Despite the fact that many serious scholars dispute the role of chance in history, one cannot but admit that Catherine I ascended the Russian throne largely by accident. She ruled for a short time - a little more than two years. Nevertheless, despite such a short reign, she remained in history as the first empress.
From washerwoman to empress
Marta Skavronskaya, who will soon become known to the world as Empress Catherine 1, was born on the territory of today's Lithuania, on the lands of Livonia, in 1684. There is no exact information about her childhood. In general, the future Catherine 1, whose biography is very ambiguous, and sometimes contradictory, according to one version, was born into a peasant family. Her parents soon died of the plague, and the girl was sent to the pastor's house as a servant. According to another version, from the age of twelve, Marta lived with her aunt, after which she ended up in the family of a local priest, where she was in the service and studied literacy and needlework. Scientists are still arguing about where the future Catherine 1 was born.
Biography
Andthe origin of the first Russian empress, and the date and place of her birth have not yet been established by domestic historians. More or less unequivocally, a version was established in historiography, proving that she was the daughter of the B altic peasant Samuil Skavronsky. In the Catholic faith, the girl was baptized by her parents, giving her the name Marta. According to some reports, she was brought up in the Marienburg boarding school, under the supervision of Pastor Gluck.
The future Catherine I was never a diligent student. But they say that she changed partners with amazing frequency. There is even information that Marta, having become pregnant from a certain nobleman, gave birth to a daughter from him. The pastor managed to marry her, but her husband, who was a Swedish dragoon, soon disappeared without a trace during the Great Northern War.
After the capture of Marienburg by the Russians, Marta, becoming a "war trophy", was for some time the mistress of a non-commissioned officer, later, in August 1702, she ended up in the train of Field Marshal B. Sheremetev. He, noticing her, took her to him as a porter - a laundress, later handing her over to A. Menshikov. It was here that she caught the eye of Peter I.
Biographers of the Russian royal family are still wondering how she could captivate the king. After all, Martha was not a beauty. However, she soon became one of his mistresses.
Peter 1 and Catherine 1
In 1704, Martha, according to Orthodox tradition, was baptized under the name of Ekaterina Alekseevna. By that time she was already pregnant. The future empress was baptized by Tsarevich Alexei. Able to easily adapt to any circumstances, Ekaterinanever lost her presence of mind. She perfectly studied the character and habits of Peter, becoming necessary for him both in joy and in sorrow. In March 1705 they already had two sons. However, the future Catherine I still continued to live in Menshikov's house in St. Petersburg. In 1705, the future empress was brought to the house of the tsar's sister Natalia Alekseevna. Here the illiterate washerwoman began to learn to write and read. According to some reports, it was during this period that the future Catherine I established quite close relations with the Menshikovs.
Gradually, the relationship with the king became very close. This is evidenced by their correspondence in 1708. Peter had many mistresses. He even discussed them with Catherine, but she did not reproach him for anything, trying to adapt to the royal whims and put up with his frequent outbursts of anger. She was always there during his epileptic attacks, sharing with him all the difficulties of camp life and imperceptibly turning into the actual wife of the sovereign. And although the future Catherine I did not directly participate in solving many political issues, she had a great influence on the king.
Since 1709, she accompanied Peter everywhere, including on all trips. During the Prut campaign of 1711, when the Russian troops were surrounded, she saved not only her future husband, but also the army, giving the Turkish vizier all her jewelry in order to persuade him to sign a truce.
Marriage
Upon returning to the capital, on February 20, 1712, Peter 1 and Catherine 1got married. Their daughters, Anna, who had already been born by that time, who later became the wife of the Duke of Holstein, as well as Elizabeth, the future empress, being at the age of three and five years, performed the duties of maids of honor accompanying the altar at the wedding. The marriage took place almost secretly in a small chapel that belonged to Prince Menshikov.
From that time on, Catherine I acquired a yard. She began to receive foreign ambassadors and meet with many European monarchs. As the wife of the reformer tsar, Catherine the Great - the 1st Russian Empress - was in no way inferior to her husband in strength of will and endurance. In the period from 1704 to 1723, she bore Peter eleven children, although most of them died in infancy. Such frequent pregnancies did not in the least prevent her from accompanying her husband on his many campaigns: she could live in a tent and rest on a hard bed without a single grumble.
Merit
In 1713, Peter I, highly appreciating the worthy behavior of his wife during the unsuccessful Prut campaign for the Russians, established the Order of St. Catherine. He personally laid signs on his wife in November 1714. Initially, it was called the Order of Liberation and was intended only for Catherine. Peter I remembered the merits of his wife during the ill-fated Prut campaign in his manifesto about the coronation of his wife in November 1723. Foreigners, who followed everything that was happening in the Russian court with great attention, unanimously noted the affection of the tsar for the empress. And during the Persian campaign of 1722Catherine even shaved her head and began to wear a grenadier cap. She and her husband reviewed the troops leaving directly for the battlefield.
On December 23, 1721, the boards of the Senate and the Synod recognized Catherine as the Russian Empress. Especially for her coronation in May 1724, a crown was ordered, which, in its splendor, surpassed the crown of the king himself. Peter himself placed this imperial symbol on his wife's head.
Portrait
Opinions about Catherine's appearance are contradictory. If you focus on her male environment, then opinions are generally positive, but women, being biased towards her, considered her short, fat and black. Indeed, the appearance of the Empress did not make much of an impression. One had only to look at her to notice her low birth. The dresses she wore were old-fashioned, sheathed entirely in sequined silver. She always had a belt, which was adorned in front with gemstone embroidery with an original design in the form of a double-headed eagle. Orders, a dozen icons and amulets were constantly hung on the queen. As she walked, all this we alth rang.
Quarrel
One of their sons, Pyotr Petrovich, who, after the abdication of the eldest heir to the emperor from Evdokia Lopukhina, was considered the official successor to the throne since 1718, died in 1719. Therefore, the reformer tsar began to see his future successor only in his wife. But in the fall of 1724, Peter suspected the empress of treason with the chamber junker. Monsom. He executed the latter, and stopped communicating with his wife: he didn’t talk at all, and forbade access to her. Passion for others de alt a terrible blow to the king: in anger, he tore up the will, according to which the throne passed to his wife.
And only once, at the insistent request of his daughter Elizabeth, Peter agreed to dine with Catherine, a woman who had been his inseparable friend and assistant for twenty years. This happened a month before the death of the emperor. In January 1725, he became ill. Catherine was always at the bedside of the dying monarch. On the night of the 28th to the 29th, Peter died in the arms of his wife.
Ascension to the throne
After the death of her husband, who never had time to declare his last will, the “supreme gentlemen” - members of the Senate, the Synod and the generals, who had already been in the palace since the twenty-seventh of January, began to deal with the issue of succession to the throne. There were two parties among them. One, consisting of the remnants of the tribal aristocracy who remained at the very top of government power, was led by the European-educated Prince D. Golitsyn. In an effort to limit the autocracy, the latter demanded to enthrone Peter Alekseevich, the minor grandson of Peter the Great. I must say that the candidacy of this kid was very popular among the entire aristocratic class of Russia, who wanted to find in the offspring of the unfortunate prince someone who could restore their past privileges.
Victory
The second party was on the side of Catherine. The split was inevitable. With the help of yourold friend of Menshikov, as well as Buturlin and Yaguzhinsky, relying on the guard, she ascended the throne as Catherine 1, whose reign for Russia was not marked by anything special. They were short lived. By agreement with Menshikov, Catherine did not interfere in state affairs, moreover, on February 8, 1726, she transferred control of Russia into the hands of the Supreme Privy Council.
Domestic Politics
State activity of Catherine I was limited for the most part only to the signing of papers. Although it must be said that the Empress was interested in the affairs of the Russian fleet. On her behalf, the country was actually ruled by a secret council - a body created shortly before her ascension to the throne. It included A. Menshikov, G. Golovkin, F. Apraksin, D. Golitsyn, P. Tolstoy and A. Osterman. The reign of Catherine 1 began with the fact that taxes were reduced and many prisoners and exiles were pardoned. The first was connected with the rise in prices and the fear of causing discontent among the people. Some of the reforms of Catherine 1 canceled the old ones adopted by Peter 1. For example, the role of the Senate was significantly reduced and local bodies were abolished, which replaced the governor with power, a Commission was formed, which included the generals and flag officers. According to the content of this reform of Catherine 1, it was they who were supposed to take care of the improvement of the Russian troops.
Foreign relations
And if the domestic policy of Catherine 1 retreated from the course of the times of Peter the Great, then in international matters everything went the same way, since Russia supported the claims of Duke Karl Friedrich, son-in-lawempress and father Peter 3, to Schleswig. Denmark and Austria worsened relations with her. In 1726, the country adjoins the Vienna Union. In addition, Russia is gaining exceptional influence in Courland and tried to send Menshikov there as the ruler of the duchy, but the locals opposed. At the same time, the foreign policy of Catherine 1 bore fruit. Russia, having achieved concessions from Persia and Turkey in the Caucasus, was able to take possession of the Shirvan region.
Political image
From the first steps of her reign, the internal policy of Catherine 1 was aimed at showing everyone that the throne is in good hands, and that the country does not deviate from the path chosen by the Great Reformer. In the Supreme Privy Council, a sharp struggle for power was constantly waged. But the people loved the Empress. And this despite the fact that the internal policy of Catherine 1 was not marked by any special benefits for the common people.
Her front was constantly crowded with people with various requests. She received them, gave alms, and for many even became a godfather. During the reign of the second wife of Peter the Great, the organization of the Academy of Sciences was completed. In addition, the Empress sent Bering's expedition to Kamchatka.
The first Russian Empress died in May 1727. She appointed the young Peter 2, her grandson, as her heir, and Menshikov as regent. However, a sharp struggle for power continued. After all, the reign of Catherine 1, according to historians, gave rise to a long period of Russian palace coups.
