Plato is the favorite of Catherine II. Platon Zubov: the last favorite of Catherine II

Coming from a small landowner family, Platon Zubov built an unprecedented career, although many considered him a short-sighted and mediocre person. Contrary to these opinions, for about 10 years he was one of the most influential people in the country.

From the third son of a small landowner to future favorites.

Plato was born into the family of Alexander Nikolaevich and Elizaveta Vasilievna Zubov on November 15, 1767. The boy was already the third son of a minor nobleman who managed the estates of Count N.I. Saltykov himself.

An inquisitive young man from the age of eight was assigned to the Semenovsky regiment as a sergeant, there were not enough stars from the sky, but he was diligent and sympathized with his father’s powerful patron. With his patronage, he was transferred to cornets, and at the age of twenty he became a lieutenant. From January 1, 1789, for some time he served as a captain in the army operating in Finland. He didn’t stand out among everyone in terms of size, but he was well built and physically strong enough, had a pleasant appearance and was distinguished by his upbringing and courtesy.

Rapid rise and rivalry with Potemkin.

The selfish Zubov, again with the help of Saltykov, was appointed to a detachment accompanying the empress to Tsarskoe Selo to perform guard duties. At that time, the former favorite of the Tsarina Dmitriev, Mamonov, was dismissed. And the appearance of a young, handsome and courteous captain turned out to be a timely outlet for Catherine II, and for Saltykov and other opponents of Potemkin - a reason to reduce his influence.

Although Plato was not taken seriously by many, at first he curried favor with everyone, but he very well portrayed his love for the mistress, which was believed by both all the court ladies and the empress herself. From that time on, titles, orders, gifts, positions and fame rained down on the young man as if from a proverbial cornucopia, and “Blackie”, “darling” and “naughty” pretty soon tried on the general’s epaulettes.

Potemkin even liked this young man at first, or at least he didn’t bother him. However, the Most Serene Prince himself gave enough reasons to doubt his personal loyalty to the first lady of the state; he loved to organize many buffets, as a rule, in his honor and retired to his chambers, surrounded by several young beauties. At the instigation of Saltykov and with the help of secret reporters from the location of the prince, such information increasingly began to reach Zubov, and from him, with the right sauce, was served to the Empress.

Although the prince still had strength and tried to put pressure on Plato remotely, his “bed” exploits gradually exceeded Potemkin’s military merits and the prince in 1791 was politely sent to the Moldavian lands, where he met his death, no longer particularly resisting.

Years of excessive power.

After the death of the last standing rival, the recent Platosha becomes the general governor of Novorossiysk, in addition, a prince, a count, and in 1794 he even had the opportunity to give orders. The courtiers and courtiers feared him more than their predecessor. Potemkin may not have been great in many ways, but he certainly was not an inexperienced youth. Zubov was still exalted in the palace, and he himself continued to enjoy the benefits of a noble position. He entrusted affairs to secretaries, most decisions were carried out as before. But many could not get through to the favorite, standing in line for several years, but some received favor because the count’s monkey liked him. Often carrying out the empress's instructions, Plato did not even notice that he was finishing Potemkin's initiatives. And in principle, this did not interfere with his life; many contemporaries noted that the ranks were simply beyond his intelligence and abilities, but such things were not said out loud.

After the death of the patroness

Having come to power after Catherine’s death, he had a wonderful dinner with Plato, arousing in the latter delight and hope for the continuation of the sweet life. However, very soon he was deprived of all estates, privileges and titles, and he himself went on a trip to Europe. There he tried to marry a rich bride, and was even going to kidnap her, but was summoned back to his homeland. Soon everything that had previously been taken away was returned to Zubov.

He became one of the participants in the conspiracy against the lover of everything Prussian Paul. The adventurer took part in the overthrow of the emperor. And even if the next ruler treated him differently than the previous one upon his arrival, the former favorite was forced to leave for Germany again.

In the following decades, the prince traveled around Europe, and spent his last years in Lithuania, where he married nineteen-year-old Tekla Valentinovich. The legitimate daughter Alexandra Platonovna never saw her father, who died on April 7, 1822, a couple of months before her birth at the age of 54. The daughter survived her father by 2 years and was buried near him. The widow inherited a significant fortune from the deceased and later remarried. Her husband was Count Shuvalov.

Even as an adult, Plato loved games and fun, climbed the towers to fly kites, and once on the road from St. Petersburg a whole procession of carriages and carriages was stopped for several hours while the queen’s admirer hunted and waited for a hare.

And also, already under the empress, he managed to court other ladies, believing that he had the right to use his position to the fullest. So, in his best times, he managed to court Elizabeth, the wife of the future emperor, the grandson of his patroness.

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Platon Aleksandrovich Zubov

Platon Zubov came from an impoverished Russian count family. His father Alexander Nikolaevich was married to Elizaveta Alekseevna Voronova, from this marriage seven children were born, sons Nikolai, Dmitry, Platon and Valerian and three daughters - Olga, Ekaterina and Anna. Zubov's father did not play a prominent role at court before the rise of his sons. Somewhere in the provinces he worked as a vice-governor, while managing the estates of Prince N.I. Saltykova. After Plato fell into “accident”, and after him the youngest Valerian took a liking to the empress, A.N. Zubov received the post of chief prosecutor in the first department of the Senate. The encyclopedia reports with some disgust that in this post he became famous for bribery that exceeded all norms. His son covered for him in everything, the empress always turned a blind eye to such things: they say, live yourself and let someone else. Although bribes are a common thing in Rus', I’ll tell you frankly, both at first glance and at second glance, the Zubovs are an extremely unpleasant family.

According to the custom of the time, at the age of eight, Plato was enrolled as a sergeant in the Semenovsky regiment. In 1788 he was in the army in Finland, in 1789 he was already promoted to second major in St. Petersburg. Prince Saltykov gave Platon Zubov a warm place. Field Marshal General N.I. Saltykov, a participant in the Seven Years' War and president of the Military Collegium, also supervised the education of the Grand Dukes Alexander and Constantine, and therefore enjoyed great influence at court. Later, Saltykov more than once regretted his patronage. When Zubov spread his wings, which were by no means angelic, he tried to oust his benefactor from service in order to receive the rank of field marshal general - this is in his early twenties! But could this have been predicted? The young man is handsome in appearance, not stupid, very polite and courteous. The main thing then seemed to both Saltykov and his entourage to push the hated Potemkin off the throne, and in such a “holy” matter all means are good.

Dmitriev-Mamonov was still tossing between love and duty, and crying, and on his knees begging for forgiveness, and “a dear child who sincerely wants to do good” (from Catherine’s letter to Potemkin) was already having conversations with the empress in her chambers. Everything went according to the stencil. Zubov, on the recommendation of Saltykov, was appointed commander of the Horse Guards detachment, which served in Tsarskoe Selo, where the Empress moved for the summer. Somewhere in June 1789, Catherine “set her gaze on the young man.” The courtyard held its breath. Garnovsky writes: “Since yesterday, the Empress has become more cheerful. Zubov...was treated very kindly. And although this is not a prominent person at all, they think that he will be taken to the court, but no one directly knows whether anything will happen from the city of Zubov.” On June 24, the young man received 10,000 rubles (or 100,000, according to other sources) to acquire and a ring with a portrait of the empress (who ever made these rings in such quantities?), On July 4, Catherine signed a decree on Plato’s promotion to colonel and appointed him adjutant of the wing . The yard breathed a sigh of relief - the pegs were placed, the buoys were anchored, and we could move on with our lives.

Contemporaries describe Platon Zubov's articles differently. All the former favorites were handsome men of enormous stature, but they say about Zubov that he was big-nosed, dark-faced and petty. Others claim that the new favorite had a proud posture and an eagle's gaze. Masson writes: “Of all the darlings of happiness during the reign of Catherine II, not one, except Zubov, was frail both externally and internally.” Masson was one of N.I.’s adjutants. Saltykov, the Frenchman had his own personal attitude towards the “temporary worker” - he didn’t like him very much. And here is Count Sternberg’s review of Zubov: “He is of average height, very thin, has a rather large nose, black hair and the same eyes. His appearance does not represent anything majestic; most likely, there is some kind of nervous mobility in him.” In portraits by Lampi, Platon Zubov is an absolute handsome man.

Catherine did not immediately decide to inform Potemkin about her new chosen one, perhaps because he was too young, no longer a son in age, but a grandson, or she was offended to talk about Dmitriev-Mamonov’s betrayal. She wrote to the prince only in September, “petitioning” the appointment of the young man as a cornet of the Cavalry Corps, over which Potemkin patronized. Valerian Zubov's younger brother was also introduced to the empress. The boy is quite handsome, he knows how to behave, he is quick in conversation, in a word, she really liked him.

Catherine was getting old, her favorites were getting younger. Platon Zubov was 22 years old - 36 years difference. Valerian Platonov was 18, but he was not inferior to his older brother in aspirations and desires; they were ambitious young men. Catherine’s letter to Grimm: “There is not the slightest doubt that the two Zubovs show the most promise; but think about it, the eldest is only 24 years old, and the youngest is not yet twenty. True, they are smart, understanding people, and the eldest has extensive and varied information. His mind is distinguished by consistency and he is truly a gifted person.” In another letter to Grimm, she writes about Plato: “It depends on me that a factotum emerges from him.” The future “factotum,” meanwhile, was seriously afraid that his younger brother might lay claim to his place. Valerian wanted to join the army, and his older brother hastily arranged his departure to Potemkin. Catherine herself wrote a letter of recommendation to the young man.

Zubov was herded, the ladies unanimously told Catherine that the young man was madly in love with her - it was so noticeable, oh, dear young man! Saltykov taught his protégé: never contradict the Empress in anything, your desires must completely coincide with the desires of Her Majesty, flatter all her whims, admire her intelligence and... humble yourself before Potemkin until you yourself firmly stand on your feet. Catherine wrote to Potemkin: “Your cornet continuously continues his commendable behavior, and I must give him true justice, that with his sincere affection for me and other pleasant qualities, he is worthy of all praise.”

Valerian, meanwhile, fought successfully, Potemkin was pleased with him, and after the capture of Bender, he sent him to St. Petersburg to announce victory. Catherine immediately gave the young man the rank of colonel, appointed him aide-de-camp, gave him 10,000 rubles along with a ring - everything as usual. Valerian spent the winter cheerfully in the capital, and then went south to join the army.

Ekaterina immediately decided to adapt Zubov to work. Alcove affairs are her personal business, and the head of the Gypsy Child belongs to the state. It cannot be said that Zubov did not try in the clerical field, but he did not have the skill, it was boring, and how could he keep all these papers in his memory?

From Khrapovitsky’s diary dated December 30, 1792: “In the morning Zubov reported on the guards’ papers, and there was some noise.” Count Zavadovsky also left his review for posterity: “He tortures himself with all his might over papers, having neither a fluent mind nor extensive abilities” - and concludes with the words: “The burden is higher than his real strength.” Khrapovitsky called Platon Zubov “a fool.” Plato’s relationship with Bezborodko also did not work out.

But for now he was still trying to please everyone. The death of Potemkin changed everything. Here Platon Zubov felt like a sovereign master. Awards and ranks rained down on him as if from a cornucopia. On October 12, 1791, St. Petersburg learned of the death of Prince Tauride. Already on October 21, Zubov was appointed chief of the Cavalry Corps (this place previously belonged to Potemkin). On March 12, 1792, Zubov became lieutenant general and was promoted to adjutant general. On July 23, 1793, it is unknown for what merits he was awarded the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called. On July 25, he became the Ekaterinoslav and Tauride governor-general, and on October 19 - general-feldtzeichmeister. It seems that the elderly empress has gone crazy. She, like a home-grown Pygmalion, decided to create a new Potemkin out of Gypsy Little within two years. He himself tried to imitate the late prince, but for this Platon Zubov had neither the abilities, nor the courage, nor the energy, nor the intelligence, nor the kindness, nor the broadness... but what can I say. But the last favorite had an abundance of impudence, swagger, arrogance and lust for power. Suvorov called him “evil”, as is known, this is what people call the devil.

Masson writes about him: “As the empress lost her strength, activity, genius, he acquired wealth, power, strength. In the last years of her life, he was omnipotent... Everything crawled at Zubov’s feet, he stood alone and therefore considered himself great. Every morning numerous crowds of flatterers besieged his doors. Lounging in an armchair, in the most obscene negligee, with his little finger stuck in his nose, with his eyes aimlessly directed at the ceiling, this young man with a cold and pouting face barely deigned to pay attention to those around him ... "

He behaved impudently, and the empress condoned him in this. A contemporary told how once at a dinner in the Winter Palace, which was attended by Pavel and his family, there was a lively conversation at the table, arguing, laughing, the Tsarevich kept quiet and listened more. Catherine decided to involve her son in the conversation and asked: “Whose opinion do you agree with?” Perhaps out of politeness, or perhaps mockingly, Pavel replied: “With the opinion of Platon Alexandrovich.” Zubov immediately jumped up and said, clearly expecting approval: “Did I say something stupid?”

As for Catherine’s love relationships with Platon Zubov and his brother Valerian, here we can refer to Masson’s testimony in his “Secret Notes on Russia.” Masson writes about a certain intimate society that has gathered around the empress. It included “reliable ladies” such as Chief Chamberlain Branitskaya, Olga Zherebtsova (nee Zubova), Protasova and “three young libertines” - Plato, Valerian and Pyotr Saltykov. “There Cybele of the North performed her secret mysteries.” Those who want to know the details, read Masson. I don't want to retell them. Masson's texts convey the "free spirit" of the French Revolution, which was very keen on exposing monarchs of all stripes. Read what they wrote about the executed Marie Antoinette. According to the prosecutor of the Revolutionary Tribunal, she cohabited with her own eight-year-old son. Nonsense and vileness! And I mentioned Masson’s fabrications only so that the reader would not reproach that the author had not familiarized himself with all the important documents of the era.

In 1795, new awards rained down on Zubov: he received the Order of St. Vladimir, 1st degree, and was appointed chief of the Cadet Corps. In 1796, Count Platon Zubov became a prince of the Holy Roman Empire, and was also appointed head of the Black Sea Fleet and the Admiralty. Everyone was in awe of him, but not Suvorov. As Novorossiysk Governor-General, Zubov gave written orders to the field marshal, sometimes the tone of these letters was too bossy and at the same time stupid. “To me, is your rescriptive, indicative, imperative calm, used in certifications? - Suvorov answered him. “It’s not good, sir!” They said that once Zubov received Suvorov in his home coat, too casually. In retaliation, the field marshal, awaiting the visit of the “temporary worker” on his territory, immediately stripped down to his underwear, in which he carried on the conversation. Suvorov was not afraid of anyone, but everything was forgiven for his genius.

A few words about Valerian Zubov. With the rank of major general, he, together with Suvorov, participated in the pacification of Poland, was wounded, and lost a leg. In 1796, he was appointed commander-in-chief of the troops, carrying out the chimerical, exotic project of his brother Plato - to conquer all of Asia to Tibet. Me too, Alexanders of Macedon! The war was difficult and senseless, but Derbent was taken. With the death of Catherine, Tibet was forgotten.

For seven years Platon Zubov was Catherine’s favorite. After Potemkin's death he was called "the de facto ruler of Russia." This is, of course, a gross exaggeration. He is too small for this role, but he had a huge influence on the empress. But this was the dark period of her reign. In the last decade, Catherine’s worldview and character have changed. It is rightly believed that the reaction in Russia was provoked by the French Revolution, but the tough, arrogant and selfish character of Zubov, who was nearby, must certainly be taken into account.

It was Zubov who pointed out to the empress that the tragedy of Prince Vadim of Novgorod was dangerous and undermined the foundations of the state. This tragedy was published by Dashkova in the last volume of the Russian Theater published by the Academy. Catherine demanded that the book be withdrawn from sale. Dashkova tried to defend the late author - to no avail. She was offended and resigned. Catherine came to her senses, began to persuade Dashkova to remain as president of the academy, and perhaps the matter would have ended quite amicably if Zubov had not intervened again. He hated Dashkova and did everything to make her leave St. Petersburg. Dashkova’s brother, Alexander Romanovich Vorontsov, also resigned. The disgraced Radishchev, whom Catherine wanted to execute, but changed her mind, served in the department of A.R. Vorontsova. Radishchev went to Siberia, and Vorontsov, fearing Zubov’s intrigues, left the Commerce Collegium, which he headed. In 1792, the writer, journalist, educator N.I. was arrested and then sent without trial for fifteen years to the Shlisselburg Fortress. Novikov.

Through the fault of Platon Zubov, one story happened, which, according to many historians, undermined the health of the empress and indirectly caused her death. The story will be about the unsuccessful matchmaking of Grand Duchess Alexandra Pavlovna, the eldest daughter of the Tsarevich and the eighteen-year-old Swedish prince Gustav Albert.

There is an opinion that the idea to make Alexandra Pavlovna the queen of Sweden was suggested to the empress by Platon Zubov. Catherine liked this project, but she did not believe that King Gustav III would agree to the marriage of his son to the Russian princess. In 1792, King Gustav was assassinated at a masquerade ball as a result of a noble conspiracy. The heir, Gustav Adolf, was 14 years old. His uncle was appointed regent for the boy prince, and he actually ruled the country until Gustav Adolf came of age. The regent was informed about the intentions of the Russian house and found out that he was categorically against this marriage.

Time passed, the prince grew up. As a result of intrigue, bribery, extensive secret correspondence and difficult conversations, it was possible to achieve his visit to Russia. The uncle-regent had already agreed to the marriage, all that remained was to introduce the bride and groom, find out the prince’s opinion and resolve the matter amicably. On August 14, 1796, Prince Gustav Adolf with the regent and a large retinue arrived in St. Petersburg. The Swedes were greeted very solemnly and festively: receptions, balls, feasts and fireworks. The bride and groom met and liked each other.

Everything was going to a happy ending; it was only necessary to draw up a competent marriage contract. This was not a simple matter, because, according to Catherine’s plan and according to the tradition of the Russian court, the future queen of Sweden had to preserve her religion, that is, remain Orthodox. But this rule did not correspond to the tradition of the Swedish court. They discussed the agreement in draft and seemed to come to an agreement: Princess Alexandra Pavlovna would not make an official renunciation and would secretly remain in her Orthodox faith.

Catherine decided that an oral agreement was enough to set the engagement day - September 10. The prince is clearly in love, and this is the main thing. She instructed her two ministers, Platon Zubov and Morkov, to draw up a marriage contract. Zubov was smart enough to inquire about the details.

The Empress waved it off - write the contract at your own discretion.

On September 10, at seven o'clock in the evening, the entire imperial family and the full staff of courtiers gathered in the throne room of the palace. Grand Duchess Alexandra in her wedding dress was, as they say, lovely, with her sisters and brothers nearby. Tsarevich Pavel and the Grand Duchess's mother arrived from Gatchina. The Empress, dressed in ceremonial dress, sat on the throne, next to her were dignitaries wearing orders and ribbons.

The groom was late. The audience was at first surprised, then indignant and finally began to get nervous. Suddenly, instead of the young prince, Platon Zubov appeared and began to whisper something in Catherine’s ear. The Empress was worried. Zubov disappeared, and the courtiers were frankly frightened. Everyone was told to wait.

It turns out that the “beloved ministers” drew up a marriage contract that did not suit the groom. Zubov, feeling himself the “author of the project,” included clauses in the contract according to which the future queen would not only profess her religion, but have her own chapel and clergy in the royal palace, that is, a whole staff of priests and deacons - it is clear that the entire clergy will serve interests of Russia. In addition, some secret obligations against France were written into the marriage contract. That is, Zubov and Morkov clearly overdid it, wanting to kill three birds with one stone.

The prince only asked Morkov: “Is this done with the consent of the empress?” Morkov answered in the affirmative. Then Gustav Adolf said that this contract was contrary to the laws of his country, that “we did not agree so” and he would not sign anything. They tried to persuade him all evening, but he remained adamant. The prince was expected in the throne room until ten in the evening, but he never appeared.

The scandal was terrible. Catherine had never experienced such humiliation. And from whom? From a boy, the monarch of a state that she had long considered completely defeated and to whom she was going to dictate her will. The official version of the prince’s failure to appear in the throne room is his sudden illness, but you can’t deceive people, the whole court slandered Zubov’s tyranny, it was he who was accused of disgrace. I felt very sorry for the young bride. Catherine did not utter a word of reproach to Zubov, but she fell ill. Something like a light blow happened to her, a harbinger of the one that brought her to the grave.

This is how Rostopchin describes the behavior of Platon Zubov after the death of his benefactor: “The despair of this temporary worker cannot be compared with anything, I don’t know what feelings had a stronger effect on his heart; but confidence in the fall and insignificance were depicted not only on his face, but also in all his movements. Passing through the Empress’s bedroom, he stopped several times in front of the body and came out sobbing.” It was all over, the court turned away from him at once.

It is surprising that this crafty man did not think about his future. Of course, Zubov knew that Catherine was not eternal, but apparently it never occurred to him that her hour of death was so close. And only when the empress lay unconscious after the blow on November 5, he realized to send a messenger to Gatchina to Paul, and this messenger was his brother Nikolai Zubov. Maybe that’s why, having taken the throne, the new emperor treated his former favorite graciously? The joy of receiving the long-awaited throne was so great that Paul forgave not only his mother, but also her lover. He brought order to the family, transferred his father’s ashes to the Peter and Paul Cathedral, laid them next to Catherine, and now wanted to be generous and fair. He gave Platon Zubov a luxurious house on Morskaya and even paid him a visit with Maria Fedorovna in honor of his former favorite’s birthday.

But Zubov was afraid of disfavor, and for good reason, and therefore asked to be dismissed from all positions. Having received leave from government service for two years, he went abroad in February 1797 “to improve his health.” He treated his poor health until the autumn of 1798, and then, by imperial command, returned to his fatherland. Cold weather awaited him at home, and Paul I’s attitude towards him radically changed. Zubov was not called up for service; he, like his brother Valerian, was ordered to go to their estates in the Vladimir region and live there quietly. The brothers were under secret surveillance. In May 1799, by decree of the Senate, it was ordered that “all estates of Feldzeichmeister Prince Zubov and retired General Zubov, except family ones, should be taken into the treasury.”

At the end of 1800, the Zubov brothers were allowed to return to St. Petersburg. The confiscated estates were returned to Platon and Valerian Alexandrovich, Platon was appointed head of the 1st Cadet Corps. It seems that Pavel played with Platon Zubov like a cat with a mouse. But the mercy was shown by Paul at the prompting. Military Governor of St. Petersburg P.A. Palen advised the emperor to return the Zubovs to the capital: they say they have already been punished enough. This was treacherous advice. A plan for a future coup had already matured in Count Palen’s head, in which the Zubov brothers had an important place. Time has shown that the brothers “did not disappoint.”

The conspirators justified themselves by saying that Paul I was insane. The emperor's behavior was indeed sometimes very eccentric. But what is there to argue about whether he is insane or not if his elimination “was required by the interests of the state”? Son Alexander knew about the conspiracy, but he was promised on oath that Pavel’s life would be spared, he would be interned in the fortress and a tolerable life would be arranged for a private person there. To do this, Paul had to do a little - abdicate the throne in favor of his son. But the head of the conspiracy, Palen, and many other conspirators knew that Paul, a knight on the throne, would not sign the abdication. They were going to kill.

On the night of March 11, 1801, they gathered in the park of the Mikhailovsky Castle and went “to work” in two groups: one led by Palen, the other led by Bennigsen and Platon Zubov. His brothers were also here. Everyone was drunk - it’s scary! When they approached Pavel’s chambers, Plato’s nerves gave way: “I can’t! Let's go back!" Bennigsen replied: “We have come too far to follow your advice, which will ruin us all.”

Adjutant of the Preobrazhensky Regiment Argamakov, Platon Zubov and Bennigsen were the first to enter the emperor’s bedroom. Pavel's bed was empty. “He was saved! - Platon Zubov shouted in hysterics. “We are dead!” The Emperor was found behind a screen. Bennigsen and Zubov immediately suggested that he abdicate the throne. Pavel refused and asked in horror: “Platon Alexandrovich, what are you doing?”

The conspirators themselves did not know who the murderer turned out to be; in any case, their stories differ greatly. They piled on en masse, Nikolai Zubov hit the emperor in the temple with a snuffbox, someone took off his officer’s scarf, and they strangled Pavel with it. His last words were: “What have I done to you?” Platon Zubov managed to leave the bedroom before the terrible scene.

There are documents or memoirs (I have not seen them myself) that indicate a connection between the conspirators and the English envoy to Russia, Lord Charles Whitward. England was greatly disturbed by Paul I, since Russia was going to conclude an agreement with France against England. If Pavel disappeared, there was hope that Russia would conclude an agreement with England against France, so the game was worth the candle. How could the lord communicate with the conspirators? Through Olga Zherebtsova, sister of Plato and the entire Zubov brood. Zherebtsova was Whitward's mistress. It is unknown how he helped the conspirators - with advice or money. All this is just guesswork, but Mark Aldanov (and I really believe him) confidently writes that Napoleon, citing information from his spies, claimed that the real killer of Paul was the English envoy. But it is one thing to desire murder, and quite another to carry it out. The Zubovs still can’t wash Pavel’s blood off their hands.

Oddly enough, with the accession of Alexander I, Platon Zubov played a prominent role at court. He was a member of the State Council. In November 1801, he joined the commission for the organization of the Novorossiysk region. The clever courtier even suddenly became an ardent liberal and advocated for a constitution, and absolutely what could not be expected from him - he brought up for discussion in the Senate the issue of prohibiting the sale of peasant families without land, this project of his was accepted and approved. In 1803, his philanthropy reached the point that in a letter to the sovereign he expressed his readiness to give freedom to his peasants, and there were many of them - about 30,000 souls.

He proposed, and then everything was somehow forgotten. And Alexander I did not need such sacrifices. Over time, all the good wishes of Platon Zubov disappeared into the sand. On the Yanishka estate in the Vilna province he had extensive Lithuanian possessions, and he showed himself to be a real serf owner. Zubov started stud farms and proper field farming, but at the same time mercilessly robbed his peasants. He was fabulously rich, but in his old age he suddenly turned into a “miserly knight.” Now he spent almost nothing on himself, he led a more than modest life, but the chests in his basements were filled with hard coin.

At the age of 54, he suddenly married a beautiful Polish woman, Tekla Valentinovich, a poor noblewoman. He, in fact, did not intend to get married, he only wanted love, so he offered the girl’s mother a large sum of money in exchange for the beauty’s caresses. But the mother indignantly rejected the old man’s advances, and then he decided to marry. The young people lived together for only a few months, and even those were not happy for Platon Alexandrovich. He died on April 7, 1822 and was buried in the Sergius Hermitage near St. Petersburg. After his death, according to contemporaries, in addition to other wealth, 20 million silver rubles remained in his basements. The young widow married Count Shuvalov, and all the untold wealth migrated there.

Platon Zubov did not leave any legitimate offspring, but he had side children from different mothers. In his old age, he showed himself to be a child-loving parent; he provided for his children by depositing a million rubles in banknotes in the name of each of them. For me this is a very significant act. There are no full-fledged scoundrels in the world; we are all servants of circumstances and bad or good heredity.

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After Paul I came to power, he lost all ranks. He spent his last years in the Vilna province.

On July 9, 1789, discussing the recent resignation of Empress Catherine II's favorite Dmitriev-Mamonov and the emergence of his successor Platon Zubov, Count Bezborodko wrote to Vorontsov: “This child has good manners, but not a far-reaching mind; I don't think he'll last long in his position. However, that doesn’t bother me.” And by the way, this should have occupied him. Three years later, returning from Iasi, where, after the death of Potemkin, Bezborodko was sent to conclude peace, the count was convinced that the “child” had not only retained his place, but had also taken his position...

There were four Zubov brothers. They belonged to a family of small landed nobles, distinguished by great claims. Father, Alexander Nikolaevich Zubov, was a provincial governor and got rich from it. He also managed the estate of Field Marshal N.I. Saltykov, who later played an important role in the rise of Platon Zubov. The elder brother, Nikolai, who rose to the rank of major general, was married to the only “Suvorochka”, the daughter of the famous commander Alexander Suvorov.

But, of course, Plato achieved the greatest fame among the Zubovs. At twenty-two he was a lieutenant in one of the guards regiments. Catherine drew attention to this handsome, fragile guy. Plato immediately began to play the role of an unhappy lover. He found support among the court ladies surrounding the empress. Anna Naryshkina, Protasova, Perekusikhina assured Catherine II that Zubov was crazy about her. The Empress, who even in old age was convinced that she had retained her former beauty and charm, willingly listened to their persistent voices, telling her about returning - at the age of sixty! - eternal spring.

Catherine II was attracted to Plato by his innocence, gentle manners, and ingenuousness. Zubov, the empress believed, would reward her with devotion and fidelity, and that he, loving and reliable, would be by her side during feverish days and long sleepless days, during indigestion and back pain. “I have returned to life,” she wrote to her former favorite Potemkin, “like a fly after hibernation... I am cheerful and healthy again... He has a desire to please everyone: when he finds an opportunity to write to you, he hastily takes advantage of it, and his amiable character makes me amiable too. He has all the demands and all the charm of his years: he cries when he is not allowed to enter the empress’s room.” “A young man of charming appearance,” noted an impartial witness, the Swede Steding, the author of famous memoirs, “brown-haired, slender, short in stature, looking like a handsome Frenchman, like the Chevalier de Puysegur...”

However, a sweet child or a slender young man very soon showed all-consuming ambition: he seized all affairs, all influence, all sources of royal favor. Nobody got anything except him and his family. The "boy's" wealth grew rapidly. He did not ask for royal favor, but, taking advantage of his position, robbed those rich people who were forced to turn to him with a request.”

In March 1790, Catherine learned that the Prussian emperor had entered into a secret agreement with the Turkish Sultan. She was also upset by the news of the losses that Russia suffered in the war. She did not want to see anyone and spent time alone with Zubov and reading Plutarch. Together they tried to translate this author. The unobtrusive presence of young Zubov was a balm for the soul of the empress, who had lost peace.

Platon Zubov chose the right tactics, playing a modest man. And Catherine literally forced her generosity on him, so that the favorite’s wealth grew rapidly. In 1791, for example, she was going to buy the estate being sold by Potemkin and give it to her favorite. But the Prince of Tauride, having learned about this from the Empress at dinner, immediately declared that the estate had already been sold. "To whom?" - The Empress raised her eyebrows in surprise. - “Here is the one who bought it.” - And Prince Potemkin calmly pointed to the unsuspecting poor adjutant standing behind his chair. The Empress remained silent, but the deal was completed, and the happy adjutant became, thanks to the prince’s whim, the owner of twelve thousand souls.

Best of the day

When Catherine II brought Zubov closer to her, Potemkin was in Iasi. Of course, the all-powerful prince of Taurida soon learned that the empress had a “sick tooth” (as Zubov was called at court). Potemkin was gloomy and embittered, and when he was informed that Catherine had elevated her favorite to princely dignity, he became furious and immediately decided to go to Russia. Alas, Potemkin soon died.

After the death of Potemkin, this truly dangerous rival who weakened the influence of the new favorite, nothing further hindered the rise of Zubov. From 1789 to 1796 he became a count and prince of the Holy Roman Empire, received the Order of the Black and Red Eagle, and in seven years reached the peak to which his predecessors had climbed in twenty years. In 1794, as Governor-General of Novorossiysk, he gave orders to Suvorov himself! On August 20, 1795, Count Rastopchin wrote to Semyon Vorontsov: “Count Zubov is all here. There is no other will but his will. His power is greater than that enjoyed by Prince Potemkin. He is as careless and incapable as before, although the Empress repeats to everyone that he is the greatest genius that has ever existed in Russia."

The Empress, blindly infatuated with him, called him clever and gave him assignments that were beyond his abilities. Everyone was convinced every day that he knew nothing, and that he didn’t want to know anything. According to one of his contemporaries, Zubov “poured over papers until he was blue in the face, possessing neither the agility of mind nor the intelligence, without which it would have been impossible to cope with such a heavy burden.” In matters that did not concern his interests, he repeated: “Do as before.” All affairs were handled by his three secretaries: Altesti, Gribovsky and Ribas. The acquisition of the Polish provinces, condescendingly attributed to Zubov by the empress, was in fact the implementation of her plan with Potemkin.

It was, of course, difficult for Catherine in love to notice the general discontent. Moreover, the court flatterers extolled to unprecedented heights the beneficent genius who cared about the annexation of beautiful and rich provinces to the empire. At one meeting, one speaker tried to prove the advantages of the new Plato over the ancient!

The morning of the favorite overshadowed all memories of dressing the Marquise de Pompadour. “Every day,” Langeron said, “from eight o’clock in the morning his front hall was filled with ministers, courtiers, generals, foreigners, petitioners, seekers of places or favors. Usually they waited in vain for four or five hours and left, only to return the next day. Finally, the desired day arrived: the doors opened wide, the crowd rushed through them and found the favorite, who was combed sitting in front of the mirror, leaning his leg on a chair or the edge of the table. The visitors, bowing at their powder-covered feet, stood in a row in front of him, not daring to move or speak. The favorite did not notice anyone. He printed out letters and listened to them, carefully pretending to be busy with business. Nobody dared to speak to him. If he addressed someone, that person, after five or six bows, approached his closet. Having answered, he returned to his place on tiptoe. Those with whom Zubov did not speak could not approach him, since he did not give frequent audiences. I can certify that there were people who came to him for three years and were not worthy of a single word...”

Some petitioners were driven out... by a monkey who used to walk over the heads of those present. “I had the honor of being acquainted with this monkey,” Langeron further wrote, “she was the size of a cat and unusually dexterous. She constantly flew over chandeliers, cornices, stoves and never broke or dislodged any furniture or decorations. She loved powder and lipstick and had a great passion for Greek toupee. When she noticed a headdress she liked, she would rush from the chandelier onto the head of its owner and settle down there. The happy man leaned over and respectfully waited until the small animal finished its meal or moved onto the head of the newly arrived owner of the toupee. I know people who have changed and elevated their hairstyle in the hope of attracting the attention of their favorite.”

What can I say, Derzhavin himself in 1794, on November 28, the name day of his favorite, wrote an ode in which he compared the latter with Ariston and Aristotle, which, he noted in a prosaic commentary, is one and the same.

Catherine died on November 6 (17), 1796. Hiding with his sister Zherebtsova, Zubov did not show up for ten days, citing illness and waiting for the new sovereign to decide his fate. On November 28, a court envoy unexpectedly appeared in the ex-favorite’s chambers and announced that Tsar Paul I was going to have tea with him tomorrow. The next day they met. Zubov fell at his feet, but Pavel raised him with the words of the Russian proverb: “Whoever remembers the old is out of sight.”

Zubov was delighted with this meeting. But Plato did not have to rejoice for long: on January 27 he was removed from all positions, his estates were confiscated, and Zubov himself was sent on a journey.

He spent some time in Germany, and in Teplitz he fell in love with the lovely emigrant, Countess de la Roche-Emon; then, having met two Courland princesses, the richest heiresses in Europe, he tried to seduce one of them. And he was close to success, but the girl’s angry father, deprived of his principality and insulted by his earlier favorite, indignantly refused him. Zubov hatched a plan to kidnap the princess, but Pavel’s order to urgently return to Russia did not allow his plan to be carried out.

Friends, especially Kutaisov, stood up for him. In addition, Palen, who was plotting the murder of the emperor, needed a person ready to take part in the adventure and crime. In 1800, Zubov returned to Russia and received back the confiscated estates. On March 12, 1801, Platon Zubov was among the murderers of Pavel Petrovich. However, he did not receive the expected reward for this: Alexander I treated him coldly. Zubov went to Germany again.

By the way, during Catherine’s lifetime, Plato courted the wife of the future Emperor Alexander, Elizaveta Alekseevna. It seemed to the favorite that everything was allowed to him and that he should extract maximum pleasure from his position. Did he manage to turn the head of the wife of his mistress’s grandson? It seems that Elizabeth, for a moment at least, turned her favorable gaze towards him. Alexander noticed this, but was not angry at all. “Zubov is in love with my wife,” he said laughing in her presence.

In June 1789, the imperial cortege moved sedately from St. Petersburg to Tsarskoe Selo. Next to the carriage, decorated with the royal monogram, a twenty-year-old handsome man pranced on a horse, striking the eye with his stature and grace. From the window twilight, he was continuously watched by the eyes of a woman who had already lost her youth, but retained the features of greatness and former beauty. On that day, the star of Catherine's new favorite was rising in the capital's sky, whose name - Platon Zubov - would become a symbol of the end of the reign of the greatest Russian empress.

A military career that began at a student's desk

The last favorite of Catherine II, Zubov Platon Alexandrovich, born on November 26, 1767, was the third son of the provincial vice-governor and manager of the estates of Count Saltykov - Alexander Nikolaevich Zubov, whom his contemporaries called “the most dishonest nobleman in the entire state.” Apparently there were reasons for this.

Having barely reached the age of eight, the future His Serene Highness Prince, and at that time simply Platosha, was enlisted as a sergeant in the Life Guards. While the boy was growing up and receiving home education, his military career was going uphill, and after the allotted time he received another rank. The boy had barely turned twelve when he was transferred as a sergeant to the Horse Guards, and five years later he was promoted to cornet.

For the first time in the active army, which was then in Finland, Plato found himself in 1788, where he soon received another promotion, becoming a second captain. Such a rapid advancement up the career ladder of the young man is explained by the patronage of Count Saltykov, for whom his father served as a manager, and who greatly distinguished Plato for his “modesty and respectfulness.”

The beginning of a fairy tale

But the true rise of his dizzying career began precisely on that summer day from which we began the story. Thanks to the patronage of the same Count Saltykov, Platon Zubov is appointed commander of the horse guards sent to Tsarskoe Selo - the residence of the Empress - to perform guard duty there. This move coincided with the “retirement” of Catherine’s next favorite, Count A.M. Dmitriev-Mamonov, and the heart of the aging, but still loving empress was free.

As you know, emptiness is generally contrary to nature, and to a woman’s heart in particular, and the lady of state, Anna Nikitichna Naryshkina, devoted to the Empress, hastened to fill it. It was through her mediation that the rapprochement between the Russian autocrat and the young horse guardsman she liked so much took place.

First, he received an invitation to dinner and enjoyed a pleasant conversation, and then was received in Catherine’s private chambers. Obviously, Plato turned out to be worthy of her attention, since literally three days later he was awarded a ring with diamonds and 10 thousand rubles in cash, and after another two weeks he was promoted to colonel and adjutant.

It is very possible that, given their age difference (Catherine was already over sixty at that time), she experienced very mixed feelings for her twenty-two-year-old favorite, in which the passion of a woman in love coexisted with maternal tenderness. But, one way or another, Platon Zubov and Catherine became inseparable. Soon he settled in the palace, where he was given the same chambers that had previously been occupied by his predecessor, Count Dmitriev-Mamonov. In the autumn of the same year, Zubov was appointed cornet of the Cavalry Corps and promoted to major general.

An old favorite and his young successor

It should be noted, however, that evil tongues claimed that this connection was nothing more than the result of a political intrigue started by the enemies of His Serene Highness Prince Potemkin, who was removed from Catherine’s alcove, but remained, nevertheless, her closest friend and most influential dignitary. All the former young favorites were his proteges and therefore did not pose a threat to the all-powerful prince. The courtiers, dissatisfied with his influence on the empress and wanting a speedy overthrow, needed a different candidate.

The empress wrote to Potemkin, who was in the Principality of Moldova at that time, about her new favorite as a “student” and “newcomer” who had recently appeared to her. The Most Serene Prince, who very strictly controlled her heartfelt affections, at first did not attach serious importance to the next novel. According to the information he had, the young man was a very superficial and narrow-minded scoundrel who posed no threat to him.

The “tooth” that interfered with Potemkin

By the way, Zubov himself tried to please Potemkin. Plato, in the presence of Catherine, personally wrote a letter to the prince, in which he expressed his respect and devotion. At first this had an effect, but soon the experienced nobleman, sensing danger, began to turn the empress against her new “student”, convincing her in letters that he was a “trashy” and “insignificant” person. But the unexpected happened - Catherine, who always strictly followed his advice, this time became stubborn and flatly refused to part with the “newcomer” dear to her heart.

There is a funny legend: in a letter to the Empress, answering a question about his health, Potemkin wrote that he was healthy in everything, but a tooth was bothering him, which he would certainly pull out upon his arrival in St. Petersburg. Needless to say, this pun was directed against young Zubov, from whom Potemkin intended to separate Catherine. Looking ahead, it should be said that his plans were hindered by death, which caught the all-powerful nobleman on the road from Moldova to St. Petersburg.

New Zubov at the Empress's court

Already in the autumn of the same 1789, another representative of the Zubov family appeared at court - Valerian, who was the new favorite’s brother. This eighteen-year-old young man, being introduced to the empress, immediately wins her warm sympathy and becomes another “student”. She writes about him to Potemkin as a child, unusually beautiful and devoted to her in everything. For him, Catherine asks His Serene Highness for a worthy place in the army, which he leads, and on her own behalf bestows upon the young man the rank of colonel. Apparently, the “student” showed considerable abilities.

Curious documents have been preserved that testify to the bounties that the empress showered at the expense of the treasury on one of her former favorites, Alexander Lansky. It follows from them that during the three years of his favor, he received 100 thousand rubles for his wardrobe and outfits, and the daily table, at which at least twenty people gathered, cost the treasury 300 thousand rubles.

The Empress personally gave him 7 million rubles, not counting numerous gifts, such as diamond buttons for a camisole, two houses in St. Petersburg and an innumerable number of serfs. It is safe to say that Zubov did not cost the treasury any less. Plato was her last passion, and, presumably, Catherine was especially generous towards him.

He sent his overly nimble brother out of sight, convincing the empress to send him to Moldova to Potemkin, where a warm place was ready for him. It was calmer this way - who could know how long there would be enough room for both of them in the heart of a woman satiated with life? Apparently, it was not for nothing that Platon Zubov reasoned this way. A photo from the portrait of his brother, where he is depicted wearing a hat with a luxurious plume, is presented in our article.

Beginning of government activities

In October 1791, the empress's faithful assistant in all state affairs, His Serene Highness Prince Potemkin, suddenly died. For Catherine, this was a terrible blow, because now she alone had the responsibility for making important decisions. We needed a reliable and smart person who was always nearby. In her opinion, Platon Zubov could become such an attorney. The favorite was suitable for this role like no other.

She began to involve her Platosha (as the Empress affectionately called him) in state affairs during Potemkin’s lifetime, but it cannot be said that he managed to succeed in this either. According to contemporaries, Platon Zubov, the favorite of Catherine II, for all his physical advantages, did not have a sharp mind or a tenacious memory. Science was clearly not good for him, but at the same time he knew how to impress others as an intelligent and educated person. This was helped by his excellent knowledge of French, which he spoke easily and naturally.

After the death of Potemkin, Platon Zubov, whose biography became the full embodiment of court favoritism, rose in his career to a completely new height. Now from a modest and respectful “student” he turned into an all-powerful courtier, who did not consider it shameful to shout at those nobles to whom he had been subservient just yesterday. From his pen in those years came the most unthinkable and absurd state projects, such as the capture of Istanbul by the Russian fleet, the conquest of Vienna and Berlin, and the creation of the new state of Austrasia.

Strange as it may seem, the hitherto wise and prudent ruler fell under the influence of the Zubov brothers - empty and unprincipled careerists. She signed decrees on the implementation of their delusional projects and generously financed them. For example, she sent Valerian with an army on a campaign whose goal was to conquer Persia and then India. It is believed that it was the brothers who persuaded the empress to brutally suppress the Polish rebellion, liquidate Poland as an independent state, persecute Radishchev, Novikov and persecute the Freemasons.

At the pinnacle of power

As Platon Zubov came into power, Catherine 2 showered ever greater bounties on his numerous relatives, who flocked to St. Petersburg for rank and wealth. The favorite's father, Alexander Nikolaevich, having become a senator, took bribes and traded in the protection of his son. The other Zubovs did not lag behind him.

By this time, Platon Zubov had already completely acquired a taste for power, especially since everyone around him contributed to this. The great commander A.V. Suvorov himself happily married his beloved daughter to him. Our other military genius, M.I. Kutuzov, according to the memoirs of his contemporaries, considered it an honor to personally make coffee for Zubov, and the poet Derzhavin dedicated laudatory odes to him. In general, everyone tried their best to please the darling of fate. The famous portrait of Platon Zubov by Ivan Eggink, stored in the Hermitage and presented at the beginning of our article, depicts him at that happy time.

The end of a fairy tale

The end of such a brilliant career came on November 17, 1796, when his patron, Empress Catherine II, suddenly died in the Winter Palace. Among those who mourned this death with genuine sincerity was, first of all, Platon Zubov - whose favorite from that day began to develop in a completely different direction.

Despite all the fears, Emperor Paul I, who ascended the throne, did not oppress his mother’s favorite, but simply sent him abroad under a plausible pretext. However, soon news reached him that he had begun to secretly transfer his multimillion-dollar fortune abroad, thereby causing significant damage to the Russian financial system. In those days, such things could not be gotten away with, and the angry emperor ordered the seizure of all his property.

Complicity in murder

Left abroad without funds sufficient to cover his exorbitant expenses, Zubov was forced to return to his homeland, where he immediately became one of the conspirators preparing the overthrow of Paul I. On the fateful night for the emperor, March 11, 1801, among those who entered the Mikhailovsky Palace , there was also Zubov. Plato, according to the recollections of Count Bennigsen, a participant in the events, was the first to burst into the emperor’s bedroom, followed by his brothers Valerian and Nicholas. Perhaps it was not his hand that dealt the mortal blow to the crowned man, but the blood of God’s anointed lies on him too.

Zubov had great hopes for the reign of Alexander I, since he personally took part in the elimination of his predecessor. He showed great zeal in business, drawing up projects for state reorganization (meaningless, as in previous years), and even became one of the authors of the law on the abolition of serfdom that remained unadopted. By nature, he was a typical opportunist, who denounced the revolution during the time of Catherine, and during the reign of her grandson Alexander, he stood up for the constitution.

But all his attempts turned out to be fruitless. As is known, under Alexander I, none of the former conspirators were awarded high government positions. Moreover, internally suffering from remorse, the emperor tried to get rid of those who reminded him of the tragic death of his father. Zubov was among them. Platon Alexandrovich, submitting to circumstances, left the capital and settled in Lithuania, where at the time of his brilliant career he received a luxurious estate as a gift from Catherine II.

The prototype of the "miserly knight"

In the last period of his life, Platon Zubov, the favorite of Catherine II and the owner of untold wealth, became famous as an incredible miser, whose equal was difficult to find. Keeping chests filled with gold in the basements of his castle (according to the most conservative estimates, his fortune was twenty million rubles), he shamelessly robbed his own peasants, which is why they were the poorest in the area. Painfully enduring even the most insignificant expenses, he did not hesitate to wear old and torn clothes, sparing money to buy new ones.

His only joy was going down to the basement and contemplating the wealth stored in dusty chests. It is known that Zubov became the prototype for A.S. Pushkin’s famous “The Miserly Knight.” Plato, who over the years increasingly lost his human appearance, only once, as if waking up from a dream, showed his former interest in life.

The last years of the life of the former favorite

The legend says that shortly before his death, he accidentally saw a young girl of incredible beauty at a fair - the daughter of a local landowner. By that time he was already a widower and wanted to marry a young beauty. Having received a categorical refusal from her, the old madman took out a chest from his basement, which contained a million rubles in gold, and simply bought the intractable girl from her father.

Platon Zubov ended his life in 1822 in Courland. After his death, the beautiful widow transported the remains to St. Petersburg, where they rested in the family tomb, located in one of the churches of the Trinity-Sergius Hermitage in Strelna. He found his last refuge next to the very road along which thirty-three years ago a brilliant motorcade was moving, and he, a handsome twenty-year-old man, pranced on a horse before the eyes of the aging empress...

(since 1796) Platon Aleksandrovich Zubov(November 15 - April 7, Ruenthal Castle, Courland) - the last favorite of Catherine II. In 1793-1796. the most influential person after her in the Russian Empire; Governor-General of Novorossiya. With a complete lack of ability for state and military affairs, he received the ranks of Feldzeichmeister General (1793) and Infantry General (1800). One of the organizers of the third partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the largest landowners of Lithuania. Participant in the conspiracy against Paul I.

Biography

The third son of the poor nobleman Alexander Nikolaevich Zubov, manager of the estates of Count N.I. Saltykov, and Elizaveta Vasilievna (1742-1813), the only daughter of the army ensign Vasily Voronov. His father, repeatedly convicted of bribes and extortion, had at the end of his life the reputation of “the most dishonest nobleman in the entire state.”

Platon Zubov was educated at home and at the age of 8 was enlisted as a sergeant in the Semyonovsky Life Guards Regiment. In 1779 he was transferred as a sergeant to the Horse Guards. Under the patronage of Count Saltykov, who liked the young man for his “modesty and respectfulness,” he was promoted (01/01/1784) to cornet, and after 3 years received the rank of lieutenant. In 1788 he was with the army operating in Finland, and on January 1, 1789 he was promoted to second captain.

He was of average height, “flexible, muscular and slender; he had a high forehead and beautiful eyes." Suvorov certified him as follows:

“A good man: quiet, pious, dispassionate by nature, as if from a non-commissioned officer of the guard; knows a hint, a riddle and decorates himself however he pleases; what is popularly called the evil one, although he has no king in his head.”

Meeting the Empress

In 1789, the dizzying career of the 22-year-old captain-second began. In the spring of this year, “foolish Zubov” (as Khrapovitsky calls him) begged his patron Saltykov to entrust him with command of a horse guard detachment intended to accompany the empress to Tsarskoye Selo for guard duty.

Soon, on June 18, there was a break between the empress and her then favorite A. M. Dmitriev-Mamonov. The next day, A.V. Khrapovitsky wrote in his diary that the empress’s valet “Zakhar suspects guard second captain P.A. Zubov” of imminent favoritism. Garnovsky was of the same opinion:

Zubov, a Horse Guards officer stationed here on guard duty, was treated very kindly. And although this is a completely invisible person, they think that he will be taken to court, as Zakhar says, based only on guesswork, but no one knows anything directly whether anything will come of Mr. Zubov.

Through the mediation of State Lady Anna Nikitichna Naryshkina (the wife of Chief A. A. Naryshkin), Zubov, “brought through the roof,” received a special reception from the Empress on June 21, 1789, “in the evening he was until 11 o’clock” in her chambers and from that time on I spent every evening there.

Obviously, Saltykov and other enemies of Prince Potemkin, who until that time had personally selected “locum tenens” favorites, saw in Zubov a convenient means of shaking Potemkin’s importance at court, since they were afraid to enter into an open fight with him. At first, Platosha Zubov, nicknamed by the empress “Chernyavym” ( Noiraud), curried favor with everyone, even with the valet Zakhar.

Three days later, on June 24, he received 10 thousand rubles and a ring with a portrait of the empress, and ten days later, on July 4, 1789, he was promoted to colonel, granted the adjutant wing of the empress, thanks to which he settled directly in the palace, in the wing adjutant quarters, which were previously occupied by Dmitriev-Mamonov. This was a new wing of the Catherine Palace, erected in 1779-1785 according to the design of Yu. M. Felten (1730-1801) and decorated in the style of classicism under the supervision of Charles Cameron and J. Quarenghi; now called Zubovsky.

“Fun” Zubov willingly entertained himself with children’s games - he flew paper kites from the towers of Tsarskoe Selo, spent whole hours playing with a monkey, etc. Once, amusing himself with hunting, Zubov with his retinue settled down on the road leading from St. Petersburg to Tsarskoe Selo. The nobles traveling to the court, couriers, mail, all carriages and peasant carts were stopped; For a whole hour no one dared to pass until the young man decided to leave the road: he was waiting for a hare on it.

Catherine's letters of that time constantly mention “dear children” - the Zubov brothers, their straightforwardness, honesty, nobility. These “dear children” rose through the ranks with extraordinary speed, and above all - Plato, about whom the Empress wrote: “But, for me, the pearl of the family is Plato, who truly has a wonderful character and does not betray himself in any way.” " In August, Catherine wrote to Commander-in-Chief Potemkin in the army:

“I am very pleased, my friend, that you are happy with me and little Chernyavy. This is a rather sweet child, having a sincere desire to do good and behave well; he is not stupid at all, has a kind heart and, I hope, will not be spoiled. Today, with one stroke of the pen, he composed a sweet letter to you, in which he outlined how nature created him.”

Rivalry with Potemkin

Zubov managed to convince Ekaterina of his “pleasant mind,” and most importantly, that he was seriously in love with her as a woman who, at 60 years old, had retained all the charms of her youth. According to the testimony of one of the court ladies, the pampered favorite, whose “lazy, languid appearance bears the imprint of the carelessness of his character,” still had quite an education, a good memory and an ability for music. He studied music with ardor and eventually learned to play the violin quite well.

The Empress began to shower her last favorite with favors: on October 3, 1789, Zubov was appointed cornet of the Cavalry Corps with promotion to major general, on February 3, 1790, he was awarded the Order of St. Anne, in July 1790 - the Prussian Orders of the Black and Red Eagles and the Polish Orders of the White Eagle Eagle and St. Stanislav, September 8, 1790 - Order of St. Alexander Nevsky, March 12, 1792 promoted to lieutenant general and appointed Adjutant General of Her Imperial Majesty.

Potemkin - according to many, the Empress's secret husband - at first did not see the "rezvush" as a threat to his position and even at the beginning of 1790 he was on the best terms with all the Zubovs. Meanwhile, the new favorite, acting according to the plan outlined by Saltykov, gradually undermined the foundations of Potemkin’s power at court. When at the beginning of 1790 Potemkin, having abandoned his affairs, indulged in pleasures, surrounded himself with a harem of beauties, Zubov, through his brother Valerian, who was with Potemkin, had the most reliable information about the lifestyle of his Serene Highness and, using them, did not miss an opportunity to undermine his rival in the opinion of the Empress .

In December 1790, Potemkin sent Valerian to the capital with news of the capture of Ishmael: “Report to the Empress that I am healthy in everything, only one tooth It bothers me to eat; I’ll come to St. Petersburg and tear it out.” Potemkin, apparently, realized how strong the empress’s affection for her new favorite was, and he became worried. However, even the feast, unheard of in splendor and luxury, organized by him in the Tauride Palace, could not shake the affection of the aging empress for the young man, who sought to forestall her desires and please her in everything. Potemkin's star faded as the importance of the new favorite increased. In the summer of 1791, an open rupture occurred. According to the Highest command, Potemkin was supposed to leave St. Petersburg for Moldova on July 24, where he soon died.

Zubov’s “bed courage” affected the situation of his entire family, especially his brothers. Letter of the German-Roman Emperor Franz II dated January 27 (February 7) Senator, Privy Councilor Alexander Nikolaevich Zubov and his sons, Adjutant General, Lieutenant General Platon, Major General Nikolai, Chamber-Junker Dmitry and Major General Valerian Alexandrovich , were elevated, with their descendants, to the dignity of counts of the Roman Empire. The adoption of the said title and its use in Russia in the same year was followed by the Highest Assent.

Years of omnipotence

Now Zubov began to intensively prepare himself to replace His Serene Highness in the field of public affairs. The cult of the bed favorite was hypocritically presented by the empress as an example of how she, in the spirit of the Enlightenment, “educates” worthy young people and promotes the new generation to the helm of the state. Count Zavadovsky wrote about him:

“he torments himself with all his might over papers, having neither a fluent mind nor extensive abilities, which alone could move a wide burden... He is quite diligent and understandable, but without experience, mediocre talents are deprived of success, which brings slowness in reasoning matters, which, however, Well, he doesn’t listen at all. He is very diligent in business and, besides, is alien to all sorts of fun, but he is still new, and therefore the burden is higher than his real strength.”

Apparently, the Empress considered Zubov the only person capable of replacing His Serene Highness Prince Tauride, and this replacement had a disastrous effect on state affairs. Beginning in 1793, many of the positions previously held by Potemkin were transferred to him, and his influence on the affairs of the empire was steadily increasing. In particular, on July 19, 1796, His Serene Highness Prince Zubov was appointed commander of the Black Sea Fleet. On July 23, 1793 he was awarded a portrait of the Empress and the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called, on July 25, 1793 he was appointed Governor-General of Ekaterinoslav and Taurida, on October 19, 1793 - general-feldtzeichmeister and director-general of fortifications, on October 21, 1793 - chief Kaval Ergard Corps, On January 1, 1795, he was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir, 1st degree. In 1795, he was awarded a portrait of the Empress with large solitaires and appointed Governor-General of the Voznesensky Viceroyalty. As the courtier Masson wrote, Zubov had so many awards that he looked like “a seller of ribbons and hardware.”

By 1794, all management of Russia's foreign policy and relations with foreign courts passed into the hands of Zubov. Thus, the highest direction of all state policy was made dependent on a young man of 24 years old with great claims, but “not a big mind.” Having become a “universal minister” instead of Potemkin, Zubov could not understand a single political combination, but hovered in the realm of utopias, and only the exceptional mercy of the empress could give this nonsense the lofty name of “projects.” Either he proposed to conquer Constantinople with a fleet under the command of the almost seventy-year-old empress herself, or he built Manilov’s plans to include Berlin and Vienna within the Russian borders by creating new Austrasia and Neustria in Europe, which he read about in a medieval history textbook. Count Bezborodko, who previously actually headed the diplomatic department, wrote: “I am a goldsmith; I clean what’s dirtying the teeth.” In the end, he was forced to retire from business because of Zubov.

Within the state, Zubov’s policy consisted of pursuing the slightest hint of freethinking: perusal, espionage, denunciations - the most reliable means, in his opinion, for protecting the internal peace and prosperity of Russia. He sought to support French emigrants everywhere, especially members of the royal family, and frivolously convinced the Comte d'Artois, burdened with multimillion-dollar debts, to come to England, where a debtor's prison would inevitably await him. It happened that Zubov sent important secret papers by mail, later amazed at why they became known to everyone. It took career diplomats considerable efforts to make amends for the consequences of such mistakes. “This is how this young favorite, before whom everything in Russia was submissive, imagined ruling all of Europe,” the Russian ambassador to England wrote bitterly.

Zubov’s lust for power and arrogance increased as “everything crawled at his feet”: the Empress’s grandchildren fawned on him, the famous hero Transdanubian praised him in letters, Derzhavin in poetry, the future Prince of Smolensky prepared his morning coffee, and the largest artilleryman Melissino respectfully kissed the hand. Zubov’s favorite monkey often climbed onto the head of one of the courtiers and stained the unfortunate man’s hair with sewage - they did not dare to complain about her.

At this time, Zubov’s arrogance knew no bounds. Rostopchin likens him to “a boy who dares to pose as Nero, to whom the trembling Senate burns incense.” Only Suvorov openly said that the orders of the arrogant favorite made him laugh: “To me - your rescriptive, decree, imperative calm, used in certifications?.. not good, sir!” He married his daughter to his favorite brother. Relying on this relationship, on December 15, 1795, Zubov received the old field marshal in the Winter Palace at home, in a frock coat. Then Suvorov received the favorite in only his underwear when he came for a return visit. As Prince Chertorizhsky, the all-powerful temporary worker, writes

there was also a rather young man, slender, pleasant-looking, dark-haired, on his forehead the tuft was combed up, curled and a little disheveled; he had a clear, pleasant voice. Every day, around eleven o'clock in the morning, there was exit in the literal sense of the word. A huge crowd of petitioners and courtiers of all ranks gathered to attend the count's toilet. The street was crowded, just like in front of the theater, with carriages drawn by four or six horses. Sometimes, after a long wait, they came to announce that the count would not come out, and everyone left, saying: till tomorrow. When the exit began, both halves of the doors opened, everyone rushed towards them: generals, cavaliers in ribbons, Circassians, even long-bearded merchants.

All affairs were handled by his three secretaries: Altesti, Gribovsky and Ribas. Count Zubov himself, on August 18, 1795, received huge estates in the newly annexed Polish regions - the Shavelsky economy of 13,669 souls of serfs with an income of 100 thousand rubles. And soon, after the annexation of the Duchy of Courland, Zubov was granted the Ducal Palace of Ruenthal, built by Rastrelli. Over the course of 6 years, the Empress spent more of the state treasury on the maintenance of Zubov than on Potemkin, who remained her favorite three times longer. Rostopchin wrote:

“Crimes have never been as frequent as they are now. Their impunity and insolence have reached extreme limits. Three days ago, a certain Kovalinsky, who was the secretary of the military commission and was expelled by the empress for embezzlement and bribery, has now been appointed governor in Ryazan, because he has a brother, a scoundrel like him, who is friendly with Gribovsky, the head of the office of Platon Zubov. One Ribas steals up to 500,000 rubles a year."

Confident in the disposition of the decrepit empress, Zubov already in 1793 was not afraid to give reasons for jealousy with his nightly walks. In the last year of Catherine’s life, he was often seen in the company of Grand Duchess Elizabeth Alekseevna (wife of the future Alexander I):

“It seems that fits of love took possession of him mostly after dinner, because then all he did was sigh, stretch out on a long sofa with a sad look and seemed to perish from the heaviness that burdened his heart. Only the melancholy and voluptuous sounds of the flute could console and entertain him.”

Wanting to be known as a great politician, Zubov presented the empress with a fantastic and impracticable project directed against Turkey. According to his plan, one Russian army was supposed to occupy the most important trading points between Persia and Tibet, to establish relations with India, then, turning in the other direction, cut off all routes to Constantinople; another army, under the command of Suvorov, was supposed to approach the Turkish capital through the Balkans and Adrianople, which at that time the Russian fleet under the personal leadership of Catherine would besiege from the sea. The fruit of these plans was the Persian Campaign of 1796, which was led by the 25-year-old brother of the favorite.

The Russian army barely had time to reach the borders of Persia when the impracticability of Zubov’s project became obvious: millions of dollars in expenditure and hundreds of thousands of troops were needed. At this time, Zubov tried to distract the Empress with the marriage of her granddaughter Alexandra to the King of Sweden. This project also failed, and at the very last moment, when the entire court had already gathered for the engagement ceremony. Zubov himself was upset by the sudden departure of the king from St. Petersburg, because the next day after the betrothal he was supposed to be given the rank of field marshal.

Disgraced under Paul

In November 1796, the unexpected death of the empress shattered Zubov's position: the day before, still proud and inaccessible, now he was insignificant and pitiful. Those who came to the palace demonstratively did not want to greet him. At the bed of dying Catherine, as the heir entered, Zubov fell at his feet in tears. Paul I gently reassured him with the words: “My mother’s friend will always be my friend.”

Left as inspector of all artillery, Zubov moved from the royal palace to live with his sister, Olga Zherebtsova, but stayed there for only a week. Paul I bought it for him for 100,000 rubles. Myatlev's house, on Galernaya, ordered it to be decorated like a palace, supplied with silverware and gold cutlery, carriages and horses, and presented all this to Zubov on the eve of his birthday. On his very birthday (November 15, 1796), the crowned couple visited Zubov and had evening tea with him. When Zubov, having met the guests, fell at their feet, Pavel picked him up and said: “Whoever remembers the old is out of sight.” The congratulations were casual. Raising a glass of champagne, Pavel said to Zubov: “As many drops as there are, I wish you all the best.” Then he turned to the empress: “Drink every drop.” Having emptied his glass, he broke it. Over tea, he said to Maria Feodorovna: “Pour it out!” He doesn’t have a mistress.”

During his stay in Germany, he fed the local scandalous chronicles, traveling first accompanied by a girl disguised as a footman, then trying to seduce the Countess de Laroche-Eymon, a charming woman, the wife of an emigrant who moved to Berlin, and finally trying to kidnap a Courland woman. princess, Wilhelmina, later the wife of Prince Louis Rohan. At the same time, he challenged Grand Duke Alexander for the favor of the beautiful Naryshkina.

As Masson noted, “there was no noticeable emptiness when Zubov disappeared from the place he occupied.” He lived in Germany, surprising all foreigners with luxury and extravagance: in the eyes of his contemporaries, he was still “arrogant, like an Indian rooster, and rich, like Croesus.” It was abroad that Zubov became close to diplomat N.P. Panin, with whom he entered into a conspiracy against Pavel.

In the fall of 1798, Zubov was ordered to return to Russia. Arriving in Vilna, he asked for further orders. In response, a letter was received from Prince Lopukhin with advice to settle on his estate in the Vladimir province. There, together with his brother Valerian, he found himself under the supervision of Governor Runich, who (06/07/1799) received orders to deal with the Zubovs “according to the laws issued about foreigners, only so that they do not go anywhere without your will, and if they want to leave altogether, then notify." When rumors reached the capital that Zubov was transferring money abroad, the emperor (10/14/1799) ordered Runich to inform him whenever “anything comes to his attention regarding these transfers; evenly and about receiving money from abroad."

Zubov received his confiscated estates back on December 4, 1800 thanks to the petition of the new temporary worker Kutaisov, who was seduced by the promise that His Serene Highness would marry his daughter. Zubov actually wrote a letter to him with a similar request. The flattered Kutaisov provided the necessary assistance, although it was not easy to break Pavel’s prejudice against the Zubovs. Around the same time (November 23), Zubov was appointed director of the First Cadet Corps, renamed infantry general. On February 25, 1801, a few weeks before his murder, Pavel appointed Zubov chief of the same corps.

Feeling the precariousness of his position, Platon Zubov, together with his brother Nikolai and sister Olga, participated in the preparation and implementation of the assassination of the emperor. On the fateful night, the conspirators climbed the small stairs at the Nativity Gate of Mikhailovsky Castle. At the last moment, Zubov suddenly lost heart and offered to go back, but Bennigsen stopped him, grabbing his hand: “What! you brought us here and now you want to leave?” Platon Zubov was one of the first to burst into the bedroom. Pavel, awakened by the noise, managed to hide behind the screen next to the bed. "We are dead!" - Zubov cried, seeing the empty bed. But Bennigsen found Paul and told him: “Sir, you are under arrest.” Pavel did not answer him, but turning to Zubov, said: “What are you doing, Platon Alexandrovich?” Then, says Kotzebue, Prince Zubov stepped forward and, maintaining a respectful appearance, said: “We came on behalf of the homeland to ask Your Majesty to renounce the throne, because sometimes moments of insanity occur to you. The inviolability of your personality and decent maintenance are guaranteed by your son and the state.” With these words, he took the act of renunciation out of his pocket, offering to sign it, but Pavel began to resist. Zubov did not take part in the brutal struggle that followed. It was said that Platon Zubov, turning his back and drumming on the window glass, only noticed impatiently: “My God, how this man screams! It is unbearable!"

Zubov went to inform Grand Duke Constantine about what had happened. At one in the morning, Zubov, drunk, entered his room and, roughly pulling off the blanket, said: “Well, get up, go to Emperor Alexander; he is waiting for you." Since the Grand Duke did not immediately understand what was going on, Zubov dragged him by the hand and lifted him out of bed, forcing him to get dressed and follow him. When dawn broke, Prince Zubov turned to the Empress with a proposal that she move from the Mikhailovsky Castle to the Winter Palace. The Empress attacked him in grief: “Monster! Barbarian! Tiger! It was the thirst for power that brought you to the murder of your legitimate sovereign.”

Years of wandering

Zubov's position, however, was very precarious. Alexander could not surround himself with figures involved in the death of his father without compromising his person, and he could not completely rely on them. They say that when Platon Zubov began to notice that his position was shaking, the idea came to him to go to Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich to justify himself for daring to raise his hand against the emperor. The Grand Duke answered him: “Well, prince, qui s’excuse - s’accuse” and turned his back to him.

Zubov, along with his brother Valerian, was subjected to secret police surveillance. This supervision was carried out extremely unceremoniously. Prince Zubov's men, standing at the rear of their master's carriage, mocked the surveillance agents who openly followed them in the sleigh. This tactlessness of the police forced Valerian Zubov in a personal audience to complain to Alexander I about the distrust shown to them. The behavior of the police was even discussed in the Secret Committee, causing indignation among its members. Feeling the monarch's coldness, Zubov asked for a vacation abroad, which was granted to him on December 24, 1801. He took part in a meeting of the State Council for the last time two days later.

Zubov initially chose Vienna as the place of his stay abroad, where he arrived in the summer of 1802. Here he found a warm welcome in the house of Count A.K. Razumovsky, whom in previous years he had more than once helped retain the post of ambassador to Austria. His arrival aroused everyone's attention in Vienna: the recent greatness of the favorite had not yet been forgotten. He constantly appeared at Razumovsky’s receptions and visited the embassy secretaries.

On the way, in Warsaw, Zubov was insulted by the Poles, who rightly saw him as one of the main culprits for the division of Poland. Despite the guard of a detachment of soldiers, his carriage was pelted with stones. The Pole Gelgud, expressing to Zubov the hostile feeling of all Poles, sent him a written challenge to a duel. Zubov defended himself against accusations of involvement in the fall of Poland, but for now refused the challenge, citing illness and the need to first complete another matter of honor in Vienna, after which he expressed his readiness to satisfy Gelgud’s demand.

This second case consisted of a summons from the Chevalier de Sax, a cousin of the executed Louis XVI, which he received back in 1795. Despite the attempts of Prince de Ligne to resolve the conflict, this duel took place. During the negotiations, Zubov “quietly and humbly” visited the embassy employee Ribopierre, who tells how “there was little firmness in this favorite of happiness.” True, he was going to a duel, but he could not do otherwise after the public insults he received from the Chevalier, and he went to this duel “like a weak woman sentenced to a painful operation.” The scratch received in this duel gave him an excuse to wear his arm in a silk sling for many months, posing as an invalid.

Meanwhile, he managed to get to Vienna without a passport from Warsaw and Gelgud. He, in turn, began to besiege Zubov, so Razumovsky considered it necessary to seek assistance from the police, who, by taking measures, prevented the possibility of a public scene, but could not prevent wide publicity of this fact. Determined to avoid a new duel, Zubov asked the emperor for permission to return to Russia, but was refused (July 1, 1802). Then Zubov fled from Bohemia under the protection of an Austrian police official, changing the direction of his route several times and changing crews in order to better hide his tracks.

In October 1802, Zubov returned to Russia. Since January 1803, he settled in Moscow, and at the beginning of the same year he wrote a letter to the sovereign, expressing his desire to free his peasants; However, in the end he did not fulfill his promise. In February 1804, Zubov arrived in St. Petersburg. Here he submitted a new project about the establishment of military corps in the provinces to educate the children of nobles. The project was approved, and a commission was established to draw up regulations “on the higher and provincial corps.”

The details of Zubov’s life during the Napoleonic wars are poorly known; from fragmentary information we can conclude that he was still no stranger to amorous adventures, for during this time he fathered five illegitimate children. On September 11, 1805, Zubov received Emperor Alexander at his Vitebsk estate Usvyate in the house where Catherine had previously stayed. He erected an obelisk to commemorate this event. In 1809, Zubov lived for some time in Moscow. In 1812 he was called to work, although he was officially on leave. Among others, he convinced the sovereign to refuse personal participation in the hostilities of 1812; spent the entire next year abroad. The periodic appearances in the camp of the Russian army of the “infantry general” P. A. Zubov, who had no combat experience at all, caused bewilderment among the military leaders.

Lithuanian landowner

Possessing a huge fortune, in the last years of his life he devoted himself to increasing his wealth, entered into contracts, smuggled money, and dealt in profiteering. His stinginess reached extreme limits: he lived frugally and dressed poorly. In conversation he often uselessly used the saying “serves him right!” People in the area told how Zubov went down to the cellars of his castle in Janishki and, like a stingy knight, admired his treasures (only silver coins left over 20 million rubles after him). Gray-haired, hunched over, and at 50 years old, Zubov seemed like a decrepit old man. In recent years, he was haunted by the fear of death. At the word “death,” his face changed, he went into his room and locked himself in his bedroom, not appearing for two or three days; the ringing of the funeral bell was unbearable for him.

A year before his death, Zubov was inflamed with passion for Tekla Valentinovich (1801-1873), the 19-year-old daughter of a poor Lithuanian landowner who owned an estate of 30 peasants. He met her and her mother in Vilna at a horse fair in the fall of 1821. Through the manager, Zubov offered a “noble sum of money” for his daughter’s love, but the offer was indignantly rejected. After some time, Mrs. Valentinovich, together with her daughter, came to Janishki herself, supposedly to the church on a pilgrimage. Zubov met the beauty again and this time made a formal proposal. At the request of his mother-in-law, he wrote off a million rubles to the bride according to her marriage record.

After his marriage, Prince Zubov moved from Lithuania to the Livonia estate of Ruenthal, where he died on April 7, 1822, at the age of 55. His only legitimate daughter, Alexandra, was born three weeks after his death, died on February 27, 1824, and was buried next to her father. Having inherited a significant fortune after the death of her husband, Princess Zubova moved to Vienna, where she shone in society; On November 12, 1826, in St. Petersburg, she married Count Andrei Shuvalov for the second time.

Vast Lithuanian estates around Siauliai (Shavli) were inherited by the offspring of his brother Dmitry, except for the Raudan castle, given by Zubov as a dowry for his illegitimate daughter Sofia Platonovna (1800-1880), who was in her first marriage to Baron Pirkh, and in her second to Senator P. S. Kaisarov. The woman-loving Zubov had several other illegitimate children from other connections who bore the Platonov surname: Alexander (1806-1894, Tsarskoye Selo leader of the nobility); Konstantin (1807-1889, actual state councilor); Valerian (1809-1893, senator and privy councilor), Nikanor (1814-1884). Like a caring father, Prince Zubov took care of everyone and deposited a million rubles in banknotes for each of them.

Notes

1. Now - in the village. Pilsrundale, Rundāle region, Latvia.
2. I. M. Dolgorukov. The story of my birth, origin and whole life... Volume 1. St. Petersburg: Nauka, 2004. P. 215.
3. // Russian biographical dictionary: in 25 volumes. - St. Petersburg. - M., 1896-1918.
4. “Russian antiquity” for September 1876, p. 52.
5. Zubovsky outbuilding
6. Probably, we are talking about repeating B. Franklin’s experiments on extracting air electricity using paper kites covered with gold leaf.
7. https://books.google.ru/books?id=Ob9rCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA1396
8. " ". Issue 5, No. 50.
9. Memoirs of Countess Golovina. Three centuries of history, 2000. P. 75.
10. Suvorov wrote on this occasion that Zubov was given “a sword and soon, during his presidency, he will receive the Keizer flag of the Black Sea Fleet, which he rotted and killed people during his reign.”
11. Troyat A. Catherine the Great. Moscow, 2007. P. 430.
12. "Russian portraits of the 18th and 19th centuries." Issue 1, No. 113.
13. A. S. Pushkin. Collected works. T. 5. Bibliopolis, 1994. P. 632.
14. We find similar descriptions in “Secret Notes on Russia” by Masson, who does not spare satirical colors to convey the general servility before the favorite: “Lounging in an armchair, in the most obscene negligee, with his little finger stuck in his nose, with his eyes aimlessly directed at the ceiling, this young man , with a cold and pouting face, barely deigned to pay attention to those around him. He amused himself with the foolishness of his monkey, which jumped over the heads of vile flatterers, or talked with his jester; and at this time the elders, under whose command he served as a sergeant: the Dolgorukys, the Golitsyns, the Saltykovs and all that was great and cowardly, were waiting for him to lower his gaze in order to again rest at his feet.”
15. Lib.ru/Classics: Czartoryski Adam Yuri. 
16. Memoirs
17. Professor K.V. Kudryashov characterizes this trinity of chosen ones as follows: “the arrogant rogue from Ragusa Altesti, a lampoon and a thief, “a riffraff in the full sense of the word,” although he was an intelligent man and had the gift of speech; Zubov himself was wary of him; then the author of “Notes about Catherine the Great,” A. M. Gribovsky, a reveler and a spendthrift, who seduced the entire city with his revelries, but possessed a lively pen, and, finally, the son of a Spanish blacksmith, I. M. Ribas, who deceived Princess Tarakanova, who stole more than half a million annually from the Russian treasury during the construction of the Odessa port, an insidious liar, whom Suvorov branded with the famous saying: “even Ribas will not deceive him.”
18. Kazimir Waliszewski. Catherine the Great (Romance of the Empress), book 3, part 1, chapter 3, IV