Are there any childhood portraits of Catherine 2. Childhood years

Portrait of Catherine II, F. S. Rokotov

• Years of life: May 2 (April 21), 1729 – November 17 (6), 1796
• Years of reign: July 9 (June 28), 1762 – November 17 (6), 1796
• Father and mother: Christian August of Anhalt-Zerbst and Johanna Elisabeth of Holstein-Gottorp.
• Spouse: .
• Children: Pavel (Paul I), Anna, Alexey Grigorievich Bobrinsky.

Catherine II ruled Russia from 1762 to 1796. She was born on April 21 (May 2 according to the new calendar) 1729 in Prussia in the city of Stettin (currently called Szczecin and part of Poland).

Catherine II Alekseevna: childhood and early years

At birth she was called Sophia Frederika August of Anhalt-Zerbst. Her father was Prince Christian August of Anhalt-Zerbst, who was in the service of the King of Prussia. And his mother, Johanna Elisabeth, was a cousin of Peter III.

Sofia was home-schooled, she was taught dance, foreign languages, history, geography, theology, etc. Since childhood, she was distinguished by perseverance, curiosity, independence and loved outdoor and active games. From an early age, Ekaterina had a strong character.

Catherine II in Russia

In 1744, Elizaveta Petrovna invited Sofia and her mother to Russia. Sofia immediately began to diligently study the language, traditions and customs of her new homeland. She even studied at night. On June 28, Sofia converted to Christianity and received a new name - Ekaterina Alekseevna.

From the very beginning, the marriage of Catherine and Peter was not successful. At first, he was not at all interested in his wife, he even said that he had another one. Catherine continued to actively engage in self-education: she studied the works of French enlighteners, jurisprudence, economics and history. Obviously, all this significantly influenced Catherine’s worldview and her policies: she was a supporter of the ideas of the Enlightenment. She also paid great attention to studying the traditions and customs of the Russian people. Catherine's pastimes included hunting, dancing and horseback riding.

The lack of relationship between the spouses led to the fact that Catherine had lovers. At the beginning of 1750, she started an affair with guard officer S.V. Saltykov. But despite the cold relationship between the spouses and their infidelity, Empress Elizabeth was unhappy with the lack of heirs.

Catherine had two unsuccessful pregnancies, but on September 20, 1754, she gave birth to a son, Pavel. There was an opinion that his real father was Saltykov, but evidence of these rumors was not presented. After the birth of the heir, Empress Elizabeth ordered him to be taken away immediately; his mother was not allowed to raise him. Catherine first saw Pavel only when he was already more than a month old.

After these events, the relationship between Peter and Catherine completely deteriorated, and he stopped hiding his mistresses. Catherine had a new affair with Stanislaw Poniatowski, who later became King of Poland.

On December 9, 1757, Anna was born, Catherine’s second child. Peter was unhappy because... suspected that he was not the father. The girl did not live long - only two years.

During this period, Catherine II's position became quite precarious. It was caused not only by the lack of marital relations, but also by the fact that Catherine corresponded with her close friend, the English Ambassador Williams. He repeatedly provided her with loans in exchange for information regarding political issues. Catherine promised him that in the future she would conclude a friendly alliance between Russia and England.

Elizaveta Petrovna was ill, and Catherine was preparing a conspiracy against her husband so that she would get the throne and not him. Catherine's supporters were Apraksin and Bestuzhev. But Elizabeth found out about this betrayal and arrested them; later Catherine had to look for new allies, who became Orlov G.G., Panin N.I., Dashkova E.R., Razumovsky K.G. etc.

She died on December 25, 1761, and Peter III ascended the throne. His relationship with his wife deteriorated even further: he began to live with his mistress Elizaveta Vorontsova, and settled his wife on the other side of the Winter Palace. During these events, Catherine had a love relationship with Grigory Orlov, with whom she gave birth to a son, Alexei Bobrinsky, in 1762. Of course, she had to hide the pregnancy, and the birth also took place secretly, since at that moment she hardly saw her husband.

Peter's actions in both foreign and domestic policy caused discontent. He concluded an agreement with Prussia and returned part of the lands to it, despite the fact that Russia won a number of battles in the Seven Years' War. In addition, he planned to move against Denmark together with Prussia. In addition, Peter III was going to abolish church landholdings, making them secular property, and change church rituals. In parallel with this, Catherine’s supporters won over the officers to their side.

Peter's actions led to the fact that he was considered unworthy to rule the state; he looked ignorant and disrespectful of tradition; Catherine, who planned to stage a coup, looked favorably against his background.

The reign of Catherine II. The essence of politics

On June 28, 1762, Catherine arrived in St. Petersburg, where the Izmailovsky regiments swore allegiance to her. At this time, Peter III was in Oranienbaum. Upon learning of the coup, he proposed negotiations, which were immediately rejected, so he was forced to abdicate. Catherine II became the head of state. But Peter did not give up trying to regain the throne; on July 17, 1762, he died.

Catherine, having become empress, issued a manifesto in which she justified the overthrow of Peter due to the conclusion of peace with Prussia and an attempt to carry out church reform. Peter's son Paul should become emperor, but the justification for Catherine's transition to power was the desire of the entire Russian people.

The reign of Catherine II is called the “golden age” of the Russian Empire. She knew how to select assistants well and was not afraid to surround herself with bright people; it was during her reign that many famous statesmen and creative people appeared.

In her politics, Catherine acted smoothly; she carried out a reform of the Senate, converted church lands into secular property, and made changes to the administrative and judicial spheres.

She believed it was important to educate the people she managed. It was during the reign of Catherine II that new educational institutions were opened, for the first time special for women, free printing houses were created, the Hermitage and the Public Library were opened. She loved writing, and during her life she wrote quite a few comedies, fairy tales, fables, and even librettos for operas.

Catherine II was categorically against serfdom, but she did not dare to abolish it, because... She understood that as a result she would lose the support of the nobility, and perhaps another coup would occur. In addition, the peasants were not educated and were not yet ready to live freely.

As for foreign policy, Catherine believed, as well as, that it was necessary to take an active position and act. First of all, she broke the agreement with Prussia, which was concluded by Peter III. Catherine II ensured that her protege Stanislav August Poniatowski took the Polish throne. Austria and Prussia offered Russia to divide the lands of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth; in case of disagreement, they threatened war. As a result, after three partitions, Russia received part of Belarus, Lithuanian provinces and Ukrainian lands.

From 1768 to 1792 there were Russian-Turkish wars, the result of which was the expansion of Russian territory at the expense of the lands of the Crimea, the North Caucasus and the Black Sea region. Relations with both Sweden and Prussia also normalized.

Catherine’s romances with each were short-lived: she lived with them for several years, after which she broke up. But she did not disgrace any of them; she rewarded them all with titles, good positions and money. It was under Catherine II that favoritism reached its peak.

Death of Catherine II

November 17 (November 6 according to the old calendar) Catherine II died. She was buried together with her husband Peter III (his ashes were transferred from the Winter Palace) in the Peter and Paul Cathedral.

Almost immediately a complete dissimilarity of character and upbringing is revealed. Georg may be half an hour, an hour late with a visit to both her and her brother Alexander. This infuriates Ekaterina terribly. One day the Prince of Wales was an hour and a half late, but a courtier came out to him and said that His Highness had arrived too early, Her Highness was taking a bath.
Meanwhile, one of George's brothers, Duke of Clarence, became seriously interested in the Russian beauty. If it weren’t for her prejudice against the boors of the English and she would eventually be the Queen of England
However, the enmity between Catherine and the English world was quite fierce. The wife of our ambassador in London, Daria Lieven (the sister of the future chief of gendarmes Benckendorff and the head of our station in Europe), writes about the sister of her king, in solidarity with the Prince of Wales: “She was very power-hungry and distinguished by enormous conceit. I have never met a woman who was so obsessed with the need to move, act, play a role and outshine others.”
“The need to move and play a role” led to the fact that in London, Catherine, casually, upset the emerging alliance of the heir to the Dutch throne with one of the English princesses and urgently reoriented it in favor of her younger sister Anna.
Moving further in the matrimonial direction, Catherine finds a groom for herself, this is her close relative, the heir to the throne of the Duchy of Württemberg, the handsome Wilhelm. For the sake of his beloved sister, Alexander assigns the status of a kingdom to Württemberg through the Congress of Vienna. (Moreover, Württemberg is the birthplace of Maria Feodorovna).
So, having flown past the Austrian, French and English crowns, Catherine still becomes the Queen of Württemberg (since 1816).
Her second marriage is successful in all respects. Spouses love each other passionately and sincerely. Both are engaged in the organization of their kingdom. It’s amazing: Catherine does so much for the prosperity of Württemberg that the inhabitants of this German land still honor her memory! Catherine’s motto: “Providing work is more important than giving alms” sounds acutely relevant today!
She gives her husband two daughters. One of them will eventually become the wife of Count Neiperg, the son of Marie-Louise and her second (after Napoleon) husband. No matter how hard the rope twists, the descendants of Catherine of Württemberg still had to become related to the Habsburgs (and to some extent to Bonaparte)
In 1818, Maria Feodorovna visited the capital of her kingdom and her hometown of Stuttgart. She is delighted with Catherine’s successes, with the happiness that reigns in their home, and leaves them with tears of tenderness to continue her voyage to the Courts of her daughters. Maria Feodorovna's path lies in Weimar. And here terrible news overtakes her: shortly after her departure on January 9, 1819, Catherine of Württemberg dies of transient meningitis.
She is not yet 32 ​​years old
King William still could not believe his loss; he was literally taken by force from his wife’s corpse
Catherine was buried outside the city in an Orthodox church, which still stands today. This church is connected not only with Russian history, but also with Russian culture. Many years later, the wedding of the 58-year-old poet V.A. Zhukovsky and the 17-year-old daughter of his friend Elizaveta Reitern took place here.
In 1994, all of Germany widely celebrated the 175th anniversary of the birth of Catherine of Württemberg. They remember her more there than at home

An incredible amount of myths, gossip and rumors always gather around historical figures, cultural figures, art and politics. The Russian Empress Catherine II was no exception. According to various sources, the children of Catherine II were born from her legal husband Peter III, favorites Grigory Orlov and Potemkin, as well as adviser Panin. Now it is difficult to say which rumors are true and which are fiction, and how many children Catherine II had.

Children of Catherine II and Peter III

Pavel Petrovich- the first child of Catherine II from Peter III, was born on September 20 (October 1), 1754 in the Summer Imperial Palace in St. Petersburg. Present at the birth of the heir to the empire were the current Empress of Russia Elizaveta Petrovna, the future Emperor Peter III and the Shuvalov brothers. The birth of Paul was an extremely important and anticipated event for the empress, so Elizabeth organized festivities on this occasion and took all the troubles of raising the heir upon herself. The Empress hired a whole staff of nannies and educators, completely isolating the child from his parents. Catherine II had almost no contact with Pavel Petrovich and had no opportunity to influence his upbringing.

It should be noted that the heir’s father doubted his paternity, although Catherine II herself categorically denied all suspicions. There were doubts at court as well. Firstly, the child appeared after 10 years of marriage, when everyone at court was sure of the couple’s infertility. Secondly, it is not known for certain what caused the long-awaited pregnancy of Catherine II: the successful cure of Peter III from phimosis through surgery (as the empress claims in her memoirs) or the appearance at court of the noble handsome man Sergei Saltykov, Catherine’s first favorite. To be fair, it is worth noting that Pavel had an extreme external resemblance to Peter III and was completely different from Saltykov.

Anna Petrovna

Princess Anna was born on December 9 (20), 1757 in the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg. As in the case of Paul, Empress Elizabeth immediately took the baby to her chambers for upbringing, forbidding her parents to visit her. In honor of the birth of a girl, 101 shots were fired from the Peter and Paul Fortress around midnight. The baby was named Anna in honor of the Empress Elizabeth's sister, although Catherine intended to name her daughter Elizabeth. The baptism was carried out almost secretly: there were no guests or representatives of other powers, and the empress herself entered the church through a side door. For the birth of Anna, both parents received 60,000 rubles, which greatly delighted Peter and offended Catherine. The children of Catherine II from Peter grew up and were raised by strangers - nannies and teachers, which deeply saddened the future empress, but completely suited the current empress.

Stanislav August Poniatowski

Peter doubted his paternity and did not hide it; there were rumors at court that the real father was Stanislav Poniatowski, the future king of Poland. Anna lived for just over a year and died after a short illness. For Catherine II, the death of her daughter was a strong blow.

Illegitimate children

Children of Catherine II and Grigory Orlov

Alexey Bobrinsky

The relationship between Catherine II and Grigory Orlov was quite long, so many are inclined to the idea that the empress gave birth to several children about the count. However, information has been preserved about only one child - Alexei Bobrinsky. It is unknown whether Orlov and Catherine II had any more children, but Alexei is the official offspring of the couple. The boy became the first illegitimate child of the future empress and was born on April 11-12 (22), 1762 in the Summer Palace in St. Petersburg.

Immediately after birth, the boy was transferred to the family of Vasily Shkurin, Catherine’s wardrobe master, where he was brought up with Vasily’s other sons. Orlov recognized his son and secretly visited the boy with Catherine. The son of Catherine II from Grigory Orlov, despite all the efforts of his parents, grew up to be a mediocre and infantile man. Bobrinsky’s fate cannot be called tragic - he received a good education, arranged his life well with government funding, and even maintained friendly relations with his brother Pavel after his coronation.

Other children of Orlov and Catherine II

In various sources you can find references to other children of the empress and favorite, but there is not a single fact or document confirming their existence. Some historians are inclined to believe that Catherine II had several failed pregnancies, while others talk about stillborn children or those who died in infancy. There is also a version about Grigory Orlov’s illness and his inability to bear children after it. However, the count, having married, became a father again.

Children of Catherine II and Grigory Potemkin

Just like with Orlov, Catherine II had a close relationship with Potemkin for a long time, which is why there are many myths around this union. According to one version, Prince Potemkin and Catherine II had a daughter, born on July 13, 1775 in the Prechistensky Palace in Moscow. Existence itself Elizaveta Grigorievna Tyomkina There is no doubt - such a woman really existed, she even left behind 10 children. Tyomkina's portrait can be seen in the Tretyakov Gallery. What’s more important is that the woman’s origins are unknown.

The main reason for doubt that Elizabeth is the daughter of Potemkin and the Empress is the age of Catherine II at the time of the girl’s birth: at that time the Empress was about 45 years old. At the same time, the baby was handed over to the family of the prince’s sister, and Potemkin appointed his nephew as her guardian. The girl received a good education, Grigory allocated significant sums for her maintenance and worked hard for the marriage of his intended daughter. In this case, it is more obvious that Elizabeth’s father was Grigory Potemkin, while her mother could well have been one of his favorites, and not Empress Catherine.

Other illegitimate children of Catherine II

It is not known for certain how many children Empress Catherine II had and what their fate was. Different sources name different numbers of children and mention different fathers. According to some versions, miscarriages and stillborn babies were attributed to Catherine’s union with Potemkin, as well as with Orlov, but no evidence of this has survived.

The Russian Empress Catherine the Second, also known as the Great, reigned from 1762 to 1796. Through her own efforts, she significantly expanded the Russian Empire, significantly improved the administration system and energetically pursued a policy of Westernization, which implied the process of transition to Western ideas and traditions. During the time of Catherine the Great, Russia became a fairly large country. It could compete with the great powers of Europe and Asia.

The childhood of the future great empress

Catherine the Second, born Sophia Frederike Auguste, was born on April 21, 1729 in the small German principality of Stettin, Prussia (now Szczecin, Poland). Her father, Christian August of Anhalt-Zerbst, was the prince of this tiny domain. He made a military career under Frederick William the First.

Catherine's mother is Princess Elisabeth of Holstein-Gottorp. The girl's parents really hoped for an heir, and therefore did not show much affection for their daughter. Instead, they devoted most of their time and energy to their son Wilhelm, who sadly later died at the age of twelve.

Receiving an education and intimacy with the governess

As a child, the future Catherine the Second was very close to her governess Babette. Subsequently, the empress always spoke warmly of her. The girl's education consisted of those subjects that were necessary for her status and origin. This is religion (Lutheranism), history, French, German and even Russian, which will be very useful later. And, of course, music.

This is how Catherine the Great spent her childhood. Briefly describing her years in her homeland, we can say that nothing unusual could happen to the girl. Life seemed very boring to the growing Catherine, and she did not know then that an exciting adventure awaited her - a journey to a distant, harsh land.

Arrival in Russia, or the beginning of family life

As soon as Catherine grew up, her mother saw in her daughter a means of moving up the social ladder and improving the situation in the family. She had many relatives, and this helped her to conduct a thorough search for a suitable groom. At the same time, Catherine the Great's life was so monotonous that she saw in this upcoming marriage an excellent means of getting away from her mother's control.

When Catherine turned fifteen, Empress Elizabeth Petrovna invited her to Russia so that she could become the wife of the heir to the throne, Grand Duke Peter the Third. He was an immature and unpleasant sixteen-year-old boy. As soon as the girl arrived in Russia, she immediately fell ill with pleurisy, which almost killed her.

Elizabeth survived thanks to frequent bloodletting, which she insisted on. But her mother was against this practice, and because of this she fell into disgrace with the empress. However, as soon as Catherine recovered and accepted the Orthodox faith, despite the objections of her father, a devoted Lutheran, she and the young prince married. And along with the new religion, the girl received another name - Katerina. All these events took place in 1745, and this is how the story of Catherine the Great began.

Years of family life, or How a spouse plays toy soldiers

Having become a member of the royal family on August 21, Catherine began to bear the title of princess. But her marriage turned out to be completely unhappy. Catherine the Great's husband was an immature youth who, instead of spending time with his own wife, preferred to play with soldiers. And the future empress spent her time entertaining herself with other pastimes and reading.

The Count, who was Catherine's chamberlain, knew the memoirist James Boswell well, and he informed the Count of the details of the monarch's intimate life. Some of these rumors contained information that shortly after his marriage, Peter took Elizaveta Vorontsova as his mistress. But after that I didn’t remain in debt. She was seen in relationships with Sergei Saltykov, Grigory Orlov, Stanislav Poniatovsky and others.

The appearance of the long-awaited heir

Several years passed before the future empress gave birth to an heir. Catherine the Great's son, Pavel, was born on September 20, 1754. The paternity of this child has been the subject of endless debate. There are many scientists who believe that in fact the boy's father is not the husband of Catherine the Great, but Sergei Saltykov, a Russian nobleman and member of the court. Others claimed that the baby looked like Peter, who was his father.

In any case, Catherine did not have time for her first-born, and soon Elizaveta Petrovna took him into her care. Despite the fact that the marriage was unsuccessful, this did not overshadow Catherine’s intellectual and political interests. The bright young woman continued to read a lot, especially in French. She loved novels, plays and poetry, but was most interested in the works of major figures of the French Enlightenment, such as Diderot, Voltaire and Montesquieu.

Catherine soon became pregnant with her second child, Anna, who would live only four months. The children of Catherine the Great, due to various rumors about the debauchery of the future empress, did not evoke warm feelings in Peter the Third. The man doubted that he was their biological father. Of course, Catherine rejected such accusations from her husband and preferred to spend most of her time in her boudoir to hide from his obnoxious character.

One step from the throne

After the death of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, who died on December 25, 1761, Catherine's husband ascended the throne, becoming Peter the Third, while Catherine herself received the title of Empress. But the couple still lived separately. The Empress had nothing to do with the reign. Peter was openly cruel to his wife. He ruled the state together with his mistresses.

But Catherine the Great was a very ambitious woman with enormous intellectual abilities. She hoped that over time she would eventually come to power and rule Russia. Unlike her husband, Catherine tried to demonstrate her devotion to the state and the Orthodox faith. As she correctly assumed, this helped her not only take a place on the throne, but also gain the necessary support of the Russian people.

Conspiracy against your own spouse

Within just a few months of his reign, Peter the Third managed to get a bunch of enemies in the government among the military and especially church ministers. On the night of June 28, 1762, Catherine the Great entered into an agreement with her lover Grigory Orlov, left the palace and went to the Izmailovsky regiment, where she gave a speech to the soldiers in which she asked to protect her from her own husband.

This is how a conspiracy was carried out against Peter the Third. The ruler was forced to sign a document of abdication, and Catherine the Great's son, Paul, ascended the throne. The empress was supposed to remain with him as a regent until he came of age. And Peter, soon after his arrest, was strangled by his own guards. Perhaps it was Catherine who ordered the murder, but there is no evidence of her guilt.

Dreams Come True

From this time on, the reign of Catherine the Great began. In the first years, she devotes maximum time to ensuring the firmness of her position on the throne. Catherine understood perfectly well that there were people who considered her a usurper who had seized someone else’s power. Therefore, she actively used the slightest opportunities to win the favor of the nobles and military.

In terms of foreign policy, Catherine the Great understood that Russia needed a long period of peace in order to concentrate on domestic problems. And this peace could only be achieved through a cautious foreign policy. And to conduct it, Catherine chose Count Nikita Panin, who was very knowledgeable in matters of foreign affairs.

The unsettled personal life of Empress Catherine

The portrait of Catherine the Great shows us her as a woman of rather pleasant appearance, and it is not at all surprising that the personal life of the empress was very varied.

Catherine could not remarry because it would have jeopardized her position.

According to most researchers, the history of Catherine the Great includes about twelve lovers, whom she often presented with various gifts, honors and titles in order to win their favor.

Favorites, or How to ensure your old age

After Catherine’s affair with adviser Grigory Alexandrovich Potemkin ended, and this happened in 1776, the Empress chose a man who had not only physical beauty, but also excellent mental abilities. It was Alexander Dmitriev-Mamonov. Many of the empress's lovers treated her very kindly, and Catherine the Great always demonstrated generosity towards them even after all relationships were completed.

So, for example, one of her lovers - Pyotr Zavadovsky - received fifty thousand rubles, a pension of five thousand and four thousand peasants after their relationship ended (this happened in 1777). The last of her many lovers was Prince Zubov, who was forty years younger than the Empress.

What about the children of Catherine the Great? Is it really possible that among so many favorites there was no one who gave her another son or daughter? Or did Paul remain her only descendant?

Children of Catherine the Great, born from favorites

When Empress Elizaveta Petrovna died, Catherine was six months pregnant with Grigory Orlov's child. The baby was born in secret on April 11, 1762 in a remote part of the palace. Her marriage to Peter the Third was completely destroyed at that time, and he often showed off at court with his mistress.

Catherine's chamberlain Vasily Shkurin and his wife took the child to their house. The reign of Catherine the Great began when the boy was only a few months old. He was returned to the palace. The baby began to enjoy a normal childhood under the control of his parents - Empress Catherine and Gregory. Orlov began to use the child in an attempt to push Catherine towards marriage.

She thought very long and hard, but still accepted the advice of Panin, who said that Mrs. Orlova would never be allowed to rule the Russian state. And Catherine did not dare to marry Grigory Orlov. When Alexey became a teenager, he went to travel abroad. The journey continued for ten years. After returning to Russia, the son received an estate as a gift from his mother and began studying in the Holy Cadet Corps.

The influence of favorites on state affairs

According to other historical data, the Empress gave birth to a boy and a girl from Poniatowski, but these children of Catherine the Great lived only about sixteen months. They were never publicly acknowledged. Most came from noble families and managed to build distinguished political careers. For example, Stanisław Poniatowski became King of Poland in 1764.

But none of Catherine’s lovers used their status enough to influence public policy. With the exception of Grigory Potemkin, with whom Catherine the Great had very deep feelings. Many experts even claim that a secret marriage took place between the Empress and Potemkin in 1774.

Catherine the Great, whose years of reign brought significant benefits to the Russian state, remained a loving and beloved woman throughout her life.

Main services to the Russian state

And although love was an important part of Catherine’s life, feelings never overshadowed political interests. The Empress always worked hard to master the Russian language to the point of completely eliminating her accent, absorbed Russian culture and customs, and meticulously studied the history of the empire. Catherine the Great indicates that she was a very competent ruler.

During her reign, Catherine expanded the borders of the Russian Empire to the south and west by almost 520,000 square kilometers. The state became the dominant force in southeastern Europe. Numerous victories on the military front allowed the empire to gain access to the Black Sea.

Moreover, in 1768, the Bank of Assignation was entrusted with the task of issuing the first government paper money. Similar institutions opened in St. Petersburg and Moscow, and then bank branches were created in other cities.

Catherine paid great attention to the education and upbringing of young people of both sexes. The Moscow Orphanage was opened, and soon the Empress established Smolny. She studied pedagogical theories in the practice of other countries and initiated many educational reforms. And it was Catherine who laid down the commitment to open schools in the provincial parts of the Russian Empire.

The Empress constantly patronized the cultural life of the country, and also demonstrated devotion to the Orthodox faith and the state. She paid maximum attention to expanding educational institutions and increasing the economic power of the country. But who ruled after Catherine the Great? Who continued her path in the development of the state?

The last days of the reign. Possible heirs to the throne

For several decades, Catherine II was the absolute ruler of the Russian state. But all this time she had a very strained relationship with her own son, the heir Pavel. The Empress understood perfectly well that it was impossible to transfer power into the hands of her son.

Catherine the Great, whose reign ended in mid-November 1796, decided to make her grandson Alexander her successor. It was in him that she saw the future ruler and treated him very warmly. The Empress prepared her grandson for the reign in advance, engaging in his education. Moreover, she even managed to marry Alexander, which meant reaching adulthood and the opportunity to take a place on the throne.

Despite this, after the death of Catherine the Second, with the help of the next son of the Empress, Paul the First, took the place of heir to the throne. Thus, he became the one who ruled after Catherine the Great for five years.

The Golden Age, the Age of Catherine, the Great Reign, the heyday of absolutism in Russia - this is how historians have designated and continue to designate the time of the reign of Russia by Empress Catherine II (1729-1796)

“Her reign was successful. As a conscientious German, Catherine worked diligently for the country that gave her such a good and profitable position. She naturally saw the happiness of Russia in the greatest possible expansion of the boundaries of the Russian state. By nature she was smart and cunning, well versed in the intrigues of European diplomacy. Cunning and flexibility were the basis of what in Europe, depending on the circumstances, was called the policy of Northern Semiramis or the crimes of Moscow Messalina.” (M. Aldanov “Devil's Bridge”)

Years of reign of Russia by Catherine the Great 1762-1796

Catherine the Second's real name was Sophia Augusta Frederika of Anhalt-Zerbst. She was the daughter of the Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst, the commandant of the city of Stettin, which was located in Pomerania, a region subject to the Kingdom of Prussia (today the Polish city of Szczecin), who represented “a side line of one of the eight branches of the house of Anhalst.”

“In 1742, the Prussian king Frederick II, wanting to annoy the Saxon court, which hoped to marry his princess Maria Anna to the heir to the Russian throne, Peter Karl-Ulrich of Holstein, who suddenly became Grand Duke Peter Fedorovich, began hastily looking for another bride for the Grand Duke.

The Prussian king had three German princesses in mind for this purpose: two from Hesse-Darmstadt and one from Zerbst. The latter was the most suitable in age, but Friedrich knew nothing about the fifteen-year-old bride herself. They only said that her mother, Johanna Elisabeth, led a very frivolous lifestyle and that it is unlikely that little Fike was really the daughter of the Zerbst prince Christian Augustus, who served as governor in Stetin.”

How long, short, but in the end the Russian Empress Elizaveta Petrovna chose little Fike as a wife for her nephew Karl-Ulrich, who became Grand Duke Peter Fedorovich in Russia, the future Emperor Peter III.

Biography of Catherine II. Briefly

• 1729, April 21 (Old style) - Catherine the Second was born
• 1742, December 27 - on the advice of Frederick II, the mother of Princess Ficken (Fike) sent a letter to Elizabeth with New Year congratulations
• 1743, January - kind reply letter
• 1743, December 21 - Johanna Elisabeth and Ficken received a letter from Brumner, the teacher of Grand Duke Peter Fedorovich, with an invitation to come to Russia

“Your Grace,” Brummer wrote meaningfully, “are too enlightened not to understand the true meaning of the impatience with which Her Imperial Majesty wishes to see you here as soon as possible, as well as your princess daughter, about whom rumor has told us so many good things.”

• 1743, December 21 - on the same day a letter from Frederick II was received in Zerbst. The Prussian king... persistently advised to go and keep the trip strictly secret (so that the Saxons would not find out ahead of time)
• 1744, February 3 - German princesses arrived in St. Petersburg
• 1744, February 9 - the future Catherine the Great and her mother arrived in Moscow, where the court was located at that moment
• 1744, February 18 - Johanna Elisabeth sent a letter to her husband with the news that their daughter was the bride of the future Russian Tsar
• 1745, June 28 - Sofia Augusta Frederica converted to Orthodoxy and new name Catherine
• 1745, August 21 - marriage of Catherine
• 1754, September 20 - Catherine gave birth to a son, heir to the throne Paul
• 1757, December 9 - Catherine gave birth to a daughter, Anna, who died 3 months later
• 1761, December 25 - Elizaveta Petrovna died. Peter the Third became Tsar

“Peter the Third was the son of the daughter of Peter I and the grandson of the sister of Charles XII. Elizabeth, having ascended the Russian throne and wanting to secure it behind her father’s line, sent Major Korf with instructions to take her nephew from Kiel and deliver him to St. Petersburg at all costs. Here the Holstein Duke Karl-Peter-Ulrich was transformed into Grand Duke Peter Fedorovich and forced to study the Russian language and the Orthodox catechism. But nature was not as favorable to him as fate... He was born and grew up as a frail child, poorly endowed with abilities. Having become an orphan at an early age, Peter in Holstein received a worthless upbringing under the guidance of an ignorant courtier.

Humiliated and embarrassed in everything, he acquired bad tastes and habits, became irritable, cantankerous, stubborn and false, acquired a sad inclination to lie..., and in Russia he also learned to get drunk. In Holstein he was taught so poorly that he came to Russia as a 14-year-old complete ignoramus and even amazed Empress Elizabeth with his ignorance. The rapid change of circumstances and educational programs completely confused his already fragile head. Forced to learn this and that without connection and order, Peter ended up learning nothing, and the dissimilarity of the Holstein and Russian situations, the meaninglessness of the Kiel and St. Petersburg impressions completely weaned him from understanding his surroundings. ...He was fascinated by the military glory and strategic genius of Frederick II...” (V. O. Klyuchevsky “Course of Russian History”)

• 1761, April 13 - Peter made peace with Frederick. All lands seized by Russia from Prussia during the course were returned to the Germans
• 1761, May 29 - union treaty between Prussia and Russia. Russian troops were transferred to the disposal of Frederick, which caused sharp discontent among the guards

(The flag of the guard) “became the empress. The emperor lived badly with his wife, threatened to divorce her and even imprison her in a monastery, and in her place put a person close to him, the niece of Chancellor Count Vorontsov. Catherine stayed aloof for a long time, patiently enduring her situation and not entering into direct relations with the dissatisfied.” (Klyuchevsky)

• 1761, June 9 - at the ceremonial dinner on the occasion of the confirmation of this peace treaty, the emperor proposed a toast to the imperial family. Catherine drank her glass while sitting. When Peter asked why she did not stand up, she replied that she did not consider it necessary, since the imperial family consists entirely of the emperor, herself and their son, the heir to the throne. “And my uncles, the Holstein princes?” - Peter objected and ordered Adjutant General Gudovich, who was standing behind his chair, to approach Catherine and say a swear word to her. But, fearing that Gudovich might soften this uncivil word during the transfer, Peter himself shouted it across the table for all to hear.

  The Empress burst into tears. That same evening it was ordered to arrest her, which, however, was not carried out at the request of one of Peter’s uncles, the unwitting culprits of this scene. From that time on, Catherine began to listen more attentively to the proposals of her friends, which were made to her, starting from the very death of Elizabeth. The enterprise was sympathized with by many people from high society in St. Petersburg, most of whom were personally offended by Peter

• 1761, June 28 - . Catherine is proclaimed empress
• 1761, June 29 - Peter the Third abdicated the throne
• 1761, July 6 - killed in prison
• 1761, September 2 - Coronation of Catherine II in Moscow
• 1787, January 2-July 1 -
• 1796, November 6 - death of Catherine the Great

Domestic policy of Catherine II

- Changes in central government: in 1763, the structure and powers of the Senate were streamlined
- Liquidation of the autonomy of Ukraine: liquidation of the hetmanate (1764), liquidation of the Zaporozhye Sich (1775), serfdom of the peasantry (1783)
- Further subordination of the church to the state: secularization of church and monastic lands, 900 thousand church serfs became state serfs (1764)
- Improving legislation: a decree on tolerance for schismatics (1764), the right of landowners to send peasants to hard labor (1765), the introduction of a noble monopoly on distilling (1765), a ban on peasants filing complaints against landowners (1768), the creation of separate courts for nobles, townspeople and peasants (1775), etc.
- Improving the administrative system of Russia: dividing Russia into 50 provinces instead of 20, dividing provinces into districts, dividing power in provinces by function (administrative, judicial, financial) (1775);
- Strengthening the position of the nobility (1785):

• confirmation of all class rights and privileges of the nobility: exemption from compulsory service, from poll tax, corporal punishment; the right to unlimited disposal of estate and land together with the peasants;
• the creation of noble estate institutions: district and provincial noble assemblies, which met once every three years and elected district and provincial leaders of the nobility;
• assigning the title of “noble” to the nobility.

“Catherine the Second well understood that she could stay on the throne only by pleasing the nobility and officers in every possible way - in order to prevent or at least reduce the danger of a new palace conspiracy. This is what Catherine did. Her entire internal policy boiled down to ensuring that the life of the officers at her court and in the guards units was as profitable and pleasant as possible.”

- Economic innovations: establishment of a financial commission to unify money; establishment of a commission on commerce (1763); manifesto on the general demarcation to fix land plots; establishment of the Free Economic Society to assist noble entrepreneurship (1765); financial reform: introduction of paper money - assignats (1769), creation of two assignat banks (1768), issue of the first Russian external loan (1769); establishment of the postal department (1781); permission for private individuals to open a printing house (1783)

Foreign policy of Catherine II

• 1764 - Treaty with Prussia
• 1768-1774 — Russian-Turkish War
• 1778 - Restoration of the alliance with Prussia
• 1780 - union of Russia and Denmark. and Sweden for the purpose of protecting navigation during the American Revolutionary War
• 1780 - Defensive Alliance of Russia and Austria
• 1783, April 8 -
• 1783, August 4 - establishment of a Russian protectorate over Georgia
• 1787-1791 —
• 1786, December 31 - trade agreement with France
• 1788 June - August - war with Sweden
• 1792 - severance of relations with France
• 1793, March 14 - Treaty of Friendship with England
• 1772, 1193, 1795 - participation together with Prussia and Austria in the partitions of Poland
• 1796 - war in Persia in response to the Persian invasion of Georgia

Personal life of Catherine II. Briefly

“Catherine, by nature, was neither evil nor cruel... and overly power-hungry: all her life she was invariably under the influence of successive favorites, to whom she gladly ceded her power, interfering in their disposal of the country only when they very clearly showed their inexperience, inability or stupidity: she was smarter and more experienced in business than all her lovers, with the exception of Prince Potemkin.
There was nothing excessive in Catherine’s nature, except for a strange mixture of the coarsest sensuality that grew stronger over the years with purely German, practical sentimentality. At sixty-five years old, she, as a girl, fell in love with twenty-year-old officers and sincerely believed that they were also in love with her. In her seventh decade, she cried bitter tears when it seemed to her that Platon Zubov was more restrained with her than usual.”(Mark Aldanov)