Catherine the Second is probably one of the most extraordinary personalities in the entire history of the Russian state. About her favorites, lovers and personal life There are still legends going on. In this article we will try to figure out who is the official son of Catherine 2 and who is the illegitimate child.
Moreover, after the death of the empress they kept in touch. Who are these people? Read on and you will find out everything.
Personal life of the Empress
Due to the fact that the All-Russian Empress was quite an attractive and loving woman, we can assume that she had enough “skeletons” in her closet.
It is believed that the only official son of Catherine 2 is Pavel. We will tell you who the father is later, when we talk about Alexey Bobrinsky.
So, Sophia of Anhalt-Zerb, who later took Orthodox name Ekaterina, by the will of fate, ended up in Russia. The mother of the future Emperor Peter III was choosing a bride for her son and, as a result, settled on the candidacy of this Prussian princess.
Upon arrival in new country the girl seriously began to study a new culture for herself. She masters the Russian language perfectly and converts to the Orthodox faith. Everything would have been great, but the future emperor did not have the slightest sympathy for Catherine. He perceived her simply as a forced makeweight, constantly taking on mistresses.
Because of this “family happiness,” the princess began to get involved in hunting, masquerades, and correspondence with European philosophers and encyclopedists. Over time, she also develops personal favorites.
Of particular interest is the official son of Catherine II. For several years the Empress could not become pregnant by her husband. And suddenly a boy is born. We will talk about this situation in more detail below.
Due to an unsuccessful marriage, and then a successful one, the Empress was able to fully realize her commitment to “free love.” Judging by the data provided by one of her best biographers, Bartenev, Catherine the Second had twenty-three lovers during her life.
Among them, such statesmen as Potemkin and Orlov, Saltykov and Vasilchikov, Lanskoy and Zorich are mentioned. It is noteworthy that only Grigory Aleksandrovich Potemkin became her practically unofficial husband. Although it was not made public, they had a secret wedding, and until the end of her life, Catherine called him his husband and herself his wife in correspondence and diaries. They had a daughter, Elizaveta Grigorievna Temkina.
Thus, the empress had a very stormy and eventful personal life. The most powerful in national significance there were only two of her lovers - Orlov and Potemkin. All those who followed, as a rule, before becoming Catherine’s favorites, served as adjutants to Grigory Alexandrovich.
The empress had several children, but she gave birth to only two sons. It is about them that will be discussed further.
Official son
The Empress was replaced on the throne by the only official son of Catherine 2 and Peter 3. His name was Pavel I Petrovich.
He was a very long-awaited grandson for his grandmother, Elizaveta Petrovna. The complexity of the situation at court was that ten years had already passed since the marriage of the heir to the throne. Rumors began to circulate that Peter III was unable to conceive a descendant, and the dynasty could end.
Elizabeth solved the problem with her intervention. The best surgeon in St. Petersburg was called to the court and performed an operation to eliminate phimosis. As a result, in the tenth year of their official marriage, Catherine the Second gave birth to a son. But for a long time there were rumors that the father of the heir to the throne was not the emperor, but the crown princess’s favorite, Sergei Saltykov.
However, biographers of the royal dynasty insist that it was Peter III who was the actual parent of Pavel Petrovich. In our time, researchers decided to confirm this version. One piece of evidence was his appearance. After all, the son of Catherine 2, Paul (a photo of whose portrait is given in the article) was an exact copy of Emperor Peter III.
The second evidence was the Y-haploid genotype, characteristic of all descendants of Nicholas I. This is a specific arrangement of the forms of one gene (alleles) in a certain place (locus) of the cytological map of the chromosome.
Thus, today the direct affiliation of the future emperor to the Romanov family has been proven. However, what happened in subsequent years to Pavel Petrovich?
Childhood years. Upbringing
Immediately after birth, the son of Catherine 2 and Peter 3 was excommunicated from his parents. His grandmother, Elizaveta Petrovna, in light of what is happening political confrontation, was seriously concerned about the fate of the heir to the throne.
The mother saw her son for the first time only after forty days. Despite the fact that the birth of a direct heir to the dynasty protected the country from subsequent political cataclysms, they still occurred. But while Pavel I was little, his grandmother took care of his upbringing.
Neither Catherine nor Peter played any role in the life of the future emperor. significant role. Immediately after birth, the baby was surrounded by a specially selected retinue, which included nannies, educators, tutors and the best teachers. Elizaveta Petrovna personally dealt with the approval of the servants.
The main person responsible for raising the boy was the prominent diplomat Bekhteev. This man was obsessed with issues of drill and clearly established standards of behavior. One of the features of the educational process was the publication of a newspaper, which told about all the pranks of the future emperor.
Subsequently, Bekhteev was replaced by Panin. The new teacher took the curriculum very seriously. Being close to prominent European masons, Nikita Ivanovich had extensive acquaintances. Therefore, among the teachers of Paul the First were Metropolitan Platon, Poroshin, Grange and Milliko.
It is noteworthy that any acquaintance and games with peers were limited. The emphasis was placed exclusively on education in the spirit of enlightenment. The Tsarevich received the most better education of his time, but separation from parents and peers led to irreversible consequences.
The son of Catherine 2, Pavel Petrovich, grew up as a psychologically traumatized person. Subsequently, this will result in his eccentricities and obscene antics. One of which will lead to a conspiracy against the emperor and his murder during a palace coup.
Relationship with mother
The official son of Catherine II, Pavel Petrovich, was never loved by his mother. From the first days, the Empress considered him the child of an unloved man, who was Peter III for her.
There were rumors that after the birth of her son, she wrote a will stating that upon reaching adulthood, she would transfer the rule of the country to him. But no one has ever seen this document. The unthinkability of this fact is confirmed by the subsequent actions of the empress.
Every year, the son of Catherine II, Pavel, became more and more distant from his mother from state affairs. The best teachers were selected for him and his interest in various sciences was indulged. The first military council to which the empress invited him took place in 1783, that is, when Pavel Petrovich was twenty-nine years old.
It was at this meeting that the final gap between them emerged.
Prior to this, Empress Catherine the Second indulged in the spread rumors about his birth from Saltykov. She also supported opinions about the imbalance and cruelty of the Tsarevich.
It's hard to judge today, but ordinary people, dissatisfied with the empress’s policies, were on the side of Pavel Petrovich. So, he promised to transfer power to him after the coup d'etat. The name of the Tsarevich was heard in Moscow. The rebel exiles, led by Benevsky, also swore allegiance to the young emperor.
In the last years of her life, Catherine the Second was waiting for the official wedding of her eldest son, Pavel Alexander. In this case, she could transfer power to her grandson, bypassing the unloved child. But after her death, secretary Bezborodko destroyed the manifesto, which saved the crown prince from arrest and contributed to his ascension to the throne. For this he subsequently received the highest state rank of chancellor.
Life in Gatchina
The official son of Catherine II, Pavel Petrovich, after several years of traveling around Western Europe settled on the estate of the late Count Grigory Grigorievich Orlov. Before he managed to get married twice.
His first wife was Wilhelmina of Hesse-Darmstadt (then Emperor Paul was nineteen years old). But two and a half years later she died during childbirth and a new bride was found for him.
She turned out to be Sophia Dorothea of Württemberg, daughter of the Duke of Württemberg. The candidacy for the emperor was personally chosen by the King of Prussia, Frederick II. It is noteworthy that she comes from the same estate as Catherine the Second, the mother of Pavel Petrovich.
Thus, after a year and a half of travel, the newlyweds settled in Gatchina, the former estate of Count Orlov. It is interesting that, judging by information from state papers and economic documents of the estate, the Tsarevich and his wife were constantly robbed by servants and relatives. With an enormous salary for those times of two hundred and fifty thousand rubles per annum, the son of Catherine 2, Paul 1, was constantly in need of loans.
It is in Gatchina that the future emperor starts a “toy” army for himself. It was a military formation similar to the Amusing Regiments of Peter the Great. Although contemporaries spoke sharply negatively against such a hobby of the crown prince, researchers of our time have the opposite opinion.
Based on the data on the exercises, the regiments did not just march and hold parades. It was a small but perfectly trained army for that time. For example, they were taught to repel amphibious assault, they knew how to fight day and night. The son of Catherine 2 constantly learned these and many other tactics with them.
Illegitimate son
However, there was also illegitimate son Catherine 2. His name was Alexey Grigorievich. Subsequently, the boy was given the surname Bobrinsky, in honor of the Bobriki estate (now the city of Bogoroditsk in the Tula region).
The son of Catherine II and Orlov, according to contemporaries, was a very timid and quiet boy. There were rumors at court about the “narrow-mindedness of his mind,” since at thirteen his knowledge was limited to French and German languages, as well as the beginnings of arithmetic and geography.
An interesting case is connected with the birth of Alexei Bobrinsky. In December 1761, Empress Elizabeth Petrovna died, and her son Peter III ascended the throne. The event leads to a final break between Catherine and her husband. The girl is sent to live in the opposite wing of the Winter Palace.
It is noteworthy that such an incident did not upset her at all. At this time, her favorite was Grigory Orlov. Four months later, in April 1762, the time came to give birth to a son from this lover. Attribute paternity Peter III it was completely impossible.
Therefore, an original turn of events was undertaken. The Empress's valet, Vasily Shkurin, sets his house on fire. Since the emperor loved to admire the fires, he and his retinue left the palace to enjoy the spectacle. At this time, Catherine the Second gave birth to a son from Grigory Orlov.
Before the coup, declaring his existence was stupid and dangerous, so the boy was immediately given to be raised by a devoted valet, who had a more attractive mansion built on the site of the one that burned down.
Childhood years
Thus, the son of Catherine 2 and Grigory Orlov was brought up with the children of the wardrobe master Vasily Shkurin, and later he would be awarded the rank of valet. Until the age of twelve, Alexei lived and studied with his sons. In 1770 they went together to Leipzig for four years. A boarding school was created there especially for these boys.
In 1772, Alexei Bobrinsky was placed under the supervision of Marshal of the Neapolitan Army Joseph de Ribas for two years. Subsequently, the time spent with the illegitimate son of the empress will be credited to the Spaniard, and he will be promoted to prominent positions in Russia. For example, it was Deribas (this is how he began to write his last name in the Russian manner) who played main role in the creation of the port of Odessa. And the most famous street in this city is named after him.
At thirteen years old, Alexei Bobrinsky returns to Russian Empire and falls into the possession of Betsky. At the same time, the boy is complaining about the estate in Bobriki for financial support.
According to the trustee and teacher, the son of Catherine II, Alexey, did not shine with knowledge and desire for science. He just wanted to please his mother. The boy's disposition was quiet, calm and flexible.
Ivan Ivanovich Betskoy, being a prominent figure in the field of education in St. Petersburg, had a strong influence not only on the training of Alexei Bobrinsky, but also on the promotion of Joseph de Ribas.
At twenty years old, the young man completes his studies in the corps. As a reward, he receives a gold medal and is promoted to the rank of lieutenant.
Journey
After such a course of training, the son of Catherine 2 and Grigory Orlov was fired and sent on a trip to Western Europe. It must be said that here we see an example of how the empress loved and cared for this young man.
Alexey Grigorievich Bobrinsky with the best graduates of the corps goes on a journey under the supervision of a scientist and a military man. They were accompanied throughout Russia by the natural scientist Nikolai Ozeretskovsky, encyclopedist, member of the Russian and St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences. The guys visited Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Yekaterinburg, Yaroslavl, Simbirsk, Ufa, Astrakhan, Taganrog, Kherson and Kyiv.
Further, in Warsaw, Colonel Alexey Bushuev was assigned to them, who continued his journey through Western Europe with the graduates. Austria, Italy and Switzerland were visited here. The program ended halfway, in Paris.
The reason was that the son of Catherine 2 and Count Orlov became interested in gambling and girls. There is nothing supernatural in this for his age, but the disagreement happened due to the fact that all his fellow travelers lived on the money sent to him from the empress (three thousand rubles). But Alexey Bobrinsky alone lacked finances.
In view of the current situation, the graduates were sent home from France, and the empress’s son was allowed to live in Europe. Here he was mired in debt and carried away by a wild life.
As a result, Catherine the Great ordered him to be taken to Russia. With minor difficulties, he nevertheless completed the task, and Alexei Bobrinsky was settled in Revel. This place became like “house arrest” for him. During his trip to Europe, he was promoted to the rank of second captain (modern senior lieutenant).
Relations with Catherine II
Immediately after birth, Catherine II’s son Bobrinsky enjoyed his mother’s favor. He's got enough good education. The Empress supported and helped in everything she could. But due to the young man’s lack of acumen and desire for service, he was looked after like a porcelain figurine.
The turning point was Alexey Bobrinsky’s breakdown during a trip to Western Europe. He was regularly sent interest in the form of three thousand rubles (from the fund that the Empress founded for him). Also, after reporting gambling debts to Russia, another seventy-five thousand were transferred.
But it didn't help. The young man went down to the bottom again. At the request of Catherine the Great, Friedrich Grimm, a French publicist and diplomat, looked after him for some time. After he refused this job due to the young man’s disobedience, the son of Catherine 2 and Count Orlov was sent to Russia.
The Empress took this step because the boy’s behavior greatly spoiled her reputation.
Apparently, finding himself in Revel with a ban on leaving the city, Alexey Bobrinsky realized the depth of his offense. This is evident from the constant requests for pardon and permission to move to the capital. The result was only his dismissal from the military forces with the rank of brigadier.
At thirty-two, the Empress allowed her son to buy a castle in Livonia, where two years later he would marry Baroness Urgen-Sternberg. Because of the wedding, Alexei Bobrinsky was allowed to come to the capital for a few days so that Catherine II could see the bride.
After this, he went to his castle Ober Palen, where he lived until his mother’s death.
Relations with Paul I
Oddly enough, Alexei Bobrinsky, the son of Catherine 2, received full support and care from Emperor Paul I. His half-brother released him from house arrest and eventually promoted him to major general. He also awarded his brother the Order of St. Anne and gave him a command.
However, suddenly the illegitimate son of Catherine 2 falls out of favor. At thirty-six years old, he was dismissed from service for the second time, deprived of his ranks and settled on the Bobriki estate.
Alexei Grigorievich is allowed to visit the capital and the castle in Livonia, but any state and military affairs are prohibited.
Until his death, Alexei Bobrinsky, the son of Catherine 2, was engaged in astronomy, mineralogy and agriculture. He was buried in the crypt of an estate in the Tula province.
Born September 20, 1754. WITH early years he was taught literacy and various sciences. The future Emperor studied history, mathematics, foreign languages and geography.
According to the recollections of his teachers, Pavel was a man of lively mind, beautifully gifted by nature. His childhood was difficult; he lost his father early. Moreover, he lost it, as he himself believed, through the fault of his mother. Pavel loved Pyotr Fedorovich very much, and could not forgive his mother for his death.
At the age of 17, Catherine II married her son to Princess Wilhelmina, who was named Natalya Alekseevna at baptism. Natalya died during childbirth.
In 1776, Paul I married for the second time. The wife of the heir to the Russian throne was Sophia-Dorothe, who at baptism took the name Maria Feodorovna. Maria Feodorovna was related to the Prussian king. Apparently under the influence of his wife, he began to like many German customs.
Meanwhile, relations between Pavel Petrovich and Catherine II became increasingly cool. After the wedding, Catherine II gave the couple Gatchina. In fact, this was a real exile, an attempt to remove the heir from the court.
Here in Gatchina, Paul I has his own army; they send him half a company of sailors, an infantry battalion, and a cuirassier regiment. Pavel Petrovich devotes a lot of time to his soldiers. Organizes various exercises and shows.
In 1777, his son was born, named Alexander. The boy was immediately taken from his parents, and his upbringing was carried out by people appointed by the empress herself.
Pavel and Maria could visit their son only on special days. Pavel tried to participate in the political life of the country, but his mother suppressed any of his undertakings and initiatives.
After the death of Catherine II, Paul I was crowned king. Pavel Petrovich ascended the throne without much skill public administration. When he became monarch, he was already 42 years old. He was already an accomplished, bright and extraordinary person.
His very first act on the Russian throne was the coronation of Peter III. The father's ashes were removed from the grave, the coronation ceremony was held, and the subsequent reburial of Peter III in the Peter and Paul Cathedral, next to Catherine II.
Domestic policy of Paul I
On April 5, 1797, Paul I was anointed king. On the same day, a decree on succession to the throne was issued. Now the direct descendants of the monarch through the male line became the heirs to the Russian throne. Women could take the Russian throne only in the absence of male representatives from the ruling dynasty
Paul I restored State Council, created back under, but not functioning for a long time. Increased the number of council members from 7 to 17 people. In 1796, the Senate was also reformed, which could not cope with its duties due to the increased number of cases.
The size of the Senate has increased, and new rules of office work have appeared aimed at speeding up the work of the Senate. Domestic policy Paul I caused discontent among the nobles, because. The emperor tried to alleviate the situation of the peasantry. Such actions caused certain discontent among the nobility.
He also, by his decrees, abolished Catherine’s “charter of the nobility.” Now nobles were forbidden to ask for resignation if they had served as an officer for less than a year. Were abolished noble meetings. The army reform carried out by Paul I caused great dissatisfaction. Prussian orders were established in the Russian army, and an inconvenient uniform was introduced. The army lived by drill training, under conditions of the strictest discipline.
Foreign policy of Paul I
In his foreign policy, Paul I first decided to defend only the interests of Russia. But the disposition of forces in Europe obliged them to actively participate in the affairs of European countries. In alliance with Turkey, the Russian army and navy took Corfu, under the leadership of. And he crushed the French on the continent by making incredible crossings through the Alps.
Meanwhile, dissatisfaction with the emperor grew more and more among the courtiers. So, on the night of March 11-12, 1801, a group of conspirators broke into his chambers and demanded that he abdicate the throne. Paul I refused and, in the ensuing fight, was killed by the conspirators. His son, Alexander I Pavlovich, was proclaimed the new Russian emperor. The “Era of palace coups” ended with the personality of Paul I.
Results
Pavel Petrovich is of great interest to historians and is the subject of much debate. Some sincerely consider him a tyrant, others - a wonderful reformer. It is impossible to unequivocally answer the question of who Emperor Paul I was. Many characterize the period of his reign as knightly autocracy. In fact, he was a man of honor.
Unfortunately, the emperor’s psyche really wasn’t all right. But there is an explanation for this. As a child, he lost his father, whom he loved very much, early on. Throughout his life, he was afraid that he would share the fate of Pyotr Fedorovich. During his reign, the mistrust and caution of the entire court reached its climax.
The Russian Empire was filled with various spies and informers who praised themselves to the emperor and denounced others. Paul I was a man of changeable character, and often made contradictory decisions. People quickly fell out of favor with him, and just as quickly became his favorites. Paul I ruled Russia for only 5 years.
- There are three versions of the origin of Emperor Paul I. He is the son of Peter III and Catherine II.
- Son of Catherine II and Count Sergei Saltykov.
- Son of unknown Chukhon parents.
IN early XIX century, the Russian throne suffered a terrible shock: on a March night in 1801, a group of guards conspirators led by the St. Petersburg governor-general and head of the secret police P. A. Palen entered the chambers of Emperor Pavel Petrovich and killed him, thereby committing a palace coup, which resulted in The sovereign's son Alexander ascended the throne.
A reign that started with murder
The mother of the murdered tsar, Catherine II, wanted to make him the successor of her progressive endeavors. That is why N. Panin, an outstanding statesman of its time. But fate decreed otherwise. Paul wanted to lead his own line. He was proud and ambitious, like many Russian rulers. The reign of this monarch was short-lived, but he managed to earn universal hatred.
It was not new for the brave guards to overthrow rulers they disliked from the throne. Both the temporary worker Biron and the young Antonovich, the formal Tsar of Russia, are examples of this. It happened that they completely knocked the spirit out of an unlucky monarch - the blood of the murdered Tsar Peter III was on their hands.
All brief history- from Peter 1 to Nicholas 2 - is full of conspiracies and coups, but in this case there was one detail that gave the assassination attempt a special character. There is reason to believe that Paul’s son, the heir to the throne, Alexander, was aware of the impending conspiracy. Even without personally participating in the crime committed, in this case he became, albeit passive, a parricide, and that night, March 12, 1801, burned his conscience for the rest of his life.
Alexander 1: years of reign
When Alexander I was crowned, he was twenty-four years old. Despite his youth, he had progressive thinking and carried out a number of moderate liberal reforms. By nature, Alexander was a representative, like his grandmother Catherine II. He did not encroach on the stronghold of serfdom, but he saw the key to progress in education. Under him, several privileged educational institutions, including the famous Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum.
Through the labors of the young emperor, the system of administrative management of the state was transformed. In place of the old Peter's colleges, according to the European model, ministries were established. There was even a real attempt to grant the subjects a constitution, but it remained only among good intentions. Already in the second half of his reign, Alexander carried out a reform in the army, which supplemented the very cumbersome recruitment system with the notorious Arakcheev military settlements.
A talented politician and a bad commander
The reign of this monarch fell on the era Napoleonic wars. Despite the fact that the troops created in 1905 were officially led by M.I. Kutuzov, all decisions were made personally by Alexander, and he bears the blame for the defeat of the Russian-Austrian army in the Battle of Austerlitz. He wasn't outstanding commander, but had the gift of an extraordinary politician.
Skillfully using the current situation, the sovereign concluded a profitable peace with Napoleon in 1808. During these same years, Finland, Bessarabia and Eastern Georgia were annexed to Russia. Despite the fact that we associate the name of Alexander I mainly with the war of 1812, his merit in the victory is limited, perhaps, only to his tough policy towards Napoleon and non-interference in the administration of the army, brilliantly carried out by M. I. Kutuzov.
The death that gave birth to a legend
Alexander 1, whose years of reign were accompanied by a turbulent domestic and foreign political life of the country, at the end of his reign often spoke of his desire to abdicate the throne and devote himself to God. This was the reason that after his death, which followed in 1725 during a trip to Taganrog, rumors began to spread claiming that a coffin with the body of another person had been delivered to the capital, and that the sovereign himself was atone for sin in a remote forest hermitage under the name of Elder Fyodor Kuzmich parricide, which twenty-four years ago elevated him to the pinnacle of power. Whether this version has any basis is unknown to this day.
A new reign that began with a rebellion
All who ruled after Paul 1 in Russia were monarchs of the new European type. This fully applies to Emperor Nicholas I, who in 1825 succeeded his brother on the throne. Despite the rigidity of rule inherent in eastern despotism, he made a lot of efforts to create a clearly established administrative system of government in the country, using the progressive experience of foreign countries.
Just like his brother, Nicholas I’s title “Emperor of All Russia” was sprinkled with shed blood. And again it was the guards, this time speaking openly on December 14 on Senate Square in the capital. To eradicate possible future unrest, Nicholas took radical measures, which later created for him the reputation of a gendarme and a strangler of freedom. Under him, the notorious “Third Department” was founded - a secret police that carried out total surveillance of dissidents.
His foreign policy was a complete reflection of his domestic one. Milestones in the history of the reign of Nicholas I were: the suppression of the Polish and Hungarian uprisings, the war with Turkey of 1828-1829, the war with Persia and, finally, the mediocre lost Crimean campaign, before the end of which he died on February 18, 1855.
Tsar-reformer
Among those who ruled after Paul 1 in Russia, the next anointed of God, Emperor Alexander II, gained fame as the most progressive reformer. Unlike his father, he tried to bring the spirit of freedom and humanism to his fatherland. His most historically significant act was the abolition of serfdom, proclaimed in 1861.
In addition, the history of his reign included: the liquidation of military settlements and reforms armed forces, higher and secondary education, finance, as well as zemstvo and legal proceedings. Hardly any of those who ruled Russia after Paul the 1st managed to transform the appearance of the state in such a way, but nevertheless the great reformer died at the hands of his own subjects. Seven assassination attempts were organized on his life, the last of which was committed on March 1, 1881 by a terrorist organization " People's will", cost him his life.
Tsar peacemaker and counter-reformer
His son, also Alexander, who ascended the throne after the death of his father, deservedly received the nickname of the peacemaker king among the people. Unique case in the history of the Russian autocracy - during all the years of his reign, the country did not wage a single war, and not a single soldier fell on the battlefield. According to my beliefs Alexander III was a Slavophile and supporter of a “special path” of development for Russia. This forced him to carry out a number of counter-reforms aimed at preserving the foundations of the old life in the country, alien to foreign influences.
He passed away before reaching fifty years of age. Possessing a powerful physique and extraordinary energy, the king suffered from chronic kidney disease, which caused damage to the heart and blood vessels at the end of his life. His death on September 21, 1894 marked the beginning of the reign of the last representative of the House of Romanov. The name and patronymic of the emperor who ended the three-hundred-year dynasty is Nicholas II Alexandrovich.
Last of the dynasty
His coronation, which took place in 1896, became the cause of the tragedy that occurred on the Khodynskoe field, where, as a result of the accumulation of thousands of people who came to receive gifts promised for the celebration, a terrible crush formed, as a result of which 1,379 people died and about 1,000 were injured. It was regarded by the people as a bad omen, and the gloomy memory of the event persisted throughout the years of his reign.
Nicholas II, like all the rulers of Rus' and Russia who preceded him, must be considered by us in the context of his century. It fell to his lot to rule a state that constituted a sixth of the Earth during the most dramatic period of its history. These were the years when, along with the stormy economic development, social tension grew, resulting in three revolutions, the last of which became disastrous both for the reigning dynasty and for the empire as a whole.
Rasputin's influence
But at the same time, he, like all the rulers of Rus' and Russia, is responsible for the state of the state that was the result of his reign. The catastrophe that ended the era of Romanov rule was largely caused by ill-conceived decisions in the field of domestic and foreign policy - this is the conclusion that most modern researchers come to.
Like the previous rulers of Russia, whose years of reign were marked by revolts and unrest, Nicholas II sought support at the same time in military force, and in God's intercession. Hence his blind faith in the “holy elder” - Grigory Rasputin, whose influence in many ways aggravated the already critical condition, in which the empire found itself. Recent years reigns are characterized by a feverish succession of changing ministers and senior government officials. These were desperate attempts to bring the country out of the crisis, guided by the advice of the elder, instilled in him through his wife, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna.
Last Empress of Russia
If we look at the list of empresses of Russia, we can see that many of them left a good memory of themselves in history. These are those who reigned in different years Catherine, and but the last of their number - Alexandra Fedorovna - had a chance to drink the bitter cup of popular hatred. She was unfoundedly accused of betrayal, debauchery, and the fact that it was she who forced her husband to drag Russia into a war so unpopular among the common people. She completed the list of empresses of Russia.
The February Revolution of 1917 deprived Nicholas II of the throne. He renounced him and then, together with his family, was placed under house arrest to the Tsarskoye Selo Palace. Soon he sent them into exile in Tobolsk, and in 1918, by decision of the Bolsheviks royal family ended up in Yekaterinburg. There, in the basement of Ipatiev’s house, on the night of July 17, 1918, the entire family was shot along with the servants and Doctor Botkin who accompanied them.
Russian Emperor Pavel I Petrovich - born: October 1, 1754 died: March 24, 1801. From the Romanov dynasty, son of Catherine II and Peter III.
Childhood of Pavel 1
Pavel was born under rather mysterious circumstances. Emperor Peter III and Catherine II did not have an heir for 10 years. This was explained quite simply: Peter was a chronic alcoholic. And yet the empress managed to get pregnant. Many did not consider Peter III to be the father of the baby, but they preferred to keep quiet about it.
The birth of the long-awaited child did not bring happiness for the parents. The emperor suspected that the child was not his, and the mother treated the boy’s appearance more like a “state project.” Pavel experienced all the horror of the saying: “Seven nannies have a child without an eye.” They often forgot to feed him, dropped him several times, and he was left alone for a long time. He hasn't seen his parents for years! The boy grew up fearful, withdrawn and deeply unhappy...
Paul I – Aside from the throne
1762 - Peter III was overthrown, and for 34 long years the Russian throne was occupied by his wife Catherine II. Catherine treated her son rather coldly: he was, first of all, the direct heir to the throne, and she did not intend to share power with anyone.
1772, September 20 - Paul turned 18 years old - it’s time to take the throne. But from his mother he received only the rank of admiral general of the Russian fleet and colonel of a cuirassier regiment. For the young prince, this was the first serious humiliation, followed by others: he was not awarded a place in either the Senate or the Imperial Council. On April 21, on her birthday, Catherine gave the prince a cheap watch, and her favorite Count Potemkin an expensive one for 50,000 rubles. And this in front of the entire yard!
Paul 1 – between two worlds
In order for the prince to think less about power, the empress decided to marry him. The choice was made on the Prussian Princess Wilhelmina. 1773, autumn - the young people got married. Expectations were not met; the marriage did not bring happiness to Pavel. His wife, as it turned out, was a powerful woman - she actually subjugated her husband and began to cheat on him. This did not last long - 3 years later, Wilhelmina died in childbirth. Catherine consoled the grief-stricken prince in a unique way: by personally conveying to Pavel the love correspondence between the princess and Razumovsky, a close friend of the prince. After the double betrayal, Pavel became an even more gloomy and closed person.
Pavel did not remain single for long and in the same 1776 he went to Berlin to meet the 17-year-old Princess Sophia Dorothea. Prussia made a strong impression on Paul: unlike Russia, order and exemplary morality reigned among the Germans. Pavel's respect for a foreign country quickly grew into sympathy for his bride; the princess reciprocated. 1776, October - the wedding took place. In Russia, Sofia-Dorothea received the name Maria Fedorovna.
For many years, Pavel lived in two worlds - in his personal life he enjoyed happiness, and in his public life he suffered from universal contempt. If Europe had long revered him as a full-fledged emperor, then in Russia the courtiers looked at him with a grin - the country was ruled by Catherine II with her lover Count Potemkin.
When Paul's sons began to grow up, Catherine personally began to raise them, demonstrating that she would rather allow one of her grandchildren to ascend to the throne than her own son. Paul's patience was still not limitless... 1783, May 12 - a final quarrel occurred between the Empress and Paul. That same year, in August, his mother gave Pavel an estate near St. Petersburg. This spoke of only one thing - voluntary exile.
Paul 1 – exile
The donated estate became for Paul both a place of unspoken exile and an island of long-awaited freedom.
The first thing Pavel did was defend the right to have three personal battalions consisting of 2,399 people in Gatchina. They lived and served according to Prussian laws; The prince himself conducted daily exercises.
Having inflicted a dressing down on the soldiers, Pavel set off to supervise numerous construction projects. In Gatchina, under his leadership, a hospital, a school, factories specializing in the production of porcelain and glass, 4 churches (Orthodox, Lutheran, Catholic and Finnish), as well as a library were built. Its collections included 36,000 volumes.
The prince forgot his harshness and unsociability only in the evenings with his loved ones. He spent all his evenings with his wife Maria Feodorovna. The dinner was modest - a glass of Burgundy claret and sausages and cabbage. It seemed that all his life he would be content with this measured and calm life.
Paul I – reforms
The death of Catherine II was sudden - on November 6, 1796 from apoplexy. If Catherine had lived for more than six months, Alexander would have ascended the throne. All the papers with the order for his succession were prepared.
The unexpected power became for Paul 1 not only a long-awaited gift, but also a real curse: the country was in a terrible state. The ruble depreciated, corruption and theft flourished everywhere, and about 12,000 unsolved cases accumulated in the Senate. Three quarters of the officer corps Russian army existed only on paper. Many received ranks without even serving, desertion became the norm, and the fleet was still equipped with cannons from the times.
The emperor began to fight harshly against lawlessness and the decline of morals. Arrests, trials and exiles swept across the country. Neither connections nor past merits could save them from punishment from higher ranks. It was not easy for the officers either: carousing and trips to balls were prohibited by Pavel, and they were replaced by early rises and exhausting exercises. Ordinary officials also expressed dissatisfaction with Paul's reforms - they should have been at work at five in the morning.
Paul 1 was in power for only 4 years and 4 months. During this time, he demoted 7 marshals and more than 300 senior officers, distributed 600,000 peasants to landowners and issued 2,179 laws.
Despite the emperor's harsh temperament, his eldest son Alexander was always on his father's side. However, Paul 1 managed to lose this ally too. Once he called the prince a fool in front of everyone, which turned the heir against himself.
Bloody night
Paul 1 had a presentiment of his death. At least this is evidenced by many of the memoirs of his contemporaries.
S.M. Golitsyn wrote about the last evening: “It was customary that at the end of dinner everyone went into another room and said goodbye to the emperor. That evening he did not say goodbye to anyone and said only: “What happens, cannot be avoided.”
Another eyewitness wrote: “After dinner, the emperor looked at himself in the mirror, which had a flaw and made his faces crooked. He laughed at this saying: “Look how funny the mirror is; I see myself in it, with my neck on the side.” This was an hour and a half before his death...”
...The last meeting of the conspirators took place on the night of March 12, 1801. Everything was led by General Bennigsen, the Zubov princes, and also Count Palen. Dissatisfaction with the policies of Paul 1 took place over champagne and wine. Having invigorated themselves with drinks, the conspirators went to the chambers of Paul 1.
After passing two sentries, the men burst into the emperor. Zubov made an offer to Pavel 1 to sign an act of renunciation. The emperor's refusal enraged the uninvited visitors. According to one version, the emperor was strangled with a pillow, and then his body was hacked to pieces with sabers.
Even before dawn, the news spread across the Northern capital that the emperor had suddenly died from an “apoplexy,” and Alexander ascended the throne. Stormy fun began in St. Petersburg...
A few years later, General Y.I. Sanglen, head of the secret police under Alexander 1, wrote: “Paul will forever remain a psychological problem. With a kind, sensitive heart, an exalted soul, an enlightened mind, a fiery love for justice... he was an object of horror for his subjects.” The nature of Paul 1 was never fully understood either by his contemporaries or descendants-historians.
Pavel I (1754-1801), Russian Emperor(since 1796).
Born on October 1, 1754 in St. Petersburg. Son of Peter III and Catherine II. He was brought up at the court of his grandmother, Empress Elizabeth Petrovna.
There were rumors that Elizabeth hoped to transfer the crown to her grandson, bypassing the unloved heir Peter. She entrusted the care of raising the boy to the dignitary N.I. Panin, who managed to give Pavel a good education for that time. The future emperor learned several languages, was versed in music, mathematics, fortification, military and naval affairs.
After Catherine II's accession to the throne, he received the official title of heir. However, the coup and the death of his father left a fatal imprint on his character. Pavel became secretive, suspicious, and constantly feared attempts on his life. In everything he tried to imitate the late Peter III, just like him, he saw an example to follow in the Prussian king Frederick II the Great. Paul's ideal was the Prussian military system and the Prussian police state.
Living in Gatchina since 1783, Pavel organized his court and small army according to the Prussian model. He was married twice: from 1773 to Princess Wilhelmina of Hesse-Darmstadt (in Orthodoxy Natalya Alekseevna), and after her death to Princess Sophia Dorothea of Württemberg (in Orthodoxy Maria Fedorovna). From the latter, Paul had four sons and six daughters; But family life did not soften his temper.
After the death of Catherine II, Paul ascended the throne.
From the very beginning, he contrasted his policy with everything done during his mother’s long 34-year reign. It is not surprising that the new emperor’s attempts to reform the army and state apparatus resulted in opposition from the highest administration. His desire to stop abuses in the army resulted in a series of repressions against the generals and middle officers. The introduction of uncomfortable army uniforms based on the Prussian model caused grumbling among the military personnel. The offended officers resigned en masse.
The idea of limiting serfdom was reflected in the Decree of 1797 on the introduction of a three-day corvee. However, this law did not really apply.
An important feature foreign policy Paul had a struggle with French Revolution. Censorship was rampant in Russia, the import of foreign books was not allowed, private printing houses were closed, and there was even a ban on wearing round “French” hats. In a coalition with Prussia and Austria, Russia waged wars against France, winning victories in Italy and Switzerland thanks to A.V. Suvorov, and in the Mediterranean thanks to F.F. Ushakov. However, at the height of the anti-French campaign, Paul broke off relations with the allies and relied on an alliance with Napoleon I.
After Bonaparte was proclaimed Emperor of France, Paul saw in him the only force capable of curbing the revolution. Paul acted recklessly by joining the economic blockade of England carried out by France. England was the largest buyer of Russian grain, cast iron, canvas, linen and wood on the European market. The blockade hit both the landowners' economy and peasant industries hard. Paul's campaign to India, which he was preparing, undermined relations with England to no less a degree.
On the night of March 24-25, 1801, the emperor was killed by conspirators in his new residence - Mikhailovsky Castle in St. Petersburg.
