The Empress died under a horse. Death of Catherine II the Great

Catherine II Alekseevna (1729 - 1796), German princess Sophia Frederica Augusta of Anhalt-Zerbst - Russian empress since 1762.

At the age of 16, Catherine married her 17-year-old cousin Peter, nephew and heir of Elizabeth, the reigning Empress of Russia (Elizabeth herself had no children).

Peter was completely abnormal and also impotent. There were days when Catherine even thought about suicide.

Catherine II and Peter III

After ten years of marriage, she gave birth to a son. In all likelihood, the child's father was Sergei Saltykov, a young Russian nobleman, Catherine's first lover.

As Peter became completely deranged and increasingly unpopular among the people and at court, Catherine's chances of inheriting the Russian throne looked completely hopeless. Peter, in addition, began to threaten Catherine with divorce. She decided to organize a coup d'etat. In June 1762, Peter, who by that time had already been emperor for six months, was overcome by another crazy idea. He decided to declare war on Denmark. To prepare for military action, he left the capital. Catherine, guarded by a regiment of the imperial guard, went to St. Petersburg and declared herself empress. Peter, shocked by this news, was immediately arrested and killed. Catherine's main accomplice were her lovers Count Grigory Orlov and his two brothers. All three were officers of the Imperial Guard.

During her more than 30-year reign, Catherine significantly weakened the power of the clergy in Russia, suppressed a major peasant revolt, reorganized the apparatus of government, introduced serfdom in Ukraine, and added more than 200,000 square kilometers to Russian territory.

Even before her marriage, Catherine was extremely sensual. So, at night she often masturbated, holding a pillow between her legs. Since Peter was completely impotent and had no interest in sex at all, the bed for him was a place where he could only sleep or play with his favorite toys. At 23, she was still a virgin. One night on an island in the Baltic Sea, Catherine's maid of honor left her alone (perhaps on Catherine's instructions) with Saltykov, a famous young seducer. He promised to give Catherine great pleasure, and she really was not disappointed. Catherine was finally able to give free rein to her sexuality. Soon she was already the mother of two children. Naturally, Peter was considered the father of both children, although one day those close to him heard the following words from him: “I don’t understand how she gets pregnant.” Catherine's second child died shortly after his real father, a young Polish nobleman who worked at the English embassy, was expelled from Russia in disgrace.

Three more children were born to Catherine from Grigory Orlov.

Grigory Orlov

Fluffy skirts and lace successfully hid her pregnancy every time. Catherine's first child was born from Orlov during Peter's lifetime. During the birth, not far from the palace, Catherine's faithful servants started a large fire to distract Peter. It was well known to everyone that he was a great lover of such spectacles.

The remaining two children were raised in the homes of Catherine's servants and ladies-in-waiting. These maneuvers were necessary for Catherine, since she refused to marry Orlov, as she did not want to put an end to the Romanov dynasty. In response to this refusal, Gregory turned Catherine's court into his harem. However, she remained faithful to him for 14 years and finally abandoned him only when he seduced her 13-year-old cousin.

Ekaterina is already 43 years old. She still remained very attractive, and her sensuality and voluptuousness only increased. One of her loyal supporters, cavalry officer Grigory Potemkin, swore his allegiance to her for the rest of his life, and then entered a monastery. He did not return to social life until Catherine promised to appoint him as her official favorite.

Empress Catherine II and Grigory Potemkin

For two years, Catherine and her 35-year-old favorite led a stormy love life, filled with quarrels and reconciliations.

When Gregory became tired of Catherine, he, wanting to get rid of her without losing his influence at court, managed to convince her that she could change her favorites as easily as any of her other servants. He even swore to her that he would select them himself.

This system worked great until Catherine turned 60. The potential favorite was first examined by Catherine’s personal doctor, who checked him for any signs of sexually transmitted disease. If the favorite candidate was recognized as healthy, he had to pass another test - his masculinity was tested by one of Catherine’s ladies-in-waiting, whom she herself chose for this purpose. The next stage, if the candidate, of course, achieved it, was moving into special apartments in the palace. These apartments were located directly above Catherine's bedroom, and a separate staircase led there, unknown to outsiders. In the apartment, the favorite found a significant amount of money prepared in advance for him. Officially at court, the favorite had the position of Catherine's chief adjutant. When a favorite changed, the outgoing “night emperor,” as they were sometimes called, received some generous gift, for example, a large sum of money or an estate with 4,000 serfs.

Over the 16 years of the existence of this system, Catherine has had 13 favorites. In 1789, 60-year-old Catherine fell in love with 22-year-old officer of the imperial guard Platon Zubov. Zubov remained Catherine's main object of sexual interest until her death at the age of 67.

There were rumors among the people that Catherine died while trying to have sexual relations with a stallion.

In fact, she died two days after suffering a severe heart attack.

Peter's impotence is probably due to a deformation of his penis, which could be corrected with surgery.

Saltykov and his close friends once got Peter drunk and persuaded him to undergo such an operation. This was done so that Catherine’s next pregnancy could be explained. It is not known whether Peter had sexual relations with Catherine after that, but after a while he began to have mistresses.

Stanislav August Poniatowski. White General.

Died in 1865.

Buried in the Main Temple of the Prior of the White (Maltese) Order

On Nevsky Prospekt, house 38. Where Paul I was buried.

In 1764, Catherine made the Polish Count Stanislaw Poniatowski, her second lover, who had been expelled from Russia, king of Poland. When Poniatowski was unable to cope with his internal political opponents, and the situation in the country began to get out of his control, Catherine simply erased Poland from the world map, annexing part of this country and giving the rest to Prussia and Austria.

The fate of Catherine's other lovers and favorites turned out differently.

Grigory Orlov has gone crazy. Before his death, he always imagined that he was being haunted by the ghost of Peter, although the murder of the emperor was planned by Alexei, the brother of Grigory Orlov.

The future empress of the vast Russian empire, Catherine the Great, was born not in a luxurious palace, but in an ordinary German house and received a bourgeois education: she was actually taught to clean and cook. Her father, Prince Christian Augustus, was the younger brother of the sovereign German prince, but due to a constant lack of money he was forced to hire a job. And Sophia-Augusta-Frederica-Emilia, as Catherine was called in childhood, despite her royal origins, played in the city square with the children of the burghers, received slaps from her mother for poorly polished cauldrons and respectfully kissed the hem of the dresses of the wives of rich townspeople if they entered the house. Catherine's mother, Joanna Elisabeth, was a powerful and riotous woman. It was even rumored that Catherine's real father was none other than Frederick the Great himself. It was he who proposed the candidacy of the young Princess Sophien as a wife to the Russian heir to the throne, Peter, when he heard a rumor that Empress Elizabeth Petrovna was looking for a bride for her nephew, to whom she intended to leave the throne.

So the little German princess came from the dirty city streets to the glittering gold Russian imperial palace. Having received the name Catherine in baptism, the future wife of the heir to the throne began studying with the best court teachers and fabulously succeeded not only in the Russian language, but also in the art of flirting. Having inherited an irrepressible sexual temperament from her mother, Catherine used her seduction at the Russian court. Even before the wedding, she flirted so openly with the court Don Juan Andrei Chernyshev that, in order to avoid rumors, Elizabeth was forced to send the poor count abroad.

As soon as Catherine turned sixteen, Elizaveta Petrovna hastened to marry the German princess to Peter, making it clear to her that her only duty was to give birth to an heir. After the wedding and a magnificent ball, the newlyweds were finally taken to the wedding chambers. But Catherine woke up just as she went to bed - a virgin. Peter remained cold towards her both on their wedding night and for many months after. Some people look for the reasons for this attitude towards his wife in Peter’s infantility and dementia, others in his tragic love.
Peter fell in love with the maid of honor Natalya Lopukhina, whose mother was Elizabeth’s personal enemy. Lopukhina Sr. was Anna Ioannovna’s favorite lady of state and pleased the Empress in every possible way, humiliating her hated daughter-in-law, Tsarevna Elizabeth. A historical anecdote has been preserved. Balls were often held in the Lopukhins' house. Elizabeth was also invited there. One day Lopukhina bribed Elizabeth’s maids and offered them a sample of yellow brocade with silver, from which the princess sewed herself a dress for the ball.

When Elizabeth entered the living room, there was a burst of laughter. The walls, chairs, armchairs and sofas in the room were upholstered in the same yellow and silver brocade. The humiliated princess rushed out of the palace and sobbed for a long time in her bedroom.

When Peter asked his reigning aunt for permission to marry Lopukhina’s daughter, Elizabeth decided to take revenge. She accused Lopukhina of treason, and the court sentenced the unfortunate countess to death. Elizabeth, with her “great mercy,” commuted the punishment. Lopukhina Sr. was shamefully flogged on Trinity Square, her tongue was cut out and she was exiled to Siberia. After this tragic story with the mother of his beloved, Tsarevich Peter lost his mind. But Catherine did not strive to please her husband: she quickly found solace in the arms of the Swedish envoy Count Polenberg. Empress Elizabeth turned a blind eye to the young couple's relationship: she needed an heir, but Catherine still could not get pregnant.
Meanwhile, in the bed of the eighteen-year-old crown princess, one favorite replaced another: Kirill Razumovsky, Stanislav Poniatovsky, Zakhar

Chernyshev (brother of Andrei, exiled abroad), Lev Naryshkin and the Saltykov brothers, who knew a lot about love. Their mother, nee Golitsyna, was famous throughout St. Petersburg for drunkenness and debauchery in the soldiers' barracks - there were rumors that she had three hundred lovers among the empress's grenadiers.

After a few years of marriage, a miracle happened - Catherine became pregnant. Sergei Saltykov openly boasted that he was the father of the future heir, and was expelled from St. Petersburg. Later in Sweden, he spread terrible rumors about the debauchery of the Russian princess and assured that she herself hung on his neck, made appointments, and he allegedly deceived and did not come, which made Catherine suffer unspeakably.

Elizaveta Petrovna was so happy about the good news that she gave her pregnant daughter-in-law one hundred thousand rubles and a lot of jewelry. The poor German princess, who came to Russia with three dresses and half a dozen handkerchiefs, began to waste money in the Russian treasury. The born baby was named Pavel and was immediately taken away from the young mother. However, Catherine was not interested in her son and never loved him. It is still unknown who was Pavel’s real father - they name Zakhar Chernyshev, Lev Naryshkin, and other lovers of the crown princess. Among the guesses, an amazing fact is noted: Pavel is unusually similar to his official father, Pyotr Fedorovich - which History does not joke about...

After the death of Elizabeth, Peter III ascended the throne and declared that he would send Catherine to a monastery for her dissolute behavior, and that he would marry Elizaveta Vorontsova, his mistress. But by that time, with the help of her favorites, Catherine had woven a huge network around Peter. Chancellor Panin, Prince Baryatinsky, Catherine's lover Grigory Orlov and four of his brothers organized a conspiracy against the emperor. But then one of the conspirators got cold feet and decided to warn the emperor - Peter did not attach any significance to his words, for which he paid not only with the throne, but also with his life.
At the court of Catherine II in Russia, favoritism became a new position, as at the court of Louis XIV in France, and bed careerists were recognized as people who served the fatherland and the throne. For their loving efforts they received palaces and considerable financial resources from the Russian treasury. But Catherine was a passionate woman and could not live without a man. In her palace there was a special room with a huge bed. If necessary, a secret mechanism divided the bed into two parts by a wall - the favorite remained on the hidden half, and on the second the empress, not cooled down from love pleasures, received ambassadors and ministers.

Catherine had a weakness for huge, gigantic men with a sensual face. Potential lovers were introduced to the empress by Chancellor Panin and Countess Bruce, who was called the “assay lady” at court. Panin was Catherine's constant lover - he was smart, not demanding, not jealous. He came to the empress's bedroom no more than once a week, and in his free time in his harem, consisting of serf concubines - every day he acquired a new girl, and gave away the tired ones to friends or sold them. For Catherine, he chose tall soldiers who were not distinguished by intelligence, so as not to create rivals for himself. One day Panin and Countess Bruce recommended the handsome Potemkin.
Catherine was embarrassed by the fact that the lieutenant general only had one eye (the second one was once knocked out by Grigory Orlov in a fit of jealousy), but the countess convinced Catherine that Potemkin was going crazy with love for

to the empress. After a night of love, Catherine promoted Potemkin to lieutenant general, gave him a magnificent palace and a million rubles for its improvement. This is how bed careers were made overnight under Catherine. But the imperial gifts seemed not enough for Potemkin - one day at dinner he demanded that Catherine make him a member of the State Council. Catherine was horrified:
- But my friend, this is impossible!
- Wonderful! Then I go to the monastery. The role of your kept woman does not suit me!
Catherine began to cry and left the table. Potemkin did not come to the room of favorites. Catherine cried all night, and the next morning Potemkin was appointed senator.
Once Potemkin went to St. Petersburg for several days on business. But the empress could not be left alone for long. Once upon a time in

In the Tsarskoye Selo Palace, Catherine woke up at night from the cold. It was winter, and all the wood in the fireplace burned out. She slept alone - Potemkin was on business in St. Petersburg. Not finding a servant behind the screen, Catherine went out into the corridor, along which the stoker was just walking with a bundle of firewood on his shoulders. The sight of this huge young Hercules, carrying firewood like a feather, took Catherine’s breath away.
- Who are you?
- Court stoker, Your Majesty!
- Why haven’t I seen you before? Light the fireplace in my bedroom.
The young man was delighted with such mercy from the empress and lit a huge fire in the fireplace. But Catherine remained dissatisfied:
- Don’t you understand how to warm the empress?
And the stoker finally understood. And the next morning he received an order granting him hereditary nobility, ten thousand peasants, an order never to return to St. Petersburg and change his surname to Teplov - in memory of how he warmed the empress.
In her old age, Catherine reached the point of complete debauchery. Hefty men were no longer enough for her - and she turned her passion to a young gypsy, given to her by Potemkin.

There were rumors at court about how the empress treated her maids and young peasant women. At the final exam at the Smolny Institute, the Empress drew attention to the beautiful graduate, who turned out to be the daughter of Suvorov.
- Give your daughter to me as a favorite.
Having heard about the adventures of the Empress, Suvorov replied:
- Mother, if I die for you, I will die, but I won’t give you my Suvorochka!
The angry empress sent the old man and his daughter to their estate, forbidding him to appear at court - which was what Suvorov needed.

In Potemkin's absence, Catherine had many lovers: Ambassador Bezborodko and his secretaries Zavadovsky and Mamonov, the midwife's nephew Zorich, guard officers Korsakov and Khvostov, and finally, the provincial youth Alexander Lanskoy.
Twenty-year-old Lansky was accidentally seen by Potemkin and introduced to the empress. The young man had an angelic appearance: huge blue eyes filled with sadness, blond curls, a light blush on his cheeks and coral lips. He would have looked like a girl if not for his enormous height and broad shoulders.

He accepted Catherine's attention as the care of a mother, and besides, he was too loyal to his state to refuse the empress anything. He was ashamed of his position as an imperial concubine, but over time he became attached to Catherine with all his heart. The Empress was touched by such reading love from an innocent young man who had never known women before her. Her aging heart was so jealous of Sashenka that Catherine locked her lover in several rooms, surrounding him with unheard-of luxury. The Empress awarded Lansky the title of count, vast lands, and tens of thousands of peasants. But the young man in love did not need ranks and wealth - he was probably the only favorite who loved the empress as a woman. And the Empress said to Potemkin:

My soul, I am going to marry Lansky.
- What did he do to deserve such an honor?
- He never cheated on me.
Potemkin lowered his eyes. He himself cheated on Catherine almost every day with different women.

A month later, Lanskoy fell ill in bed. And not a single court doctor could make an accurate diagnosis. Catherine knew that her lover was poisoned on behalf of Potemkin. Catherine wrote to her friend: “I, sobbing, have the misfortune to tell you that General Lansky is gone... and my room, which I loved so much before, has now turned into an empty cave.” After the death of her lover, the empress walked around the palace like a shadow. She abandoned all government affairs and did not receive anyone. It was so unlike her... Apparently, love, which she did not know in her youth, overtook her in old age. The only topic on which the empress kept up the conversation was about Alexander Lansky, the only place she visited was his grave. She spent many hours at Lansky's grave in anguish and tears. Potemkin was furious. Was he jealous - and of whom, of the dead man? In fits of anger, Potemkin circled like a kite among the guards officers. Finally, he chose Pyotr Ermolov, made him his adjutant and sent him to Catherine. His calculation was justified: Ermolov occupied the room of the favorites, which had been empty for almost six months. Still, Catherine was a woman, and the desire to love overpowered her grief over loss. Noticing that one of the ladies-in-waiting was secluded with Eromlov, Catherine ordered the soldiers to flog the aristocrat until she bled in the presence of the other eleven ladies-in-waiting - so as not to be disgraced. Ermolov was too stupid, arrogant and narcissistic, besides, he loved to play and often ran away from the empress to gaming houses and to prostitutes. His place was soon taken by another of Potemkin’s adjutants, Alexander Mamonov.

“Priceless Sasha” - that’s what the Empress of Mamon called him. But Sasha began to disappear somewhere more and more often. He was not there that ill-fated night when tired Catherine returned from the Council meeting. She waited for him half the night, but greeted him playfully:
- Where, my dear sir, have you disappeared?
“Mother Empress…” his tone and facial expression did not bode well. “You have always been kind to me, and I am frank with you.” I can no longer carry out my duties at Your Majesty's side.
Catherine's face changed:
- What’s the matter, are you joking?
- No, your Majesty. I fell in love with another and ask your gracious permission to marry her. Her name is Princess Shcherbatova.
What can an aging woman who has lost her former attractiveness answer when a young lover says that he fell in love with another, good and young woman?
- I give you permission to get married. Moreover, I will arrange your wedding myself.
Lizanka Shcherbatova kissed the empress’s hands for her kindness. Catherine gave the newlyweds wedding rings with diamonds, three thousand souls of peasants, ten thousand rubles in gold. For some reason, the young bride was crying all the time under the aisle... Perhaps the empress forgave Count Mamonov’s betrayal, but the offended woman could not forgive her. Two weeks later, soldiers broke into the newlyweds' home. Mamonov was tied to a chair and gagged, and the soldiers abused the young countess, after which they whipped her until she was completely deformed. Lizanka miraculously survived. Count Mamonov took his sick wife abroad, never to return to Russia again.

Meanwhile, a new and final favorite reigned in the palace - twenty-four-year-old Platon Zubov. He inherited the room of favorites from his brother, Valerian Zubov, who was the empress’s lover for only a short time. Platon Zubov was arrogant, arrogant and loved only one thing in the world - money. Having received unlimited power, he mocked Tsarevich Paul, completely confident that he would not get the throne. Potemkin planned to kill his new favorite, but did not have time - he died. The Empress wept for a long time and inconsolably, gave her former favorite a magnificent funeral and ordered two monuments to be erected to him. During Catherine's reign, palaces and jewelry worth nine million rubles and forty thousand peasants passed from the Russian treasury into Potemkin's pocket.

Catherine herself died not at all like an emperor: in the outhouse. Has she experienced the love she longed for in her life? It’s unlikely... True love cannot be bought for titles and palaces - Great Catherine never understood this.

Catherine the Great (1729-1796). This woman was Empress of Russia from 1762 to 1796. Under her, the country expanded significantly in the west and south. Catherine greatly reformed the system of government. Under her, Russia finally gained a foothold among the leading world powers.

The Empress herself was fond of literature, corresponded with European enlighteners, and collected masterpieces of painting. Under her, the nobility experienced a “golden age”, and the peasants found themselves completely enslaved. Catherine was born in Prussia and came to power through a palace coup. The guards arrested Tsar Peter III, who soon died suddenly. Fortunately for Russia, Catherine turned out to be a wise ruler. But her personal life was controversial. The Empress surrounded herself with favorites, which caused a lot of gossip and gossip.

Today, Catherine’s activities for the benefit of Russia are generally assessed positively, but an objective assessment is hampered by numerous myths about this bright person. And modern films and TV series only add to the confusion - for the sake of scandal, intrigue and plot, historical facts are simply ignored. Some myths about Catherine the Great will be considered by us.

Catherine was not a beauty. Born Sophia Augusta Frederica, she said about herself that she naturally received great sensitivity and, if not beautiful, then attractive appearance. Ekaterina wrote that in her youth she liked her at first sight, without putting any effort into it. The Empress was a brunette of average height. There were flaws in her appearance that she knew and fought against. The woman was prone to being overweight. And as soon as she had a double chin, she immediately developed such a posture to hide it. One of the foreign ambassadors recalled that the empress’s figure was noble and pleasant, and her gait was proud. The woman's manners were full of grace and she had a regal appearance. Men admired Catherine.

Sophia Augusta Frederica was raised like a real princess. Catherine's father was Field Marshal Christian August of Anhalt-Zerbst. And although the prince had a great title and pedigree, he was never rich. The nobleman served the Prussian king and was the governor of the city of Stettin. As a child, Sophia had to play in the square with the children of ordinary burghers. Her mother slapped her for not cleaning the boilers well. The girl had to respectfully kiss the hem of the dresses of the wives of rich townspeople when they entered the house. And only thanks to a happy occasion, the princess became the bride of the heir to the Russian throne. Naturally, no one saw her at the head of state. Catherine arrived in Russia with only a few shirts. One day, already in 1762, her friend, Princess Dashkova, discovered the princess washing her lace cuffs in a trough. Catherine calmly replied that there was nothing to be surprised about; she was being prepared to be the wife of a small German prince, teaching her how to do laundry and take care of children.

Catherine hated her husband, Peter III. This statement seems logical - Catherine overthrew her hated husband. But the relationship between the spouses was quite complicated. Peter married at a fairly early age, at 17 years old. His bride was even younger - 16. The groom at that time was a notorious young man who loved to play toy soldiers. Unlike her eccentric husband, Fike was an active and energetic girl who had a clear vision of her future. About her husband, Catherine wrote that she could not clearly say whether she liked Peter or not; then she only knew how to obey. Her mother's main task was to get her daughter married. But Catherine herself liked the Russian crown more than her husband’s personality. He was 17, he and his wife talked only about soldiers and their toys, which occupied him all day. The girl had to listen to Peter out of politeness, to please him. But there was no love language between them, and she shouldn’t have started this topic. Over time, Peter began to see his wife as a friend and complain to her about various issues. But at a certain point, her husband began to interfere with Catherine on her path to power. She didn’t want to kill him, but that’s how the circumstances turned out. Either the guards overdid it, or Peter’s poor health played a fatal role.

Catherine's son, Pavel, was born not from Peter, but from a lover. And yet Paul was born, most likely, from Peter. This is evidenced by external similarity and similarity in temperament. Saltykov's statements about his paternity remain empty boasting. And Catherine herself never told her husband that her son was not his, as shown in the TV series. Such a confession of her infidelity would have cost her at least imprisonment in a monastery, and at maximum the death penalty. The baby was immediately taken from Catherine, and he was raised for some time by Elizabeth’s associates. In the first years of marriage, Peter and Catherine did not have a marital relationship. The reason was both cold relationships and tender age. Paul was born only after 9 years of marriage, when Elizabeth directly demanded that Catherine give birth to an heir. Before the birth of her son, the princess had two more unsuccessful pregnancies.

Catherine had hundreds of lovers. In her personal life, Catherine was not an ascetic. Until the age of 43, she had only three lovers. The connection with Grigory Orlov was the strongest, it lasted 11 years. As a result, a son, Alexei Bobrinsky, was born. Romances with Sergei Saltykov and Stanislav Poniatovsky were fleeting. But after Orlov’s death, Catherine separated. With her there were always handsome young men who served her with a simple purpose. A woman needed to enjoy her personal time so that she could better work for the good of the country. For their service, the young favorites received a reward, but had to follow certain rules. They had no right to leave Catherine’s chambers without her permission, they could not accept invitations without her knowledge, and they had to devote all their time to the empress. If the favorite was no longer of interest to the empress, then he was immediately dismissed. He received a good rank and dowry. The exception was Grigory Potemkin. He managed to become not only a lover, but also a close friend and ally until his death. The empress even managed to get married to Potemkin. Historians have been able to roughly estimate the number of Catherine's lovers. There were about 20 of them (13 according to other sources), but not hundreds. For that time, when European monarchs regularly changed their favorites, such behavior was not considered out of the ordinary. Naturally, there is no need to talk about the strong feelings of young people for an aging woman.

The lovers chosen by Catherine went straight to her bed. The applicant for the role of the empress's lover was tested on the ability to perform intimate duties. All her favorites underwent this ritual. The man destined to be a concubine was examined by life physician Rogerson, and then sent to Anna Stepanovna Protasova for a three-night trial. If a man proved himself, then the maid of honor reported to the empress about the man’s trustworthiness. The day after the first date, the new favorite was taken to his now permanent rooms, where he was given a uniform with a diamond hairpin and one hundred thousand rubles for pocket money. The Metropolitan came to the favorite on the same day and blessed him with holy water.

The favorites received nothing from Catherine. The empress generously gave gifts to her lovers. So, her last favorite, Platon Zubov, begged for money, estates, and serfs for himself and his relatives. In just two years, the lover received about 3.5 million rubles in silver - a colossal fortune at that time. But there were also lands and serfs. Potemkin and Bezborodko each received 50 million rubles for their needs, but they also stole a lot while ruling the country. Relations with the Orlov brothers cost Catherine 17 million rubles, in addition to land and serfs. The Empress paid Lansky 8 million, even Zorich and Korsakov, who did not stay near Catherine for long, received a million each. In addition, all the favorites incurred debts, which were generously paid by the empress. The English stripe Harris once calculated how much all the queen’s favorites cost the country. The cash amount was about 100 million rubles. And this, taking into account the country’s entire budget of 80 million a year, was a huge amount.

Catherine ruled calmly, without fear of conspiracies. All her life, Catherine was haunted by the feeling of illegal accession to the throne. Not only did she overthrow her husband, but he also died. The ghost of Peter III did not leave Catherine alone. During the years of her reign, at least seven people declared themselves the overthrown king. The most famous impostor is Emelyan Pugachev. Twice the conspirators tried to free Ivan Antonovich, the great-grandson of Tsar Ivan V, brother of Peter I, from prison. He clearly had more rights to the Russian throne than the visiting Prussian princess. During another attempt to free Tsar Ivan VI, he was killed by his guards.

Catherine received Russia in ruins and left it prosperous. It is often written that Catherine's reign is a golden age for the country. Under her, indeed, the Russian Empire grew significantly. But this happened mainly due to the divisions of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the conquest of Crimea. An average of four cities appeared in the country every year. Russia began to play an important role in world trade. Under her, new educational institutions appeared and medicine developed. It is interesting that when Catherine ascended the throne, she immediately began to complain about the lack of funds in the treasury. In her memoirs, the empress wrote that everything was in decline, the army did not receive salaries for three months. However, Catherine was cunning. Even after the Seven Years' War, the country's finances were not depleted. The budget deficit in 1762 was only 8% of revenues - about a million rubles. At the same time, Catherine herself contributed to this by generously rewarding the participants in the coup with money and peasants during the first six months of her reign. And the depletion of finances occurred precisely during the reign of Catherine. Under her, for the first time, Russia acquired an external debt. After the death of the empress, it turned out that the government's debts amounted to 205 million rubles, expenses exceeded income, and the treasury was empty. While the industrial revolution was thundering in the West, Russian production remained patriarchal and serf-based. As a result, in the last years of Catherine's reign, an acute social and economic crisis broke out in Russia, which developed into a financial one. Pushkin also wrote that historians have yet to appreciate the despotism of the empress, hidden under her meekness. The people had to endure the governors, the treasury was plundered by Catherine's lovers, and many mistakes were made in domestic politics.

Catherine sold Alaska to America. This myth appeared thanks to the song of the group “Lyube”. The musicians said: “Ekaterina, you were wrong!” However, during her reign the development of this region had just begun. And the sale of Alaska took place in 1867 under Alexander II.

Catherine was poisoned by Johann Lestocq, wanting to replace the heir's wife. This myth appeared thanks to the TV series “Ekaterina”. Allegedly, the intriguer Lestocq was exposed and executed. In fact, the bride of Peter III really became seriously ill and miraculously escaped death. The fact is that upon arrival, she zealously began to learn Russian, sitting by the window on cold evenings. This turned into serious pneumonia, and the princess's life was in danger. There was no poisoning. Lestok was indeed involved in court intrigues, but they had nothing to do with Catherine. The life doctor fell into disgrace for his connection with the French ambassador Chetardie. Lestocq was tortured in the Secret Chancellery, and then instead of the death penalty he was sent into exile. When Peter III became king, he freed the nobleman, returning his ranks and confiscated property.

The palace coup that brought Catherine to the throne was spontaneous. On June 28, 1762, events occurred that made Catherine empress. But the coup was not spontaneous at all; it was prepared for several months. Prominent politicians and military personnel took part in the conspiracy. At that time, the guard and the Russian nobility were dissatisfied with the policies pursued by Peter III. In particular, the elite did not like the fact that the emperor concluded an unfavorable peace agreement with the almost defeated Prussia. During the coup, a rumor was launched that Peter wanted to introduce Lutheranism in Russia, which did not correspond to reality. Catherine even turned to foreigners for help, receiving 60 thousand rubles from the French and 100 thousand from the British.

The reason for the coup was the attempt to arrest Catherine. The attempt to arrest the heir's wife, as well as the armed clash between the guards and agents of the Secret Chancellery, as shown in the TV series "Catherine", did not happen in reality.

Catherine ordered the death of her husband. On the morning of June 28, 1762, while Peter was in Oranienbaum, Catherine, together with the Orlov brothers, arrived in St. Petersburg, where the guards and then the army swore allegiance to her. Peter saw that it was useless to resist, signed a renunciation and was taken into custody. He was sent to Ropsha, not far from the capital. A week later the emperor died. Rumors said that Alexei Orlov killed him, but no evidence of this was ever found. Officially, due to heavy drinking, Peter suffered from diarrhea and an attack of hemorrhoidal colic. An autopsy showed that Catherine’s husband had cardiac dysfunction, inflammation of the intestines and signs of apoplexy. The rumor of the murder came from a copy of Orlov's letter, but it turned out to be a late fake. Experts, based on evidence and documents, confirm the probable circulatory disorder of Peter III. The likelihood of a heart attack or stroke was indeed high.

Catherine was a great educator. During Catherine's reign, the territory of Russia grew significantly. But she herself did practically nothing to alleviate the plight of the population. Her attempts at government reform have become bogged down in bureaucracy. But the empress considered herself enlightened. She wrote many books, brochures, and educational materials designed to improve education in Russia. Catherine corresponded with Voltaire and other prominent figures of the era. She created one of the most impressive art collections - the Hermitage. The activities of the great enlightener were twofold. The need to change the existing order was implied, but at the same time Catherine could not allow shocks or infringement of the nobility. But she herself understood the tragic insurmountability of such a situation. It is correct to call her reign the era of enlightened absolutism.

Catherine died while trying to have sexual intercourse with a stallion. Myths about Catherine's numerous lovers grew into an even more scandalous legend. They say that they tried to drag a stallion onto the insatiable empress with the help of ropes, which ultimately became the cause of her death. In fact, there is no evidence of Catherine's affection for horses. And this myth itself even formed the basis of the 1983 German porn “Catherine and Her Wild Stallions.” The rumors themselves could have originated from revolutionary France, where similar gossip spread about Marie Antoinette.

Catherine died from injuries received from a chamber pot falling apart under her body. One of the most popular myths about Catherine's death is her death on the chamber pot. But the toilet in which the Empress lost her creation was one of the first full-fledged latrines in Europe with running water and a toilet. Catherine ordered the toilet seat for it to be made from the Polish throne of the Piast dynasty. On November 16, 1796, the Empress stayed in the restroom longer than usual in the morning. The valet opened the door and saw a body falling to the floor. The woman’s eyes were closed, her face was purple, and wheezing was coming from her throat. Catherine suffered a cerebral hemorrhage. They could not place the heavy body on the bed - the dying woman was placed on a morocco mattress directly on the floor. The doctors made efforts in vain to save the queen - she died in the evening of the next day.

The conspiracy is revealed! We are dead! - with such an exclamation, Princess Vorontsova-Dashkova burst into Catherine’s bedroom and froze on the threshold. The Empress washed her lace cuffs in a tub.

- Empress, what are you doing?!

Don't you see, I'm doing the laundry. What surprises you? I was not being prepared to be a Russian empress, but, God willing, to be the wife of some German prince. That’s why they taught us how to wash and cook.

Peter fell in love with the maid of honor Natalya Lopukhina, whose mother was Elizabeth’s personal enemy. Lopukhina Sr. was Anna Ioannovna’s favorite lady of state and pleased the Empress in every possible way, humiliating her hated daughter-in-law, Tsarevna Elizabeth. A historical anecdote has been preserved. Balls were often held in the Lopukhins' house. Elizabeth was also invited there. One day Lopukhina bribed Elizabeth’s maids and offered them a sample of yellow brocade with silver, from which the princess sewed herself a dress for the ball. When Elizabeth entered the living room, there was a burst of laughter. The walls, chairs, armchairs and sofas in the room were upholstered in the same yellow and silver brocade. The humiliated princess rushed out of the palace and sobbed for a long time in her bedroom. When Peter asked his reigning aunt for permission to marry Lopukhina’s daughter, Elizabeth decided to take revenge. She accused Lopukhina of treason, and the court sentenced the unfortunate countess to death. Elizabeth, with her “great mercy,” commuted the punishment. Lopukhina Sr. was shamefully flogged on Trinity Square, her tongue was cut out and she was exiled to Siberia. After this tragic story with the mother of his beloved, Tsarevich Peter lost his mind. But Catherine did not strive to please her husband: she quickly found solace in the arms of the Swedish envoy Count Polenberg. Empress Elizabeth turned a blind eye to the young couple's relationship: she needed an heir, but Catherine still could not get pregnant.

Meanwhile, in the bed of the eighteen-year-old crown princess, one favorite replaced another: Kirill Razumovsky, Stanislav Poniatovsky, Zakhar Chernyshev (brother of Andrei exiled abroad), Lev Naryshkin and the Saltykov brothers, who knew a lot about love. Their mother, nee Golitsyna, was famous throughout St. Petersburg for drunkenness and debauchery in the soldiers' barracks - there were rumors that she had three hundred lovers among the empress's grenadiers.

At the court of Catherine II in Russia, favoritism became a new position, as at the court of Louis XIV in France, and bed careerists were recognized as people who served the fatherland and the throne. For their loving efforts they received palaces and considerable financial resources from the Russian treasury. But Catherine was a passionate woman and could not live without a man. In her palace there was a special room with a huge bed. If necessary, a secret mechanism divided the bed into two parts by a wall - the favorite remained on the hidden half, and on the second the empress, not cooled down from love pleasures, received ambassadors and ministers. Catherine had a weakness for huge, gigantic men with a sensual face. Potential lovers were introduced to the empress by Chancellor Panin and Countess Bruce, who was called the “assay lady” at court. Panin was Catherine's constant lover - he was smart, not demanding, not jealous. He came to the empress's bedroom no more than once a week, and in his free time in his harem, consisting of serf concubines - every day he acquired a new girl, and gave away the tired ones to friends or sold them. For Catherine, he chose tall soldiers who were not distinguished by intelligence, so as not to create rivals for himself. One day Panin and Countess Bruce recommended the handsome Potemkin.

Catherine was embarrassed by the fact that the lieutenant general only had one eye (the second one was once knocked out by Grigory Orlov in a fit of jealousy), but the countess convinced Catherine that Potemkin was going crazy with love for the empress. After a night of love, Catherine promoted Potemkin to lieutenant general, gave him a magnificent palace and a million rubles for its improvement. This is how bed careers were made overnight under Catherine. But the imperial gifts seemed not enough to Potemkin - one day at dinner he demanded that Catherine make him a member of the State Council. Catherine was horrified:

But my friend, this is impossible!

Wonderful! Then I go to the monastery. The role of your kept woman does not suit me!

Catherine began to cry and left the table. Potemkin did not come to the room of favorites. Catherine cried all night, and the next morning Potemkin was appointed senator.

Once Potemkin went to St. Petersburg for several days on business. But the empress could not be left alone for long. Once in the Tsarskoye Selo Palace, Catherine woke up at night from the cold. It was winter, and all the wood in the fireplace burned out. She slept alone - Potemkin was on business in St. Petersburg. Not finding a servant behind the screen, Catherine went out into the corridor, along which the stoker was just walking with a bundle of firewood on his shoulders. The sight of this huge young Hercules, carrying firewood like a feather, took Catherine’s breath away.

Who are you?

Court stoker, Your Majesty!

Why haven't I seen you before? Light the fireplace in my bedroom.

The young man was delighted with such mercy from the empress and lit a huge fire in the fireplace. But Catherine remained dissatisfied:

Don't you understand how to keep the Empress warm?

And the stoker finally understood. And the next morning he received an order granting him hereditary nobility, ten thousand peasants, an order never to return to St. Petersburg and change his surname to Teplov - in memory of how he warmed the empress.

In her old age, Catherine reached the point of complete debauchery. Hefty men were no longer enough for her - and she turned her passion to a young gypsy girl given to her by Potemkin. There were rumors at court about how the empress treated her maids and young peasant women. At the final exam at the Smolny Institute, the Empress drew attention to the beautiful graduate, who turned out to be the daughter of Suvorov.

Give your daughter to me as a favorite.

Having heard about the adventures of the Empress, Suvorov replied:

Mother, if I die for you, I will die, but I won’t give you my Suvorochka!

The angry empress sent the old man and his daughter to their estate, forbidding him to appear at court - which was what Suvorov needed.

Twenty-year-old Lansky was accidentally seen by Potemkin and introduced to the empress. The young man had an angelic appearance: huge blue eyes filled with sadness, blond curls, a light blush on his cheeks and coral lips. He would have looked like a girl if not for his enormous height and broad shoulders. He accepted Catherine's attention as the care of a mother, and besides, he was too loyal to his state to refuse the empress anything. He was ashamed of his position as an imperial concubine, but over time he became attached to Catherine with all his heart. The Empress was touched by such reading love from an innocent young man who had never known women before her. Her aging heart was so jealous of Sashenka that Catherine locked her lover in several rooms, surrounding him with unheard-of luxury. The Empress awarded Lansky the title of count, vast lands, and tens of thousands of peasants. But the young man in love did not need ranks and wealth - he was probably the only favorite who loved the empress as a woman. And the Empress said to Potemkin:

My soul, I am going to marry Lansky.

What did he do to deserve such an honor?

He never cheated on me.

Potemkin lowered his eyes. He himself cheated on Catherine almost every day with different women.

A month later, Lanskoy fell ill in bed. And not a single court doctor could make an accurate diagnosis. Catherine knew that her lover was poisoned on behalf of Potemkin. Catherine wrote to her friend: “I, sobbing, have the misfortune to tell you that General Lansky is gone... and my room, which I loved so much before, has now turned into an empty cave.” After the death of her lover, the empress walked around the palace like a shadow. She abandoned all government affairs and did not receive anyone. It was so unlike her... Apparently, love, which she did not know in her youth, overtook her in old age. The only topic on which the empress kept up the conversation was about Alexander Lansky, the only place she visited was his grave. She spent many hours at Lansky's grave in anguish and tears. Potemkin was furious. Was he jealous - and of whom, of the dead man? In fits of anger, Potemkin circled like a kite among the guards officers. Finally, he chose Pyotr Ermolov, made him his adjutant and sent him to Catherine. His calculation was justified: Ermolov occupied the room of the favorites, which had been empty for almost six months. Still, Catherine was a woman, and the desire to love overpowered her grief over loss. Noticing that one of the ladies-in-waiting was secluded with Eromlov, Catherine ordered the soldiers to whip the aristocrat until she bled in the presence of the other eleven ladies-in-waiting - so as not to be disgraced. Ermolov was too stupid, arrogant and narcissistic, besides, he loved to play and often ran away from the empress to gaming houses and to prostitutes. His place was soon taken by another Potemkin adjutant, Alexander Mamonov.

“Priceless Sasha” - that’s what the Empress called Mamonova. But Sasha began to disappear somewhere more and more often. He was not there that ill-fated night when tired Catherine returned from the Council meeting. She waited for him half the night, but greeted him playfully:

Where, my dear sir, have you disappeared?

Mother Empress... - his tone and facial expression did not bode well. - You have always been kind to me, and I am frank with you. I can no longer carry out my duties at Your Majesty's side.

Catherine's face changed:

What's the matter, are you joking?

No way, Your Majesty. I fell in love with another and ask your gracious permission to marry her. Her name is Princess Shcherbatova.

What can an aging woman who has lost her former attractiveness answer when a young lover says that he fell in love with another, good and young woman?

I give you permission to get married. Moreover, I will arrange your wedding myself.

Lizanka Shcherbatova kissed the empress’s hands for her kindness. Catherine gave the newlyweds wedding rings with diamonds, three thousand souls of peasants, ten thousand rubles in gold. For some reason, the young bride was crying all the time under the aisle... Perhaps the empress forgave Count Mamonov’s betrayal, but the offended woman could not forgive her. Two weeks later, soldiers broke into the newlyweds' home. Mamonov was tied to a chair and gagged, and the soldiers abused the young countess, after which they whipped her until she was completely deformed. Lizanka miraculously survived. Count Mamonov took his sick wife abroad, never to return to Russia again.

Historical Myths: The Death of Catherine the Great

Myths

Catherine was crushed by a horse while trying to have intercourse with him (usually indicate a rupture of the harness and a breakdown of the lifting mechanism).
Catherine died on the toilet.

Is it true

Catherine was able to sleep in her bed because of her illness, and nothing in this was in any way connected with horses (there was no attempt to have sex with a horse at all).

How did these myths come about?

The death of Catherine II the Great while attempting to have sex with a horse is the most vicious myth whispered about in schoolyards in the Western world. And it's a shame that one of the strongest and most interesting women in history is known to be an indiscriminate person, and the combination of vicious rudeness and corresponding alienation makes this an excellent libel.

But if Catherine did not die during sex with a horse (I repeat: this could not have happened at all), then where did such a myth come from?

In past centuries, the easiest way to verbally annoy your female enemies was through sex. Marie Antoinette, the hated Queen of France, was subjected to a large number of obscene rumors about her sexual perversions, which are shameful and cannot be published here. There have always been a large number of rumors surrounding Catherine the Great regarding her sex life, but her insatiable sexual appetites, rather modest by today's standards, were quite inflated. Historians believe that the myth about Catherine originated in France shortly after her death among high-ranking nobles who tried to denigrate the life of the empress.

Portrait of Catherine II on horseback. Artist Vigilius Eriksen (clickable)

Myth about the toilet

However, in recent years another myth has emerged. After a little browsing on the Internet, you can find pages that refute Catherine's death because of a horse, while it is proven that the Grand Empress died on the toilet. Mostly such sites spread another myth that Catherine was too fat, that they even had to break down walls to get her body (this gossip was also born of Catherine’s enemies of those times). However, the toilet features prominently. Moreover, many quote lines from John Alexander’s biography of Catherine:

“After nine o’clock in the evening, the butler Zakhar Zotov, having not received the call he was waiting for, looked into the Empress’s bedroom, but saw no one there. In the office adjacent to the bedroom, he found the Empress lying on the floor. With two comrades, Zotov tried to help her get up, but she barely opened her eyes before uttering a faint groan, and fell into a state of unconsciousness from which she never emerged.” (Page 324, Catherine the Great John T. Alexandra, Oxford, 1989)

If you interpret the word “closet” (office) as “water closet” (another synonym for the word toilet), then the quote seems quite convincing. Unfortunately, this "fact" is not true, but is just a pathetic irony: the toilet is a fairly common place to die, to be honest, but still very humiliating, especially for the Grand Empress.

Is it true

Catherine may not have regained consciousness after the fall, but she still did not die. John Alexander's book (rarely quoted in entire paragraphs) describes how Catherine lay in her bed, how doctors tried to save her body, and the priests who said prayers tried to save her soul. She was constantly in pain; periodic convulsions caused extreme distress among her loved ones. About 12 hours had already passed since Zotov found her at nine o’clock in the evening, when Ekaterina died of natural causes in her bed, surrounded by friends and caregivers.