Son of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna. Father's inheritance or life with epilepsy. Elizaveta Petrovna: death and last years of life

The period of the reign of “Peter’s daughter” has long been considered the “golden age” of the history of the Russian Empire. This is not true - the country at that time was faced with many problems, and Elizaveta Petrovna could not be considered a great monarch. But it is also indisputable that the “cheerful queen” has serious political achievements to her name.

Daughter of Peter the Great

Elizabeth was born in 1709, and in order to celebrate this fact, Peter 1 even postponed the celebrations on the occasion of the defeat of the Swedes in Ukraine (the Battle of Poltava and the events that followed it). Formally, at birth the girl was a bastard, since Peter was not married. But the marriage took place 2 years later, and the birth of Elizabeth was legalized.

The girl received a court education, spoke excellent French, danced and rode beautifully, but she could not be called truly educated. She was pretty, but her dubious origins narrowed the circle of possible suitors. The French Bourbons diplomatically avoided Peter's proposals to become related. Another candidate for Elizabeth's hand died shortly before the wedding.

The dubious birth also became the formal reason for Elizaveta Petrovna’s removal from the throne after the death of her parents and nephew. Under Anna, she lived in a semi-disgraced position, amusing herself by hunting and horseback riding. Physical agility, free behavior and disadvantaged position aroused sympathy for her among many nobles who were dissatisfied with Anna Ioannovna, and especially among the officers of the Preobrazhensky Regiment. The princess was considered by them both as the daughter of the revered founder of the guards unit, and as almost a comrade in the service. Therefore, the Preobrazhenites willingly became the main force in the coup d'etat on November 25 (December 6), 1741, which secured the Russian throne for Elizabeth. Anna Leopoldovna, regent for her young son Ivan 6, was overthrown and a new stage began in the biography of Elizaveta Petrovna.

Great Expectations

Anna Ioannovna aroused persistent rejection in Russia, and everyone greeted Elizabeth’s accession with enthusiasm. The population believed that the daughter of the Great One would be a ruler of his magnitude. Lomonosov reflected these expectations in an ode to the empress’s accession to the throne.

Elizabeth was unable to live up to these expectations. But still, her reign (1741-1761) was quite successful for Russia. Within the country, the development of new lands (the Trans-Urals and Siberia) was actively underway, several banks were opened, internal duties were abolished and the tax system was generally reformed, and the first attempts were made to establish a police service. In foreign policy, the Empress sought to make Russia a significant international player, participating on an equal basis in solving world problems. During her reign, the war with Sweden was won (1741-1743) and military operations were successfully carried out within the framework of the Seven Years' War (the zero result is no longer on the conscience of Elizabeth, but of her successor Peter III).

Elizabeth also encouraged the development of sciences and arts in Russia, under her the Moscow University was created, the discoveries of Bering and Lomonosov were made, the first gymnasiums appeared, and the imperial theater was created (on the basis of Volkov’s Yaroslavl troupe). In architecture, experts distinguish the Elizabethan Baroque style; thanks to the empress, such architectural masterpieces as the Winter Palace (Hermitage) and St. Andrew's Church in Kyiv appeared.

Merry Queen

According to contemporaries, Elizabeth had a generally good-natured character, although she was subject to fits of rudeness and even cruelty. She loved balls, masquerades, dancing and other entertainment. She led an extremely unhealthy lifestyle, drank and ate a lot and tastefully, and had no idea about her daily routine.

She was not officially married and had no children, but she kept her lovers openly, which is why in the minds of her descendants her reign is firmly associated with the phenomenon of favoritism. Yes, this is a fact, but the men of the Shuvalov, Razumovsky, Vorontsov families not only enriched themselves personally, but also did a lot for the country. Elizabeth's Chancellor A.P. Bestuzhev-Ryumin expressed himself most accurately on this matter: “I serve Russia, and then myself.”

There is a persistent legend about Elizabeth’s secret marriage with Alexei Razumovsky and the presence of several children from him. Of the “children of Elizabeth,” the most famous is Princess Tarakanova. But this is historical gossip.

Empress Elizaveta Petrovna died of throat bleeding of unknown origin on December 25, 1761 (January 5, 1762). Some modern scientists suspect old syphilis. But what's the difference? Elizabeth's policy will not change from this.

From the Romanov dynasty.

Extraordinarily beautiful since childhood, Elizaveta Petrovna spent her adolescence and youth in balls and entertainment. She grew up in Moscow, and in the summer she went to Pokrovskoye, Preobrazhenskoye, Izmailovskoye or Alexandrovskaya Sloboda. Elizabeth rarely saw her father as a child; the future empress was raised by his sister, Princess Natalya Alekseevna, or the A.D. Menshikov family. She was taught dancing, music, foreign languages, dressing skills, and ethics.

After her parents' marriage, Elizabeth began to bear the title of princess. The will of Catherine I of 1727 provided for the rights of Elizabeth and her descendants to the throne after Peter II and Anna Petrovna. During the last year of Catherine I's reign, there was frequent talk at court about the possibility of a marriage between Elizabeth and her nephew Peter II, who was selflessly in love with her. After the sudden death of Peter II from smallpox in January 1730, Elizabeth, despite the will of Catherine I, being still actually illegitimate, was not considered in high society as one of the contenders for the throne, which was occupied by her cousin Anna Ioannovna. During her reign (1730-1740), Elizabeth was in disgrace, but those dissatisfied with Anna Ioannovna and Biron had high hopes for the daughter of Peter the Great.

Taking advantage of the decline in authority and influence of power during the regency of Anna Leopoldovna, on the night of November 25, 1741, 32-year-old Tsarevna Elizaveta Petrovna, accompanied by Count M.I. Vorontsov, physician Lestocq and music teacher Schwartz with the words “Guys! You know whose daughter I am, follow me! Just as you served my father, so will you serve me with your loyalty!” raised behind her the grenadier company of the Preobrazhensky Regiment. Thus, a coup d'état was carried out during which Ivan VI, his mother, and regent Anna Leopoldovna were overthrown.

The course of state affairs during the entire reign of Elizabeth was influenced by her favorites - the brothers Razumovsky, Shuvalov, Vorontsov, A.P. Bestuzhev-Ryumin.
The first document signed by Elizaveta Petrovna was a manifesto, which proved that after the death of Peter II, she was the only legitimate heir to the throne. She also wished to arrange coronation celebrations in the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin and on April 25, 1742 she placed the crown on herself.

Basic principles of domestic and foreign policy Elizaveta Petrovna proclaimed a return to Peter's reforms. She abolished the state institutions that arose after the death of her father (the Cabinet of Ministers, etc.), and restored the role of the Senate, collegiums, and the Chief Magistrate.

In 1741, the Empress adopted a Decree that recognized the existence of the “Lamai faith,” and Buddhism was officially adopted as the state religion in the Russian Empire.

In 1744-1747 The 2nd census of the taxable population was carried out.

In 1754, intrastate customs were eliminated, which led to a significant revival of trade relations between the regions.

The first Russian banks were founded - Dvoryansky (Borrowed), Merchant and Medny (State).

A tax reform was carried out, which improved the financial situation of the country.

In social policy, the line of expanding the rights of the nobility continued.

In 1746, the nobles were granted the right to own land and peasants.

In 1760, the landowners received the right to exile peasants to Siberia and count them instead of recruits. And peasants were forbidden to conduct monetary transactions without the permission of the landowners.

The death penalty was abolished (1756), and the widespread practice of sophisticated torture was stopped.

Under Elizaveta Petrovna, military educational institutions were reorganized.

In 1744, a decree was issued to expand the network of primary schools. The first gymnasiums were opened: in Moscow (1755) and Kazan (1758).

In 1755, on the initiative of her favorite I.I. Shuvalov founded Moscow University, and in 1760 - the Academy of Arts. Outstanding famous cultural monuments have been created (Tsarskoye Selo Catherine Palace, etc.). Support was provided to M.V. Lomonosov and other representatives of Russian culture and science. In 1755, the newspaper “Moskovskie Vedomosti” began to be published, and in 1760 the first Moscow magazine “Useful Amusement” began to be published.

In general, the internal policy of Empress Elizabeth was characterized by stability and a focus on growing the authority and power of state power. Thus, Elizaveta Petrovna’s course was the first step towards a policy of enlightened absolutism.

Elizabeth's foreign policy was also active. During the Russian-Swedish war of 1741-1743, Russia received a significant part of Finland. Trying to resist Prussia, Elizabeth abandoned relations with France and entered into an anti-Prussian alliance with Austria. Russia under Elizaveta Petrovna successfully participated in the Seven Years' War 1756–1763. After the capture of Koenigsberg, the Empress issued a decree on the annexation of East Prussia to Russia. The culmination of Russia's military glory under Elizabeth was the capture of Berlin in 1760.

The basis of foreign policy was the recognition of 3 alliances: with the “maritime powers” ​​(England and Holland) for the sake of trade benefits, with Saxony - in the name of advancement to the northwest and western lands, which ended up being part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and with Austria - to confront the Ottoman Empire and the strengthening of Prussia.

In the last period of her reign, Elizabeth was less involved in issues of public administration, entrusting it to P.I. and I.I. Shuvalov, M.I. and R.I. Vorontsov and others.

In 1744 she entered into a secret morganatic marriage with A.G. Razumovsky, a Ukrainian Cossack, who under her made a dizzying career from a court singer to the manager of the royal estates and the actual husband of the empress. According to contemporaries, she gave birth to several children, but information about them is unknown. This was the reason for the appearance of impostors who called themselves her children from this marriage. Among them, the most famous figure was Princess Tarakanova.

After the decrees on peasants and landowners were issued, at the turn of the 50-60s. In the 18th century, there were more than 60 uprisings of monastic peasants (Bashkiria, the Urals), which were suppressed by her decree with exemplary cruelty.

The period of Elizabeth's reign was one of excess and a period of luxury. Masquerade balls were constantly held at court. Elizaveta Petrovna herself was a trendsetter. The Empress's wardrobe includes up to 12-15 thousand dresses, which today form the basis of the textile collection of the State Historical Museum in Moscow.

Since 1757 Elizaveta Petrovna began to be plagued by hysterical fits. She often lost consciousness, and at the same time, non-healing wounds on her legs and bleeding opened. During the winter of 1760-1761, Elizabeth was on a big outing only once. Her beauty was quickly destroyed, she did not communicate with anyone, feeling depressed. Soon the hemoptysis intensified. She confessed and received communion. Elizaveta Petrovna died on December 25, 1761 (January 5, 1762 according to the new style).

Elizabeth managed to appoint her nephew Karl-Peter-Ulrich of Holstein-Gottorp (son of sister Anna) as the official heir to the throne, who converted to Orthodoxy under the name of Peter III Fedorovich and made peace with Prussia.

The body of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna was buried on February 5, 1762 in the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg.

Many artists painted her portraits, marveling at the beauty of Empress Elizabeth.

Her image is reflected in cinema: in the films “Young Catherine”, 1991; “Vivat, midshipmen!”; “Secrets of palace coups”, 2000-2003; “With a pen and a sword”, 2008.

Empress Elizaveta Petrovna She had a practical mind and skillfully led her court, maneuvering between various political factions. Overall reign Elizaveta Petrovna became a time of political stability in Russia, the strengthening of state power and its institutions, the final consolidation in Russian society of the results of the reforms of Peter the Great, Elizabeth's father.

All of her appears so whole and dear to us, now already degenerate,
glorious type of Russian character, that all who cherish national covenants,
cannot help but love her and admire her.

N. Wrangel

Elizabeth I Petrovna - born December 18 (29), 1709 - died December 25, 1761 (January 5, 1762) - Russian empress from the Romanov dynasty, youngest daughter of Peter I and Catherine I.

Personal life of the Empress

There is no doubt that, born on the day when the Russian army solemnly entered the capital to the sounds of music and with unfurled banners after the victory in the Battle of Poltava, she was the happiest of the women of the empire. Her father was, who loved his daughters very much, calling her “Lisette” and “fourth honey.” According to her father, she received a good upbringing, knew many languages ​​and was intended by Peter, like all princesses, to strengthen dynastic ties with European courts.

Peter wanted to marry his beautiful daughter to King Louis XV of France or someone from the House of Bourbon, but prim Versailles was confused by the origins of her commoner mother. Until Elizabeth’s accession to the throne, her name appeared in many European marriage combinations; among her suitors were Charles Augustus, Prince-Bishop of Lub, Prince George of England, Charles of Brandenburg-Bayreuth, Infante Don Manuel of Portugal, Count Mauritius of Saxony, Infante Don Carlos of Spain , Duke Ferdinand of Courland, Duke Ernst Ludwig of Brunswick and many more, and even the Persian Shah Nadir.

While waiting for the suitors, Empress Elizaveta Petrovna had fun and indulged in lovemaking while waiting in the wings. Under Anna Ioannovna, she had her own court, which was very different in age - they were all young people, Elizaveta was 21 years old, Shuvalov was 20 years old, Razumovsky was 21 years old, Vorontsov was 16 years old - and in the energy of the celebrations, masquerades, hunts and amusements. She was interested in singing and theater.

There is a historical version that Elizabeth was still in a secret church marriage with her favorite Alexei Razumovsky, but no documents confirming this union have survived to this day.

In the 1750s, the Empress acquired a new favorite. He became Mikhail Lomonosov’s friend Ivan Shuvalov, who was a very well-read and educated person. It is possible that it was under his influence that the empress was engaged in the cultural development of the country.

The Spanish envoy Duke de Liria wrote about the 18-year-old princess in 1728: “Princess Elizabeth is such a beauty that I have rarely seen. She has an amazing complexion, beautiful eyes, an excellent neck and an incomparable figure. She is tall, extremely lively, dances well and rides without the slightest fear. She is not without intelligence, graceful and very flirtatious.”

But here is the testimony of a woman, and a rather biased and observant one at that. Elizabeth is already 34 years old. The future one saw her for the first time: “It was truly impossible to see her for the first time and not be amazed by her beauty and majestic posture. She was a tall woman, although very plump, but she did not lose anything because of this and did not experience the slightest constraint in all her movements; the head was also very beautiful... She danced to perfection and was distinguished by special grace in everything she did, equally in male and female attire. I would like to look at everything without taking my eyes off her, and only with regret could they be torn away from her, since there was no object that could compare with her.”

But her character was not as perfect as her appearance was perfect for that time.

Ascension to the throne

Elizabeth Petrovna received the title of Empress as a result of the most “bloodless” coup d’etat of 1741. It occurred without a preliminary conspiracy, since Elizabeth did not particularly strive for power and did not show herself to be a strong political figure. During the coup itself, she did not have any program, but she was embraced by the idea of ​​her own accession, which was supported by ordinary citizens and guards who expressed dissatisfaction with the dominance of foreigners at court, the disgrace of the Russian nobility, the tightening of serfdom and tax legislation.

On the night of November 24-25, 1741, Elizabeth, with the support of her confidant and privy adviser Johann Lestocq, arrived at the Preobrazhensky barracks and raised a grenadier company. The soldiers unquestioningly agreed to help her overthrow the current government and, consisting of 308 people, went to the Winter Palace, where the princess proclaimed herself empress, usurping the current government: the infant emperor John Antonovich and all his relatives from the Brunswick family were arrested and imprisoned in the Solovetsky Monastery.

Considering the circumstances of Elizabeth I's ascension to the throne, the first manifesto she signed was a document according to which she is the only legal heir to the throne after the death of Peter II.

Elizabeth's reign

Having ascended the throne with the help of the guards, she ruled Russia for 20 years.

It was a significant 20th anniversary, as if the breath of Peter’s times, at least it seemed so at first. Elizabeth was happy with her favorites, not only prominent men, but also skillful rulers, with her the largest construction of our most famous palaces took place, with her the architect Rastrelli created his wonderful works, she encouraged theater and music, her favorite Shuvalov founded the Russian Academy of Arts and the Russian university, with her the genius of Mikhaila Vasilyevich Lomonosov finally revealed itself, the writers Sumarokov, Trediakovsky and Kheraskov composed the first Russian poems, a lot was with her.

For us, it is important to say that this was the Russian empress, a woman of unusual, original Russian beauty, who managed to preserve it for many years.

Art connoisseur Baron N. N. Wrangel, the author of a brilliant essay about “Petrova’s daughter,” described her as follows: ““The Most Serene Elizabeth,” the Most Gracious Empress, “Venus,” a woman with eyes full of sparrow juice,” a pious entertainer and a cheerful mistress, Lazy and careless, the Russian Empress in everything reflects, like a mirror, the gingerbread beauty of the lush mid-18th century.”

However, at the same time, the baron quite accurately defined her “weakness” in this “gallant” European century: “Empress Elizabeth was the last Russian Tsarina even in the “pre-reform” meaning of the word and, like a belated wild flower, blossomed among the imported greenhouse plants. All of her appears so whole and dear to us, the now degenerate, glorious type of Russian character, that everyone who cherishes the national legacy cannot help but love her and admire her.”

The political role of Elizaveta Petrovna

Soloviev reported that in 1743 the Senate, “for unknown reasons, was prohibited from starting business on proposals, written or verbal, without written instructions from the empress.” A very reckless order. I think over time this decree was canceled.

Elizabeth did not like to get involved in business or delve into its essence. At first, feeling her high role, she tried: they sent her reports and dispatches, she read them, made notes, and gave orders. Although, she did not like sitting in the Senate and listening to debates. In 1741 and 1742 she was in the Senate 7 times, in 1743 - 4 times, and then even less.

Gradually she became bored with all these political games. She had her own opinion on everything, so before signing this or that paper, she thought for a long time, and sometimes forgot about this paper. Over time, she realized that her active participation in government did not change anything, and she allowed herself to be less active.

The documents were prepared by Bestuzhev, Vorontsov and other important ministers; all she had to do was sign, but even this she avoided in every possible way. Why? And so... She was accused of pathological laziness. Walishevsky, trying to understand the situation, wrote that she simply did not have time left for work. She would be happy to take care of government affairs, but in the morning the toilet takes about three hours, no less, and then, you see, there’s already a hunt, and then there’s church, how could we not do without it, and in the evening there’s a ball or wedding of one of the relatives or close associates, and then, it seems, we had plans to go in the morning to Peterhof... or to Gostilitsy... or to Oranienbaum...

Elizabeth was smart, and her avoidance of state affairs was not only due to boredom arising from the sight of business papers, and not from an immediate desire to rush into the pool of entertainment. It is very possible that she did not like quick decisions, did not want to take risks - let the paper rest, and then we’ll see. What if tomorrow what she did today will be detrimental to the state?

Catherine II wrote: “She (Elizabeth) had such a habit, when she had to sign something especially important, to place such paper, before signing, under the image of the shroud, which she especially revered; Leaving it there for some time, she signed it or did not sign it, depending on what her heart told her.”

Religion and the Empress

Elizabeth was a believer, not ostentatiously religious, like Catherine II, but truly. The 18th century was also infected with Voltairianism, but Elizabeth did not succumb to this influence. She constantly visited monasteries, fasted, observed all holidays, stood for hours in front of icons, consulted with the Lord and saints on how to act in a given situation. It is clear that she cared about the purity of Orthodoxy, and too much zeal on this issue in a multinational country sometimes leads to serious troubles.

The Empress was very protective of the newly converted, but at the same time many mosques were destroyed, and she actively fought against the Old Believers. Action always causes reaction; cases of self-immolation have again appeared among old-timers. In addition, a large number of sects developed, for example, the Khlysty, which they actively and often brutally fought against.

Elizabeth's pilgrimage often turned into a farce, but she did not notice it. She had her own sincere and pure relationship with God. People go on pilgrimage on foot, and the Trinity-Sergius Lavra is 80 versts from Moscow. You can’t cover such a distance in one day; you have to spend the night somewhere. Inns are not suitable, there is poverty, stench and insects, and therefore the royal palaces were cut down a week, the furniture was taken with them.

Before we had time to prepare the wooden housing, we set up tents in an open field. During the hunt of Peter II, this custom became firmly established in the everyday life of the royal court. A whole staff goes on pilgrimage with the queen - there are ladies of state, ladies-in-waiting, sometimes ministers and their wives, there are servants, cooks and others. The feasts in the field are wide, there are a lot of people, it’s fun! Sometimes such trips took the whole summer. It is clear that in this whirlwind there is neither the desire nor the opportunity to engage in government affairs.

Savor

Everyone knew well about her crazy passion for clothes and entertainment. It was she who greatly contributed to the development of this passion among the nobility and among the courtiers.

Catherine wrote about Elizabeth’s court (it was difficult for her, with her innate German modesty and moderation, to understand and accept this Russian senseless and wasteful order): “The ladies were then busy only with outfits, and luxury was brought to the point that they changed their toilets at least twice a day; the empress herself was extremely fond of outfits and almost never wore the same dress twice, but changed them several times a day; It was this example that everyone followed: play and the toilet filled the day.”

During a fire in Moscow in 1753, 4,000 of Elizabeth’s dresses burned in the palace, and after her death, Peter III discovered in Elizabeth’s Summer Palace a wardrobe with 15,000 dresses, “some worn once, some not worn at all, 2 chests of silk stockings.” , several thousand pairs of shoes and more than a hundred uncut pieces of “rich French fabrics.”

No one dared to compete with Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, especially the ladies. They did not have the right to be the first to choose their outfits and jewelry. Everything in the empire had to exist for the beauty of the most beautiful of women. None of the merchants who arrived from overseas countries, and especially from France, had the right to sell goods until the empress herself selected the necessary fabrics and outfits.

She organized formal showdowns with those who dared to disobey her orders. In one of the letters to a subject of her office, she will write: “I was notified that a French ship came with various ladies’ attire, and embroidered men’s hats and flies for ladies, gold taffeta of various types and all sorts of gold and silver haberdashery, they ordered the merchant to send here immediately..."

But the merchant, apparently, sold part of what Elizabeth had taken. Since she was notoriously stingy and hardly promised to give much, and then the angry empress writes another letter: “Call the merchant to you, why is he so deceiving that he said that all the lapels and kragens here are what I took away; and not only are they all, but there isn’t even a single one that I saw that were scarlet. There were more than 20 of them, and, moreover, the same ones for the dress, which I took away, and now I demand them, then order him to find them and not to hide them to please anyone... And if, tell him, he hides them, in my word, then he is unhappy will be, and who does not give. And I see it on anyone, they will accept an equal share with him.”

The Empress even knows exactly who could have bought the haberdashery: “And I command that everything be found and sent to me immediately, except for the Saxon envoy, and the rest must be returned. Namely, I hope they were bought from dandies, from Semyon Kirillovich’s wife and her sister, from both Rumyantsevs: then you first tell the merchant to find him, and if they don’t give it to him, then you can send it yourself and take it by my decree.”

Contemporaries noted the extraordinary taste of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna and the elegance of her outfits, combined with magnificent headdresses and jewelry. However, over time, the empress's beauty faded, and she spent whole hours at the mirror, putting on makeup and changing outfits and jewelry.

French diplomat J.-L. Favier, who has observed the empress in recent years, writes that the aging empress “still retains a passion for outfits and every day becomes more demanding and whimsical in relation to them.
Never has a woman found it more difficult to come to terms with the loss of her youth and beauty. Often, after spending a lot of time on the toilet, she begins to get angry at the mirror, orders to take off her head and other clothes again, cancels upcoming shows or dinner and locks herself in her room, where she refuses to see anyone.”

He also describes Elizabeth’s appearance: “She appears in society only in a court costume made of rare and expensive fabric of the most delicate color, sometimes white and silver. Her head is always laden with diamonds, and her hair is usually combed back and tied at the top, where it is tied with a pink ribbon with long flowing ends. She perhaps gives this headdress the meaning of a tiara because she arrogates to herself the exclusive right to wear it. No woman in the empire has the right to wear her hair the way she does.”

And in fact, the Frenchman’s observations are accurate, because in the Chamber-Fourier magazines of various years the regulations and external features of the costume for all courtiers are determined. 1748 - it was ordered that when ladies were going to a ball, “the hair at the back of the head should not be folded up, and if it is necessary to wear robes, then the hair at the back of the head should be folded up.”

The Empress did not allow liberties in the costume of the court ladies and gentlemen. In the imperial decree of 1752, it was necessary “... ladies should have white taffeta caftans, green cuffs, trims and skirts, a thin braid along the sides, an ordinary papellon on their heads, green ribbons, hair pulled up smoothly; gentlemen have white caftans, camisoles, and the caftans have small, split cuffs and green collars... with braiding around the loops, and at those loops, there are small silver tassels.”

All foreign envoys of the Russian court, without exception, were engaged in purchasing various materials and haberdashery delights, and of course, the ambassadors in France had to show special diligence in this. Elizaveta Petrovna asked the French envoy at court in detail about all the Parisian novelties, about all the new shops and stores, and then her chancellor instructed the ambassador in Paris M.P. Bestuzhev-Ryumin to hire a “reliable person” who could select things “in a decent manner.” fashion and good taste” and send it all to St. Petersburg. The costs for this were unimaginable - 12,000 rubles. But in addition, many agents still owed money, since the empress did not always pay on time.

According to the recollections of her daughter-in-law Catherine, Elizabeth “didn’t really like people to appear at these balls in overly elegant dresses,” she could force the Grand Duchess to change out of a very successful outfit or forbid her to wear it again.

Once at a ball, the empress called N.F. Naryshkina and in front of everyone cut off a decoration made of ribbons, which suited the woman’s hairstyle very well; another time, she personally cut off half of the curled front hair of her two ladies-in-waiting under the pretext that she did not like this style of hairstyle, and The ladies-in-waiting themselves later assured that Her Majesty had torn off a little skin along with her hair.

Her fantasies could amaze any visiting foreigner. The Empress told how “one fine day the Empress had the fantasy of ordering all the ladies to shave their heads. All her ladies obeyed with tears; Elizabeth sent them black, poorly combed wigs, which they were forced to wear until their hair grew back.” Soon there was a decree on shaving the hair of all city ladies of high society. What was it like for all of St. Petersburg to look at this sad picture? Meanwhile, the reason for this was quite trivial - the empress herself dyed her hair unsuccessfully and was forced to cut her hair.

Her Majesty's passion was carnivals, masquerades and balls, about which special imperial decrees also followed, and all invitees were obliged to come to them. Only nobles could attend masquerades, often up to one and a half thousand people; upon entering the hall they were inspected by guards, removing their masks and checking their faces. Masquerades with disguises were often held, where women were required to wear men's costumes, and men - women's, but “there is nothing uglier and at the same time funnier than a multitude of men so awkwardly dressed, and nothing more pitiful than the figures of women dressed men."

At the same time, the daughter-in-law, who was not favorable to her, noticed that “only the empress herself was quite good, to whom the man’s dress suited perfectly...”. Everyone knew this, and Elizaveta Petrovna herself knew it, since the time of the revolution she had loved to show off in a uniform.

It is clear that those who believed that the empress had “a lot of vanity, she generally wanted to shine in everything and serve as an object of surprise” were right.

Death of the Empress

1762, January 5 - Empress Elizabeth Petrovna died. At the 53rd year of her life, the empress died of throat bleeding. Historical chronicles note that since 1757, the empress’s health began to deteriorate before her eyes: she was diagnosed with epilepsy, shortness of breath, frequent nosebleeds, and swelling of the lower extremities. She had the opportunity to almost completely curtail her active court life, relegating lavish balls and receptions to the background.

Before her death, the empress developed a persistent cough, which led to severe bleeding from her throat. Unable to cope with the illness, the empress died in her chambers.

On February 5, 1762, the body of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna was buried with all honors in the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg.

Elizaveta Petrovna Romanova was born on December 18, 1709 in a marriage between and that was not legalized by the church at that time. Upon learning of the birth of his daughter, Peter the Great canceled the celebrations planned for that day to mark the successful end of the Russian-Swedish war. In March 1711, the illegitimate Elizabeth was declared princess.

Elizabeth was distinguished by her amazing beauty, sharp mind, resourcefulness, love of dancing and riding horses. Elizaveta received her education in the villages of Preobrazhenskoye and Izmailovskoye, where she studied history, geography and foreign languages.

Numerous attempts by Peter the 1st to marry his daughter to a representative of a noble ruling dynasty were in vain. Menshikov’s attempts to find a worthy match for Elizabeth ended in the same way. Osterman even offered to marry her to Pyotr Alekseevich, but the princess refused.

In 1730, Pyotr Alekseevich died, and the question arose of who would take the Russian throne. According to the will of Catherine the 1st, this place was assigned to Elizabeth. However, the Supreme Privy Council decided that the princess’s sister, with whom they had far from warm relations, should take the throne.

During her reign, Anna managed to significantly reduce the country's prestige and ruin the state treasury. 10 years later (in 1740) Anna died, leaving the throne to her nephew. He was still young, and Anna Leopoldovna became his regent. Dissatisfied with everything that was happening inside the country, Elizabeth, together with her supporters, decided to do so and ascended the throne (1741).

Domestic policy of Elizaveta Petrovna

Wanting to bring the country to the state it was in at the beginning of the reign of Peter the Great, Queen Elizabeth abolished the death penalty in Russia. In 1741, internal political transformations began: the highest state body appeared - the Senate, which compiled a new set of laws. Elizabeth also directed her actions towards expanding the opportunities of the nobles. The abolished customs duties have significantly improved the development of the Russian market.

In 1744-1747 The second population census in Russia was carried out. The poll tax has been reduced. The country's economy, industry and agriculture began to develop rapidly. The cultural and scientific growth of the Russian state began: Moscow University, the Academy of Sciences, many gymnasiums, the First Public Theater and the Academy of Arts were opened in St. Petersburg, which gave great Russian artists to world culture.

Foreign policy of Empress Elizabeth

Elizabeth was very active in her foreign policy. During the beginning of her reign, Russia fought with Sweden, who wanted to avenge the defeat in. However, this war ended in another failure for the Swedes, and part of Finland went to Russia. Victory in this war led to the desire of many European countries to enter into an alliance with Russia. Russia had a chance to take part in the War of the Austrian Succession.

In 1756, the war began, as a result of which Russia, together with its allies, practically destroyed Prussia. However, in December 1761, Elizaveta Petrovna died, and her nephew, whom she appointed as a successor, concludes a peace treaty.

The reign of Elizabeth Petrovna can be considered quite favorable for the Russian Empire. Elizabeth's biography is fascinating and interesting. This is a bright person and a significant historical figure.

Elizaveta Petrovna

Having dealt with her opponents and removed the family of her predecessor, Elizabeth sighed freely and hurried to put the crown on her head. In the first spring, together with a large retinue, she left for Moscow. The journey was made in a carriage, which could be called a real house on wheels: everything inside resembled the decoration of a small room, there was a table and chairs in the middle, a couch for relaxation and a small dressing table with a mirror against the wall. The crew was equipped with a special device for the firebox; wide windows with curtains made it possible to look out onto the road, along the side of which young pine trees were planted for the occasion. Picturesque gazebos were placed in the places designated for stopping. In the villages and villages through which the queen was supposed to pass, people stood, forming, as it were, a hedge; They greeted the crew of the new Russian empress with a low bow. When darkness fell along the route of the royal motorcade along the road, barrels of resin were lit at a certain distance from each other, shining like large bright lanterns.

The coronation took place in the Assumption Cathedral. The ceremony, the director of which was the Frenchman Rochambeau, was very solemn and magnificent. The bells rang continuously, the streets along which the cortege followed were decorated with garlands and candles, and fireworks thundered. The daughter of Peter the Great, dressed in a magnificent dress, entered the cathedral and sat on a throne under a brocade canopy. Nearby on a special table lay all the regalia of imperial power and the royal crown - the same one that had once been on the head of the hated Anna Ioannovna - due to the rush with the coronation, they did not have time to make a new crown. Eyewitnesses later said that Elizabeth did not wait for the bishop, who was reading the prayer, to place the crown on her head, and hastened to do it herself - in front of the nobility and clergy, as if thereby emphasizing that she owed the highest power only to herself.

In the following days, the Empress busied herself with distributing awards and titles to her courtiers and making visits. Having finished with her business, she indulged in pleasure, remembering the past time when she had fun here during the protracted stay in the capital city of her crowned nephew Peter II. In Moscow, where she spent the stormy time of her youth, she was free and happy - balls and masquerades, to which many people were usually invited, followed one after another. In the newly built theater, which could accommodate five thousand spectators, performances were given in which Italian singers, French dancers and young court actors performed with interludes and short allegorical ballets, which were very popular with the audience. Moreover, gala lunches, dinners, picnics and, of course, hunting in the forests of the Moscow region. Time flew by with lightning speed - the festivities ended only in the fall, and the court, together with the crowned empress, returned to St. Petersburg.

Despite the habit of frugality that Elizabeth acquired as crown princess, due to the modest means at her disposal, she already had a large staff of palace employees: chamberlains, secretaries, officials on important and unimportant matters, musicians, songwriters and many footmen. Among the inhabitants of the palace were girls from the most noble families, called by the German word “maid of honor.” Elizabeth had nine of them. Being with the empress, they all lived together in a building adjacent to the palace, participated in palace events, and sometimes carried out some of the instructions of their empress. She, for her part, treated them like a mother and often took care of their future marriage. The new queen's entire staff consisted of carders - women who surrounded her bed at night and quietly scratched her heels, talking in a low voice. At dawn they left. Even noble persons sought to occupy this post - after all, during night conversations one could whisper some word into the empress’s ear, thereby providing a generous service to this or that “petitioner”. Among the carders was Mavra Egorovna Shuvalova, née Shepeleva. From the age of eleven she was the “room girl” of Anna Petrovna, Elizabeth’s elder sister, and after the princess’s marriage she accompanied her to Kiel. Mavra remained there until Anna’s death and returned to Russia with the body of her deceased mistress. During her stay in Holstein, she was in constant correspondence with Elizaveta Petrovna, and upon returning she remained inseparably with her. Mavrushka, as she was called, was united with the crown princess by a commonality of tastes and habits, a love of singing, poetry, games and amusements. Good-natured and cheerful, she loved to eat well, drink, play cards and make “Lisanka” laugh if he suddenly became sad. Having ascended the throne, Elizabeth married her favorite to her chamberlain Pyotr Ivanovich Shuvalov, who was three years younger than Mavra Egorovna. On the day of her coronation, the Empress made her a lady of state. Countess Shuvalova was a devoted and loving wife, she bore her husband two sons, and most importantly, she contributed to the rise of the Shuvalov family at the court of Empress Elizabeth. Her influence was so strong that her contemporaries called her "a real foreign minister."

When she ascended the throne, the tenth representative of the House of Romanov was thirty-two years old. Tall, slender, with a beautiful complexion, luxurious dark-golden hair and radiant blue eyes, she was pretty, and even her somewhat wide and slightly flattened nose did not spoil her expressive face. She walked so quickly that even men could hardly keep up with her. The new queen's entire being was filled with voluptuousness. And the desire to please and impress with her beauty was always one of her greatest weaknesses.

Elizabeth was born on December 19, 1709, when her father had not yet been married to her mother, which subsequently served as a reason for reproaches against the royal daughter. Being born before her parents' marriage prevented Elizabeth from becoming the wife of Louis XV, which was the dream of her mother Catherine, who made a lot of efforts so that her youngest daughter could speak French and dance a minuet well, believing that more could not be demanded from the Russian princess at Versailles. Therefore, with the exception of French language teachers and dance teachers, the princess's education was left to chance. The Queen Mother was even ready for her daughter to convert to Catholicism. But a refusal came from Paris. Elizabeth filled her time with horse riding, hunting, which she took up quite early, rowing and grooming.

As a result, the daughter of Peter I did not acquire much knowledge, but she spoke French and German well, knew a little Italian and several Latin sayings, and had beautiful handwriting. This allowed her to be known as an educated woman. However, she was not interested in books, writing was boring for her, but she loved to draw, especially with paints: in her room even now you could see an easel with a painting she had started. In dancing, she was perhaps unsurpassed. At feasts, parties, and balls, Elizabeth danced tirelessly, attracting everyone's attention with her grace and ease. She was rightly called the queen of the ball.

The new empress continued her father's tradition of holding assemblies; only they no longer resembled the old ones. Now French models and the French manner of behavior have become canon: how to enter, how to greet each other, how to look so that not only the eyes, but also the nose will be pleased with the aroma of perfume, which Russian fashionistas first began to use, and of course, how to dance. In winter, masquerade balls were held alternately in aristocratic houses. We gathered at six o'clock in the evening. They danced and played cards until ten o'clock, then dined: the empress sitting at the table with some courtiers, the rest of the guests standing. Then again dancing until late at night. Moreover, there were no ceremonies at these balls. Anyone who wanted could leave - the owners did not see anyone off, not even the empress. When she entered the living room, those sitting were forbidden to get up. And the empress most often appeared unexpectedly in the middle of the ball, which did not at all disturb the general atmosphere.

Often balls were held in the palace itself. In a huge hall, decorated with magnificent mirrors and illuminated by many chandeliers, women in luxurious dresses and sparkling jewelry lined up on one side, and men in exquisite suits decorated with order ribbons on the other. Having exchanged deep bows, they began a slow dance to the sounds of music performed by French celebrities: the spectacle was impressive... The choreographer at court was the Frenchman Lande, who claimed that nowhere was the minuet danced so expressively and decorously as in St. Petersburg.

The French language began to become fashionable at Elizabeth's court, and the influence of French fashion also spread. The main occupation of the court ladies was the desire to outdo each other with their outfits. Society beauties spent long hours in front of the mirror in the company of maids, hairdressers and tailors. The dresses amazed with their brilliance and luxury, and they sometimes changed clothes two or three times a day. Among the capital's nobility, the pursuit of fashion became widespread. The best, the most expensive and certainly from Paris - this was the trend at the court of this representative of the House of Romanov. Elizabeth herself was considered almost a trendsetter; her sense of beauty was surprisingly developed: she dressed exceptionally elegantly, loved beautiful headdresses and jewelry, carefully monitored her appearance, and sat for hours at her dressing table. Not a single merchant who arrived from Western Europe had the right to sell his goods until the empress selected the necessary things or fabrics for herself. Once it was reported that the French woman, Mademoiselle Tardieu, a saleswoman of fashion goods, did not show all the new items brought from Paris, but hid something for her other clients. Without hiding her anger, the empress ordered the merchant to be put in prison. Usually, Her Majesty's courtier would wait for the arrival of French or English ships in the port of St. Petersburg in order to immediately acquire the latest fashions - before anyone could see them.

In the personal service of the queen there was a whole “regiment” of tailors, jewelers, shoemakers and furriers. During her reign, a huge amount of dresses, shoes and various jewelry accumulated.

Since the day of her accession to the throne, she probably has not worn the same dress more than twice. After all, for a long time after the death of her parents, the crown princess was forced to embarrass herself in her outfits. Even now, she sometimes haggled with the seller, afraid of overpaying, and it was almost useless to argue with her about the price. Was this a sign of stinginess, or did she always remember the time when she felt for herself what money means in a person’s life?

The passion for dressing up and taking care of her appearance did not leave her daughter Peter until the last days of her life. After her death, several thousand dresses, two chests filled with silk stockings, thousands of pairs of shoes and more than a hundred pieces of English or French fabric remained in the wardrobes.

Elizabeth's wardrobe also included many men's suits. Being by nature lively and cheerful, she loved to impress others and, knowing that a man’s suit suited her very well, she dressed up at masquerades held at court twice a week, either as a French musketeer, or as a Cossack hetman, or as a Dutch sailor. Believing that men's attire would not beautify her rivals in beauty, the empress even began to organize costume balls on Tuesdays for selected persons, to which ladies had to appear in French-cut tailcoats and men in skirts. Elizaveta Petrovna did not tolerate competition and strictly made sure that no one dared to wear dresses or do hairstyles of a new style until she herself changed them.

One day, Princess Lopukhina, known for her amazing beauty and thereby arousing the jealousy of the empress, decided to neglect this feature of the character of the Russian sovereign and appeared at the ball with a rose in her hair, when the empress had the same rose in her hair. Without at first showing any signs of dissatisfaction, the vain Elizabeth, in the midst of the ball, forced the foolish beauty to kneel down, ordered the scissors to be brought, and, cutting off the criminal rose along with a lock of hair, slapped the poor girl in the face.

Contemporaries also talk about another manifestation of the “character” of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna. One day she issued a decree: all ladies of high society should shave their heads, and the women, crying, had to obey. It turns out that this was not a tribute to fashion, the empress simply dyed her hair unsuccessfully, and it suddenly partially fell out. And she decided that the ladies of the court should share her sad fate with her.

Balls, dinners, masquerades, theatrical performances, fireworks followed one after another. The empress spared neither money nor time to organize entertainment and luxurious feasts. Refined taste, combined with luxury unprecedented for that time, quickly began to develop at court. The new empress wished to have an elegant table. Her chief cook was a German named Fuchs, who had studied French cuisine to the subtleties. The Empress adequately appreciated his excellent culinary abilities, allocated a salary unprecedented at that time, thereby elevating him to the rank of a high-ranking courtier - usually the main cooks were classified as servants. Elizabeth loved to eat, and it was good and tasty; she preferred meat and vegetable dishes; she did not eat fish. On Maslenitsa she ate two dozen pancakes, which embarrassed her sophisticated cook. But on fasting days I ate exclusively jam with simple bread and kvass. The queen was not averse to drinking a glass of Hungarian wine or drinking light beer - the daughter of Peter and Catherine did not have a particular addiction to alcohol. The most luxurious feasts were held in the newly rebuilt Tsarskoe Selo, which became the summer residence of the Romanov Tsars. A special lifting machine was made in the palace, which lifted the guests, sitting on comfortable sofas, to the second floor, where there was a table with various dishes. Refined dishes, wines and fruits were served on the table without the help of servants. These tables were called “magic”.

All celebrations and holidays were accompanied by music, which Elizabeth loved very much. Vocal and instrumental concerts were often held in the spacious houses of the nobility - modeled on Italian or German houses. Sometimes the Empress herself attended them. Citizens and merchants were allowed to attend the concerts; entry was prohibited only to drunken visitors or dissolute women. The empress often attended card parties organized in noble houses to play cards with a pleasant partner. Her liveliness, gaiety, and blinding smile on her ruddy, tender face attracted the gaze of many men. But she gave preference to Alexei Razumovsky, whom she noticed in the choir of her reigning cousin.

After it became obvious that the marriage of Tsarevna Elizabeth with the French king would not take place - there were persistent rumors in St. Petersburg about the upcoming marriage of Louis XV to an English princess - the bishop of the Lub diocese, Karl August of Holstein, the younger brother of the reigning duke, was chosen as a groom for the daughter of the Russian Tsar . Despite the fact that this match was much more modest than with the king of France, the daughter of the Russian tsar liked this better: she did not need to change her faith to Catholic, and the groom himself was nice to her. But the unexpected happened. Before reaching the altar, Karl August died suddenly. Elizabeth was deeply saddened by his death and did not want to hear any more about the suitors. Even the passion of her nephew, Emperor Peter II, did not melt her heart. The Tsesarevna was very affectionate with him, but restrained, and could not treat marriage with this boy without laughing, although she understood that marriage would significantly strengthen the tranquility of the Russian state - after all, they were both Romanovs. The wise Osterman often told her about this, with whom Elizabeth subsequently, having ascended the throne, acted so harshly.

The first among the men to whom the princess assigned some place in her life was the young Prince Buturlin. However, the jealous Peter II hastened to send him to Ukraine in order to stop the possibility of the beautiful aunt meeting with her rival. Then they talked about the possible marriage of the crown princess with her cousin Semyon Naryshkin, who was distinguished by his special grace and splendor. But even here the emperor intervened and ordered the young man to go to Paris on some errands. After the departure of this failed spouse, a simple guards sergeant named Shubin became close to Elizabeth, who campaigned among the guards in favor of Peter’s daughter. He was accused of conspiracy by Empress Anna Ioannovna and exiled to Kamchatka. Rumors spread throughout the city that the crown princess was not hiding her grief and was thinking about taking monastic vows. These rumors were not confirmed; moreover, she soon began to be seen in the company of the singer of the imperial chapel, Alexei Razumovsky.

What kind of man was he who was able to comfort the young woman so quickly? Where did he come from in St. Petersburg?

Razumovsky was originally from the Rozumov peasant family who lived in a small Ukrainian village. One day, a supplier of Hungarian wine to the court of Empress Anna stopped in this village and, while in a local church, was amazed by the powerful bass of the church choirboy. Because he brought the young peasant to the capital, the wine merchant even received a place at the court of the Empress, and the singer himself was assigned to Her Majesty’s chapel.

The Tsarevna, hearing the singer, asked him to come to her Court - during the reign of Anna Ioannovna, the daughter of the first Russian Emperor lived on the outskirts of St. Petersburg, where she had a small courtyard. But she did not have to enjoy the singing of the handsome young man for long - Alexei lost his magnificent voice, however, retaining the crown princess’s affection for him. Especially for him, Elizabeth added the position of court bandura player to the staff, and soon entrusted him with the management of her court. So the former Ukrainian peasant became her first assistant.

Alexey was a tall, slender brunette, with very attractive facial features, kind eyes and a thick, beautiful beard. Having become empress, Elizabeth showered her favorite with all sorts of honors, made him a count and, as they say, entered into a secret marriage with him. There is no reliable information about this, but Razumovsky’s position changed dramatically from the end of 1742. He settled in the palace, in apartments adjacent to the empress’s chambers, and was already an openly recognized participant in all of Her Majesty’s entertainments and trips, as if in the role of a prince-husband. One planned trip of the empress was even canceled due to the slight ill health of the count. Along with Italian arias, Ukrainian songs were also included in the operatic repertoire, and when leaving the theater in the bitter cold, the Empress carefully wrapped her companion’s fur coat and straightened his hat. The menu of official dinners usually included Ukrainian dishes, and Razumovsky himself sat at the table next to the empress. It was naturally believed that the empress would someday publicly announce her marriage and share the royal crown with her husband. But this did not happen either at the beginning or at the end of the reign of Elizabeth Romanova, although her attachment to this man continued throughout her life and she lived with him as with her husband. True, the flow of favors from the empress died down somewhat towards the end of her reign, but with his characteristic humility, Razumovsky never insisted on his rights - whether they were sealed by a church marriage or not. He never restrained the freedom of his mistress. And could he?

A document confirming the marriage could not be found. After the death of Empress Elizabeth, the courtiers came to the old man Razumovsky, who lived in his Moscow house, and asked to show the certificate. He listened to the request, took some paper out of the box and, with tears in his eyes, threw it into the fire, declaring that such a document had never existed.

Count Alexey Razumovsky generally differed from other courtiers in his eccentricity. He did not participate in the coup of 1741, but occupied a leading position at the court of the Empress. He was an extremely honest and modest person; he did not aspire to high government positions. He did not participate in court intrigues, but willingly accepted gifts from Elizabeth, including orders and money. He himself tried to do good, to help people, without forgetting his many relatives, of whom he, despite all their simplicity, was never ashamed. He made one of his sisters a maid of honor, and his younger brother, Kirill, completed a course of study abroad - he studied at the Universities of Göttingen and Berlin, was appointed president of the Academy of Sciences and did a lot of useful things for Russia.

After his rise, the former church choirboy did not change his attitude towards his loved ones and acquaintances. They told me such a case. One day, together with the empress, he came to inspect the new palace, among the employees he met his former acquaintance and, in the presence of the empress, kissed him heartily. When Elizabeth expressed her bewilderment at this behavior, Razumovsky simply and calmly answered her: “You, Lizochka, can make of me what you want, but for them I will always remain who I was before.” He did not derive any benefits from his high position, and for his modesty he enjoyed love and respect even from numerous envious people.

There were many legends surrounding the relationship between the empress and her favorite. There were even more fables about Elizabeth’s children, whom she allegedly gave to a nurse and then sent to a monastery. With her tall, plump figure, the pregnancy might not have been noticed.

Children from marriage with Razumovsky allegedly bore the surname Tarakanov. Entire legends have developed around them. The first woman known by this surname was Augusta, born around 1744. It is believed that soon after her birth she was sent to France, where she received a good upbringing and education. Catherine II, who came to power, managed to forcefully bring the now forty-year-old woman to Moscow and place her in a monastery. Of average height, magnificent build and amazing beauty, Elizabeth’s “daughter” was tonsured under the name Dosithea and lived here for another twenty-five years in complete solitude, engaged in reading, needlework and charity. A lot of money was allocated for the maintenance of this unusual nun, but she lived modestly and reclusively, attending church when there were no parishioners. Even church services were performed for her alone. Dosithea generally spent the last few years in silence and was considered “righteous.” The rumor about her spread very widely. Dosithea died at the age of 64. At her funeral, solemn and unusually magnificent, with a large crowd of people, the Razumovsky relatives and many noble nobles were present. The nun Dosifeya was buried in the Novospassky Monastery in the family tomb of the Romanov boyars. There was a legend that her portrait was preserved in the monastery with the caption: “Princess Augusta Tarakanova, in the foreign workshop of Dosifei.”

An amazing legend has developed around another person under this name - Princess Tarakanova, a woman of rare beauty and great intelligence. A few years after Elizabeth’s death, she suddenly laid claim to the Russian throne. But she did not end the days of her life on the throne...

So, the reins of government of the Russian state are again in the hands of a woman. The throne of Empress Elizabeth was surrounded by Russians and French. During her reign, the Germans did not occupy important positions and seemed to fade into the background. The absence of Germans at the origins of power soon made itself felt, and it was difficult to replace them. Foreigners, to whom the Empress addressed with an invitation to come to Russia, were in no hurry to enter the country, where they could first be exalted to heaven and then punished like robbers - the fate of Minich and Osterman became known in Europe. One French scientist, having received an invitation to settle in St. Petersburg, answered directly: “Thank you. As a matter of principle, I prefer to always have my back to Siberia.”

Who was at the throne of the tenth empress from the House of Romanov? What specific activities were carried out during her reign?

Having abolished the Cabinet of Ministers, Elizabeth returned primacy to the Senate, as it had been under her father. At the beginning of her reign, she even attended its meetings. However, the most important state affairs were decided not without the participation of the person to whom the daughter of Peter the Great most owed her rise to power. It was the surgeon Lestocq. He had free access to the empress and skillfully used his privilege. But he lasted only six years near the throne of the “planted” queen. Accused of selfish relations with foreign states, Lestocq was sent into exile and only after his patient’s nephew came to the throne was returned to St. Petersburg. The former physician of the Russian Tsarina also had to ask for money for travel and to buy the necessary clothes. The exile depleted all his material reserves.

In the third year of Elizabeth's reign, the star of a new statesman in the Russian field, Alexei Bestuzhev-Ryumin, rose. He was appointed to the post of chancellor. For more than fifteen years, not only the internal, but also the foreign policy of the state was in his hands during the reign of the daughter of Peter I. The former chemist from Copenhagen, although he was born in Moscow, began to decide the destinies of Russia. The roots of the Bestuzhev family come from England, from a certain Gabriel Best, who came to Moscow several centuries ago. The new head of government clearly bore the imprint of European civilization, as he was brought up in Germany and spent many years abroad. This statesman was married to the daughter of a former Russian resident in Lower Saxony named Böttiger. Elizabeth's parents often visited him during their travels in Germany. Frau Bestuzheva did not like Russians and secretly patronized Prussia. The official secretary of the chancellor was the German Brevern, who had previously served as an assistant to Osterman himself, and his personal office included two more Germans and one Italian.

Bestuzhev-Ryumin was a very secretive and ambitious person, with impeccable manners. He had amazing abilities for all kinds of intrigues, but managed to gain the full trust of the empress, constantly hiding behind the shadow of her father. “This is not my policy, but the policy of your great father,” he liked to repeat if the empress did not want to agree with him on something when discussing any issue, which did not happen often. Usually, Elizabeth sent orders to her first minister through third parties, and he, in turn, sent her piles of all kinds of papers - protocols, notes, texts of agreements and other documents - literally leading her to a state of confusion. Therefore, she herself rarely signed anything, most often she said: “Do as you want.” Any activity made her tired, and Elizaveta Petrovna could not afford this. “Getting her to sign some decree or paper is as difficult as writing an opera...” the Prussian envoy wrote to his king. It was no less difficult to obtain an audience with the empress. “She wanders from one country house to another, and it is impossible to keep up with her,” complained the Austrian envoy. And if someone managed to capture her attention, she often abruptly changed the topic of conversation. For example, her opinion on the inheritance of the Swedish throne for the Duke of Holstein is required - Elizabeth, instead of answering the question put to her, recalls the jewelry of her sister Anna, which disappeared after her death, and demands that they be found, as if this was the goal meetings.

Alexey Bestuzhev-Ryumin ended his career ingloriously: he was subject to disgrace and sent into exile. His place was taken by Count Pyotr Ivanovich Shuvalov, a participant in the palace coup of 1741. Having neither rank nor portfolio, he had already led several departments for several years. This statesman was one of the first nobles in Russia who lived openly according to his own rules. He always kept a set table for his guests, treated them to champagne, which was a luxury item at that time, owned greenhouses where pineapples and other overseas fruits grew, and his carriages were harnessed to English horses. Pyotr Shuvalov gained great popularity with his project of abolishing internal customs and abolishing duties. He also established banks from where one could take money as collateral at low interest rates (only six percent per annum) or place one’s money there and receive interest for it. These first banks in Russia brought great benefits to trade, including foreign trade, which was still entirely in the hands of foreigners. But Pyotr Shuvalov’s career was ruined by an unbridled passion for luxury and women.

The count's cousin, twenty-two-year-old Ivan Shuvalov, became a close friend of the empress at the end of her life. Officially, the young man did not hold any significant position. He was simply called "Chamberlain". However, with his high education and intelligence, handsome appearance and incorruptible heart, he stood out from others. Among Elizabeth's closest friends and political figures, he was considered the most pleasant figure. His thoughts were aimed at developing education in Russia, which at that time was, perhaps, the only country where knowledge of the native language and, in general, everything national was neglected. People who were considered enlightened cared only that their children knew the French language and French etiquette, so they surrounded them with foreign teachers, music and dance teachers. The Russian language and other sciences were almost not taught to children. The only center of science at that time was the Slavic-Greek-Latin Academy in Moscow, and in St. Petersburg - the Academy of Sciences. It was Ivan Shuvalov who initiated the founding of the first Russian university in Moscow, which was one of the main innovations of the daughter of the Great Peter. On Tatyana's day, January 25, 1755, she signed a corresponding decree. Shuvalov presented her with a document to sign. The first Russian scientist Mikhail Lomonosov, who was patronized by the Chamberlain himself, was appointed rector of the university. Arriving as a young man from the north of Russia, Lomonosov studied in Moscow and after completing his studies was sent to Germany, where he first took a five-year course at the Mining Academy in Freiberg, and then studied philosophy and German literature in Marburg. There he published the first Russian grammar and himself translated it into German for his friends. In Germany, he married a German woman, the daughter of a tailor from Marburg, who then came to Russia with him.

The teachers at Moscow University were Germans or Russians who received their education in Germany. Two gymnasiums were opened at the university - one for nobles, the other for commoners, and the newspaper "Moskovskie Vedomosti" began to be published. Ivan Shuvalov became a trustee of the new educational institution.

Elizabeth's young favorite was not only a philanthropist, but also the Minister of Public Education. With his assistance, the Academy of Arts was restored in St. Petersburg. He personally helped its revival, gave her his beautiful library, as well as a collection of paintings and works, valuable sculptures. From now on, future Russian artists could study at the Academy. Neither age, nor social status or origin of candidates played a role when enrolling in the Academy. Soon this establishment will turn into a cradle of national talents. Elizabeth herself tried to surround herself with artists and sculptors from Europe, considering them an adornment of her court. It seemed that she did not care at all about encouraging local talents, she even ordered her portrait from French or Italian artists, and St. Petersburg beauties followed her example. And Russian national fine art slowly began to break through the thickness of foreign influence.

Ivan Shuvalov also played a great role in the creation of the national Russian theater in St. Petersburg. A troupe created in Yaroslavl by the merchant's son Fyodor Volkov played on its stage. Performances were given in prose and poetry, and the Empress herself attended them. Elizabeth had a great love for the theater - be it Italian opera or French comedy. Perhaps the German theater, which had been performing its performances in Moscow for many years, did not receive recognition from her. In 1754 it was closed. And the daughter of Peter the Great had special feelings for folk art. Russian folklore was dear to her heart; She fell in love with the dancing and choral singing of village girls from an early age.

Under Elizabeth, who inherited her father's energy, many palaces were built. The construction of wooden palace buildings, sometimes intended only for one visit of the empress, sometimes took only a few weeks. Stone palaces took years to build. Skilled craftsmen were invited from Italy and other countries to build them. Many beautiful architectural monuments were created by the Italian Rastrelli. His creation is the Great Tsarskoye Selo Palace - a building extraordinary in its beauty and luxury. The history of its creation is connected with the name of mother Elizabeth. About thirty years earlier, in Tsarskoe Selo, for the wife of Peter I, “stone chambers with sixteen chambers” were built here - a modest palace intended for relaxation during the royal hunt. A garden with flower beds, artificial ponds, and fruit trees was laid out in front of the palace. Over the years, the palace was rebuilt several times; it was completed by the architect Rastrelli and was intended for the ceremonial residence of the Empress. The palace building, stretching for more than three hundred meters, amazed with its luxury. Its stucco and carved decorations were gilded, and the interiors of the palace sparkled. Among the amazingly beautiful rooms of the palace, the Chinese and Amber rooms have gained world fame. Paintings, gold, amber, rare porcelain - all these treasures were supposed to testify to the power of the House of Romanov. The luxury of the Russian court was not inferior to the luxury of the French, at that time the most brilliant in Europe.

Elizabeth herself, lacking her permanent residence, still had to move from one palace to another. Outwardly, all the palace buildings had a completely respectable appearance, but the furnishings of the living rooms were so poor that mirrors, tables and chairs were carried with them when moving from one palace to another - even from St. Petersburg to Moscow. The rooms were stuffy, untidy, and sometimes there were mice running around, of which Elizabeth was terribly afraid. And the main problem is frequent fires, especially in Moscow, where wooden buildings predominated.

One autumn, having gone to Moscow, Elizabeth decided to settle in the Kremlin. But the palace apartments of her ancestors turned out to be unsuitable for habitation, and the entrances to the ancient royal palace had long served as warehouses for waste and sewage. The Empress went to her mother’s former palace and wished to stay there for the whole winter. But in early November, the palace building and all its services burned down in just a few hours from a sudden fire - only ashes and charred debris remained. Its inhabitants were miraculously saved. However, in just six weeks the palace was rebuilt, and even before the New Year the empress was able to move into a new building - it had at least sixty rooms and living rooms.

Elizabeth's dream was to have an imperial winter palace in her father's city. She fulfilled this dream - a magnificent palace was built and became a decoration of the city on the Neva. It was conceived as the residence of the Russian emperors and named the Winter Palace. The construction of the Winter Palace lasted more than eight years and consumed an untold amount of money. But the tenth Empress Romanova did not have to live in it for a single day, the time allotted to her by fate did not allow it. The demands that Rastrelli rush to decorate at least her own living quarters were in vain. Only a year after Elizabeth’s death, the walls of her brainchild received their first inhabitants.

The founding of the domestic porcelain industry is also associated with the name of the daughter of Peter the Great - in 1744, a porcelain manufactory was built near St. Petersburg. It was built by students of the famous Böttger, the creator of “white gold” in Germany, who came to Russia from Meissen. At first, this small enterprise served only the royal court; its products were very expensive and almost never went on sale. Then the factory expanded its production and subsequently became widely known.

The empress's passion for clothes contributed to the emergence and development of weaving and clothing factories in Russia, although it was still difficult for them to compete with foreign enterprises. As if in support of the modest range of domestic industry, Elizabeth issued a number of decrees aimed against luxury: people who did not have rank were forbidden to wear silk and velvet, it was forbidden to have gold and silver in galloons in liveries - an exception was made only for the military and foreigners. In addition, from now on it was not allowed to ride in a cart drawn by four horses - this right was reserved only for foreign diplomats and landowners going to their estates.

Elizabeth's government also adopted a number of measures relating to trade and industry, which, in fact, took place under other Romanov tsars. But the tenth empress from the House of Romanov, true to the principles of her father, personally took up the regulation of moral issues. She established a “strict commission” in St. Petersburg to prosecute extramarital affairs, and even once, by a personal decree, ordered the confiscation of the estate of one widow for her “dissolute life.” And the next fact amazed even seasoned Europeans.

One German woman, originally from Dresden, nicknamed “Dresdensha” in this regard, rented a rich house in St. Petersburg and made it a place for fun parties and love dates. Single men - and perhaps not single men - could, of course, meet frivolous women and young girls there, for an appropriate fee. The rumor about this entertainment establishment reached the empress herself, and reckoning came: the German woman was expelled from Russia. And the visitors, if they were high officials who were not married, were forced to marry their voluntary victims in order to restore their good name. Severe punishment.

These are the main practical steps taken by Peter's daughter during her reign. Peaceful and carefree Elizaveta Petrovna fought for half of her reign. The Russian army won considerable victories under it and even entered Berlin. However, I would not like to touch upon the aggressive policy of the kings of the Romanov dynasty here. This is a special topic for an entire book...

Peter's daughter did not give birth to an heir, but, having ascended the throne and exiled little John of Brunswick with his parents to the North, to Kholmogory, she immediately sent her nephew, Prince Karl Peter Ulrich, the son of her beloved sister Anna, from Holstein. She appointed him as her successor. The Holstein-Gottorp house was dear to Elizabeth's heart not only because her sister married a prince from this house. After all, her fiancé, Bishop Karl August of Lubski, was from Holstein, whom she remembered with longing all her life. Therefore, she had special feelings for this country between two seas.

Elizabeth sent Baron Korf to Holstein for her nephew, who brought the boy to St. Petersburg in February 1742 along with his teachers Bruemmer and Bergholz. Elizabeth’s meeting with her nephew was very touching, because he was the son of his beloved sister, orphaned early and the only representative of Peter’s line. She was only upset by the somewhat sickly appearance of the arriving prince and the fact that at the age of 13 he had learned little seriously. Therefore, teachers were immediately assigned to the boy, and the Empress instructed Simeon of Todor to prepare the boy for the adoption of Orthodoxy.

This decision of the empress was in accordance with the will of her mother, Catherine I, according to which, after her husband’s grandson from her son Alexei, in the event that he has no children, the legal heirs are Anna with her offspring, and then the youngest daughter Elizabeth with her offspring. Peter II died at a young age and left no children. Daughter Anna, who died a year after the death of her mother, left behind a son, whose father was the Duke of Holstein. However, being brought up in Kiel in the Protestant religion, he fell under the last clause of the will, which removed heirs of non-Orthodox faith from the throne. Therefore, having summoned him to St. Petersburg, Elizabeth first of all took care of changing her nephew’s religion. Having solemnly celebrated his birthday - the boy was fourteen years old - the empress took him to Moscow. There, a few months later, Karl Peter Ulrich was baptized into the Orthodox faith. He received the title of Imperial Highness and Grand Duke, as well as a new name. From now on they began to call him Pyotr Fedorovich. So the Holsteiner stood at the foot of the Russian throne.

The new empress needed an heir, since this was the only way to leave the throne to her father's offspring. However, in this way she confirmed her intention not to get married. This was quite consistent with the spirit of the new regime and the mood of the guards, thanks to whom she, in fact, took the Russian throne. They wanted to see her on the throne, free from any obligations, at least formally, and personify the memory of Peter the Great. The Empress completed her solution to the problem of succession to the throne by starting to intensively search for a suitable wife for the future Emperor of Russia in the princely houses of Europe. The Prussian king proposed Sophia to Frederic Amalie, a German princess from the small principality of Anhalt-Zerbst, mentioning that on her mother’s side she was the niece of Elizabeth’s late beloved fiancé. Among the candidates were also the daughter of the Polish king Marianne, one of the French princesses and the German princess of Hesse-Darmstadt.

Elizabeth chose the princess of Anhalt-Zerbst and sent her mother Johanna Elisabeth, née Holstein-Gottorp, a very kind letter, inviting her to visit the Russian imperial court with her daughter. Knowing their financial difficulties, Elizabeth sent ten thousand rubles for travel expenses, informing them that their stay in St. Petersburg would be at the expense of the Russian treasury.

Mother and daughter arrived in Russia under false names in the winter of 1744. Empress Elizabeth immediately liked the girl: beautiful, with dark hair, sparkling blue eyes and an inquisitive look. And most importantly, she is very intelligent and well-mannered. The girl spoke French fluently and after just a few days in Russia she could pronounce several sentences in Russian. With the help of teacher Simeon Todorsky, she began to learn the Russian language and the history of the Orthodox Church. In the summer, Sophia was baptized into the Orthodox faith and given the name of her mother, Empress Elizabeth. From now on she was called Ekaterina Alekseevna, and as soon as the girl turned sixteen years old, she was married to the heir to the Russian throne.

Elizabeth treated her nephew and his wife with great attention and care, although the regime of future royal persons was strict. Neither Peter nor Catherine dared to leave the house, much less the city, without asking permission from the Mother Empress. The Empress often gave gifts to the young couple, gave them money, but was angry when they got into debt. She once directly stated that “the well can finally be drawn out” and that when she was a Grand Duchess, she received significantly less money and spent it very sparingly, and most importantly, she did not make debts, knowing that no one would pay them for her will not be. However, the kind aunt even paid gambling debts for her nephew, wanting to preserve his honor and dignity. In addition, she seriously believed that severe retribution awaited bad debtors in the future life.

As soon as the heir's first child was born - and this happened only in the ninth year of marriage - Elizabeth placed the child in her chambers and took him under her personal protection: she visited him several times a day and even at night ran up to the baby to his every cry , although many nannies and mothers were assigned to him. She gave Catherine one hundred thousand rubles for this occasion, but allowed her to see her son only forty days after birth. A young mother was rarely allowed to approach her child. The Empress did the same at the birth of Catherine’s daughter, whom she herself, against her mother’s will, named Anna, after her long-deceased sister. The girl, however, died a year later.

Elizabeth always had a tender attitude towards children. She sometimes even gave balls for the children of her courtiers, which attracted at least fifty boys and girls. A common dinner was arranged for them, and the empress herself dined with the children’s parents.

During the reign of Anna Ioannovna, Tsarevna Elizabeth, as already mentioned, had a small courtyard on the outskirts of St. Petersburg and ran her own household. She tried not to get into debt, although she was in constant need of money, since the funds received from the empress were very limited. Despite this, Peter's daughter, whenever possible, helped poor relatives on her mother's side, the Skavronskys: two sisters of Catherine I, who were her aunts, and three children of her uncle Charles, who were orphaned early. She raised her two cousins ​​at her own expense and subsequently married them off herself.

Elizabeth adopted her kind attitude towards people from her mother Catherine. “There is no kinder and more affectionate mother empress,” people said.