Ekaterina Ivanovna Nelidova is known as the favorite of the Russian emperor Paul I. She was one of the first graduates of the Smolny Institute. She was related to Varvara Arkadyevna Nelidova (secret favorite of Emperor Nicholas I). This article will focus on her biography and personal life.
Childhood and youth
Ekaterina Ivanovna Nelidova passed from the noble family of the Nelidovs, which was founded in the 16th century. Her father, Ivan Dmitrievich, was a lieutenant; her husband's name was Anna Alexandrovna Simonova.
Ekaterina Ivanovna Nelidova was born in 1756 in the village of Klemyatino, Dorogobuzh district. At nine, she was already admitted to the newly founded Smolny Institute. She managed to attract the attention of teachers early thanks to her amazing grace and ability to dance.
In 1775, she graduated from the institute. She received a monogram from Empress Catherine II and a gold medal of the “second magnitude”.
Character Features
Among the peers, Ekaterina Ivanovna Nelidova was distinguished by her wit and cheerful carefree disposition. Confirmation of this can be found in the characteristic that Nelidova gave Catherine II. The Russian ruler noted that her appearance on the horizon turned into a real phenomenon.
Nelidova was an elegant girl of small stature, proportionately folded. At the same time, many note that she did not differ in natural beauty. Prince Ivan Dolgorukov wrote that the girl, although smart, was the face of a short, short, but noble posture.
Acting
Nelidova was distinguished by acting talents. For example, she took part in the play "Maid-maid." This is an opera buff in two acts, which was written by Giovanni Battista Pergolesi on the libretto of Gennaro Federico.
Nelidova played the main character - the servant Serpin, who, thanks to her dexterity, cunning and charm, wins the heart of the aristocrat Uberto. In Russia, it was especially popular during the reign of Catherine II.
In 1775, the Russian ruler even instructed the court painter Dmitry Grigoryevich Levitsky to draw a portrait of Ekaterina Ivanovna Nelidova in the image of Serpina, who was dancing a minuet.
When Katya played in the play, she was 15 years old. About her talent spoke well even in the capital's newspapers. A real secret adviser Alexei Andreevich Rzhevsky even wrote poems dedicated to her.
The maid of honor of the Grand Duchess
In 1776, Nelidova received the appointment of maid of honor from the Grand Duchess Natalya Alekseevna, who was the first wife of Pavel Petrovich, the future emperor. In 1776, she began pain during childbirth. She was accompanied by a midwife and a doctor. Contractions lasted several days, after which the doctors announced that the child was dead. Near the princess were Paul and Catherine II.
She could not give birth to a baby naturally, the doctors did not use either a cesarean section or obstetric forceps. The child died in the womb, infecting the mother's body. The Grand Duchess died five days later in torment.
It is known that Catherine II did not like her daughter-in-law, because of which diplomats gossiped that she did not allow doctors to save the daughter-in-law. As a result of the autopsy, it was found that the woman suffered from a defect that would not allow her to give birth to a baby naturally. The doctors of that time were not able to help her. The official cause of her death was declared curvature of the spine. It was this that led to the incorrect arrangement of the bones, which prevented the natural appearance of the child in the light.
After the death of Natalia Alekseevna Nelidova passed to the Grand Duchess Maria Fedorovna. Mary became the second wife of Emperor Paul I, who gave birth to future emperors Nicholas I and Alexander I.
Ekaterina Ivanovna was awarded the Order of Catherine of the Small Cross in 1797.
Favorite
When Paul I became emperor, she became a chamber-maid of honor. It is known that Ekaterina Nelidova was his favorite. However, some contemporaries claimed that the relationship between them was exclusively platonic. Often they communicated on religious and mystical topics. These hobbies were approved by Empress Maria Fedorovna.
Emperor Paul I himself claimed that he had a tender friendship with Nelidova, which at the same time remained pure and innocent. It is said that the favorite of Emperor Paul I, Ekaterina Nelidova, soon learned to successfully deal with his wayward and difficult temper. According to the memoirs of contemporaries, she claimed that God himself was destined to protect the sovereign, to instruct him for the common good.
Impact reduction
In 1795, the influence of Nelidova decreased due to numerous court intrigues, from which she was unable to emerge victorious. At the same time, trust in her on the part of the crown princess, who concluded a real friendly union, believing that this would turn out to be a blessing for the person whom they both loved, increased significantly.
Contemporaries claim that in 1796 a difficult time came in the biography of Ekaterina Ivanovna Nelidova. She had a quarrel with Pavel, because of which the favorite had to leave for Smolny. She settled there on an ongoing basis, only occasionally being at court.
Moreover, due to her influence on the emperor, she managed to ensure that many important posts were occupied by her relatives and friends. Among them were Arkady Nelidov, the Kurakin brothers, Sergey Ivanovich Plescheev, Fedor Fedorovich Buksgevden.
They say that she repeatedly managed to save the innocent from the wrath of the emperor, since his temper was very changeable. In some cases, she protected even the empress herself. For example, she managed to keep Paul from destroying the Order of St. George the Victorious.
Characterizing her, many noted that Nelidova herself did not have firm political convictions. In life and all her actions, she was guided by heart and moral motives.
Resignation
In 1798, the empress made many enemies, for example, Count Fedor Vasilievich Rostopchin and Count Ivan Pavlovich Kutaisov. They managed to convince Paul I that the spouse had too much influence over him, which the Russian tsar cannot afford. Kutaisov and Rostopchin claimed that Maria Fyodorovna acts along with her chamber-maid of honor Nelidova. As a result, Ekaterina Ivanovna was replaced by a younger, more sensitive and younger Anna Petrovna Lopukhina. Soon she turned into a new favorite of the emperor.
As soon as Lopukhina finally moved to the capital, the official resignation of Ekaterina Nelidova took place. She retired to the Smolny Monastery.
Life in the monastery
Soon after, she personally experienced the disgrace of the Russian ruler, whom she considered a warm friend. The emperor was unhappy with her active intercession for her spouse, who he also hoped to remove from the court, sending him into exile in Kholmogory. This is a village in the territory of the modern Arkhangelsk region.
Nelidova left Petersburg after her beloved friend Countess Buksgevden was expelled from the capital. She was sent to the Estonian castle of Lode, located within the current borders of Estonia. In 1798, Nelidova left for Revel (now this city is called Tallinn, the capital of Estonia).
Only after a year and a half she asked permission to return to her permanent residence in the Smolny Monastery.
The death of Paul I greatly shocked Nelidova. They say that she literally turned gray and grew old in a matter of days. At the same time, she maintained friendly relations with the Empress, which she maintained until the death of Maria Fedorovna. Moreover, her voice had a certain weight in deciding issues in the affairs of the royal family. In 1801, she returned to St. Petersburg, starting to help the empress in the management of educational institutions.
Favorite's death
Ekaterina Ivanovna Nelidova had no family. When her patroness Maria Fyodorovna died, soon almost everyone forgot about her. She lived her life alone in the Smolny Monastery.
Grand Duke Nikolai Mikhailovich noted that almost until the end of her life Nelidova retained a passionate and peculiar mind. She continued to captivate everyone around with conversation, while delivering many troubles with her increased demands and grudges.
Nelidova died in 1839 at the age of 82. The last hours she spent with her pupil and niece, Princess Trubetskoy, wife of Prince Nikita Petrovich Trubetskoy. She was buried opposite the Smolny monastery, in which she spent the last years of her life, in the territory of the Okhten cemetery.
After her death, many personal papers were preserved, among which was personal correspondence with the empress. It was published by Princess Elizabeth Trubetskoy. At the same time, her diary was confiscated after death, delivering it to Nicholas I for review. His further fate is unknown.