Ivan 6 (Ioann Antonovich), Russian emperor from the Romanov dynasty from November 1740 to November 1741, great-grandson of Ivan V.
In official sources during his lifetime he is referred to as John III, i.e. the account dates back to the first Russian Tsar, John the Terrible; in later historiography, a tradition was established to call him Ivan (John) VI, counting from Ivan I Kalita.
After the death of the Empress Anna Ioannovna the son of Anna Leopoldovna (niece of Anna Ioannovna) and Prince Anton Ulrich of Brunswick-Brevern-Lüneburg, two-month-old Ivan Antonovich, was proclaimed emperor under the regency of Duke Biron of Courland.
He was born at the very end of Anna Ioannovna’s reign, so the question of who to appoint as regent tormented the empress, who was dying, for a long time. Anna Ioannovna wanted to leave the throne to the descendants of her father Ivan V and was very worried that it would pass in the future to the descendants of Peter I. Therefore, in her will she stipulated that the heir was Ivan Antonovich, and in the event of his death, Anna Leopoldovna’s other children would order of precedence if they are born.
Two weeks after the baby’s accession to the throne, a coup took place in the country, as a result of which the guards, led by Field Marshal Minich, arrested Biron and removed him from power. The emperor's mother was announced as the new regent. Unable to rule the country and living in illusions, Anna gradually transferred all her power to Minich, and then Osterman took possession of it, sending the field marshal into retirement. But a year later the throne overtook again new revolution. The daughter of Peter the Great, Elizabeth, and the Preobrazhensky men arrested Osterman, the emperor, the royal couple and all their associates.
At first, Elizabeth intended to expel the “Brunswick family” from Russia, but changed her mind, fearing that she would be dangerous abroad, and ordered the former regent and her husband to be imprisoned. In 1742, in secret for everyone, the whole family was transferred to the suburb of Riga - Dunamünde, then in 1744 to Oranienburg, and then, away from the border, to the north of the country - to Kholmogory, where little Ivan was completely isolated from his parents. Long northern campaigns greatly affected Anna Leopoldovna’s health: in 1746 she died.
Elizabeth's fear of a possible new coup led to Ivan's new journey. In 1756 he was transported from Kholmogory to solitary confinement in the Shlisselburg fortress. In the fortress, Ivan was in complete isolation; he was not allowed to see anyone, not even the serf servants. During his entire imprisonment, he never saw a single human face. However, documents indicate that the prisoner knew about his royal origin, was taught to read and write and dreamed of life in a monastery. In 1759, Ivan began to show signs of inappropriate behavior. Empress Catherine II, who saw Ivan VI in 1762, affirmed this with complete confidence; but the jailers believed that this was just a pathetic simulation.
While Ivan was in captivity, many attempts were made to free the deposed emperor and restore him to the throne. The last attempt turned out to be death for the young prisoner. In 1764, when the star of young Catherine II had already shone on the Russian throne, Second Lieutenant V. Ya. Mirovich, who was on guard duty in the Shlisselburg fortress, won over part of the garrison to his side in order to free Ivan.
But the cautious Elizabeth, not forgetting how hard it was for her to gain power, ordered two guards to be assigned to Ivan Antonovich’s cell, who would rather kill the prisoner than release him to freedom. As soon as they heard about the conspiracy in the prison wards, Ivan was killed by the guards.
IVAN VI ANTONOVICH(1740–1764), Russian Emperor. Born on August 12 (23), 1740 in St. Petersburg. Father Anton-Ulrich is the son of Ferdinand-Albrecht, Duke of Brunswick-Bevern. Mother Anna Leopoldovna is the daughter of Karl-Leopold, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, and Princess Elizabeth, daughter of Tsar Ivan V Alekseevich and sister of Empress Anna Ivanovna. By the imperial manifesto of October 5 (16), 1740, he was proclaimed heir to the throne. After the death of Anna Ivanovna on October 17 (28), 1740, a two-month-old child was elevated to the Russian throne; On October 18 (29), I.-E. Biron was declared regent under him. On November 9 (20), as a result of the coup d'etat organized by B.-Kh. Minikh, the regency passed to his mother Anna Leopoldovna.
Overthrown as a result of a coup d'etat on November 24–25 (December 5–6), 1741. The new Empress Elizabeth Petrovna initially ordered him and his family to be sent abroad and on December 12 (23) they left St. Petersburg, but soon changed her mind and ordered his detention them in Riga. On December 13 (24), 1742, the Braunschweig family was transported to the Riga suburb Dinamunde (modern Daugavgriv), and in January 1744 - to Oranienburg in the Ryazan province (modern Chaplygin). In June 1744 it was decided to send them to Solovetsky Monastery, but they only reached Kholmogory: the chamberlain N.A. Korf, who accompanied them, citing the difficulties of the journey and the impossibility of keeping their stay on Solovki secret, convinced the government to leave them there. The four-year-old boy was isolated from his parents and placed under the supervision of Major Miller. In 1746 he lost his mother, who died during childbirth.
Rumors that spread about Ivan's stay in Kholmogory forced the government in 1756 to secretly transport him to the Shlisselburg fortress, where he was put in solitary confinement and kept in complete isolation; only three officers were allowed access to it; even the commandant of the fortress did not know the name of his prisoner. In 1759, he showed signs of mental disorder, but his jailers considered them to be a simulation.
With the accession of Peter III in December 1761, Ivan Antonovich’s position did not improve; Moreover, instructions were given to kill him while trying to free him. In March 1762, the new emperor paid a visit to the prisoner, which, however, remained without consequences. After the accession of Catherine II to the throne, a project arose for her marriage with Ivan Antonovich, which would allow her to legitimize her power. Probably in August 1762 she visited the prisoner and considered him crazy. After the revelation of the Guards conspiracy in the fall of 1762 to overthrow Catherine II, Ivan’s detention regime became more stringent; the empress confirmed the previous instructions of Peter III.
On the night of July 4 (15) to July 5 (16), 1764, second lieutenant V.Ya. Mirovich, who was on guard duty in the Shlisselburg fortress, attracted part of the garrison to his side, arrested the commandant and, threatening to use artillery, demanded the extradition of the prisoner. After a short resistance, the guards capitulated, having first killed Ivan. Due to the senselessness of further actions, V.Ya. Mirovich surrendered to the authorities and was executed. Body former emperor buried in the Shlisselburg Fortress.
Ivan Krivushin
- sometimes also called Ivan III (according to the kings), the son of the niece of Empress Anna Ioannovna, Princess Anna Leopoldovna of Mecklenburg, and Duke Anton-Ulrich of Brunswick-Lüneburg, b. On August 12, 1740, and by Anna Ioannovna’s manifesto, dated October 5, 1740, he was declared heir to the throne. After the death of Anna Ioannovna (October 17, 1740), Ivan was proclaimed emperor, and the manifesto of October 18. announced the awarding of the regency until Ivan came of age, that is, until he turned 17 years old. Duke of Courland Biron. After the overthrow of Biron by Minich (November 8), the regency passed to Anna Leopoldovna, but already on the night of December 25. 1741 ruler with her husband and children, including the emperor. Ivan, were arrested in the palace by Elizaveta Petrovna and the latter was proclaimed empress. At first, she intended to send the deposed emperor and his entire family abroad, and on December 12. In 1741 they were sent from St. Petersburg to Riga, under the supervision of Lieutenant General. V. F. Saltykova; but then Elizabeth changed her intentions and, before reaching Riga, Saltykov received orders to travel as quietly as possible, delaying the journey under various pretexts, and to stop in Riga and wait for new orders. The prisoners stayed in Riga until December 13. 1742, when they were transported to the Dynamünde fortress. During this time, Elizabeth finally decided not to let Ivan and his parents, as dangerous pretenders, out of Russia. In January 1744, there was a decree on a new transportation of the former ruler and her family, this time to the city of Ranenburg (now the city of Ryazan province), and the executor of this order, captain-lieutenant Vyndomsky, almost brought them to Orenburg . On June 27, 1744, Chamberlain Baron N.A. Korfu was ordered by decree of the Empress to take the family of royal prisoners to the Solovetsky Monastery, and Ivan, both during this trip and during his stay in Solovki, was to be completely separated from his family and none of outsiders should not have access to it, except for a specially assigned overseer.
Korf took the prisoners, however, only to Kholmogory and, presenting to the government all the difficulties of transporting them to Solovki and keeping them secret there, convinced them to leave them in this city. Here Ivan spent about 12 years in complete solitary confinement, cut off from all communication with people; the only person with whom he could see was Major Miller, who was watching him, and in turn was almost deprived of the opportunity to communicate with other persons guarding the family of the former emperor. Nevertheless, rumors about Ivan’s stay in Kholmogory spread, and the government decided to take new precautions. At the beginning of 1756, the sergeant of the life campaign Savin was ordered to secretly take Ivan out of Kholmogory and secretly deliver him to Shlisselburg, and Colonel Vyndomsky, the chief bailiff of the Brunswick family, was given the order: “The remaining prisoners will be kept as before, even more strictly and with adding more guards so as not to show that the prisoner has been taken out to our office and, upon departure of the prisoner, to report that he is under your guard, as they reported before.” In Shlisselburg, the secret had to be kept no less strictly: the commandant of the fortress himself was not supposed to know who was being held there under the name of a “famous prisoner”; Only three officers of the team guarding him could see Ivan and knew his name; they were forbidden to tell Ivan where he was; Even a field marshal could not be allowed into the fortress without a decree from the Secret Chancellery.
With the accession of Peter III, Ivan's position did not improve, but rather changed for the worse, although there were rumors about Peter's intention to free the prisoner. The instructions given by gr. A.I. Shuvalov, the chief bailiff of Ivan (Prince Churmanteev), ordered, among other things: “If the prisoner begins to create any disorder or displease you, or says something obscene, then put him on a chain until he is pacified, and if he does not listens, then beat you with a stick and a whip." In the decree of Peter III, Churmanteev dated January 1, 1762, he was ordered: “If, beyond our expectations, whoever dares to take a prisoner away from you, in this case, resist as much as possible and do not give the prisoner alive into your hands.” In the instructions given upon Catherine’s accession to the throne by N.I. Panin, to whom she was entrusted with the main supervision of the maintenance of the Shlisselburg prisoner, this last point was expressed even more clearly: “If, beyond expectation, it happens that someone comes with a team or alone, even if it were the commandant or some other officer, without a personal order signed by Her I.V. or without a written order from me, and wanted to take the prisoner from you, then do not give him to anyone and consider everything as a forgery or an enemy hand. If this hand is so strong that it is impossible to escape, then the prisoner will be killed, and not given into the hands of anyone alive.”
According to some news, after Catherine’s accession, Bestuzhev drew up a plan for her marriage to Ivan. It is true that Catherine saw Ivan at this time and, as she herself admitted later in the manifesto, found him damaged in mind. Crazy or at least easily lost peace of mind depicted Ivan and the reports of the officers assigned to him. However, Ivan knew his origins, despite the mystery surrounding him, and called himself sovereign. Despite the strict prohibition of teaching him anything, he learned to read and write from someone, and then he was allowed to read the Bible. The secret of Ivan’s stay in Shlisselburg was not preserved, and this completely destroyed him. Second Lieutenant of the Smolensk Infantry Regiment Vas, stationed in the garrison of the fortress. Yak. Mirovich decided to release him and proclaim him emperor; on the night of July 4-5, 1764, he began to carry out his plan and, having won over the garrison soldiers to his side with the help of forged manifestos, arrested the commandant of the fortress, Berednikov, and demanded the extradition of Ivan. The bailiffs at first resisted with the help of their team, but when Mirovich aimed a cannon at the fortress, they surrendered, having previously, according to the exact meaning of the instructions, killed Ivan. After a thorough investigation, which revealed the complete absence of accomplices among Mirovich, the latter was executed.
During the reign of Elizabeth and her immediate successors, the very name I; was persecuted: the seals of his reign were altered, the coin was overflowed, everything business papers with the name imp. Ivan was ordered to be collected and sent to the Senate; manifestos, sworn certificates, church books, forms of commemoration of persons of the Imp. houses in churches, sermons and passports were ordered to be burned, the rest of the files should be kept under seal and when making inquiries with them not to use the title and name of Ivan, hence the name of these documents “deeds with a well-known title.” Only the highest approved on August 19. In 1762, the Senate report stopped further destruction of the affairs of Ivan’s time, which threatened to violate the interests of private individuals. Recently, the surviving documents were partly published in their entirety, partly processed in the Moscow edition. archive min. Justice.
Literature: Soloviev, “History of Russia” (vols. 21 and 22); Hermann, "Geschichte des Russischen Staates"; M. Semevsky, “Ivan VI Antonovich” (“Otech. Notes”, 1866, vol. CLXV); Brickner, "Emperor John Antonovich and his relatives. 1741-1807" (M., 1874); “The internal life of the Russian state from October 17, 1740 to November 20, 1741” (published by the Moscow Architectural Ministry of Justice, vol. I, 1880, vol. II, 1886); Bilbasov, "Geschichte Catherine II" (vol. II); some minor information is also in the articles “Russian Antiquities”: “The fate of the family of the ruler Anna Leopoldovna” (1873, vol. VII) and “Emperor John Antonovich” (1879, vols. 24 and 25).
V. M-n.
Encyclopedia Brockhaus-Efron
All rulers of Russia Mikhail Ivanovich Vostryshev
EMPEROR IVAN VI ANTONOVICH (1740–1764)
EMPEROR IVAN VI ANTONOVICH
The son of the niece of Empress Anna Ivanovna, Princess Anna Leopoldovna of Mecklenburg and Duke Anton-Ulrich of Brunswick. Born on August 12, 1740 in St. Petersburg and by Anna Ivanovna’s manifesto of October 5, 1740, he was declared heir to the Russian throne. Count Ernst Johann Biron was appointed regent under him.
After the death of Anna Ivanovna on October 17, 1740, the six-month-old child was proclaimed Emperor Ivan VI. Power, as before, but not for long, remained in the hands of Biron.
Following the overthrow of Biron by Field Marshal General Count Minich on November 8, 1740, the regency passed to Anna Leopoldovna. But already on the night of December 25, 1741, the ruler with her husband and children, including Emperor Ivan VI, were arrested in the palace by guards led by the daughter of Peter I, Elizaveta Petrovna, and the latter was proclaimed empress.
The overthrown young emperor and his parents were sent to Riga on December 12, 1741 under the supervision of Lieutenant General V.F. Saltykova. The prisoners stayed in Riga until December 13, 1742, when they were transported to the Dynamunde fortress.
During this time, Elizaveta Petrovna finally made the decision not to let Ivan Antonovich and his parents, as dangerous contenders for the throne, leave Russia. They are transported to the city of Ranenburg, from where in 1744 Ivan Antonovich, separately from his parents, was taken to the village of Kholmogory in the Arkhangelsk province, and from there in 1756 to the Shlisselburg fortress, where he was kept as a “nameless convict.”
During the reign of Elizabeth Petrovna, coins with the image of Emperor Ivan VI were melted down, seals on documents from the period of his reign were altered, manifestos and decrees with his name were burned.
With the accession of Emperor Peter III, the position of the unfortunate prisoner worsened even more - the jailers were allowed to use force against him, to put him on a chain.
Ivan Antonovich was killed at the beginning of the reign of Catherine II, in accordance with the order for his protection, during an attempt on July 5, 1764 by second lieutenant Vasily Yakovlevich Mironov to free him.
Ivan VI was secretly buried in the Shlisselburg fortress.
There were several impostors who posed as Emperor Ivan VI, both before and after his death. Documents about the unfortunate “emperor for an hour” were declassified and limited access to them was opened only in the 1860s.
Portrait of Emperor Ivan Antonovich with his maid of honor Juliana von Mengden. Unknown artist
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