Catherine II – the Great Russian empress, whose reign became the most significant period in Russian history. The era of Catherine the Great is marked by a “golden age” Russian Empire, cultural and political culture which the queen raised to European level. The biography of Catherine II is full of light and dark stripes, numerous plans and achievements, as well as a stormy personal life, about which films are made and books are written to this day.
Catherine II was born on May 2 (April 21, old style) 1729 in Prussia in the family of the governor of Stettin, Prince of Zerbst and the Duchess of Holstein-Gottorp. Despite the rich pedigree, the princess's family had no significant state, but this did not stop parents from providing home schooling for his daughter, without much ceremony with her upbringing. At the same time, the future Russian empress high level I learned English, Italian and French, mastered dancing and singing, and also gained knowledge about the basics of history, geography and theology.
As a child, the young princess was a playful and curious child with a pronounced “boyish” character. She did not show any special mental abilities and did not demonstrate her talents, but she helped her mother a lot in raising her younger sister Augusta, which suited both parents. IN early years Mother's name was Catherine II Fike, which means little Federica.
At the age of 15, it became known that the Zerbst princess had been chosen as a bride for her heir, Peter Fedorovich, who later became the Russian Emperor. In this regard, the princess and her mother were secretly invited to Russia, where they went under the name of the Countesses of Rhinebeck. The girl immediately began studying Russian history, language and Orthodoxy in order to learn more fully about her new homeland. Soon she converted to Orthodoxy and was named Ekaterina Alekseevna, and the next day she became engaged to Pyotr Fedorovich, who was her second cousin.
Palace coup and ascension to the throne
After the wedding with Peter III, practically nothing changed in the life of the future Russian empress - she continued to devote herself to self-education, studying philosophy, jurisprudence and the works of world-famous authors, since her husband showed absolutely no interest in her and openly had fun with other ladies in front of her eyes. After nine years of marriage, when the relationship between Peter and Catherine went completely wrong, the queen gave birth to an heir to the throne, who was immediately taken away from her and was practically not allowed to see him.
Then a plan to overthrow her husband from the throne matured in the head of Catherine the Great. She subtly, clearly and prudently organized a palace coup, in which she was helped by the English Ambassador Williams and the Chancellor of the Russian Empire, Count Alexei Bestuzhev.
It soon turned out that both proxies the future Russian empress was betrayed. But Catherine did not abandon her plan and found new allies in its implementation. They were the Orlov brothers, adjutant Khitrov and sergeant Potemkin. Took part in the organization palace coup and foreigners who provided sponsorship for bribery the right people.
In 1762, the Empress was completely ready to take a decisive step - she went to St. Petersburg, where the guards units, who by that time were already dissatisfied, swore allegiance to her military policy Emperor Peter III. After this, he abdicated the throne, was taken into custody and soon died under unknown circumstances. Two months later, on September 22, 1762, Sophia Frederica Augusta of Anhalt-Zerbst was crowned in Moscow and became Empress Catherine II of Russia.
Reign and achievements of Catherine II
From the very first day of her ascension to the throne, the queen clearly formulated her royal tasks and began to actively implement them. She quickly formulated and carried out reforms in the Russian Empire, which affected all spheres of life of the population. Catherine the Great pursued a policy that took into account the interests of all classes, which won the enormous support of her subjects.
To pull the Russian Empire out of the financial quagmire, the tsarina carried out secularization and took away the lands of churches, turning them into secular property. This made it possible to pay off the army and replenish the treasury of the empire by 1 million peasant souls. At the same time, she managed to quickly establish trade in Russia, doubling the number industrial enterprises in the country. Thanks to this, the amount of government revenue increased fourfold, the empire was able to maintain a large army and begin the development of the Urals.
As for Catherine’s domestic policy, today it is called “absolutism”, because the empress tried to achieve “ common good» for society and the state. The absolutism of Catherine II was marked by the adoption of new legislation, which was adopted on the basis of the “Order of Empress Catherine,” containing 526 articles. Due to the fact that the queen’s policy was still “pro-noble” in nature, from 1773 to 1775 she was faced with a peasant uprising led by. Peasants' War covered almost the entire empire, but the state army was able to suppress the rebellion and arrest Pugachev, who was subsequently executed.
In 1775, Catherine the Great held territorial division empire and expanded Russia into 11 provinces. During her reign, Russia acquired Azov, Kiburn, Kerch, Crimea, Kuban, as well as part of Belarus, Poland, Lithuania and western part Volyn. At the same time, elected courts were introduced in the country, which dealt with criminal and civil cases of the population.
In 1785, the Empress organized local government by city. At the same time, Catherine II established a clear set of noble privileges - she freed the nobles from paying taxes, compulsory military service, and gave them the right to own lands and peasants. Thanks to the empress, a secondary education system was introduced in Russia, for which special closed schools, institutes for girls, and educational homes were built. In addition, Catherine founded Russian Academy, which has become one of the leading European scientific bases.
Special attention During her reign, Catherine devoted development Agriculture. Under her, for the first time in Russia, bread began to be sold, which the population could buy with paper money, also introduced into use by the empress. Also among the valor of the monarch is the introduction of vaccination in Russia, which made it possible to prevent epidemics of fatal diseases in the country, thereby maintaining the population.
During her reign, Catherine the Second survived 6 wars, in which she received the desired trophies in the form of lands. Her foreign policy is considered by many to this day to be immoral and hypocritical. But the woman managed to go down in Russian history as a powerful monarch who became an example of patriotism for future generations of the country, despite the absence of even a drop of Russian blood in her.
Personal life
The personal life of Catherine II is legendary even before today arouses interest. The Empress was committed to “free love,” which was a consequence of her bad marriage with Peter III.
The love stories of Catherine the Great are marked in history by a series of scandals, and the list of her favorites contains 23 names, as evidenced by data from authoritative Catherine scholars.
The most famous lovers of the monarch were Platon Zubov, who at the age of 20 became the favorite of 60-year-old Catherine the Great. Historians do not rule out that love affairs The empresses were her kind of weapon, with the help of which she carried out her activities on the royal throne.
It is known that Catherine the Great had three children - a son from her legal marriage with Peter III, Pavel Petrovich, Alexey Bobrinsky, born from Orlov, and a daughter, Anna Petrovna, who died of illness at the age of one.
IN last years throughout her life, the empress devoted herself to caring for her grandchildren and heirs, as she was in bad relationship with his son Pavel. She wanted to transfer power and the crown to her eldest grandson, whom she personally prepared for the royal throne. But her plans were not destined to happen, since her legal heir learned about his mother’s plan and carefully prepared for the fight for the throne.
The death of Catherine II occurred according to the new style on November 17, 1796. The Empress died from a severe stroke; she tossed about in agony for several hours and, without regaining consciousness, passed away in agony. She was buried in the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg.
Movies
The image of Catherine the Great is very often used in modern cinema. Her bright and rich biography is taken as a basis by screenwriters all over the world, since the great Russian Empress Catherine II had a stormy life filled with intrigues, conspiracies, romance novels and the struggle for the throne, but at the same time she became one of the most worthy rulers of the Russian Empire.
In 2015, a fascinating historical show started in Russia, for the script of which facts were taken from the diaries of the queen herself, who turned out to be a “male ruler” by nature, and not a feminine mother and wife.
CATHERINE II the Great(1729-96), Russian empress (from 1762). German princess Sophia Frederica Augusta of Anhalt-Zerbst. Since 1744 - in Russia. Since 1745, the wife of Grand Duke Peter Fedorovich, the future emperor, whom she overthrew from the throne (1762), relying on the guard (G. G. and A. G. Orlovs and others). She reorganized the Senate (1763), secularized the lands (1763-64), and abolished the hetmanate in Ukraine (1764). She headed the Statutory Commission 1767-69. During her reign, the Peasants' War of 1773-75 took place. Published the Institution for governing the province in 1775, Certificate of Complaint to the nobility in 1785 and a Charter to the cities in 1785. Under Catherine II, as a result of the Russian-Turkish wars of 1768-74, 1787-91, Russia finally gained a foothold in the Black Sea, the North was annexed. Black Sea region, Crimea, Kuban region. Accepted Vostochny under Russian citizenship. Georgia (1783). During the reign of Catherine II, the divisions of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth were carried out (1772, 1793, 1795). She corresponded with other figures of the French Enlightenment. Author of many fictional, dramatic, journalistic, popular science works, “Notes”.
EKATERINA II Alekseevna(nee Sophia Augusta Frederica, Princess of Anhalt-Zerbst), Russian Empress (from 1762-96).
Origin, upbringing and education
Catherine, the daughter of Prince Christian Augustus of Anhalt-Zerbst, who was in the Prussian service, and Princess Johanna Elisabeth (née Princess Holstein-Gottorp), was related to royal houses Sweden, Prussia and England. She got home education: studied German and French, dance, music, basic history, geography, theology. Already in childhood, her independent character, curiosity, perseverance, and at the same time a penchant for lively, active games were evident. In 1744, Catherine and her mother were summoned to Russia by the Empress, baptized according to Orthodox custom under the name of Ekaterina Alekseevna and named the bride of Grand Duke Peter Fedorovich ( future emperor Peter III), whom she married in 1745.
Life in Russia before accession to the throne
Catherine set herself the goal of winning the favor of the empress, her husband and the Russian people. However, her personal life was unsuccessful: Peter was infantile, so during the first years of marriage there was no marital relationship between them. Having paid tribute have a fun life court, Catherine turned to reading French educators and works on history, jurisprudence and economics. These books shaped her worldview. Catherine became a consistent supporter of the ideas of the Enlightenment. She was also interested in the history, traditions and customs of Russia. In the early 1750s. Catherine began an affair with guards officer S.V. Saltykov, and in 1754 gave birth to a son, the future Emperor Paul I, but rumors that Saltykov was Paul’s father have no basis. In the second half of the 1750s. Catherine had an affair with the Polish diplomat S. Poniatowski (later King Stanislav Augustus), and in the early 1760s. with G. G. Orlov, from whom she gave birth to a son, Alexei, in 1762, who received the surname Bobrinsky. The deterioration of relations with her husband led to the fact that she began to fear for her fate if he came to power and began to recruit supporters at court. Catherine's ostentatious piety, her prudence, and sincere love for Russia - all this sharply contrasted with Peter's behavior and allowed her to gain authority both among the high society metropolitan society and the general population of St. Petersburg.
Accession to the throne
During the six months of Peter's reign III relationship Catherine and her husband (who openly appeared in the company of his mistress E.R. Vorontsova) continued to deteriorate, becoming clearly hostile. There was a threat of her arrest and possible deportation. Catherine carefully prepared the conspiracy, relying on the support of the Orlov brothers, N.I. Panin, E.R. Dashkova and others. On the night of June 28, 1762, when the emperor was in Oranienbaum, Catherine secretly arrived in St. Petersburg and was proclaimed in the barracks of the Izmailovsky regiment autocratic empress. Soon soldiers from other regiments joined the rebels. The news of Catherine's accession to the throne quickly spread throughout the city and was greeted with delight by St. Petersburg residents. To prevent the actions of the deposed emperor, messengers were sent to the army and to Kronstadt. Meanwhile, Peter, having learned about what had happened, began to send proposals for negotiations to Catherine, which were rejected. The Empress herself, at the head of the guards regiments, set out for St. Petersburg and on the way received Peter’s written abdication of the throne.
Character and mode of government
Catherine II was a subtle psychologist and an excellent judge of people; she skillfully selected assistants for herself, not being afraid of bright and talented people. That is why Catherine’s time was marked by the appearance of a whole galaxy of outstanding statesmen, generals, writers, artists, musicians. In dealing with her subjects, Catherine was, as a rule, restrained, patient, and tactful. She was an excellent conversationalist and knew how to listen carefully to everyone. By her own admission, she did not have a creative mind, but she was good at catching every sensible thought and using it for her own purposes. During the entire reign of Catherine there were practically no noisy resignations, none of the nobles were disgraced, exiled, much less executed. Therefore, there was an idea of Catherine’s reign as the “golden age” of the Russian nobility. At the same time, Catherine was very vain and valued her power more than anything else in the world. In order to preserve it, she is ready to make any compromises to the detriment of her beliefs.
Attitude to religion and the peasant question
Catherine was distinguished by ostentatious piety, considered herself the head and protector of the Russian Orthodox Church and skillfully used religion in her political interests. Her faith, apparently, was not very deep. In the spirit of the times, she preached religious tolerance. Under her, the persecution of Old Believers was stopped, Catholic and Protestant churches and mosques were built, but the transition from Orthodoxy to another faith was still severely punished.
Catherine was a staunch opponent of serfdom, considering it inhumane and contrary to human nature itself. Her papers contain many harsh statements on this matter, as well as discussions about various options elimination of serfdom. However, she did not dare to do anything concrete in this area due to a well-founded fear of a noble rebellion and another coup. At the same time, Catherine was convinced of the spiritual underdevelopment of Russian peasants and therefore in the danger of granting them freedom, believing that the life of peasants under caring landowners was quite prosperous.
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 Great Russia became quite 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. Military career he did 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 most time and energy were devoted to his son Wilhelm, who, unfortunately, subsequently 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 Orthodox faith Despite the objections of her father, a devoted Lutheran, she and the young prince got married. And together with new religion the girl received a different 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
Becoming a member on August twenty-first royal family, 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 Earl, who was Catherine's chamberlain, knew the memoirist James Boswell well, and he provided the Earl with details intimate life monarch. 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 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 huge 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 possibility to win the favor of the nobles and military.
Concerning foreign policy, Catherine the Second understood that Russia needed a long period world in order to concentrate on internal 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 romance with adviser Grigory Alexandrovich Potemkin ended, and this happened in 1776, the Empress chose a man who had not only physical beauty, but also beautiful mental capacity. 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 into 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 an outstanding political career. 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 was closely associated 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 there was love in Catherine’s life important part, feelings never overshadowed political interests. The Empress always worked hard in mastering the Russian language to such an extent that she completely removed her accent, absorbed Russian culture and mastered customs, and also scrupulously 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 cultural life country, and also demonstrated devotion to the Orthodox faith and the state. She paid maximum attention to expansion 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 the Second was an absolute ruler Russian state. But all this time she had very strained relationship with his own son - 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.
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 (in currently it is called Szczecin and is 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 homeschooled, she was taught to 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. All the same great attention She devoted herself 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 failed pregnancies, but on September 20, 1754 she gave birth to a son, Paul. 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 new novel 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 - British 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 in the other direction Winter Palace. During these events, Catherine had love relationship with Grigory Orlov, from 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 both externally and internally 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 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 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 establishments, for the first time and specially for women, free printing houses were created, the Hermitage was opened and Public library. 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 how and what should be taken 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 Russo-Turkish wars, the result of which was the expansion of the territory of Russia at the expense of the lands of Crimea, 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 awarded them all 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.
In the summer of 1742, Frederick 2 appointed him governor Stettin and granted the rank of lieutenant general. Somewhat later Christian became duke and co-ruler Zerbst. On January 1, 1744, Duchess Johanna Elisabeth Fante received a letter from St. Petersburg. It was addressed to im Krümmer on behalf of Empress Elizabeth I, contained her highest invitation to come to Russia. The matchmaking of the Russian court was important for Prussia legal importance, therefore her ambassador in St. Petersburg Lardefeld promptly informed his king of Elizabeth's intentions. Frederick 2 welcomed, of course, the upcoming marriage of Fix with the Russian heir throne, hoping in the future, in the person of the “young court”, to have its own agents in St. Petersburg. He wanted to personally talk with the bride, invited her and her mother to Berlin for a private dinner, during which he was convinced that the 15th summer fix noticeably smarter than his mother.
After a meeting with the king, the duchess and her daughter under the name of countess Rhinebeck went to distant, snow-covered Russia; On February 5 they reached Mitava (Jelgava), then Riga, St. Petersburg were on their way, and finally on the evening of February 9 they arrived in Moscow on Annenhofsky the palace in which in those days Elizabeth's court was temporarily located. It started from this evening new page in the life of a previously little-known girl Fix from German city Stettin.
In contrast to her future husband, Fix, from the very first days of her stay in Russia, with enviable persistence and rare diligence, took up the study of the Russian language and Russian customs. With the help of adjunct and translator of the Academy of Sciences Vasily Adadurova She very quickly achieved noticeable success. Already at the end of June in church, during her conversion to the Orthodox faith, she clearly pronounced her confession in pure Russian. Which really surprised everyone present. The Empress even shed tears. Another task, which the young German woman quite consciously solved at that time, was to please both Grand Duke Peter Fedorovich, and Empress Elizabeth, and all Russian people.
Catherine II later recalled: “... truly, I did not neglect anything in order to achieve this: obedience, obedience, respect, the desire to please, the desire to do what is right, sincere affection, everything on my part was constantly used for this GM4 to 1761 .”.
The relationship between the young spouses did not work out. Catherine finally realized that her husband would always be a stranger to her. And she thought about him differently now: “... I had a cruel thought for him in the very first days of my marriage. I told myself: if you fall in love with this man, you will be the most miserable creature on earth... this man hardly looks at you, he only talks about dolls and turns more attention on any other woman than on you; You're too proud to make a fuss about it, therefore... think about yourself, madam"
Not every woman in this musty atmosphere of court intrigue could rise above the environment around her, always behave outwardly with dignity and think only about herself, about the still completely unclear prospect that awaited her in the future. And only a combination of an extraordinary mind, beyond his years strong will, considerable courage and, of course, cunning, hypocrisy, unlimited ambition and vanity helped Catherine for 18 years to wage a hidden struggle for her place at the Russian court and, in the end, achieve the coveted crown of the empress.
After the wedding, Ekaterina Alekseevna’s mother left Russia, and she remained completely alone among the Russians. But this did not upset her; she and her mother had never been spiritually close people. To top it off, the mother’s rash actions only prevented her daughter from maintaining an untainted good name at court. Most of all, Ekaterina Alekseevna sought the empress’s favor. Despite all efforts Grand Duchess She always liked her in everything, the relationship between them was uneven, far from friendly, and sometimes even tense. True, Elizabeth did not skimp on gifts. Before the engagement, Ekaterina Alekseevna received a necklace worth 150 thousand rubles. For small expenses she was assigned content at 30 thousand rubles.
The Empress very soon realized that she was too hasty in declaring Peter Fedorovich heir to the throne. The behavior of her mediocre nephew often irritated her. Not knowing how to get out of this awkward situation, she involuntarily transferred her dissatisfaction with the heir to the throne to his wife. She was accused of indifference to her husband, that she could not or did not want to influence him in a good way, to captivate him with her feminine charms. Finally, the empress demanded an heir from the young people. But it has not yet been foreseen.
We should not forget that the life of the “young court” took place before the eyes of the servants whom Elizabeth herself appointed. To the Grand Duchess, in particular, in 1746 as her guardian chamberlains State Lady Maria Semyonovna, who was especially devoted to the Empress, was assigned Choglokova. This one is evil and capricious woman, according to Catherine, spied on her and reported everything to Elizabeth. For Peter Fedorovich, the Empress also replaced Marshal Krümmer with Prince Vasily Anikitich Repnin, and then, in 1747, as chamberlain Nikolai Naumovich Choglokov, husband of Maria Semyonovna.
Due to its limitations Choglokovs could not contribute to the rapprochement between the Grand Duchess and the Empress; on the contrary, she introduced excessive wariness and mistrust into their relationship. And apparently, Ekaterina Alekseevna had reason to write: “... it seemed to me that she (Elizabeth .Money) she was always dissatisfied with me, since it happened very rarely that she did me the honor of entering into a conversation; however, even though we lived in the same house, and our chambers touched in both the Winter and Summer Palaces, we did not see her for entire months, and often more. We did not dare to appear in her chambers without being called, and we were almost never called. We were often scolded on behalf of Her Majesty for such trifles, about which one could not even suspect that they could anger the Empress.
She sent more than one to us for this purpose. Choglokovs, but it often happened that she sent a maid, a housekeeper, or someone of that kind to us to convey to us not only extremely unpleasant things, but even harsh words tantamount to the grossest insults. At the same time, it was impossible to be more careful than I was at heart, so as not to violate the due Her Respect and obedience to the Majesty"