Visitors to the exhibition can see works of art paintings, drawings, arts and crafts, clothing, photographs, books dedicated to the rose. Like a magic box filled with beautiful treasures, the museum opens its doors, inviting you to take a closer look at beautiful masterpieces that glorify beauty, love, femininity and tenderness. We walked through the halls with bated breath, stopping for a long time at each exhibit. And everywhere we were surrounded by roses - large and small, painted, embroidered, engraved or alive, being the center of the composition or just a small, but no less important element of it.
Unknown Russian artist. Portrait of an unknown woman with a girl.
1845. Oil on canvas.
Please note that the rose here is not only in the center of a charming composition. It looks like roses are embroidered both on the woman's shawl and on the delicate transparent collar. These beautiful little details are very interesting to look at and they are in every exhibit presented at the exhibition, whether it is a portrait or a beaded handbag.
Fireplace screen. 1845. Western Europe
Mahogany, carving, polishing, wool and silk embroidery.
When you look at such things, the heart stops. It is strange and wonderful to think that once they were interior items, they simply decorated the house, creating comfort and warmth. That someone created this beauty with their own hands, stitch by stitch, thread by thread, with love and tenderness. How wonderful it must be to sit near the fireplace with such a screen and admire the amazing flowers, examining them in detail.
Argunov Ivan Petrovich (1729-1802)
Fragment. Portrait of Countess Anna Petrovna Sheremetyeva
Until 1768. Oil on canvas.
Masterpieces are here at every turn, wherever you look. There are paintings by well-known masters or anonymous ones that have lost the name of the author due to the prescription of time, but each is good. The soul of the artist and his talent are invested in each. You are surprised how many treasures the museum still keeps, regularly presenting us with the opportunity to admire one or the other of them. There are things with history here. And if it is not always possible to find out about the existence of an object, then you can look for information about the people depicted in the portraits. So, on this you can see Anna Petrovna Sheremetyeva (1744-1768), the eldest daughter of P.B. and V.A. Sheremetevs. She was an amateur actress, an artist. In her father's house on the embankment of the Fontanka River, home "noble" performances were played, in which he also took part. Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich. For example, on March 4, 1766, the comedy in one act “Zeneida” was presented, in which the Grand Duke, Countess Anna Petrovna took part in the role of a sorceress, and Countess Daria Petrovna and Natalya Petrovna Chernysheva, and according to the memoirs, four people participating in the performance were wearing diamonds in the amount of 2 million rubles. In 1760, Empress Elizaveta Petrovna granted Anna the maid of honor with the rare permission to live at home rather than in the palace.Anna Petrovna was engaged to the mentor of Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich, Count N.I. Panin. But a few days before the wedding, Anna Sheremeteva died of smallpox. It's so bright, but short life. But this is history. You can get to know her, become interested in her, by coming to the museum and seeing this or that portrait or other exhibit.
However, even if you cannot learn more about the history of an exhibit or a person, you can simply admire, for example, this bell in the form of a rose.
Bell in the form of a rose to call the servants.
First half of the 19th century. Russia. Bronze, chasing, gilding.
Quite tiny, but incredibly beautiful. Sometime someone's well-groomed hand lifted him up and shook him lightly, forcing him to make a melodic ringing. Somewhat earlier, someone's, much less well-groomed, but skillful hand created this miniature flower. It makes you want to take it in your hands. However, this often happens to me with exhibits, many of them I just want to touch.
Unknown artist of the 18th century. Presumably C. G. Prenner (1720-1766)
Portrait of Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich in infancy.
Canvas, oil.
This portrait is attributed to the painter Georg Kaspar Joseph von Prenner. He pcame to Russia, to the court of Elizabeth Petrovna, in 1750 at the invitation of Count Mikhail Illarionovich Vorontsov, Vice-Chancellor of the Russian Empire, who was interested in literature and sciences, a well-known friend and patron of Lomonosov.The contract was signed for 5 years. The fashionable, "overseas" artist had a lot of orders. However, toWhen the contract ended, Count Vorontsov did not want to renew it. It is said that he considered the artist too hot-tempered and did not get along well with people.
But we will not discuss his character, but admire his work. And we can take a closer look at the beautiful roses decorating the portrait.
Fragment. Portrait of Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich in infancy.
Canvas, oil.
Gently pink, with almost transparent extreme petals, they reign among other flowers, overshadowing them with their beauty. However, their age is not long, some summers are already falling, sinking to the feet of the baby. The reign of Paul I would also be short-lived. However, the artist could not know about this.
Shamshin Pyotr Mikhailovich (1811-1895)
Portrait of Nikolai Pavlovich Krivtsov as a child. Fragment.
1842. Oil on canvas.
And here is a child's portrait of amazing beauty. The kid seems to be alive, now he will laugh and stretch out his plump hands to you. About P.M. Shamshin write that he was mainly a church painter. His images and wall paintings are in many St. Petersburg churches, in the Moscow Cathedral of Christ the Savior, in the Gatchina city cathedral, in the Zion Cathedral in Tiflis, in the Ivangorodskaya Church in Narva, and some others. But look, an incredibly lively children's portrait that causes an involuntary smile .
Where are the roses? - you ask. Come look for roses in the museum.
On this vase, I would like to pay attention not only to the queen of flowers, although she is undeniably magnificent, but also to some other details of the vase. Like her legs. Look, these are the heads of elephants!
Vase-planter. 1830-1840s. Russia. Imperial Porcelain Factory.
Porcelain, molding, overglaze and underglaze polychrome painting, gilding, bronze, casting, chasing, polishing.
Remember, we told you about the exhibition of the Imperial Porcelain Factory in Tsaritsyno? The exhibition has passed, but the photos remain. So you can look at us and compare the work of the masters of the plant at different times.
And now let's look at another portrait from the exhibition at the Tropinin Museum.
Unknown artist first quarter XIX century.
Portrait of a lady dressed with roses and a green shawl.
1825. Oil on canvas.
Yes, we know nothing about the lady or the artist. But that doesn't stop us from looking at the details. A beautiful lace bonnet adorned with roses and coquettish curls peeking out from under it, a thin strip on a shawl embroidered, it seems, also with roses. The top sleeve of the dress is thin and sheer, most likely protecting the more delicate pale pink fabric of the lower sleeve. The lady looks at us a little inquiringly, as if asking - why are you tearing me away from the book?
And it is quite easy to imagine such an inkwell in the shape of a melon in the house of this lady.
Melon-shaped inkwell. 1830s France. Factory of Jacques Petit.
Fragment. Melon-shaped inkwell. 1830s France. Factory of Jacques Petit.
Porcelain, molding, relief, overglaze painting, gilding.
Of course, this is not all the exhibits that can be seen at the exhibition. There are a few more lovely dresses and hats that refused to be photographed because of the stack, desperately glaring. There are many lovely little things, fans, handbags, beaded canes, caskets. Of course, beautiful portraits. And nearby, in vases, live roses are fragrant.
Roses are alive.
These beauties, for example, grew up in the dacha of one of the museum employees. Incredibly large, beautiful, fragrant. A great addition to the exhibit.
Come to the exhibition. Don't miss the meeting with the beautiful rose!
The exhibition will include:
* decoupage workshops and photography;
* lectures on varieties of roses with recommendations for their cultivation and reproduction, and much more.
Details can be found.
An art competition will be held for young artists as part of the exhibition. Those wishing to take part in it before October 10 can send to the Museum of V.A. Tropinin drawings depicting a rose, made in any technique (pencil, ink, gouache, watercolor, acrylic, pastel, tempera, etc.). Competition regulations posted
W. Eriksen. Catherine II
Especially for such a case, in 1768 a doctor was discharged from London. The courtiers sang of the courage of the empress, and she replied that in England even a street boy is not afraid of vaccination. Catherine's example was followed by many aristocrats.
Love and smallpox are inevitable
In fact, Catherine had been afraid of smallpox since childhood. In Europe, half of the cases ended in death, and the survivors hid traces of smallpox scars under a layer of white and rouge. Deaths in Europe reached 1 million per year, in Russia the numbers were even higher.
In 1730, 14-year-old Peter II died of smallpox. Wealthy and royal families tried to protect themselves from the infection, but it penetrated everywhere. When the future empress arrived in Russia, her fiancé, Pyotr Fedorovich, fell ill with smallpox. He recovered and until the end of his life suffered from the realization of his deformity.
The Germans had a saying: "Love and smallpox are inevitable," and the French in the description of the criminals indicated a special sign: "There are no scars from smallpox."
Disease history
The method that Catherine experienced on herself was not safe. Vaccination of a strain of cowpox, safe for humans, began only in the 19th century, and compulsory vaccination was introduced in Russia a hundred years later.
In the reign of Catherine, smallpox was inoculated by "variolation". Its essence was that an incision was made on the arm and material from a smallpox patient was placed in the wound (or a thread soaked in pus was pulled under the skin). The treatment could not be called safe, but the mortality rate with it was 20 times lower than with infection with smallpox.
A deliberately infected organism coped with the disease more easily. True, sometimes the infection caused new epidemics. Thus, the Englishman Gaberden calculated that over 40 years of the use of "variolation" 25 thousand more people died than before the introduction of vaccination. The French Parliament banned such treatment six years before Catherine went on the experiment. In England, the treatment was used before the advent of the vaccine.
Turkish method
Dangerous, but still the treatment was carried out by the Turks. With infected threads, they vaccinated girls for the harem. The wife of the British ambassador, Mayor Montagu, saw how the Turks were treating smallpox, and in 1718 decided to inoculate her son. The chaplain tried to dissuade her - supposedly the method only works on Muslims.
The boy survived, and Mary shared the method with the Queen, then the Princess of Gallic. Intrigued, the princess ordered the treatment to be tested on several criminals sentenced to death. Then they tested the treatment on four children from the orphanage. All survived. Members of the royal family were next instilled.
personal example
In addition to the fact that the Russian Empress was afraid of smallpox, she wanted to protect her son. In 1768, Countess Sheremetyeva died of smallpox, and her fiancé was the tutor of the Tsarevich. The infection was approaching the royal palace.
I. Argunov. Portrait of Countess A.P. Sheremeteva Jr. Without being distracted by statistics and percentages, Catherine ordered to find a good foreign doctor. She decided to test the method on herself and give her smallpox material to her son for inoculation.
In October of the same year, doctor Dimsdale was brought to St. Petersburg, straight to the chambers of the Empress. In London, he observed many vaccinated patients and claimed that there were no deaths. The material was taken from a six-year-old boy, Sasha Markov (on the recovery of the Empress, he was granted the nobility and the surname Ospenny).
Engraving. Portrait of T. Dimsdale It was rumored that at first the doctor held a demonstration on volunteers. Only when they recovered did he carry out "variolation" for Catherine II.
Imperial experiment
One can only imagine the horror of court ladies and gentlemen forced to walk, dine at the same table or play cards with the infected Catherine. Finally, on the sixth day, the Empress showed signs of illness, and she retired to Tsarskoye Selo.
Dimmesdale watched the recovery progress, and Catherine ordered that a team of post horses be kept ready. In the event that the empress dies, the doctor had to urgently leave the country in order to avoid lynching. However, everything went well, the Empress recovered in a week.
The Tsarevich inopportunely fell ill with chickenpox, but 140 aristocrats were already lined up for vaccination. It was fashionable and prestigious to graft a smallpox from the empress. Soon the crown prince recovered, and on November 10 he was also inoculated with smallpox.
The doctor was granted a lifetime pension and the title of baronet. After 13 years, he again visited Russia to instill the grandchildren of Catherine II.
Enlightened Russia
Odes were composed to the glory of the empress, a commemorative medal was issued with the inscription “She set an example by herself”, the ballet “Defeated Prejudice” was staged with allegorical figures of sciences and superstitions.
Caricature. T. Dimsdale and opponents of vaccination While the Russians were vaccinated, the French king Louis XV died of smallpox. “What barbarity,” said Catherine. Science allows you to treat this disease. The empress herself said that by her example she tried to save her subjects from death, because the shepherd is responsible for his sheep.
Since then, November 21 in Russia has been celebrated as the day when the fear of a deadly disease was defeated. And since 1980, the smallpox virus has been stored only in laboratory test tubes.
On October 12 (October 25, Old Style), 1768, that is, 243 years ago, Dr. Dimsdale vaccinated Catherine II against smallpox. Unsafe was held after the death of smallpox 15-year-old Emperor Peter II. The vaccination was made from a seven-year-old boy Alexander Markov. In memory of the event, the child will be granted the nobility and a new surname - Ospenin.
Traces of smallpox on the faces of famous people
Smallpox is a terrible disease that spared neither princes, nor beggars, nor philosophers, nor commoners. At one time, English Queen Mary II, Holy Roman Emperor Joseph I, Spanish King Louis I, young Russian emperor Peter II, French king Louis XV. Ugly scars were on the faces of Mirabeau, Nikolai Gnedich, Wolfgang Mozart.
A distinctive feature of all portraits of the 18th century is the abundance of powder on radiant faces. It was not just a tribute to fashion, but also a vital necessity. Smallpox marks were visible on the faces of many famous people. There was no need to talk about commoners - people died by the thousands.
The Russian Empress Catherine II could not accept this state of affairs. Seeing how smallpox disfigured the faces of the Western aristocracy, she did not want a similar fate for herself or for her son. WITH young years she lived in fear of smallpox: “From childhood I was taught to be terrified of smallpox, at a more mature age I had to make great efforts to reduce this horror, in every insignificant painful attack I already saw smallpox,” Catherine wrote to the Prussian king Frederick II.
royal experiment
In the 18th century, Türkiye turned to the ancient Chinese method of preventing smallpox - variolation. And after smallpox in Istanbul was extinguished in 1717 by variolation, it began to be used in England. The successful result of the so-called "royal" experiment also contributed to the success of variolation. Smallpox was first given to criminals sentenced to death penalty, and then - to the children of the orphanage. In 1721-1722 smallpox was given to the king's children and other members of the royal family. Then the Grand Duchess Ekaterina Alekseevna was well aware of this.
At the beginning of her reign, in 1763, Catherine established a medical college headed by Baron Cherkasov. It was he who raised the issue of the need for smallpox inoculation to protect the population of the empire. Indeed, despite the strict precautions taken to protect the imperial family (sick with smallpox were not allowed to the court, estates could be taken away for infection with smallpox), smallpox still penetrated the palaces.
An example of the terrible elusiveness of smallpox was the infection and death of Emperor Peter II. And in 1768, a terrible incident occurred at the court of Catherine. Smallpox, despite all the prohibitions, was able to again penetrate the court - Countess A.P. fell ill and soon died. Sheremetyeva, bride N.I. Panin, who was the mentor of the Grand Duke. The life of Tsarevich Pavel Petrovich was in danger.
Catherine had to take the risk
Catherine II, seeing that the situation was becoming dangerous, was forced to take a risk. Having developed a grandiose plan, a whole ritual of smallpox inoculation, she first decided to instill smallpox for herself, then to transfer the “smallpox matter” for inoculation to her son-heir, and from him to all those close to her. Using the old belief that by giving her "pox-pox matter" to others, a person was in mortal danger, the empress presented herself in the form of a caring mother, sacrificing her life for the health of her son and all subjects. This symbolism was understandable and accepted by others.
On October 12, 1768, in the evening, the English doctor Dimsdale, with a child sick with smallpox, and an assistant son, were secretly taken to the chambers of the Empress. There she was vaccinated against smallpox. The next day, having moved to the Tsarskoye Selo Palace with her retinue, Catherine indulged in her usual activities. It is easy to imagine the horror of the ladies, maids of honor and gentlemen accompanying her on walks: they were forced to have a casual conversation at the dinner table, and in the evenings to play cards with the empress infected with smallpox. So 6 days passed. Finally, Catherine showed signs of smallpox, and she retired to her chambers until she fully recovered.
On behalf of the Holy Synod
By an unfortunate accident, Tsarevich Pavel fell ill with chickenpox just at the time when they wanted to instill smallpox from the empress, but this did not violate her plan to instill smallpox throughout the court. There was no longer a shortage of those who wanted to get vaccinated - Catherine's close associates considered it a great favor to receive "smallpox matter." And it was generously distributed to those close to it, as titles, titles, awards, estates and villages were distributed. Only in St. Petersburg about 140 aristocrats were vaccinated against smallpox. And on November 10, Tsarevich Pavel Petrovich was also vaccinated.
On behalf of the Holy Synod, Archbishop Gabriel congratulated the Empress and her son on the successful inoculation of smallpox, and on behalf of the Senate, Count K. G. Razumovsky. Catherine the Second answered this way: “My subject was my example to save from my many loyal subjects, who, not knowing the benefits of this method, fearing it, remained in danger. I fulfilled part of the duty of my title; for, according to the gospel, the good shepherd lays down his soul for the sheep."
November 21 was declared a holiday and was celebrated annually in the Russian Empire as the day of victory over the fear of smallpox.
The reign of the Russian Empress Catherine II was extremely ambiguous, but for one deed she certainly deserves the warmest gratitude. Exactly 250 years ago, she ordered the first smallpox vaccination in Russia - herself, as the first patient
Black Death
Smallpox, introduced by the crusaders, was a horror in Europe for several centuries. Together with the plague and cholera, she claimed millions human lives, and the faces of the survivors were "adorned" with monstrous scars, which were called pockmarks.
Smallpox did not choose between rich and poor. She hurt the English queen Maria II, Holy Roman Emperor Joseph I, Spanish king Louis I, French king Louis XV, A PeterII, last child Peter the Great in the male line, died from her at the age of 14.
Not fashion, but the presence of ugly pockmarks forced the European aristocracy to cover their faces with a thick layer of powder. Such famous people, How Mirabeau, Nikolai Gnedich And Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart had terrible scars and went out into the street only after powdering their faces.
Risked herself for others
Late in the evening of October 12, 1768, a doctor specially discharged from England was secretly taken to the chambers of the Great Empress. dimsdale and a six year old Sasha Markova.
Catherine II decided to personally test a rather risky method of vaccination on herself. True, it was known for certain that it was used quite successfully in England, but was categorically banned in "brilliant" France.
Mortality with variolation was 20 times lower than with normal infection, but no one could completely eliminate such a risk.
The doctor made an incision on the hand of the empress and pulled a thread through the opened wound, moistened with pus from the smallpox patient Sasha Markov. In less than a week, according to Dimsdale's calculations, the Empress should have been ill with a mild form of smallpox and endured it without much complications.
The very next day, the empress, as usual, went out to her ladies-in-waiting, had noisy fun in the courtyard, played cards with the courtiers and talked about all sorts of things, sitting at the common dining table.
Despite the global secrecy of the operation, the whole court knew about it. One can only imagine the horror of the court ladies and their cavaliers, who had to carelessly communicate with the empress, approaching her at an unsafe distance.
Unbridled "fun" in the Tsarskoye Selo Palace lasted for 6 days, after which the first signs of infection appeared in the empress, and she retired to her chambers.
Destroyed fear and prejudice
As Dimsdale predicted, the treatment was quite successful, leaving no scars on Catherine's face. Less than a month later, the future emperor was inoculated with maternal blood Pavel Petrovich.
The court nobility was on fire with the idea of getting "pox matter" from the empress herself, and in a short time more than 140 aristocrats were vaccinated.
Catherine did not refuse anyone, which earned herself the fame of a caring mother, ready to sacrifice her life for the sake of her subjects. With the successful inoculation of smallpox, Catherine was congratulated by the Holy Synod and the Senate, to which the smart empress meekly replied:
“My subject was my example to save from death many of my loyal subjects, who, not knowing the benefits of this method, fearing it, remained in danger. I have fulfilled part of the duty of my rank; for, according to the gospel, the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”
Soon, the ballet "Defeated Prejudice" was staged in St. Petersburg, the main characters of which were Minerva, Ruthenium, The genius of science, Superstition And Ignorance. And the audience hilariously sneered at their recent fears.
Some historians suggest that Catherine took such a risk in order to raise her own authority among the courtiers. But the fact remains. The Russian Empress did something that no European monarch could afford. She demonstrated to her subjects that she was ready to sacrifice for them even own life.
Made Russia an advanced country
Catherine II generously rewarded Dr. Dimsdale by granting him the title of baron, the rank of a life physician and a real state councilor, and also pledged to pay an annual pension of 500 pounds until the end of her life. Crazy amount for those times.
Catherine II, portrait by Alexei Antropov
Koryavin, Ryabov, Ryabkov, Ryabtsev, Shadrin, Shcherbakov, Shchedrin, Shcherbin... Familiar names for everyone. However, not everyone knows that they came from the nicknames that were given to people who had had smallpox: pockmarked, generous, pockmarked ... This smallpox is an unpleasant thing, you know. fever, chills, headache, aches. And most importantly sores all over the body, which, if the sufferer survives, permanently disfigure the face.
They say that she came to the Europeans from the East. Either it was brought by the Arabs who conquered the Iberian Peninsula (VIII century), or the crusaders picked up this treasure in the Holy Land (XI century), or ... Although why guess? It is important that the disease has settled in Europe thoroughly, annually claiming hundreds of thousands of lives and mutilating people for nothing. Nobody knew what to do with her. Prayers, spells, amulets, spells, potions and bloodletting did not help. The infection spared no one. In 1694, she killed the wife of the English king William III, Mary, and in 1774, the French monarch Louis XV. Yes, there is a long way to go. In 1730, Tsar Peter II died from her.
Peter II, portrait by G. D. Molchanov, 1730
So the heart of Princess Sophia Frederica Augusta of Anhalt-Zerbst (the future Empress Catherine II) must have been beating at a redoubled rate when she received the news that her fiancé (the future sovereign Peter III) was ill with smallpox. Still would. She came to Russia from a provincial German town (in February 1744) in order to successfully marry. And here is such a disaster. Die Pyotr Fedorovich, and she will immediately be sent back to her native hole. And the chance to become the wife of the monarch, perhaps, will never fall again.
Catherine as a young woman, portrait by Louis Caravaque, 1745
But God was merciful. Pyotr Fedorovich survived (although the marks, as usual, remained) and the wedding took place. And then - a well-known thing: after the death of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, Peter III ascended the throne, but 186 days later he was overthrown, and on July 9, 1762, a purebred German woman reigned in Russia under the name of Catherine II, who ruled the country for 34 years.
Ekaterina Alekseevna and Pyotr Fedorovich, painting by Anna Lischevskaya, 1756
But back to smallpox. I was talking just now, as if no one knew what to do with her. This, of course, is not true. In the East, after many centuries of suffering, they adapted to instill it. In a healthy person, a small incision was made on the arm and pus from the infected individual's mature pockmark was placed there (this procedure is called inoculation). The disease transmitted in this way proceeded in a milder form and did not leave scars. It is reported that especially often vaccinations were given to girls doomed to a harem life. So the success in the fight against this infection in the Muslim East was to a certain extent due to lust.
Harem, Choice of a Favorite, by Giulio Rosati
Europe was introduced to this method by the wife of the British ambassador in Ottoman Empire Mary Wortley Montagu in 1718. Here, listen to what Voltaire writes about this in his Philosophical Letters: In the reign of George the First, Madame Wortley-Montagu, one of the most intelligent English women, and who also had a huge influence on the minds, during the ambassadorial mission of her husband in Constantinople, decided without any hesitation to instill smallpox in the child she had born in that country. Her chaplain could tell her as much as he liked that this was not a Christian custom, bringing success only to the infidels - Madame Wortley's son felt great after the vaccination. Upon her return to London, this lady shared her experience with the Princess of Gaul, the current Queen ... From the moment that rumors reached her (the Queen) about the inoculation, or introduction, of smallpox, she ordered to make an experiment on four criminals condemned to death: in this way she saved their lives doubly, for she not only saved them from the gallows, but also, with the help of artificially inoculated smallpox, protected them from possible disease smallpox, from which they could die over time. The princess, convinced of the benefits of the experiment, ordered her children to be vaccinated with smallpox. England followed her example, and since that time at least ten thousand first-born children owe their lives to the Queen and Madame Wortley-Montagu, and as many daughters owe their beauty to them.».
Mary Wortley Montagu, painting by Charles Gervase
It is very remarkable that Voltaire talks about this with delight and admiration. But, in essence, we are dealing with a rabid violation of human rights. Judge for yourself. The wife of the head of state learns about an experimental procedure that can avoid an extremely unpleasant disease. To make sure the method is safe, she orders it to be tested on the most defenseless members of society - prisoners and orphans (the French thinker does not mention the latter, but there is evidence that orphanage children were also involved in the tests). And only after successful experiments, smallpox was inoculated to representatives of the royal family. Such were the manners.
By the way, the effectiveness of this tool should not be exaggerated. Because despite Voltaire's assertion that, they say, " of all those who were vaccinated with smallpox in Turkey or England, not a single person dies', there were many deaths.
Nevertheless, in Albion, vaccination was popular and, importantly, aroused remarkable interest among physicians. In particular, Thomas Dimsdale, who in 1767 wrote a treatise on this subject (The Present Method of Inoculating for the Small-Pox). The work was translated into several languages and brought the doctor some fame.
Thomas Dimsdale
And what about Catherine? This woman, reputed to be an enlightened monarch, was aware of all the advanced ideas of her time. And, of course, she had heard of inoculation. I suppose the great empress really wanted to save herself from a terrible disease that once almost destroyed her future and which was always somewhere nearby: for example, in May 1768, Countess Anna Sheremetyeva died from her.
Countess Anna Sheremetyeva, portrait by Ivan Argunov
But it was necessary to find the right doctor, and her choice fell on Thomas Dimsdale. Why? Perhaps she liked his "enlightenment" approach. In the treatise he wrote, he does not insist on his uniqueness, that, they say, only by working with me, you can get rid of the disease, achieve spiritual enlightenment and go to heaven. On the contrary, Dimsdale argues that there are many methods of inoculation, and some of them are very good. He also openly admits that he closely follows the work of his colleagues in this area and borrows the best from their experience. In addition, the doctor provides a solid list of patients vaccinated by him with brief description progress of the disease of each of them, arguing that in his practice no one has yet suffered.
What am I saying though. Everything was much easier. The Russian ambassador in London was instructed to find out which of the local doctors was the most knowledgeable and experienced in this matter, and Dimsdale was recommended to him. Further negotiations were held and after some hesitation, the physician agreed. And in the summer of 1768 he arrived in St. Petersburg with his son Nathaniel. It is reported that before subjecting the empress to the procedure, the doctor demonstrated his skills on several volunteers. And only after their recovery did he express his readiness to instill smallpox in the empress. Everything happened under the cover of secrecy. Realizing the degree of risk, Catherine ordered that mail horses be kept ready so that the English guests could immediately escape if something went wrong. And the situation really could turn into a tragedy. Imagine, the Empress becomes ill, and a rumor instantly spreads around the city that she was killed by two foreign Herods, who probably worship the devil. Immediately people gather and commit reprisals against visitors ...
However, the fears were in vain. On October 23 (according to the old style - October 12), Catherine was inoculated. The material, that is, a fresh smallpox, was kindly provided by the peasant boy Alexander Markov, for which he was granted the nobility (I am personally ready to provide representatives of the Russian authorities with any sore or analysis if they make me a shareholder of Gazprom). The next day, the empress with a retinue of her entourage went to Tsarskoye Selo, where she stayed until her full recovery, which was greeted with enthusiastic jubilation by the courtiers. On the occasion of her "joyful release from smallpox inoculation," the poet Mikhail Kheraskov even composed an ode:
« Was it possible for us at that time not to be sad,
How dare you put poison into your blood
We were tormented in spirit, looked at the laws,
And they were infected to us.
Looked at the throne, looked at themselves,
And we shielded ourselves with the infected...»
Mikhail Kheraskov
But Dimsdale's work didn't end there. Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich (future Tsar Paul I) with his wife Maria Feodorovna and many aristocrats, including Counts Grigory Orlov and Kirill Razumovskaya, also passed through his hands.
Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich and Grand Duchess Maria Feodorovna with her sons Alexander and Konstantin
The empress was filled with enthusiasm and issued a decree on mandatory inoculation. But they say special success this initiative did not have, because it is very difficult to force the Russian people to do something unusual and suspicious. By the way, a medal was knocked out in memory of smallpox vaccination in Russia. On one side of it is a portrait of the Empress, and on the other - the temple of Aesculapius1, from which the healed Catherine and her heir (Paul) come out, and happy Russia with the kids runs towards them. Above all this, there is an inscription: “I set an example by myself.” Well, it must be admitted that the act of the empress was indeed courageous. But that's why she is an enlightened monarch, to do bold things and not be afraid of the new. But many Russian noble persons did not dare to turn up to a foreign procedure and, in the old fashioned way, relied on God's will, maybe smallpox would not stick.
Medal in memory of smallpox vaccination in Russia
well and English doctor received for his work the title of baron, which was also granted to his son, the title of physician (court physician) and a lifetime pension of 500 pounds a year. He was offered to stay at the Russian court, but he refused and returned to his homeland, where he opened his "smallpox vaccination house."
I think it would not be superfluous to say a few words about this gentleman. First, it must be noted that he was a Quaker. The fact is very remarkable, because the representatives of this direction of Protestantism, being sure that there is a spark of God in every person, advocated equality and, as a result, were indifferent to titles. However, the granted barony, apparently, did not bother Dimsdale at all, and even, on the contrary, gave him pleasure.
Quaker meeting, 17th century
Secondly, in addition to medicine, he had other interests. In 1761 he took up banking by entering into the Dimsdale, Archer & Byde partnership. After working in this sector for 15 years, he apparently got tired and handed over the reins to his sons. And for generations, the bank has been something of a family business.
Thirdly, in 1780 Dimsdale became a Member of Parliament. However, over its 10-year political career he gave only one speech. But, according to eyewitnesses, he spoke so quietly that no one heard him.
Our hero was married three times. Moreover, when he entered into his last marriage, he was no less than 68 years old. His chosen one was 48-year-old Elizabeth. She was a very economic woman who, before her marriage to an eminent physician, lived as an old maid in the outback, without going anywhere. And it was with her that Thomas Dimsdale came to Russia for the second time (in 1781) to instill smallpox in the grandchildren of the Empress Alexander (the future tsar) and Constantine (by the way, the Englishwomen Pauline Gessler and Sarah Nichols were the nannies of the Grand Dukes).
Grand Duke Alexander Pavlovich as a child, portrait by Jean-Louis Voile
There is nothing special to say about the doctor, except that he performed his task flawlessly. But there is something to report about his wife. During this trip, she kept a diary in which she entered all the interesting and unusual facts about a strange country for her. I have already said that the newly-made baroness in her life was mainly engaged in housekeeping, so a fair share of the notes concern the economic side of life. She wrote down the prices of food, clothes and other things with accounting tediousness, converted them into pounds sterling and compared them with the cost of the same goods in England. She was amazed by the fantastic spending royal court, especially considering the salaries (very modest) of employees, which she was aware of. In addition, Elizabeth talks about Everyday life empress and grand dukes and shares his impressions of the manners and customs of the Russian people. For example, this woman was shocked by the "wild bathing rituals." Despite the fact that her personal bathing experience is limited to visiting a hot steam room in a fully dressed form. However, the story of this diary may take several pages, so we will postpone it until another time.
Russian bathhouse, painting by Vitaly Tikhov, 1916
And finally - a curiosity, which is reported by the engraver James Walker, who wrote a book of jokes about the Russian court called Paramythia. It is interesting, however, that he arrived in Russia only in 1784, so that he could only know about this case by hearsay. But be that as it may, the story is as follows. The baroness really wanted to personally thank the empress for her kind attitude towards her husband, who, as the malevolent Englishman notes, was against such a meeting. The reason is simple: Mrs. Dimmesdale was a nice, kind woman who knew how to sincerely express her feelings, but who had a very vague idea of court etiquette. Ekaterina, to the horror of the doctor, agreed to accept her. And here's what happened:
« The gratitude of his venerable wife took precedence over good manners. And when Her Majesty entered the hall, instead of half-kneeling to kiss the hand extended to her with extraordinary grace, she (Dimmesdale) pounced on her like a tiger and nearly strangled the poor empress in her arms', Walker writes.
Portrait of Catherine II in traveling costume, by James Walker, 1787
The Baroness, in her diary, draws a completely different picture and claims that everything was decorous, noble and in compliance with the necessary standards of behavior. Well, the truth must be somewhere in between. But in any case, this incident, if it really took place, did not lead to bad consequences. Dr. Dimsdale and his wife had a great time in Russia and returned home happy and rich.
1 The Roman version of Asclepius, the god of healing.
2 The gratitude of his honored spouse so far got the better of her good breeding, that when Her Majesty entered the saloon, instead of half kneeling to kiss the hand held out with so much grace, she flew towards her like a tiger, and almost smothered the poor empress with hugging and kissing.
