Empress of All Russia (June 28, 1762 - November 6, 1796). Her reign is one of the most remarkable in Russian history; and dark and bright sides he had a tremendous influence on subsequent events, especially on the mental and cultural development of the country. The wife of Peter III, nee Princess of Anhalt-Zerbt (born April 24, 1729), was naturally gifted with a great mind, strong character; on the contrary, her husband was a weak man, poorly brought up. Not sharing his pleasures, Catherine devoted herself to reading and soon moved from novels to historical and philosophical books. A select circle formed around her, in which the greatest confidence Catherine was used first by Saltykov, and then by Stanislav Poniatovsky, later the King of Poland. Her relationship with Empress Elizabeth was not particularly cordial: when Catherine’s son, Paul, was born, the Empress took the child to her place and rarely allowed the mother to see him. Elizabeth died on December 25, 1761; with the accession of Peter III to the throne, Catherine’s position became even worse. The coup of June 28, 1762 elevated Catherine to the throne (see Peter III). The harsh school of life and enormous natural intelligence helped Catherine herself to emerge from a very predicament, and take Russia out of it. The treasury was empty; the monopoly crushed trade and industry; factory peasants and serfs were worried about rumors of freedom, which were renewed every now and then; peasants from the western border fled to Poland. Under such circumstances, Catherine ascended the throne, the rights to which belonged to her son. But she understood that this son would become a plaything on the throne, like Peter II. The regency was a fragile affair. The fate of Menshikov, Biron, Anna Leopoldovna was in everyone’s memory.
Catherine's penetrating gaze stopped equally attentively on the phenomena of life both at home and abroad. Having learned, two months after her accession to the throne, that the famous French Encyclopedia had been condemned by the Parisian parliament for atheism and its continuation was prohibited, Catherine invited Voltaire and Diderot to publish the encyclopedia in Riga. This proposal alone won the favor of Catherine. the best minds, which then gave direction to public opinion throughout Europe. In the fall of 1762, Catherine was crowned and spent the winter in Moscow. In the summer of 1764, Second Lieutenant Mirovich decided to elevate to the throne Ioann Antonovich, the son of Anna Leopoldovna and Anton Ulrich of Brunswick, who was kept in the Shlisselburg fortress. The plan failed - Ivan Antonovich, during an attempt to free him, was shot by one of the guard soldiers; Mirovich was executed by court verdict. In 1764, Prince Vyazemsky, sent to pacify the peasants assigned to the factories, was ordered to investigate the question of the benefits of free labor over hired labor. The same question was proposed to the newly established Economic Society (see Volnoe economic society and Serfdom). First of all, the issue of the monastery peasants, which had become especially acute even under Elizabeth, had to be resolved. At the beginning of her reign, Elizabeth returned the estates to monasteries and churches, but in 1757 she, along with the dignitaries around her, came to the conviction of the need to transfer the management of church property to secular hands. Peter III ordered that Elizabeth's instructions be fulfilled and the management of church property be transferred to the board of economy. Inventories of monastery property were carried out, under Peter III, extremely roughly. When Catherine II ascended the throne, the bishops filed complaints with her and asked for the return of control of church property to them. Catherine, on the advice of Bestuzhev-Ryumin, satisfied their desire, abolished the board of economy, but did not abandon her intention, but only postponed its execution; She then ordered that the 1757 commission resume its studies. It was ordered to make new inventories of monastic and church property; but the clergy was also dissatisfied with the new inventories; The Rostov Metropolitan Arseny Matseevich especially rebelled against them. In his report to the synod, he expressed himself harshly, arbitrarily interpreting church historical facts, even distorting them and making comparisons offensive to Catherine. The Synod presented the matter to the Empress, in the hope (as Solovyov thinks) that Catherine II this time will show her usual gentleness. The hope was not justified: Arseny's report caused such irritation in Catherine, which had not been noticed in her either before or since. She could not forgive Arseny for comparing her with Julian and Judas and the desire to make her out to be a violator of her word. Arseny was sentenced to exile to the Arkhangelsk diocese, to the Nikolaev Korelsky Monastery, and then, as a result of new accusations, to deprivation of the monastic dignity and lifelong imprisonment in Revel (see Arseny Matseevich). The following incident from the beginning of her reign is typical for Catherine II. The matter of allowing Jews to enter Russia was reported. Catherine said that to begin her reign with a decree on the free entry of Jews would be a bad way to calm minds; It is impossible to recognize entry as harmful. Then Senator Prince Odoevsky suggested looking at what Empress Elizabeth wrote in the margins of the same report. Catherine demanded a report and read: “I do not want selfish profit from the enemies of Christ.” Turning to the prosecutor general, she said: “I wish this case to be postponed.”
The increase in the number of serfs through huge distributions to the favorites and dignitaries of the populated estates, the establishment of serfdom in Little Russia, completely remains a dark stain on the memory of Catherine II. One should not, however, lose sight of the fact that the underdevelopment of Russian society at that time was evident at every step. So, when Catherine II decided to abolish torture and proposed this measure to the Senate, senators expressed concern that if torture was abolished, no one, going to bed, would be sure whether he would get up alive in the morning. Therefore, Catherine, without abolishing torture publicly, sent out a secret order that in cases where torture was used, judges would base their actions on Chapter X of the Order, in which torture is condemned as a cruel and extremely stupid thing. At the beginning of the reign of Catherine II, an attempt was renewed to create an institution resembling the supreme privy council or the Cabinet that replaced it, in a new form, under the name permanent council empress. The author of the project was Count Panin. Feldzeichmeister General Villebois wrote to the Empress: “I don’t know who the drafter of this project is, but it seems to me as if, under the guise of protecting the monarchy, he is subtly leaning more towards aristocratic rule.” Villebois was right; but Catherine II herself understood the oligarchic nature of the project. She signed it, but kept it under wraps and it was never made public. Thus Panin's idea of a council of six permanent members remained just a dream; Catherine II's private council always consisted of rotating members. Knowing how the transition of Peter III to the side of Prussia irritated public opinion, Catherine ordered the Russian generals to maintain neutrality and thereby contributed to ending the war (see. Seven Years' War). The internal affairs of the state required special attention: what was most striking was the lack of justice. Catherine II expressed herself energetically on this matter: “extortion has increased to such an extent that there is hardly the smallest place in the government in which a court would be held without infecting this ulcer; if anyone is looking for a place, he pays; if anyone is defending himself from slander, he defends himself with money; Whether anyone slanderes anyone, he backs up all his cunning machinations with gifts.” Catherine was especially amazed when she learned that within the current Novgorod province they took money from peasants for swearing allegiance to her. This state of justice forced Catherine II to convene a commission in 1766 to publish the Code. Catherine II handed this commission an Order, which it was to be guided by when drawing up the Code. The mandate was drawn up based on the ideas of Montesquieu and Beccaria (see Mandate [ Big] and the Commission of 1766). Polish affairs, the first Turkish war that arose from them, and internal unrest suspended the legislative activity of Catherine II until 1775. Polish affairs caused the divisions and fall of Poland: under the first partition of 1773, Russia received the current provinces of Mogilev, Vitebsk, part of Minsk, i.e. most Belarus (see Poland). The first Turkish war began in 1768 and ended in peace in Kucuk-Kaynarji, which was ratified in 1775. According to this peace, the Porte recognized the independence of the Crimean and Budzhak Tatars; ceded Azov, Kerch, Yenikale and Kinburn to Russia; opened free passage for Russian ships from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean; granted forgiveness to Christians who took part in the war; allowed Russia's petition in Moldovan cases. During the first Turkish war, a plague raged in Moscow, causing a plague riot; In eastern Russia, an even more dangerous rebellion broke out, known as the Pugachevshchina. In 1770, the plague from the army entered Little Russia; in the spring of 1771 it appeared in Moscow; the commander-in-chief (currently the governor-general) Count Saltykov left the city to the mercy of fate. Retired General Eropkin voluntarily took on the difficult responsibility of maintaining order and preventive measures weaken the plague. The townsfolk did not follow his instructions and not only did not burn the clothes and linen of those who died of the plague, but they hid their very death and buried them in the outskirts. The plague intensified: in the early summer of 1771, 400 people died every day. The people crowded in horror at the Barbarian Gate, in front of the miraculous icon. The infection from crowding of people, of course, intensified. The then Moscow Archbishop Ambrose (q.v.), an enlightened man, ordered the icon to be removed. A rumor immediately spread that the bishop, together with the doctors, had conspired to kill the people. The ignorant and fanatical crowd, mad with fear, killed the worthy archpastor. Rumors spread that the rebels were preparing to set fire to Moscow and exterminate doctors and nobles. Eropkin, with several companies, managed, however, to restore calm. In the last days of September, Count Grigory Orlov, then the closest person to Catherine, arrived in Moscow: but at this time the plague was already weakening and stopped in October. This plague killed 130,000 people in Moscow alone.
The Pugachev rebellion was started by the Yaik Cossacks, dissatisfied with the changes in their Cossack life. In 1773 Don Cossack Emelyan Pugachev (q.v.) took the name of Peter III and raised the banner of rebellion. Catherine II entrusted the pacification of the rebellion to Bibikov, who immediately understood the essence of the matter; It’s not Pugachev that’s important, he said, it’s the general displeasure that’s important. The Yaik Cossacks and the rebellious peasants were joined by the Bashkirs, Kalmyks, and Kyrgyz. Bibikov, giving orders from Kazan, moved detachments from all sides to more dangerous places; Prince Golitsyn liberated Orenburg, Mikhelson - Ufa, Mansurov - Yaitsky town. At the beginning of 1774, the rebellion began to subside, but Bibikov died of exhaustion, and the rebellion flared up again: Pugachev captured Kazan and moved to the right bank of the Volga. Bibikov's place was taken by Count P. Panin, but did not replace him. Mikhelson defeated Pugachev near Arzamas and blocked his path to Moscow. Pugachev rushed to the south, took Penza, Petrovsk, Saratov and hanged nobles everywhere. From Saratov he moved to Tsaritsyn, but was repulsed and at Cherny Yar was again defeated by Mikhelson. When Suvorov arrived to the army, the impostor barely held on and was soon betrayed by his accomplices. In January 1775, Pugachev was executed in Moscow (see Pugachevshchina). Since 1775, the legislative activity of Catherine II resumed, which, however, had not stopped before. Thus, in 1768, the commercial and noble banks were abolished and the so-called assignat or change bank was established (see Assignations). In 1775 it ceased to exist Zaporozhye Sich, already tending to fall. In the same 1775, the transformation of provincial government began. An institution was published for the management of provinces, which was introduced for twenty whole years: in 1775 it began with the Tver province and ended in 1796 with the establishment of the Vilna province (see Governorate). Thus, the reform of provincial government, begun by Peter the Great, was brought out of a chaotic state by Catherine II and completed by her. In 1776, Catherine ordered the word in petitions slave replace with the word loyal. Towards the end of the first Turkish war, Potemkin, who strove for great things, became especially important. Together with his collaborator, Bezborodko, he compiled a project known as the Greek one. The grandeur of this project - by destroying the Ottoman Porte, restoring the Greek Empire, to the throne of which Konstantin Pavlovich would be installed - pleased E. An opponent of Potemkin's influence and plans, Count N. Panin, tutor of Tsarevich Paul and president of the College of Foreign Affairs, in order to distract Catherine II from the Greek project , presented her with a project of armed neutrality in 1780. Armed neutrality (q.v.) was intended to provide protection to the trade of neutral states during the war and was directed against England, which was unfavorable for Potemkin’s plans. Pursuing his broad and useless plan for Russia, Potemkin prepared an extremely useful and necessary thing for Russia - the annexation of Crimea. In Crimea, since the recognition of its independence, two parties were worried - Russian and Turkish. Their struggle gave rise to the occupation of Crimea and the Kuban region. The Manifesto of 1783 announced the annexation of Crimea and the Kuban region to Russia. The last Khan Shagin-Girey was sent to Voronezh; Crimea was renamed the Tauride province; Crimean raids stopped. It is believed that as a result of the raids of the Crimeans, Great and Little Russia and part of Poland, from the 15th century. until 1788, it lost from 3 to 4 million of its population: captives were turned into slaves, captives filled harems or became, like slaves, in the ranks of female servants. In Constantinople, the Mamelukes had Russian nurses and nannies. In the XVI, XVII and even in the XVIII centuries. Venice and France used shackled Russian slaves purchased in the markets of the Levant as galley laborers. The pious Louis XIV tried only to ensure that these slaves did not remain schismatics. The annexation of Crimea put an end to the shameful trade in Russian slaves (see V. Lamansky in " Historical Bulletin"for 1880: "The Power of the Turks in Europe"). Following this, Irakli II, the king of Georgia, recognized the protectorate of Russia. The year 1785 was marked by two important legislative acts: Certificate of merit nobility(see nobility) and City regulations(see City). The charter on public schools on August 15, 1786 was implemented only on a small scale. Projects to found universities in Pskov, Chernigov, Penza and Yekaterinoslav were postponed. In 1783, the Russian Academy was founded to study native language. The founding of the institutions marked the beginning of women's education. Orphanages were established, smallpox vaccination was introduced, and the Pallas expedition was equipped to study the remote outskirts.
Potemkin's enemies interpreted, not understanding the importance of acquiring Crimea, that Crimea and Novorossiya were not worth the money spent on their establishment. Then Catherine II decided to explore the newly acquired region herself. Accompanied by the Austrian, English and French ambassadors, with a huge retinue, in 1787 she set off on a journey. The Archbishop of Mogilev, Georgy Konissky, met her in Mstislavl with a speech that was famous by her contemporaries as an example of eloquence. The whole character of the speech is determined by its beginning: “Let us leave it to the astronomers to prove that the Earth revolves around the Sun: our sun moves around us.” In Kanev, Stanislav Poniatovsky, King of Poland, met Catherine II; near Keidan - Emperor Joseph II. He and Catherine laid the first stone of the city of Ekaterinoslav, visited Kherson and examined the newly created one by Potemkin Black Sea Fleet. During the journey, Joseph noticed the theatricality in the situation, saw how people were hastily herded into villages that were supposedly under construction; but in Kherson he saw the real deal - and gave justice to Potemkin.
The Second Turkish War under Catherine II was fought in alliance with Joseph II, from 1787 to 1791. In 1791, on December 29, peace was concluded in Iasi. For all the victories, Russia received only Ochakov and the steppe between the Bug and the Dnieper (see Turkish wars and the Peace of Jassy). At the same time, there was, with varying success, a war with Sweden, declared by Gustav III in 1789 (see Sweden). It ended on August 3, 1790 with the Peace of Verel (see), based on the status quo. During the 2nd Turkish War, a coup took place in Poland: on May 3, 1791, a new constitution was promulgated, which led to the second partition of Poland, in 1793, and then to the third, in 1795 (see Poland). Under the second section, Russia received the rest of the Minsk province, Volyn and Podolia, and under the 3rd - the Grodno Voivodeship and Courland. In 1796, in the last year of the reign of Catherine II, Count Valerian Zubov, appointed commander-in-chief in the campaign against Persia, conquered Derbent and Baku; His successes were stopped by the death of Catherine.
The last years of the reign of Catherine II were darkened, from 1790, by a reactionary direction. Then it played out French revolution, and with our domestic reaction the pan-European, Jesuit-oligarchic reaction entered into an alliance. Her agent and instrument was Catherine’s last favorite, Prince Platon Zubov, together with his brother, Count Valerian. European reaction wanted to drag Russia into the struggle with revolutionary France - a struggle alien to the direct interests of Russia. Catherine II spoke kind words to the representatives of the reaction and did not give a single soldier. Then the undermining of the throne of Catherine II intensified, and accusations were renewed that she was illegally occupying the throne that belonged to Pavel Petrovich. There is reason to believe that in 1790 an attempt was being made to elevate Pavel Petrovich to the throne. This attempt was probably connected with the expulsion of Prince Frederick of Württemberg from St. Petersburg. The reaction at home then accused Catherine of allegedly being excessively free-thinking. The basis for the accusation was, among other things, permission to translate Voltaire and participation in the translation of Belisarius, Marmontel's story, which was found anti-religious, because it did not indicate the difference between Christian and pagan virtue. Catherine II grew old, there was almost no trace of her former courage and energy - and so, under such circumstances, in 1790 Radishchev’s book “Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow” appeared, with a project for the liberation of the peasants, as if written out from the published articles of her Order. The unfortunate Radishchev was punished by exile to Siberia. Perhaps this cruelty was the result of the fear that the exclusion of articles on the emancipation of peasants from the Order would be considered hypocrisy on the part of Catherine. In 1792, Novikov, who had served so much in Russian education, was imprisoned in Shlisselburg. The secret motive for this measure was Novikov’s relationship with Pavel Petrovich. In 1793, Knyazhnin suffered cruelly for his tragedy "Vadim". In 1795, even Derzhavin was suspected of being in a revolutionary direction, for his transcription of Psalm 81, entitled “To Rulers and Judges.” Thus ended the educational reign of Catherine the Second, which raised the national spirit, this great man(Catherine le grand). Despite the reaction of recent years, the name of educational activity will remain with him in history. From this reign in Russia they began to realize the importance of humane ideas, they began to talk about the right of man to think for the benefit of his own kind [We almost did not touch on the weaknesses of Catherine the Second, recalling the words of Renan: “serious history should not attach too much of great importance morals of sovereigns, if these morals did not have much influence on the general course of affairs." Under Catherine, Zubov’s influence was harmful, but only because he was an instrument of a harmful party.].
Literature. The works of Kolotov, Sumarokov, Lefort are panegyrics. Of the new ones, Brickner's work is more satisfactory. Bilbasov's very important work is not finished; Only one volume was published in Russian, two in German. S. M. Solovyov, in the XXIX volume of his history of Russia, focused on peace in Kuchuk-Kainardzhi. The foreign works of Rulière and Custer cannot be ignored only because of undeserved attention to them. Of the countless memoirs, Khrapovitsky’s memoirs are especially important ( best edition- N.P. Barsukova). See Waliszewski's newest work: "Le Roman d"une impératrice". Works by individual issues are indicated in the relevant articles. The publications of the Imperial Historical Society are extremely important.
E. Belov.
Gifted literary talent, receptive and sensitive to phenomena surrounding life Catherine II also took an active part in the literature of her time. The literary movement she excited was dedicated to the development of educational ideas of the 18th century. Thoughts on education, briefly outlined in one of the chapters of “Instruction,” were subsequently developed in detail by Catherine in allegorical tales: “About Tsarevich Chlor” (1781) and “About Tsarevich Fevey” (1782), and mainly in “Instructions to Prince N. Saltykov" given upon his appointment as tutor to the Grand Dukes Alexander and Konstantin Pavlovich (1784). Catherine mainly borrowed the pedagogical ideas expressed in these works from Montaigne and Locke: from the first she took general view for the purpose of education, she used the second when developing particulars. Guided by Montaigne, Catherine II put the moral element in first place in education - the rooting in the soul of humanity, justice, respect for laws, and condescension towards people. At the same time, she demanded that the mental and physical aspects of education be properly developed. Personally raising her grandchildren up to the age of seven, she compiled a whole educational library. Catherine also wrote “Notes on Russian History” for the Grand Dukes. In purely fictional works, which include magazine articles and dramatic works, Catherine II is much more original than in works of a pedagogical and legislative nature. Pointing out actual contradictions to the ideals that existed in society, her comedies and satirical articles were supposed to significantly contribute to the development public consciousness, making the importance and feasibility of the reforms it undertakes clearer.
The beginning of Catherine II's public literary activity dates back to 1769, when she became an active collaborator and inspirer of the satirical magazine "Everything and Everything" (see). The patronizing tone adopted by "Everything and Everything" in relation to other magazines, and the instability of its direction, soon armed almost all the magazines of that time against it; her main opponent was the bold and direct “Drone” of N. I. Novikov. The latter's harsh attacks on judges, governors and prosecutors greatly displeased "Everything"; It is impossible to say positively who conducted the polemics against “Drone” in this magazine, but it is reliably known that one of the articles directed against Novikov belonged to the empress herself. In the period from 1769 to 1783, when Catherine again acted as a journalist, she wrote five comedies, and between them her best plays: “About Time” and “Mrs. Vorchalkina’s Name Day.” The purely literary merits of Catherine's comedies are not high: they have little action, the intrigue is too simple, the denouement is monotonous. They are written in the spirit and model of French modern comedies, in which servants are more developed and intelligent than their masters. But at the same time, in Catherine’s comedies, purely Russian social vices are ridiculed and Russian types appear. Hypocrisy, superstition, bad education, the pursuit of fashion, blind imitation of the French - these are the themes that Catherine developed in her comedies. These themes had already been outlined earlier in our satirical magazines of 1769 and, by the way, “Everything and Everything”; but what was presented in magazines in the form of separate pictures, characteristics, sketches, in the comedies of Catherine II received a more complete and vivid image. The types of the stingy and heartless prude Khanzhakhina, the superstitious gossip Vestnikova in the comedy "About Time", the petimeter Firlyufyushkov and the projector Nekopeikov in the comedy "Mrs. Vorchalkina's Name Day" are among the most successful in Russian comic literature of the last century. Variations of these types are repeated in other comedies of Catherine.
By 1783, Catherine’s active participation in the “Interlocutor of Lovers” dates back to Russian word", published at the Academy of Sciences, edited by Princess E. R. Dashkova. Here Catherine II placed a number of satirical articles entitled under the general name "Fables and Fables." The initial purpose of these articles was, apparently, a satirical depiction of the weaknesses and funny sides of modern the empress of society, and the originals for such portraits were often taken by the empress from among those close to her. Soon, however, “There Were and Fables” began to serve as a reflection of the magazine life of “Interlocutor.” Catherine II was the unofficial editor of this magazine, as can be seen from her correspondence with; Dashkova, she read many of the articles sent for publication in the magazine in manuscript; some of these articles touched her to the quick: she entered into polemics with their authors, often making fun of them. For the reading public, Catherine’s participation in the magazine was not a secret; Articles of letters were often sent to the address of the author of Fables and Fables, in which rather transparent hints were made. The Empress tried, if possible, to maintain composure and not give away her incognito. only once, enraged by Fonvizin’s “impudent and reprehensible” questions, she so clearly expressed her irritation in “Facts and Fables” that Fonvizin considered it necessary to rush with a letter of repentance. In addition to “Facts and Fables,” the empress placed in “Interlocutor” several small polemical and satirical articles, mostly ridiculing the pompous writings of random collaborators of “Interlocutor” - Lyuboslov and Count S.P. Rumyantsev. One of these articles (“The Society of the Unknowing, a daily note”), in which Princess Dashkova saw a parody of the meetings of the then newly founded, in her opinion, Russian Academy, served as the reason for the termination of Catherine’s participation in the magazine. In subsequent years (1785-1790), Catherine wrote 13 plays, not counting dramatic proverbs in French, intended for the Hermitage theater.
The Masons have long attracted the attention of Catherine II. If you believe her words, she took the trouble to familiarize herself in detail with the vast Masonic literature, but did not find anything in Freemasonry other than “stupidity.” Stay in St. Petersburg. (in 1780) Cagliostro, whom she described as a scoundrel worthy of the gallows, armed her even more against the Freemasons. Receiving alarming news about the increasingly increasing influence of Moscow Masonic circles, seeing among her entourage many followers and defenders of the Masonic teaching, the Empress decided to fight this “folly” with literary weapons, and within two years (1785-86) she wrote one the other, three comedies ("The Deceiver", "The Seduced" and "The Siberian Shaman"), in which Freemasonry was ridiculed. Only in the comedy "The Seduced" are there, however, life traits reminiscent of the Moscow Freemasons. "The Deceiver" is directed against Cagliostro. In “The Shaman of Siberia,” Catherine II, obviously unfamiliar with the essence of Masonic teaching, did not think to bring it on the same level with shamanic tricks. There is no doubt that Catherine's satire had no effect long action: Freemasonry continued to develop, and in order to deal a decisive blow to it, the empress no longer resorted to meek methods of correction, as she called her satire, but to drastic and decisive administrative measures.
In all likelihood, Catherine’s acquaintance with Shakespeare, in French or German translations. She remade The Witches of Windsor for the Russian stage, but this rework turned out to be extremely weak and bears very little resemblance to the original Shakespeare. In imitation of his historical chronicles, she composed two plays from the life of the ancient Russian princes - Rurik and Oleg. The main significance of these “Historical Representations,” which are extremely weak in literary terms, lies in the political and moral ideas that Catherine puts into her mouth characters. Of course, these are not the ideas of Rurik or Oleg, but the thoughts of Catherine II herself. In comic operas, Catherine II did not pursue any serious goal: these were situational plays in which the main role was played by the musical and choreographic side. The empress took the plot for these operas, for the most part, from folk tales and epics known to her from handwritten collections. Only “The Woe-Bogatyr Kosometovich,” despite its fairy-tale character, contains an element of modernity: this opera showed the Swedish king Gustav III, who at that time opened hostile actions against Russia, in a comic light, and was removed from the repertoire immediately after the conclusion of peace with Sweden. Catherine's French plays, the so-called "proverbs" - small one-act plays, the plots of which were, for the most part, episodes from modern life. They do not have any special significance, repeating themes and types already introduced in other comedies of Catherine II. Catherine herself did not attach importance to her literary activities. “I look at my writings,” she wrote to Grimm, “as trifles. I love to do experiments in all kinds, but it seems to me that everything I wrote is rather mediocre, which is why, apart from entertainment, I did not attach any importance to it.”
Works of Catherine II published by A. Smirdin (St. Petersburg, 1849-50). Exclusively literary works Catherine II was published twice in 1893, edited by V. F. Solntsev and A. I. Vvedensky. Selected articles and monographs: P. Pekarsky, “Materials for the history of the journal and literary activities of Catherine II” (St. Petersburg, 1863); Dobrolyubov, st. about the “Interlocutor of lovers of the Russian word” (X, 825); "Works of Derzhavin", ed. J. Grota (St. Petersburg, 1873, vol. VIII, pp. 310-339); M. Longinov, “Dramatic works of Catherine II” (M., 1857); G. Gennadi, “More about the dramatic writings of Catherine II” (in “Biblical Zap.”, 1858, No. 16); P. K. Shchebalsky, “Catherine II as a Writer” (Zarya, 1869-70); his, “Dramatic and morally descriptive works of Empress Catherine II” (in “Russian Bulletin”, 1871, vol. XVIII, nos. 5 and 6); N. S. Tikhonravov, “Literary trifles of 1786.” (in the scientific and literary collection, published by "Russkie Vedomosti" - "Help to the Starving", M., 1892); E. S. Shumigorsky, “Essays from Russian history. I. Empress-publicist” (St. Petersburg, 1887); P. Bessonova, “On the influence of folk art on the dramas of Empress Catherine and on the integral Russian songs inserted here” (in the magazine “Zarya”, 1870); V. S. Lebedev, “Shakespeare in the adaptations of Catherine II” (in the Russian Bulletin) (1878, No. 3); N. Lavrovsky, “On the pedagogical significance of the works of Catherine the Great” (Kharkov, 1856); A. Brickner, “Comic Opera Catherine II "Woe-hero" ("J. M. N. Pr.", 1870, No. 12); A. Galakhov, "There were also Fables, the work of Catherine II" ("Notes of the Fatherland" 1856, No. 10).
V. Solntsev.
The life of the Russian Empress Catherine the Great, attracting the attention of both ordinary people and creative personalities for more than two centuries, surrounded big amount all kinds of myths. AiF.ru recalls the five most common legends about the most famous Russian ruler.
Myth one. “Catherine II gave birth to an heir to the throne not from Peter III”
One of the most persistent myths associated with the Russian Empress concerns who was the father of the heir to the throne, Pavel Petrovich. For Paul I, who ascended the throne, this topic remained painful until his very last days.
The reason for the persistence of such rumors is that Catherine II herself did not seek to refute them or somehow punish those who spread them.
The relationship between Catherine and her husband, the future Emperor Peter III, was indeed not very warm. The marital relationship in the early years was incomplete due to Peter's illness, which was subsequently overcome as a result of the operation.
Two years before Pavel was born, Catherine had her first favorite, Sergey Saltykov. The relationship between him and Catherine ended after the future empress showed signs of pregnancy. Subsequently, Saltykov was sent abroad as a Russian envoy, and practically did not appear in Russia.
There seem to be many reasons for the version of Saltykov’s paternity, but they all do not look convincing against the backdrop of the undoubted portrait similarity between Peter III and Paul I. Contemporaries, focusing not on rumors, but on facts, had no doubt that Pavel was the son of Peter Fedorovich.
Myth two. “Catherine II sold Alaska to America”
A persistent myth at the end of the 20th century was reinforced by the song of the group “Lube”, after which the empress’s status as “liquidator of Russian America” was finally established.
In reality, during the reign of Catherine the Great, Russian industrialists were just beginning to develop Alaska. The first permanent Russian settlement was founded on Kodiak Island in 1784.
The Empress was indeed unenthusiastic about the projects presented to her for the development of Alaska, but this was caused by who intended to develop it and how.
In 1780, secretary of the Commerce Collegium Mikhail Chulkov submitted to the Prosecutor General of the Senate, Prince Vyazemsky, a project for creating a company that was to receive a 30-year monopoly on fishing and trade in the entire Pacific North. Catherine II, who was an opponent of monopolies, rejected the project. In 1788, a similar project, which provided for the transfer of a trade and fishing monopoly of monopoly rights to the extraction of furs in newly discovered territories in the New World, was submitted by industrialists Grigory Shelikhov And Ivan Golikov. The project was also rejected. Only after the death of Catherine II, the development of Alaska by a monopoly company was approved by Paul I.
As for the sale of Alaska, the deal with the United States was concluded in March 1867 on the initiative of the great-grandson of Catherine the Great, Emperor Alexandra II.
Myth three. “Catherine II had hundreds of lovers”
Rumors about the incredible sexual exploits of the Russian Empress, which have been circulating for the third century, are greatly exaggerated. The list of her hobbies throughout her life contains just over 20 names - this, of course, is uncharacteristic for the Russian court of the pre-Catherine era, but for the morals of Europe at that time the situation was quite normal. With a small clarification - for male monarchs, not for women. But the whole point is that there were not so many women who ruled states single-handedly at that time.
Until 1772, Catherine’s love list was very short - in addition to her legal spouse Peter Fedorovich, it featured Sergey Saltykov, future Polish king Stanislav August Poniatowski And Grigory Orlov, the relationship with whom lasted about 12 years.
Apparently, 43-year-old Catherine was further influenced by the fear of her own beauty fading. In an effort to catch up with her youth, she began to change her favorites, who became younger and younger, and the duration of their stay with the empress became shorter and shorter.
The last of the favorites lasted for seven whole years. In 1789, 60-year-old Catherine approached a 22-year-old Horse Guardsman Platon Zubov. The aging woman was very attached to Zubov, whose only talent was extracting money from the state treasury. But this one sad story definitely has nothing to do with the mythical “hundreds of lovers.”
Myth four. “Catherine II spent most of her time at feasts and balls”
Little Fike's childhood was indeed far from the classical ideas of how a princess should live. The girl was even forced to learn how to darn her own stockings. It would not be surprising if, having arrived in Russia, Catherine rushed to compensate for her “difficult childhood” with a passion for luxury and entertainment.
But in fact, having ascended the throne, Catherine II lived in the strict rhythm of the head of state. She got up at 5 am, and only at later years this time has shifted to 7 am. Immediately after breakfast, the reception of officials began, and the schedule of their reports was clearly outlined by hours and days of the week, and this order did not change for years. The empress's working day lasted up to four hours, after which it was time to rest. At 10 p.m. Catherine went to bed, because in the morning she had to get up for work again.
Officials who visited the Empress official affairs outside of solemn and official events, they saw her in simple dresses without any jewelry - Catherine believed that she did not need weekdays to dazzle subjects with appearance.
Myth fifth. “Catherine II was killed by a Polish dwarf avenger”
The death of the empress was also surrounded by many myths. A year before her death, Catherine II was one of the initiators of the Third Partition of Poland, after which the country ceased to exist as a independent states. The Polish throne, on which he previously sat ex-lover Empress, King Stanisław August Poniatowski, was sent to St. Petersburg, where, on the orders of the Empress, they allegedly made a “toilet” for her dressing room.
Of course, Polish patriots could not endure such humiliation of their own country and the ancient throne of the Piast dynasty.
The myth says that a certain Pole-dwarf allegedly managed to sneak into Catherine’s chambers, ambushed her in the restroom, stabbed her with a dagger and disappeared safely. The courtiers who discovered the empress could not help her, and she soon died.
The only truth in this story is that Catherine was actually found in the restroom. On the morning of November 16, 1796, the 67-year-old empress, as usual, got out of bed, drank coffee and went to the toilet room, where she lingered for too long. The valet on duty dared to look there and found Catherine lying on the floor. Her eyes were closed, her complexion was purple, and wheezing came from her throat. The Empress was taken to the bedchamber. In the fall, Catherine sprained her leg, her body became so heavy that the servants did not have enough strength to lift him onto the bed. Therefore, they laid a mattress on the floor and laid the empress on it.
All signs indicated that Catherine had suffered an apoplexy - a term that then meant stroke and cerebral hemorrhage. She did not regain consciousness, and the court doctors who assisted her had no doubt that the empress had only a few hours left to live.
According to doctors, death should have occurred around three o'clock in the afternoon on November 17. Catherine’s strong body made its own adjustments here too - the great empress passed away at 9:45 pm on November 17, 1796.
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In the summer of 1742, Frederick 2 appointed him governor Stettin and granted the rank of lieutenant general. Somewhat later Christian became duke and co-ruler Zerbst. On January 1, 1744, Duchess Johanna Elisabeth Fante received a letter from St. Petersburg. It was addressed to im Krümmer on behalf of Empress Elizabeth I, contained her highest invitation to come to Russia. The matchmaking of the Russian court was important for Prussia legal importance, therefore her ambassador in St. Petersburg Lardefeld promptly informed his king of Elizabeth's intentions. Frederick 2 welcomed, of course, the upcoming marriage of Fix with the Russian heir throne, hoping in the future, in the person of the “young court”, to have its own agents in St. Petersburg. He wanted to personally talk with the bride, invited her and her mother to Berlin for a private dinner, during which he was convinced that the 15th summer fix noticeably smarter than his mother.
After a meeting with the king, the duchess and her daughter under the name of countess Rhinebeck went to distant, snow-covered Russia; On February 5 they reached Mitava (Jelgava), then Riga, St. Petersburg were on their way, and finally on the evening of February 9 they arrived in Moscow on Annenhofsky the palace in which in those days Elizabeth's court was temporarily located. It started from this evening new page in the life of a previously little-known girl Fix from German city Stettin.
In contrast to her future husband, Fix, from the very first days of her stay in Russia, with enviable persistence and rare diligence, took up the study of the Russian language and Russian customs. With the help of adjunct and translator of the Academy of Sciences Vasily Adadurova She very quickly achieved noticeable success. Already at the end of June in the church during his conversion to Orthodox faith she clearly pronounced her confession in pure Russian. Which really surprised everyone present. The Empress even shed tears. Another task, which the young German woman quite consciously solved at that time, was to please both Grand Duke Peter Fedorovich, and Empress Elizabeth, and all Russian people.
Catherine II later recalled: “... truly, I did not neglect anything in order to achieve this: obedience, obedience, respect, the desire to please, the desire to do what is right, sincere affection, everything on my part was constantly used for this GM4 to 1761 .”.
The relationship between the young spouses did not work out. Catherine finally realized that her husband would always be a stranger to her. And she thought about him differently now: “... I had a cruel thought for him in the very first days of my marriage. I told myself: if you fall in love with this man, you will be the most miserable creature on earth... this man hardly looks at you, he only talks about dolls and pays more attention to any other woman than to you; You're too proud to make a fuss about it, therefore... think about yourself, madam"
Not every woman in this musty atmosphere of court intrigue could rise above the environment around her, always behave outwardly with dignity and think only about herself, about the still completely unclear prospect that awaited her in the future. And only the combination of an extraordinary mind, a strong will beyond her years, considerable courage and, of course, cunning, hypocrisy, unlimited ambition and vanity helped Catherine for 18 years to wage a hidden struggle for her place at the Russian court and, in the end, achieve the coveted crown empress.
After the wedding, Ekaterina Alekseevna’s mother left Russia, and she remained completely alone among the Russians. But this did not upset her; she and her mother had never been spiritually close people. To top it off, the mother’s rash actions only prevented her daughter from maintaining an untainted good name at court. Most of all, Ekaterina Alekseevna sought the favor of the empress. Despite all the efforts of the Grand Duchess to always please her in everything, the relationship between them was uneven, far from friendly, and sometimes even tense. True, Elizabeth did not skimp on gifts. Before the engagement, Ekaterina Alekseevna received a necklace worth 150 thousand rubles. For small expenses she was assigned content at 30 thousand rubles.
The Empress very soon realized that she was too hasty in declaring Peter Fedorovich heir to the throne. The behavior of her mediocre nephew often irritated her. Not knowing how to get out of this awkward situation, she involuntarily transferred her dissatisfaction with the heir to the throne to his wife. She was accused of indifference to her husband, that she could not or did not want to influence him in a good way, to captivate him with her feminine charms. Finally, the empress demanded an heir from the young people. But it has not yet been foreseen.
We should not forget that the life of the “young court” took place in front of the servants whom Elizabeth herself appointed. To the Grand Duchess, in particular, in 1746 as her guardian chamberlains State Lady Maria Semyonovna, especially devoted to the Empress, was assigned Choglokova. This one is evil and capricious woman, according to Catherine, spied on her and reported everything to Elizabeth. For Peter Fedorovich, the Empress also replaced Marshal Krümmer with Prince Vasily Anikichich Repnin, and then, in 1747, as chamberlain Nikolai Naumovich Choglokov, husband of Maria Semyonovna.
Due to its limitations Choglokovs could not contribute to the rapprochement between the Grand Duchess and the Empress; on the contrary, she introduced excessive wariness and mistrust into their relationship. And apparently, Ekaterina Alekseevna had reason to write: “... it seemed to me that she (Elizabeth .Money) she was always dissatisfied with me, since it happened very rarely that she did me the honor of entering into a conversation; however, even though we lived in the same house, and our chambers touched in both the Winter and Summer Palaces, we did not see her for entire months, and often more. We did not dare to appear in her chambers without being called, and we were almost never called. We were often scolded on behalf of Her Majesty for such trifles, about which one could not even suspect that they could anger the Empress.
She sent more than one to us for this purpose. Choglokovs, but it often happened that she sent a maid, a housekeeper, or someone of that kind to us to convey to us not only extremely unpleasant things, but even harsh words tantamount to the grossest insults. At the same time, it was impossible to be more careful than I was at heart, so as not to violate the due Her Respect and obedience to the Majesty"
Catherine II is the great Russian empress, whose reign became the most significant period in Russian history. The era of Catherine the Great is marked by the “golden age” of the Russian Empire, cultural and political culture which the queen raised to European level. The biography of Catherine II is full of light and dark stripes, numerous plans and achievements, as well as a stormy personal life, about which films are made and books are written to this day.
Catherine II was born on May 2 (April 21, old style) 1729 in Prussia in the family of the governor of Stettin, Prince of Zerbst and the Duchess of Holstein-Gottorp. Despite the rich pedigree, the princess's family had no significant state, but this did not stop parents from providing home schooling for his daughter, without much ceremony with her upbringing. At the same time, the future Russian empress high level I learned English, Italian and French, mastered dancing and singing, and also gained knowledge about the basics of history, geography and theology.
As a child, the young princess was a playful and curious child with a pronounced “boyish” character. She did not show any special mental abilities and did not demonstrate her talents, but she helped her mother a lot in raising her younger sister Augusta, which suited both parents. IN early years Mother's name was Catherine II Fike, which means little Federica.
At the age of 15, it became known that the Zerbst princess had been chosen as a bride for her heir, Peter Fedorovich, who later became the Russian Emperor. In this regard, the princess and her mother were secretly invited to Russia, where they went under the name of the Countesses of Rhinebeck. The girl immediately began studying Russian history, language and Orthodoxy in order to learn more fully about her new homeland. Soon she converted to Orthodoxy and was named Ekaterina Alekseevna, and the next day she became engaged to Pyotr Fedorovich, who was her second cousin.
Palace coup and ascension to the throne
After the wedding with Peter III, practically nothing changed in the life of the future Russian empress - she continued to devote herself to self-education, studying philosophy, jurisprudence and the works of world-famous authors, since her husband showed absolutely no interest in her and openly had fun with other ladies in front of her eyes. After nine years of marriage, when the relationship between Peter and Catherine went completely wrong, the queen gave birth to an heir to the throne, who was immediately taken away from her and was practically not allowed to see him.
Then a plan to overthrow her husband from the throne matured in the head of Catherine the Great. She subtly, clearly and prudently organized a palace coup, in which she was helped English ambassador Williams and the Chancellor of the Russian Empire, Count Alexei Bestuzhev.
It soon turned out that both proxies the future Russian empress was betrayed. But Catherine did not abandon her plan and found new allies in its implementation. They were the Orlov brothers, adjutant Khitrov and sergeant Potemkin. Foreigners also took part in organizing the palace coup and provided sponsorship for bribery the right people.
In 1762, the Empress was completely ready to take a decisive step - she went to St. Petersburg, where the guards units, who by that time were already dissatisfied with the military policy of Emperor Peter III, swore allegiance to her. After this, he abdicated the throne, was taken into custody and soon died under unknown circumstances. Two months later, on September 22, 1762, Sophia Frederica Augusta of Anhalt-Zerbst was crowned in Moscow and became Empress Catherine II of Russia.
Reign and achievements of Catherine II
From the very first day of her ascension to the throne, the queen clearly formulated her royal tasks and began to actively implement them. She quickly formulated and carried out reforms in the Russian Empire, which affected all spheres of life of the population. Catherine the Great pursued a policy that took into account the interests of all classes, which won the enormous support of her subjects.
To pull the Russian Empire out of the financial quagmire, the tsarina carried out secularization and took away the lands of churches, turning them into secular property. This made it possible to pay off the army and replenish the treasury of the empire by 1 million peasant souls. At the same time, she managed to quickly establish trade in Russia, doubling the number industrial enterprises in the country. Thanks to this, the amount of government revenue increased fourfold, the empire was able to maintain a large army and begin the development of the Urals.
As for Catherine’s domestic policy, today it is called “absolutism”, because the empress tried to achieve “ common good» for society and the state. The absolutism of Catherine II was marked by the adoption of new legislation, which was adopted on the basis of the “Order of Empress Catherine,” containing 526 articles. Due to the fact that the queen’s policy was still “pro-noble” in nature, from 1773 to 1775 she was faced with a peasant uprising led by. The peasant war engulfed almost the entire empire, but the state army was able to suppress the rebellion and arrest Pugachev, who was subsequently executed.
In 1775, Catherine the Great held territorial division empire and expanded Russia into 11 provinces. During her reign, Russia acquired Azov, Kiburn, Kerch, Crimea, Kuban, as well as part of Belarus, Poland, Lithuania and western part Volyn. At the same time, elected courts were introduced in the country, which dealt with criminal and civil cases of the population.
In 1785, the Empress organized local government in cities. At the same time, Catherine II established a clear set of noble privileges - she freed the nobles from paying taxes, compulsory military service, and gave them the right to own lands and peasants. Thanks to the empress, a secondary education system was introduced in Russia, for which special closed schools, institutes for girls, and educational homes were built. In addition, Catherine founded Russian Academy, which has become one of the leading European scientific bases.
Special attention During her reign, Catherine devoted development Agriculture. Under her, for the first time in Russia, bread began to be sold, which the population could buy with paper money, also introduced into use by the empress. Also among the valor of the monarch is the introduction of vaccination in Russia, which made it possible to prevent epidemics of fatal diseases in the country, thereby maintaining the population.
During her reign, Catherine the Second survived 6 wars, in which she received the desired trophies in the form of lands. Her foreign policy is considered by many to this day to be immoral and hypocritical. But the woman managed to go down in Russian history as a powerful monarch who became an example of patriotism for future generations of the country, despite the absence of even a drop of Russian blood in her.
Personal life
The personal life of Catherine II is legendary and arouses interest to this day. The Empress was committed to “free love,” which was a consequence of her unsuccessful marriage to Peter III.
The love stories of Catherine the Great are marked in history by a series of scandals, and the list of her favorites contains 23 names, as evidenced by data from authoritative Catherine scholars.
The most famous lovers of the monarch were Platon Zubov, who at the age of 20 became the favorite of 60-year-old Catherine the Great. Historians do not rule out that love affairs The empresses were her kind of weapon, with the help of which she carried out her activities on the royal throne.
It is known that Catherine the Great had three children - a son from her legal marriage with Peter III, Pavel Petrovich, Alexey Bobrinsky, born from Orlov, and a daughter, Anna Petrovna, who died of illness at the age of one.
In the last years of her life, the Empress devoted herself to caring for her grandchildren and heirs, as she was in bad relationship with his son Pavel. She wanted to transfer power and the crown to her eldest grandson, whom she personally prepared for the royal throne. But her plans were not destined to happen, since her legal heir learned about his mother’s plan and carefully prepared for the fight for the throne.
The death of Catherine II occurred according to the new style on November 17, 1796. The Empress died from a severe stroke; she tossed about in agony for several hours and, without regaining consciousness, passed away in agony. She was buried in the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg.
Movies
The image of Catherine the Great is very often used in modern cinema. Her bright and rich biography is taken as a basis by screenwriters all over the world, since the great Russian Empress Catherine II had a stormy life filled with intrigues, conspiracies, romance novels and the struggle for the throne, but at the same time she became one of the most worthy rulers of the Russian Empire.
In 2015, a fascinating historical show started in Russia, for the script of which facts were taken from the diaries of the queen herself, who turned out to be a “male ruler” by nature, and not a feminine mother and wife.
The intimate life of Catherine the Great has long been the subject of discussion and controversy. IN this section Officially confirmed and alleged men are listed, some of whom had the official status of a favorite, while others were listed only as lovers (which did not prevent them, however, from receiving generous gifts and titles from the empress).
Confirmed and official relationships
Romanov Petr III Fedorovich
Status: husband
Start of relationship: official wedding September 1, 1745
End of a relationship: died under unknown circumstances on July 9, 1762.
Add. information: the children of Peter III - Pavel and Anna, were presumably the children of two lovers of Catherine II. Pavel Petrovich, at most popular theory, is the son of Sergei Saltykov, Anna Petrovna is the daughter of Stanislav Poniatovsky, who later became Polish king. The Empress accused her husband of lack of normal intimate life and justified her novels by his lack of interest in her person.
Saltykov Sergey Vasilievich
Status: Lover
Start of relationship: spring 1752
End of a relationship: October 1754 - already a few months before the birth of Paul I, he was no longer allowed to see the Empress; after his birth, he was sent as ambassador to Sweden.
Add. information: according to one version, he is the real father of Paul I. He was recommended to Catherine II by Bestuzhev, during the period of final disappointment by Empress Elizabeth with Peter III.
Stanislav August Poniatowski
Status: Lover
Start of relationship: 1756, came to Russia as part of the retinue of the English ambassador
End of a relationship: when in 1758 Bestuzhev fell into disgrace as a result of an unsuccessful intrigue - Poniatowski was forced to leave the Russian Empire
Add. information: probable father Anna Petrovna, which was indirectly confirmed by Peter III himself. Subsequently, thanks to the patronage of Catherine the Great, he became the Polish king and contributed to the division of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
Orlov Grigory Grigorievich
Status: Lover before 1762, 1762-1772 – official favorite
Start of relationship: 1760
End of a relationship: in 1772 he went to negotiate with the Ottoman Empire, during this period Catherine II lost interest in the relationship and turned her attention to Alexander Vasilchakov.
Add. information: one of the Empress's longest-lasting novels. In 1762, Catherine the Great even planned a wedding with Orlov, but her entourage considered such an idea too adventurous and was able to dissuade her. From Orlov the Empress gave birth in 1762 illegitimate son- Alexey Grigorievich Bobrinsky. He took a direct part in the coup of 1762. One of the empress's most intimate people.
Vasilchakov Alexander Semenovich
Status: official favorite
Start of relationship: in 1772 he attracted the attention of Catherine II while Count Orlov was away.
End of a relationship: after the start of the empress’s relationship with Potemkin in 1774, he was sent to Moscow.
Add. information: was 17 years younger than Catherine, could not be a serious opponent to Potemkin in the struggle for attention.
Potemkin-Tavrichesky Grigory Alexandrovich
Status: official favorite
Start of relationship: in 1774.
End of a relationship: During his vacation in 1776, the Empress turned her attention to Zavadovsky.
Add. information: one of the most prominent figures in the intimate life of Catherine II was secretly married to her since 1775. An outstanding commander and statesman who has influence on her even after the end of intimacy. Presumably, his daughter, Tyomkina Elizaveta Grigorievna, was born by Catherine.
Zavadovsky Petr Vasilievich
Status: official favorite
Start of relationship: in 1776.
End of a relationship: in May 1777 he was displaced by Potemkin’s intrigues and sent on vacation.
Add. information: a capable administrative figure who loved the empress too much. Only Zavadovsky was allowed by Catherine to continue political career, after the end of the relationship.
Zorich Semyon Gavrilovich
Status: official favorite
Start of relationship: in 1777 he appeared as Potemkin's adjutant, and then became commander of the empress's personal guard.
End of a relationship: sent from St. Petersburg in 1778 after a quarrel with Potemkin
Add. information: a hussar with no education, but enjoying the attention of Catherine, who was 14 years older than him.
Rimsky-Korsakov Ivan Nikolaevich
Status: official favorite
Start of relationship: in 1778 he was selected by Potemkin, who was looking for a more accommodating and less gifted favorite to replace Zorich.
End of a relationship: in 1779 he was caught by the empress in a relationship with Countess Bruce and lost favor.
Add. information: was younger than Catherine for 25 years. After the Countess, Bruce became interested in Stroganova and was sent from St. Petersburg to Moscow.
Lanskoy Alexander Dmitrievich
Status: official favorite
Start of relationship: in the spring of 1780 he attracted attention on the recommendation of Potemkin.
End of a relationship: died in a fever in 1784. Different versions suggest poisoning or abuse of an aphrodisiac.
Add. information: did not interfere with political intrigue, preferring to devote time to studying languages and philosophy. A close intimate relationship with the empress is confirmed by descriptions of her “broken feelings” in connection with the death of Lansky.