The conquests of Elizabeth Petrovna. Brief biography of Empress Elizabeth

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 covered the then route from Moscow to St. Petersburg in two days” (V. Klyuchevsky).

Empress Elizaveta Petrovna (1709-1761)- 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 since November 25 (December 6), 1741, from the Romanov dynasty, daughter of Peter I and Catherine I, the last ruler of Russia, who was Romanov “by blood.”
Elizaveta was born in the village of Kolomenskoye. This day was solemn: Peter I entered Moscow, wanting to celebrate his victory over Charles XII in the old capital. Swedish prisoners were taken behind him. The Emperor intended to immediately celebrate the Poltava victory, but upon entering the capital he was notified of the birth of his daughter. “Let’s put off the victory celebration and hasten to congratulate my daughter on her entry into the world,” he said. Peter found Catherine and the newborn baby healthy and celebrated with a feast.

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

Being only eight years old, Princess Elizabeth already attracted attention with her beauty. In 1717, both daughters, Anna and Elizabeth, greeted 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 sovereign’s youngest daughter seemed unusually beautiful in this outfit. The following year, 1718, assemblies were introduced, and both princesses appeared there in dresses of different colors, embroidered with gold and silver, and in headdresses sparkling with diamonds. Everyone admired Elizabeth's dancing skills. In addition to her ease of movement, she was distinguished by resourcefulness and ingenuity, constantly inventing new figures. The French envoy Levi noted at the same time that Elizabeth could be called a perfect beauty if not for her snub nose and reddish hair.
Elizabeth, indeed, had a snub nose, and this nose (under pain of punishment) was painted by artists only from the full face, from its best side. And in profile there are almost no portraits of Elizabeth, except for the occasional medallion on a bone by Rastrelli and the portrait of Buchholz presented above.

Ivan Nikitin Portrait of Princess Elizaveta Petrovna as a child.

The princess's upbringing could not have been 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.
This reason, as is known, 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 responded with a polite but decisive refusal.

Unknown artist of the mid-18th century Portrait of Elizaveta Petrovna in her youth.

In all other respects, Elizabeth’s education was not very burdensome; she never received a decent systematic education. Her time was filled with horse riding, hunting, rowing and caring for her beauty.

Georg Christoph Groot Portrait of Empress Elizaveta Petrovna on a horse with a little black arap. 1743

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

Her father surrounded her and her older sister Anna with splendor and luxury as future brides of foreign princes, but was not very involved in raising them. Elizaveta grew up under the supervision of “mammies” and peasant nurses, which is why she learned and fell in love with Russian morals and customs. To teach foreign languages, teachers of German, French, and Italian were assigned to the crown princesses. They were taught grace and elegance by a French dance master. Russian and European cultures shaped the character and habits of the future empress. The historian V. Klyuchevsky wrote: “From Vespers she went to the ball, and from the ball she kept up with Matins, she passionately loved French performances and knew all the gastronomic secrets of Russian cuisine to a fine degree.”

Louis Caravaque "Portrait of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna"

Elizaveta Petrovna’s personal life did not work out: Peter I tried to marry her to the French Dauphin Louis XV, but it did not work out. Then she rejected French, Portuguese and Persian applicants. Finally, Elizabeth agreed to marry the Holstein prince Karl-August, but he suddenly died... At one time, her marriage with the young Emperor Peter II, who passionately fell in love with his aunt, was discussed.

Anna Ioannovna (Elizabeth's cousin), 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 life, often disappearing in the Alexandrovskaya Sloboda, where she communicated mainly with ordinary people. people, took part in their dances and games. Next to Elizaveta Petrovna’s house there were barracks of the Preobrazhensky Regiment. The guards loved the future empress for her simplicity and good attitude towards them.

Perevoro

After the death of Peter II, engaged to Catherine 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), Tsarevna Elizabeth was in disgrace. Those dissatisfied with Anna Ioannovna and Biron had high hopes for the daughter of Peter the Great.

After the baby John VI was proclaimed emperor, Elizabeth Petrovna’s life changed: she began to visit the court more often, meeting with Russian dignitaries and foreign ambassadors, who, in general, persuaded Elizabeth to take decisive action.

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, physician Lestocq and her music teacher Schwartz, said “Guys! You know whose daughter I am, follow me! Just as you served my father, so will you serve me with your loyalty!” raised behind her the grenadier company of the Preobrazhensky Regiment.

Fyodor Moskovitin Oath of the Preobrazhensky Regiment to Empress Elizabeth Petrovna.
Having encountered no resistance, with the help of 308 loyal guards, she proclaimed herself the new queen, ordering the imprisonment of the young Ivan VI in the fortress and the arrest of the entire Brunswick family (relatives of Anna Ioannovna, including the regent of Ivan VI, Anna Leopoldovna) and her adherents.
The favorites of the former empress Minich, Levenwolde and Osterman were sentenced to death, replaced by exile to Siberia - in order to show Europe the tolerance of the new autocrat.

Elizabeth was almost not involved in state affairs, entrusting them to her favorites - the brothers Razumovsky, Shuvalov, Vorontsov, A.P. Bestuzhev-Ryumin. In general, Elizabeth Petrovna’s domestic policy was characterized by stability and a focus on growing the authority and power of state power.

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

Based on a number of signs, it can be said that Elizaveta Petrovna’s course 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: money, titles, noble dignity, ranks...

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

HER. Lansere "Empress Elizaveta Petrovna in Tsarskoe Selo"

The artist Lanceray masterfully conveys the unity of the lifestyle and art style of past eras. The entrance of Elizaveta 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 based on the contrast of lush baroque architecture and the deserted ground floor of the park. The artist ironically juxtaposes the massiveness of architectural forms, monumental sculpture and characters. He is fascinated by the roll call of architectural decorative elements and toilet details. The Empress's train resembles a raised theatrical curtain, behind which we are caught by surprise by the court actors rushing to play their usual roles. Hidden in the jumble of faces and figures is a “hidden character” – an Arab little girl, diligently carrying the imperial train. A curious detail was not hidden from the artist’s gaze either – an unclosed snuffbox in the hasty hands of the gentleman’s favorite. Flashing patterns and color spots create a feeling of a revived moment of the past

The period of Elizabeth's reign was a period of luxury and excess. Masquerade balls were regularly held at court, and in the first ten years, so-called “metamorphoses” were held, when ladies dressed up in men's suits, and men in ladies' suits.

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

In the winter of 1747, the Empress issued a decree, referred to in history as the “hair regulation,” commanding all court ladies to cut their hair bald, and gave everyone “black tousled wigs” to wear until they grew back. City ladies were allowed by decree to keep their hair, but wear the same black wigs on top. The reason for 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 off her hair completely and wear a black wig.
Elizaveta Petrovna set the tone and was a trendsetter. The Empress's wardrobe consisted of up to 45 thousand dresses.

Alexander Benois Empress Elizaveta Petrovna deigns to stroll along the noble streets of St. Petersburg. 1903

Domestic policy

Upon her accession to the throne, Elizaveta Petrovna, by a personal decree, abolished the Cabinet of Ministers and restored the Government Senate, “as it was under Peter the Great.” 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 indulged in festivities: going to Moscow, she spent about two months in balls and carnivals, which ended with the coronation on April 25, 1742 in the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin.

Elizaveta Petrovna turned her reign into sheer entertainment, leaving behind 15 thousand dresses, several thousand pairs of shoes, hundreds of uncut pieces of fabric, the unfinished Winter Palace, which absorbed from 1755 to 1761. 10 million rubles. She wished to remodel 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 ever moving to the Winter Palace. The construction of the Winter Palace was 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, no fundamental reforms were carried out in the state, but there were some innovations. In 1741, the government forgave the peasants' arrears for 17 years; in 1744, by order of the Empress, the death penalty was abolished in Russia. Homes for the disabled 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 conscription duties were eased.

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 Elizabeth Petrovna, the development of Russian science took off: M.V. Lomonosov published his scientific works, the Academy of Sciences published the first complete geographical atlas of Russia, the first chemical laboratory appeared, a university with two gymnasiums was founded in Moscow, and the Moskovskie Vedomosti began to be published. In 1756, the first Russian state theater was approved in St. Petersburg, of which A.P. became the director. Sumarokov.

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

The foundation of the library of Moscow University is being laid; it is based on 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 and testify to the power of the Russian state. By the middle of the 18th century, many interesting and valuable private collections appeared, the owners of which were representatives of the highest aristocracy, who, following the empress, sought to decorate palaces with works of art. The opportunity for 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 Elizaveta Petrovna, Russia significantly strengthened its international position. The war with Sweden, which 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 Baltic states, 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 all of Elizabeth’s conquests to Prussia.

Personal life

Elizaveta Petrovna, who in her youth was a passionate dancer and a brave rider, over the years found it increasingly difficult to accept the loss of her youth and beauty. From 1756, fainting and convulsions began to happen to her more and more often, which she carefully hid.

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

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

Elizaveta Petrovna was in a secret morganatic marriage with A.G. Razumovsky, from whom (according to some sources) they had children who bore the surname Tarakanov. In the 18th century Two women were known under this surname: Augusta, who, at the behest of Catherine II, was brought from Europe and tonsured into the Moscow Pavlovsk Monastery under the name Dosithea, and an unknown adventurer, who declared herself the daughter of Elizabeth in 1774 and laid claim to 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, outside of which a flood is raging. A young woman stands on the bed, trying to escape the water rushing through the barred window. The wet rats climb out of the water, approaching the prisoner's feet.

According to the testimony of contemporaries and historians, in particular, the Minister of Public Education Count Uvarov (the author of the formula Orthodoxy-Autocracy-Nationalism), Elizabeth was in a church morganatic marriage with Alexei Razumovsky. Even before her accession, Elizabeth began an affair with the Ukrainian singer A. G. Razumovsky, who received the title of count, orders, titles and large awards, but took almost no part in state affairs. Later, I.I. Shuvalov, who patronized education, became Elizabeth's favorite.
According to some historical sources from the 1770s - 1810s, she had at least two children: a son from Alexei Razumovsky and a daughter from Count Shuvalov.

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

Subsequently, she took under her personal guardianship two sons and the daughter of chamber cadet Grigory Butakov, who were orphaned in 1743: Peter, Alexei and Praskovya. However, after the death of Elizaveta Petrovna, many impostors appeared, calling themselves her children from her marriage to 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 (the son of her sister Anna), 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 Peter Fedorovich’s wife (the future Catherine II) and to their son (the future Emperor Pavel Petrovich), whose initial education was given 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, but also the entire Romanov dynasty was cut short. Although all subsequent heirs to the throne bore the Romanov surname, 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 all the conquered lands to Frederick and even offered military assistance. Only a new palace coup and the accession to the throne of Catherine II prevented Russian military actions against former allies - Austria and Sweden.

Born in Moscow, in Kolomenskoye. Daughter of Tsar Peter I and his second wife Marta Skavronskaya, baptized Ekaterina Alekseevna, Empress Catherine I. She spent her childhood and youth in Preobrazhenskoye, Pokrovskoye and Izmailovskoye villages in the vicinity of Moscow.

Elizaveta Petrovna's education consisted of training in dance, social communication and French.

Since 1722, it became the center of various political projects, among which were an unsuccessful marriage project with Louis XV, with Prince Karl August of Holstein-Gottorp, which did not take place due to the sudden death of the groom.

With the accession of Anna Ioannovna to the throne, Elizaveta Petrovna fell out of favor and was forced to live away from the court. After the death of Anna Ioannovna, the son of Anna Leopoldovna of Brunswick-Luneburg, Ivan VI Antonovich, was to become emperor. A part of society that was dissatisfied with the ten years of German domination on the Russian throne, in 1741, on the night of November 25, under the leadership of Elizabeth Petrovna, carried out a coup d'etat. As a result, the daughter of Peter I became the Russian Empress.

Elizabeth was almost not involved in politics, completely devoting herself to balls, festivities and entertainment. A number of decrees adopted during her reign were aimed mainly at expanding the privileges of the nobility.

Not a single person was executed during Elizabeth's reign. Russia took part in the Seven Years' War, defeating the previously invincible army of the Prussian Emperor Frederick II. In 1755, Moscow University was founded, a number of gymnasiums were opened in Moscow, in 1757 the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts was founded, and in 1756 the first public theater was opened.

It is assumed that since 1742, Elizaveta Petrovna was in a morganatic marriage with Alexei Grigorievich Razumovsky, the son of a simple Cossack. Possessing a wonderful voice and pleasant appearance, he ended up in the choir of a rural Ukrainian church, where he was accidentally noticed and transferred to the court choir. There he was noticed by Grand Duchess Elizaveta Petrovna, who elevated Razumovsky to the rank of count, granted him the rank of field marshal and made him her husband. There is no documentary evidence of the marriage, but it is believed that the wedding took place in the Church of the Sign in Perovo. Also, presumably from this marriage, Elizaveta Petrovna had a daughter named August Tarakanov. During the time of Catherine II, there was a lot of intrigue around this name, which gave rise to its own myths. According to one of them, Tarakanova was tonsured as a nun at the Ivanovo Monastery in Moscow with the name Dosifeya, and spent 25 years there until her death in 1810.

Elizaveta Petrovna died on Christmas night in St. Petersburg. She was buried in the Peter and Paul Cathedral.

The personal life of two Russian empresses - Elizabeth and Catherine II - is shrouded in a blanket of all kinds of fabrications and rumors. Their favorites are known, but whether both women were married is a question that is still being discussed. Although, it would seem, there is irrefutable evidence of marriage of both. We are interested in Elizabeth, and we will tell you what versions are available today regarding her marriage and her children.
Born in the year of Poltava, Elizabeth was admittedly extremely attractive in her youth. And she was just as loving, which caused 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 a struggle waged by court parties for influence over Emperor Peter II, who was still a minor. The greatest chances here were for Alexander Menshikov, who intended to marry Peter II to his daughter. But Menshikov fell, and then one of Peter’s dignitaries, Count Osterman, proposed marrying the fourteen-year-old emperor to Elizabeth, his aunt. Osterman, a cynic to the core (later this would be revealed in its entirety under Anna Ioannovna), disregarding any rules of decency, intended with this marriage to unite the offspring of Peter I from both wives (Peter II was the son of Tsarevich Alexei) and thereby stop all attempts to the crown from anyone. But the statutes of the Orthodox Church prohibited marriage, which was more like incest, and nothing came of Osterman’s idea. However, Elizabeth suffered a lot, first from the machinations of Osterman, then from the persecution of the Dolgoruky princes.
Life was no easier for her during 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, the Courlander Ernst Johann Biron, also contributed a lot to the empress. There is still an opinion that Biron was the son of a groom, whom Anna Ioannovna made a duke. Only the second is true; As for Biron’s origin, it is noble - his father served as manager of one of the estates of the Duke of Courland, Friedrich Wilhelm (Anna Ioannovna was married to him in 1710, but the Duke died in 1711).
The statement of many historians that Biron was an ignorant man is also incorrect. Unlike the Empress, he loved to read, and he had a good library of German, French and Russian books. And besides, Biron once studied at the University of Koenigsberg, which, however, he did not graduate.
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, who was married to Holstein, or Elizabeth. The latter, thus, was in the eyes of Anna Ioannovna her rival for imperial power. Therefore, secret surveillance was established over the crown 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 crown prince's chosen one was warrant officer of the Semenovsky Life Guards regiment Alexei Shubin.
At first, Anna Ioannovna calmly reacted to her niece’s hobby, but soon she was informed that Elizabeth visited the guards barracks too often, where they loved her very much and called her “mother.” This could not have pleased the “empress of the most terrible sight,” as Anna Ioannovna was popularly called, for she knew well that if someone was loved very much in the guards barracks, expect trouble. Before you know it, you'll lose your throne.
By imperial command, Ensign Shubin was arrested and exiled to Kamchatka - just in case. However, since then, persistent rumors have spread about the children Elizabeth adopted 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 guardian of the Moscow orphanage; according to another, he was a certain Zakrevsky, who at the end of his career became 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 since the early 40s of the 18th century, mentions of the girl have disappeared from palace chronicles. They said that she left Russia. Where?
The fact that Elizabeth had children from Shubin is confirmed by search documents from 1740, when an inquiry was conducted into the case of the Dolgoruky princes, who dreamed of becoming related to the emperor under Peter II. Raised on the rack, the Dolgorukies admitted that they wanted to imprison Elizaveta in a monastery “for lewdness,” for the children whom the Dolgorukies had seen from Shubin. Based on this confession, historians concluded that the children of Elizabeth and Shubin were born between 1728 and 1730. Thus, Elizabeth’s daughter 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, say, in 1730 would have turned forty-five in 1775. Most likely, Elizabeth’s daughter 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 remained there until 1742, when Elizabeth, who became empress, remembered him. He was found with difficulty (in Kamchatka he was married against his will to a Kamchadal woman) and taken to St. Petersburg. In March 1743, Elizabeth promoted Shubin “for innocent endurance” to major general and major of the Semenovsky Life Guards Regiment. The second rank was extremely high, since the Russian sovereigns themselves bore the rank no higher than colonel of the guard. In addition, Shubin received rich land holdings and St. Andrew's ribbon, that is, he became a holder 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 on one of his estates on the Volga.
So, we found out that in her youth Elizabeth had an affair with the guardsman Shubin, and although the princess had children from this relationship, they could not become legal, since the parents’ relationship was not sanctified by the church. However, later, and this is confirmed by almost all researchers, Elizabeth got married. True, the marriage was secret, but it existed, just like there were children from it.
Foreign writers were the first to talk about this (Manstein, de Castera, Gelbig); 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. spoke about this in more detail almost thirty years later. Uvarov, so we have enough grounds to assert with a high degree of probability: yes, Empress Elizabeth was married (even if secretly) to Razumovsky; yes, they had children.
Alexey Razumovsky (before his marriage to Elizabeth - Alexey Rozum) came from simple Cossacks of the Chernigov province. In the village of Lemeshi, where he lived, Alexey sang in the church choir. There he was seen by an official of Empress Anna Ioannovna, who was looking for singers in the provinces for the court chapel, 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 Tsarevna Elizabeth saw him, she was inflamed with loving feelings for him and transferred the singer 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 empress, and Razumovsky would not have become what he later became. Therefore, it is necessary, albeit briefly, 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, ascended the throne. But at that time he was only a year and two months old, and therefore Biron began to rule the country as regent. However, his reign did not last long: Field Marshal Minich and Cabinet Minister Osterman, who had 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 theft 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. Ivan Antonovich's mother Anna Leopoldovna became the regent.
But the guard regiments were dissatisfied with this change, and they advocated placing “Peter’s daughter” Elizabeth on the throne. She, of course, knew about the intentions of the guards, but at first she refused to accept their help and become empress. However, she soon agreed, because she feared that Minikh, who had once advised Biron to imprison Elizabeth in a monastery, would do what Biron had 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 regent’s chambers, Elizabeth ordered the arrest of her and her household. She herself carried young Ivan Antonovich into the sleigh and took him to her home. This is how the revolution took place.
The first question that faced the new empress was: what to do with the deposed emperor, his mother and relatives? They posed a threat to the reign and the best option, according to the customs of that time, was considered to be the physical elimination of the contenders, but Elizabeth at the very beginning of her reign gave her word not to shed blood, rivers of which were shed during the time of Anna Ioannovna. Therefore, at first the Empress decided to send the Brunswick family to Germany, assigning them all fifty thousand rubles as pensions. They had already been sent and reached Riga, but then Elizabeth, yielding to the pressure of her closest accomplices, ordered the return of the exiles. After some movements around the country they were sent into exile in Kholmogory. But in 1756, Ivan Antonovich, as the most dangerous contender for the throne, was transported from Kholmogory 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 made 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 Mazepa’s side. Since then, the Mirovichs have had no move. This finally infuriated the lieutenant and he decided to take an extreme measure - to release Ivan Antonovich from prison and place 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 bayoneted 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 already on this day Alexei Razumovsky was awarded the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called. He later became an earl and field marshal, although he never took part in a single battle in his entire life. His marriage to Elizabeth is believed to date back to 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 Barashi (the church still exists today). But these statements are essentially unfounded, since no documents exist in this regard. But, as always, there is a legend (however, is it a legend?), reported in “The Story of the Marriage of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna,” published by Count S.S. Uvarov in the 3rd edition of “Readings in the Imperial Society of History and Antiquities” for 1863. The message boils down to this.
When, upon the accession of Catherine II to the throne, Grigory Orlov insisted on legitimizing his relationship with the empress, he gave her the example of Elizabeth’s wedding to 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 everyone 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 that were dear to him from the casket and, in front of the eyes of the empress’s envoy, threw them into the burning fireplace, saying: “ Let people say what they please; let the daring stretch their hopes to imaginary greatness, but we should not be the reason for their rumors".
Catherine appreciated Razumovsky’s action. " ...there was no secret marriage,” she said, “whispers about it have always been disgusting to me...".
And she refused Grigory Orlov’s advances.
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 like 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 ordained to clergy. The son is in one of the monasteries of Pereyaslavl-Zalessky, the daughter is in the Moscow Ivanovsky monastery. And here it is the turn to talk about the nun Dosithea 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 monastic vows, becoming the nun Dosithea.
What primarily interests a historian about this fact? Of course, the status of the Ivanovo Monastery. Formed by a decree of Empress Elizabeth on June 20, 1761, it was intended to provide charity for 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 pretender to the Russian throne who was captured in Livorno by Count Alexei Orlov, but she did not die in the Peter and Paul Fortress, but lived there until 1777 and died during a flood.
But this version is absolutely not confirmed by anything. Much more conclusive evidence is that 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 the confessor saw her. Dosithea never attended the common refectory, but ate separately, and her table was plentiful and exquisite.
Dosithea 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 administrator of the Moscow diocese, performed her funeral service, and all the nobility of Moscow attended the funeral.
But who, then, was this secret nun, buried with such pomp? It’s unlikely that Elizaveta’s daughter was from Razumovsky - she was seven or eight years younger than Dosifeya. So, maybe it’s 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 on this matter: she left for Koenigsberg; because she was married off, and her husband’s father, that is, her 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 was it not she who was brought to the Ivanovo Monastery, was it not she who turned into the nun Dosithea?
There is reason in these guesses, but the dates do not quite agree. Dosithea died at sixty-four, and the nameless girl who was present at the same table with Elizabeth was born no later than 1730. This means that she, if she was buried in the Novospassky Monastery, must have been eighty years old. But, on the other hand, the dates of Dosithea’s life indicated on the gravestone could have been 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: 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 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 anxious and worried throughout the 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 impostor’s case 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, in the end, the sacramental question arose: what if it’s not an impostor?

She was born before the official marriage between her parents. The born girl was named Elizaveta. The Romanov dynasty had never used such a name before.

In 1711, Peter the Great and Catherine entered into a legal marriage. Accordingly, their daughters, the eldest Anna and the youngest Elizabeth, became princesses. And when in 1721 the Russian Tsar proclaimed himself emperor, the girls began to be called crown princesses.

Artist G. H. Groot, 1744

Contemporaries noted that Elizabeth was unusually beautiful and was fond of dresses, celebrations and dancing. She avoided any serious activities and seemed to everyone to be narrow-minded and frivolous. Few people took the young woman into account as a contender for the throne.

However, astute people noticed that the crown princess was not as simple as it seemed at first glance. She was not, but rather played the role of a flighty person, since it was convenient for her. In fact, the young woman had a strong-willed character, an extraordinary mind, ambition and power.

In the last years of her reign, Empress Elizaveta Petrovna was sick a lot. Endless night festivities, fatty foods, and reluctance to change her lifestyle and receive treatment made the empress old. Approaching old age has become a nightmare for the woman. No decorations or outfits could hide the traces of the stormy years lived.

The ruler was angry, fell into depression, canceled masquerades and balls, and hid from human eyes in the palace. At this time, only Ivan Shuvalov could get to her. The empress died on December 25, 1761 from throat bleeding.. It was the result of some chronic disease that was not diagnosed by doctors. The nephew of the late Empress Peter III ascended to the Russian throne.

Alexey Starikov

- (1709 1761/1762), Russian empress from 1741, daughter of Peter I. She was elevated to the throne by the guard as a result of a palace coup, during which the young emperor Ivan VI Antonovich was deposed and imprisoned in a fortress. During the reign of Elizabeth ... Russian history

Russian Empress from November 25, 1741 to December 24, 1761, daughter of Peter the Great and Catherine I (born December 18, 1709). She spent her childhood and youth in the villages of Preobrazhenskoye and Izmailovskoye near Moscow, thanks to which Moscow and her... ... Biographical Dictionary

Elizaveta Petrovna- Elizaveta Petrovna. ELIZAVETA PETROVNA (1709 1761/62), Russian Empress (from 1741). Daughter of Peter I and Catherine I. Secretly married (1744) to A.G. Razumovsky. Relying on the guard, she removed Anna Leopoldovna and Ivan VI from power. Returned to... ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

Elizaveta Petrovna- (17091761), empress (from 1741), daughter of Peter I, ascended the throne as a result of a palace coup, overthrowing the young emperor Ivan VI Antonovich. In 1742, Elizaveta Petrovna appointed her great nephew as heir to the throne... ... Encyclopedic reference book "St. Petersburg"

- (1709 1761/62) Russian empress from 1741, daughter of Peter I. Enthroned by the guard. During her reign, significant successes were achieved in the development of the economy, culture of Russia and in foreign policy, which was facilitated by the activities of M.V.... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

- (1709 1761), empress (from 1741), daughter of Peter I, ascended the throne as a result of a palace coup, overthrowing the young emperor Ivan VI Antonovich. In 1742, E.P. appointed her nephew Grand Duke Peter as heir to the throne... ... St. Petersburg (encyclopedia)

Elizaveta Petrovna- (Elizabeth Petrovna) (1709 62), Empress of Russia (1741 62). The unmarried daughter of Peter I the Great, a beautiful, frivolous woman, was elevated to the throne by the guards as a result of the palace coup, during which the young Ivan VI was overthrown... The World History

ELIZAVETA PETROVNA- Imp. Elizaveta Petrovna. 1754 Artist. G. G. Prenner (TG) Imp. Elizaveta Petrovna. 1754 Artist. G. G. Prenner (Tretyakov Gallery) (12/18/1709, Kolomenskoye village, Moscow province. 12/25/1761, St. Petersburg), imp. All-Russian (from November 25, 1741), daughter of the Emperor. Petra... ... Orthodox Encyclopedia

Russian Empress (1741 December 24, 1761), daughter of Peter the Great and Catherine I (born December 18, 1709). Since the death of Catherine I, Grand Duchess E. Petrovna went through a difficult school. Her position was especially dangerous under Anna Ioannovna and Anna... ... Large biographical encyclopedia

- (1709 1761/1762), Russian empress from 1741, daughter of Peter I. She was elevated to the throne by the guard as a result of a palace coup, during which the young Emperor Ivan VI Antonovich was deposed and imprisoned in a fortress. During the reign of Elizabeth... encyclopedic Dictionary

Books

• Elizaveta Petrovna, Shishov A.. Historical monograph dedicated to one of the most prominent women on the Russian throne, the daughter of the great Peter the Great, Empress Elizaveta Petrovna. The fate of women who possessed supreme...
• Elizaveta Petrovna, K. A. Pisarenko. Elizaveta Petrovna remained in the shadow of her great father for a long time. In addition, the daughter of Peter I is constantly compared with his nephew’s wife, Catherine II, who also earned the “title” from her descendants...