What happened to Alexei, the son of Catherine 2. The son of the Great Catherine - Paul I

The life of the great autocrat was filled with bright events. There were legends about Catherine the Great's love of love. What do we know about the children of the empress? How many of them were there in reality and what secrets are associated with their birth?

After two unsuccessful pregnancies in 1754, Ekaterina Alekseevna gave birth to a son, Pavel. The birth was difficult, and the baby was immediately taken away from the mother by the will of reigning Elizabeth Petrovna. The young princess could only occasionally see her son.

A number of sources claim that Pavel’s biological father was Sergei Vasilyevich Saltykov, Ekaterina Alekseevna’s first favorite, who became the Russian envoy to France and Germany. There is even an opinion that Paul was not at all the son of the future empress, who actually gave birth to a daughter. The boy was the illegitimate son of Elizabeth Petrovna herself. And the children were deliberately replaced. Whatever the truth, the fact remains: great empress and her eldest son never had a warm relationship.

In 1757, Ekaterina Alekseevna gave birth to a daughter. The child’s name was given “Anna” in honor of his late paternal grandmother, Tsarevna Anna Petrovna. The future Peter III, although he recognized the child, tried in every possible way to prick his wife with suspicion and once spoke out like this: “God knows where my wife gets her pregnancy from, I don’t really know if this is my child and whether I should take it personally.” "

At baptism, Anna Petrovna was awarded the Order of St. Catherine, 1st degree. And Mikhail Vasilyevich Lomonosov wrote an ode in honor of the birth of the Grand Duchess. But, unfortunately, the girl lived less than two years.

Catherine II had special love and tenderness for her illegitimate son Alyosha, born from Grigory Orlov. It is curious that Catherine managed to hide from her husband not only her pregnancy, but also... childbirth! She ordered the servant to distract her husband with an impromptu fire. Pyotr Fedorovich loved to look at burning houses. And when he returned from the “fun”, the child was no longer in the palace.

The first time Catherine saw her son was only a year after birth. But even being separated from him, she actively arranged Alexei’s life: she bought estates, sent cadets to school, and supplied him with money. Alyosha received an estate in Bobriki (by the way, according to legend, a newborn boy was carried away on a beaver skin) and became the ancestor of the Bobrinsky count family. According to eyewitnesses, Catherine’s illegitimate son grew up weak, quiet and fearful. Subsequently, the spoiled young man became interested in women and gambling. And, while in Europe, he incurred a lot of debts, which caused the dissatisfaction of the empress, who, as punishment, determined the location of the unlucky young man in the fortified city of Revel.

In 1794, with the Highest permission, Bobrinsky bought himself an estate in Livonia, and in 1796 he married Baroness Ungern-Sternberg. Soon after the wedding, shortly before the death of Catherine II, Bobrinsky and his wife visited St. Petersburg, where they were kindly received by their mother, the Empress.

In his marriage to Anna Vladimirovna Bobrinskaya, née Baroness Ungern-Sternberg, Alexey Grigorievich had four children.

According to one version, Catherine II allegedly had an illegitimate daughter, Elizaveta Tyomkina, from Prince Grigory Potemkin-Tavrichesky, but this version has no documentary evidence and remains only an assumption. It is connected with the fact that in 1775 a baby unexpectedly appeared in the prince’s house. The girl was named Elizaveta Grigorievna Tyomkina. The mysterious appearance of the child could not help but give rise to rumors. They began to whisper at court that this was the child of the empress herself. Indeed, there are many strange coincidences in this story. Yes, according to official version, the empress suffered from poisoning due to unwashed fruit. Presumably the birth took place in Moscow during the celebration of the peace treaty between Russia and Ottoman Empire, which ended the Russian-Turkish war.

Opponents of the version point to Catherine’s advanced age, who by that time was already well over 40. In addition, the Empress was never interested in the fate of this child, unlike Alexei Bobrinsky. Therefore, the girl’s mother could be one of the many mistresses of Catherine’s favorite.

He could not have children due to chronic alcoholism and, interested in the birth of an heir, turned a blind eye to the closeness of her daughter-in-law, first with Choglokov, and then with the chamberlain of the Grand Duke’s court, Saltykov. A number of historians consider Saltykov’s paternity to be an undoubted fact. Later they even claimed that Paul was not Catherine’s son. In "Materials for the biography of Emperor Paul I" (Leipzig, 1874) it is reported that Saltykov allegedly gave birth to a dead child, who was replaced by a Chukhon boy, that is, Paul I is not only not the son of his parents, but not even Russian.

In 1773, not even 20 years old, he married Princess Wilhelmina of Hesse-Darmstadt (in Orthodoxy - Natalya Alekseevna), but three years later she died in childbirth, and in the same 1776 Pavel married a second time, to Princess Sophia of Württemberg. Dorothea (in Orthodoxy - Maria Feodorovna). Catherine II tried to prevent the Grand Duke from participating in discussions of state affairs, and he, in turn, began to evaluate his mother’s policies more and more critically. Pavel believed that this policy was based on love of fame and pretense; he dreamed of introducing strictly legal governance in Russia under the auspices of the autocracy, limiting the rights of the nobility, and introducing the strictest, Prussian-style, discipline in the army.

Biography of Empress Catherine II the GreatThe reign of Catherine II lasted more than three and a half decades, from 1762 to 1796. It was filled with many events in internal and external affairs, the implementation of plans that continued what was done under Peter the Great.

In 1794, the Empress decided to remove her son from the throne and hand him over to her eldest grandson Alexander Pavlovich, but did not meet with sympathy from the highest state dignitaries. The death of Catherine II on November 6, 1796 opened the way for Paul to the throne.

The new emperor immediately tried to undo what had been done during the thirty-four years of Catherine II’s reign, and this became one of the most important motives of his policy.

The emperor sought to replace the collegial principle of organizing management with an individual one. Important legislative act Paul came to see the law on the order of succession to the throne, published in 1797, which was in force in Russia until 1917.

In the army, Paul sought to introduce Prussian military order. He believed that the army is a machine and the main thing in it is the mechanical coherence of the troops and efficiency. In the field of class politics, the main goal was to transform the Russian nobility into a disciplined, fully serving class. Paul's policy towards the peasantry was contradictory. During the four years of his reign, he gave away gifts to about 600 thousand serfs, sincerely believing that they would live better under the landowner.

IN everyday life They banned certain styles of clothing, hairstyles, and dances in which the emperor saw manifestations of freethinking. Strict censorship was introduced and the import of books from abroad was prohibited.

The foreign policy of Paul I was unsystematic. Russia constantly changed allies in Europe. In 1798, Paul joined the second coalition against France; At the insistence of the allies, he placed Alexander Suvorov at the head of the Russian army, under whose command the heroic Italian and Swiss campaigns were carried out.

The capture by the British of Malta, which Paul took under his protection, accepting the title of Grand Master of the Order of St. in 1798. John of Jerusalem (Order of Malta), quarreled him with England. Russian troops were withdrawn, and in 1800 the coalition finally collapsed. Not content with this, Paul began to draw closer to France and conceived a joint struggle against England.

On January 12, 1801, Pavel sent the ataman of the Don Army, General Orlov, an order to march with his entire army on a campaign against India. A little over a month later, the Cossacks began their campaign, numbering 22,507 people. This event, accompanied by terrible hardships, was, however, not completed.

Paul's policies, combined with his despotic character, unpredictability and eccentricity, caused discontent in various social strata. Soon after his accession, a conspiracy began to mature against him. On the night of March 11 (23), 1801, Paul I was strangled in his own bedroom in the Mikhailovsky Castle. The conspirators burst into the emperor's chambers demanding that he abdicate the throne. As a result of the skirmish, Paul I was killed. It was announced to the people that the emperor had died of apoplexy.

The body of Paul I was buried in the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg.

The material was prepared based on information from open sources

S.S. Shchukin "Portrait of Emperor Paul I"

Pavel I Petrovich, Emperor of All Russia, son of Peter III and Catherine II, was born on September 20, 1754 in the Summer Palace of Elizabeth Petrovna in St. Petersburg.

Childhood

Immediately after birth, he came under the full care of his grandmother, Elizaveta Petrovna, who took upon herself all the worries about his upbringing, effectively removing his mother. But Elizabeth was distinguished by her fickle character and soon lost interest in the heir, transferring him to the care of nannies who were only concerned that the child would not catch a cold, get hurt, or be naughty. IN early childhood the boy with a passionate imagination was intimidated by the nannies: subsequently he was always afraid of the dark, flinched at a knock or an incomprehensible rustle, believed in omens, fortune-telling and dreams.

In the fifth year of his life, the boy began to be taught grammar and arithmetic, his first teacher F.D. Bekhteev used an original technique for this: he wrote letters and numbers on wooden and tin soldiers and, lining them up in ranks, taught the heir to read and count.

Education

From 1760, Count N.I. became Paul’s main educator. Panin, who was his teacher before the heir’s marriage. Despite the fact that Pavel preferred military sciences, he received a fairly good education: he easily spoke French and German, knew Slavic and Latin languages, read Horace in the original, and while reading, made extracts from the books. He had a rich library, a physics office with a collection of minerals, lathe for physical labor. He knew how to dance well, fencing, and was fond of horse riding.

O.A. Leonov "Paul I"

N.I. Panin, himself a passionate admirer of Frederick the Great, raised the heir in the spirit of admiration for everything Prussian at the expense of the national Russian. But, according to the testimony of contemporaries, in his youth Paul was capable, striving for knowledge, romantically inclined, with an open character, sincerely believing in the ideals of goodness and justice. After their mother's accession to the throne in 1762, their relationship was quite close. However, over time they worsened. Catherine was afraid of her son, who had more legal rights to the throne than herself. Rumors about his accession to the throne spread throughout the country; E. I. Pugachev appealed to him as a “son”. The Empress tried not to allow the Grand Duke to participate in discussions of state affairs, and he began to evaluate his mother’s policies more and more critically. Catherine simply “did not notice” her son’s coming of age, without marking it in any way.

Maturity

In 1773, Pavel married the Hesse-Darmstadt princess Wilhelmina (baptized Natalya Alekseevna). In this regard, his education was completed, and he was to be involved in government affairs. But Catherine did not consider this necessary.

In October 1766, Natalya Alekseevna, whom Pavel loved very much, died in childbirth with a baby, and Catherine insisted that Pavel marry a second time, which he did, going to Germany. Paul's second wife is the Württemberg princess Sophia-Dorothea-Augusta-Louise (baptized Maria Feodorovna). The encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron says this about the further position of Paul: “And after that, during the entire life of Catherine, the place occupied by Paul in government spheres was that of an observer, aware of his right to supreme management of affairs and deprived of the opportunity to use this right for changes in even the smallest details in the course of business. This situation was especially conducive to the development of a critical mood in Paul, which acquired a particularly sharp and bilious hue thanks to the personal element that entered him in a wide stream ... "

Russian coat of arms during the reign of Paul I

In 1782, Pavel Petrovich and Maria Fedorovna went on a trip abroad and were warmly received in European capitals. Pavel even received a reputation there as the “Russian Hamlet.” During the trip, Pavel openly criticized his mother’s policies, which she soon became aware of. Upon the return of the grand ducal couple to Russia, the Empress gave them Gatchina, where the “small court” moved and where Paul, who had inherited from his father a passion for everything military in the Prussian style, created his own small army, conducting endless maneuvers and parades. He languished in inactivity, made plans for his future reign and made repeated and unsuccessful attempts to engage in government activities: in 1774, he submitted a note to the Empress, drawn up under the influence of Panin and entitled “Discussion about the state regarding the defense of all borders.” Catherine assessed her as naive and disapproving of her policies. In 1787, Pavel asks his mother for permission to go as a volunteer to the Russian-Turkish war, but she refuses him under the pretext of Maria Feodorovna’s approaching birth. Finally, in 1788, he took part in the Russian-Swedish war, but even here Catherine accused him of the fact that the Swedish Prince Charles was looking for rapprochement with him - and she recalled her son from the army. It is not surprising that gradually his character becomes suspicious, nervous, bilious and tyrannical. He retires to Gatchina, where he spends almost continuously for 13 years. The only thing that remains for him is to do what he loves: organizing and training “amusing” regiments, consisting of several hundred soldiers, according to the Prussian model.

Catherine hatched plans to remove him from the throne, citing his bad character and inability. She saw her grandson Alexander, son of Paul, on the throne. This intention was not destined to come true due to sudden illness and the death of Empress Catherine II in November 1796.

On the throne

The new emperor immediately tried to erase, as it were, everything that had been done during the 34 years of Catherine II’s reign, to destroy the order of Catherine’s reign that he hated - this became one of the most important motives of his policy. He also tried to suppress the influence of revolutionary France on the minds of Russians. His policy was developed in this direction.

First of all, he ordered the remains of Peter III, his father, who were buried in the Peter and Paul Fortress along with the coffin of Catherine II, to be removed from the crypt of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra. On April 4, 1797, Paul was solemnly crowned in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. On the same day, several decrees were promulgated, the most important of which were: the “Law on Succession to the Throne,” which assumed the transfer of the throne according to the principle of pre-Petrine times, and the “Institution on the Imperial Family,” which determined the order of maintenance of persons of the reigning house.

The reign of Paul I lasted 4 years and 4 months. It was somewhat chaotic and contradictory. He's been kept on a leash for too long. And so the leash was removed... He tried to correct the shortcomings of the previous regime that he hated, but he did it inconsistently: he restored the Peter’s colleges liquidated by Catherine II, limited local government, issued a number of laws leading to the destruction of noble privileges... They could not forgive him for this.

In the decrees of 1797, landowners were recommended to perform a 3-day corvee, it was forbidden to use peasant labor on Sundays, it was not allowed to sell peasants under the hammer, and Little Russians were not allowed to sell them without land. The nobles who were fictitiously enrolled in them were ordered to report to the regiments. Since 1798, noble societies became under the control of governors, and nobles again began to be subjected to corporal punishment for criminal offenses. But at the same time, the situation of the peasants was not alleviated.

Transformations in the army began with the replacement of “peasant” uniforms with new ones, copied from Prussian ones. Wanting to improve discipline among the troops, Paul I was present every day at exercises and training sessions and severely punished the slightest mistakes.

Paul I was very afraid of the penetration of the ideas of the Great French Revolution into Russia and introduced some restrictive measures: already in 1797, private printing houses were closed, strict censorship was introduced for books, a ban was imposed on French fashion, and the travel of young people to study abroad was prohibited.

V. Borovikovsky "Paul I in the uniform of Colonel of the Preobrazhensky Regiment"

Upon ascending the throne, Paul, in order to emphasize the contrast with his mother, declared peace and non-interference in European affairs. However, when in 1798 there was a threat of Napoleon re-establishing an independent Polish state, Russia took an active part in organizing the anti-French coalition. In the same year, Paul assumed the duties of Master of the Order of Malta, thus challenging the French emperor who had captured Malta. In this regard, the Maltese octagonal cross was included in the state coat of arms. In 1798-1800, Russian troops successfully fought in Italy, and the Russian fleet in the Mediterranean Sea, which caused concern on the part of Austria and England. Relations with these countries completely deteriorated in the spring of 1800. At the same time, rapprochement with France began, and a plan for a joint campaign against India was even discussed. Without waiting for the corresponding agreement to be signed, Pavel ordered the Don Cossacks, who were already stopped by Alexander I, to set out on a campaign.

V.L. Borovikovsky "Portrait of Paul I in the crown, dalmatic and insignia of the Order of Malta"

Despite the solemn promise to maintain peaceful relations with other states, given upon accession to the throne, he took an active part in the coalition with England, Austria, the Kingdom of Naples and Turkey against France. The Russian squadron under the leadership of F. Ushakov was sent to the Mediterranean Sea, where, together with the Turkish squadron, it liberated the Ionian Islands from the French. In Northern Italy and Switzerland, Russian troops under the command of A.V. Suvorov won a number of brilliant victories.

The last palace coup of the passing era

Mikhailovsky Castle in St. Petersburg, where Paul I was killed

The main reasons for the coup and death of Paul I were the infringement of the interests of the nobility and the unpredictability of the emperor’s actions. Sometimes he exiled or sent people to prison for the slightest offense.

He planned to declare Maria Feodorovna’s 13-year-old nephew heir to the throne, adopting him, and imprison his eldest sons, Alexander and Konstantin, in the fortress. In March 1801, a ban on trade with the British was issued, which threatened to damage the landowners.

On the night of March 11-12, 1801, Pavel I Petrovich was killed by conspiratorial officers in the newly built Mikhailovsky Castle: the conspirators, mostly guards officers, burst into the bedroom of Paul I demanding that he abdicate the throne. When the emperor tried to object and even hit one of them, one of the rebels began to strangle him with his scarf, and the other hit him in the temple with a massive snuff box. It was announced to the people that Paul I had died of apoplexy.

Paul I and Maria Feodorovna had 10 children:

Childhood, education and upbringing

Pavel was born on September 20 (October 1), 1754 in St. Petersburg, in the Summer Palace of Elizabeth Petrovna. Subsequently, this palace was demolished, and in its place the Mikhailovsky Castle was built, in which Pavel was killed on March 11 (March 23), 1801.

On September 20, 1754, in the ninth year of marriage, Her Imperial Highness Grand Duchess Ekaterina Alekseevna finally had her first child. Empress Elizaveta Petrovna, Grand Duke Peter and the Shuvalov brothers were present at the birth. Elizaveta Petrovna immediately picked up the newborn baby, washed and sprinkled with holy water, and carried him into the hall to show the future heir to the courtiers. The Empress baptized the baby and ordered him to be named Paul. Catherine, like Peter III, were completely removed from raising their son.

Essentially deprived of his parents, due to the vicissitudes of a merciless political struggle, Pavel was deprived of the love of people close to him. Of course, this affected the child’s psyche and his perception of the world. But, we should pay tribute to Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, she ordered to surround him with the best, in her opinion, teachers.

The first educator was the diplomat F.D. Bekhteev, who was obsessed with the spirit of all kinds of regulations, clear orders, and military discipline comparable to drill. This created in the impressionable boy’s mind that this is how everything happens in everyday life. And he didn’t think about anything except soldiers’ marches and battles between battalions. Bekhteev came up with a special alphabet for the little prince, the letters of which were cast from lead in the form of soldiers. He began to print a small newspaper in which he talked about all, even the most insignificant, actions of Paul.

The birth of Paul was reflected in many odes written by poets of that time.

In 1760, Elizaveta Petrovna appointed a new teacher for her grandson. He became, by her choice, Count Nikita Ivanovich Panin. He was a forty-two-year-old man who occupied a very prominent place at court. Possessing extensive knowledge, he had previously spent several years on a diplomatic career in Denmark and Sweden, where his worldview was formed. Having very close contacts with the Freemasons, he picked up Enlightenment ideas from them, and even became a supporter of a constitutional monarchy. His brother Pyotr Ivanovich was a great local master of the Masonic order in Russia.

The first wariness towards the new teacher was soon erased, and Pavel quickly became attached to him. Panin opened Russian and Western European literature to young Pavel. The young man was very willing to read, and already in next year read quite a lot of books. He was well acquainted with Sumarokov, Lomonosov, Derzhavin, Racine, Corneille, Moliere, Werther, Cervantes, Voltaire and Rousseau. He was fluent in Latin, French and German languages, loved mathematics.

His mental development proceeded without any deviations. One of Pavel’s younger mentors, Poroshin, kept a diary in which he noted all of little Pavel’s actions day after day. It does not indicate any deviations in mental development the personality of the future emperor, about whom numerous haters of Pavel Petrovich subsequently loved to talk.

On February 23, 1765, Poroshin wrote: “I read to His Highness Vertotov a story about the Order of the Knights of Malta. He then deigned to amuse himself and, tying the admiral’s flag to his cavalry, pretend to be a Cavalier of Malta.”

Already in his youth, Paul began to be fascinated by the idea of ​​chivalry, the idea of ​​honor and glory. And in the military doctrine presented to his mother at the age of 20, who by that time was already the Empress of All Russia, he refused to wage an offensive war, explained his idea by the need to observe the principle of reasonable sufficiency, while all the efforts of the Empire should be aimed at creating internal order .

The Tsarevich's confessor and mentor was one of the best Russian preachers and theologians, Archimandrite, and later Metropolitan of Moscow Platon (Levshin). Thanks to his pastoral work and instructions in the Law of God, Pavel Petrovich for the rest of his life short life became a deep believer, true Orthodox person. In Gatchina, until the revolution of 1917, they preserved a rug worn by Pavel Petrovich’s knees during his long night prayers.

Thus, we can notice that in his childhood, adolescence and youth, Paul received an excellent education, had a broad outlook, and even then came to knightly ideals and firmly believed in God. All this is reflected in his future policies, in his ideas and actions.

Relations with Catherine II

Immediately after birth, Pavel was removed from his mother by Empress Elizabeth. Catherine could see him very rarely and only with the permission of the Empress. When Paul was eight years old, his mother, Catherine, relying on the guard, carried out a coup, during which Paul's father, Emperor Peter III, was killed. Paul was to ascend the throne.

Catherine II removed Paul from interfering in any state affairs; he, in turn, condemned her entire way of life and did not accept the policies that she pursued.

Pavel believed that this policy was based on love of fame and pretense; he dreamed of introducing strictly legal governance in Russia under the auspices of the autocracy, limiting the rights of the nobility, and introducing the strictest, Prussian-style, discipline in the army. In the 1780s he became interested in Freemasonry.

The ever-increasing relationship between Paul and his mother, whom he suspected of complicity in the murder of his father, Peter III, led to the fact that Catherine II gave her son the Gatchina estate (that is, she “removed” him from the capital). Here Pavel introduced customs that were sharply different from those in St. Petersburg. But in the absence of any other concerns, he concentrated all his efforts on creating the “Gatchina army”: several battalions placed under his command. Officers in full form, wigs, tight uniforms, impeccable order, punishment by spitzrutens for the slightest omissions and a ban on civilian habits.

He significantly narrowed the rights of the noble class compared to those granted by Catherine II, and the rules established in Gatchina were transferred to the entire Russian army. The most severe discipline and unpredictability of the emperor’s behavior led to massive dismissals of nobles from the army, especially the officers of the guard (of the 182 officers who served in the Horse Guards Regiment in 1801, only two had not resigned). All officers on the staff who did not appear by order at the military board to confirm their service were also dismissed.

It should be noted, however, that Paul I started the military, as well as other reforms, not only out of his own whim. Russian army was not at the peak of her form, discipline in the regiments suffered, titles were not given out deservedly - so, from birth, noble children were assigned to some rank, to this or that regiment. Many, having a rank and receiving a salary, did not serve at all (apparently, mostly these officers were dismissed from the staff). For negligence and laxity, gross mistreatment of soldiers, he personally tore off the epaulets from officers and even generals and sent them to Siberia. Paul I especially persecuted the theft of generals and embezzlement in the army. As a reformer, Paul I decided to follow his favorite example - Peter the Great - like his famous ancestor, he decided to take as a basis the model of the modern European army, in particular the Prussian one, and what else but the German can serve as an example of pedantry, discipline and perfection. Generally military reform was not stopped even after the death of Paul.

During the reign of Paul I, the Arakcheevs, Kutaisovs, and Obolyaninovs, who were personally devoted to the emperor, rose to prominence.

Fearing the spread of the ideas of the French Revolution in Russia, Paul I banned young people from traveling abroad to study, the import of books was completely prohibited, even sheet music, and private printing houses were closed. The regulation of life went so far as to set a time when the fires in houses were supposed to be turned off. By special decrees, some words of the Russian language were removed from official use and replaced with others. Thus, among those seized were the words “citizen” and “fatherland” that had a political connotation (replaced with “everyman” and “state”, respectively), but a number of Paul’s linguistic decrees were not so transparent - for example, the word “detachment” was changed to “detachment” or “command”, “execute” to “execute”, and “doctor” to “doctor”.

Foreign policy

Paul's foreign policy was inconsistent. In 1798, Russia entered into an anti-French coalition with Great Britain, Austria, Turkey, and the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. At the insistence of the allies, the disgraced A.V. Suvorov was appointed commander-in-chief of the Russian troops. Austrian troops were also transferred to his jurisdiction. Under the leadership of Suvorov, Northern Italy was liberated from French rule. In September 1799, the Russian army made Suvorov's famous crossing of the Alps. However, already in October of the same year, Russia broke the alliance with Austria due to the Austrians’ failure to fulfill allied obligations, and Russian troops were recalled from Europe.

Shortly before his murder, Paul sent the Don army of 22,507 people on a campaign against India. The campaign was canceled immediately after the death of Paul by decree of Emperor Alexander I.

Conspiracy and death

Mikhailovsky Castle - the place of the emperor's death

All-Russian Emperors, Romanovs Holstein-Gottorp branch (after Peter III)

Paul I Maria Fedorovna

Nicholas I Alexandra Fedorovna

Alexander II Maria Alexandrovna

Paul I was strangled in his own bedroom on March 11, 1801 at Mikhailovsky Castle. The conspiracy involved Agramakov, N.P. Panin, vice-chancellor, L.L. Benningsen, commander of the Izyuminsky light horse regiment P.A. Zubov (Catherine’s favorite), Palen, governor general of St. Petersburg, commanders of the guards regiments: Semenovsky - N. I. Depreradovich, Kavalergardsky - F.P. Uvarov, Preobrazhensky - P.A. Talyzin.), and according to some sources - the emperor's aide-de-camp, Count Pyotr Vasilyevich Golenishchev-Kutuzov, immediately after the coup was appointed commander of the Cavalry Regiment.

Initially, the overthrow of Paul and the accession of an English regent were planned. Perhaps the denunciation to the tsar was written by V.P. Meshchersky, the former chief of the St. Petersburg regiment stationed in Smolensk, perhaps by Prosecutor General P.Kh. Obolyaninov. In any case, the conspiracy was discovered, Lindener and Arakcheev were summoned, but this only accelerated the execution of the conspiracy. According to one version, Pavel was killed by Nikolai Zubov (Suvorov’s son-in-law, Platon Zubov’s older brother), who hit him with a massive golden snuffbox (a joke later circulated at court: “The Emperor died of an apoplectic blow to the temple with a snuffbox”). According to another version, Paul was strangled with a scarf or crushed by a group of conspirators who, leaning on the emperor and each other, did not know exactly what was happening. Mistaking one of the killers for the son of Constantine, he shouted: “Your Highness, are you here too? Have mercy! Air, Air!.. What have I done wrong to you?” These were his last words.

The question of whether he knew and gave sanction to palace coup and the murder of his father Alexander Pavlovich, for a long time remained unclear. According to the memoirs of Prince A. Czartoryski, the idea of ​​a conspiracy arose almost in the first days of Paul’s reign, but the coup became possible only after it became known about the consent of Alexander, who signed the corresponding secret manifesto, in which he recognized the need for a coup and pledged not to persecute conspirators after accession to the throne. One of the organizers of the conspiracy, Count Palen, wrote in his memoirs: “ Grand Duke Alexander did not agree to anything without first demanding an oath from me that no attempt would be made on his father’s life; I gave him my word: I was not so devoid of sense as to internally undertake an obligation to fulfill an impossible thing, but it was necessary to calm the scrupulousness of my future sovereign, and I encouraged his intentions, although I was convinced that they would not be fulfilled.” Most likely, Alexander himself, like Count Palen, understood perfectly well that without murder, a palace coup would be impossible, since Paul I would not voluntarily abdicate the throne.

The conspirators got up from dinner after midnight. According to the developed plan, the signal for the invasion of the inner apartments of the palace and the emperor’s office itself was to be given by Argamakov, the adjutant of the grenadier battalion of the Preobrazhensky regiment, whose duty was to report to the emperor about the fires occurring in the city. Agramakov ran into the front of the sovereign's office and shouted: "fire"!

At this time, the conspirators, numbering up to 180 people, rushed through door a (see figure). Then Marin, who commanded the internal infantry guard, removed the loyal Grenadians of the Preobrazhensky life battalion, placing them as sentries, and placed those of them who had previously served in the life grenadier regiment in the front of the sovereign’s office, thus preserving this important post in the hands of the conspirators.

Two chamber hussars standing at the door bravely defended their post; one of them was stabbed to death and the other was wounded*. Having found the first door leading to the bedroom unlocked, the conspirators at first thought that the emperor had disappeared into internal staircase(and this could have been easily done) as Kuitasov did. But when they approached the second door, they found it locked from the inside, which proved that the emperor was undoubtedly in the bedroom.

Having broken open the door, the conspirators rushed into the room, but the emperor was not in it. A search began, but to no avail, despite the fact that the door leading to the Empress’s bedchamber was also locked from the inside. The search continued for several minutes, when Generalo Bennigsen entered, he went up to the fireplace, leaned against it and at that time saw the emperor hiding behind the screen.

Pointing his finger at him, Bennigsen said in French “le voila,” after which Pavel was immediately pulled out of his cover.

Prince Platon Zubov**, who acted as a speaker and the main leader of the conspiracy, addressed the emperor with a speech. Pavel, usually distinguished by great nervousness, this time, however, did not seem particularly excited, and, maintaining full dignity, asked what they all needed?

Platon Zubov replied that his despotism had become so difficult for the nation that they came to demand his abdication from the throne.

The emperor, filled with a sincere desire to bring happiness to his people, to preserve the laws and regulations of the empire inviolably and to establish justice everywhere, entered into an argument with Zubov, which lasted about half an hour, and which, in the end, took on a stormy character. At this time, those of the conspirators who had drunk too much champagne began to express impatience, while the emperor spoke louder and louder and began to gesticulate strongly. At this time, the master of the horse, Count Nikolai Zubov***, a man of enormous stature and extraordinary strength, being completely drunk, hit Pavel on the hand and said: “Why are you shouting like that!”

________________

• This was the chamberlain hussar Kirilov, who later served as a valet under the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna.
  • Zubov, Prince Platon Alexandrovich.1767 - 1822. General-from. inf., chief 1 cadet corps. Subsequently, member of the state. advice.
    • Zubov, Count Nikolai Alexandrovich. Chief of the Horse. 1763 - 1805 He was married to the only daughter of Field Marshal Suvorov, Princess Natalia Alexandrovna, known under the name "Suvorochki".

At this insult, the emperor indignantly pushed away left hand Zubova, to which the latter, clutching a massive golden snuffbox in his fist, struck with all his might right hand a blow to the emperor's left temple, as a result of which he fell unconscious to the floor. At the same moment, Zubov’s French valet jumped up with his feet on the emperor’s stomach, and Skaryatin, an officer of the Izmailovsky regiment, taking in the emperor’s own scarf hanging over the bed, strangled him with it. This is how he was killed.

Based on another version, Zubov, being very drunk, allegedly put his fingers into the snuff box that Pavel was holding in his hands. Then the emperor was the first to hit Zubov, and thus started the quarrel himself. Zubov allegedly snatched the snuffbox from the emperor’s hands and knocked him off his feet with a strong blow. But this is hardly plausible, considering that Pavel jumped straight out of bed and wanted to hide. Be that as it may, there is no doubt that the snuff box played a certain role in this event.

So, the words spoken by Palen at dinner: “qu”il faut commencer par casser les ocufs” were not forgotten, and, alas, were carried out.*

The names of some persons were named, who on this occasion expressed a lot of cruelty, even atrocity, wanting to take out the insults received from the emperor on his lifeless body so that it was not easy for doctors and make-up artists to bring the body into such a form that it could be exposed for worship, according to existing customs. I saw the late emperor lying in a coffin.** On his face, despite diligent make-up, black and blue spots were visible. His triangular hat was pulled down on his head so as to, if possible, hide his left eye and temple, which was bruised.

Thus died on March 12, 1801, one of the sovereigns, whom history speaks of as a monarch filled with many virtues, distinguished by tireless activity, who loved order and justice.

________________

• This needs to be done now so as not to break later.
  • They say (from a reliable source) that when the diplomatic corps was admitted to the body, the French ambassador, passing, bent over the coffin and, touching the emperor’s tie with his hand, discovered a red mark around the neck made by the scarf.

Versions of the origin of Paul I

Due to the fact that Pavel was born almost ten years after the wedding of Peter and Catherine, when many were already convinced of the futility of this marriage (and also under the influence of free personal life empress in the future) there were persistent rumors that the real father of Paul I was not Peter III, but the first favorite Grand Duchess Ekaterina Alekseevna, Count Sergei Vasilievich Saltykov.

Historical anecdote

The Romanovs themselves related to this legend
(about the fact that Paul I was not the son of Peter III)
with great humor. There is a memoir about
how Alexander III, having learned about her,
crossed himself: “Thank God, we are Russian!”
And having heard a refutation from historians, again
crossed himself: “Thank God we are legal!”

The memoirs of Catherine II contain an indirect indication of this. In the same memoirs one can find a hidden indication of how the desperate Empress Elizaveta Petrovna, so that the dynasty would not fade away, ordered the wife of her heir to give birth to a child, no matter who his genetic father would be. In this regard, after this instruction, the courtiers assigned to Catherine began to encourage her adultery. However, Catherine is quite crafty in her memoirs - there she explains that the long-term marriage did not produce offspring, since Peter had “a certain obstacle”, which, after the ultimatum given to her by Elizabeth, was eliminated by her friends, who committed violence against Peter surgery, and therefore he was still able to conceive a child. The paternity of Catherine’s other children born during her husband’s lifetime is also doubtful: Grand Duchess Anna Petrovna (b.) was most likely the daughter of Poniatovsky, and Alexei Bobrinsky (b.) was the son of G. Orlov and was born in secret. More folklore and in line with traditional ideas about the “switched baby” is the story that Ekaterina Alekseevna allegedly gave birth to a stillborn child and he was replaced by a certain “Chukhon” baby.

Family

Gerard von Kügelgen. Portrait of Paul I with his family. 1800. State Museum-Reserve "Pavlovsk"

Married twice:

• 1st wife: (since October 10, St. Petersburg) Natalya Alekseevna(1755-1776), born. Princess Augusta Wilhelmina Louise of Hesse-Darmstadt, daughter of Ludwig IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt. Died during childbirth with a baby.

• 2nd wife: (since October 7, St. Petersburg) Maria Fedorovna(1759-1828), born. Princess Sophia Dorothea of ​​Württemberg, daughter of Frederick II Eugene, Duke of Württemberg. Had 10 children:
  • Alexander I(1777-1825), Russian Emperor
  • Konstantin Pavlovich(1779-1831), Grand Duke.
  • Alexandra Pavlovna (1783-1801)
  • Elena Pavlovna (1784-1803)
  • Maria Pavlovna (1786-1859)
  • Ekaterina Pavlovna (1788-1819)
  • Olga Pavlovna (1792-1795)
  • Anna Pavlovna (1795-1865)
  • Nicholas I(1796-1855), Russian Emperor
  • Mikhail Pavlovich(1798-1849), Grand Duke.

Military ranks and titles

Colonel of the Life Cuirassier Regiment (July 4) (Russian Imperial Guard) Admiral General (December 20) (Imperial Russian Navy)

Around historical figures, cultural figures, artists and politicians always collect an incredible amount of myths, gossip and rumors. The Russian Empress Catherine II was no exception. According to various sources, the children of Catherine II were born from her legal husband Peter III, favorites Grigory Orlov and Potemkin, as well as adviser Panin. Now it is difficult to say which rumors are true and which are fiction, and how many children Catherine II had.

Children of Catherine II and Peter III

Pavel Petrovich- the first child of Catherine II from Peter III, was born on September 20 (October 1), 1754 in the Summer Imperial Palace in St. Petersburg. Present at the birth of the heir to the empire were the current Empress of Russia Elizaveta Petrovna, the future Emperor Peter III and the Shuvalov brothers. The birth of Paul was an extremely important and anticipated event for the empress, so Elizabeth organized festivities on this occasion and took upon herself all the troubles of raising the heir. The Empress hired a whole staff of nannies and educators, completely isolating the child from his parents. Catherine II had almost no contact with Pavel Petrovich and had no opportunity to influence his upbringing.

It should be noted that the heir’s father doubted his paternity, although Catherine II herself categorically denied all suspicions. There were doubts at court as well. Firstly, the child appeared after 10 years of marriage, when everyone at court was sure of the couple’s infertility. Secondly, it is not known for certain what caused the long-awaited pregnancy of Catherine II: the successful cure of Peter III from phimosis by surgical intervention(as the empress states in her memoirs) or the appearance at court of the handsome nobleman Sergei Saltykov, Catherine’s first favorite. To be fair, it is worth noting that Pavel had an extreme external resemblance to Peter III and was completely different from Saltykov.

Anna Petrovna

Princess Anna was born on December 9 (20), 1757 in the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg. As in the case of Paul, Empress Elizabeth immediately took the baby to her chambers for upbringing, forbidding her parents to visit her. In honor of the birth of a girl, 101 shots were fired from the Peter and Paul Fortress around midnight. The baby was named Anna in honor of the Empress Elizabeth's sister, although Catherine intended to name her daughter Elizabeth. The baptism was carried out almost secretly: there were no guests or representatives of other powers, and the empress herself entered the church through a side door. For the birth of Anna, both parents received 60,000 rubles, which greatly delighted Peter and offended Catherine. The children of Catherine II from Peter grew up and were raised by strangers - nannies and teachers, which deeply saddened the future empress, but completely suited the current empress.

Stanislav August Poniatowski

Peter doubted his paternity and did not hide it; there were rumors at court that the real father was Stanislav Poniatowski, the future king of Poland. Anna lived for just over a year and died after a short illness. For Catherine II, the death of her daughter was a strong blow.

Illegitimate children

Children of Catherine II and Grigory Orlov

Alexey Bobrinsky

The relationship between Catherine II and Grigory Orlov was quite long, so many are inclined to the idea that the empress gave birth to several children about the count. However, information has been preserved about only one child - Alexei Bobrinsky. It is unknown whether Orlov and Catherine II had any more children, but Alexei is the official offspring of the couple. The boy became the first illegitimate child of the future empress and was born on April 11-12 (22), 1762 at the Summer Palace in St. Petersburg.

Immediately after birth, the boy was transferred to the family of Vasily Shkurin, Catherine’s wardrobe master, where he was brought up with Vasily’s other sons. Orlov recognized his son and secretly visited the boy with Catherine. The son of Catherine II from Grigory Orlov, despite all the efforts of his parents, grew up to be a mediocre and infantile man. Bobrinsky’s fate cannot be called tragic - he received a good education, arranged his life well thanks to government funding, and even supported friendly relations with brother Paul after his coronation.

Other children of Orlov and Catherine II

In various sources you can find references to other children of the empress and favorite, but there is not a single fact or document confirming their existence. Some historians are inclined to believe that Catherine II had several failed pregnancies, while others talk about stillborn children or those who died in infancy. There is also a version about Grigory Orlov’s illness and his inability to bear children after it. However, the count, having married, became a father again.

Children of Catherine II and Grigory Potemkin

Just like with Orlov, Catherine II had a close relationship with Potemkin for a long time, which is why there are many myths around this union. According to one version, Prince Potemkin and Catherine II had a daughter, born on July 13, 1775 in the Prechistensky Palace in Moscow. Existence itself Elizaveta Grigorievna Tyomkina There is no doubt - such a woman really existed, she even left behind 10 children. Tyomkina's portrait can be seen in the Tretyakov Gallery. What’s more important is that the woman’s origins are unknown.

The main reason for doubt that Elizabeth is the daughter of Potemkin and the Empress is the age of Catherine II at the time of the girl’s birth: at that time the Empress was about 45 years old. At the same time, the baby was transferred to be raised by the family of the prince’s sister; Potemkin appointed his nephew as guardian. The girl received a good education, Grigory allocated significant sums for her maintenance and worked hard for the marriage of his intended daughter. IN in this case it is more obvious that Elizabeth’s father was Grigory Potemkin, and her mother could well have been one of his favorites, and not Empress Catherine.

Other illegitimate children of Catherine II

It is not known for certain how many children Empress Catherine II had and what their fate was. Various sources call different quantities children, mention different fathers. According to some versions, miscarriages and stillborn babies were attributed to Catherine’s union with Potemkin, as well as with Orlov, but no evidence of this has survived.