Hobbies of Peter 3. Unknown Emperor Peter III (7 photos). Contemporaries about Peter

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The relationship between Catherine and Peter III did not work out from the very beginning. The husband not only took numerous mistresses, but also openly declared that he intended to divorce his wife for the sake of Elizaveta Vorontsova. There was no need to expect support from Catherine.

Peter III and Catherine II

A conspiracy against the emperor began to be prepared even before his ascension to the throne. Chancellor Alexei Bestuzhev-Ryumin harbored the most hostile feelings towards Peter. He was especially irritated by the fact that the future ruler openly sympathized with the Prussian king. When Empress Elizaveta Petrovna became seriously ill, the chancellor began to prepare the ground for a palace coup and wrote to Field Marshal Apraksin to return to Russia. Elizaveta Petrovna recovered from her illness and deprived the chancellor of her ranks. Bestuzhev-Ryumin fell out of favor and did not finish his work.

During the reign of Peter III, Prussian rules were introduced in the army, which could not but cause indignation among the officers. It is worth noting that the emperor made no attempts to become acquainted with Russian customs and ignored Orthodox rituals. The conclusion of peace with Prussia in 1762, according to which Russia voluntarily gave up East Prussia, became another reason for dissatisfaction with Peter III. In addition, the emperor intended to send the guard on a Danish campaign in June 1762, the goals of which were completely unclear to the officers.

Elizaveta Vorontsova

The conspiracy against the emperor was organized by guard officers, including Grigory, Fedor and Alexei Orlov. Due to the controversial foreign policy of Peter III, many officials joined the conspiracy. By the way, the ruler received reports of an impending coup, but he did not take them seriously.

Alexey Orlov

On July 6, 1762 (old style) he died. Historians are unanimous in the opinion that Catherine did not give the order to kill Peter, while at the same time experts emphasize that she did not prevent this tragedy. According to the official version, Peter died of illness - during the autopsy, signs of heart dysfunction and apoplexy were allegedly discovered. But most likely his killer was Alexey Orlov. Peter was buried in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra. Subsequently, several dozen people pretended to be the surviving emperor, the most famous of them being the leader of the Peasant War, Emelyan Pugachev.

There have been incomprehensible characters in Russian history. One of these was Peter III, who, by the will of fate, was destined to become the Russian emperor.

Peter-Ulrich was the son of Anna Petrovna, the eldest daughter, and the Duke of Holstein, Kal - Friedrich. The heir to the Russian throne was born on February 21, 1728.

Anna Petrovna died three months after the birth of the boy, from consumption. At the age of 11, Peter-Ulrich will lose his father.

Peter-Ulrich's uncle was the Swedish king Charles XII. Peter had rights to both the Russian and Swedish thrones. From the age of 11, the future emperor lived in Sweden, where he was brought up in the spirit of Swedish patriotism and hatred of Russia.

Ulrich grew up as a nervous and sickly boy. This was largely due to the manner of his upbringing.

His teachers often took humiliating and harsh punishments towards their ward.

The character of Peter-Ulrich was simple-minded; there was no particular malice in the boy.

In 1741, Peter-Ulrich's aunt became Empress of Russia. One of her first steps at the head of the state was the proclamation of an heir. The Empress named Peter-Ulrich as his successor.

Why? She wanted to establish the paternal line on the throne. And her relationship with her sister, Peter’s mother, Anna Petrovna, was very, very warm.

After the proclamation of the heir, Peter-Ulrich came to Russia, where he converted to Orthodoxy and at baptism received a new name Peter Fedorovich.

When Empress Elizaveta Petrovna first saw Peter, she was unpleasantly surprised. The heir had a mediocre mind, had a low level of education and an unhealthy appearance.

A teacher, Jacob Shtelin, was immediately assigned to Pyotr Fedorovich, who tried to instill in his student a love of Russia and teach the Russian language. In 1745, Peter III married Sophia Frederica Augusta of Anhalt-Zerbst. At baptism, the lady received the name Ekaterina Alekseevna, and again, by the will of fate, after some time she took the Russian throne and went down in history under the name.

The relationship between Pyotr Fedorovich and Ekaterina Alekseevna immediately went wrong. Catherine did not like the immaturity and limitations of her husband. Peter did not intend to grow up, and continued to give himself up to children's amusements, playing with soldiers, and with great gusto. On December 25, 1761, Empress Elizabeth Petrovna died and Peter Fedorovich ascended the Russian throne, although it is worth noting that he did not have time to be crowned.

First of all, having ascended the Russian throne, he did an unprecedented thing. Let me remind you that Russia participated in the war, on the battlefields of which its military genius was tempered. The Seven Years' War developed so successfully that it was possible to put an end to the existence of the German state, or at least oblige Prussia to pay a huge indemnity and extract favorable trade agreements from it.

Peter III was a long-time and great admirer of Frederick II, and instead of benefiting from a successful war, the emperor concluded a gratuitous peace with Prussia. This could not please the Russian people, who, with their courage and blood, achieved success on the battlefields of that war. This step cannot be described as anything other than betrayal or tyranny.

In the domestic political field, Peter III launched active activities. In a short time, he issued a huge number of legal acts, among which stands out the manifesto on the freedom of the nobility - the liquidation of the Secret Chancellery, which dealt with political crimes and the fight against dissent. Under Peter, the persecution of Old Believers was stopped. In the army, he imposed Prussian orders, and in a short time turned a significant part of Russian society against himself.

Pyotr Fedorovich did not act within the framework of a specific political program. According to historians, most of his actions were chaotic. Society's dissatisfaction intensified, which ultimately resulted in a coup d'etat in 1762, after which Ekaterina Alekseevna, the wife of Peter III, ascended the throne, whom Russian history will remember as Catherine II.

Peter died in a suburb of St. Petersburg under mysterious circumstances. Some believe that he was overcome by a fleeting illness, others that conspirators - supporters of Catherine II - helped him die. The short reign of Peter III, which lasted about six months, from December 1761 to July 1762, can be described in one word - a misunderstanding.

Peter III Fedorovich Romanov

Peter III (Pyotr Fedorovich Romanov , birth nameKarl Peter Ulrich of Holstein-Gottorp; February 21, 1728, Kiel - July 17, 1762, Ropsha- Russian Emperor in 1761-1762, the first representative of the Holstein-Gottorp (or rather: Oldenburg dynasty, Holstein-Gottorp branches, officially bearing the name "Imperial House of Romanov")on the Russian throne, husband of Catherine II, father of Paul I

Peter III (in the uniform of the Preobrazhensky Life Guards Regiment, 1762)

Peter III

The short reign of Peter III lasted less than a year, but during this time the emperor managed to turn almost all influential forces in Russian noble society against himself: the court, the guard, the army and the clergy.

He was born on February 10 (21), 1728 in Kiel in the Duchy of Holstein (northern Germany). The German prince Karl Peter Ulrich, who received the name Peter Fedorovich after accepting Orthodoxy, was the son of Duke Karl Friedrich of Holstein-Gottorp and the eldest daughter of Peter I Anna Petrovna.

Karl Friedrich of Holstein-Gottorp

Anna Petrovna

Having ascended the throne, Empress Elizabeth Petrovna summoned the son of her beloved sister to Russia and appointed him as her heir in 1742. Karl Peter Ulrich was brought to St. Petersburg in early February 1742 and on November 15 (26) was declared her heir. Then he converted to Orthodoxy and received the name Peter Fedorovich

Elizaveta Petrovna

Academician J. Shtelin was assigned to him as a teacher, who was unable to achieve any significant success in the prince’s education; He was only interested in military affairs and playing the violin.

Pyotr Fedorovich when he was Grand Duke. Portrait of work G. H. Groot

In May 1745, the prince was proclaimed the ruling Duke of Holstein. In August 1745 he married Princess Sophia Frederica Augusta of Anhalt-Zerbst, the future Catherine II.

Peter Fedorovich (Grand Duke) and Ekaterina Alekseevna (Grand Duchess

Tsarevich Peter Fedorovich and Grand Duchess Ekaterina Alekseevna. 1740s Hood. G.-K. Groot.

The marriage was unsuccessful, only in 1754 their son Pavel was born, and in 1756 their daughter Anna, who died in 1759. He had a relationship with the maid of honor E.R. Vorontsova, niece of Chancellor M.I. Vorontsova. Being an admirer of Frederick the Great, he publicly expressed his pro-Prussian sympathies during the Seven Years' War of 1756-1763. Peter's open hostility to everything Russian and his obvious inability to engage in state affairs caused concern for Elizaveta Petrovna. In court circles, projects were put forward to transfer the crown to the young Paul during the regency of Catherine or Catherine herself.

Portrait of Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich as a child ( Rokotov F. S. , )

Peter and Catherine were granted possession of Oranienbaum near St. Petersburg

However, the empress did not dare to change the order of succession to the throne. The former duke, who was prepared from birth to occupy the Swedish throne, since he was also the grandson of Charles XII, studied the Swedish language, Swedish legislation and Swedish history, and from childhood he was accustomed to being prejudiced towards Russia. A zealous Lutheran, he could not come to terms with the fact that he was forced to change his faith, and at every opportunity he tried to emphasize his contempt for Orthodoxy, the customs and traditions of the country that he was to govern. Peter was neither an evil nor a treacherous person; on the contrary, he often showed gentleness and mercy. However, his extreme nervous imbalance made the future sovereign dangerous, as a person who concentrated absolute power over a huge empire in his hands.

Peter III Fedorovich Romanov

Elizaveta Romanovna Vorontsova, favorite of Peter III

Having become the new emperor after the death of Elizabeth Petrovna, Peter quickly angered the courtiers against himself, attracting foreigners to government positions, the guard, abolishing Elizabethan liberties, the army, concluding a peace unfavorable for Russia with defeated Prussia, and, finally, the clergy, ordering the removal of all icons from churches , except for the most important ones, shave their beards, take off their vestments and change into frock coats in the likeness of Lutheran pastors.

Empress Catherine the Great with her husband Peter III of Russia and their son, the future Emperor Paul I

On the other hand, the emperor softened the persecution of the Old Believers and signed a decree on the freedom of the nobility in 1762, abolishing compulsory service for representatives of the noble class. It seemed that he could count on the support of the nobles. However, his reign ended tragically.

Peter III is depicted on horseback among a group of soldiers.The Emperor wears the orders of St. Andrew the First-Called and St. Anne.Snuff box decorated with miniatures

Many were not happy that the emperor entered into an alliance with Prussia: shortly before, under the late Elizaveta Petrovna, Russian troops won a number of victories in the war with the Prussians, and the Russian Empire could count on considerable political benefits from the successes achieved on the battlefields. An alliance with Prussia crossed out all such hopes and violated good relations with Russia's former allies - Austria and France. Even more dissatisfaction was caused by Peter III's involvement of numerous foreigners in Russian service. There were no influential forces at the Russian court whose support would ensure the stability of rule for the new emperor.

Portrait of Grand Duke Peter Fedorovich

Unknown Russian artist PORTRAIT OF EMPEROR PETER III Last third of the 18th century.

Taking advantage of this, a strong court party, hostile to Prussia and Peter III, in alliance with a group of guards, carried out a coup.

Pyotr Fedorovich was always wary of Catherine. When, after the death of Empress Elizabeth, he became Russian Tsar Peter III, the crowned spouses had almost nothing in common, but much separated them. Catherine heard rumors that Peter wanted to get rid of her by imprisoning her in a monastery or taking her life, and declare their son Paul illegitimate. Catherine knew how harshly Russian autocrats treated hateful wives. But she had been preparing to ascend the throne for many years and was not going to give it up to a man whom everyone disliked and “slandered loudly without trembling.”

Georg Christoph Groot.Portrait of Grand Duke Peter Fedorovich (later Emperor Peter III

Six months after Peter III ascended the throne on January 5, 1762, a group of conspirators led by Catherine’s lover Count G.G. Orlov took advantage of Peter’s absence from the court and issued a manifesto on behalf of the imperial guard regiments, according to which Peter was deprived of the throne and Catherine was proclaimed empress. She was crowned Bishop of Novgorod, while Peter was imprisoned in a country house in Ropsha, where he was killed in July 1762, apparently with the knowledge of Catherine. According to a contemporary of those events, Peter III “allowed himself to be overthrown from the throne, like a child who is sent to bed.” His death soon finally cleared the path to power for Catherine.

in the Winter Palace the coffin was placed next to the coffin of Empress Catherine II (the hall was designed by the architect Rinaldi)

After the official ceremonies, the ashes of Peter III and Catherine II were transferred from the Winter Palace to the Cathedral of the Peter and Paul Fortress

This allegorical engraving by Nicholas Anselen is dedicated to the exhumation of Peter III

Tombs of Peter III and Catherine II in the Peter and Paul Cathedral

Hat of Emperor Peter III. 1760s

Ruble Peter III 1762 St. Petersburg silver

Portrait of Emperor Peter III (1728-1762) and view of the monument to Empress Catherine II in St. Petersburg

Unknown Northern Russian carver. Plaque with a portrait of Grand Duke Peter Fedorovich. St. Petersburg (?), ser. 19th century. Mammoth tusk, relief carving, engraving, drilling

Series of messages " ":
Part 1 - Peter III Fedorovich Romanov

(Start)

Petr Fedorovich and Ekaterina Alekseevna. In 1742, Elizabeth declared the heir of her nephew, the grandson of Peter the Great (and the grandson of the sister of Charles XII of Sweden), Duke of Schleswig-Holstein Karl Peter Ulrich. For the Russian people, he was the same German prince as those from whom Russian society was freed in 1741 and who were so hateful to him. Elizabeth soon began to consider this choice, or, better to say, the necessity of this choice, as a serious misfortune. The fourteen-year-old orphaned Duke was transported from Holstein to Russia, found a second mother in Elizabeth, converted to Orthodoxy, and began to receive a Russian education instead of a German one. In 1745 they rushed to marry him. The issue of a bride was discussed at court for a very long time, because marriage was given political significance and they were afraid of making a mistake. Finally, Elizabeth settled on the person that, in contrast to Bestuzhev, the French-Prussian party pointed out, which Frederick of Prussia also pointed out - Princess Sophia-Augustus-Frederike of Anhalt-Zerbst. Her father was only a general in the Prussian service, commandant of Stetin; The mother, in caring for a rather poor household, managed to lose her sense of tact and good character, acquiring a penchant for money-grubbing and gossip. The bride and her mother came to Russia, converted to Orthodoxy and were named Ekaterina Alekseevna; On August 25, 1745, the wedding of 17-year-old Peter and 16-year-old Catherine took place. But everyone noticed that the groom was cold towards the bride and was directly quarreling with his future mother-in-law. However, Catherine’s mother showed her quarrelsome character towards everyone and therefore was sent from Russia in the same 1745. The young couple remained as if alone in the large Elizabethan palace, being cut off from the German environment, from the environment of their childhood. Both husband and wife had to define their own identities and their relationships at court.

Grand Duke Peter Fedorovich (future Peter III) and Grand Duchess Ekaterina Alekseevna (future Catherine II)

Pyotr Fedorovich was a man weakly gifted both physically and mentally; he lost his mother and father early and remained in the hands of Marshal Brümmer, who was more of a soldier than an educated man, more of a groom than a teacher. Peter's childhood passed in such a way that nothing good could be remembered. His upbringing was neglected, as was his education. Brümmer established such a routine of life for his pupil, which could not help but upset his health, which was already weak: for example, during long classes the boy had no exercise and did not eat until two o’clock in the afternoon. And at lunchtime, the sovereign duke often only watched from the corner as his servants ate lunch, which he himself was denied by the teachers. By feeding the boy poorly, he was not allowed to develop, which is why he became lethargic and weak. Moral education was neglected: kneeling on peas, decorating with donkey ears, blows of a whip and even beating with anything were a common means of pedagogical persuasion. A series of moral humiliations in front of the courtiers, rude shouts from Brummer and his impudent antics could not, of course, develop in the prince either sound moral concepts or a sense of human dignity. Mental education was also bad. Peter studied many languages, many subjects, but he was taught by force, not in accordance with his weak abilities, and he learned little and became disgusted with learning. Latin, which at that time was obligatory for every educated person, became so boring to him that he forbade placing Latin books in his library in St. Petersburg. When he came to Russia and Elizabeth met him, she was surprised at the poverty of his knowledge. They began to teach him again, this time in the Orthodox Russian way. But science was hampered by Peter’s illness (in 1743–1745 he was seriously ill three times), and then by his marriage. Having learned the Orthodox catechism hastily, Peter remained with the views of a German Protestant. Getting to know Russia from the lessons of Academician Shtelin, Peter was not interested in it, was bored by the lessons and remained a very ignorant and undeveloped person with German views and habits. He didn’t like Russia and thought superstitiously that he wouldn’t do well in Russia. He was only interested in “fun”: he loved to dance, play childish pranks and play soldiers. He was interested in military affairs to the highest degree, but he did not study it, but amused himself with it and, like a German, was in awe of King Frederick, whom he wanted to imitate always and in everything and was never able to do anything.

Marriage did not and could not bring him to his senses because he did not feel his strangeness and had a very good opinion of himself. He looked down on his wife, who was immeasurably taller than him. Since they stopped teaching him, he considered himself an adult and, of course, did not want to learn from his wife either her tact, or her restraint, or, finally, her efficiency. He didn’t want to know any business; on the contrary, he expanded his repertoire of amusements and strange antics: he spent hours slapping rooms with a coachman’s whip, he practiced the violin unsuccessfully, he gathered together palace footmen and played soldiers with them, he held inspections of toy soldiers, and organized toy games. fortresses, posted guards and performed toy military exercises; and once, in the eighth year of his marriage, he was judged by military law and hanged the rat that had eaten his starched soldier. All this was done with serious interest, and it was clear from everything that these games of toy soldiers occupied him extremely. He woke up his wife at night so that she would eat oysters with him or stand watch in his office. He described to her in detail the beauty of the woman who captivated him and demanded attention to such a conversation that was offensive to her. Treating Catherine tactlessly and insulting her, he had no tact towards strangers and allowed himself various vulgarities: for example, in church during services, behind his aunt’s back, he mimicked the priests, and when the ladies-in-waiting looked at him, he stuck his tongue out at them , but so that the aunt would not see it: he was still very afraid of his aunt. Sitting at the table, he mocked the servants, doused their dresses, pushed dishes onto his neighbors and tried to get drunk as quickly as possible. This is how the heir to the throne, an adult and the father of the family behaved (in 1754 his son Pavel was born). “Peter showed all the signs of arrested spiritual development,” says S. M. Solovyov, “he was an adult child.” Empress Elizabeth understood Peter's qualities and often cried, worrying about the future, but she did not dare change the order of succession to the throne, because Peter III was a direct descendant of Peter the Great.

However, they did not lose hope of getting Peter used to business. Shtelin continued to introduce him to state affairs theoretically, and in 1756 Peter was appointed a member of the Conference, established, as we have seen, for particularly important matters. At the same time, as Duke of Holstein, Peter every week “on Monday and Friday, with his Holstein ministers, held the council and managed the affairs of his duchy.” All these worries had some result. Peter became interested in affairs, but not in Russia, but in Holstein. It is unlikely that he got to know them well, but he adopted the Holstein views, wanting to win the Holstein lands from Denmark and was very busy with the Holstein soldiers and officers, whom he was allowed to bring to Russia since 1755. In the summer he lived with them in the camps in Oranienbaum, adopted their soldierly manners and foppery, learned from them to smoke, drink like a soldier and dream of Holstein conquests.

Russian Empress Elizaveta Petrovna. Portrait by V. Eriksen

Peter's attitude towards Russia and Russian affairs was determined over time. He told his wife that “he was not born for Russia, that he was unsuitable for the Russians and the Russians were unsuitable for him, and he was convinced that he would die in Russia.” When the Swedish throne became vacant and Peter could not take it, although he had the right, he angrily said out loud: “They dragged me to this damned Russia, where I must consider myself a state prisoner, whereas if they had left me free, then now I would sit on the throne of a civilized people." When Peter was present at the Conference, he presented his opinions and in them revealed complete unfamiliarity with the political situation in Russia; He talked about Russian interests from the point of view of his love for the Prussian king. Thus, ignorance of Russia, contempt for it, the desire to leave it, Holstein sympathies and the absence of a mature personality distinguished the future Russian emperor. Chancellor Bestuzhev seriously thought about either completely removing Peter from power, or otherwise protecting the interests of Russia from his influence.

Peter's wife, Grand Duchess Ekaterina Alekseevna, was a completely different kind of person. Growing up in the modest family of an insignificant prince, a strict Protestant and a father, Catherine received some education, enhanced by her own powers of observation and sensitivity. As a child, she traveled a lot around Germany, saw and heard a lot. Even then, with her liveliness and abilities, she attracted the attention of observant persons: in Brunswick, one canon who was engaged in predictions remarked to her mother: “On your daughter’s forehead I see at least three crowns.” When Catherine and her mother were called to Russia, the purpose of the trip was no secret to her, and the lively girl managed to take her first steps at the Russian court with great tact. Her father wrote a number of rules of prudent restraint and modesty for her guidance. Catherine added her own tact and remarkable practical sense to these rules and charmed Elizabeth, won the sympathy of the court, and then the people. Not more than 15 years old, she behaved better and smarter than her leader, her mother. When the mother quarreled and gossiped, the daughter tried to gain mutual favor. She diligently studied the Russian language and Orthodox faith. Her brilliant abilities allowed her to make great progress in a short time, and at the baptism ceremony she read the creed so firmly that she surprised everyone. But news has been preserved that the change of religion for Catherine was not as easy and joyful as she showed to the empress and court. In pious embarrassment before this step, Catherine cried a lot and, they say, sought consolation from a Lutheran pastor. However, the lessons of the Orthodox teacher of the law did not stop there. “Ambition takes its toll,” one diplomat noted in this regard. And Catherine herself admitted that she was ambitious.

Catherine II after her arrival in Russia. Portrait by L. Caravaque, 1745

Not loving either her husband or Elizabeth, Catherine nevertheless behaved very well towards them. She tried to correct and cover up all her husband’s antics and did not complain about him to anyone. She treated Elizabeth with respect and seemed to seek her approval. In the court environment, she sought popularity, finding a kind word for everyone, trying to adapt to the morals of the court, trying to seem like a purely Russian pious woman. At a time when her husband remained a Holsteiner and despised Russians, Catherine wanted to stop being German and, after the death of her parents, renounced all rights to her Anhalt-Zerbst. Her intelligence and practical prudence forced those around her to see great strength in her and predict great court influence behind her. And indeed, over the years, Catherine occupied a prominent position at court; she was well known even among the masses. For everyone, she became more visible and prettier than her husband.

But Catherine's personal life was unenviable. Placed far from business and left for whole days by her husband, Catherine did not know what to do, because she had no company at all: she could not get close to the court ladies, because “she dared to see only maids in front of her,” in her own words; she could not get close to the circle of court men because it was inconvenient. All that remained was to read, and Catherine’s “reading” continued for the first eight years of her married life. At first she read novels: a chance conversation with the Swedish Count Gyllenborg, whom she knew back in Germany, directed her attention to serious books. She re-read many historical works, travels, classics and, finally, wonderful writers of French philosophy and journalistic literature of the 18th century. During these years, she received that mass of information with which she surprised her contemporaries, that philosophical liberal way of thinking that she brought with her to the throne. She considered herself a student of Voltaire, worshiped Montesquieu, studied the Encyclopedia and, thanks to constant thought, became an exceptional person in the Russian society of her time. The degree of her theoretical development and education reminds us of the strength of the practical development of Peter the Great. And both of them were self-taught.

In the second half of Elizabeth's reign, Grand Duchess Catherine was already a well-established and very prominent person at court. Much attention was paid to her by diplomats, because, as they find, “no one has so much firmness and determination” - qualities that give her many opportunities in the future. Catherine behaves more independently, is clearly at odds with her husband, and incurs Elizabeth’s displeasure. But Elizabeth’s most prominent “fit” people, Bestuzhev, Shuvalov, Razumovsky, now do not ignore the Grand Duchess, but try, on the contrary, to establish good but cautious relations with her. Catherine herself enters into relations with diplomats and Russian government officials, monitors the progress of affairs and even wants to influence them. The reason for this was Elizabeth’s illness: one could expect an imminent change on the throne. Everyone understood that Peter could not be a normal ruler and that his wife should play a big role with him. Elizabeth also understood this: fearing that Catherine would take any step in her favor against Peter, she began to treat her poorly and even downright hostile; Over time, Peter himself treats his wife the same way. Surrounded by suspicion and hostility and driven by ambition, Catherine understood the danger of her position and the possibility of enormous political success. Others also told her about this possibility: one of the envoys (Prussian) assured her that she would be an empress; The Shuvalovs and Razumovskys considered Catherine a contender for the throne; Bestuzhev, together with her, made plans to change the succession to the throne. Catherine herself had to prepare to act both for her personal protection and to achieve power after Elizabeth's death. She knew that her husband was attached to another woman (Eliz. Rom. Vorontsova) and wanted to replace his wife with her, in whom he saw a person dangerous to himself. And so, so that Elizabeth’s death does not take her by surprise and leave her defenseless in the hands of Peter, Catherine strives to acquire political friends for herself and form her own party. She secretly intervenes in political and court affairs, and corresponds with many prominent persons. The case of Bestuzhev and Apraksin (1757–1758) showed Elizabeth how great the importance of Grand Duchess Catherine was at court. Bestuzhev was accused of excessive respect for Catherine. Apraksin was constantly influenced by her letters. Bestuzhev's fall was due to his closeness to Catherine, and Catherine herself suffered the empress's disgrace at that moment. She was afraid that she would be expelled from Russia, and with remarkable dexterity she achieved reconciliation with Elizabeth. She began to ask Elizabeth for an audience to clarify the matter. And Catherine was given this audience at night. During Catherine’s conversation with Elizabeth, Catherine’s husband Peter and Ivan Iv were secretly behind the screens in the same room. Shuvalov, and Ekaterina guessed this. The conversation was crucial for her. Under Elizabeth, Catherine began to claim that she was not guilty of anything, and, to prove that she did not want anything, she asked the Empress to be released to Germany. She asked for this, being sure that they would do just the opposite. The result of the audience was that Catherine remained in Russia, although she was surrounded by surveillance. Now she had to play the game without allies and assistants, but she continued to play it with even more energy. If Elizabeth had not died so unexpectedly soon, then Peter III probably would not have had to ascend the throne, for the conspiracy already existed and Catherine already had a very strong party behind her. Catherine could not reconcile with her husband, she could not stand him; he saw in her an evil woman, too independent and hostile to him. “We need to crush the snake,” said the Holsteins surrounding Peter, conveying with this expression his thoughts about his wife. During Catherine's illness, he even directly dreamed of her death.

Thus, in the last years of Elizabeth, the complete inability of her heir and the great importance and intelligence of his wife were revealed. The question of the fate of the throne occupied Elizabeth very much; according to Catherine, the empress “looked with trepidation at the hour of death and at what could happen after it.” But she did not dare to dismiss her nephew outright. The court environment also understood that Peter could not be the ruler of the state. Many wondered how to eliminate Peter and came up with various combinations. It could have been eliminated by transferring the rights to the young Pavel Petrovich, and his mother Ekaterina would have received a larger role. It would be possible to put Catherine in power directly. Without her, the issue could not be resolved in any case (no one thought about the former Emperor John at that time). Therefore, Catherine, in addition to her personal qualities and aspirations, received great importance and was the center of political combinations and the banner of the movement against Peter. It can be said that even before Elizabeth’s death, Catherine became a rival to her husband, and a dispute began between them about the Russian crown.

Historical figures, especially when it comes to their native country, are always studied with interest. The reigning persons who stood at the helm of power in Russia exerted their influence on the development of the country. Some of the kings ruled for many years, others for a short time, but all the personalities were noticeable and interesting. Emperor Peter 3 did not reign for long, died early, but left his mark on the history of the country.

Royal roots

The desire of Elizabeth Petrovna, who has reigned on the Russian throne since 1741, to strengthen the throne along the line led to her declaring her nephew as heir. She did not have her own children, but her older sister had a son who lived in the house of Adolf Frederick, the future king of Sweden.

Karl Peter, Elizabeth's nephew, was the son of Peter I's eldest daughter, Anna Petrovna. Immediately after giving birth, she fell ill and died soon after. When Karl Peter was 11 years old, he lost his father. Having lost his short biography, he began to live with his paternal uncle, Adolf Frederick. He did not receive proper upbringing and education, since the main method of educators was the “whip”.

He had to stand in the corner for a long time, sometimes on peas, and the boy’s knees swelled from this. All this left an imprint on his health: Karl Peter was a nervous child and was often sick. By character, Emperor Peter 3 grew up to be a simple-minded man, not evil, and was very fond of military affairs. But at the same time, historians note: when he was a teenager, he loved to drink wine.

Heir to Elizabeth

And in 1741, she ascended the Russian throne. From that moment on, the life of Karl Peter Ulrich changed: in 1742 he became the heir of the Empress, and he was brought to Russia. He made a depressing impression on the empress: she saw in him a sickly and uneducated young man. Having converted to Orthodoxy, he was named Peter Fedorovich, and during the days of his reign his official name was Peter 3 Fedorovich.

For three years, educators and teachers worked with him. His main teacher was academician Jacob Shtelin. He believed that the future emperor was a capable young man, but very lazy. After all, during three years of study, he mastered the Russian language very poorly: he wrote and spoke illiterately, and did not study traditions. Pyotr Fedorovich loved to boast and was prone to cowardice - these qualities were noted by his teachers. His official title included the words: “Grandson of Peter the Great.”

Peter 3 Fedorovich - marriage

In 1745, the marriage of Pyotr Fedorovich took place. The princess became his wife. She also received her name after accepting Orthodoxy: her maiden name was Sophia Frederica Augusta of Anhalt-Zerbst. This was the future Empress Catherine II.

A wedding gift from Elizaveta Petrovna was Oranienbaum, near St. Petersburg, and Lyubertsy, Moscow Region. But the marital relationship between the newlyweds does not work out. Although in all important economic and business matters, Pyotr Fedorovich always consulted with his wife and felt trust in her.

Life before the coronation

Peter 3, his short biography speaks of this, did not have a marital relationship with his wife. But later, after 1750, he underwent surgery. As a result, they had a son, who in the future became Emperor Paul I. Elizaveta Petrovna was personally involved in raising her grandson, immediately taking him away from his parents.

Peter was pleased with this state of affairs and increasingly moved away from his wife. He was interested in other women and even had a favorite, Elizaveta Vorontsova. In turn, in order to avoid loneliness, she had a relationship with the Polish ambassador - Stanislav August Poniatowski. The couples were on friendly terms with each other.

Birth of a daughter

In 1757, Catherine’s daughter is born, and she is given the name Anna Petrovna. Peter 3, whose short biography proves this fact, officially recognized his daughter. But historians, of course, have doubts about his paternity. In 1759, at the age of two, the child fell ill and died of smallpox. Peter had no other children.

In 1958, Pyotr Fedorovich had a garrison of soldiers numbering up to one and a half thousand under his command. And all his free time he devoted himself to his favorite pastime: training soldiers. The reign of Peter 3 has not yet begun, but he has already aroused the hostility of the nobility and people. The reason for everything was undisguised sympathy for the King of Prussia, Frederick II. His regret that he became the heir of the Russian Tsar, and not the Swedish king, his reluctance to accept Russian culture, his poor Russian language - all together turned the masses against Peter.

Reign of Peter 3

After the death of Elizabeth Petrovna, at the end of 1761, Peter III was proclaimed emperor. But he had not yet been crowned. What policy did Peter Fedorovich begin to pursue? In his domestic policy, he was consistent and took as a model the policy of his grandfather, Peter I. Emperor Peter 3, in short, decided to become the same reformer. What he managed to do during his short reign laid the foundation for the reign of his wife, Catherine.

But he made a number of mistakes in foreign policy: he stopped the war with Prussia. And he returned those lands that the Russian army had already conquered to King Frederick. In the army, the emperor introduced the same Prussian rules, was going to carry out the secularization of the lands of the church and its reform, and was preparing for war with Denmark. With these actions of Peter 3 (a short biography proves this), he turned the church against himself.

Coup

Reluctance to see Peter on the throne was expressed before his ascension. Even under Elizaveta Petrovna, Chancellor Bestuzhev-Ryumin began to prepare a conspiracy against the future emperor. But it so happened that the conspirator fell out of favor and did not finish his job. Against Peter, shortly before the death of Elizabeth, an opposition was formed, consisting of: N.I. Panin, M.N. Volkonsky, K.P. Razumovsky. They were joined by officers of two regiments: Preobrazhensky and Izmailovsky. Peter 3, in short, was not supposed to ascend to the throne; instead they were going to elevate Catherine, his wife.

These plans could not be realized due to Catherine’s pregnancy and childbirth: she gave birth to a child from Grigory Orlov. In addition, she believed that the policies of Peter III would discredit him, but would give her more comrades. According to established tradition, Peter went to Oranienbaum in May. On June 28, 1762, he went to Peterhof, where Catherine was to meet him and organize celebrations in his honor.

But instead she hurried to St. Petersburg. Here she took the oath of allegiance from the Senate, the Synod, the guard and the masses. Then Kronstadt swore allegiance. Peter III returned to Oranienbaum, where he signed his abdication of the throne.

End of the reign of Peter III

He was then sent to Ropsha, where he died a week later. Or was deprived of his life. No one can prove or disprove this. Thus ended the reign of Peter III, which was very short and tragic. He ruled the country for only 186 days.

He was buried in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra: Peter was not crowned, and therefore he could not be buried in the Peter and Paul Cathedral. But the son, becoming emperor, corrected everything. He crowned the remains of his father and reburied them next to Catherine.