For the sake of this woman, the Tsar of all Russia Peter I sent his first wife, Evdokia Lopukhin, the last tsarina on the Russian throne, who did not have foreign blood in her veins, to eternal imprisonment in the Suzdal Pokrovsky monastery . Only an unfortunate accident prevented the favorite from entering into a legal marriage with him and ascending the throne of the world's largest power. Her name is Anna Mons. However, the inhabitants of Moscow called her the Queen of Kuku, or simply Monsikha. Our compatriots did not like Anna ...
Moscow daughter of German parents
Anna-Margretta von Monson (that is how the full name of the favorite of the sovereign Peter Alekseevich sounded) was born on January 26, 1672 in Moscow in the German settlement. Her father (a native of Westphalia), having arrived in Russia, was engaged, according to some sources, in the wine trade, and in others - in the jewelry business. But, one way or another, he managed to achieve success and by the time of the birth of his daughter was part of the circle of prosperous and respected inhabitants of the settlement.
It is known that twice his house was honored by the presence of Peter, still very young in those years, with his presence. In addition to Anna Margretta, the family had three more children. His wife, Modesta Mogerfleisch, led a lifestyle that has been inherent in the good German mistress for centuries. The whole world for her was limited to children, cuisine and the church. Of the other relatives, it is only known that her paternal grandfather was the chief vachmist of the cavalry.
Acquaintance with Peter and the beginning of the novel
It is not known exactly where and how Anna's fate brought the sovereign together, but it can be said with full certainty that this happened in 1690. However, she became the favorite of the Russian crown-bearer only two years later, with the assistance of the famous admiral Franz Lefort. By the way, evil tongues claimed that before that the admiral himself enjoyed the favor of a pretty German.
The young and loving Peter in those years brought her friend Elena Faderekh closer to her, but she was not destined to take a place in the sovereign’s heart for a long time, and in appearance she could not compete with her rival. Anna Mons did not leave intravital portraits, but contemporary writings that have reached us draw a woman of unprecedented beauty. However, there are many beauties in the world, but only rare darlings manage to keep the crown bearers in their power for a long time. Apparently, there was something in Anna that was stronger than external charms, and which gave her this magical feminine power.
The generous gifts of the monarch
Since 1703, five years before his wife Evdokia was forcibly tonsured as a nun, the tsar began to openly live with Anna in her house. Documents have been preserved that testify to the generous presentations with which Peter gave his favorite. One of them was his miniature portrait in a frame of diamonds, the value of which, at that time, should have been at least a thousand rubles, which was a huge amount.
In addition, among the gifts was a two-story house, built by his order with funds from the treasury. He was in a German settlement near the new Lutheran church - the current cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, which rises in the Starosadsky lane of the capital. Anna Mons and her mother received an annual pension of seven hundred and eight rubles. To crown it all, the king granted his favorite vast lands in the Duda volost of Kozelsky district with villages numbering about three hundred yards.
Dislike of Muscovites
As mentioned above, Muscovites did not like this woman. She was reproached with both non-Russian origin, and the bitter fate of Evdokia Lopukhina, who, through her fault, ended up in the monastery, and the money received by Anna from everyone whom she applied to the sovereign. But, obviously, the main reason was the envy that others felt at the sight of a luxurious house and a brilliant coach of a cute German woman.
From time immemorial, the German settlement was called Kukuy in Moscow. Hence the nickname given to the royal favorite - Kukuyskaya queen. The historian Guysen, the biographer of Per I, narrates that in all state institutions of those years there was an order to provide all kinds of assistance to Mrs. Mons and her mother, if they apply on their own business or with petitions for strangers. Mother and daughter made wide use of this privilege, while benefiting from it.
The unrequited love of Peter
Peter and Anna Mons were close for ten years and almost got married. What prevented this and put an end to their connection? Many researchers, studying their mail, which has reached a large volume to this day, pay attention to the fact that in the messages of Anna, written over a decade, there is not a single word about love, or at least just kind words. They are more reminiscent of business correspondence drawn up in German and Dutch - correct, competent, but devoid of any feelings.
Franz Wilbois, a Frenchman who, by the will of fate, appeared at the Russian court and left a description of his life and customs, argued that Peter I would undoubtedly marry Anna if she felt her sincere love for herself. But, alas, she saw in him only the emperor, intimacy with whom opens the gates of the earthly paradise, and by no means a beloved man. There is even reason to believe that the Queen of Kuku was disgusted with him, which she could not always hide. Peter, apparently, understood this, but for a long time could not part with it.
Favorite Crash
The end of their relationship was a chance. In 1703, a festival was held in Shlisselburg to mark the completion of the repair of the royal yacht. In the midst of the celebration, an accident occurred - the Saxon envoy F. Koenigsen fell into the water and drowned. After that, a love letter written by Anna Mons during the period of the Great Embassy of Peter and her locket was accidentally discovered in his personal belongings. Upon learning of this, the sovereign was extremely angry, and one day the traitor from a brilliant favorite turned into a disgraced and abandoned criminal.
Anna Mons was put under house arrest, to monitor compliance with which the king ordered the head of the detective order F. Romodanovsky. Only three years later she was allowed to visit the church. According to a secret denunciation, Anna was accused of witchcraft in order to regain the monarch's love. In this case, more than thirty people were arrested and interrogated. In 1707, the case was closed, but the house, once donated to her by Peter, was confiscated. Fortunately, jewels and almost all movable property remained.
End of life of a brilliant favorite
What happened to Anna Mons after breaking up with the king and all the misfortunes experienced? In 1711, she married the Prussian envoy Georg-John von Kaiserling, who died unexpectedly three months later. The cause of death has not been established. The young widow was comforted only by the fact that she became the heiress of the state of the deceased husband and his Courland estate. It is believed that her short marriage was not fruitless, but this is in doubt among historians. Anna Mons, her children and relatives - a topic that is still waiting for its researchers. It is possible that in the archives there are documents that can shed light on her.
Anna Mons, whose biography is largely typical of the favorites of the most august persons, died of consumption on August 15, 1714. Shortly before her illness, she managed to survive a stormy romance with the captive Swedish captain Karl-Johann von Miller, who bequeathed all her fortune before her death, but her mother, brother and sister managed to challenge this last will through court.