fike, as best she could, distanced herself from her mother and in every possible way cringed to Elizabeth. But the main thing is that the Zerbst princess tried as soon as possible to become “hers” for the empress and the court.
Here is an excerpt from her memoir: “I, who made it a rule to like people with whom I had to live, assimilated their way of acting, their manner; I wanted to be Russian, so that Russians would love me "... The appearance of Sophia with her mother in St. Petersburg was accompanied by a political intrigue, in which her mother, Princess Zerbst, was involved. She was a fan of King Frederick II of Prussia, and the latter decided to use her stay at the Russian imperial court to establish his influence on Russian foreign policy.
For this, it was planned, through intrigue and influence on the Empress Elizaveta Petrovna, to remove from the affairs of the Chancellor Bestuzhev, who pursued an anti-Prussian policy, and replace him with another nobleman who sympathized with Prussia. However, Bestuzhev managed to intercept the letters of Princess Zerbst to Frederick II and present them to Elizaveta Petrovna. After the latter learned about the "ugly role of a Prussian spy" played by Sofia's mother at her court, she immediately changed her attitude towards her and disgraced her. However, this did not affect the position of Sofia herself, who did not take part in this intrigue
Grand Duchess Ekaterina Alekseevna with her husband Peter III Fyodorovich
On August 21, 1745, at the age of sixteen, Catherine was married to Pyotr Fedorovich, who was 17 years old and who was her second cousin. The first years of life together, Peter was not at all interested in his wife, and there was no marital relationship between them. Catherine would later write about this:
I saw very well that the Grand Duke did not love me at all; two weeks after the wedding, he told me that he was in love with the maid Carr, the maid of honor of the empress. He told Count Divier, his chamberlain, that there was no comparison between this girl and me. Divier argued otherwise, and he was angry with him; this scene took place almost in my presence, and I saw this quarrel. To tell the truth, I told myself that with this man I would certainly be very unhappy if I gave in to the feeling of love for him, for which they paid so poorly, and that there would be something to die of jealousy for no good at all.
1747, by Grott. In a hunting suit
So, out of pride, I tried to force myself not to be jealous of a person who does not love me, but in order not to be jealous of him, there was no choice but not to love him. If he wanted to be loved, it would not be difficult for me: I was naturally inclined and accustomed to performing my duties, but for this I would need to have a husband with common sense, but mine did not
Family relations with Peter III did not work out. Her seventeen-year-old husband devotedly devoted himself to the game of soldiers and had little interest in his wife. In their relationship, at first, complete indifference prevailed: there was not even hatred, but her adored aunt became Catherine's true tyrant.
1745, with Peter, by Grott
The aging Elizabeth held her niece like a wild bird in a cage, apparently seeing in her a rival to her power. She did not allow Catherine to go out without asking for a walk, even go to the bathhouse, did not allow rearranging furniture and having ink and pens. In the palace, the heir's wife was watched relentlessly, informing Elizabeth about Catherine's every step, peeping through the keyholes and printing her letters to her parents.
True, sometimes the capricious Elizabeth was generous with rich gifts, but the expressions of favor were immediately alternated with rude reprimands, which even threatened with beatings. "Not a day went by," wrote Ekaterina, "so that they would not scold me and sneer at me." After one of such obscene scenes, she succumbed to a terrible impulse: the maid who entered her found her with a large knife in her hand, which, fortunately, turned out to be so stupid that she could not even overcome the corset.
Catherine II with her cousin Gustav III in Sweden (Stockholm, National Museum of Sweden)
It was a momentary loss of spirit. For the most part, Catherine had a natural optimism and knew how to restrain herself. She perfectly understood what the reward awaited her, and endured everything for the sake of power. And she, in spite of everything, did not doubt that sooner or later there would be a holiday on her street. "Everything I did, always leaned towards it, and my whole life has been a search for means of how to achieve this."
Ekaterina continues to educate herself. She reads books on history, philosophy, jurisprudence, works by Voltaire, Montesquieu, Tacitus, Beyle, a large number of other literature. The main entertainments for her were hunting, horse riding, dancing and masquerades. The absence of marital relations with the Grand Duke contributed to the appearance of lovers for Catherine. Meanwhile, Empress Elizabeth expressed her dissatisfaction with the absence of children from the spouses.
1758, works of Grott
1762, works by Friksen
The marriage triumph of Princess Fike turned into a real drama for her. For the family life of Peter and Catherine did not work out from the very beginning. They could get along well while they were bride and groom - in fact, two children who found themselves in a foreign and incomprehensible country. But when they became spouses, they discovered many reasons for mutual dissatisfaction. Peter was distinguished by his infantilism and insufficient education - to the early matured and well-trained Catherine, he seemed an uncouth, hopeless idiot.
Over time, the spouses also showed more significant differences of views and temperaments, already affecting the sphere of politics. The Grand Duke was openly burdened by the order prevailing at the court of Elizabeth, he did not put the Russian Empire too high and did not hide his admiration for Frederick II of Prussia.
Grott's works
Catherine, who owed a lot to the Prussian king and internally solidarity with him on many issues, considered her husband's enthusiastic attitude to a foreign monarch (far from friendly towards the Russian state and the Russian empress) to be completely inappropriate. The Grand Duchess, unlike her husband, endured the severe despotism of Empress Elizabeth with her periodic fits of irritability and suspicion patiently, like bouts of bad weather caused by the climatic features of Russia.
But the worst thing is that the harmony of intimate relationships did not work out between the spouses. Later, Catherine blamed Peter for everything - they say, he neglected marital duties. According to some reports, it was Catherine who showed coldness towards her husband already in the first years of marriage. The situation for Catherine looked very tragic, because her main duty was to give offspring to the Romanov family.
1762, works by Eriksen
Not fulfilling it, she could lose everything she had achieved in Russia. Peter did not feel much better, who, during several years of being near the capricious aunt, had managed to prove himself not in the best way and had lost the former empress's goodwill. In the end, they overcame themselves in the ninth year of marriage, in 1754, created a son, Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich.
After that, the spouses practically gave each other complete freedom. Even before Paul was born, a handsome aristocrat Sergei Saltykov appeared near the Grand Duchess. Becoming the second man in Catherine's life, he was the first to kindle the fire of real sensuality in her, which then flared up more and more brighter, warming and scorching numerous lovers. When Saltykov was tactfully removed from the court, his place was taken by the noble Polish gentry Stanislav Ponyatovsky
Stanislav II August Poniatowski - the last king of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania in 1764-1795.
Their romance soon ceased to be a secret for those around them, and for Peter himself. Poniatowski, in accordance with his position at the British Embassy, \u200b\u200bbecame an active participant in the intrigues that Prussian and British diplomacy weaved in St. Petersburg. Peter and Catherine were also embroiled in a dangerous game against the policies of Empress Elizabeth. When the case was solved, Poniatovsky was forced to hastily leave Russia.
Abandoned by a handsome Polish man, the Grand Duchess did not suffer for long: in 1759, her heart was seized by the guardsman Grigory Orlov, a military officer, a desperate brave man, a reveler and a brute. He was destined to play a decisive role in the coup that raised Catherine to the throne and saved her from her hateful husband. Orlov held out with his beloved empress for a decade and a half. Then the tastes of Catherine, who was already entering old age, began to change, the charm of Oryol's bodily power and daring melted in the heat of the passions of big politics, in which the brave guardsman could not be a worthy partner.
Portrait of Prince Grigory Potemkin-Tavrichesky. Lampi, Johann (Sr.)
Then Catherine went through a whole series of heart hobbies. And there was only one companion-lover, a real assistant in the affairs of the reign - Grigory Potemkin, the Most Serene Prince of Tauride. Potemkin remained in favor with Catherine until his death. The last favorite was the youngster Zubov, who tried to play the role of an outstanding statesman and put forward absolutely fantastic projects for this, which, however, no one took seriously.
In the last years of the reign of Elizabeth Petrovna, the young Grand Duchess was quite clearly aware of her prospects. The key idea of \u200b\u200bthis realization was expressed back in 1756 in one of Catherine's letters: "I will reign or die."
A foreigner by birth, she sincerely loved Russia and cared about the welfare of her subjects. Having occupied the throne through a palace coup, the wife of Peter III tried to implement the best ideas of the European Enlightenment into the life of Russian society. At the same time, Catherine opposed the outbreak of the Great French Revolution (1789-1799), outraged by the execution of the French king Louis XVI Bourbon (January 21, 1793) and predetermining Russia's participation in the anti-French coalition of European states at the beginning of the 19th century.
Catherine II Alekseevna (née Sophia Augusta Frederica, Princess of Anhalt-Zerbst) was born on May 2, 1729 in the German city of Stettin (present-day Poland), and died on November 17, 1796 in St. Petersburg.
The daughter of Prince Christian Augustus of Anhalt-Zerbst and Princess Johannes-Elizabeth (nee Princess of Holstein-Gottorp), who was in the Prussian service, was related to the royal houses of Sweden, Prussia and England. She received a home education, the course of which, in addition to dancing and foreign languages, also included the basics of history, geography and theology.
In 1744, she and her mother were invited to Russia by Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, and baptized according to the Orthodox tradition under the name of Ekaterina Alekseevna. Soon it was announced about her engagement with the Grand Duke Peter Fedorovich (future Emperor Peter III), and in 1745 they got married.
Catherine understood that the court loved Elizabeth, did not accept many of the oddities of the heir to the throne, and, perhaps, after the death of Elizabeth, it was she, with the support of the court, to ascend the Russian throne. Catherine studied the works of the leaders of the French Enlightenment, as well as jurisprudence, which had a significant impact on her worldview. In addition, she made as much effort as possible to study, and possibly understand the history and traditions of the Russian state. Because of her desire to learn everything Russian, Catherine won the love not only of the court, but of the whole of Petersburg.
After the death of Elizaveta Petrovna, Catherine's relationship with her husband, never warm and understanding, continued to deteriorate, taking on clearly hostile forms. Fearing arrest, Catherine, with the support of the Orlov brothers, N.I. Panin, K.G. Razumovsky, E.R. Dashkova on the night of June 28, 1762, when the emperor was in Oranienbaum, she made a palace coup. Peter III was exiled to Ropsha, where he soon died under mysterious circumstances.
Starting her reign, Catherine tried to implement the ideas of the Enlightenment and organize a state in accordance with the ideals of this most powerful European intellectual movement. Almost from the first days of her government, she has been actively involved in state affairs, proposing reforms that are significant for society. On her initiative, in 1763, a reform of the Senate was carried out, which significantly increased the efficiency of its work. Wishing to increase the dependence of the church on the state, and to provide additional land resources to the nobility supporting the policy of reforming society, Catherine carried out the secularization of church lands (1754). The unification of the administration of the territories of the Russian Empire began, and the hetmanate in Ukraine was abolished.
The advocate of the Enlightenment, Ekaterina, creates a number of new educational institutions, including for women (Smolny Institute, Ekaterininskoe School).
In 1767, the empress convened a commission, which included representatives of all strata of the population, including peasants (except serfs), to compose a new code - a code of laws. To direct the work of the Legislative Commission, Catherine wrote the "Order", the text of which was based on the writings of educational authors. This document, in fact, was the liberal program of her reign.
After the end of the Russian-Turkish war of 1768-1774. and the suppression of the uprising led by Yemelyan Pugachev began a new stage of Catherine's reforms, when the empress independently developed the most important legislative acts and, using the unlimited power of her power, implemented them.
In 1775, a manifesto was issued, allowing the free opening of any industrial enterprises. In the same year, a provincial reform was carried out, which introduced a new administrative-territorial division of the country, which remained until 1917. In 1785, Catherine issued letters of gratitude to the nobility and cities.
In the foreign policy arena, Catherine II continued to pursue an offensive policy in all directions - north, west and south. The results of foreign policy can be called the strengthening of Russia's influence on European affairs, the three sections of the Commonwealth, the strengthening of positions in the Baltic states, the annexation of Crimea, Georgia, participation in countering the forces of revolutionary France.
The contribution of Catherine II to Russian history is so significant that many works of our culture keep her memory.
The importance of Catherine II for Russian history is so important that she can be compared with Peter I, nicknamed the Great. The annexation of new lands to the empire, the expansion of the strategic and economic capabilities of the state, impressive military victories achieved by skill, but not in numbers at sea and on land, new cities that became Russia's outposts in the south - this is just a short and incomplete list of the achievements of this extraordinary ruler. But it is also enough to understand why Catherine II was called the Great.
The decisiveness that manifested itself in the most severe moments, the ability to take risks and even crime, if necessary to achieve a serious goal - these qualities, turned to the benefit of Russia, were part of its character.
The biography of Catherine the Great began in 1729. The family from which Frederica came was noble, but not rich. And Fike, as she was called at home, would be one of the many European noblewomen, whose fates have sunk into oblivion because of their mediocrity, if not for Russia. In 1741, she came to power and she was the aunt of Peter Holstein, the future Emperor Peter III, the grandson of his betrothed Frederick.
They were destined to get married, although they did not feel sympathy for each other. Neither the groom nor the bride shone with external beauty.
It was acquired by the future empress after the rite of Orthodox baptism. German Frederica not only changed her religious confession, she sincerely wanted to become Russian, and she succeeded. She learned the language perfectly, although until her last days she spoke with a slight accent.
There are several versions of the answer to the question: "Why was Catherine II called the Great even when she did not fully show herself as a statesman?"
An unsuccessful family life, especially its intimate side, forced both spouses to seek comfort on the side. The aristocrat Saltykov, then the nobleman Ponyatovsky, became Catherine's lovers by the tacit permission of her spouse, who gave his wife freedom, without depriving herself, however, of her. Then it was the turn of Orlov, the brave and daring man.
In 1761, Empress Elizabeth died, and the question arose of who would rule Russia. Peter III was by no means that infantile and narrow-minded teenage man as he was described in numerous works of art. Having mastered the science of government, he could well have been a king, at least in such a calm country as the empire was in the Elizabethan era. However, one of the reasons why Catherine II was called the Great was precisely the fact that she was not satisfied with the situation in which everything goes "on the knurled". A conspiracy plan ripened in her head, as a result of which Peter III abdicated the throne, and was later killed.
The empress's iron grip allowed her to firmly suppress the Pugachev rebellion, win the war with Turkey, solve the Polish question, conclude foreign policy alliances that are beneficial for the country and deal with enemies.
The Golden Age is the period when Catherine the Great ruled Russia. The biography of the personality and the history of the country are intertwined and form a single whole.
The expansion of the empire's borders to the south, the accession to it of fertile lands and harbors favorable for the creation of ports ensured foreign trade turnover and food abundance. The victory of Ushakov's squadron in the Chesme Bay, the capture of the Crimean Peninsula, Bessarabia, the defeat of the Turks at Rymnik, the founding of cities such as Odessa, Kherson, Nikolaev, Ovidiopol and other Russian outposts on the southern borders - all these facts eloquently explain why Catherine II was called the Great.
Doctor of Historical Sciences M.RAKHMATULLIN.
During the long decades of the Soviet era, the history of the reign of Catherine II was presented with an obvious bias, and the image of the empress herself was deliberately distorted. From the pages of a few publications, a cunning and vain German princess appears, cunningly seizing the Russian throne and most of all concerned about satisfying her sensual desires. Such judgments are based on either an openly politicized motive, or purely emotional memories of her contemporaries, or, finally, the tendentious intention of her enemies (especially from among foreign opponents) who tried to discredit the empress's tough and consistent defense of Russia's national interests. But Voltaire, in one of his letters to Catherine II, called her "Semiramis of the North", likening the heroine of Greek mythology, whose name is associated with the creation of one of the seven wonders of the world - the Hanging Gardens. Thus, the great philosopher expressed his admiration for the work of the empress to transform Russia, her wise rule. In the proposed essay, an attempt is made to tell with an open mind about the deeds and personality of Catherine II. "I did my task pretty well."
Crowned Catherine II in all the splendor of her coronation attire. The coronation traditionally took place in Moscow on September 22, 1762.
Empress Elizaveta Petrovna, who reigned from 1741 to 1761. Portrait of the mid-18th century.
Peter I married his eldest daughter, the crown princess Anna Petrovna, to the Duke of Holstein Karl-Friedrich. Their son became the heir to the Russian throne, Peter Fedorovich.
Mother of Catherine II Johann-Elizabeth of Anhalt-Zerbst, who secretly tried to intrigue from Russia in favor of the Prussian king.
The Prussian king Frederick II, whom the young Russian heir tried to imitate in everything.
Science and Life // Illustrations
Grand Duchess Ekaterina Alekseevna and Grand Duke Peter Fyodorovich. Their marriage was extremely unsuccessful.
Count Grigory Orlov is one of the active organizers and executors of the palace coup that elevated Catherine to the throne.
The very young princess Ekaterina Romanovna Dashkova took the most ardent part in the coup of June 1762.
A family portrait of the royal couple, taken shortly after the accession to the throne of Peter III. Next to his parents is the young heir Pavel in an oriental costume.
Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, in which dignitaries and nobles took the oath to Empress Catherine II.
The future Russian Empress Catherine II Alekseevna, née Sophia Frederica Augusta, Princess of Anhaltzerbst, was born on April 21 (May 2), 1729 in the provincial at that time Stettin (Prussia). Her father, the unremarkable prince Christian-Augustus, made a good career with his devoted service to the Prussian king: regiment commander, commandant of Stettin, governor. In 1727 (he was then 42 years old) he married 16-year-old Holstein-Gottorp princess Johann Elizabeth.
A somewhat eccentric princess, who had an irrepressible addiction to entertainment and short-distance travel to her numerous and, unlike her, rich relatives, did not put family concerns in the first place. Among the five children, the first-born daughter Fikkhen (that was the name of all the household Sophia Frederica) was not her favorite - they were expecting a son. "My birth was not particularly joyfully welcomed," Ekaterina would write later in her Notes. The power-hungry and strict parent, out of a desire to "knock out pride", often rewarded her daughter with slaps in the face for innocent childish pranks and for childish perseverance of character. Little Fikkhen found solace from her good-natured father. Constantly engaged in the service and practically did not interfere in the upbringing of children, he nevertheless became for them an example of conscientious service in the public arena. “I have never met a more honest person - both in terms of principles and in terms of actions -”, - Ekaterina will say about her father at a time when she already got to know people well.
Lack of material resources prevented parents from hiring expensive experienced teachers and governesses. And here fate smiled generously on Sofia Frederica. After the change of several negligent governesses, the French emigrant Elizabeth Kardel (nicknamed Babet) became her good mentor. As Catherine II later wrote about her, she "knew almost everything, without learning anything; she knew like the back of her hand all comedies and tragedies and was very funny." The heartfelt response of the pupil paints Babet "as an example of virtue and prudence - she had a naturally elevated soul, a developed mind, an excellent heart; she was patient, meek, cheerful, fair, constant."
Perhaps the main merit of the clever Kardel, who had an exceptionally balanced character, is that she inspired the stubborn and secretive at first (the fruits of her previous upbringing) Fikkhen to read, in which the capricious and wayward princess found true pleasure. A natural consequence of this hobby is the soon arisen interest of a precocious girl in serious works of philosophical content. It is no coincidence that already in 1744 one of the enlightened friends of the family, the Swedish Count Gyullenborg, jokingly, but not without reason, called Fikchen "a fifteen-year-old philosopher." It is curious that Catherine II herself admitted that her acquisition of "intelligence and dignity" was greatly facilitated by her mother's conviction that "I was completely ugly," which kept the princess from empty social entertainment. Meanwhile, one of her contemporaries recalls: "She was perfectly built, from infancy she was distinguished by a noble posture and was taller than her years. Her expression was not beautiful, but very pleasant, and an open look and a kind smile made her whole figure very attractive."
However, the further fate of Sophia (like many later German princesses) was determined not by her personal merits, but by the dynastic situation in Russia. The childless Empress Elizaveta Petrovna immediately after accession began to look for an heir worthy of the Russian throne. The choice fell on the only direct successor of the family of Peter the Great, his grandson - Karl Peter Ulrich. The son of Peter the Great's eldest daughter Anna and Duke of Holstein-Gottorp Karl Friedrich became an orphan at the age of 11. The prince was raised by pedantic German teachers, led by the pathologically cruel knight marshal Count Otto von Brummer. The duke's son, who was sickly from birth, was sometimes kept from hand to mouth, and for any offense they were forced to kneel on peas for hours, often and painfully flogged. "I will order you to be whipped," Brummer went into a cry, "that the dogs will lick blood." The boy found an outlet in his passion for music, addicted to a pitiful sounding violin. Another passion was playing with the tin soldiers.
The humiliations to which he was subjected from day to day yielded results: the prince, as contemporaries note, became "hot-tempered, false, loved to brag, learned to lie." He grew up to be a cowardly, secretive, capricious person and a lot of thought about himself. Here is a laconic portrait of Peter Ulrich, painted by our brilliant historian V.O. Klyuchevsky: “His way of thinking and acting gave the impression of something surprisingly half-thought and unfinished. He looked at serious things with a childish gaze, and took childish ideas with the seriousness of a mature husband. He looked like a child who imagined himself to be an adult; in fact, he was an adult, forever a child. "
Such a "worthy" heir to the Russian throne in January 1742 was hastily (so that he would not be intercepted by the Swedes, whose king he could also become by his ancestry) was brought to St. Petersburg. In November of the same year, the prince was converted to Orthodoxy against his will and named Pyotr Fedorovich. But in his heart he always remained a devout German Lutheran who showed no desire to master the language of his new homeland with any tolerance. In addition, the heir was not lucky with his studies and upbringing in St. Petersburg. His main mentor, Academician Yakov Shtelin, was completely lacking any pedagogical talents, and he, seeing the amazing inability and indifference of the student, preferred to please the constant whims of an ignoramus, and not teach him properly.
Meanwhile, 14-year-old Pyotr Fedorovich has already found a bride. What was the decisive factor in the choice of Princess Sofia by the Russian court? The Saxon resident Pezold wrote about this: being, although "from a noble, but of such a small family," she will be an obedient wife without any claims to participate in big politics. The elegiac memories of Elizaveta Petrovna about her failed marriage with her mother's elder brother, Sophia, Karl August (shortly before the wedding, he died of smallpox), and the portraits of the pretty princess delivered to the empress, who even then "liked everyone at first sight, played a role in this. "(so without false modesty Catherine II will write in her" Notes ").
At the end of 1743, Princess Sophia was invited (with Russian money) to St. Petersburg, where she arrived accompanied by her mother in February of the following year. From there they went to Moscow, where at that time the royal court was located, and on the eve of the birthday (February 9) of Peter Fedorovich, a pretty and dressed up (for the same money) bride appeared before the empress and the grand duke. J. Shtelin writes about the sincere delight of Elizaveta Petrovna at the sight of Sofia. And the mature beauty, becoming and greatness of the Russian tsarina made an indelible impression on the young provincial princess. As if they liked each other and the betrothed. In any case, the mother of the future bride wrote to her husband that "the Grand Duke loves her." Fikkhen herself was evaluating more and more soberly: "To tell the truth, I liked the Russian crown more than him (the groom. - M.R.) person ".
Indeed, the idyll, if it did arise at the beginning, did not last long. Further communication between the Grand Duke and the princess showed the complete dissimilarity of both characters and interests, and outwardly they were strikingly different from each other: the lanky, narrow-shouldered and frail groom lost even more against the background of an unusually attractive bride. When the Grand Duke suffered smallpox, his face was so disfigured by fresh scars that Sofia, seeing the heir, could not restrain herself and was frankly horrified. However, the main thing was different: the stunning infantilism of Peter Fedorovich was opposed by the active, purposeful, ambitious nature of the Princess Sophia Frederica, who knows her worth, who was named in Russia in honor of the mother of Empress Elizabeth, Ekaterina (Alekseevna). This happened with her adoption of Orthodoxy on June 28, 1744. The Empress gave the new convert noble gifts - a diamond cufflink and a necklace worth 150 thousand rubles. The next day, the official betrothal took place, which brought Catherine the titles of Grand Duchess and Imperial Highness.
Evaluating later the situation that arose in the spring of 1744, when Empress Elizabeth, having learned about the frivolous attempts of the intriguing mother Sophia, Princess Johannes Elizabeth, to act (secretly from the Russian court) in the interests of the Prussian king Frederick II, almost sent her and her daughter back , "to his home" (which the groom, how sensitively caught the bride, perhaps, would have been glad), Catherine expressed her feelings as follows: "He was almost indifferent to me, but the Russian crown was not indifferent to me."
On August 21, 1745, a ten-day wedding ceremony began. Lavish balls, masquerades, fireworks, a sea of \u200b\u200bwine and mountains of treats for the common people at the Admiralty Square in St. Petersburg exceeded all expectations. However, the family life of the newlyweds began with disappointments. As Catherine herself writes, her husband, who had a hearty dinner that evening, "lay down beside me, dozed off and slept safely until morning." And so it went on from night to night, from month to month, from year to year. Pyotr Fyodorovich, as before the wedding, selflessly played with dolls, trained (or rather tortured) a pack of his dogs, arranged daily reviews for a funny company of court gentlemen of his own age, and at night with passion taught his wife "gun exercise", leading her to complete exhaustion. It was then that he first discovered an excessive addiction to wine and tobacco.
It is not surprising that Catherine began to feel physical disgust for her nominal husband, finding comfort in reading a wide variety of serious books and in horse riding (she used to spend on horseback up to 13 hours a day). The famous "Annals" of Tacitus had a strong influence on the formation of her personality, as she recalled, and the newest work of the French enlightener Charles Louis Montesquieu "On the Spirit of Laws" became her handbook. She is absorbed in studying the works of French encyclopedists and already at that time intellectually outgrew everyone around her.
Meanwhile, the aging Empress Elizaveta Petrovna was waiting for the heir and that he did not appear, she blamed Catherine. In the end, the empress, at the prompting of her confidants, arranged a medical examination of the married couple, the results of which we learn from the reports of foreign diplomats: "The Grand Duke was not able to have children because of the obstacle removed among the Eastern peoples by circumcision, but which he considered incurable." The news of this plunged Elizaveta Petrovna into shock. “Struck by this news, like a thunderous blow,” writes one of the eyewitnesses, “Elizabeth seemed speechless, for a long time she could not utter a word, and finally she burst into tears.”
However, tears did not prevent the empress from agreeing to an immediate operation, and in case of her failure, she ordered to find a suitable "gentleman" for the role of the father of the unborn child. It was "handsome Serge", 26-year-old chamberlain Sergei Vasilyevich Saltykov. After two miscarriages (in 1752 and 1753), on September 20, 1754, Catherine gave birth to the heir to the throne, named Pavel Petrovich. True, evil tongues at court almost aloud said that the child should have been called Sergeevich. Doubted about his paternity and safely got rid of the disease by that time, Peter Fedorovich: "God knows where my wife gets her pregnancy, I do not know too much if this is my child and should I take it personally?"
Meanwhile, time has shown the groundlessness of suspicions. Pavel inherited not only the specific features of Pyotr Fedorovich's appearance, but, more importantly, the features of his character - including mental instability, irritability, a tendency to unpredictable actions and an irrepressible love for the senseless drill of soldiers.
The heir, immediately after birth, was excommunicated from his mother and placed under the supervision of nannies, and Sergei Saltykov was sent from Catherine, who was in love with him, to Sweden on an invented diplomatic mission. As for the grand-ducal couple, Elizaveta Petrovna, having received the long-awaited heir, lost her previous interest in her. Because of his unbearable tricks * and silly antics, she could not stay with her nephew "even a quarter of an hour, so as not to feel disgust, anger or grief." For example, he drilled holes in the wall of the room where the aunt-empress received the favorite Alexei Razumovsky, and not only watched what was happening there, but also invited "friends" from his entourage to look through the peephole. One can imagine the power of the anger of Elizaveta Petrovna, who learned about the trick. From now on, the aunt-empress in her hearts often calls him a fool, then a freak, or even a "damned nephew." In such a situation, Ekaterina Alekseevna, who secured the heir to the throne, could calmly reflect on her future fate.
On August 30, 1756, the twenty-year-old Grand Duchess informs the English ambassador to Russia, Sir Charles Herbert Williams, with whom she had a secret correspondence, that she had decided to “perish or reign”. The life attitudes of the young Catherine in Russia are simple: to please the Grand Duke, please the Empress, please the people. Recalling this time, she wrote: “Truly, I did not neglect anything in order to achieve this: obsequiousness, obedience, respect, the desire to please, the desire to do what should be done, sincere affection - everything on my part was constantly used from 1744 to 1761 I confess that when I lost hope of success in the first paragraph, I redoubled my efforts to complete the last two; it seemed to me that more than once I had time in the second, but the third was successful for me in all its volume, without any limitation by any time, and therefore I think I did my task quite well. "
The methods of acquiring “the power of attorney of the Russians” by Catherine did not contain anything original and, in their simplicity, perfectly matched the mental mood and the level of enlightenment of the St. Petersburg high society. Let's listen to her herself: "They attribute this to a deep mind and a long study of my position. Not at all! I owe this to Russian old women.<...> And in solemn meetings, and at simple gatherings and parties, I went up to old women, sat down next to them, asked about their health, advised them what remedies to use in case of illness, patiently listened to their endless stories about their young years, about their current boredom, about the frivolity of young people; I myself asked their advice in various matters and then sincerely thanked them. I knew the name of their mosek, lapdogs, parrots, fools; knew when which of these ladies had a birthday. On that day, my valet came to her, congratulated her on my behalf and brought flowers and fruits from the Oranienbaum greenhouses. Less than two years later, the warmest praise to my mind and heart was heard from all sides and spread throughout Russia. In the simplest and most innocent way, I made myself a resounding glory, and when it came to the occupation of the Russian throne, a significant majority found myself on my side. "
On December 25, 1761, after a long illness, Empress Elizabeth Petrovna passed away. Senator Trubetskoy, who announced this long-awaited news, immediately proclaimed the accession to the throne of Emperor Peter III. As the remarkable historian S. M. Soloviev writes, “the answer was sobbing and groaning for the whole palace<...> The majority greeted the new reign gloomily: they knew the character of the new sovereign and did not expect anything good from him. "But if Catherine had the intention, as she herself recalls," to save the state from that death, the danger of which was forced to foresee all the moral and physical qualities of this sovereign. " , then, being at that time in the fifth month of pregnancy, she practically could not actively intervene in the course of events.
Perhaps it was for the better for her - during the six months of his reign, Peter III managed to turn the capital's society and the nobility as a whole against himself to such an extent that he practically opened the way for his wife to power. Moreover, the attitude towards him was not changed either by the abolition of the hated Secret Chancellery with its dungeons filled with prisoners by only one notorious cry: "Word and deed of the sovereign!" compulsory public service and giving them the freedom to choose their place of residence, occupation and the right to travel abroad. The last act aroused such an enthusiasm among the nobility that the Senate even set out to erect a monument of pure gold to the Tsar-benefactor. However, the euphoria did not last long - everything was outweighed by the actions of the emperor, extremely unpopular in society, which greatly hurt the national dignity of the Russian people.
The adoration of the Prussian king Frederick II, deliberately advertised by Peter III, was subjected to angry condemnation. He loudly proclaimed himself his vassal, for which he received the nickname "Frederick the monkey" among the people. The degree of public discontent rose especially sharply when Peter III made peace with Prussia and returned the lands won by the blood of Russian soldiers to her without any compensation. This step practically nullified all the successes of the Seven Years War for Russia.
Peter III was able to turn the clergy against himself, because according to his decree of March 21, 1762, they began to hastily implement the decision, made even under Elizabeth Petrovna, to secularize church lands: the treasury, devastated by a long-term war, demanded replenishment. Moreover, the new tsar threatened to deprive the clergy of their usual magnificent vestments, replacing them with black clerical robes, and shave off the beards of the priests.
The addiction to wine did not add glory to the new emperor. It did not go unnoticed how extremely cynical he behaved in the days of mournful farewell to the late empress, allowing obscene antics, jokes, loud laughter at her coffin ... According to contemporaries, Peter III did not have these days "a more cruel enemy than himself, because he does not neglect anything that could harm him. " This is confirmed by Catherine: her husband "in the whole empire had no more fierce enemy than himself." As we can see, Peter III thoroughly prepared the ground for the coup.
It is difficult to say exactly when the concrete outline of the conspiracy emerged. With a high degree of probability, its occurrence can be attributed to April 1762, when Catherine, after giving birth, received the physical opportunity for real action. The final decision on the conspiracy, apparently, was confirmed after the family scandal that happened in early June. At one of the solemn dinners, Peter III in the presence of foreign ambassadors and about 500 guests publicly called his wife a fool several times in a row. Then the adjutant was ordered to arrest his wife. And only the persistent persuasion of Prince George Ludwig Holstein (he was the uncle of the imperial couple) put out the conflict. But they did not change the intention of Peter III by any means to get rid of his wife and fulfill his long-standing desire - to marry his favorite, Elizaveta Romanovna Vorontsova. According to the opinions of people close to Peter, she "swore like a soldier, mowed, smelled foul and spat while talking." Pockmarked, fat, with an exorbitant bust, she was just the type of woman who liked Pyotr Fyodorovich, who loudly called his girlfriend "Romanov" during drinking. Catherine was threatened with inevitable tonsure as a nun.
There was no time left to organize a classic conspiracy with lengthy preparation and thinking through all the details. Everything was decided according to the situation, almost at the level of improvisation, however, compensated by the decisive actions of Ekaterina Alekseevna's supporters. Among them was her secret admirer, the Ukrainian hetman K. G. Razumovsky, at the same time the commander of the Izmailovsky regiment, a favorite of the guards. Explicit sympathy was shown to her and those close to Peter III, Chief Prosecutor A.I. Glebov, General Feldzheikhmeister A.N. Vilboa, Director of Police Baron N.A.Korf, as well as General-in-Chief M.N. The 18-year-old princess E.R. Dashkova (the favorite of Peter III was her sister), who had extensive connections in the world due to her closeness to N.I. Chancellor MI Vorontsov was her uncle.
It was through the sister of the favorite, who did not arouse any suspicion, that the officers of the Preobrazhensky regiment - P. B. Passek, S. A. Bredikhin, brothers Alexander and Nikolai Roslavlev, were attracted to participate in the coup. Through other reliable channels, contacts were established with other energetic young guard officers. All of them paved the way for Catherine a relatively easy path to the throne. Among them, the most active and active - "who stood out from the crowd of comrades in beauty, strength, bravado, sociability" 27-year-old Grigory Grigorievich Orlov (who had long been in love with Catherine - the boy born to her in April 1762 was their son Alexei). Favorite Catherine in everything was supported by two of his same brave brothers-guards - Alexei and Fedor. It was the three Orlov brothers who were actually the mainspring of the conspiracy.
In the Horse Guards, "everything was prudently, boldly and actively directed" by the future favorite of Catherine II, 22-year-old non-commissioned officer G. A. Potemkin and his peer F. A. Khitrovo. By the end of June, according to Catherine, her "accomplices" in the guard were up to 40 officers and about 10 thousand privates. One of the main inspirers of the conspiracy was the tutor of Tsarevich Pavel N.I. Panin. True, he pursued goals different from Catherine's: the removal of Pyotr Fedorovich from power and the establishment of a regency under his pupil, the juvenile Tsar Pavel Petrovich. Catherine knows about this, and, although such a plan is absolutely unacceptable for her, she, not wanting to split her forces, when talking with Panin, confines herself to the non-binding phrase: "I am dearer to be a mother than the wife of the sovereign."
The incident brought the fall of Peter III closer: the reckless decision to start a war with Denmark (with a completely empty treasury) and command the troops himself, although the emperor's inability to engage in military affairs was the talk of the town. His interests here were limited to a love of colorful uniforms, to endless drill and the assimilation of rough soldier manners, which he considered an indicator of masculinity. Even the insistent advice of his idol Frederick II - not to go to the theater of military operations before the coronation - had no effect on Peter. And now the guard, spoiled under Empress Elizabeth Petrovna by the free life of the capital, and now at the whim of the tsar, dressed in the hated uniforms of the Prussian model, receive an order to urgently prepare for a campaign that did not at all meet the interests of Russia.
The immediate signal for the beginning of the actions of the conspirators was the accidental arrest on the evening of June 27 of one of the conspirators, Captain Passek. The danger was great. Alexei Orlov and Guards Lieutenant Vasily Bibikov on the night of June 28, hastily galloped to Peterhof, where Catherine was. The brothers Gregory and Fyodor who remained in St. Petersburg prepared everything for a proper "royal" meeting for her in the capital. At six in the morning on June 28, Aleksey Orlov woke Catherine up with the words: "It's time to get up: everything is ready for your proclamation." "Like what?" - says Catherine asleep. “Passek has been arrested,” was A. Orlov's answer.
And now the hesitation was thrown away, Catherine with the chamber lady-in-waiting got into the carriage in which Orlov had arrived. V.I.Bibikov and the camera-lackey Shkurin are on the heels, Alexei Orlov is on the box next to the coachman. Grigory Orlov meets them five versts before the capital. Catherine is transferred to his carriage with fresh horses. In front of the barracks of the Izmailovsky regiment, the guardsmen enthusiastically take the oath of allegiance to the new empress. Then the carriage with Catherine and a crowd of soldiers, led by a priest with a cross, head to the Semenovsky regiment, which met Catherine with a thunderous "Hurray!" Accompanied by the troops, she travels to the Kazan Cathedral, where a prayer service immediately begins and at the litanies "the autocratic Empress Ekaterina Alekseevna and the heir to the Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich were proclaimed." From the cathedral, Catherine, already an empress, leaves for the Winter Palace. Here, the two regiments of the guard were joined by the guardsmen of the Preobrazhensky regiment, who were a little late and terribly upset by this. By noon, army units arrived.
Meanwhile, members of the Senate and Synod, and other senior officials of the state are already crowding in the Winter Palace. They, without any delay, took the oath to the Empress according to the text hastily drawn up by the future Secretary of State of Catherine II G. N. Teplov. The Manifesto on the accession to the throne of Catherine "at the request of all our subjects" was also made public. The inhabitants of the northern capital are jubilant, wine from the cellars of private wine merchants flows like a river at public expense. Hot drunk, the common people rejoice heartily and expect blessings from the new queen. But she is not up to them yet. To the exclamations of "Hurray!" the Danish campaign was canceled. A reliable man was sent to Kronstadt to attract the fleet to its side - Admiral I. L. Talyzin. The decrees on the change of power were prudently directed to the part of the Russian army located in Pomerania.
And what about Peter III? Did he suspect the threat of a coup and what was happening in his inner circle on the ill-fated day of June 28? The surviving documentary evidence clearly shows that he did not even think about the possibility of a coup, confident in the love of his subjects. Hence his disregard for the previously received, though vague, warnings.
Having sat down for a late dinner the night before, Peter arrives at Peterhof on June 28 at noon to celebrate his upcoming name days. And he discovers that Catherine is not in Monplaisir - she unexpectedly left for St. Petersburg. Messengers were urgently sent to the city - N. Yu. Trubetskoy and AI Shuvalov (one - Colonel Semenovsky, the other - Preobrazhensky regiment). However, neither one nor the other returned, without hesitation swearing allegiance to Catherine. But the disappearance of the messengers did not give decisiveness to Peter, who from the very beginning was morally crushed by the complete, in his opinion, hopelessness of the situation. Finally, a decision was made to move to Kronstadt: according to the report of the commandant of the fortress P. A. Devier, they were supposedly ready to receive the emperor. But while Peter and his people were sailing to Kronstadt, Talyzin had already arrived there and, to the joy of the garrison, led everyone to an oath of allegiance to Empress Catherine II. Therefore, the flotilla of the deposed emperor (one galley and one yacht) that approached the fortress in the first hour of the night had to turn back to Oranienbaum. Peter did not accept the advice of the aged Count B. Kh. Minikh, who had returned from exile, to act "like a king," without hesitation for an hour, to go to the troops in Revel and move with them to Petersburg.
Meanwhile, Catherine once again demonstrates her decisiveness by ordering to draw up to 14 thousand troops with artillery to Peterhof. The task of the conspirators who seized the throne is complex and at the same time simple: to achieve a "voluntary" decent abdication of Peter from the throne. And on June 29, General M.L. Izmailov delivers to Catherine a pitiful message from Peter III, asking for forgiveness and relinquishing his rights to the throne. He also expressed his readiness (if permitted), together with E.R. Vorontsova, adjutant A.V. Gudovich, a violin and his beloved pug, to go to live in Holstein, if only he was allocated a boarding house sufficient for a comfortable existence. From Peter demanded "written and handwritten certificate" of renunciation of the throne "voluntarily and naturally." Peter agreed to everything and dutifully declared in writing "to the whole world solemnly": "I renounce the government of the Russian state for my whole life."
By noon, Peter was arrested, taken to Peterhof, and then transferred to Ropsha - a small country palace 27 versts from Petersburg. Here he was placed "under a strong guard" allegedly until the premises in Shlisselburg were ready. Alexei Orlov was appointed the main "guard". So, the whole coup, which did not shed a single drop of blood, took less than two days - June 28 and 29. Frederick II later, in a conversation with the French envoy in St. Petersburg, Count L.-F. Segur gave the following review of the events in Russia: “Lack of courage in Peter III ruined him: he allowed himself to be overthrown from the throne like a child sent to sleep".
In this situation, the physical elimination of Peter was the surest and most hassle-free solution to the problem. As ordered, that's exactly what happened. On the seventh day after the coup d'etat, under circumstances not entirely clear until now, Peter III was killed. It was officially announced to the people that Pyotr Fedorovich died of hemorrhoidal colic, which happened "by the will of divine Providence."
Naturally, contemporaries, as later historians, were keenly interested in the question of Catherine's involvement in this tragedy. There are different opinions on this matter, but they are all based on conjectures and assumptions, and there are simply no facts that incriminate Catherine in this crime. Apparently, the French envoy Beranger was right when, hot on the heels of events, he wrote: "I do not suspect such a terrible soul in this princess to think that she participated in the death of the king, but since the deepest secret will probably always be hidden from the general the information of the real author of this terrible murder, suspicion and vileness will remain with the Empress. "
AI Herzen spoke more definitely: "It is very likely that Catherine did not give the order to kill Peter III. We know from Shakespeare how these orders are given - with a glance, hint, silence." It is important to note here that all the participants in the "accidental" (as A. Orlov explained in his penitential note to the Empress), the murders of the deposed emperor not only did not suffer any punishment, but were then superbly rewarded with money and serfs. Thus, Catherine, willingly or unwillingly, took this grave sin upon herself. Perhaps that is why the empress showed no less mercy in relation to her recent enemies: practically not one of them was not only sent into exile according to the established Russian tradition, but was not punished at all. Even the metress of Peter Yelizaveta Vorontsova was just quietly brought into her father's house. Moreover, later Catherine II became the godmother of her first child. Truly generosity and forgivingness are the faithful weapons of the strong, always bringing them glory and loyal admirers.
On July 6, 1762, the Manifesto on the accession to the throne, signed by Catherine, was announced in the Senate. On September 22, a solemn coronation took place in Moscow, which greeted her coolly. Thus began the 34-year reign of Catherine II.
Coming to characterize the long reign of Catherine II and her personality, let us pay attention to one paradoxical fact: the illegality of Catherine's accession to the throne had its undoubted advantages, especially in the first years of her reign, when she "had to redeem with hard work, great services and donations. that lawful kings have no difficulty. This very necessity was partly the spring of her great and brilliant deeds. " This was not only the opinion of the famous writer and memoirist N.I. Grech, who owns the above judgment. In this case, he only reflected the opinion of the educated part of society. V.O. Klyuchevsky, speaking about the tasks faced by Catherine, who took, and did not receive power by law, and noting the extreme complexity of the situation in Russia after the coup, emphasized the same point: "Power seized always has the character of a bill, according to which waiting for payment, and according to the mood of the Russian society, Catherine had to justify various and dissenting expectations. " Looking ahead, let us say that this promissory note was repaid by her on time.
Historical literature has long noted the main contradiction of Catherine's "Age of Enlightenment" (though not shared by all experts): the Empress "wanted so much enlightenment and such light so as not to be afraid of its" inevitable consequence. "In other words, Catherine II faced an explosive dilemma: enlightenment or slavery? And since she never solved this problem, leaving serfdom intact, it seemed to give rise to further bewilderment as to why she did not. But the above formula ("enlightenment - slavery") causes natural questions: were there at that time in Russia appropriate conditions for the abolition of "slavery" and did the then society realize the need for a radical change in social relations in the country? Let's try to answer them.
Determining the course of her domestic policy, Catherine relied primarily on the book knowledge she had acquired. But not only. At first, the empress's transformative ardor was fueled by her initial assessment of Russia as an "unplowed country" where it would be best to carry out all kinds of reforms. That is why on August 8, 1762, only the sixth week of her reign, Catherine II, by a special decree, confirmed the March decree of Peter III banning the purchase of serfs by industrialists. The owners of factories and mines must henceforth be satisfied with the labor of civilian workers, paid under the contract. It seems that she generally had the intention to abolish forced labor and to do so to rid the country of the "shame of slavery", as demanded by the spirit of Montesquieu's teachings. But this intention is not yet strong enough for her to decide on such a revolutionary step. In addition, Catherine did not yet have any complete idea of \u200b\u200bRussian reality. On the other hand, as one of the smartest people of the Pushkin era, Prince PA Vyazemsky, noted, when the deeds of Catherine II had not yet become a "deep tradition", she "loved reforms, but gradual, transformations, but not abrupt", without breaking.
By 1765, Catherine II came to the idea of \u200b\u200bthe need to convene the Legislative Commission to bring "in better order" the existing legislation and in order to reliably find out "the needs and sensitive shortcomings of our people." Let us recall that attempts to convene the current legislative body - the Legislative Commission - have been made more than once before, but all of them, for various reasons, ended in failure. Taking this into account, Catherine, endowed with a remarkable mind, resorted to an act unprecedented in the history of Russia: she personally drew up a special "Order", which is a detailed program of actions of the Commission.
As follows from a letter to Voltaire, she believed that the Russian people are "excellent soil on which good seed grows quickly; but we also need axioms that are undeniably recognized as true." And these axioms are well known - the ideas of the Enlightenment, which it used as the basis for the new Russian legislation. Even V.O. Klyuchevsky specially highlighted the main condition for the implementation of Catherine's transformative plans, which she summarized in her "Instruction": "Russia is a European power; Peter I, introducing European customs and customs in the European people, found such conveniences as I did not expect it myself. The conclusion followed by itself: the axioms, which are the last and best fruit of European thought, will find the same comfort in this people. "
For a long time in the literature about the "Order" there has been an opinion about the purely compilation character of this main Catherine's political work. Justifying such judgments, they usually refer to her own words spoken to the French philosopher and enlightener D "Alambert:" You will see how I robbed President Montesquieu for the benefit of my empire, without naming him. "Indeed, out of 526 articles of the" Order ", Divided into 20 chapters, 294 go back to the work of the famous French educator Montesquieu "On the Spirit of Laws", and 108 - to the work of the Italian legal scholar Cesare Beccaria "On Crimes and Punishments." Catherine also widely used the works of other European thinkers. However, this was not a simple translation into Russian of the works of eminent authors, and their creative rethinking, an attempt to apply the ideas inherent in them to Russian reality.
(To be continued.)
