Upon closer examination, the biography of Catherine II the Great is replete with a large number of events that significantly influenced the empress of the Russian Empire.

Origin

Family tree of the Romanovs

Family ties of Peter III and Catherine II

The hometown of Catherine the Great is Stettin (now Szczecin in Poland), which was then the capital city of Pomerania. On May 2, 1729, a girl was born in the castle of the above-mentioned city, named at birth Sophia Frederick August of Anhalt-Zerbst.

The mother was the great-aunt of Peter III (who was at that time just a boy) Johanna Elizabeth, Princess of Holstein-Gottorp. The father was the prince of Anhalt-Zerbst - Christian August, the former governor of Stettin. Thus, the future empress was of very noble blood, although not from a royally wealthy family.

Childhood and youth

Francis Boucher - Young Catherine the Great

Being educated at home, Frederica, in addition to her native German, studied Italian, English and French. The basics of geography and theology, music and dancing - the corresponding education of the nobility coexisted with very active children's games. The girl was interested in everything that was happening around, and despite some dissatisfaction of her parents, she took part in games with the boys on the streets of her native city.

When she first saw her future husband in 1739, at Eitin Castle, Frederica did not yet know about the upcoming invitation to Russia. In 1744, at the age of fifteen, she traveled with her mother through Riga to Russia at the invitation of Empress Elizabeth. Immediately after her arrival, she began an active study of the language, traditions, history and religion of her new homeland. The most prominent teachers of the princess were Vasily Adadurov, who taught the language, Simon Todorsky, who taught Orthodoxy with Frederica, and choreographer Lange.

On July 9, Sophia Federica Augusta was officially baptized and converted to Orthodoxy, named Ekaterina Alekseevna - it is this name that she will later glorify.

Marriage

Despite the intrigues of his mother, through which the Prussian king Frederick II tried to remove Chancellor Bestuzhev and increase his influence on foreign policy Russian Empire, Catherine did not fall into disgrace and on September 1, 1745, she was married to Peter Fedorovich, who was her second cousin.

Wedding on the reign of Catherine II. September 22, 1762. Confirmation. Engraving by A.Ya. Kolpashnikov. Last quarter of the 18th century

In view of the categorical inattention on the part of the young spouse, who was exclusively interested in military art and drill, the future empress devoted her time to the study of literature, art and science. At the same time, along with the study of the works of Voltaire, Montesquieu and other enlighteners, the biography of her young years is filled with hunting, various balls and masquerades.

The lack of intimacy with a legitimate spouse could not but affect the appearance of lovers, while Empress Elizabeth was not happy with the lack of heirs-grandchildren.

Having suffered two unsuccessful pregnancies, Catherine gave birth to Pavel, who, by personal decree of Elizabeth, was excommunicated from his mother and brought up separately. According to an unconfirmed theory, Pavel's father was S.V. Saltykov, who was sent from the capital immediately after the birth of the child. In favor of this statement, one can attribute the fact that after the birth of his son, Peter III finally ceased to be interested in his wife and did not hesitate to start favorites.

S. Saltykov

Stanislav August Poniatowski

However, Catherine herself was not inferior to her husband and, thanks to the efforts of the English ambassador Williams, entered into a relationship with Stanislav Poniatowski, the future king of Poland (thanks to the patronage of Catherine II herself). According to some historians, it was from Poniatowski that Anna was born, whose own paternity Peter questioned.

Williams, for some time, was a friend and confidant of Catherine, gave her loans, manipulated and received confidential information regarding Russia's foreign policy plans and the actions of its military units during the seven-year war with Prussia.

The first plans to overthrow her husband, the future Catherine the Great, began to hatch and voice as early as 1756, in letters to Williams. Seeing the morbid state of Empress Elizabeth, and no doubt about Peter's own incompetence, Chancellor Bestuzhev promised to support Catherine. In addition, Catherine attracted English loans to bribe supporters.

In 1758, Elizabeth began to suspect Apraksin, Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Empire, and Chancellor Bestuzhev of conspiracy. The latter managed to avoid disgrace in time by destroying all correspondence with Catherine. The former favorites, including Williams, recalled to England, were removed from Catherine and she was forced to look for new supporters - they were Dashkova and the Orlov brothers.

British Ambassador C, Williams

Brothers Alexey and Grigory Orlov

On January 5, 1761, Empress Elizabeth died and Peter III ascended the throne by right of succession. The next round in the biography of Catherine began. The new emperor sent his wife to the other end of the Winter Palace, replacing her with his mistress Elizaveta Vorontsova. In 1762, Catherine's carefully hidden pregnancy from Count Grigory Orlov, with whom she began a relationship back in 1760, could in no way be explained by relations with her lawful spouse.

For this reason, to divert attention, on April 22, 1762, one of Catherine's devoted servants set fire to his own house - Peter III, who loved such spectacles, left the palace and Catherine calmly gave birth to Alexei Grigorievich Bobrinsky.

Organization of the coup

From the very beginning of his reign, Peter III caused dissatisfaction among his subordinates - an alliance with Prussia, which was defeated in the Seven Years' War, an aggravation of relations with Denmark. secularization of church lands and plans to change religious practices.

Taking advantage of her husband's unpopularity among the military, Catherine's supporters began to actively agitate the guard units to go over to the side of the future empress in the event of a coup.

The early morning of July 9, 1762 was the beginning of the overthrow of Peter III. Ekaterina Alekseevna arrived in St. Petersburg from Peterhof, accompanied by the Orlov brothers, and taking advantage of her husband's absence, took the oath first of the guards units, and then of other regiments.

Oath of the Izmailovsky Regiment to Catherine II. Unknown artist. Late 18th - first third of the 19th century

Moving along with the adjoining troops, the empress received from Peter at first a proposal for negotiations, and why the abdication of the throne.

After the conclusion, the biography of the ex-emperor was as sad as it was vague. The arrested husband died while under arrest in Ropsha, and the circumstances of his death have not been fully clarified. According to a number of sources, he was either poisoned or died suddenly from an unknown disease.

Having ascended the throne, Catherine the Great issued a manifesto accusing Peter III of trying to change religion and make peace with hostile Prussia.

Beginning of the reign

In foreign policy, the foundation was laid for the creation of the so-called Northern System, which consisted in the fact that the northern non-Catholic states: Russia, Prussia, England, Sweden, Denmark and Saxony, plus Catholic Poland, united against Austria and France. The first step towards the implementation of the project was considered the conclusion of an agreement with Prussia. Secret articles were attached to the treaty, according to which both allies were obliged to act together in Sweden and Poland in order to prevent their strengthening.

King of Prussia - Frederick II the Great

The course of affairs in Poland was of particular concern to Catherine and Friedrich. They agreed to prevent changes in the Polish constitution, to prevent and destroy all intentions that could lead to this, even resorting to weapons. In a separate article, the allies agreed to patronize Polish dissidents (that is, the non-Catholic minority - Orthodox and Protestants) and persuade the Polish king to equalize their rights with Catholics.

The former King August III died in 1763. Friedrich and Catherine set themselves the difficult task of placing their protege on the Polish throne. The Empress wanted it to be her former lover, Count Poniatowski. In achieving this, she did not stop either at bribing the deputies of the Sejm, or at the introduction of Russian troops into Poland.

The entire first half of the year was spent in active propaganda of the Russian protege. On August 26, Poniatowski was elected king of Poland. Catherine was very happy about this success and, without delay, ordered Poniatowski to raise the issue of the rights of dissidents, despite the fact that everyone who knew the state of affairs in Poland pointed out the great difficulty and almost impossibility of achieving this goal. Poniatowski wrote to his ambassador in St. Petersburg, Rzhevuski:

“The orders given to Repnin (the Russian ambassador in Warsaw) to bring dissidents into the legislative activity of the republic are thunderbolts both for the country and for me personally. If there is any human possibility, inspire the empress that the crown that she delivered to me will become for me the clothes of Nessus: I will burn in it and my end will be terrible. I clearly foresee the terrible choice ahead of me if the empress insists on her orders: either I will have to refuse her friendship, so dear to my heart and so necessary for my reign and for my state, or I will have to be a traitor to my fatherland.

Russian diplomat N. V. Repnin

Even Repnin was horrified by Catherine's intentions:
“The orders given” on the dissident case are terrible, he wrote to Panin, “truly my hair stands on end when I think about it, having almost no hope, except for the only strength, to fulfill the will of the most merciful empress regarding civil dissident advantages” .

But Catherine was not horrified and ordered Poniatowski to answer that she absolutely did not understand how dissidents admitted to legislative activity would, as a result, be more hostile to the Polish state and government than they are now; cannot understand how the king considers himself a traitor to the fatherland for what justice requires, which will be his glory and the solid good of the state.
“If the king looks at this matter in this way,” Catherine concluded, “then I remain eternal and sensitive regret that I could be deceived in the friendship of the king, in the image of his thoughts and feelings.”

Since the empress so unequivocally expressed her desire, Repnin in Warsaw was forced to act with all possible firmness. By intrigues, bribery and threats, the introduction of Russian troops into the suburbs of Warsaw and the arrest of the most stubborn opponents, Repnin achieved his goal on February 9, 1768. The Sejm agreed with the freedom of religion for dissidents and their political equalization with the Catholic nobility.

It seemed that the goal was achieved, but in reality it was only the beginning. big war. The dissident “equation set fire to all of Poland. The Sejm, which approved the treaty on February 13, had barely dispersed, when in Bar the lawyer Puławski raised the confederation against him. With his light hand anti-dissident confederations began to flare up all over Poland.

The answer of the Orthodox to the Bar Confederation was the Haydamak revolt of 1768, in which, together with the Haydamaks (Russian fugitives who had gone to the steppes), the Cossacks led by Zheleznyak And the serfs with the centurion Gonta rose up. At the height of the uprising, one of the Haidamak detachments crossed the border river Kolyma and plundered the Tatar town of Galta. As soon as this became known in Istanbul, a 20,000-strong Turkish corps was moved to the borders. On September 25, the Russian ambassador Obrezkov was arrested, diplomatic relations were broken off - the Russian-Turkish war began. Such an unexpected turn was given by the dissident case.

First wars

Having suddenly received two wars in her hands, Catherine was not at all embarrassed. On the contrary, threats from the west and south only added to her enthusiasm. She wrote to Count Chernyshev:
“The Turks and the French took it into their heads to wake up the cat who was sleeping; I am this cat who promises to make himself known to them, so that the memory does not soon disappear. I find that we freed ourselves from a great burden that crushes the imagination when we got rid of the peace treaty ... Now I am free, I can do everything that my means allow me, and Russia, you know, has not small means ... and now we will set the bell, what did not expect, and now the Turks will be beaten.

The inspiration of the Empress was transferred to her surroundings. Already at the first meeting of the Council on November 4, it was decided to wage a war not defensive, but offensive, and above all to try to raise up the Christians oppressed by Turkey. To this end, on November 12, Grigory Orlov proposed sending an expedition to the Mediterranean in order to promote the Greek uprising.

Catherine liked this plan, and she energetically set about implementing it. On November 16, she wrote to Chernyshev:
"I so tickled our marines by their craft that they became firemen."

And a few days later:
“I have a fleet in excellent care today, and I will truly use it in this way, if God commands, as it has not yet been ...”

Prince A. M. Golitsyn

Hostilities began in 1769. The army of General Golitsyn crossed the Dnieper and took Khotyn. But Catherine was dissatisfied with his slowness and transferred the supreme command to Rumyantsev, who soon took possession of Moldavia and Wallachia, as well as the coast of the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov with Azov and Taganrog. Catherine ordered to fortify these cities and start building a flotilla.

She developed amazing energy this year, worked like a real chief of the general staff, entered into the details of military preparations, drew up plans and instructions. In April, Catherine wrote to Chernyshev:
“I set fire to the Turkish empire from four corners; I don’t know if it will catch fire and burn, but I know that since the beginning they have not yet been used against their great troubles and worries ... We have boiled a lot of porridge, it will be delicious for someone. I have an army in the Kuban, armies against the brainless Poles, ready to fight with the Swedes, and three more inpetto turmoil, which I don’t dare to show ... "

In fact, there were many troubles and worries. In July 1769, a squadron finally sailed from Kronstadt under the command of Spiridov. Of the 15 large and small ships of the squadron, only eight reached the Mediterranean.

With these forces, Alexei Orlov, who was treated in Italy and asked to be the leader of the uprising of Turkish Christians, raised the Morea, but could not give the rebels a solid combat device, and, having failed from the approaching Turkish army, left the Greeks to their fate, annoyed by the fact that he did not find in them Themistocles. Catherine approved of all his actions.

Connecting with another Elphingston squadron that had approached meanwhile, Orlov chased the Turkish fleet and in the Chios Strait near the fortress of Chesme overtook the armada by the number of ships more than twice as strong as the Russian fleet. After a four-hour battle, the Turks took refuge in the Chesme Bay (June 24, 1770). A day later, on a moonlit night, the Russians launched fireships and by morning crowded in the bay Turkish fleet was burned (June 26).

Amazing naval victories in the Archipelago were followed by similar land victories in Bessarabia. Ekaterina wrote to Rumyantsev:
“I hope for God's help and your art in military affairs, that you will not leave this in the best way to satisfy and carry out such deeds that will gain you glory and prove how great your zeal for the fatherland and for me. The Romans did not ask when, where were their two or three legions, how many were the enemy against them, but where is he; they attacked and struck him, and not by the multitude of their troops did they defeat the diverse against their crowd ... "

Inspired by this letter, Rumyantsev in July 1770 twice defeated the many times superior Turkish armies at Larga and Cahul. At the same time, an important fortress on the Dniester, Bendery, was taken. In 1771, General Dolgorukov broke through Perekop to the Crimea and captured the fortresses of Kafa, Kerch and Yenikale. Khan Selim Giray fled to Turkey. The new Khan Sahib-Giray hastened to make peace with the Russians. At this, active actions ended and lengthy peace negotiations began, again returning Catherine to Polish affairs.

Storm Bender

Russia's military successes aroused envy and fears in neighboring countries, primarily in Austria and Prussia. Misunderstandings with Austria reached the point where they started talking loudly about the possibility of war with her. Friedrich strongly inspired the Russian Empress that Russia's desire to annex the Crimea and Moldova could lead to a new European war, since Austria would never agree to this. It is much more reasonable to take part of the Polish possessions as compensation. He directly wrote to his ambassador Solms that it makes no difference to Russia where she gets the reward to which she is entitled for military losses, and since the war started solely because of Poland, Russia has the right to take a reward from the border regions of this republic. At the same time, Austria should have received its part - this will moderate its hostility. The king, too, cannot do without acquiring a part of Poland for himself. This will serve as a reward for the subsidies and other expenses he incurred during the war.

Petersburg liked the idea of ​​partitioning Poland. On July 25, 1772, an agreement between the three powers-shareholders followed, according to which Austria received all of Galicia, Prussia - western Prussia, and Russia - Belarus. Having settled the contradictions with the European neighbors at the expense of Poland, Catherine could start the Turkish negotiations.

Break with Orlov

At the beginning of 1772, through the mediation of the Austrians, they agreed to start a peace congress with the Turks in Focsani in June. Count Grigory Orlov and the former Russian ambassador in Istanbul, Obrezkov, were appointed representatives from the Russian side.

It seemed that nothing foreshadowed the end of the 11-year relationship between the empress and the favorite, and meanwhile Orlov's star had already set. True, before breaking up with him, Catherine suffered from her lover as much as a rare woman is able to endure from her lawful husband

Already in 1765, seven years before the final break between them, Beranger reported from Petersburg:
» This Russian openly violates the laws of love towards the Empress. He has mistresses in the city, who not only do not incur the wrath of the empress for their compliance with Orlov, but, on the contrary, enjoy her patronage. Senator Muraviev, who found his wife with him, almost made a scandal, demanding a divorce; but the queen pacified him by giving him lands in Livonia.

But, apparently, Catherine was actually not at all as indifferent to these betrayals as it might seem. Less than two weeks after Orlov's departure, the Prussian envoy Solms was already reporting to Berlin:
“I can no longer restrain myself from informing Your Majesty of an interesting event that has just happened at this court. The absence of Count Orlov revealed a very natural, but nevertheless unexpected circumstance: Her Majesty found it possible to do without him, change her feelings for him and transfer her disposition to another subject.

A. S. Vasilchakov

Horse guards cornet Vasilchikov, accidentally sent with a small detachment to Tsarskoe Selo to carry guards, attracted the attention of his empress, completely unexpectedly for everyone, because there was nothing special in his appearance, and he himself never tried to advance and is very little known in society. . When the royal court moved from Tsarskoe Selo to Peterhof, Her Majesty for the first time showed him a sign of her disposition, giving him a golden snuffbox for the proper maintenance of the guards.

No significance was attached to this occasion, however, Vasilchikov's frequent visits to Peterhof, the care with which she hastened to distinguish him from others, her calmer and more cheerful disposition since Orlov's departure, the displeasure of the latter's relatives and friends, and finally, many other minor circumstances opened the eyes of the courtiers .

Although everything is still kept secret, none of those close to him doubt that Vasilchikov is already in full favor with the Empress; they were especially convinced of this from the day when he was granted by the chamber junker .. "

Meanwhile, Orlov encountered insurmountable obstacles to peace in Focsani. The Turks did not want to recognize the independence of the Tatars. On August 18, Orlov broke off negotiations and left for Iasi, the headquarters of the Russian army. Here he was caught by the news of the dramatic change that followed in his life. Orlov abandoned everything and rushed to Petersburg on post horses, hoping to regain his former rights. A hundred miles from the capital, he was stopped by the order of the empress: Orlov was ordered to go to his estates and not leave there until the quarantine expired (he was traveling from the territory where the plague was raging). Although the favorite did not immediately have to reconcile, at the beginning of 1773 he nevertheless arrived in St. Petersburg and was sympathetically received by the empress, but there could no longer be any talk of previous relations.

“I owe a lot to the Orlov family,” said Ekaterina, “I showered them with riches and honors; and I will always patronize them, and they can be useful to me; but my decision is unchanged: I endured eleven years; now I want to live as I please, and quite independently. As for the prince, he can do whatever he pleases: he is free to travel or stay in the empire, drink, hunt, take his mistresses ... He will behave well, honor and glory to him, they will behave badly - he is ashamed ... "
***

The years 1773 and 1774 were restless for Catherine: the Poles continued to resist, the Turks did not want to make peace. The war, exhausting the state budget, continued, and meanwhile a new threat arose in the Urals. In September, Yemelyan Pugachev raised an uprising. In October, the rebels gathered strength for the siege of Orenburg, and the nobles around the empress openly panicked.

Catherine's heart affairs also did not go well. Later, she confessed to Potemkin, referring to her relationship with Vasilchikov:
“I was more sad than I can say, and never more than when other people are happy, and all sorts of caresses forced tears in me, so I think that from my birth I did not cry as much as these one and a half years; at first I thought that I would get used to it, but what happened next, it got worse, because on the other side (that is, from Vasilchikov’s side) they began to sulk for three months, and I must admit that I have never been happier than when I get angry and leave me alone, and His caress made me cry.

It is known that in her favorites, Catherine was looking for not only lovers, but also assistants in the matter of government. In the end, she succeeded in making good statesmen out of the Orlovs. Less fortunate with Vasilchikov. However, another contender remained in the reserve, which Catherine had long liked - Grigory Potemkin. Ekaterina knew and celebrated him for 12 years. In 1762, Potemkin served as a sergeant-major in a horse guard regiment and took an active part in the coup. In the list of awards after the events of June 28, he was assigned the rank of cornet. Ekaterina crossed out this line and wrote "captain-lieutenant" in her own hand.

In 1773 he was granted the rank of lieutenant general. In June of this year, Potemkin was in battle under the walls of Silistria. But a few months later, he suddenly asked for leave and quickly, hastily left the army. The reason for this was the event that decided his life: he received the following letter from Catherine:
"Mr Lieutenant General! You, I imagine, are so busy looking at Silistria that you have no time to read letters. I do not know whether the bombardment has hitherto been successful, but, in spite of this, I am sure that - whatever you personally undertake - no other goal can be prescribed than your ardent zeal for the benefit of me personally and dear homeland, whom you lovingly serve. But, on the other hand, since I want to save people who are diligent, brave, intelligent and efficient, I ask you not to be in danger unnecessarily. After reading this letter, you may ask why it was written; I can answer this for you: so that you have confidence in how I think of you, just as I wish you well.

In January 1774, Potemkin was in St. Petersburg, waited another six weeks, testing the ground, strengthening his chances, and on February 27 he wrote a letter to the Empress, in which he asked graciously to appoint him adjutant general, "if she considered his services worthy." Three days later he received a favorable answer, and on March 20 Vasilchikov was sent an imperial command to go to Moscow. He retired, making way for Potemkin, who was destined to become Catherine's most famous and powerful favorite. In a matter of months, he made a dizzying career.

In May he was introduced to the Council, in June he was granted the title of count, in October he was promoted to general-in-chief, and in November he was awarded the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called. All of Catherine's friends were perplexed and found the choice of the empress strange, extravagant, even tasteless, for Potemkin was ugly, crooked in one eye, bow-legged, harsh and even rude. Grimm could not hide his astonishment.
"Why? Catherine answered him. “I bet because I distanced myself from some excellent, but too boring gentleman, who was immediately replaced by, myself, really, I don’t know how, one of the greatest fun, the most interesting eccentric that can be found in our iron age.”

She was very pleased with her new acquisition.
“Oh, what a head this man has,” she said, “and this good head is funny as the devil.”

Several months passed, and Potemkin became a real ruler, an omnipotent man, before whom all rivals humbled themselves and all heads bowed, starting with the head of Catherine. His accession to the Council was tantamount to becoming the first minister. He directs domestic and foreign policy and forces Chernyshev to give him the position of chairman of the military collegium.

On July 10, 1774, negotiations with Turkey ended with the signing of the Kyuchuk-Kaynarji peace treaty, according to which:

• recognized the independence of the Tatars and Crimean Khanate from the Ottoman Empire;
• Kerch and Yenikale in the Crimea are ceded to Russia;
• Russia departs the castle of Kinburn and the steppe between the Dnieper and the Bug, Azov, Big and Small Kabarda;
• free navigation of merchant ships of the Russian Empire through the Bosphorus and Dardanelles;
• Moldova and Wallachia received the right to autonomy and came under Russian protection;
• The Russian Empire received the right to build a Christian church in Constantinople, and the Turkish authorities undertook to ensure its protection
• A ban on the oppression of the Orthodox in Transcaucasia, on the collection of tribute by people from Georgia and Mingrelia.
• 4.5 million rubles indemnity.

The joy of the empress was great - no one expected such a favorable peace. But at the same time more and more disturbing news came from the east. Pugachev has already been defeated twice. He fled, but his flight seemed like an invasion. Never was the success of the uprising more significant than in the summer of 1774, never had the rebellion raged with such power and cruelty.

The indignation spread like wildfire from one village to another, from province to province. This sad news made a deep impression in St. Petersburg and clouded the victorious mood after the end of the Turkish war. Only in August Pugachev was finally defeated and captured. On January 10, 1775 he was executed in Moscow.

As for Polish affairs, on February 16, 1775, the Sejm finally passed a law on the equalization of dissidents in political rights with Catholics. Thus, despite all the obstacles, Catherine brought this difficult task to the end and successfully completed three bloody wars - two external and one internal.

The execution of Yemelyan Pugachev

***
The Pugachev uprising revealed serious shortcomings of the existing regional administration: firstly, the former provinces represented too large administrative districts, secondly, these districts were provided with too few institutions with scanty personnel, and thirdly, various departments were mixed in this administration: one and the same department was in charge of administrative affairs, and finances, and the criminal and civil courts. In order to eliminate these shortcomings in 1775, Catherine began a provincial reform.

First of all, she introduced a new regional division: instead of the 20 vast provinces into which Russia was then divided, now the entire empire was divided into 50 provinces. The basis of the provincial division was taken exclusively by the number of population. The provinces of Catherine are districts of 300-400 thousand inhabitants. They were subdivided into counties with a population of 20-30 thousand inhabitants. Each province received a uniform structure, administrative and judicial.

In the summer of 1775, Catherine stayed in Moscow, where the house of the princes Golitsyns at the Prechistensky Gates was placed at her disposal. In early July, Field Marshal Count Rumyantsev, the winner of the Turks, arrived in Moscow. The news has survived that Catherine, dressed in a Russian sundress, met Rumyantsev. on the porch of the Golitsyn house and, embracing, kissed. At the same time, she drew attention to Zavadovsky, a powerful, stately and exceptionally handsome man who accompanied the field marshal. Noticing the affectionate and interested look of the empress, thrown by her at Zavadovsky, the field marshal immediately introduced the handsome man to Catherine, flatteringly speaking of him as a man of excellent education, hardworking, honest and brave.

Catherine granted Zavadovsky a diamond ring with her name on it and appointed her office secretary. Soon he was granted the rank of major general and adjutant general, became in charge of the personal office of the empress and became one of the people closest to her. At the same time, Potemkin noticed that his charm for the Empress had weakened. In April 1776, he went on vacation to revise the Novgorod province. A few days after his departure, Zavadovsky settled in his place.

P. V. Zavadovsky

But, having ceased to be a lover, Potemkin, granted in 1776 to the princes, retained all his influence and sincere friendship with the empress. Almost until his death, he remained the second person in the state, determined domestic and foreign policy, and none of the subsequent numerous favorites, up to Platon Zubov, even tried to play the role of a statesman. All of them were close to Catherine by Potemkin himself, who tried in this way to influence the location of the empress.

First of all, he tried to remove Zavadovsky. Potemkin had to spend almost a year on this, and luck did not come before he discovered Semyon Zorich. He was a hero-cavalryman and a handsome man, a Serb by origin. Potemkin took Zorich to his aide-de-camp and almost immediately presented him for appointment as commander of the life hussar squadron. Since the life hussars were the personal guard of the empress, Zorich's appointment to the post was preceded by his introduction to Catherine.

S. G. Zorich

In May 1777, Potemkin arranged an audience with the empress with a potential favorite - and he was not mistaken in his calculation. Zavadovsky was suddenly granted a six-month vacation, and Zorich was granted the rank of colonel, adjutant wing and chief of the life hussar squadron. Zorich was already under forty, and he was full of manly beauty, however, unlike Zavadovsky, he was poorly educated (later he himself admitted that from the age of 15 he went to war and that until close to the empress he remained a complete ignoramus). Catherine tried to instill in him literary and scientific tastes, but seems to have had little success in this.

Zorich was stubborn and reluctant to educate. In September 1777, he became a major general, and in the fall of 1778, an earl. But having received this title, he was suddenly offended, as he expected a princely title. Soon after, he had a quarrel with Potemkin, which almost ended in a duel. Find out about this, Catherine ordered Zorich to go to her estate Shklov.

Even before Potemkin began to look for a new favorite for his girlfriend. Several candidates were considered, among which, they say, there was even some kind of Persian, distinguished by extraordinary physical data. Finally, Potemkin settled on three officers - Bergman, Rontsov and Ivan Korsakov. Gelbich says that Ekaterina went to the reception room, when all three applicants appointed for an audience were there. Each of them stood with a bouquet of flowers, and she graciously talked first with Bergman, then with Rontsov, and finally with Korsakov. The extraordinary beauty and grace of the latter captivated her. Catherine graciously smiled at everyone, but with a bouquet of flowers sent Korsakov to Potemkin, who became the next favorite. From other sources it is known that Korsakov did not immediately reach the desired position.

In general, in 1778, Catherine experienced a kind of moral breakdown and was fond of several young people at once. In June, the Englishman Harris notes the rise of Korsakov, and in August he speaks of his rivals, who are trying to wrest the grace of the Empress from him; they are supported on the one hand by Potemkin, and on the other by Panin, together with Orlov; in September, Strakhov, the "lowest jester", prevails over everyone, four months later, Major of the Semenovsky regiment Levashev, a young man patronized by Countess Bruce, takes his place. Then Korsakov again returns to his former position, but now he is fighting with some kind of Potemkin's favorite Stoyanov. In 1779, he finally won a complete victory over his competitors, became a chamberlain and adjutant general.

Grimm, who considered his friend's infatuation a mere whim, Catherine wrote:
"Whim? Do you know what this is: the expression is completely inappropriate in this case when they talk about Pyrrhus, the king of Epirus (as Catherine called Korsakov), and about this subject of temptation for all artists and despair for all sculptors. Admiration, enthusiasm, and not whim excite such exemplary creations of nature ... Pyrrhus never made a single ignoble or ungraceful gesture or movement ... But all this, in general, is not effeminacy, but, on the contrary, courage, and he is what you would like he was…"

In addition to his amazing appearance, Korsakov charmed the Empress with his wonderful voice. The reign of a new favorite constitutes an epoch in the history of Russian music. Catherine invited the first artists of Italy to St. Petersburg so that Korsakov could sing with them. She wrote to Grimm:

"Never have I met anyone so capable of enjoying harmonic sounds as Pyrrha, King of Epirus."

Rimsky-Korsakov I. N.

Unfortunately for himself, Korsakov failed to maintain his height. Once, in early 1780, Catherine found her favorite in the arms of her friend and confidante, Countess Bruce. This greatly cooled her ardor, and soon Korsakov's place was taken by the 22-year-old horse guard Alexander Lanskoy.

Lanskoy was introduced to Ekaterina by Chief of Police Tolstoy, he liked the empress at first sight: she granted him to the adjutant wing and gave 10,000 rubles to equip him. But he did not become a favorite. However, Lanskoy showed a lot of common sense from the very beginning and turned to Potemkin for support, who appointed him one of his adjutants and directed his court education for about six months.

He discovered in his pupil a mass of excellent qualities, and in the spring of 1780, with a light heart, he recommended him to the Empress as a cordial friend. Catherine promoted Lansky to colonel, then to adjutant general and chamberlain, and soon he settled in the palace in the empty apartments of the former favorite.

Of all Catherine's lovers, this was, without a doubt, the most pleasant and sweetest. According to contemporaries, Lanskoy did not enter into any intrigues, tried not to harm anyone and completely abandoned public affairs, rightly believing that politics would make him make enemies. The only all-consuming passion of Lansky was Catherine, He wanted to reign in her heart alone and did everything to achieve this. There was something maternal in the 54-year-old empress's passion for him. She caressed and educated him as her beloved child. Catherine wrote to Grimm:
“In order for you to form an idea about this young man, you need to convey what Prince Orlov said about him to one of his friends: “See what a person she will make of him! ..” He absorbs everything with greed! He began by swallowing all the poets and their poems in one winter; and in the other, a few historians ... Without studying anything, we will have countless knowledge and find pleasure in communicating with everything that is the best and most dedicated. In addition, we build and plant; besides, we are charitable, cheerful, honest and full of simplicity.

Under the guidance of his mentor Lanskoy, he studied French, got acquainted with philosophy and, finally, became interested in the works of art with which the empress liked to surround herself. The four years lived in Lansky's company were perhaps the most calm and happy in Catherine's life, as evidenced by many contemporaries. However, she always led a very moderate and measured life.
***

The daily routine of the Empress

Catherine usually woke up at six in the morning. At the beginning of her reign, she herself dressed and kindled the fireplace. Later, she was dressed in the mornings by chamberlain Perekusikhin. Catherine rinsed her mouth warm water, rubbed her cheeks with ice and went to her office. Here, very strong morning coffee was waiting for her, usually accompanied by heavy cream and biscuits. The Empress herself ate little, but half a dozen Italian Greyhounds, who always shared breakfast with Catherine, emptied the sugar bowl and the basket of biscuits. Having finished eating, the empress let the dogs out for a walk, and she herself sat down to work and wrote until nine o'clock.

At nine she returned to the bedroom and received the speakers. The Chief of Police was the first to enter. To read the papers submitted for signature, the Empress put on glasses. Then the secretary appeared and work with documents began.

As you know, the Empress read and wrote in three languages, but at the same time she made many syntactical and grammatical errors, not only in Russian and French, but also in her native German. Mistakes in Russian, of course, were the most annoying of all. Catherine was aware of this and once confessed to one of her secretaries:
“Don't laugh at my Russian spelling; I'll tell you why I didn't have time to study it well. Upon my arrival here, I began to learn the Russian language with great diligence. Aunt Elizaveta Petrovna, learning about this, said to my chamberlain: enough to teach her, she is smart enough without that. Thus, I could learn Russian only from books without a teacher, and this is the very reason that I do not know spelling well.

The secretaries had to rewrite all the drafts of the Empress cleanly. But classes with the secretary were interrupted now and then by visits from generals, ministers and dignitaries. This went on until dinner, which was usually at one or two.

Having dismissed the secretary, Ekaterina went to the small dressing room, where the old hairdresser Kolov combed her hair. Catherine took off her hood and cap, put on an extremely simple, open and free dress with double sleeves and wide shoes with low heels. On weekdays, the Empress did not wear any jewelry. On ceremonial occasions, Catherine wore an expensive velvet dress, the so-called "Russian style", and adorned her hair with a crown. She did not follow the Parisian fashions and did not encourage this expensive pleasure in her court ladies.

After finishing the toilet, Catherine went to the official restroom, where they finished dressing her. It was time for a small exit. Grandchildren, a favorite and several close friends like Lev Naryshkin gathered here. The empress was served pieces of ice, and she quite openly rubbed her cheeks with them. Then the hair was covered with a small tulle cap, and the toilet ended there. The whole ceremony lasted about 10 minutes. After that, everyone went to the table.

On weekdays, twelve people were invited to dinner. The favorite sat on the right hand. The dinner lasted about an hour and was very simple. Catherine never cared about the sophistication of her table. Her favorite dish was boiled beef with pickles. As a drink, she used currant juice. In the last years of her life, on the advice of doctors, Catherine drank a glass of Madeira or Rhine wine. Dessert was accompanied by fruits, mostly apples and cherries.

Among the chefs of Catherine, one cooked very badly. But she did not notice this, and when, after many years, her attention was finally called to it, she did not allow him to be calculated, saying that he served too long in her house. She managed only when he was on duty, and, sitting down at the table, said to the guests:
“We are now on a Diet, you need to be patient, but after that we will eat well.”

After dinner, Catherine talked with the guests for several minutes, then everyone dispersed. Ekaterina sat down at the hoop - she embroidered very skillfully - and Betsky read aloud to her. When Betsky, having grown old, began to lose his sight, she did not want to replace him with anyone and began to read herself, putting on glasses.

Analyzing the numerous references to the books she read, scattered in her correspondence, we can safely say that Catherine was aware of all the book novelties of her time, and she read everything indiscriminately: from philosophical treatises and historical writings to novels. She, of course, could not assimilate deeply all this enormous material, and her erudition remained largely superficial, and her knowledge shallow, but in general she could judge a variety of problems.

The rest lasted about an hour. Then the empress was informed about the arrival of the secretary: twice a week she sorted out foreign mail with him and made notes on the margins of dispatches. On other fixed days, officials came to her with reports or for orders.
In the moments of a break in business, Catherine carelessly had fun with the children.

In 1776 she wrote to her friend Madame Boelcke:
“You have to be funny. Only this helps us to overcome and endure everything. I tell you this from experience, because I have overcome and suffered a lot in my life. But all the same, I laughed when I could, and I swear to you that at the present time, when I bear the brunt of my position, I play with my heart, when the opportunity presents itself, blind man's blind with my son, and very often without him. We come up with an excuse for it, we say, "It's good for health," but, between us it will be said, we do it just to fool around."

At four o'clock the working day of the Empress ended, and it was time for rest and entertainment. Catherine walked along the long gallery from the Winter Palace to the Hermitage. It was her favorite place to stay. She was accompanied by a favorite. She reviewed and posted new collections, played a game of billiards, and occasionally carved Ivory. At six o'clock the Empress returned to the reception rooms of the Hermitage, which were already filled with persons admitted to the court.

Count Hord in his memoirs described the Hermitage as follows:
“It occupies an entire wing of the imperial palace and consists of an art gallery, two large rooms for card game and another, where they dine on two tables "family style", and next to these rooms is a winter garden, covered and well lit. There they walk among the trees and numerous pots of flowers. Various birds fly and sing there, mainly canaries. The garden is heated by underground ovens; despite the harsh climate, it always reigns a pleasant temperature.

This so charming apartment is made even better by the freedom that reigns here. Everyone feels at ease: the empress has expelled all etiquette from here. Here they walk, play, sing; everyone does what he likes. The art gallery abounds with first-class masterpieces".

All sorts of games were a huge success at these meetings. Catherine was the first to participate in them, aroused gaiety in everyone and allowed all sorts of liberties.

At ten o'clock the game ended, and Catherine retired to the inner chambers. Dinner was served only on ceremonial occasions, but even then Catherine sat down at the table only for show. Returning to her room, she went into the bedroom, drank a large glass of boiled water and went to bed.
Such was the private life of Catherine according to the memoirs of contemporaries. Her intimate life is less known, although it is also not a secret. The Empress was an amorous woman, who until her death retained the ability to be carried away by young people.

There were more than a dozen of her official lovers. With all this, as already mentioned, she was not at all a beauty.
“To tell you the truth,” Catherine herself wrote, “I never considered myself extremely beautiful, but I liked it, and I think that this was my strength.”

All the portraits that have come down to us confirm this opinion. But there is no doubt that there was something extremely attractive in this woman, which eluded the brush of all painters and made many sincerely admire her appearance. With age, the Empress did not lose her attractiveness, although she became more and more stout.

Catherine was not at all windy or depraved. Many of her connections lasted for years, and although the empress was far from being indifferent to sensual pleasures, spiritual communication with a close man remained very important for her too. But it is also true that after the Orlovs, Catherine never raped her heart. If the favorite ceased to interest her, she resigned without any ceremony.

At the next evening reception, the courtiers noticed that the empress was staring at some unknown lieutenant, who had been introduced to her only the day before or who had previously been lost in the brilliant crowd. Everyone understood what that meant. Happy young man with a short order, they were summoned to the palace and subjected to repeated tests for compliance in the performance of the direct intimate duties of the favorite of the empress.

A. M. Turgenev tells about this rite, through which all Catherine's lovers went through:
“They usually sent to Anna Stepanovna Protasova for a trial of the favorite of Her Majesty. Upon inspection of the concubine destined for the highest rank to the mother empress by the life physician Rogerson and on the basis of a certificate presented as fit for service regarding health, the recruited to Anna Stepanovna Protasova was escorted to a three-night test. When the betrothed fully satisfied the requirements of Protasova, she informed the most merciful empress about the trustworthiness of the tested, and then the first meeting was appointed according to the established etiquette of the court or according to the charter of the highest for consecration to the rank of concubine to the confirmed.

Perekusikhina Marya Savvishna and the valet Zakhar Konstantinovich were obliged to dine with the chosen one on the same day. At 10 pm, when the empress was already in bed, Perekusikhina led the recruit into the bedchamber of the most pious, dressed in a Chinese dressing gown, with a book in her hands, and left him to read in the armchairs near the anointed bed. The next day, Perekusikhina took the initiate out of the bedchamber and handed him over to Zakhar Konstantinovich, who led the newly appointed concubine to the halls prepared for him; here Zakhar reported already servilely to the favorite that the most merciful empress deigned to appoint him with the highest person as her adjutant wing, brought him an adjutant wing uniform with a diamond agraph and 100,000 rubles of pocket money.

Before the empress even went out, in the winter to the Hermitage, and in the summer, in Tsarskoye Selo, to the garden, to take a walk with the new adjutant wing, to whom she gave her hand to guide her, the front hall of the new favorite was filled with the first state dignitaries, nobles, courtiers to bring him the most zealous congratulations on receiving the highest mercy. The most highly enlightened pastor, the metropolitan, usually came to the favorite the next day to consecrate him and blessed him with holy water..

Subsequently, the procedure became more complicated, and after Potemkin, the favorites were checked not only by the assayer-maid of honor Protasova, but also by Countess Bruce, and Perekusikhina, and Utochkin.

In June 1784, Lanskoy fell seriously and dangerously ill - it was said that he undermined his health by abusing stimulant drugs. Catherine did not leave the sufferer for an hour, almost stopped eating, left all her affairs and looked after him, like a mother for her only infinitely beloved son. Then she wrote:
"Malignant fever combined with a toad brought him to the grave in five days."

On the evening of June 25, Lanskoy died. Catherine's grief was boundless.
“When I began this letter, I was in happiness and joy, and my thoughts were rushing by so fast that I did not have time to follow them,” she wrote to Grimm. “Now everything has changed: I suffer terribly, and my happiness is no more; I thought that I could not bear the irretrievable loss that I suffered a week ago when my best friend. I hoped that he would be the support of my old age: he also aspired to this, tried to instill in himself all my tastes. This was a young man whom I brought up who was grateful, meek, honest, who shared my sorrows when I had them, and rejoiced in my joys.

In a word, I, sobbing, have the misfortune to tell you that General Lansky is gone ... and my room, which I used to love so much, has now turned into an empty cave; I can hardly move over it like a shadow: on the eve of his death, I had a sore throat and a violent fever; however, since yesterday I have been on my feet, but I am weak and so depressed that I cannot see a human face, so as not to burst into tears at the first word. I can neither sleep nor eat. Reading irritates me, writing exhausts my strength. I don't know what will become of me now; I know only one thing, that never in all my life have I been so unhappy as since my best and kindest friend left me. I opened the drawer, found this started sheet, wrote these lines on it, but I can no longer ... "

“I confess to you that all this time I have been unable to write to you, because I knew that this would make us both suffer. A week after I wrote you my last letter in July, Fyodor Orlov and Prince Potemkin came to see me. Until that moment I could not see a human face, but these knew what to do: they roared along with me, and then I felt at ease with them; but I still had a long time to recover, and because of the sensitivity to my grief, I became insensitive to everything else; my grief increased and was remembered at every step and at every word.

However, do not think that because of this terrible state I have neglected even the smallest thing that requires my attention. In the most painful moments, they came to me for orders, and I gave them sensibly and reasonably; this particularly struck General Saltykov. Two months passed like this without any relief; at last the first quiet hours came, and then the days. It was already autumn outside, it was getting damp, and the palace in Tsarskoe Selo had to be heated. All of mine went into a frenzy from this and so strong that on September 5, not knowing where to lay my head, I ordered the carriage to be laid down and arrived unexpectedly and in such a way that no one suspected it, to the city where I stopped in the Hermitage ... "

In the Winter Palace, all the doors were locked. Catherine ordered to knock down the door to the Hermitage and went to bed. But waking up at one in the morning, she ordered the cannons to be fired, which was usually heralded by her arrival, and alarmed the whole city. The entire garrison rose to their feet, all the courtiers were frightened, and even she herself was surprised that she had made such a fuss. But a few days later, after giving an audience to the diplomatic corps, they appeared with their usual face, calm, healthy and fresh, friendly, as before the disaster, and smiling as always.

Soon life went back into its groove, and the eternally in love returned to life. But ten months passed before she wrote to Grimm again:
“I will tell you in one word, instead of a hundred, that I have a friend who is very capable and worthy of this name.”

This friend was the brilliant young officer Alexander Yermolov, represented by the same indispensable Potemkin. He moved to the long-empty chambers of the favorites. The summer of 1785 was one of the most joyful in Catherine's life: one noisy pleasure was replaced by another. The aging empress felt a new surge of legislative energy. This year, two famous letters of commendation appeared - to the nobility and cities. These acts completed the local government reform begun in 1775.

At the beginning of 1786, Catherine began to grow cold towards Yermolov. The resignation of the latter was accelerated by the fact that he took it into his head to intrigue against Potemkin himself. In June, the Empress asked her to tell her lover that she allowed him to go abroad for three years.

Yermolov's successor was the 28-year-old captain of the guard Alexander Dmitriev-Mamonov, a distant relative of Potemkin and his adjutant. Having made a mistake with the previous favorite, Potemkin looked closely at Mamonov for a long time before recommending him to Catherine. In August 1786, Mamonov was introduced to the Empress and was soon appointed adjutant wing. Contemporaries noted that he could not be called handsome.

Mamonov was distinguished by his tall stature and physical strength, had a bony face, slightly slanted eyes, glowing with intelligence, and conversations with him gave the Empress considerable pleasure. A month later, he became an ensign of the cavalry guards and a major general in the army, and in 1788 he was granted a count. The first honors did not turn the head of the new favorite - he showed restraint, tact and gained a reputation as an intelligent, cautious person. Mamonov spoke German and English well, and knew French perfectly. In addition, he proved himself to be a good poet and playwright, which especially appealed to Catherine.

Thanks to all these qualities, as well as the fact that Mamonov constantly studied, read a lot and tried to seriously delve into state affairs, he became an adviser to the empress.

Catherine wrote to Grimm:
“The red caftan (as she called Mamonov) is worn by a creature with a beautiful heart and a very sincere soul. Mind for four, inexhaustible gaiety, a lot of originality in understanding things and conveying them, excellent education, a lot of knowledge that can give brilliance to the mind. We hide as a crime the inclination to poetry; we love music passionately, we understand everything unusually easily. What only we do not know by heart! We recite, chatter in the tone of a better society; exquisitely polite; we write in Russian and French, as rarely anyone else, as much in style as in beauty of writing. Our appearance is quite consistent with our internal qualities: we have wonderful black eyes with eyebrows that are extremely outlined; below average height, noble appearance, free gait; in a word, we are just as reliable in our souls as we are dexterous, strong and brilliant on the outside.
***

Travel to Crimea

In 1787, Catherine made one of her longest and most famous journeys - she went to the Crimea, which from 17.83 was annexed to Russia. Before Catherine had time to return to St. Petersburg, the news broke out about the break in relations with Turkey and the arrest of the Russian ambassador in Istanbul: the second Turkish war began. To top it off, the situation of the 60s was repeated) when one war pulled another.

As soon as they gathered forces to repulse in the south, it became known that the Swedish king Gustav III intended to attack defenseless Petersburg. The king came to Finland and sent a demand to Vice-Chancellor Osterman to return to Sweden all the lands ceded under the Nystadt and Abov worlds, and to return the Crimea to Porte.

In July 1788, the Swedish War began. Potemkin was busy in the south, and all the hardships of the war fell entirely on the shoulders of Catherine. She was personally involved in everything. affairs for the management of the maritime department, ordered, for example, to build several new barracks and hospitals, to fix and put in order the Revel port.

A few years later, she recalled this era in a letter to Grimm: “There is a reason why it seemed that I did everything so well at that time: I was then alone, with almost no assistants, and, being afraid to miss something out of ignorance or forgetfulness, I showed an activity that no one considered me capable of; I interfered in incredible details to such an extent that I even turned into an army quartermaster, but, according to everyone, soldiers have never been better fed in a country where it was impossible to get any provisions ... "

On August 3, 1790, the Treaty of Versailles was concluded; the borders of both states remained the same as they were before the war.

Behind these troubles in 1789 there was another change of favorites. In June, Catherine found out that Mamonov was having an affair with the maid of honor Daria Shcherbatov. The Empress reacted to treason quite calmly. She recently turned 60 years old, besides a long experience love relationship taught her leniency. She bought several villages for Mamontov, with more than 2,000 peasants, gave her bride jewelry and betrothed them herself. Over the years of his favor, Mamonov had gifts and money from Catherine for about 900 thousand rubles. The last hundred thousand, in addition to the three thousand peasants, he received when leaving with his wife for Moscow. At this time, he could already see his successor.

On June 20, Ekaterina chose the 22-year-old second-captain of the Horse Guards Platon Zubov as the favorite. In July, Toth was granted the rank of colonel and adjutant wing. At first, the empress's entourage did not take him seriously.

Bezborodko wrote to Vorontsov:
“This child is well-mannered, but not far-sighted; I don't think he will last long in his place.

However, Bezborodko was wrong. Zubov was destined to become the last favorite of the great empress - he retained his position until her death.

Catherine confessed to Potemkin in August of the same year:
“I came back to life like a fly after hibernation… I am cheerful and healthy again.”

She was moved by Zubov's youth and the fact that he cried when he was not allowed into the rooms of the Empress. Despite his mild appearance, Zubov turned out to be a prudent and dexterous lover. His influence on the empress became so great over the years that he managed to achieve the almost impossible: he nullified Potemkin's charm and completely ousted him from Catherine's heart. Having taken all the threads of management into his own hands, in the last years of Catherine's life he acquired a tremendous influence on affairs.
***
The war with Turkey continued. In 1790, Suvorov took Izmail, and Potemkin - Vendors. After that, Porte had no choice but to yield. In December 1791, peace was concluded in Iasi. Russia received the interfluve of the Dniester and the Bug, where Odessa was soon built; Crimea was recognized as her possession.

Potemkin did not live long enough to see this joyful day. He died on October 5, 1791 on the way from Iasi to Nikolaev. Catherine's grief was very great. According to the testimony of the French commissioner Genet, "at this news she lost consciousness, blood rushed to her head, and she was forced to open a vein." Who can replace such a person? she repeated to her secretary Khrapovitsky. “I and all of us are now like snails who are afraid to stick their heads out of their shells.”

She wrote to Grimm:

“Yesterday I was hit like a butt on the head ... My student, my friend, one might say, an idol, Prince Potemkin of Tauride died ... Oh, my God! Now I am truly my own helper. I have to train my people again!”
The last remarkable act of Catherine was the division of Poland and the annexation of western Russian lands to Russia. The second and third sections, which followed in 1793 and 1795, were a logical continuation of the first. Many years of anarchy and the events of 1772 brought many nobles to their senses. During the four-year Sejm of 1788-1791, the reforming party drafted a new constitution, adopted on May 3, 1791. She established hereditary royal power with the Sejm without the right to veto, the admission of deputies from the townspeople, the complete equality of dissidents, the abolition of confederations. All this happened in the wake of frenzied anti-Russian speeches and in defiance of all previous agreements, according to which Russia guaranteed the Polish constitution. Catherine was forced to endure impudence for the time being, but she wrote to members of the foreign collegium:

“... I will not agree to any of this new order of things, during the approval of which not only did they not pay any attention to Russia, but showered it with insults, bullied it every minute ...”

And indeed, as soon as peace was concluded with Turkey, Poland was occupied by Russian troops, and a Russian garrison was brought into Warsaw. This served as a prologue to the section. In November, the Prussian ambassador in St. Petersburg, Count Goltz, presented a map of Poland, which outlined the area desired by Prussia. In December, after a detailed study of the map, Catherine approved the Russian share of the partition. Most of Belarus went to Russia. After the final collapse of the May constitution, its adherents, both those who had gone abroad and those who remained in Warsaw, had one means of acting in favor of a lost enterprise: plotting, arousing displeasure, and waiting for an opportunity to start an uprising. All this has been done.
Warsaw was to become the center of the performance. A well-prepared uprising began early in the morning on April 6 (17), 1794 and was a surprise for the Russian garrison. Most of the soldiers were killed, and only a few units with heavy damage were able to break out of the city. Not trusting the king, the patriots proclaimed General Kosciuszko as supreme ruler. In response, a third partition agreement was reached between Austria, Prussia and Russia in September. Krakow and Sendomierz provinces were to go to Austria. The Bug and Neman became the borders of Russia. In addition, Courland and Lithuania retreated to it. The rest of Poland with Warsaw was given to Prussia. On November 4, Suvorov took Warsaw. The revolutionary government was destroyed and power returned to the king. Stanislav-August wrote to Catherine:
“The fate of Poland is in your hands; your power and wisdom will solve it; whatever the fate that you assign to me personally, I cannot forget my duty to my people, imploring Your Majesty's generosity for them.

Catherine replied:
“It was not in my power to prevent disastrous consequences and to fill up under the feet of the Polish people the abyss dug by their corrupters and into which they are finally carried away ...”

On October 13, 1795, the third section was made; Poland disappeared from the map of Europe. This partition was soon followed by the death of the Russian empress. The decline of Catherine's moral and physical strength began in 1792. She was broken both by the death of Potemkin and by the extraordinary tension that she had to endure during the last war. The French envoy Genet wrote:

“Catherine is clearly aging, she herself sees this, and melancholy takes possession of her soul.”

Catherine complained: "The years make everyone see in black". Dropsy overcame the Empress. It became increasingly difficult for her to walk. She stubbornly fought old age and illnesses, but in September 1796, after her granddaughter's engagement to King Gustav IV of Sweden did not take place, Catherine went to bed. She did not leave colic, wounds opened on her legs. Only at the end of October did the empress feel better. On the evening of November 4, Catherine gathered an intimate circle in the Hermitage, was very cheerful all evening and laughed at Naryshkin's jokes. However, she left earlier than usual, saying that she had colic from laughter. The next day, Catherine got up at her usual hour, talked with the favorite, worked with the secretary, and, dismissing the latter, ordered him to wait in the hallway. He waited an unusually long time and began to worry. Half an hour later, the faithful Zubov decided to look into the bedroom. The Empress was not there; was not in the toilet room. Zubov called people in alarm; they ran to the dressing-room and there they saw the immovable empress with a reddened face, foaming at the mouth and wheezing with a death rattle. Ekaterina was carried into the bedroom and laid on the floor. She resisted death for about a day and a half, but did not come to her senses and died on the morning of November 6.
She was buried in the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg. Thus ended the reign of Catherine II the Great, one of the most famous Russian women politicians.

Catherine composed the following epitaph for her future tombstone:

Catherine II is buried 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. Climbing up 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.

Years of government: 1762-1796

1. For the first time since Peter I reformed the public administration system. Culturally Russia finally became one of the great European powers. Catherine patronized various areas art: under her, the Hermitage and the Public Library appeared in St. Petersburg.

2. Carried out administrative reform, which determined the territorial structure of the country up to before 1917. Formed 29 new provinces and built about 144 cities.

3. Increased the territory of the state by annexing the southern lands - Crimea, the Black Sea region and the eastern part of the Commonwealth. In terms of population, Russia has become the largest European country: it accounted for 20% of the population of Europe

4. Brought Russia to the first place in the world in iron smelting. By the end of the 18th century, there were 1200 large enterprises in the country (in 1767 there were only 663 of them).

5. Strengthened the role of Russia in the global economy: the volume of exports increased from 13.9 million rubles in 1760 to 39.6 million rubles in 1790. Sail cloth, cast iron, iron, and also bread were exported in large quantities. The volume of timber exports increased fivefold.

6. Under Catherine II of Russia Academy of Sciences has become one of the leading scientific bases in Europe. The Empress paid special attention to the development of women's education: in 1764, the first in Russia educational establishments for girls - the Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens and the Educational Society for Noble Maidens.

7. Organized new credit institutions - a state bank and a loan office, and also expanded the range banking operations(since 1770, banks began to accept deposits for storage) and for the first time launched the issuance paper money- Banknotes.

8. Gave the character of state measures to the fight against epidemics. Having introduced compulsory smallpox vaccination, she decided to set a personal example for her subjects: in 1768, the empress herself was vaccinated against smallpox.

9. She supported Buddhism, in 1764 establishing the post of Khambo Lama - the head of the Buddhists of Eastern Siberia and Transbaikalia. The Buryat lamas recognized Catherine II as the incarnation of the main goddess of White Tara and since then swore allegiance to all Russian rulers.

10 Belonged to those few monarchs who intensively communicated with subjects by drawing up manifestos, instructions and laws. She had the talent of a writer, leaving behind a large collection of works: notes, translations, fables, fairy tales, comedies and essays.

Catherine the Great is one of the most extraordinary women in world history. Her life is a rare example of self-education through deep education and strict discipline.

The epithet "Great" Empress rightfully deserved: she, a German and a foreigner, the Russian people called her "native mother." And historians almost unanimously decided that if Peter I wanted to instill everything German in Russia, then the German Catherine dreamed of reviving precisely Russian traditions. And in many ways it has been very successful.

The long reign of Catherine is the only period of transformation in Russian history, about which one cannot say “they cut down the forest, the chips fly”. The population of the country doubled, while there was practically no censorship, torture was prohibited, and elected bodies of estate self-government were created ... " firm hand”, which the Russian people allegedly need so much, this time was completely not useful.

Princess Sofia

The future Empress Catherine II Alekseevna, born Sophia Frederick Augusta, Princess of Anhalt-Zerbst, was born on April 21, 1729 in the unknown Stettin (Prussia). Father - unremarkable Prince Christian-August - thanks to devotion to the Prussian king, he made a good career: regiment commander, commandant of Stettin, governor. Constantly employed in the service, he became for Sofia an example of conscientious service in the public arena.

Sophia was educated at home: she studied German and French, dance, music, the basics of history, geography, and theology. Her independent character and perseverance appeared already in early childhood. In 1744, together with her mother, she was summoned to Russia by Empress Elizaveta Petrovna. Here, before that, a Lutheran, she was accepted into Orthodoxy under the name Catherine (this name, like the patronymic Alekseevna, was given to her in honor of Elizabeth's mother, Catherine I) and named the bride of Grand Duke Peter Fedorovich (future Emperor Peter III), with whom the princess married in 1745.

Mind Chamber

Catherine set herself the goal of winning the favor of the Empress, her husband and the Russian people. From the very beginning, her personal life was unsuccessful, but the Grand Duchess reasoned that she always liked the Russian crown more than her fiancé, and turned to reading works on history, jurisprudence and economics. She was absorbed in studying the works of French encyclopedists and already at that time intellectually outgrew everyone around her head.

Catherine really became a patriot of her new homeland: she scrupulously observed the rites of the Orthodox Church, tried to return the Russian national costume to the everyday life of the court, diligently studied the Russian language. She even studied at night and one day became dangerously ill from overwork. The Grand Duchess wrote: “Those who succeeded in Russia could be sure of success throughout Europe. Nowhere, as in Russia, are there such masters of noticing the weaknesses or shortcomings of a foreigner; you can be sure that nothing will be let him down.

Communication between the Grand Duke and the princess demonstrated the cardinal difference between their characters: the infantilism of Peter was opposed by the active, purposeful and ambitious nature of Catherine. She began to fear for her fate if her husband came to power and began to recruit supporters for herself at court. Catherine's ostentatious piety, prudence and sincere love for Russia contrasted sharply with Peter's behavior, which allowed her to gain authority both among high society and among the ordinary population of St. Petersburg.

Double grip

Having ascended the throne after the death of his mother, Emperor Peter III managed to turn the nobility against himself to such an extent during the six months of his reign that he himself opened the way to power for his wife. As soon as he ascended the throne, he concluded an unfavorable treaty with Prussia for Russia, announced the arrest of the property of the Russian Church and the abolition of monastic land ownership. Supporters of the coup accused Peter III of ignorance, dementia and complete inability to govern the state. A well-read, pious and benevolent wife looked favorably against his background.

When Catherine's relationship with her husband became hostile, the twenty-year-old Grand Duchess decided to "die or reign." Having carefully prepared a plot, she secretly arrived in St. Petersburg and was proclaimed autocratic empress in the barracks of the Izmailovsky regiment. Soldiers from other regiments joined the rebels, unquestioningly swearing allegiance to her. The news of Catherine's accession to the throne quickly spread throughout the city and was greeted with enthusiasm by the people of St. Petersburg. Over 14,000 people surrounded the palace, welcoming the new ruler.

The foreigner Catherine did not have any rights to power, but the “revolution” she committed was presented as a national liberation one. She correctly captured the critical moment in her husband's behavior - his contempt for the country and Orthodoxy. As a result, the grandson of Peter the Great was considered more German than the purebred German Catherine. And this is the result of her own efforts: in the eyes of society, she managed to change her national identity and received the right to “liberate the fatherland” from a foreign yoke.

M. V. Lomonosov about Catherine the Great: “A woman is on the throne - a chamber of mind.”

Upon learning of what had happened, Peter began to send proposals for negotiations, but they were all rejected. Catherine herself, at the head of the guards regiments, came out to meet him and on the way received a written abdication of the emperor from the throne. The long 34-year reign of Catherine II began with a solemn coronation in Moscow on September 22, 1762. In fact, she made a double capture: she took away power from her husband and did not transfer it to her natural heir - her son.

The era of Catherine the Great

Catherine came to the throne, having a certain political program based on the ideas of the Enlightenment and at the same time taking into account the peculiarities historical development Russia. Already in the first years of her reign, the empress carried out a reform of the Senate, which made the work of this institution more efficient, and carried out the secularization of church lands, which replenished the state treasury. At the same time, a number of new educational institutions were founded, including the first educational institutions for women in Russia.

Catherine II was an excellent connoisseur of people, she skillfully selected her assistants, not being afraid of bright and talented personalities. That is why her time is marked by the appearance of a galaxy of prominent statesmen, generals, writers, artists and musicians. During this period, there were no noisy resignations, none of the nobles fell into disgrace - that is why the reign of Catherine is called the "golden age" of the Russian nobility. At the same time, the empress was very vain and valued her power more than anything else. For her sake, she was ready to make any compromises to the detriment of her convictions.

Catherine was distinguished by ostentatious piety, she considered herself the head and defender of the Russian Orthodox Church and skillfully used religion for political interests.

After the end of the Russian-Turkish war of 1768-1774 and the suppression of the uprising led by Yemelyan Pugachev, the empress independently developed key legislative acts. The most important of them were letters of grant to the nobility and cities. Their main significance is associated with the implementation of the strategic goal of Catherine's reforms - the creation in Russia of full-fledged estates of the Western European type.

Autocracy in the struggle for the future

Catherine was the first Russian monarch who saw in people individuals with their own opinions, character and emotions. She willingly acknowledged their right to make mistakes. From the distant skies of autocracy, Catherine saw a man below and turned him into a measure of her policy - an incredible somersault for Russian despotism. The philanthropy that she made fashionable would later become the main feature high culture XIX century.

Catherine demanded naturalness from her subjects, and therefore easily, with a smile and self-irony, eliminated any hierarchy. It is known that she, being greedy for flattery, calmly accepted criticism. For example, her secretary of state and the first major Russian poet Derzhavin often argued with the Empress on administrative issues. Once their discussion became so heated that the empress invited another of her secretaries: “Sit here, Vasily Stepanovich. This gentleman, it seems to me, wants to kill me. His sharpness had no consequences for Derzhavin.

One of his contemporaries figuratively described the essence of Catherine's reign as follows: "Peter the Great created people in Russia, but Catherine II put her soul into them"

I can’t even believe that two Russian-Turkish wars, the annexation of Crimea and the creation of Novorossia, the construction of the Black Sea Fleet, the three partitions of Poland, which brought Russia Belarus, Western Ukraine, Lithuania and Courland, the war with Persia, the annexation of Georgia and the conquest of the future Azerbaijan , the suppression of the Pugachev rebellion, the war with Sweden, as well as numerous laws on which Catherine worked personally. In total, she issued 5798 acts, that is, an average of 12 laws per month. Her pedantry and diligence are described in detail by contemporaries.

Femininity revolution

Longer than Catherine II in Russian history, only Ivan III (43 years) and Ivan IV the Terrible (37 years) ruled. Over three decades of her reign almost equals half Soviet period and it is impossible to ignore this circumstance. Therefore, Catherine has always occupied a special place in the mass historical consciousness. However, the attitude towards her was ambiguous: German blood, the murder of her husband, numerous novels, Voltairianism - all this prevented selflessly admiring the empress.

Catherine was the first Russian monarch who saw in people individuals with their own opinions, character and emotions. From the distant skies of autocracy, she saw a man below and turned him into a measure of her policy - an incredible somersault for Russian despotism

Soviet historiography added class cuffs to Catherine: she became a "cruel serf-owner" and a despot. It got to the point that only Peter was allowed to remain the “Great”, she was emphatically called the “Second”. The undoubted victories of the Empress, which brought Crimea, Novorossia, Poland and part of the Transcaucasia to Russia, were largely usurped by her military leaders, who, in the struggle for national interests, supposedly heroically overcame the intrigues of the court.

However, the fact that in the mass consciousness the personal life of the empress overshadowed her political activities testifies to the search for psychological compensation by the descendants. After all, Catherine violated one of the oldest social hierarchies - the superiority of men over women. Her stunning successes, and especially the military ones, caused bewilderment, bordering on irritation, and needed some kind of “but”. Catherine gave cause for anger already by the fact that, contrary to the existing order, she herself chose men for herself. The empress refused to take for granted not only her nationality: she also tried to overcome the boundaries of her own gender, capturing typically male territory.

Manage passions

Throughout her life, Catherine learned to cope with her feelings and passionate temperament. A long life in a foreign land taught her not to succumb to circumstances, to always remain calm and consistent in her actions. Later, in her memoirs, the empress writes: “I came to Russia, a country completely unknown to me, not knowing what was ahead. Everyone looked at me with annoyance and even contempt: the daughter of a Prussian major general is going to be Russian empress!" Nevertheless, Catherine's main goal has always been the love of Russia, which, according to her own admission, "is not a country, but the Universe."

The ability to plan a day, not to deviate from what was planned, not to succumb to the blues or laziness, and at the same time to treat one's body rationally could be attributed to German upbringing. However, it seems that the reason for this behavior is deeper: Catherine subordinated her life to the most important task - to justify her own stay on the throne. Klyuchevsky noted that approval meant for Catherine the same thing as "applause for a debutant." The desire for glory was a way for the empress to actually prove to the world the goodness of her intentions. Such life motivation, of course, turned her into self-made.

The fact that in the mass consciousness the personal life of the empress obscured her political activity testifies to the search for psychological compensation by the descendants. After all, Catherine violated one of the oldest social hierarchies - the superiority of men over women.

For the sake of the goal - to rule the country - Catherine without regrets overcame a lot of givens: both her German origin, and confessional affiliation, and the notorious weakness of the female sex, and the monarchical principle of inheritance, which they dared to remind her of almost in person. In a word, Catherine decisively went beyond the limits of those constants in which her environment tried to put, and with all her successes she proved that "happiness is not as blind as it is imagined."

The craving for knowledge and the increase of experience did not kill the woman in her, in addition, until the last years, Catherine continued to behave actively and energetically. Even in her youth, the future empress wrote in her diary: "It is necessary to create yourself, your character." She brilliantly coped with this task, putting knowledge, determination and self-control at the basis of her life trajectory. She was often compared and continues to be compared with Peter I, but if he, in order to "Europeanize" the country, made violent changes to the Russian way of life, then she meekly finished what her idol had begun. One of his contemporaries figuratively described the essence of Catherine's reign as follows: "Peter the Great created people in Russia, but Catherine II put her soul into them."

text Marina Kvash
Source tmnWoman #2/4 | autumn | 2014

Catherine II.F.Rokotov

Facts about the life and reign of one of the most powerful, glorious and controversial monarchs of the Russian Empire, Empress Catherine II

1. During the reign of Catherine the Great 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.

Palace embankment

Access to Chernoy has been conquered and Seas of Azov, annexed Crimea, Ukraine (except for the region of Lvov), Belarus, Eastern Poland, Kabarda. 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.

F. Rokotov

2. 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.



3. 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.



4. After dinner, the empress took up needlework, while Ivan Ivanovich Betskoy read aloud to her at that time. Ekaterina "masterfully 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.



View of the Winter Palace

5. 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.



D. Levitsky

6. By her own admission, she did not have a creative mind, but she wrote plays, and even sent some of them to "review" Voltaire.



7. 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.

8. People who knew Catherine closely note her attractive appearance not only in her youth, but also in her mature years, her exceptionally friendly appearance, 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: "very attractive woman with lovely expressive eyes and intelligent eyes"



View of the Fontanka

9. 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 it from the first time and did not use any art and embellishment for this."

I. Fayzullin. Ekaterina's visit to Kazan

10. 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 aloud, and to scold on the sly."

Oath of the Izmailovsky Regiment to Catherine II

11. 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 frame of mind, 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."



scepter

12. 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.

Johann the Elder Lampi

13. 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.



Coronation of Catherine II

14. The Empress read and wrote in German, French and Russian, but made many mistakes. Catherine 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".



15. Long before her death, Catherine composed an epitaph for her future tombstone: “Here lies Catherine the Second. 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 prompted 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. Work was given to her easily. She liked social entertainment and the arts. "

Gallery of portraits of Empress Catherine II the Great



Artist Antoine Pen. Christian August of Anhalt-Zerbst, father of Catherine II

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.



Artist Antoine Pen. Johanna Elisabeth of Anhalt of Zerbst, mother of Catherine II

Mother - Johanna Elizabeth, from the Gottorp ruling house, was the cousin of the future Peter III. The family tree of Johann Elisabeth goes back to Christian I, King of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, the first Duke of Schleswig-Holstein and the founder of the Oldenburg dynasty.



Grotto Georg-Christoph (Grooth, Groot).1748






shetty castle

Georg Groth



Grotto. PORTRAIT OF GRAND DUKE PETER FYODOROVICH AND GRAND DUCHESS EKATERINA ALEXEEVNA. 1760s.



Pietro Antonio Rotari.1760,1761




V. Eriksen. Equestrian portrait of Catherine the Great

Eriksen, Vigilius.1762

I. P. Argunov Portrait Grand Duchess Ekaterina Alekseevna.1762



Eriksen.Catherine II at the mirror.1762



Ivan Argunov.1762



V.Eriksen.1782

Eriksen.1779



Eriksen.Catherine II at the mirror.1779



Eriksen.1780


Lampi Johann-Batis.1794



R. Brompton. 1782



D.Levitsky.1782

P.D. Levitsky. Portrait of Catherine II .1783

Alexey Antropov

Portrait of Empress Catherine II in a traveling suit.SHIBANOV Mikhail. 1780

V.Borovikovsky.Catherine IIfor a walk in Tsarskoye Selo park.1794

Borovikovsky Vladimir Lukich.Portrait of Catherine II

Favorites of Catherine II

Grigory Potemkin

Perhaps the most important among the favorites, who did not lose his influence even after Catherine began to pay attention to others. He deserved the attention of the empress even during the palace coup. She singled him out among other employees of the horse guards regiment, he immediately became a chamber junker at court with a corresponding salary and a gift in the form of 400 peasant souls.Grigory Potemkin is one of the few lovers of Catherine II, who not only pleased her personally, but also did a lot of good for the country. Not only the “Potemkin villages” were built by him. It was thanks to Potemkin that the active development of Novorossia and the Crimea began. Although his actions were partly the reason for the start of the Russian-Turkish war, it ended with another victory for Russian weapons. In 1776, Potemkin ceases to be a favorite, but remains a man whose advice Catherine II listened to until his death. Including, in the choice of new favorites.

Grigory Potemkin and Elizaveta Temkina, daughter of the Most Serene Prince and Russian Empress

J. de Velli. Portrait of Counts G. G. and A. G. Orlovs

Grigory Orlov

Grigory Orlov grew up in Moscow, but exemplary service, distinction in the Seven Years' War contributed to his transfer to the capital, St. Petersburg. There he received the fame of a swashbuckler and "Don Juan". Tall, stately, handsome - the young wife of the future emperor, Ekaterina Alekseevna, simply could not help but pay attention to him.His appointment as treasurer of the Office of the Main Artillery and Fortification allowed Catherine to use public money to organize a palace coup.Although he was not big statesman, sometimes he fulfilled the delicate requests of the Empress herself. So, according to one version, together with his brother Orlov, he killed the lawful husband of Catherine II, the deposed Emperor Peter III.

Stanislav August Poniatowski

Known for his graceful manners, the Polish aristocrat of an ancient family, Stanislaw August Poniatowski, first met Catherine in 1756. He lived in London for many years and ended up in St. Petersburg as part of the British diplomatic mission. Poniatowski was not an official favorite, but he was still considered the lover of the Empress, which gave him weight in society. With the ardent support of Catherine II, Poniatowski became the king of Poland. It is possible that recognized by Peter III Grand Duchess Anna Petrovna is actually the daughter of Catherine and a handsome Polish man. Peter III complained: “God knows where my wife gets pregnant from; I don’t know for sure whether this child is mine and whether I should recognize him as mine. ”

Petr Zavadovsky

This time, Catherine was attracted by Zavadovsky, a representative of a well-known Cossack family. He was brought to court by Count Pyotr Rumyantsev, a favorite of another empress, Elizaveta Petrovna. A charming man with a pleasant character, Catherine II was once again struck to the very heart. In addition, she found him "quieter and more peaceful" than Potemkin.In 1775 he was appointed cabinet secretary. Zavadovsky received the rank of major general, 4 thousand peasant souls. He even settled in the palace. Such an approach to the empress alarmed Potemkin, and as a result of palace intrigues, Zavadovsky was removed - he left for his estate. Despite this, he remained faithful to her and passionately loved for a long time, marrying only 10 years later. In 1780, he was recalled by the empress back to St. Petersburg, where he held high administrative positions, including becoming the first minister of public education.

Platon Zubov

Platon Zubov began his journey to Catherine with a service in the Semyonovsky regiment. Enjoyed the patronage of Count Nikolai Saltykov, educator of the grandchildren of the Empress. Zubov began to command the horse guards, who went to Tsarskoe Selo to carry guards. On June 21, 1789, with the help of the lady of state Anna Naryshkina, he received an audience with Catherine II and since then spent almost every evening with her. Just a few days later he was promoted to colonel and settled in the palace. At court, he was coldly received, but Catherine II was crazy about him. After the death of Potemkin, Zubov plays an increasingly important role, and Catherine did not have time to be disappointed in him - she died in 1796. Thus, he became the last favorite of the Empress. Later, he will take an active part in a conspiracy against Emperor Paul I, as a result of which he was killed, and Zubov's friend Alexander I became the head of state. Guglielmi, Gregorio. Apotheosis of the reign of Catherine II .1767

She was German by nationality. However, history recognizes this woman as one of the greatest Russian leaders, and deservedly so. The biography of Catherine 2 was very rich: her life made a lot of sharp turns and contained many bright, interesting and very important events for Russian history. It is not surprising that many books have been written about the fate of this outstanding woman and a large number of films have been shot.

Princess Fike

At birth, her name was Sophia-Frederick-August of Anhalt-Zerbst (1729-1796), she was the daughter of Prince Christian of Anhalt-Zerbst, who was in the Prussian service. At home, the girl was called Fike (a kind of diminutive of Frederick), she was inquisitive, willingly studied, but showed a penchant for boyish games.

A poor and not very noble girl was chosen as a bride for the heir to the Russian throne only for the reason that Empress Elizaveta Petrovna was once the bride of her uncle. Peter Fedorovich, the nephew of Elizabeth (the future Peter 3) and Sophia-Frederica were married in 1745. Before that, the bride converted to Orthodoxy and was baptized in the name of Ekaterina Alekseevna.

Peter was forced to marry Catherine by force, and he immediately took a dislike to his wife. The marriage was extremely unsuccessful - the husband not only neglected his wife, but also clearly mocked and humiliated her. Empress Elizabeth immediately after birth took away her son from Catherine, as a result of which the relationship between mother and son also did not work out. Of all the relatives, she got along only with her grandchildren, Alexander and Konstantin.

Probably, an unsuccessful marriage led Catherine 2 to a free way of personal life. She had lovers (almost openly) during her husband's lifetime. Among them all sorts came across, but it is noteworthy that among the favorites of Catherine there were many really prominent people. Such a way of life among the monarchs of that time, deprived of the opportunity to choose a life partner according to their inclination, was not something special.

coup d'état

After the death of Elizabeth (January 1762, according to a new style), Catherine was not unreasonably afraid for her life - she only interfered with the new sovereign. But
Many influential nobles were also dissatisfied with Peter 3. They united around the empress, and on July 9 (June 28, old style) of the same year, a coup d'état took place.

Peter abdicated, and soon died (the murder is not proven, but more than likely, it just had to be planned). Relying on the support of her supporters, Catherine was crowned, and did not become regent under her son Paul.

Catherine the Great

The period of Catherine's reign was then called the "golden age". This is inaccurate, but the empress really did a lot for the country.

The territory of the state increased significantly - the lands of modern Southern and Central Ukraine, part of Poland, Finland, and Crimea were annexed. Russia won three wars with Turkey.

Catherine 2 reformed the government system: she carried out a provincial reform, changed the powers of the Senate, transferred church property under public administration. Corruption remained a big problem, but during the time of Catherine II, dignitaries still worked more than took bribes. The empress herself happened to appoint incapable people to high positions (out of personal sympathy or at the request of someone close to her), but this did not happen regularly.

Elevated to the throne by the nobility, Catherine involuntarily became a hostage to this class. Her nobility was in the first place:

• in favor of the landlords, she distributed more than 800 thousand state peasants;
• noble dignitaries received grants of tens of thousands of acres of land;
• The "Letter of Letters to the Nobility" of 1785 endowed the nobles with a host of additional privileges and, in fact, allowed them not to serve the state.

But at the same time, the Empress did not forget other estates - in the same year, the “Charter to Cities” appeared.

Catherine II was known as an enlightened monarch. This is true with a stretch - its absolutism and serfdom do not quite correspond to the idea of ​​the Enlightenment. But she was engaged in literary activities, patronized publishers, D. Diderot was her librarian for some time, the Academy of Sciences and the Smolny Institute were created during her reign, she introduced smallpox inoculation in the country.

But the empress was not a good mother. Any speech was suppressed mercilessly. Catherine severely suppressed the uprising, liquidated the Zaporozhian Sich, and the publicist Radishchev quickly ended up behind bars for criticizing the Russian system.

Skillful personnel officer

The main thing is that Catherine 2 knew how to choose people. She was powerful, strong, authoritarian. But her closest assistants always felt how much she reckoned with their opinion. It is not surprising that the Catherine era gave the country such outstanding figures as G. Orlov, G. Potemkin (Tauride), A. Suvorov, E. Dashkova.

The Empress died of a hypertensive crisis in November 1796. Fate - the blow happened in the restroom (this is not uncommon for hypertensive patients), where the throne of the Commonwealth was adapted as a toilet bowl. Catherine was an active destroyer of this state ...

Reign of Catherine the Great

Catherine II, who ruled the country for more than thirty years, was an educated, intelligent, businesslike, energetic, ambitious woman. While on the throne, she repeatedly declared that she was the successor of Peter I. She managed to concentrate all the legislative and most of the executive power in her hands. Her first reform was the reform of the Senate, which limited its functions in government. She carried out the seizure of church lands, which deprived the church of economic power. A colossal number of monastic peasants were transferred to the state, thanks to which the treasury of Russia was replenished. The reign of Catherine II left a noticeable mark in Russian history. As in many other European states, Russia during the reign of Catherine II was characterized by a policy of "enlightened absolutism", which assumed a wise ruler, patron of art, benefactor of all science. Catherine tried to conform to this model and even corresponded with the French enlighteners, preferring Voltaire and Diderot. However, this did not prevent her from pursuing a policy of strengthening serfdom. And yet, the manifestation of the policy of "enlightened absolutism" was the creation and activities of the commission to draw up a new legislative code of Russia instead of the obsolete Cathedral Code of 1649. Representatives of various segments of the population were involved in the work of this commission: nobles, townspeople, Cossacks and state peasants. The documents of the commission fixed the class rights and privileges of various segments of the population of Russia. However, the commission was soon dissolved. The empress found out the mentality of the class groups and made a bet on the nobility. The goal was one - to strengthen state power in the field. From the beginning of the 1980s, a period of reforms began. The main directions were the following provisions: decentralization of management and increasing the role of the local nobility, almost doubling the number of provinces, strict subordination of all local authorities, etc. The system of law enforcement agencies was also reformed. Political functions were transferred to the zemstvo court elected by the noble assembly, headed by the zemstvo police officer, and in county towns - by the mayor. A whole system of courts, dependent on the administration, arose in the counties and provinces. The partial election of officials in the provinces and districts by the forces of the nobility was also introduced. These reforms created a fairly perfect system of local government and strengthened the relationship between the nobility and the autocracy. The position of the nobility was further strengthened after the appearance of the "Charter on the rights, liberties and advantages of the noble nobility", signed in 1785. In accordance with this document, the nobles were exempted from compulsory service, corporal punishment, and could also lose their rights and property only by the verdict of the noble court approved by the empress. Simultaneously with the Letter of Complaint to the Nobility, the “Charter for Rights and Benefits to the Cities of the Russian Empire” appeared. In accordance with it, the townspeople were divided into categories with different rights and obligations. A city duma was formed, dealing with issues of urban economy, but under the control of the administration. All these acts further consolidated the class-corporate division of society and strengthened autocratic power.

Uprising E.I. Pugacheva

The tightening of exploitation and serfdom in Russia during the reign of Catherine II led to the fact that in the 60-70s a wave of anti-feudal actions of peasants, Cossacks, ascribed and working people swept through the country. They acquired the greatest scope in the 70s, and the most powerful of them entered the history of Russia under the name of the peasant war led by E. Pugachev. In 1771, unrest swept the lands of the Yaik Cossacks, who lived along the Yaik River (modern Ural). The government began to introduce military orders in the Cossack regiments and to limit the Cossack self-government. The unrest of the Cossacks was suppressed, but hatred was ripening among them, which spilled out in January 1772 as a result of the activities of the commission of inquiry that examined the complaints. This explosive region was chosen by Pugachev for organizing and campaigning against the authorities. In 1773, Pugachev escaped from the Kazan prison and headed east, to the Yaik River, where he proclaimed himself Emperor Peter III, allegedly saved from death. The "Manifesto" of Peter III, in which Pugachev granted land, hayfields, and money to the Cossacks, attracted a significant part of the discontented Cossacks to him. From that moment began the first stage of the war. After a bad luck near Yaitsky town with a small detachment of surviving supporters, he moved to Orenburg. The city was besieged by the rebels. The government brought troops to Orenburg, which inflicted a severe defeat on the rebels. Pugachev, who retreated to Samara, was soon defeated again and fled to the Urals with a small detachment. In April-June 1774, the second stage of the peasant war fell. After a series of battles, detachments of the rebels moved to Kazan. In early July, the Pugachevites captured Kazan, but they could not resist the approaching regular army. Pugachev with a small detachment crossed to the right bank of the Volga and began a retreat to the south. It was from this moment that the war reached its highest scope and acquired a pronounced anti-serfdom character. It covered the entire Volga region and threatened to spread to the central regions of the country. Selected army units were advanced against Pugachev. The spontaneity and locality characteristic of the peasant wars made it easier to fight the rebels. Under the blows of government troops, Pugachev retreated to the south, trying to break through to the Cossack regions of the Don and Yaik. Near Tsaritsyn, his detachments were defeated, and on the way to Yaik, Pugachev himself was captured and handed over to the authorities by wealthy Cossacks. In 1775 he was executed in Moscow. The reasons for the defeat of the peasant war were its tsarist character and naive monarchism, spontaneity, locality, poor armament, disunity. In addition, various categories of the population participated in this movement, each of which sought to achieve its own goals.

Foreign policy under Catherine II

Empress Catherine II pursued an active and very successful foreign policy, which can be divided into three areas. The first foreign policy task that her government set for itself was to seek access to the Black Sea in order, firstly, to secure the southern regions of the country from the threat from Turkey and the Crimean Khanate, and secondly, to expand opportunities for trade and, consequently, , to increase the marketability of agriculture. In order to fulfill the task, Russia fought twice with Turkey: the Russian-Turkish wars of 1768-1774. and 1787-1791. In 1768, Turkey, incited by France and Austria, who were very concerned about the strengthening of Russia's positions in the Balkans and Poland, declared war on Russia. During this war, Russian troops under the command of P.A. Rumyantsev won brilliant victories in 1770 over superior enemy forces near the Larga and Cahul rivers, and the Russian fleet under the command of F.F. Ushakov in the same year twice inflicted a major defeat on the Turkish fleet in the Chios Strait and Chesma Bay. The advance of Rumyantsev's troops in the Balkans forced Turkey to admit defeat. In 1774, the Kyuchuk-Kaynarji peace treaty was signed, according to which Russia received lands between the Bug and the Dnieper, the fortresses of Azov, Kerch, Yenikale and Kinburn, Turkey recognized the independence of the Crimean Khanate; The Black Sea and its straits were open to Russian merchant ships. In 1783, the Crimean Khan Shagin Giray resigned his power, and the Crimea was annexed to Russia. The lands of the Kuban also became part of the Russian state. In the same 1783, the Georgian king Erekle II recognized the protectorate of Russia over Georgia. All these events exacerbated the already difficult relations between Russia and Turkey and led to a new Russian-Turkish war. In a number of battles, Russian troops under the command of A.V. Suvorov again showed their superiority: in 1787 at Kinburn, in 1788 during the capture of Ochakov, in 1789 near the Rymnik River and near Focsany, and in 1790 it was taken impregnable fortress of Izmail. The Russian fleet under the command of Ushakov also won a number of victories over the Turkish fleet in the Kerch Strait, near the island of Tendra, at Kali Akria. Turkey again admitted its defeat. According to the Yassy peace treaty of 1791, the annexation of the Crimea and Kuban to Russia was confirmed, the border between Russia and Turkey along the Dniester was established. The Ochakov fortress retreated to Russia, Turkey abandoned its claims to Georgia. The second foreign policy task - the reunification of Ukrainian and Belarusian lands - was carried out as a result of the division of the Commonwealth by Austria, Prussia and Russia. These sections took place in 1772, 1793, 1795. The Commonwealth ceased to exist as an independent state. Russia regained all of Belarus, the right-bank Ukraine, and also received Courland and Lithuania. The third task was the fight against revolutionary France. The government of Catherine II took a sharply hostile stance towards the events in France. At first, Catherine II did not dare to openly intervene, but the execution of Louis XVI (January 21, 1793) caused a final break with France, which the Empress announced by a special decree. The Russian government provided assistance to French emigrants, and in 1793 concluded agreements with Prussia and England on joint actions against France. The 60,000th corps of Suvorov was preparing for the campaign, the Russian fleet participated in the naval blockade of France. However, Catherine II was no longer destined to solve this problem.