The reign of Empress Catherine II was overshadowed by both the mass of social problems that arose in the Russian Empire and the unprecedented scale of favoritism. Young boyfriends surrounding the empress had a sharply negative impact on the domestic and foreign policies of the state. Representatives of the upper strata of the nobility began to seek personal profit through flattery by the new favorites of Catherine the Great, thereby undermining all moral standards and social principles of that time. Naturally, in no way can we underestimate the enormous significance in the development of Russia that the era of the reign of the empress has. However, we will not describe in detail the state deeds and exploits of Catherine II, but try to talk about the personal life of a woman who left a truly indelible mark in the history of our country.
Princess fike
The future “Divine Grace Empress and Autocrat All-Russian” Catherine, who received the title “Great” from her contemporaries, was born on April 21, 1729 in the Prussian town of Stettin. Major General, Colonel of the Prussian Army Christian August Anhalt-Zerbst and his wife, Johannes Elizabeth, gave their first-born daughter - a beautiful German name - Sofia Augusta Frederick. Despite the fact that the girl’s parents were related to many royal houses in Europe (her father had the title of prince and later became the owner of the German princedom Zerbst, and her mother was a nee princess of Holstein-Gottorp), her childhood was a little like the life of a person of “royal blood” . Living in an ordinary German house, Fick, as her parents affectionately called her daughter, received the usual home education for a girl from a bourgeois family of that time, which necessarily included the ability to cook and clean.
The beginning of the "royal" path
In 1744, under the patronage of the Prussian King Frederick the Great, Sophia Augusta and her mother were called by the Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, who was looking for a bride for her son, to St. Petersburg. In Russia, the German princess was baptized and, according to Orthodox tradition, received the name Ekaterina Alekseevna. In 1745, she married the Grand Duke Peter Fedorovich, the future Emperor Peter III. The family life of the young from the very beginning did not succeed. The heir to the throne, either because of his infantility or dementia, or simply because of “dislike”, was very cold with his wife. Even on the wedding night, he did not pay any attention to the young bride. She, distinguished by an indefatigable sexual temperament, simply needed male attention and, according to contemporaries, immediately after the wedding began to flirt openly with her gentlemen.
First serious love
During the life of her husband, the future empress had a secret lover. It was Sergei Vasilyevich Saltykov (1726-1765), a noble nobleman of the grand ducal family, who had the rank of chamberlain under the Grand Duke. Saltykov at the time of their acquaintance turned 26 years old. He became the first favorite of Catherine II and the only one who was older than her. The relationship between the young people lasted from 1752 to 1754, until the birth of the son of Catherine - the heir to the throne - Pavel Petrovich. Many contemporaries attributed to Saltykov the true fatherhood of Paul. Whether it is true or not, it is not known for certain that the Empress herself never refuted these rumors. As for Sergei Vasilievich - in the same year he was sent as an envoy to Europe, from where he corresponded with his beloved for a long time. It is from Saltykov that the favorites of Catherine the Great begin their countdown, whose portraits are well preserved to this day.
Second love: young Pole
Catherine, being a young, cheerful and very addicted woman, simply could not remain alone. In 1756, she had a new lover. It was Stanislav Augustus Poniatowski (1732–1798), a well-educated diplomat who soon became the Polish ambassador in St. Petersburg. According to rumors, it was from this connection that the future empress gave birth to daughter Anna in 1757, who died at the age of two. It is known that Pyotr Fedorovich knew about the relationship of his wife with a young Pole, and moreover, he supported them. The only powerful opponent of Catherine's "adventures" was the ruling empress - Elizaveta Petrovna. In 1758, she found out about the vicious relationship of her daughter-in-law, was very angry and ordered to immediately send the envoy back to Poland. Catherine retained the memory of her beloved and after a forced separation. In 1764, she, already an empress, helped Stanislav Augustus ascend to the throne of the Commonwealth.
Grigory Orlov (1734–1783)
What role did Grigory Grigorievich Orlov play in the fate of this woman? What does the story tell us? The future favorite of Catherine the Great was born on October 17, 1734 in the family of a retired major general - Grigory Ivanovich Orlov. The childhood of Gregory and his four brothers passed in an atmosphere of love, harmony and warmth. The head of the family, who was an indisputable authority, never allowed quarrels or scandals in the family. The Orlovs received the usual home education for people of their circle, where special attention was paid to military affairs and physical training. The brothers differed from most peers in their tall growth, heroic article and great strength. In 1749, Gregory entered the St. Petersburg Ground Cadet Corps, after which he was immediately enrolled in the elite guards Semenovsky regiment. The young man was very handsome, loved by women and had a passion for amorous adventures. At the same time, he was distinguished by courage and fearlessness, which allowed him to quickly rise to the rank of lieutenant and set off as part of the army for the Seven Years War.
Feats of arms
On the battlefield, the future favorite of Catherine 2, Orlov, showed himself to be a very brave warrior. The bloody battle near the German village of Zorndorf, where the Russian army met with the troops of the Prussian king Frederick II, brought glory to Gregory. During the battle, the desperate cavalry guard showed brilliant courage, amazing composure and great stamina. Being wounded three times, he remained in the ranks, rushed into the thick of the battle and tirelessly smashed the enemy. The news of the heroic deeds flew around the ranks of the soldiers, inspiring all Russian soldiers, and the Prussian army was defeated and put to flight. For the courage and bravery shown in the battle, Grigory Orlov was elevated to the rank of captain, and the war was over for him. The fact is that during the Battle of Zorndorf the adjutant of Friedrich, Count von Schwerin was captured. The responsible mission to deliver the prisoner to the court of Empress Elizabeth was entrusted to the young guard.
Acquaintance with the future Empress
In the spring of 1759, Gregory arrived in the northern capital, where he was immediately met by his brothers, Alexei and Fedor, who served as lieutenants of the Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky guards regiments, respectively. Trinity had fun indulging in fun revels, love affairs and card games. However, in 1760, Gregory was transferred from the guard to artillery and appointed adjutant of a very influential nobleman - Count Peter Ivanovich Shuvalov. Once in the center of court life, handsome Orlov meets thirty-year-old Catherine, attractive and sophisticated in love affairs, but at the same time an unhappy woman suffering from loneliness and humiliation from her husband. Grigory Grigoryevich fascinated the future empress with his youth, passion and adventurism. For a long time, lovers managed to hide their relationship from strangers.
Conspiracy against the Emperor
The Orlovs, known as brave and decent people, enjoyed great authority in the regiments of guards, which represented a serious power and support of the tsarist government. The brothers, in conversations with friends, began to create the image of the martyr for the Grand Duchess, gradually attracting an increasing number of nobles and military to their side. The arrogant behavior of the heir to the throne, Peter, also did not contribute to its popularity. The first opportunity to make a coup to the conspirators, which included the current (G. Orlov) and future (G. Potemkin) favorites of Catherine 2, was presented on December 25, 1761, on the day of the death of Empress Elizabeth. However, the Grand Duchess herself was completely at a loss, terribly panicked, and the moment was missed. However, the reason for the confusion of Catherine soon became known. She was in her fifth month of pregnancy, and all the courtiers were aware that it was Grigory who was the father of the child. The boy was born in April 1762, was named Alexei, received the title of Count and became the founder of the noble Bobrinsky family.
Palace coup
The first "steps" of Emperor Peter III (the conclusion of peace with Prussia and the dissolution of the guard, which was the main support of the Russian troops) caused great discontent in society. The Orlov brothers, combining the indignant military, decided to carry out a coup on the night of June 27-28, the purpose of which was to overthrow the emperor. Alexei Orlov brought Catherine from Peterhof to the capital, where they were met by Gregory and his associates. The guard regiments swore allegiance to the future autocrat, and from 9 a.m. in the Kazan Cathedral the ceremony of her coronation began. Peter III, being in Oranienbaum, was well aware of the hopelessness of his situation and dutifully signed the abdication. The empress was well aware of the enormous role of the brothers in her intronization and repeatedly repeated subsequently that she owed much to Orlov.
Grigory Orlov - favorite of Catherine the Great
After the coronation, Catherine, showering with titles, titles and awards of all her assistants, moved to the Winter Palace. Orlov, despite the estates donated by the empress, preferred to live next to his beloved. A truly wonderful time has come for him. Erected into the count's dignity, having received the rank of major general, Grigory Grigoryevich began to possess enormous power, he was always entrusted to the empress, and she discussed all state affairs with him. Catherine II passionately loved her favorite and was even seriously planning to marry Orlov. To dissuade the autocrat from such a step, with great difficulty, but still managed to Count Nikita Panin. Historians know his words: “Mother, we all obey the command of the empress, but who will obey Countess Orlov?” Gregory, according to eyewitnesses, also loved Catherine very much and presented her with expensive presents, the most famous of which is a huge diamond.
Life at court
Grigory Grigoryevich always supported the empress's endeavors and, to the extent possible, tried to help her in the management of the state. He did not have a thirst for power, which was felt by many of Catherine the Great's favorites, and his contemporaries spoke of him as a generous, gullible, and malicious person. Count Orlov was interested in science and philosophy, poetry and art. He provided support and patronage to the great Lomonosov, and after his death he was able to redeem all the works of the scientist and save them for posterity. He was one of the initiators of the campaign against the Turks with the goal of gaining access to the Black Sea. Although the empress did not let her lover go to war, he quickly found use. Grigory Orlov, the favorite of Catherine the Great, was sent to Moscow to fight the plague epidemic. He managed to show his organizational skills there and cleanse the city from a terrible infection in a month. Catherine met her lover as a hero, ordered to erect the Arc de Triomphe in his honor and cast a medal with a portrait of the count.
Bright star sunset
On April 18, 1772, Gregory was sent to Romania to negotiate with the Turks. During this trip, Orlov learned that Catherine II had a new favorite. It turned out to be Aleksei Semenovich Vasilchikov (1746–1813), the Cornet Life Guards Cornet, who belonged to a well-known noble family. Gregory interrupted the conference on August 28 and rushed to Petersburg, wanting to meet with the empress. Catherine at that time had already received a report from Count Panin with the news that Orlov had failed the negotiations, and decided to finally break up with him. The Empress denied her former lover an audience and sent him on an annual “vacation,” while endowing with rich annual maintenance, as well as thousands of serfs. In 1777, the count married his cousin, who soon became ill with tuberculosis and died. Grigory Grigoryevich could not stand her death, was damaged by reason and died on April 24, 1783.
Life does not stand still
Alexey Vasilchikov did not possess such outstanding data as the previous favorites of Catherine the Great had. Although he was 17 years younger than the empress, he was distinguished by a lack of education and quickly bored the empress. Of his advantages, one can distinguish only selflessness and the fact that he did not use his position at all. He was replaced in 1774 by Grigory Aleksandrovich Potemkin, who became one of the most famous people of his time, from whose connection Catherine gave birth to a daughter - Elizaveta Grigoryevna. The offspring of a poor noble family, Potemkin became a great statesman, friend and de facto co-ruler of the empress. At the “post” of favorite Grigory Alexandrovich was replaced by Pyotr Vasilyevich Zavadovsky, who also became a prominent dignitary. During the reign of Alexander I, the grandson of Catherine, he received the post of Minister of Education.
A few words in conclusion
Favorites of Catherine 2, who were mainly adjutants of the Most High Prince Potemkin, began to replace one another. Some of them, like the future hero of World War II, Alexei Petrovich Ermolov, gained fame and popular love. Most, as N. M. Sorotokina writes in her book “Favorites of Catherine the Great,” were engaged in frank money-grubbing, corruption, and emptied the state treasury. And the phenomenon of favoritism has become a dark spot on the entire history of the Russian state.
The most famous favorites of Catherine the Great
Photos of some of them you see in our article. Although this is not all the Empress’s favorites. The most famous favorites of Catherine 2 are: Alexei Petrovich Ermolov (future hero of the war with Napoleon), Grigory Alexandrovich Potemkin (great statesman of that era) and Platon Zubov, the last favorite of the Empress.