basement with basement
Who lived during the reign of Elizabeth. Elizaveta Petrovna - biography, information, personal life

Who lived during the reign of Elizabeth. Elizaveta Petrovna - biography, information, personal life

On December 18, 1709, according to the old style, the beloved daughter of Peter I, Elizabeth, was born. How "Petrov's daughter" broke through to the crown, what threatened her and why the most beautiful Russian princess got married only at 33.

bastard girl

Elizaveta Petrovna was born in the royal palace of Kolomenskoye on December 18, 1709. Her father, Peter I, by that time was heading towards Moscow with the army after the successful Poltava campaign. Having received the news of the birth of his daughter, he put aside everything and demanded a three-day feast.

The childhood and youth of the future empress were spent in Moscow and St. Petersburg, where she was brought up with her older sister Anna, who was born a year earlier. They practically did not see their parents: the father was on the road all the time, where his mother accompanied him. And when they were in St. Petersburg, the mother was more likely to prepare receptions or palace intrigues than her own daughters.

The royal daughters were either taken care of by Peter's younger sister, Princess Natalia Alekseevna, or the Menshikovs and their relatives. So, girls often in letters to their father mentioned the hunchback Varvara, the sister of Daria Menshikova. The Menshikovs reported on the condition of their daughters to the tsar in their letters.

The girls became legal daughters only in 1712, when Peter I married their mother Catherine. Before that, they were considered bastards. Contemporaries described how the girls held on to their mother's hem during the wedding: they were allowed to do this when they refused to leave their parents against all persuasion. They did not attend the feast for long: three-year-old Anya and two-year-old Lisa were taken to bed. Although Lisa became a legitimate daughter when she was still very young, later opponents of her accession to the throne repeatedly mentioned this fact of the girl’s biography.

Elizabeth began to learn to read and write as early as two or three years. Peter and Catherine personally wrote notes to them, to which, however, they began to respond much later. The first letter, from which it is clear that there was a correspondence, is dated 1718.

Lisette, my friend, hello! Thank you for your letters, God bless you in the joy of seeing you. Big man, kiss your brother for me, - wrote Peter I. The "big man" is the son of the king, who was predicted the fate of the emperor, but he died in 1719 at the age of four.

I can't bear to get married

Collage © L!FE. Photo: © wikipedia.org

Elizabeth was recognized fit for marriage at the age of 12, in 1722. By that time, the girl, as the close associates of the first Russian emperor wrote, had become prettier, became feminine. However, she did not lose her beauty until her old age.

The girl owned a horseback ride, danced beautifully, and also spoke calmly in French, German, Finnish and Swedish.

On the occasion of the beginning of her "marriage age" they even arranged a special ceremony: Peter cut off special "angel wings" from his daughter's dress. Peter dreamed of making his daughter a French queen. He wanted to marry her to the future Louis XV, who was a few months younger than Elizabeth. However, the French court was skeptical about a daughter born out of wedlock. Even the fact that it was officially recognized did not help. Peter made several attempts to reach an agreement through his associates. But nothing worked.

Louis XV as a teenager. Collage © L!FE. Photo: © wikipedia.org

At this time, the Holstein Duke Karl-Friedrich sought the hand of Elizabeth. However, he also agreed with Anna - but what difference does it make which of the daughters: in royal marriages, it is not about love, but about politics. Holstein needed Russia to return its province of Schleswig, which Denmark had taken back in 1704. Peter delayed with an answer, since he did not see such an alliance as beneficial, especially when France was at stake. As a result, shortly before his death, in 1725, he made up his mind - and gave Anna for the Duke.

There was an option and marriage within the family name. So, Vice-Chancellor Andrei Ivanovich Osterman assured that the girl should be married to Peter Alekseevich (son of Peter I from his first marriage). But the Russian emperor categorically refused such an option: even if only by his father, Lisa and Petya were relatives to each other. The Church would not approve of such a marriage - but this is not the main thing. In society, the glory of a bastard was entrenched for Lisa, add to this an intra-dynastic marriage - and indignation with coups cannot be avoided. Therefore, the idea of a future Emperor Peter II was dismissed.

After the death of her father, the search for a groom for her daughter continued. So, in May 1727, shortly before her death, Catherine I bequeathed her daughter to marry Karl-August, the younger brother of Anna Petrovna's husband. He visited the Russian court, the girl was delighted. But in the summer he suddenly fell ill and died.

Entertainment

Collage © L!FE. Photo: © wikipedia.org © RIA Novosti

After the death of my mother and the failed next groom, the issue of Elizabeth's marriage subsided. She took a prominent place at the court of her nephew, Emperor Peter II. At court, they talked about her intimate relationship with the 13-year-old ruler, whom she herself was five years older than. However, this is nothing more than a rumor.

The Russians are afraid of the great power that Princess Elizabeth has over the tsar: her mind, beauty and ambition frighten everyone, - wrote the Spanish envoy Duke de Liria.

Hunting, horseback riding, partying - the "beautiful sister" did not deny herself pleasures. At that time, many were recorded as lovers to her. Upon learning of her affair with the chamberlain Alexander Buturlin, Peter even demanded that he be expelled from Russia. As a result, he was sent to the army, which was then in Ukraine.

To the monastery

Collage © L!FE. Photo: © wikipedia.org © RIA Novosti / Pavel Lisitsyn

Elizabeth lived rather carefree until the beginning of 1730. She went hunting, danced, collected enthusiastic looks from fans. However, the 14-year-old emperor, who did not refuse anything to his beloved aunt, suddenly fell ill with smallpox and died.

For Lisa, completely different times began. Her cousin Anna Ioannovna was summoned from Courland. She took with her a lover - Biron. And no matter how hard Elizabeth tried to show her loyalty, the Empress was extremely wary of her. After all, Elizabeth was a legitimate contender for the throne. And Anna Ioannovna had her own plans for the Russian crown - to put it on the head of her relatives.

Ernst Johann Biron. Collage © L!FE. Photo: © wikipedia.org

Anna Ioannovna limited Elizabeth's allowance to 30 thousand rubles a year for everything. Translated into modern money, this is about 15 million rubles. The amount is fabulous for the majority, but not for the tsar's daughter, who, in principle, is not used to denying herself anything. Especially in dresses and jewelry, the cost of each of which was estimated at hundreds of rubles.

However, the empress decided the money issue with ease - she took out a loan. Well, who will refuse? All these debts were later covered by Biron, who ascended the throne, and Elizabeth thanked him later, saving her life. In addition, having become the empress, she returned Biron and his family from exile in the city of Pelym (now the territory of the Urals), where he was sent in 1741 by Anna Leopoldovna. Having once paid his debts, he then settled in Yaroslavl.

Although Elizabeth presented herself more as a swindler, who is deeply alien to any politics, she still represented a danger, at least by the right of her family. Anna Ioannovna saw only one good old Russian version - a monastery. Of course, the idea of marrying the girl off and sending her away from the Russian court remained, of course, but in reality the idea was dubious. After all, it was necessary to pick up a groom from a country that is the farther from Russia, the better. And most importantly - who does not have a large army capable of supporting the legitimate heir to the throne.

Grenadier Friends

Anna Ioannovna died in October 1740. The ruler was a boy who was nine days old. First, Biron became regent under him, who did not plan to alienate Elizabeth from the court. But less than a month later, Anna Leopoldovna, with the support of the military, overthrew him. The words "monastery" and "murder" hung over Elizabeth's head like a harsh sentence.

Then Petrov's daughter decided that it was time to save herself. Preparations for the coup went on for almost a year. The first step was to win over the military. However, it was quite doable. By that time, all the problems that existed in the army under Peter I had already been forgotten. Only good fame remained about the emperor, which means that his daughter was also provided with an initially "successful starting position."

In addition, the pleasant and smiling Elizabeth did not leave anyone indifferent, being able, as contemporaries wrote, to win over with one smile. She baptized grenadier children, could easily have a drink with the soldiers, gave them money. The girl also did not refuse to flirt.

The result of such a female calculation was observed by the Russian Field Marshal Burkhard Munnich, who came to Aleksandrovskaya Sloboda, where Elizabeth then lived, to congratulate her on the upcoming New Year.

He was extremely alarmed when he saw that the entrance hall, the stairs and the hallway were filled entirely with guards soldiers, familiarly calling the princess their godfather, - the French diplomat Jacques-Joachim Trotti Chétardie later quoted him as saying.

Therefore, when the godfather soon announced that she was in trouble, the grenadiers stood up for her with a mountain. Still would! Arriving "busurmans" occupy the Russian throne, and their daughter Petrova can be killed!

coup

Collage © L!FE. Photo: © RIA Novosti / V. Baranovsky © wikipedia.org

As a result, when Elizabeth asked for help, about 300 grenadiers married her. Half of them were enlisted in the guard in 1737-1741, that is, they were probably not yet 30 years old. It is curious that among the supporters of Elizabeth there was not a single representative of the then noble families.

The rival outnumbered them many times: thus, according to the documents, about 10 thousand people served the Russian imperial court. They would have easily dealt with three hundred rebels. Therefore, it was decided to arrange a coup at night.

On November 25, 1741, Elizabeth came to the barracks to the guards of the Preobrazhensky Regiment at about 23:00 with the following words: "Do you know whose daughter I am?" After an affirmative answer, she asked if the soldiers were ready to die for her. Well, of course, we are ready. Then they all moved to the Winter.

There is a legend that a hundred meters before the gate, Elizabeth got out of the sleigh and ran ahead of the guards, but stumbled. And in the Winter it was brought in by hand.

The husband of the regent, Anna Leopoldovna, Generalissimo Anton Ulrich, right in the sheet, was carried out of the palace by the military and pushed into the carriage. It was more of a political moment: well, how to give orders if the whole guard will laugh at your appearance.

Collage © L!FE. Photo: © wikipedia.org

Following him, Anna was also taken out, for whom all possible belongings were collected in an hour. The queue was behind the little emperor. Elizabeth strictly forbade waking the child, so the grenadiers waited several hours for him to wake up.

Poor child, you are innocent, but your parents are guilty, ”Elizabeth allegedly said, taking the little ruler in her arms and promising to leave the family alive.

The coup for the whole court, and for the whole country, was justified as follows: due to external and internal unrest, the Life Guards asked Petrova's daughter to take the throne. Elizabeth hastily destroyed everything connected with the little emperor: they burned documents signed on his behalf, handed over the money for melting down, and completely destroyed the sworn signature lists publicly.

Shapovalova Alena

Empress Elizabeth Petrovna

Years of government: 1741-1761

Elizabeth was born on December 18, 1709. At that time, the relationship between Peter the Great and Catherine Alexandrovna had not yet been sealed by marriage. For a long time, she and her older sister were called the illegitimate children of the emperor.
Governesses from Italy and France were involved in the upbringing of the princesses from early childhood. They were taught foreign languages, court etiquette, and dancing. Peter was going to marry his daughters to royal persons of other states in order to further strengthen the position of the Russian Empire.
Elizaveta Petrovna was fluent in German and French, understood Italian, Finnish and Swedish. The spelling of her letters is simply terrible, the style of thoughts on the letter was also inaccessible to her. Since the adoption of the imperial title by the Great Peter, his daughters began to be called princesses. After the death of her father, Ekaterina Alekseevna married her eldest daughter Anna to the Duke of Holstein Karl Friedrich, and since then Elizabeth has been inseparable from the Empress. She read documents to her mother and often signed them for her.
The courtiers advised the sick Catherine to give the right of succession to the throne to Elizabeth. But her decision was made in favor of her grandson, the 12-year-old grandson of Peter the Great. Elizabeth was destined for the fate of the wife of Karl-August, Prince-Bishop of Lübeck. But, having arrived in Russia, the groom contracted smallpox and died. According to the will, Anna Petrovna and her children were the next to inherit the Russian throne. After their death, Elizabeth became the successor. Menshikov did everything to alienate the daughters of Peter from power. Anna Petrovna, together with her husband, was forced to leave Russia.
Elizaveta Petrovna spent time in the company of the young sovereign. Peter never parted with his beloved aunt. She had a huge influence on the emperor. This continued until the summer of 1728, when suddenly Peter lost interest in his aunt, becoming jealous of Buturlin.
Elizabeth did not lose heart and spent time in the Alexander Sloboda in the company of guardsman Alexei Shubin. In the evenings she sang folk songs with the village girls.
After the death of Peter II, Elizabeth was the only and legitimate heir to the throne, since Anna renounced her claims to the throne for all her descendants. The Supreme Council, openly recognizing Elizabeth as illegitimate, deprived her of the right to power. The Duchess of Courland, Anna Ioannovna, became the empress.
Elizaveta Petrovna did not dare then openly speak out against the Supreme Council. Her friend and personal physician I. G. Lestok advised Elizabeth to resort to the help of the guard and fight for the right to rule.
The new empress did not like Elizabeth and tried to humiliate her and subject her to hardships. She suffered greatly when her favorite Alexei Shubin, by order of Anna Ioannovna, was sent into exile. Tsesarevna returned to Aleksandrovskaya Sloboda and became interested in religion. Anna Ioannovna was going to send her to a monastery, but Biron opposed this decision.
Elizabeth was constantly threatened with a forced marriage with a representative of some impoverished family. The annual content of the princess was reduced by 3 times. She had no right to appear in the imperial chambers without the invitation of the empress. All this became a decisive factor in the presentation by Elizabeth of her rights to the Russian throne.
After the death of Anna Ioannovna, the idea of power did not leave the princess. Her popularity among the common people grew, the people welcomed her and demanded that she take the throne of the great father.
Once again, the army played a decisive role in preparing the coup. All regiments were on the side of Peter's daughter. This became especially noticeable after the death of Anna Ioannovna. Having overthrown Biron, the guards had no doubt that now Elizabeth Petrovna would become the empress. Anna Leopoldovna did not take seriously the popularity of Elizabeth among the guards officers, she only laughed, receiving denunciations about the preparations for a coup.
Lestok was at the head of the coup. The conspirators were supported by French diplomacy. The task of the French was to remove the Germans from the Russian throne and thereby influence the foreign policy orientation of Russia. The French hoped that Elizabeth would again transfer the capital to Moscow, the fleet would lose combat effectiveness and Russia would not actively interfere in European politics.
On the evening of November 23, 1741, a stormy explanation took place between Anna Leopoldovna and Elizabeth. Anna directly asked about the veracity of the rumors that had reached her about the impending coup. Elizabeth played a real performance in front of the ruler and managed to convince her that this was a blatant lie. The women wept, embraced, and went to their quarters.
Elizabeth realized that it was impossible to pull any longer. At night, she gathered Lestok, Razumovsky, Vorontsov and the Shuvalov brothers for a meeting. The coup was scheduled for the evening of the next day. It happened without bloodshed. The people greeted Elizabeth with such joy that the northern capital had not yet known.
On November 25, 1741, a manifesto was announced, announcing that Elizaveta Petrovna had ascended the throne quite legally "because of the proximity of blood to autocratic ... parents." On November 28, the second manifesto was published, which cited an excerpt from Catherine's will1. Emperor Ivan Antonovich was called an illegal ruler and was deprived of all rights to the throne.
Contemporaries noted the extraordinary friendliness of Elizabeth, her meek and cheerful disposition, kindness and humanity. She was a wonderful actress, and no one could know what was going on in her soul. She did not want to share power with anyone, but having ascended the throne, she thought about the heir, deciding to bring the son of her older sister Anna and the Duke of Holstein, Karl Peter Ulrich, closer to her. Anna soon died after childbirth, father 10 years later, the boy was raised by tutors assigned to him from childhood.
The little duke converted to Orthodoxy on November 7, 1742, received the name of Peter Fedorovich and on the same day was declared heir to the Russian throne. Two years later, the bride was invited - Sophia Frederic Augusta, who at baptism became Ekaterina Alekseevna. On August 12, 1745, the wedding of the heir to Catherine took place.
Elizaveta Petrovna received her nephew very warmly, but was subsequently disappointed with his behavior: stubbornness, childish amusements. His passion was to train soldiers and imitate the Prussian monarch. This annoyed the empress, and she did not allow Peter to participate in state affairs. In 1754, the long-awaited son was born to Peter and Catherine. Elizaveta Petrovna was delighted with this event and took little Pavel to her apartment. Elizabeth, who did not have her own children, gave all her unspent love and tenderness to her grandson.
One of the first decrees of Elizabeth, restored the Senate and abolished the Cabinet of Ministers. The personal Imperial Chancellery was also restored. The monarchy in Russia has practically become absolute. Elizabeth independently solved all state issues, from global to the smallest.
When making an important state decision, the empress always consulted with senior officials, gathering them for the Imperial Council. This highest government body of the state worked under the full control of the Empress, and often under her leadership. The major figures who made up the government under Anna Leopoldovna were arrested by Elizabeth and sent into exile. Only Prince Cherkassky, who did not stain himself in front of the Empress, resisted. She appointed Bestuzhev-Ryumin Vice-Chancellor. Bestuzhev was a very educated person, for more than 20 years he was engaged in diplomatic activities. Biron recalled Bestuzhev to Petersburg and introduced him to the cabinet of ministers. After the overthrow of Biron, Bestuzhev was in disgrace until Elizabeth noticed him.
Prosecutor General of the Senate Trubetskoy became an ally of Prince Cherkassky.
Having united, they came out against Bestuzhev-Ryumin, who was considered an intriguer. But General Apraksin was a true friend of the Vice-Chancellor. The government broke up into two warring factions, each of which considered itself more significant and influential.
Elizabeth loved to spend time in the company of the witty French ambassador Chétardie.
Chetardie did not complete his task. He was unable to influence Elizabeth in order to conclude peace with Sweden, which was extremely unfavorable for Russia. In August 1742 he was recalled to France. Peace with Sweden was concluded without the participation of Chétardie, on favorable terms for Russia. On August 19, 1743, the empress signed the Abo peace treaty decree, according to which the Russian border moved away from St. Petersburg, and the Swedes again confirmed Russia's acquisitions in the Baltic states.
In December 1743 Chétardie came to Russia again. He began shamelessly spying, taking advantage of his position at court. He sent ciphered dispatches, where he frankly wrote about his true mission: to gain his influence on the empress. Bestuzhev-Ryumin intercepted reports, and the talented mathematician Goldbach deciphered them. The reports also contained insulting remarks about the Empress. Elizabeth immediately gave an order to leave Russia within 24 hours. The portrait of Elizabeth and the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called were taken from him.
In gratitude for the good work, Elizabeth appointed Bestuzhev-Ryumin Chancellor, and Count M.I. Vorontsov became Vice-Chancellor.
On the same day, July 15, 1744, two more appointments took place: the brothers Peter and Alexander Shuvalov became lieutenant generals. Pyotr Shuvalov was appointed senator, and Alexander took over as head of the Office of Secret Investigative Affairs.
Bestuzhev-Ryumin celebrated the victory. From his sharp gaze did not hide the noticeable cooling of the Empress towards Lestocq. For the court physician, the overthrow of Bestuzhev from his post became his life's work. Lestok made many mistakes and paid dearly for them. Elizabeth accused him of high treason and exiled him to Uglich.
The favorite of Elizabeth, Count Razumovsky, had no rivals until 1750. He actually took the place of the spouse of the empress. He lived in apartments adjacent to Elizabeth, and she constantly showed him signs of attention.
Contemporaries noted that Razumovsky was a simple and honest man. His good-natured disposition did not spoil the attention of the Empress.
Razumovsky did not interfere in state affairs, and used his influence only to patronize anyone.
Among the favorites of the Empress at different times were the page Ivan Shuvalov, the cadet Beketov, the singer Kachanovsky. In 1751, Elizabeth granted the young Ivan Shuvalov the rank of chamberlain. He got along well with Razumovsky, whom Elizabeth promoted to field marshal general.
Shuvalov did not seek promotion and refused the ranks that the Empress offered him. But when solving political issues, he seemed to forget about his modesty and interfere in the discussion of all state problems. Shuvalov was known as a friend of Vice-Chancellor Vorontsov. Their joint efforts ensured the rapprochement between Russia and France in the second half of the 50s of the 18th century.
Under Elizabeth, various institutions that had existed under Peter1 and abolished after his death were restored. Those decrees that contradicted the policy of Great Peter were also canceled. Senator Pyotr Shuvalov suggested that Elizabeth revise the code of laws written back in 1649 and develop a new one.
The Empress approved this idea, but it was not fully developed. By the summer of 1755, the Senate had created the judicial and criminal parts of the new code of laws, and work on the third part, “On the State of the Subjects,” was never completed during the reign of Elizabeth.
A decree was adopted on the abolition of internal customs duties, which ensured the acceleration of the development of the internal market of the state. In the years 1744-1747, a census was conducted, registering an increase in the population by 17%. At the same time, landlord peasants were forbidden to enter the military service of their own free will. The landowners sold unwanted serfs as recruits and exiled to Siberia.
Under Elizabeth, the differences between groups of nobles noticeably smoothed out. Russian people were appointed to the main positions at the court. If the empress was offered a foreigner for a high post, she always asked if there was a worthy candidate from the Russian nobles.
The pious empress wished to get rid of the population with a different religion. In particular, she signed a decree on the eviction of all persons of the Jewish faith. The struggle against the dissenters continued. Elizabeth in every possible way welcomed the adoption of Orthodoxy by people who previously professed a different faith.
Her piety did not prevent her from loving fun balls and entertainment. Residents of St. Petersburg were allowed to organize parties with music and performances in their homes. On August 30, 1756, by decree of the Empress, the first Russian theater was founded in St. Petersburg. The Empress patronized the development of Russian culture and science. During the years of her reign, Moscow University was opened, the Academy of Arts was established. With the constant support of Elizabeth and Ivan Shuvalov, M.V. experienced the heyday of his work. Lomonosov. She paid due attention to the construction of beautiful buildings. During her reign, the brilliant architect Rastrelli created magnificent palaces: the Bolshoi (Ekaterininsky) in Tsarskoye Selo and the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg.
A notable event in the foreign policy life of Russia was its entry into the Seven Years' War. Some historians call this step of the Russian government erroneous, since over the 6 years of participation in hostilities, Russia lost tens of thousands of soldiers, and upon accession to the throne of Peter 3, it also returned to Prussia all the territories conquered during the war.
In 1755, the Empress felt a deterioration in her health. She became very slow in solving state affairs. Elizabeth had to sit for hours in front of the mirror in order to hide the signs of aging and feeling unwell with the help of cosmetics.
But state affairs could not wait long, and the Senate asked Elizabeth to create the highest body of state power, the Conference at the highest court. After much hesitation, on March 14, 1756, Elizabeth signed the corresponding decree. Current affairs were decided by the Conference without the participation of the empress. At the end of 1760, Elizaveta Petrovna fell seriously ill. Asthma and diabetes, as well as epileptic seizures, plagued her body.
Her last decree declared an amnesty for those guilty of "selling salt in the tavern".
Elizaveta Petrovna died on Christmas Day, December 25, 1761.

Board milestones

1741-palace coup; the restoration of the Senate and the abolition of the cabinets.
1743 - the end of the Russian-Swedish war.
1744-1745 - population census.
1745 - the wedding of Peter III Fedorovich and Ekaterina Alekseevna.
1754 - the birth of Pavel Petrovich; abolition of customs duties in the domestic market.
1755 - work on a new code of laws; opening of Moscow University.
1756 - creation of the Conference at the highest court.
1757 - opening of the Academy of Arts.
1760 - Decree on permission for landowners to exile serfs to Siberia.
The material is used according to the book: "Encyclopedia of kings and emperors".

I. Argunov "Portrait of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna"

“Elizabeth has always had a passion for rearrangements, restructuring and moving; in this “she inherited the energy of her father, built palaces in 24 hours and in two days traveled the then path from Moscow to St. Petersburg” (V. Klyuchevsky).

Empress Elizaveta Petrovna (1709-1761)- the daughter of Peter I, born before the church marriage with his second wife, the future Catherine I.

Heinrich Buchholz Portrait of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna in pearls. 1768

Russian Empress from November 25 (December 6), 1741 from the Romanov dynasty, daughter of Peter I and Catherine I, the last ruler of Russia, who was Romanova "by blood".
Elizabeth was born in the village of Kolomenskoye. This day was solemn: Peter I entered Moscow, wishing to celebrate his victory over Charles XII in the old capital. He was followed by Swedish prisoners. The sovereign intended to immediately celebrate the Poltava victory, but upon entering the capital he was informed of the birth of his daughter. “Let's postpone the celebration of victory and hasten to congratulate my daughter on her ascension into the world,” he said. Peter found Catherine and the newborn baby healthy and, to celebrate, arranged a feast.

Louis Caravaque Portrait of Princess Elizaveta Petrovna as a child. Russian Museum, Mikhailovsky Castle.

Being only eight years old, Princess Elizabeth already drew attention to herself with her beauty. In 1717, both daughters, Anna and Elizabeth, met Peter, returning from abroad, dressed in Spanish attire.

Louis Caravaque Portrait of Anna Petrovna and Elizaveta Petrovna. 1717

Then the French ambassador noticed that the youngest daughter of the sovereign seemed unusually beautiful in this outfit. In the following year, 1718, assemblies were introduced, and both princesses appeared there in dresses of different colors, embroidered with gold and silver, in headdresses that shone with diamonds. Everyone admired the art of Elizabeth in dancing. In addition to ease of movement, she was distinguished by resourcefulness and ingenuity, constantly inventing new figures. The French envoy Levi noticed at the same time that Elizabeth could have been called a perfect beauty, if not for her snub nose and reddish hair.
Elizabeth, indeed, had a snub-nosed nose, and this nose (under pain of punishment) was painted by artists only from the front, from its best side. And in profile, there are almost no portraits of Elizabeth, except for a random medallion on a bone by Rastrelli and a portrait of Buchholz, presented above.

Ivan Nikitin Portrait of Princess Elizabeth Petrovna in her childhood.

The upbringing of the princess could not be particularly successful, especially since her mother was completely illiterate. But she was taught in French, and Catherine constantly insisted that there were important reasons for her to know French better than other subjects of study.
This reason, as you know, was the strong desire of her parents to marry Elizabeth to one of the persons of the French royal blood, for example, to King Louis XV. However, to all persistent proposals to intermarry with the French Bourbons, they answered with a polite but decisive refusal.

Unknown artist of the middle of the 18th century Portrait of Elizabeth Petrovna in her youth.

In all other respects, Elizabeth's education was a little burdensome; she never received a decent systematic education. Her time was filled with horseback riding, hunting, rowing and caring for her beauty.

Georg Christoph Groot Portrait of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna on horseback with a black boy. 1743

After the marriage of her parents, she bore the title of princess. The will of Catherine I in 1727 provided for the rights of Elizabeth and her offspring to the throne after Peter II and Anna Petrovna.

Her father surrounded her and her older sister Anna with splendor and luxury as the future brides of foreign princes, but did not really take care of their upbringing. Elizabeth grew up under the supervision of "mothers" and breadwinners from peasant women, which is why she learned and fell in love with Russian customs and customs. To teach foreign languages, teachers of German, French, and Italian were assigned to the princesses. They were taught grace and grace by a French dance master. Russian and European cultures shaped the character and habits of the future empress. Historian V. Klyuchevsky wrote: “From vespers she went to the ball, and from the ball she kept up with matins, she loved French performances to a passion and knew all the gastronomic secrets of Russian cuisine to the subtlety.”

Louis Caravaque "Portrait of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna"

The personal life of Elizabeth Petrovna did not work out: Peter I tried to pass her off as the French dauphin Louis XV, but this did not work out. Then she rejected the French, Portuguese and Persian pretenders. Finally, Elizabeth agreed to marry the Holstein prince Karl-August, but he suddenly died ... At one time, her marriage to the young emperor Peter II, who fell passionately in love with his aunt, was discussed.

Anna Ioannovna (Elizabeth’s great-aunt), who ascended the throne in 1730, ordered her to live in St. Petersburg, but Elizabeth did not want to tease the empress who hated her with her presence at court and deliberately led an idle lifestyle, often disappeared in the Alexandrovskaya Sloboda, where she communicated mainly with simple people. people, took part in their dances and games. Near the house of Elizabeth Petrovna were the barracks of the Preobrazhensky Regiment. The guardsmen loved the future empress for her simplicity and for her good attitude towards them.

Revolution

After the death of Peter II, betrothed to Ekaterina Dolgorukova, from smallpox in January 1730, Elizabeth, despite the will of Catherine I, was not actually considered as one of the contenders for the throne, which was transferred to her cousin Anna Ioannovna. During her reign (1730-1740), Tsesarevna Elizabeth was in disgrace. Dissatisfied with Anna Ioannovna and Biron, they 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 (December 6), 1741, 32-year-old Elizabeth, accompanied by Count M. I. Vorontsov, the life physician Lestok and her music teacher Schwartz, said “Guys! You know whose daughter I am, follow me! As you served my father, serve me with your fidelity!” raised a grenadier company of the Preobrazhensky Regiment behind her.

Fyodor Moskovitin Oath of the Preobrazhensky Regiment to Empress Elizaveta Petrovna.
Encountering no resistance, with the help of 308 loyal guardsmen, she proclaimed herself the new queen, ordering the young Ivan VI to be imprisoned in the fortress and the entire Braunschweig family (Anna Ioannovna's relatives, including the regent of Ivan VI - Anna Leopoldovna) and her adherents to be arrested.
The favorites of the former Empress Minich, Levenwolde and Osterman were sentenced to death, replaced by exile in Siberia - in order to show Europe the tolerance of the new autocrat.

Elizabeth almost did not deal with state affairs, entrusting them to her favorites - the brothers Razumovsky, Shuvalov, Vorontsov, A.P. Bestuzhev-Ryumin. In general, the domestic policy of Elizabeth Petrovna was characterized by stability and focus on increasing the authority and power of state power.

Taras Shevchenko Empress Elizaveta Petrovna and Suvorov (engraving). 1850s

According to a number of signs, we can say that the course of Elizabeth Petrovna was the first step towards the policy of enlightened absolutism, which was then carried out under Catherine II.

She generously rewarded the participants in the coup: with money, titles, noble dignity, ranks ...

Surrounding herself with favorites (mostly Russian people: the Razumovskys, Shuvalovs, Vorontsovs, etc.), she did not allow any of them to complete domination, although intrigues continued at court, the struggle for influence ...

HER. Lansere "Empress Elizaveta Petrovna in Tsarskoye Selo"

The artist Lansere masterfully conveys the unity of the lifestyle and art style of bygone eras. The exit of Elizabeth Petrovna with her retinue is interpreted as a theatrical performance, where the majestic figure of the empress is perceived as a continuation of the facade of the palace. The composition is built on the contrast of lush baroque architecture and the deserted parterre of the park. The artist ironically compares the massiveness of architectural forms, monumental sculpture and actors. He is fascinated by the overlap between elements of architectural decoration and toilet details. The train of the empress resembles a raised theatrical curtain, behind which we surprise court actors hurrying to perform their usual roles. Hidden in the pile of faces and figures is a “hidden character” – an arab girl diligently carrying the imperial train. A curious detail was not hidden from the artist's gaze - an unclosed snuffbox in the hasty hands of the favorite gentleman. Flickering patterns and color spots create a feeling of a revived moment of the past.

The reign of Elizabeth is a period of luxury and excess. At the court, masquerade balls were regularly held, and in the first ten years, so-called "metamorphoses" were also held, when ladies dressed up in men's costumes, and men in women's costumes.

Georg Kaspar Prenner Equestrian portrait of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna with her retinue. 1750-55 Timing.

In the winter of 1747, the empress issued a decree, referred to in history as the "hair establishment", commanding all ladies of the court to cut their hair bald, and gave everyone "black disheveled wigs" to wear until they grow their own. City ladies were allowed by decree to leave their hair, but wear the same black wigs on top. The reason for the appearance of the order was that the empress could not remove the powder from her hair and decided to dye it black. However, this did not help and she had to cut her hair completely and wear a black wig.
Elizaveta Petrovna set the tone and was a trendsetter. The Empress' wardrobe included up to 45,000 dresses.

Alexandre Benois Empress Elizaveta Petrovna deigns to walk along the noble streets of St. Petersburg. 1903

Domestic politics

Upon her accession to the throne, Elizaveta Petrovna abolished the Cabinet of Ministers by personal decree and restored the Government Senate, "as it was under Peter the Great." In order to consolidate the throne for her father's heirs, she summoned her nephew, the 14-year-old son of Anna's elder sister, Peter Ulrich, Duke of Holstein, to Russia and declared him her heir as Peter Fedorovich.

The empress transferred all executive and legislative power to the Senate, and she herself indulged in festivities: having gone to Moscow, she spent about two months in balls and carnivals, culminating in the coronation on April 25, 1742 in the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin.

Elizaveta Petrovna turned her reign into continuous entertainment, leaving behind 15 thousand dresses, several thousand pairs of shoes, hundreds of uncut pieces of cloth, the unfinished Winter Palace, which swallowed up from 1755 to 1761. 10 million rubles. She wished to remake the imperial residence to her taste, entrusting this task to the architect Rastrelli. In the spring of 1761, the construction of the building was completed, and interior work began. However, Elizaveta Petrovna died without moving to the Winter Palace. The construction of the Winter Palace was already completed under Catherine II. This building of the Winter Palace has survived to this day.

Winter Palace, 19th century engraving

During the reign of Elizabeth Petrovna, fundamental reforms were not carried out in the state, but there were some innovations. In 1741, the government forgave the arrears to the peasants for 17 years, in 1744, by order of the Empress, the death penalty was abolished in Russia. Nursing homes and almshouses were built. On the initiative of P.I. Shuvalov, a commission was organized to develop new legislation, noble and merchant banks were established, internal customs were destroyed and duties on foreign goods were increased, and recruitment duty was facilitated.

The nobles again became a closed privileged class, acquired by origin, and not by personal merit, as was the case under Peter I.

Under Empress Elizaveta Petrovna, a rise in the development of Russian science was noted: M.V. Lomonosov publishes his scientific works, the Academy of Sciences publishes the first complete geographical atlas of Russia, the first chemical laboratory appeared, a university with two gymnasiums was founded in Moscow, Moskovskie Vedomosti began to appear. In 1756, the first Russian state theater was approved in St. Petersburg, the director of which was A.P. Sumarokov.

V.G. Khudyakov "Portrait of I.I. Shuvalov"

The foundation of the library of Moscow University is being laid, at the heart of it are books donated by I.I. Shuvalov. And he donated 104 paintings by Rubens, Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Poussin and other famous European artists to the collection of the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts. He made a huge contribution to the formation of the Hermitage art gallery. In Elizabethan times, art galleries became one of the elements of magnificent palace decoration, which was supposed to stun those invited to the court, testify to the power of the Russian state. By the middle of the 18th century, many interesting and valuable private collections appeared, owned by representatives of the highest aristocracy, who, following the empress, sought to decorate palaces with works of art. The ability of Russian nobles to travel a lot and interact closely with European culture contributed to the formation of new aesthetic preferences of Russian collectors.

Foreign policy

During the reign of Elizabeth Petrovna, Russia significantly strengthened its international position. The war with Sweden that began in 1741 ended with the conclusion of peace in Abo in 1743, according to which part of Finland was ceded to Russia. As a result of the sharp strengthening of Prussia and the threat to Russian possessions in the Baltics, Russia, on the side of Austria and France, took part in the Seven Years' War (1756-1763), which demonstrated the power of Russia, but cost the state very dearly and gave it practically nothing. In August 1760, Russian troops under the command of P.S. Saltykov defeated the Prussian army of Frederick II and entered Berlin. Only the death of Elizabeth saved the Prussian king from complete disaster. But Peter III, who ascended the throne after her death, was an admirer of Frederick II and returned to Prussia all the conquests of Elizabeth.

Personal life

Elizaveta Petrovna, who in her youth was a gambling dancer and a brave rider, over the years, it became more and more difficult to put up with the loss of youth and beauty. From 1756, fainting and convulsions began to happen to her more and more often, which she diligently concealed.

K. Prenne "Equestrian portrait of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna with retinue"

K. Waliszewski, a Polish historian, writer and publicist, created a series of works dedicated to Russian history. He publishes in France in French, starting from 1892, one after another book about Russian tsars and emperors, about their environment. Valishevsky's books were combined into the series "The Origin of Modern Russia" and cover the period between the reigns of Ivan the Terrible and Alexander I. In the book "The Daughter of Peter the Great. Elizaveta Petrovna" (1902), he describes the last year of the Empress's life as follows: "Winter 1760-61. took place in St. Petersburg not so much in balls as in the tense expectation of them. The Empress did not appear in public, locked herself in the bedroom, received, without getting out of bed, only ministers with reports. For hours Elizaveta Petrovna drank strong drinks, looked at fabrics, talked to the gossips, and suddenly, when some tried-on outfit seemed to her successful, she announced her intention to appear at the ball. The court fuss began, but when the dress was put on, the empress's hair was combed up and the makeup was applied according to all the rules of art, Elizabeth approached the mirror, peered - and canceled the festival.

Elizaveta Petrovna was in a secret morganatic marriage with A.G. Razumovsky, from whom (according to some sources) they had children who bore the name Tarakanovs. In the XVIII century. two women were known under this surname: Augusta, who, at the behest of Catherine II, was brought from Europe and tonsured to the Moscow Pavlovsky Monastery under the name Dosifei, and an unknown adventurer who declared herself in 1774 the daughter of Elizabeth and claimed the Russian throne. She was arrested and imprisoned in the Peter and Paul Fortress, where she died in 1775, hiding the secret of her origin even from the priest.

K. Flavitsky "Princess Tarakanova"

The artist K. Flavitsky used this story for the plot of his painting "Princess Tarakanova". The canvas depicts a casemate of the Peter and Paul Fortress, behind the walls of which a flood is raging. A young woman stands on the bed, escaping from the water coming through the barred window. Wet rats get out of the water, creeping up to the feet of the prisoner.

According to contemporaries and historians, in particular, the Minister of Public Education, Count Uvarov (the author of the formula Orthodoxy-Autocracy-Nationhood), Elizabeth was in a church morganatic marriage with Alexei Razumovsky. Even before the accession, Elizabeth began an affair with the Ukrainian singer A. G. Razumovsky, who received the title of count, orders, titles and major awards, but almost did not take part in public affairs. Later, I. I. Shuvalov, who patronized education, became Elizabeth's favorite.
According to some historical sources of the 1770s - 1810s, she had at least two children: a son from Alexei Razumovsky and a daughter from Count Shuvalov.

Unknown artist Portrait of Alexei Grigorievich Razumovsky.
Louis Tokke Portrait of I.I. Shuvalov.

Subsequently, she took under her personal guardianship two sons orphaned in 1743 and the daughter of the chamber junker Grigory Butakov: Peter, Alexei and Praskovya. However, after the death of Elizabeth Petrovna, many impostors appeared who called themselves her children from marriage with Razumovsky. Among them, the most famous figure was the so-called Princess Tarakanova.

Georg Khristof Grooth Portrait of the Empress Elizaveta Petrovna in a Black Masquerade Domino. 1748

On November 7 (November 18), 1742, Elizabeth appointed her nephew (Anna's sister's son), the Duke of Holstein Karl-Peter Ulrich (Peter Fedorovich), as the official heir to the throne. His official title included the words "Grandson of Peter the Great". Equally serious attention was paid to the continuation of the dynasty, to the choice of the wife of Peter Fedorovich (the future Catherine II) and to their son (the future Emperor Pavel Petrovich), whose initial upbringing was of great importance.

Pietro Antonio Rotari Portrait of the Empress Elizabeth Petrovna. 1760

She died on December 25, 1761 in great suffering, but assured those around her that they were too small compared to her sins.

Peter III ascended the throne. The Empress was buried in the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg. With the death of Elizabeth Petrovna, not only the line of Peter I was cut short, but the entire Romanov dynasty. Although all subsequent heirs to the throne bore the surname of the Romanovs, they were no longer Russian (Holstein-Gottorp line). The death of Elizaveta Petrovna also ended Russian participation in the Seven Years' War. The new emperor returned to Frederick all the conquered lands and even offered military assistance. Only a new palace coup and the accession to the throne of Catherine II prevented Russia's military actions against the former allies - Austria and Sweden.

The personal life of the two Russian empresses - Elizabeth and Catherine II - is shrouded in a veil of all sorts of fabrications and rumors. Their favorites are known, but whether both women were married is still being discussed. Although, it would seem, there is irrefutable evidence of the marriage of both one and the other. We are interested in Elizabeth, and we will tell you what versions are available today about her marriage and her children.
Born in the year of Poltava, Elizabeth in her youth, by all accounts, was extremely attractive. And just as loving, which gave her a lot of trouble and even danger. When her mother, Empress Catherine I, died in 1727, Elizabeth immediately found herself in the thick of the struggle waged by court parties for influence over Emperor Peter II, who was still a minor. Alexander Menshikov, who intended to marry Peter II to his daughter, had the greatest chances here. But Menshikov fell, and then one of Peter's dignitaries, Count Osterman, offered to marry the fourteen-year-old emperor to Elizabeth, his aunt. Osterman, a cynic to the marrow of his bones (later this will be revealed in its entirety under Anna Ioannovna), regardless of any rules of decency, this marriage intended to unite the offspring of Peter I from both wives (Peter II was the son of Tsarevich Alexei) and thereby stop all encroachments to the crown from anyone. But the statutes of the Orthodox Church forbade marriage, which looked more like incest, and nothing came of Osterman's idea. However, Elizabeth suffered a lot, first from the intrigues of Osterman, then from the persecution of the princes Dolgoruky.
It was no easier for her in the reign of Anna Ioannovna, a narrow-minded and ignorant woman who spent whole days in the company of dwarfs and jesters or in various pleasures and pleasures, which were often not only rude, but cruel. Her favorite Courlander Ernst Johann Biron also contributed a lot to this empress. Until now, there is an opinion that Biron was the son of a groom, whom Anna Ioannovna made a duke. Only the second is true; as for the origin, Biron has a noble one - his father served as the manager of one of the estates of the Duke of Courland Friedrich-Wilhelm (Anna Ioannovna was married to him in 1710, but already in 1711 the duke died).
The assertion of many historians that Biron was an ignorant man is also false. Unlike the Empress, he loved to read and had a good library of German, French and Russian books. And besides, Biron at one time studied at the University of Koenigsberg, which, however, did not finish.
Elizabeth was dangerous to Anna Ioannovna because, according to the will of Catherine I, the Russian crown, if Peter II died childless, could pass into the hands of either Anna Petrovna, married to Holstein, or Elizabeth. The latter, therefore, was in the eyes of Anna Ioannovna her rival for imperial power. Therefore, secret supervision was established for the princess, and then she was completely demanded from Moscow to the northern capital - Anna Ioannovna believed that under her supervision her niece would not dare to engage in politics.
This period of Elizabeth's life is marked by the first fact of her passionate love. The ensign of the Life Guards of the Semenovsky Regiment Alexei Shubin became the chosen one of the princess.
At first, Anna Ioannovna reacted calmly to her niece's hobby, but soon she was informed that Elizabeth too often visits the guards barracks, where she is very much loved and called "mother". This could not please the "Empress of the Terrible Ghost", as Anna Ioannovna was called by the people, for she knew very well that if someone was very fond of in the guards barracks, expect trouble. Before you even look back, you'll lose your throne.
By imperial order, ensign Shubin was arrested and exiled to Kamchatka - just in case. However, since then, persistent rumors have spread about the children adopted by Elizabeth from Shubin. They said that there were two of them - a son and a daughter. According to one version, the son was called Bogdan Umsky, who served in the army during the reign of Elizabeth, and then took the place of the guardian of the Moscow Orphanage; according to another, it was a certain Zakrevsky, who at the end of his career became the president of the Medical College.
But for some reason, no one can name the name of Elizabeth's daughter, although it is known about some thirteen-year-old girl who lived in the palace and attended dinners with Elizabeth and Count Alexei Razumovsky, with whom Elizabeth was in a secret marriage. But from the beginning of the 40s of the 18th century, references to the girl disappear from the palace chronicles. She was said to have left Russia. Where?
The fact that Elizabeth had children from Shubin is confirmed by the search documents of 1740, when an inquiry was conducted in the case of the princes Dolgoruky, who dreamed of intermarrying with the emperor under Peter II. Raised on the rack, the Dolgoruky confessed that they wanted to imprison Elizabeth in a monastery "for indecency", for the children adopted by Shubin, whom the Dolgoruky saw. According to this recognition, historians have concluded that the children of Elizabeth and Shubin were born between 1728 and 1730. Thus, the daughter of Elizabeth from Shubin, if she really existed, could not be the woman who went down in history as "Princess Tarakanova" - in 1775, when the latter was in the fortress, she, by her own admission, was twenty-three years old , whereas a person born in, say, 1730 would have been forty-five in 1775. Most likely, the daughter of Elizaveta from Shubin can be identified with the nun Dosithea, but we will talk about this a little later. In the meantime, let's finish the story of Ensign Shubin.
Exiled by Anna Ioannovna to Kamchatka, he stayed there until 1742, when Elizabeth, who became Empress, remembered him. They hardly found him (in Kamchatka he was married against his will to a Kamchadal woman) and taken to St. Petersburg. In March 1743, Elizaveta promoted Shubin "for innocent suffering" to Major General and the Life Guards of the Semyonovsky Regiment to Major. The second rank was extremely high, since the Russian sovereigns themselves carried the rank no higher than the colonel of the guard. In addition, Shubin received rich land holdings and the St. Andrew's ribbon, that is, he became a knight of the highest order of the Russian Empire - St. Andrew the First-Called. Shubin retired with the rank of lieutenant general and died after 1744 in one of his estates on the Volga.
So, we found out that Elizabeth in her youth had an affair with the guardsman Shubin, and although the princess had children from this connection, they could not become legal, since the relationship of the parents was not consecrated by the church. However, later, and this is claimed by almost all researchers, Elizabeth got married. True, the marriage was secret, but it was, just as there were children from him.
Foreign writers (Manstein, de Castera, Gelbig) were the first to talk about this; the domestic pioneer here was Bantysh-Kamensky, who in his "Dictionary of Memorable People of the Russian Land" (1836) mentioned the marriage of Empress Elizabeth with Alexei Razumovsky. Count S.S. told about this in more detail almost thirty years later. Uvarov, so we have enough grounds to say with a high degree of probability: yes, Empress Elizabeth was married (even if secretly) to Razumovsky; yes, they had children.
Alexey Razumovsky (before marrying Elizabeth - Alexei Rozum) came from ordinary Cossacks of the Chernihiv province. In the village of Lemeshi, where he lived, Alexey sang in the church choir. There he was seen by an official of the Empress Anna Ioannovna, who was looking for choristers for the court chapel in the province, and brought the twenty-year-old Cossack to Moscow. The Cossack was a handsome man, of heroic stature, so it is no wonder that as soon as Tsesarevna Elizabeth saw him, she inflamed love feelings for him and transferred the chorister to her staff. It was then that he turned from Rozum into Razumovsky and became the manager of Elizabeth's estates.
Razumovsky did not participate in the coup of 1741, although, if the events of November 25 had not happened, Elizabeth would not have become the empress, and Razumovsky would not have become what he later became. And therefore it is necessary, albeit concisely, to tell about how the thirty-two-year-old princess became the Russian autocrat.
On October 17, 1740, Anna Ioannovna died and, according to her will, the great-nephew of the deceased, Ivan Antonovich of Brunswick, took the throne. But at that time he was only a year and two months old, and therefore Biron began to rule the country as a regent. However, his reign did not last long: Field Marshal Munnich and Cabinet Minister Osterman, who heard rumors that Biron intended to remove them from business, arrested the regent on November 8, 1740 and imprisoned him in the Shlisselburg fortress. An investigation began that lasted five months. On it, Biron was accused of all mortal sins, including embezzlement of public money, and sentenced to quartering. But the execution was eventually replaced by exile, and on June 13, 1741, Biron and his family were sent under escort to the Siberian city of Pelym. Anna Leopoldovna, the mother of Ivan Antonovich, became the regent.
But this change was dissatisfied with the guards regiments, who stood up for placing "Peter's daughter" Elizabeth on the throne. She, of course, knew about the intention of the guards, but at first she refused to accept their help and become the empress. However, she soon agreed, because she was afraid that Minich, who once advised Biron to imprison Elizabeth in a monastery, would do what Biron refused.
On the night of November 25-26, Elizabeth arrived at the guards barracks and from there, accompanied by soldiers, went to the royal palace. They say that Anna Leopoldovna was warned about the coup, but did not believe it. For which she paid: having entered the chambers of the regent, Elizabeth ordered the arrest of her and her household. She herself carried the young Ivan Antonovich to the sledge and took him to her home. Thus the revolution took place.
The first question that confronted the new empress was: what to do with the deposed emperor, his mother and relatives? They posed a threat to the reign and, according to the customs of that time, the physical elimination of applicants was considered the best option, but at the very beginning of her reign, Elizabeth gave her word not to shed blood, the rivers of which were shed during the time of Anna Ioannovna. Therefore, at first the empress decided to send the Braunschweig family to Germany, assigning them all fifty thousand rubles of pension. They had already been sent and they reached Riga, but then Elizabeth, yielding to the pressure of her closest accomplices, ordered the return of the exiles. After some movement around the country, they were sent into exile in Kholmogory. But in 1756, Ivan Antonovich, as the most dangerous contender for the throne, was transferred from Kholmogor to the Shlisselburg fortress, where he died at the age of 24, when Lieutenant Mirovich tried to free him.
The death of the former emperor was, as we see, premature, and only Mirovich is to blame for it. He was a flawed man, tormented by the fact that he did not have a promotion. He repeatedly addressed requests to his superiors, and once even wrote a complaint to Catherine II, but all his appeals remained unanswered. And for only one reason - Mirovich belonged to a family that, under Peter I, betrayed him and went over to the side of Mazepa. Since then, the Mirovichs have not had a move. This eventually brought the lieutenant out of himself and he decided on an extreme measure - to release Ivan Antonovich from prison and put him on the throne instead of Catherine. The attempt was desperate and therefore failed. In the course of it, the ex-emperor died: he was stabbed with bayonets by the officers guarding him, who had an order obliging them to put an end to the prisoner if attempts were made to rescue him.
Elizabeth was crowned on April 25, 1742, and on that day Alexei Razumovsky was awarded the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called. He later became a count and field marshal, although he did not participate in a single battle in his entire life. His marriage to Elizabeth is believed to date from June 1744. Some researchers even indicate the exact day - June 15, when Razumovsky and Elizabeth got married in Moscow in the Church of the Resurrection in Barashy (the church still exists). But these statements, in fact, are unfounded, since there are no documents on this subject. But, as always, there is a legend (however, is it a legend?) Reported in the "Story of the Marriage of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna", placed by Count S.S. Uvarov in the 3rd kiig of "Readings in the Imperial Society of History and Antiquities" for 1863. The message boils down to the following.
When, after the accession to the throne of Catherine II, Grigory Orlov insisted on legalizing his relationship with the Empress, he cited to her the example of the wedding of Elizabeth with Razumovsky. The latter was still alive, and Catherine wrote a decree in which she awarded Razumovsky, as the wife of the late Empress, the title of Imperial Highness. For this, the count had to show papers certifying his marriage to Elizabeth.
But Razumovsky, according to the reviews of all who knew him, never pursued honors. If they were given to him, he accepted them, but he himself never asked for anything. And so, having read Catherine's decree, he took out documents dear to him from the casket and, in front of the eyes of the empress' envoy, threw them into a burning fireplace, saying: " Let the people say what they please; let the daring spread their hopes to imaginary greatness, but we must not be the cause of their talk".
Catherine appreciated the act of Razumovsky. " ... there was no secret marriage, - she said, - whispering about it was always disgusting to me ...".
And she refused Grigory Orlov in his harassment.
Now about the children of Elizabeth and Razumovsky. How many there were - here the opinions of historians differ. Some, for example de Castera, believe that there are three, two sons and a daughter - the one who later became "Princess Tarakanova"; the majority are two, a son and a daughter. It goes without saying that they, as potential heirs to the throne, could not remain in the space of Russian secular life, and therefore were initiated into spiritual titles. The son is in one of the monasteries of Pereyaslavl-Zalessky, the daughter is in the Moscow Ivanovsky Monastery. And here the turn has come to tell about the nun Dositheus and her mysterious fate.
In 1785, ten years after the death of the mysterious woman in the Alekseevsky ravelin, another woman, no less mysterious, was brought to the Moscow Ivanovo convent. She was already forty years old, since she was supposedly born in 1745, and in the monastery the newcomer took the tonsure, becoming a nun Dosithea.
What primarily interests the historian in this fact? Of course, the status of the Ivanovo Monastery. Formed by the decree of Empress Elizabeth of June 20, 1761, it was intended for the charity of widows and orphans of noble people. So, the newly tonsured woman was of a noble family? Some historians, starting from this, declare Dosithea to be the same contender for the Russian throne, who was captured in Livorno by Count Alexei Orlov, but who did not die in the Peter and Paul Fortress, but lived in it until 1777 and died during the flood.
But this version is absolutely not confirmed by anything. Another is much more convincing - a certain noble person was brought to the monastery, who for some reason was kept so secretly that during the twenty-five years of the nun's stay in the monastery, only the abbess and confessor saw her. Dosithea never attended a common refectory, but ate separately, and her table was plentiful and refined.
Dosifeya died in 1810 at the age of sixty-four and was buried in the family tomb of the Romanov boyars in the Novospassky Monastery. Bishop Augustine, who was then the head of the Moscow diocese, buried her, and all the nobility of Moscow attended the funeral.
But who, then, was this secret nun buried with such pomp? It is hardly the daughter of Elizabeth from Razumovsky - she was seven or eight years younger than Dosifei. So, maybe it is worth remembering the children of Elizaveta and Shubin, specifically, the daughter, who, as we remember, left Russia in the 40s. Where did you go and why? There is evidence of this: she left for Koenigsberg; because she was given in marriage, and her husband's father, that is, the father-in-law, was the commandant of the main city of Prussia. But over time, the husband and father-in-law died, and the woman, who was already over forty, was left alone. So, wasn’t she brought to the Ivanovo Monastery, wasn’t she turned into a nun Dosifeya?
There is a reason for these conjectures, but the dates do not quite agree. Dosithea died at the age of sixty-four, and the nameless girl, who was present at the same table with Elizabeth, was born no later than 1730. So, if she was buried in the Novospassky Monastery, she must have been eighty years old. But, on the other hand, the dates of Dosithea's life, indicated on the tombstone, could be deliberately shown incorrectly. When there is something to hide, they resort to such methods. And it seems to us that there was something to hide. In the next chapter we will talk about this in detail, but for now we will only note that upon closer examination of the issue related to "Princess Tarakanova", so many inexplicable details are revealed that the generally accepted versions begin to seriously waver. And when you read the materials devoted to the mystery of the impostor, you involuntarily begin to ask yourself: if the prisoner of the Alekseevsky ravelin was considered such, then why was Catherine II so worried and worried during the entire investigation of this case, as if she was expecting some extraordinary events from day to day? And why did the Russian tsars, starting with Paul I, show the closest attention to the case of the impostor and even tried to falsify it? (In any case, as later searches showed, many important documents disappeared from the case without a trace, and thus it turned out to be greatly “cleaned up”) Is this why the sacramental question arose in the end: what if not an impostor?

I. Argunov "Portrait of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna"

Empress Elizaveta Petrovna (1709-1761)- the daughter of Peter I, born before the church marriage with his second wife, the future Catherine I.

Louis Caravaque "Portrait of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna"

coup

After the baby John VI was proclaimed emperor, the life of Elizabeth Petrovna changed: she began to visit the court more often, meet with Russian dignitaries and foreign ambassadors, who, in general, persuaded Elizabeth to take decisive action. On November 25, 1741, she appeared at the barracks of the Preobrazhensky Regiment and delivered a speech to the grenadiers, who swore allegiance to her and headed for the palace. Having overthrown the ruler and her son, Elizabeth declared herself empress. In a brief manifesto, she explained her act by the request of loyal subjects and blood relationship with the royal house.

She generously rewarded the participants in the coup: with money, titles, noble dignity, ranks ...

HER. Lansere "Empress Elizaveta Petrovna in Tsarskoye Selo"

Domestic politics

Winter Palace, 19th century engraving

The nobles again became a closed privileged class, acquired by origin, and not by personal merit, as was the case under Peter I.

V.G. Khudyakov "Portrait of I.I. Shuvalov"

Foreign policy

Personal life

K. Prenne "Equestrian portrait of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna with retinue"

She died in 1761 in great suffering, but assured those around her that they were too small compared to her sins.

K. Flavitsky "Princess Tarakanova"