The reign of Empress Catherine II was overshadowed by both the mass of social problems that arose in the Russian Empire, and hitherto unprecedented scale of favoritism. The young boyfriends who surrounded the empress had a sharply negative impact on the domestic and foreign policy of the state. Representatives of the upper strata of the nobility began to seek personal gain through flattery to the new favorites of Catherine the Great, thereby undermining all moral norms and social foundations of that time. Naturally, in no way should one underestimate the great importance in the development of Russia that the era of the reign of the empress has. However, we will not describe in detail the acts of state and exploits of Catherine II, but will try to talk about the personal life of a woman who left a truly indelible mark on the history of our country.
Princess Fike
Future "By the grace of God, the Empress andAutocrat of All Russia "Catherine, who already received the title "Great" from her contemporaries, was born on April 21, 1729 in the Prussian town of Stettin. Major General, Colonel of the Prussian Army Christian August Anh alt-Zerbst and his wife, Johanna Elisabeth, gave their first-born daughter a beautiful German name - Sophia Augusta Frederick. Despite the fact that the girl’s parents were related to many royal houses of Europe (her father had the title of prince and even later became the owner of the German principality of Zerbst, and her mother was a nee princess of Holstein-Gottorp), her childhood was little like the life of a person of “royal blood”. Living in an ordinary German house, Fike, as her parents affectionately called her daughter, received the usual home education for a girl from a bourgeois family of that time, which necessarily included the ability to cook and clean.
The beginning of the "royal" path
In 1744, under the patronage of the Prussian King Frederick the Great, Sophia Augusta and her mother were summoned by Empress Elizaveta Petrovna, who was looking for a bride for her son, to St. Petersburg. In Russia, the German princess was baptized and, according to Orthodox custom, received the name Ekaterina Alekseevna. In 1745, she married Grand Duke Peter Fedorovich, the future Emperor Peter III. The family life of the young from the very beginning went wrong. The heir to the throne, either because of his infantilism or dementia, or simply because of "dislike" was very cold with his wife. Even on their wedding night, he did not pay any attention to the young bride. She, distinguished by irrepressible sexu altemperament, she just needed male attention and, according to contemporaries, immediately after the wedding she began to openly flirt with gentlemen.
First serious love
Even during the life of her husband, the future empress had a secret lover. It was Sergei Vasilyevich S altykov (1726–1765), a nobleman of the grand ducal family, who had the rank of chamberlain under the Grand Duke. S altykov at the time of their acquaintance was 26 years old. He became the first favorite of Catherine II and the only one who was older than her. The relationship between young people lasted from 1752 to 1754, until the birth of Catherine's son, the heir to the throne, Pavel Petrovich. Many contemporaries attributed the true paternity of Pavel to S altykov. Like it or not, it is not known for certain, the empress herself never denied these rumors. As for Sergei Vasilyevich, in the same year he was sent as an envoy to Europe, from where he corresponded with his beloved for a long time. It is from S altykov that the favorites of Catherine the Great begin their countdown, whose portraits are well preserved to this day.
Second love: a young Pole
Ekaterina, being a young, cheerful and very passionate woman, simply could not remain alone. In 1756 she had a new lover. They became Stanisław August Poniatowski (1732–1798), a well-educated diplomat who soon became the Polish ambassador in St. Petersburg. According to rumors, it was from this connection that the future empress gave birth to a daughter in 1757. Anna, who died at the age of two. It is known that Pyotr Fedorovich knew about the relationship of his wife with the young Pole, and moreover, he supported them. The only significant opponent of Catherine's "adventures" was the ruling empress - Elizaveta Petrovna. In 1758, she learned about the vicious connection of her daughter-in-law, was very angry and ordered to immediately send an envoy back to Poland. Catherine kept the memory of her beloved even after the forced separation. In 1764, already an empress, she helped Stanisław August to ascend the throne of the Commonwe alth.
Grigory Orlov (1734–1783)
What role did Grigory Grigoryevich Orlov play in the fate of this woman? What does history tell us? The future favorite of Catherine the Great was born on October 17, 1734 in the family of a retired major general - Grigory Ivanovich Orlov. The childhood of Gregory and his four brothers passed in an atmosphere of love, harmony and warmth. The head of the family, who was an indisputable authority, never allowed any quarrels or scandals in the family. The Orlovs received the usual home education for people of their circle, where special attention was paid to military affairs and physical training. The brothers differed from most of their peers in tall stature, a heroic article and tremendous strength. In 1749, Grigory entered the St. Petersburg land cadet corps, after which he was immediately enlisted in the elite Semyonovsky Guards Regiment. The young man was very handsome, loved by women and had a passion for amorous adventures. At the same time, he was distinguished by courage and fearlessness, which allowed him to quicklyrise to the rank of lieutenant and go to the Seven Years' War as part of the army.
Feats of arms
On the battlefield, the future favorite of Catherine II, Orlov, showed himself to be a very brave warrior. Glory to Gregory was brought by a bloody battle near the German village of Zorndorf, where the Russian army met with the troops of the Prussian king Frederick II. During the battle, the desperate cavalry guard showed brilliant courage, amazing composure and great endurance. Being wounded three times, he remained in the ranks, rushed into the thick of the battle and tirelessly smashed the enemy. The news of the feats of the hero spread through the ranks of soldiers, inspiring all Russian soldiers, and the Prussian army was defeated and put to flight. For the courage and courage shown in the battle, Grigory Orlov was elevated to the rank of captain, and the war ended for him. The fact is that during the Battle of Zorndorf, Friedrich's adjutant, Count von Schwerin, was captured. The responsible mission of delivering the prisoner to the court of Empress Elizabeth was entrusted to the young guard.
Meet the future empress
In the spring of 1759, Grigory arrived in the northern capital, where he was immediately met by his brothers, Alexei and Fyodor, who served as lieutenants of the Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky guards regiments, respectively. The trinity had a fun time, indulging in fun feasts, love adventures and card games. However, in 1760, Gregory was transferred from the guard to the artillery and appointed adjutant of a very influential nobleman - CountPyotr Ivanovich Shuvalov. Once in the center of court life, the handsome Orlov meets thirty-year-old Catherine, attractive and sophisticated in love affairs, but at the same time an unhappy woman suffering from loneliness and humiliation from her husband. Grigory Grigoryevich charmed the future empress with his youth, passion and adventurism. For a long time, lovers managed to hide their relationship from strangers.
Conspiracy against the emperor
The Orlovs, who were known as brave and decent people, enjoyed great prestige in the guards regiments, which represented a serious power and support of royal power. The brothers, in conversations with friends, began to create the image of a martyr for the Grand Duchess, gradually attracting an increasing number of nobles and military men to their side. The arrogant behavior of the heir to the throne himself, Peter, also did not contribute to his popularity. The first opportunity to make a coup for the conspirators, which included the current (G. Orlov) and future (G. Potemkin) favorites of Catherine 2, was presented on December 25, 1761, on the day of the death of Empress Elizabeth. However, the Grand Duchess herself was completely at a loss, panicked terribly, and the moment was lost. However, the reason for Catherine's confusion soon became known. She was in her fifth month of pregnancy, and all the courtiers were aware that it was Gregory who was the father of the child. The boy was born in April 1762, was named Alexei, received the title of count and became the founder of the noble Bobrinsky family.
Palace coup
The first "steps" of Emperor Peter III (the conclusion of peace with Prussia and the disbandment of the guard, which was the main support of the Russian troops) caused great discontent in society. The Orlov brothers, having united the indignant military, decided to carry out a coup on the night of June 27-28, the purpose of which was to overthrow the emperor. Alexei Orlov brought Ekaterina from Peterhof to the capital, where they were met by Grigory and his associates. The Guards regiments swore allegiance to the future autocrat, and from 9 o'clock in the morning the rite of her coronation began in the Kazan Cathedral. Peter III, while in Oranienbaum, was well aware of the hopelessness of his position and dutifully signed his abdication. The Empress was well aware of the enormous role of the brothers in her enthronement and later repeated more than once that she owed a lot to the Orlovs.
Grigory Orlov - favorite of Catherine the Great
After the coronation, Catherine, showering all her assistants with titles, titles and awards, moved to the Winter Palace. Orlov, despite the estates donated by the empress, preferred to live next to his beloved. It was a truly wonderful time for him. Raised to the dignity of a count, received the rank of major general, Grigory Grigorievich began to wield tremendous power, he was always well received by the empress, and she discussed all state affairs with him. Catherine II passionately loved her favorite and even seriously intended to marry Orlov. With great difficulty, but nevertheless, Count Nikita Panin managed to dissuade the autocrat from such a step. Historians know his words: “Mother, we all obeycommand of the Empress, but who will obey Countess Orlova? Gregory, according to eyewitnesses, also loved Catherine very much and gave her expensive gifts, the most famous of which is a huge diamond.
Life at court
Grigory Grigorievich always supported the empress's undertakings and, to the best of his ability, tried to help her in governing the state. He did not have a thirst for power, which was experienced by many favorites of Catherine the Great, and contemporaries spoke of him as a generous, trusting and good-natured person. Count Orlov was interested in science and philosophy, poetry and art. He provided support and patronage to the great Lomonosov, and after his death he was able to buy out all the works of the scientist and save them for posterity. He was one of the initiators of the campaign against the Turks with the aim of gaining access to the Black Sea. Although the empress did not let her lover go to war, he quickly found a use. Grigory Orlov, a favorite of Catherine the Great, was sent to Moscow to fight the plague. He managed to show his organizational skills there and cleanse the city of a terrible infection in a month. Catherine met her lover as a hero, ordered the Arc de Triomphe to be erected in his honor and a medal with a portrait of the count cast.
Bright star setting
On April 18, 1772, Gregory was sent to Romania to negotiate with the Turks. During this trip, Orlov learned that Catherine II had a new favorite. It turned out to be Aleksey Semenovich Vasilchikov (1746-1813) - cornet of the Life Guards Horse Regiment, who belonged to the famousnoble family. On August 28, Gregory interrupted the conference and rushed to Petersburg, wanting to meet with the Empress. Catherine at that time had already received a report from Count Panin with the news that Orlov had failed negotiations, and decided to finally break with him. The empress refused her former lover an audience and sent him on a yearly "vacation", endowing him with a rich annual allowance, as well as thousands of serfs. In 1777, the count married his cousin, who soon fell ill with tuberculosis and died. Grigory Grigoryevich could not stand her death, became mentally damaged and died on April 24, 1783.
Life does not stand still
Aleksey Vasilchikov did not have such outstanding data as the previous favorites of Catherine the Great. Although he was 17 years younger than the empress, he was distinguished by a lack of education and quickly got bored with the empress. Of his virtues, only disinterestedness and the fact that he did not use his position at all can be distinguished. He was replaced in 1774 by Grigory Aleksandrovich Potemkin, who became one of the most famous people of his time, from whom Catherine gave birth to a daughter, Elizaveta Grigoryevna. The offspring of a poor noble family, Potemkin became a great statesman, friend and de facto co-ruler of the Empress. At the “post” of the favorite, Grigory Alexandrovich was replaced by Pyotr Vasilyevich Zavadovsky, who also became a prominent dignitary. During the reign of Alexander I, the grandson of Catherine, he received the post of Minister of Education.
A few words in conclusion
Favorites of Catherine II, who were mostly adjutants of His Serene Highness Prince Potemkin, began to replace one another. Some of them, like the future hero of the Patriotic War, Alexei Petrovich Yermolov, gained fame and popular love. The majority, as Sorotokina N. M. writes in her book “Favorites of Catherine the Great”, were engaged in outright money-grubbing, corruption, and devastated the state treasury. And the phenomenon of favoritism has become a dark stain on the entire history of the Russian state.
The most famous favorites of Catherine the Great
You can see photos of some of them in our article. Although this is not all favorites of the Empress. Favorites of Catherine 2, who received the greatest fame: Alexei Petrovich Yermolov (future hero of the war against Napoleon), Grigory Alexandrovich Potemkin (the great statesman of that era) and Platon Zubov, the last favorite of the Empress.
