Russian tsarina (March 6, 1717) and empress (December 23, 1721), crowned May 7, 1724 and ruling the country from January 28, 1725 to May 6, 1727.

She was born on April 5 (15), 1684 in Lithuania. The daughter of the Latvian peasant Samuil Skavronsky (according to other sources, the Swedish quartermaster I. Rabe, but there is a legend that her mother belonged to the Livonian nobleman von Alvendahl, who made her his mistress, and Catherine is the fruit of this misalliance). Before the adoption of Orthodoxy, she bore the name Marta. She did not receive an education and until the end of her days she could only put a signature. She spent her youth in the house of pastor Gluck in Marienburg (now Aluksne, Latvia), where she was both a laundress and a cook. According to another legend, she gave birth to a daughter from the Livonian nobleman Tizenhausen, who lived less than a year. In order to put an end to the free behavior of the maid, the pastor married her to the Swedish dragoon Kruse, who soon disappeared in the war.

On August 25, 1702, during the capture of Marienburg by Russian troops, Martha became a war trophy and the mistress of a certain non-commissioned officer, later she got into the convoy B.P. Sheremetev, who gave her porter (laundress) A.D. Menshikov. In 1703, Peter I noticed her and was captivated by something in her (according to modern ideas, she was not a beauty, her facial features are incorrect). Martha became one of his mistresses; in 1704 she, baptized according to the Orthodox custom under the name of Ekaterina Alekseevna, was pregnant by Peter, in March 1705 they had two sons - Peter and Pavel. However, Catherine continued to live in the Menshikov house in St. Petersburg.

Gradually, the relationship between Peter and Catherine became closer (this can be seen from their correspondence in 1708). The king had many mistresses, whom he discussed with her, she did not reproach him and adapted to the royal whims, put up with his outbursts of anger, helped during epileptic attacks, shared with him the difficulties of camp life, imperceptibly becoming the actual wife of the king. She did not try to take direct part in solving political issues, but she had influence on the king. She acted as Menshikov's constant intercessor.

From 1709 she accompanied Peter on all campaigns and trips. In the Prut campaign of 1711, when the Russian troops were surrounded, she saved her husband and the army, giving the Turkish vizier her jewels and persuading him to sign a truce.

Upon returning to St. Petersburg on February 20, 1712, Peter married Catherine, their daughters Anna (later the wife of the Duke of Holstein) and Elizabeth (the future Empress Elizaveta Petrovna), then aged 3 and 5, performed the duties of maid of honor at the wedding. The marriage was almost secret, performed in a chapel that belonged to Prince. Menshikov.

From that time on, Catherine acquired a court, received foreign ambassadors, and met with European monarchs. Her descriptions, left by foreigners, said that she "doesn't know how to dress", her "low birth is conspicuous, and her court ladies are ridiculous". The clumsy wife of the reformer tsar was not inferior in willpower and endurance to her husband: from 1704 to 1723 she bore him 11 children, most of whom died in infancy, but frequent pregnancies did not prevent her from accompanying her husband on his wanderings. She could sleep on a hard bed, live in a tent and make many days of riding. In 1714, in memory of the Prut campaign, the tsar established the Order of St. Catherine and awarded his wife on her name day.

During the Persian campaign of 1722-1723, Catherine shaved her head and wore a grenadier cap. Together with her husband, she reviewed the troops, drove through the ranks before the battle. She placed all monetary gifts from her husband and other persons in the Amsterdam Bank - and this also made her different from the wives of the kings before her.

On December 23, 1721, the Senate and the Synod recognized her as empress. For her coronation in May 1724, a crown was made that surpassed the king's crown in splendor, Peter himself laid it on his wife's head. It is believed that he was going to officially proclaim her his successor, but did not do this when he learned about his wife's betrayal with chamberlain Willy Mons (his sister Modesta Balk was the empress's closest confidante). On November 16, 1724, Mons was beheaded, the colleges were forbidden to take orders from her, and a "questor" was imposed on her personal funds.

Relations between Peter and Catherine became strained. According to Y. Lefort, they no longer spoke to each other, did not dine, did not sleep together. In early January 1725, their daughter Elizabeth was able to bring her father and mother together. “The queen knelt before the king for a long time, asking for forgiveness for all her misdeeds; the conversation lasted more than three hours, after which they had dinner together and dispersed” (J. Lefort).

Less than a month later, Peter died.

Through the efforts of Menshikov, I.I. Buturlin, P.I. Yaguzhinsky, relying on the guards (the empress promised immediate payment of salaries to the guards, detained for 1.5 years and 30 rubles of reward for each soldier), she was enthroned under the name of Catherine I.

By agreement with Menshikov, she was not involved in state affairs. On February 8, 1726, she transferred control of the country to the Supreme Privy Council (1726–1730). Among the most significant events of this time is the opening of the Academy of Sciences on 19 November 1725, Vitus Bering sent an expedition to Kamchatka, improving diplomatic relations with Austria. Returned from exile shortly before her death P.P.Shafirov, instructing him to write a history of the deeds of his husband.

Having become an autocrat, she discovered a craving for entertainment and spent a lot of time at feasts, balls, and various holidays. This had a detrimental effect on her health. In March 1727, a tumor appeared on the Empress's legs, which quickly grew along her thighs. In April 1727 she fell ill, and on May 6 she died at the age of 43. She wanted to pass the throne to her daughter, Elizaveta Petrovna, but a few days before her death she signed a will on the transfer of the throne to the grandson of Peter I, Peter II Alekseevich, who was advocated by representatives of the clan nobility even during her accession to the throne (D.M. Golitsyn, V.V. Dolgoruky).

Natalya Pushkareva

Catherine 1 is the first Russian empress. Her biography is truly unusual: born into a peasant family, she, by chance, caught the eye of Emperor Peter I and became his wife, presented heirs and sat on the throne. However, her short reign can hardly be called brilliant: the empress was more interested in dresses than in governing the country, and did nothing significant for the state.

Early years

Marta Samuilovna Savronskaya was born on April 15, 1684. Any significant details of the biography of Catherine 1 are unknown to historians. There are 3 versions of its origin:

1. She was born on the territory of present-day Latvia in the family of a Latvian or Lithuanian peasant.
2. She was born in present-day Estonia in the family of a local peasant.
3. The surname "Savronskaya" could have Polish roots.

After the death of her parents, Marta ended up in the house of a Lutheran pastor who lived in the fortress of Marienburg. The girl was not taught to read and was used as a servant. According to another version, after the death of her husband, Martha's mother herself gave her as a servant.

At the age of 17, the girl married the Swedish dragoon Johann Kruse. The wedding took place on the eve of the entry of Russian soldiers into the city. 1-2 days after the wedding, the young husband went to war and went missing.

See you with Peter I

In August 1702, Count Sheremetiev captured Marienburg during the Northern War and ravaged it, he also captured 400 inhabitants. The pastor came to petition for their release, and the count noticed a pretty maid. Sheremetyev forcibly took her as his mistress.

1. A year later, Prince Menshikov became her patron, who even quarreled with Sheremetyev because of this.
2. Marta was taken with him by the dragoon colonel Baur, who later rose to the rank of general. He put her in charge of all the servants and entrusted the care of the house. Once she was noticed by Prince Menshikov. Having learned that Martha perfectly fulfills the duties of a servant, the prince decided to take her with him as a household manager.

However, both options do not put the future wife of the Russian emperor in the best light.

Life under the Emperor

Already in the autumn of 1703, Perth I noticed Martha and made him his mistress. In letters, he addressed her as Katerina Vasilevskaya.

In 1704, Martha gave birth to their first child, Peter, the following year, their second son, Pavel, but both died at an early age. In the same 1705, she arrived in Preobrazhenskoye, near Moscow, where she studied literacy.

In 1707-1708, Marta was baptized under the name of Ekaterina Alekseevna Mikhailova. Her godfather was Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich, the eldest son of Peter the Great and his heir. The surname was inherited from the emperor himself: under it he traveled incognito.

Meanwhile, the emperor became attached to his mistress: she knew how to cope with his tough temper and calm the headaches. In 1711, the emperor ordered that Catherine be considered his future legal wife and queen: due to the need to urgently go to war, the wedding was postponed. He also pointed out the need to obey her in the event of his death.

Catherine went with Peter I to the Prut campaign at the 7th month of pregnancy. The war was extremely unsuccessful: Russian soldiers were pressed to the river and surrounded. In honor of the worthy behavior of the future wife, after 2 years, Peter the Great established the Order of St. Catherine.

The wedding took place in February 1712. In 1724, the emperor suspected his wife of treason with the chamberlain and stopped talking to her. Reconciliation took place only at the death of Peter: he died in the arms of his wife in 1725.

Family and heritage issues

Empress Catherine 1 bore Peter 11 children, but almost all of them died in infancy. Only 2 girls survived: Anna (1708) and Elizabeth (1709). In 1710, Catherine's first husband was seen among the captured Swedes, so the legality of their birth and, accordingly, the right to inherit the throne, raised certain doubts. However, according to official figures, Kruse's soldier died in 1705.

After the death of the heir Alexei Petrovich, the main contender for the throne was the first son of Catherine I - Peter Petrovich. He was born at the end of 1715 and died at the age of 4.

After the death of the emperor, the throne passed to Catherine. This became possible thanks to the changes made by Peter the Great himself to the order of succession to the throne: from now on, anyone chosen by the monarch himself could become the heir. However, he did not have time to leave a will, and the “old” nobility decided to take advantage of this. They nominated the grandson of Peter the Great, the son of Tsarevich Alexei, Peter Alekseevich, as the only legitimate heir.

However, another group (counts Tolstoy, Golovkin, Menshikov) decided to act in favor of the emperor's wife. Enlisting the support of the guard, devoted to Peter and, accordingly, his wife, the legitimate heiress, on February 8, 1725, the coronation of Ekaterina Alekseevna took place.

Catherine I spent only 2 years on the throne and did almost nothing. However, politics was of little interest to her: being a weak, entertaining person, she preferred to spend time on entertainment. Many contemporaries speak of this in their descriptions of the ruler. The only exception concerned the fleet: Peter I "infected" his wife with love for the sea.

She reigned until April 1727, when, due to a severe cold, she fell ill and died a month later. Peter II Alekseevich became emperor.

Foreign and domestic policy

Instead, the country was ruled by Prince Menshikov and the Supreme Privy Council. The latter was created at the beginning of 1726 and represented a small circle of selected nobles: it included Princes Menshikov and Golitsyn, Counts Apraksin, Tolstoy and Golovkin, Baron Osterman, Duke Karl Friedrich of Holstein-Gottorp. The Supreme Council resolved all important issues, Catherine only signed documents without even reading them. The role of the Senate, renamed the High Senate, was sharply reduced, the local authorities created under Peter the Great were liquidated.

The activities of the Privy Council were mainly limited to solving minor issues: no reforms were carried out, important decisions were also postponed. Embezzlement and abuse of power flourished, the struggle for power within the Council itself.

The finances of the state were in a deplorable state: long wars devastated the treasury, rising prices for bread due to crop failure caused discontent.

Under Catherine, several transformations took place:

1. Poll tax reduced by 4 kopecks to prevent unrest among peasants.
2. Nobles are allowed to build manufactories and trade goods.
3. The opening of factories in the Urals, the city was named in her honor - Yekaterinburg.
4. The state monopoly was abolished and duties for merchants were reduced.
5. The Academy of Sciences was opened.
6. Bereng's first expedition to Kamchatka was equipped.
7. The Order of Saint Alexander Nevsky was established.

There were no special changes in foreign policy either: in the Caucasus, the corps under the leadership of Prince Dolgorukov tried to recapture the Persian territories, taking advantage of the turmoil and war. The Empress defended the interests of her daughter's husband, the Duke of Holstein, who claimed the Duchy of Schleswig. In 1726, the Treaty of Vienna was signed with Charles VI, which later became the basis of a military alliance between Russia and Austria.

Despite all the problems and inability, ordinary people loved Catherine the Great. She did not refuse petty help to those who asked, often acted as a goddaughter to the children of peasants and artisans.

The daughter of a peasant Marta, the future Russian Empress Catherine I, is known as the wife of Peter the Great, who managed to cope with his difficult character. Her reign was the first in a series of palace coups, the activity itself did not represent anything outstanding. All decisions were made by the Privy Council and did not require the approval of the ruler.

Ekaterina Alekseevna is an empress who has become one of the iconic figures in the history of Russia in the 18th century. It was with her that the so-called century of women on the Russian throne began. She was not a person of strong political will or statesmanship, however, due to her personal qualities, she left her mark in the history of the Fatherland. We are talking about Catherine I - first the mistress, then the wife of Peter I, and later the full-fledged ruler of the Russian state.

The secret is the first. Childhood

If we talk about the early years of this person, then you involuntarily come to the conclusion that there are more mysteries and uncertainties in her biography than genuine information. Her exact place of origin and nationality are still unknown - more than 300 years after her birth, historians cannot give an exact answer.

According to one version, Ekaterina Alekseevna was born on April 5, 1684 in the family of a Lithuanian (or maybe Latvian) peasant in the vicinity of Kegums, which was located in the historical region of Vidzeme. Then these territories were part of the most powerful Swedish state.

Another version testifies to her Estonian roots. It is said that she was supposedly born in the modern city of Tartu, which was called Derpt at the end of the 17th century. But it is also indicated that she did not have a high origin, but came from among the peasantry.

In recent years, another version has appeared. Catherine's father was Samuil Skavronsky, who served Kazimir Jan Sapieha. Once he fled to Livonia, settled in the Marienburg region, where he started a family.

Here is another nuance. Ekaterina Alekseevna - the Russian princess - did not have such a name, under which she went down in history. Her real name is Skavronskaya, named Martha, who was the daughter of Samuel. But it is not worthwhile for a woman with that name to occupy the Russian throne, so she received new "passport data" and became Ekaterina Alekseevna Mikhailova.

The second secret. adolescence

In Europe in those distant years, the plague was still dangerous. And her family could not avoid this danger. As a result, in the year of Martha's birth, her parents died from the Black Death. Only the uncle remained, who could not take on the duties of a parent, so he gave the girl to the family of Ernst Gluck, who was a Lutheran pastor. By the way, he is famous for his translation of the Bible into Latvian. In 1700, the Northern War began, in which Sweden and Russia were the main opposing forces. In 1702, the Russian army stormed the impregnable fortress of Marienburg. After that, Ernst Gluck and Martha were sent to Moscow as prisoners. After a while, under the receipt of the pastor, Fagecy settled in his house, in the German Quarter. Martha herself - the future Ekaterina Alekseevna - did not learn to read and write and was in the house as a servant.

The version given in the Brockhaus and Efron dictionary gives other information according to which her mother did not die from the plague, but lost her husband. Having been widowed, she was forced to give her daughter to the family of the same Gluck. And this version says that she studied literacy and various needlework.

According to the third version, she got into the Gluck family upon reaching 12 years old. Prior to that, Martha had lived with Veselovskaya Anna-Maria, her aunt. At the age of 17, she was married to the Swede Johann Kruse on the eve of the Russian offensive on the fortress of Marienburg. After 1 or 2 days he had to leave for the war, where he went missing.

Ekaterina Alekseevna enveloped her personality with such secrets of birth and early years. Her biography by no means becomes 100% clear from this moment on, various kinds of white spots will still appear in it.

Field Marshal Sheremetev in the life of Catherine

Russian troops at the beginning of the Northern War in Livonia were led by Sheremetev. He managed to capture the main one, after which the main forces of the Swedes retreated further. The victor subjected the region to merciless looting. He himself reported to the Russian tsar as follows: "... he sent in all directions to burn and captivate, nothing remained intact. Men and women were taken prisoner, everything was ruined and burned. Working horses and other cattle in the amount of 20,000 were taken, the rest was chopped and stabbed."

In the fortress itself, the field marshal captured 400 people. With a petition about the fate of the inhabitants, pastor Ernst Gluck came to Sheremetev, and here he (Sheremetev) noticed Ekaterina Alekseevna, who then had the name Marta Kruse. The aged field marshal sent all the inhabitants and Gluck to Moscow, and took Martha by force as his mistress. For several months she was his concubine, after which, in a heated quarrel, Menshikov took Martha from him, since then her life has been associated with a new military and political figure, Peter's closest associate.

Peter Henry Bruce version

In a more favorable offering for Catherine herself, the Scot Bruce described these events in his memoirs. According to him, after the capture of Marienburg, Martha was taken by Baur, a colonel of a dragoon regiment, and in the future a general.

Placing her in his home, Baur instructed her to take care of the household. She had the right to full control of the servants. What she did skillfully enough, as a result, earned the love and respect of her subordinates. Later, the general recalled that his house had never before been as well-groomed as it was under Martha. Once, Prince Menshikov, Baur's immediate superior, visited him, during which he noticed a girl, she turned out to be Ekaterina Alekseevna. There was no photo in those years to capture her, but Menshikov himself noted her extraordinary facial features and mannerisms. He became interested in Martha and asked Baur about her. In particular, whether she knows how to cook and run a household. To which he received an affirmative answer. Then Prince Menshikov said that his house was in fact without good supervision and needed just such a woman as our heroine.

Baur was greatly indebted to the prince, and after these words he called Martha and said that Menshikov was in front of her - her new master. He assured the prince that she would become a good support for him in the household and a friend on whom he could rely. In addition, Baur greatly respected Martha in order to prevent her "opportunities in receiving a share of honor and good fortune." Since that time, Catherine I Alekseevna began to live in the house of Prince Menshikov. It was 1703.

The first meeting of Peter and Catherine

On one of his frequent trips to Menshikov, the tsar met and then turned Martha into his mistress. There is written evidence of their first meeting.

Menshikov lived in St. Petersburg (then - Nienschanz). Peter was going to Livonia, but he wanted to stay with his friend Menshikov. That same evening, he saw his chosen one for the first time. She became Ekaterina Alekseevna - the wife (in the future) of Peter the Great. That evening she waited at the table. The tsar asked Menshikov who she was, from where and where he could get her. After that, Peter looked at Catherine for a long time and intently, as a result of which, in a joking manner, he said that she should bring a candle to him before going to bed. However, this joke was an order that could not be refused. They spent that night together. In the morning, Peter left, in gratitude he left her 1 ducat, in a military manner putting it in Martha's hand at parting.

This was the first meeting of the king with a servant girl who was destined to become an empress. This meeting was very important, because if it had not happened, Peter would never have known about the existence of such an unusual girl.

In 1710, on the occasion of the victory in Moscow, a triumphal procession was organized. The prisoners of the Swedish army were led across the square. Sources report that among them was Catherine's husband Johann Kruse. He announced that the girl who gives birth to children one after another to the king is his wife. The result of these words was his exile to Siberia, where he died in 1721.

Mistress of Peter the Great

The following year, after the first meeting with the Tsar, Catherine I Alekseevna gave birth to her first child, whom she named Peter, a year later a second child appeared - Pavel. They soon died. The tsar called her Marta Vasilevskaya, probably by the name of her aunt. In 1705, he decided to take her for himself and settled in the house of his sister Natalya in Preobrazhensky. There, Martha learned Russian literacy and became friends with the Menshikov family.

In 1707 or 1708 Marta Skavronskaya converted to Orthodoxy. After baptism, she received a new name - Ekaterina Alekseevna Mikhailova. She received her patronymic by the name of her godfather, who turned out to be Tsarevich Alexei, while the surname was given by Peter so that she would remain incognito.

Lawful wife of Peter the Great

Catherine was the beloved woman of Peter, she was the love of his life. Yes, he had a huge number of novels and intrigues, but he loved only one person - his Martha. She saw it. Peter I, as is known from the memoirs of his contemporaries, suffered from severe headaches. Nobody could do anything with them. Ekaterina Alekseevna was his "analgesic". When the king had another attack, she sat next to him, hugged him and stroked his head, in a few minutes he fell asleep soundly. After waking up, he felt fresh, cheerful, ready for new challenges.

In the spring of 1711, setting out on the Prut campaign, Peter gathered his relatives in Preobrazhensky, brought his chosen one in front of them and said that from now on everyone should consider her a lawful wife and queen. He also said that if he died before he could marry, then everyone should consider her the legitimate heir to the Russian throne.

The wedding took place only in 1712, on February 19, in the church of St. Isaac of Dalmatia. From that moment on, Ekaterina Alekseevna is Peter's wife. The couple were strongly attached to each other, especially Peter. He wanted to see her everywhere: when the ship was launched, at a military review, at holidays.

Children of Peter and Catherine

Katerinushka, as the tsar called her, bore Peter 10 children, however, most of them died in infancy (see table).

	Birth		Additional Information
			Not officially confirmed children born before marriage
	September 1705
Catherine			First daughter born out of wedlock named after mother
			First child not to die in infancy. In 1711 she was declared a princess, and in 1721 - a princess. In 1725 she married and went to Kiel, where her son Karl Peter Ulrich was born (later he would become the Russian emperor)
Elizabeth			In 1741 she became the Russian Empress and remained so until her death.
Natalia (senior)			First child born in marriage. Died at the age of 2 years and 2 months
margarita			Received such an atypical name for the Romanovs, perhaps in honor of the daughter of pastor Gluck, with whom she grew up
			He was declared and considered the official heir. Named after the king
			He was born in Germany, Peter himself at that time was in the Netherlands. Only lived one day
Natalya (younger)			Natalia became the last child of Catherine and Peter

Only with his two daughters is the further political history of the Romanov dynasty connected. Catherine's daughter ruled the country for more than 20 years, and Anna's descendants ruled Russia from 1762 until the fall of monarchical power in 1917.

Ascension to the throne

As you know, Peter was remembered as a reformer tsar. Regarding the process of succession to the throne, he did not bypass this issue. In 1722, a reform was carried out in this area, according to which the heir to the throne was not the first descendant in the male line, but the one who was appointed by the current ruler. As a result, any subject could become a ruler.

On November 15, 1723, Peter issued the Manifesto on the coronation of Catherine. The coronation itself took place on May 7, 1724.

In the last weeks of his life, Peter became very ill. And when Catherine realized that he would not recover from his illness, she called Prince Menshikov and Count Tolstoy to her so that they could work to attract those in power to her side, since Peter did not have time to leave a will.

On January 28, 1725, with the support of the guards and most of the nobles, Catherine was proclaimed empress, heir to Peter the Great.

Great Ekaterina Alekseevna on the Russian throne

The Russian imperial power during the reign of Catherine was not autocratic. In practice, power was in the hands of the Privy Council, although it was argued that the Senate, which under Catherine was renamed the Great Senate, had all its fullness. Unlimited power was vested in Prince Menshikov, the same one who took Marta Skavronskaya from Count Sheremetev.

Ekaterina Alekseevna - Empress without state affairs. She was not interested in the state, placing all her worries on Menshikov, Tolstoy and the Privy Council created in 1726. She was only interested in foreign policy and especially in the fleet, which she had inherited from her husband. The Senate lost its decisive influence during these years. All documents were developed by the Privy Council, and the function of the Empress was to simply sign them.

Long passed in constant wars, the burden of which completely fell on the shoulders of the common population. It's tired of it. At the same time, there were poor harvests in agriculture, and the price of bread rose. A tense situation was created in the country. In order to somehow defuse it, Catherine lowered the poll tax from 74 to 70 kopecks. Born Marta Skavronskaya, unfortunately, did not differ in her reformist characteristics, which her namesake, Empress Catherine II Alekseevna, was endowed with, and her state activity was limited to petty deeds. While the country was drowning in embezzlement and arbitrariness on the ground.

Poor education and non-participation in public affairs, however, did not deprive her of people's love - she drowned in it. Catherine willingly helped the unfortunate and just people asking for help, others wanted to see her as a godfather. As a rule, she did not refuse anyone and gave the next godson several chervonets.

Catherine 1 Alekseevna was in power for only two years - from 1725 to 1727. During this time, the Academy of Sciences was opened, the Bering expedition was organized and carried out, and the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky was introduced.

Departure from life

After the death of Peter, Catherine's life began to spin: masquerades, balls, festivities, greatly undermined her health. In April 1727, on the 10th, the empress fell ill, her cough intensified, and signs of lung damage were found. The death of Ekaterina Alekseevna was a matter of time. She had less than a month to live.

May 6, 1727, in the evening, at 9 o'clock, Catherine died. She was 43 years old. Just before her death, a will was drawn up, which the Empress could no longer sign, so her daughter Elizabeth's signature was there. According to the will, the throne was to be taken by Peter Alekseevich, the grandson of Emperor Peter I.

Ekaterina Alekseevna and Peter I were a good couple. They kept each other alive. Catherine acted magically, calming him, while Peter, in turn, restrained her inner energy. After his death, Catherine spent the rest of her time in festivities and drinking bouts. Many eyewitnesses claimed that she just wanted to forget herself, others talk about her walking nature. In any case, the people loved her, she knew how to win over men and remained the empress, having no real power in her hands. Catherine 1 Alekseevna began the era of the rule of women in the Russian Empire, who remained at the helm until the end of the 18th century with short breaks of several years.

The cook on the throne

On April 15, 1684, Marta Skavronskaya, the future second wife of Peter I and the Russian Empress, was born in Livonia. Her ascension is amazing for that time. Martha's origins are not exactly known. According to one version, she was born in the family of the Livonian peasant Skavronsky (Skovarotsky). According to another version, Martha was the daughter of the quartermaster of one of the regiments of the Swedish army, Johann Rabe. Parents died of the plague and the girl was given to the Lutheran pastor Ernst Gluck. According to another version, Martha's mother, having become a widow, gave her daughter to serve in the pastor's family.

At the age of 17, Martha was married to a Swedish dragoon named Johann Kruse. During the Northern War, the Russian army under the command of Field Marshal Sheremetev took the Swedish fortress of Marienburg. Sheremetev took the young girl he liked as his maid. A few months later, Prince Alexander Menshikov became its owner, who took it from Sheremetev. On one of his regular visits to Menshikov in St. Petersburg, Tsar Peter I noticed Martha and made her his mistress. Gradually, he became attached to her and began to single out among the women who always surrounded the loving king.

When Katerina-Marta was baptized into Orthodoxy (in 1707 or 1708), she changed her name to Ekaterina Alekseevna Mikhailova. Even before the legal marriage with Peter, Marta gave birth to two boys, but both died. Daughters Anna and Elizabeth survived. Catherine will give birth to Peter 11 children, but almost all will die in childhood. A cheerful, affectionate and patient woman tied Peter to herself, could subdue his fits of anger, and the tsar in 1711 ordered Catherine to be considered his wife. In addition, Peter was attracted by such a trait of Catherine's character as the lack of ambition - a trait characteristic of many people from the bottom. Catherine until her accession to the throne remained a housewife, far from politics.

On February 19, 1712, the official wedding of Peter I with Ekaterina Alekseevna took place. In 1713, in honor of the worthy behavior of his wife during the unsuccessful Prut campaign for Russia, the tsar established the Order of St. Catherine. Pyotr Alekseevich personally laid the signs of the order on his wife. On May 7 (18), 1724, Peter crowned Catherine the Empress in the Moscow Cathedral of the Assumption (this was the second time in the history of Russia, the wife of False Dmitry, Marina Mnishek, was crowned first).

By the law of February 5, 1722, Emperor Peter Alekseevich canceled the previous order of succession to the throne by a direct descendant in the male line (the first official heir, Alexei Petrovich, was killed, the second, Peter Petrovich, died in infancy), replacing it with the personal appointment of the sovereign. According to the Decree of 1722, any person who, in the opinion of the emperor, was worthy to head the state, could become the successor of Peter Alekseevich. Peter died in the early morning of January 28 (February 8), 1725, without having time to appoint a successor and leaving no sons.

empress

When it became obvious that Peter Alekseevich was dying, the question arose of who would take the throne. A fierce struggle for power unfolded. Members of the Senate, the Synod, senior dignitaries and generals, even before the death of the sovereign, gathered on the night of January 27-28, 1725 to resolve the issue of power. The first "palace coup" took place in the country. The struggle for power was fleeting, did not break out of the palace, did not develop into an armed confrontation. However, it is no coincidence that the beginning of the “epoch of palace coups” is celebrated precisely in 1725.

The emperor did not leave a written will, he did not even have time to give an oral order about the throne. All this created a crisis situation. Indeed, besides the widow, a woman who did not have a great mind that would allow her to play an independent role, there were several more possible successors - children and grandchildren from the king's two marriages. The children of the murdered heir, Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich, Natalya and Peter, were alive and well. From the second marriage of Peter with Martha-Catherine, three daughters remained alive by January 1725 - Anna, Elizabeth and Natalya. Thus, six people could claim the throne.

In pre-Petrine Russia there was no law on succession to the throne, but there was a tradition that was stronger than any law - the throne passed in a direct descending male line: from father to son and from son to grandson. Peter in 1722 issued the "Charter on the succession to the throne." The document legalized the unlimited right of the autocrat to appoint an heir from among his subjects and, if necessary, change his choice. The "Charter" was not a whim of the tsar, but a vital necessity. Peter lost two heirs - Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich and Peter Petrovich. Grand Duke Pyotr Alekseevich, grandson of the emperor, remained the only man in the Romanov household. However, Emperor Peter could not allow this. He was afraid that opponents of his policy would unite around his grandson. And the coming to power of a grandson will lead to the collapse of the cause to which Peter I devoted his whole life.

The coronation of Ekaterina Alekseevna was perceived by many as a sign that Peter wanted to transfer the throne to his wife. The manifesto on Catherine's coronation emphasized her special role "as a great helper" in the emperor's grave state affairs and her courage in difficult moments of her reign. However, in 1724 Peter lost interest in his wife. There was a case of Catherine's valet Willim Mons, who was suspected of having an affair with the Empress. By the will of fate, V. Mons was the brother of Anna Mons, the daughter of a German artisan in the German Quarter near Moscow, who for a long time was the favorite of Peter I, and for some time he thought of marrying her. Mons was executed on charges of bribery. Peter lost interest in his wife and did not take further steps to strengthen her rights to the throne. Having convicted his wife of treason, Peter lost confidence in her, rightly believing that after his death and the accession of Catherine, any intriguer who can get into the bed of the empress will be able to get the highest power. The tsar became suspicious and stern towards Catherine, the former warm and trusting relations were a thing of the past.

It should also be noted that in the last years of the emperor's life there were persistent rumors that he would transfer the throne to his daughter, Anna. This was also reported by foreign envoys. Emperor Peter had great love for Anna, paid great attention to her upbringing. Anna was a smart and beautiful girl, many contemporaries noted this. However, Anna did not particularly strive to become the ruler of Russia, as she sympathized with Grand Duke Peter and did not want to cross the path of her mother, who saw her as a rival. As a result, the issue of succession to the throne remained unresolved.

In addition, the sovereign did not consider himself mortally ill, believing that he still had time to resolve this issue. According to a secret clause in Anna's marriage contract with the Duke of Holstein, their possible sons opened the way to the Russian throne. Apparently, 52-year-old Peter planned to live for a few more years and wait for the birth of his grandson from Anna, which gave him the opportunity to transfer the throne to him, and not to his unfaithful wife and the dangerous Peter II, who was backed by the “boyar party”. However, the unexpected death of the emperor, in which some researchers see the murder, judged in her own way. An interesting fact is that the first palace coup was carried out in the interests of the first persons of the empire, who at the end of the life of Peter the Great fell into disgrace - Catherine, Menshikov and the tsar's secretary Makarov. On Makarov, the emperor received an anonymous denunciation of his enormous abuses. All of them feared for their future if Peter I continued to rule.

In the future, the scenario of Peter the Great will still be implemented. The grandson of Peter, the son of Anna Petrovna and Karl Friedrich, born in 1728, will be summoned from Holstein in 1742 by his childless aunt Elizabeth. Karl Peter Ulrich will become the heir to the throne, Peter Fedorovich, and then Emperor Peter III. True, another palace coup will put an end to his short reign.

During the agony of the king, the court split into two "parties" - supporters of the emperor's grandson, Peter Alekseevich, and supporters of Catherine. The ancient families of the Golitsyns and Dolgorukis rallied around the son of the executed prince. Not long before this, V.V. Dolgoruky, pardoned by Peter, and Senator D.M. Golitsyn were at the head of them. On the side of Pyotr Alekseevich Jr., the President of the Military College, Prince A.I. Repnin, Count P.M. Apraksin, Count I.A. Musin-Pushkin also spoke. This party had many supporters who were dissatisfied with the course of Emperor Peter and did not want the coming omnipotence of Menshikov, who under Catherine would have become the true ruler of Russia.

In general, the party of the Grand Duke succeeded in its work. Only at the very last moment was Menshikov able to turn the situation in his favor. Prosecutor General Pavel Yaguzhinsky (who began his career as a shoe polisher) somehow found out about the preparations for the party of the Grand Duke and let Menshikov know about it. His Serene Highness Prince Alexander Menshikov was the head of Catherine's party. Alexander Danilovich, who rose from the very bottom to the top of the Russian Olympus, understood better than others that the accession of Peter II would put an end to his well-being, power, and possibly freedom and life. Menshikov and Ekaterina, like some other dignitaries who came out of "rags to riches", made a dizzying rise to the heights of power and wealth, were not protected from numerous, but still hidden, enemies. They had neither high birth nor numerous high-ranking relatives. They did not enjoy the sympathy of the majority of the nobles. Only mutual support, energetic pressure and subtle calculation could save them.

And Menshikov was able to make the first palace coup. He developed a frenzied activity, did everything possible and impossible to change the situation in his favor. On the eve of the death of the emperor, he took some preventive measures: he sent the state treasury to the Peter and Paul Fortress, under the protection of the commandant, who was his supporter; the guard was put on alert and, at the first signal, could leave the barracks and surround the palace; The Preobrazhensky and Semyonovsky regiments received a salary for two-thirds of the past year (in normal times, the salary was delayed). Menshikov personally met with many dignitaries, and, not sparing promises, promises and threats, urged them to support Catherine. Menshikov's subordinates were also very active.

The natural allies of Menshikov and Catherine were those who, thanks to the emperor and fate, found themselves in a position similar to them. Among them, Aleksey Vasilievich Makarov stood out - the son of a clerk of the Vologda voivodeship office (prikaz hut). Thanks to his closeness to the sovereign, Makarov rose to the secret cabinet-secretary of Peter, who had secret papers in his charge. Makarov became a real “gray eminence”, who accompanied the king everywhere and knew all the secret affairs. Not a single important paper was placed on the emperor's desk without the approval of the secret cabinet-secretary. And this power, and even the head, Makarov could save only if the throne remains with Catherine. In addition, he thoroughly knew the management system and was an indispensable assistant to the future empress, who did not understand state affairs.

Another active and powerful supporter of Catherine was Count Pyotr Andreevich Tolstoy. An experienced diplomat, ally of Menshikov and head of the Secret Chancellery, Tolstoy led the case of Tsarevich Alexei, becoming one of the main culprits for his death. It was Tolstoy who, through threats and false promises, persuaded the prince to return to Russia. The case of Tsarevich Alexei made Tolstoy a close friend of Catherine. In the event that the grandson of Emperor Peter came to power, the saddest fate awaited him.

The two highest hierarchs of the church, Archbishops Theodosius and Theophan, also had something to lose. They turned the church into an obedient instrument of imperial power. Many enemies and ill-wishers were waiting for the hour when it would be possible to pay them off for the destruction of the institution of the patriarchate, the creation of the Synod and the Spiritual Regulations, which made the church part of the bureaucracy, emasculated most of the spiritual principle.

In addition, Karl Friedrich, Duke of Holstein, and his minister Bassevich, without whose advice the groom of Peter's eldest daughter, Anna Petrovna, did not take a step, played an active role in the enthronement of Catherine to the throne. The interest of the Holsteiners was simple. The coming to power of Peter II would dispel the duke's hopes of becoming the son-in-law of the Russian empress and with her help to carry out certain foreign policy plans.

Many prominent figures of the "Petrov's nest" waited, taking a neutral position. They wanted to wait for the outcome of the struggle for power and join the victors. So, the Prosecutor General of the Senate, Yaguzhinsky, was generally for Catherine, but for many years he was at enmity with Menshikov. Only at the very last moment did he warn the Most Serene Prince about the conspiracy of the party of Peter II. But he himself did not openly take the side of Catherine. A similar position was taken by Chancellor G. I. Golovkin. Count Ya. V. Bruce, Baron A. I. Osterman and others were also cautious.

The agony of the tsar had not yet ended, when Menshikov gathered a secret meeting in the tsarina's apartment. It was attended by cabinet secretary Makarov, Bassevich, the head of the Synod Theodosius, senior officers of the guards regiments. Catherine came out to them and declared her rights to the throne, promised the rights of the Grand Duke, which she would return to him after death. In addition, words about promotions and awards were not forgotten. Bills of exchange, precious things and money were immediately prepared and offered to those present. The Archbishop of Novgorod Theodosius was the first to take advantage, he was the first to take the oath of allegiance to Catherine. Others followed suit. They also discussed the program of action. The most radical plan, with the preventive arrest of Catherine's opponents, was rejected, as it could lead to an aggravation of the situation in St. Petersburg.

Until the death of the emperor, no party dared to act. The power magic of the mighty lord was unusually strong until the very last moment of his life. Immediately, members of the Senate, the Synod, senior officials and generals gathered in one of the halls of the palace. Many nobles were constantly in the palace, and spent the night here, others were informed by secretaries and adjutants who were on duty here.

However, everything was decided by "bayonets". Guards regiments surrounded the building of the palace. The President of the Military Collegium, Anikita Repnin, tried to find out who, without his order, led the guards out of the barracks. The commander of the Semyonovsky regiment, Buturlin, sharply replied that the guards were acting on the orders of the empress, to whom he, as her subject, was subordinate. It is clear that the spectacular appearance of the guards made a huge impression on Catherine's opponents and those who hesitated. To this we can add the presence in the hall, along with senators and generals, of guards officers who support Catherine; patrolling the streets by guardsmen; doubling the guards; the prohibition of leaving the capital and the delay of mail. As a result, the military coup went like clockwork.

Catherine came out to the first persons of the empire and promised to take care of the good of Russia and prepare a worthy heir in the person of the Grand Duke. Then Menshikov suggested discussing the case. Makarov, Feofan and Tolstoy expressed their arguments in favor of Catherine. Attempts by the party of the Grand Duke to carry out the idea of ​​elections or the regency of Catherine under Peter II failed. All the objections and proposals of the opposition were simply drowned in the cries of the guards officers, who promised to "split the heads of the boyars" if they did not elect "mother" to the throne. Guard Major A. And Ushakov bluntly stated that the guard sees only Catherine on the throne, and whoever disagrees may suffer. The final speech was delivered by Menshikov, who declared Catherine the Empress. The whole assembly was forced to repeat his words. The control of the guard determined the future of the empire.

Governing body

In general, St. Petersburg officially continued the course of Peter the Great. A decree was even issued ordering "to keep everything in the old way." Many generals and officers were promoted for loyalty. The officials and commanders who had been guilty under Peter breathed a sigh of relief. The king's iron grip was gone. Life has become much calmer and freer. The iron and restless emperor himself did not rest, and did not allow others to enjoy life. Catherine showed "mercy" and carried out amnesties, many thieves, debtors and swindlers were released. The empress also released political exiles and prisoners. So, Catherine's lady of state, M. Balk, who was involved in the Mons case, was released, and the former Vice-Chancellor Shafirov was returned from Novgorod exile. The Little Russian foreman was also released.

The work begun by Peter continued. So, the First Kamchatka Expedition was sent under the command of Vitus Bering; order was established. St. Alexander Nevsky; The Academy of Sciences was opened. There were no cardinal changes in foreign policy either. Ekaterinopol was still being built in Transcaspia. There were no big wars, only a separate detachment under the command of Prince Vasily Dolgorukov operated in the Caucasus. True, in Europe, St. Petersburg began to actively defend the interests of the Holstein Duke Karl Friedrich, who fought against Denmark. This caused some cooling of relations with Denmark and England. The Holstein course clearly did not meet the interests of the great empire. In addition, St. Petersburg concluded a strategic alliance with Vienna (Vienna Treaty of 1726). Austria and Russia created an anti-Turkish bloc. Austria guaranteed the peace of Nystadt.

In fact, Prince and Field Marshal Menshikov became the ruler of the empire during this period. The Most Serene Prince, who in the last years of the reign of Peter in many respects lost the trust of the emperor and was constantly under investigation, perked up. Repnin was sent as governor to Riga and returned the Military Collegium under his control. Menshikov's case was closed, he was released from all fines and commissions imposed. Menshikov also got to his old enemy, Fiscal General Myakinin, who allowed himself to bring the powerful nobleman to clean water. A denunciation came to Myakinin, they gave him a move and the general was sentenced to death, which was replaced by exile in Siberia. Menshikov in his abuses and theft reached the highest point, now no one limited him.

Great power was also given to the Supreme Privy Council, a new body of state power. It included: Menshikov, Apraksin, Golovkin, Golitsyn, Osterman, Tolstoy and Duke Karl-Friedrich. The activities of the Catherine's government, in which there was a constant struggle for power (for example, Menshikov tried to push the "Holstein party" away from the empress), was limited to preserving what had already been achieved. There were no large-scale reforms and transformations.

The empress herself was completely satisfied with the role of the first mistress of the capital. She and her court lived through life - balls, revels, walks around the night capital, an uninterrupted holiday, dances and fireworks. Entertainment continued almost all night (Catherine went to bed at 4-5 in the morning) and a significant part of the day. It is clear that with such a lifestyle, the empress, already not distinguished by health, could not last long. Foreign observers, reporting on the festivities, interspersed them with news of Catherine's constant illnesses. The building of the empire, which was created by the hands of Peter the Great, gradually began to fall into decay.

The second wife of Peter I did not leave a special trace in the reign of the Russian Empire, since all two years of leadership of the vast state, the reins of government were given to her close associates. An idle pastime soon brought Catherine I to the grave - the windy empress was very fond of various kinds of entertainment and balls.

Orphan Marta

The story of the ascension to the Russian throne of the Livonian simpleton Marta Skavronskaya, who by the will of fate turned into Catherine I, is as confusing and at the same time uncomplicated as the principle of relations between high-ranking officials of the Russian state and representatives of the lower classes in the 18th century. They (relationships), apparently, at that time were extremely simplified. Otherwise, it would be difficult to explain the reason why an “ordinary” and even an illiterate servant girl became the empress of such a state as Russia in a relatively short time.

Martha's past is rather vague, little is known about him. She was orphaned early (her parents died of the plague). There is different information about who the future Russian Empress was brought up with, but one thing is clear that from early childhood, Marta was in the "primaki", that is, in fact, in the service of strangers. At the age of 17, the girl married the Swede Johann Kruse. The young did not have time to live, because almost immediately the husband left for the Russian-Swedish war. After that, traces of him are lost. There are two versions of the further fate of the first man Marta Skavronskaya: 1) he disappeared (died) in the Northern War; 2) Kruse "surfaced" as a prisoner, but on the orders of Peter I he was taken to Siberia, where the failed spouse disappeared.
It makes no sense to understand the plausibility of both versions, because in any case, Johann Kruse had no influence on the fate of his young wife.

maid and kept woman

Strange as it may seem, captivity played a decisive role in the amazing fate of Martha Skavronskaya-Kruse. Livonian Marienburg, where Marta lived, was taken by the Russians in 1702, and Field Marshal Boris Sheremetev, noticing a pretty German woman, took her as his mistress. Over time, she passed into the possession of Prince Alexander Menshikov, a friend of Peter I. Marta, judging by the descriptions of her contemporaries that have come down to us, was a “mankaya” girl, moderately curpulent (in those days, bodily texture was valued). She had that zest, which today is called sexuality. Menshikov took Martha to Petersburg and mercifully made her a servant.

"Water" and "flame" came together

On one of his visits to his friend Menshikov, Peter I noticed Martha. The tsar (then still a tsar, Peter would appoint himself emperor shortly before his death) with his wife Evdokia Lopukhina, in fact, did not live in a marriage, although she gave birth to two sons from him. Considering himself free from any marriage conventions, Peter laid eyes on the prince's maid and slept with her on the very first night after they met. Menshikov comradely yielded to Mart.

It is believed that Martha gave birth to her first children (both died in infancy) precisely from Peter. Be that as it may, the tsar in 1705 moved his mistress to his sister's house, two years later she was baptized and since then has become known as Catherine. Interestingly, the godfather was the eldest son of Peter, Tsarevich Alexei. The social status for the newly-minted Catherine has not changed - for the tsar she still remained no one knows who.

Peter and Catherine were married in 1712. The wife already had by that time two daughters from Peter, Anna and Elizabeth. Marriage could seem like a perfect misalliance, if you do not take into account the character of the groom.

First, Peter was (and, probably, remained) the only ruler of the Russian state, whose degree of simplification had no limits. Rather, the sovereign installed them himself. Peter preferred to personally delve into many subtleties of the state system, down to the details, everything was interesting to him. In Holland, he studied shipbuilding, as a simple person, hiding behind the pseudonym "Peter Mikhailov". Again, he loved to tear the unfortunate teeth from the unfortunate. It is unlikely that among the domestic monarchs there will be a more inquisitive rival to Peter.

In view of all this, the autocrat did not care whether his chosen one had a solid social status or not.

Secondly, the Russian Tsar was indefatigable in his violence. Apparently, Peter still suffered from some kind of mental illness, because, according to the memoirs of his contemporaries, he systematically, sometimes unmotivated, became furious, and in seizures he had a severe headache. Catherine alone could appease her husband. And these truly magical abilities of her had a strong influence on the king.

Severe in life, Peter was unusually affectionate with his wife. Catherine bore him 11 children, but only premarital sisters remained alive - other offspring died in childhood. The king in the female part was a walker, but his wife forgave everything and did not roll up scenes. She herself had an affair with the chamberlain Mons, whom Peter eventually executed.

Shined in the light, and then faded

Emperor Peter I crowned his wife in 1723, 2 years before his death. Catherine was put on her head the first crown in the history of the Russian Empire. After Maria Mnishek (the failed wife of False Dmitry I), she was the second woman to be crowned on the Russian throne. Peter went against the rules, ignoring the law, according to which the direct descendants of the royal family in the male line became kings in Rus'.

After the death of her husband, Catherine ascended the throne with the help of her old friend Menshikov and his friend, an associate of her late husband, the count. Peter Tolstoy. They pulled up to "strengthen" the guards of the Preobrazhensky Regiment, who broke the will of the dissident "old boyars". The Senate approved the candidacy of Catherine, and the people, although they marveled at this alignment, but silently - there were no unrest about this.

Catherine ruled for a short time, only two years. The people loved her (the empress was engaged in charity work). But in reality, Field Marshal Menshikov and the Supreme Privy Council led the state. Catherine herself loved balls and other amusements. Perhaps an idle lifestyle led to the fact that at 43 she died. Historians believe that she was a significant figure only under her husband Peter I.