Prenner Georg Gaspar Joseph von. Portrait of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna. 1754

The daughter of Peter I and the future Empress Catherine Alekseevna was born on December 18, 1709.On this day, Russian troops, winners of the Battle of Poltava, unfurled their banners and solemnly entered Moscow.

The triumphal entry of Russian troops into Moscow after the Poltava victory. Engraving by A.F. Zubov. 1710

Having received the joyful news of the birth of his daughter, Peter organized a three-day celebration in her honor. The king loved his second family very much. A powerful and stern man, his affection for his loved ones sometimes took on touching forms.

Portrait of Princess Elizaveta Petrovna (1709-1761) as a child. Russian Museum, Mikhailovsky Castle.

In letters to his wife, he said hello to “four-sweetie” - this was Elizabeth’s family nickname at the time when she still crawled on all fours. In the summer of 1710, Peter sailed around the Baltic on the sailing ship “Lizetka” - that’s what he called the tiny crown princess.

Portrait of Princess Anna Petrovnaand Elizaveta Petrovna, 1717, Louis Caravaque

At the age of two, she attended her parents' wedding with her four-year-old sister Anna. Peter early began to write separately to the princesses, encouraging them in a similar way to master literacy. Elizabeth learned to read and write when she was not even eight years old. Peter I saw his daughters as instruments of diplomatic play and prepared them for dynastic marriages in order to strengthen Russia's international position.

I.N. Nikitin Portrait of Elizabeth Petrovna as a child (1709-1761) 1712-13

Therefore, he first of all paid attention to their learning of foreign languages. Elizabeth knew French perfectly and spoke German and Italian. In addition, the princesses were taught music, dancing, dressing skills, and etiquette. Since childhood, Elizabeth passionately loved dancing, and she had no equal in this art.

Tsesarevna Elizaveta Petrovna, future empress (1741-1761).Unfinished portrait. 1720s. Russian Museum

Back in 1720, her father tried to arrange Elizabeth’s marriage with the French king Louis XV, her age. But Versailles reacted with restraint to the Russian side’s proposal because of the princess’s origins: her mother was a commoner and was not married to the tsar at the time of her daughter’s birth. Elizabeth was later married to Charles Augustus of Holstein, but he died before he could become her husband.

The position of young Elizabeth at court and in the state changed dramatically in 1727. Before, life was like a fairy tale. She was surrounded by a young society, where she reigned not only by right of high birth, but also thanks to her personal merits. Quick to come up with ideas and pleasant to treat, Elizabeth was the soul of this society.

Unknown artist. Portrait of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna

Elizaveta Petrovna (equestrian portrait of the Empress with her retinue

She received enough money from her parents to satisfy her passion for all kinds of entertainment. Everything around her was seething with fun, she was always busy: trips along the Neva and outside the city, masquerades and balls, staging plays, playing music, dancing... This continuous and reckless ecstasy of life ended when Elizabeth’s mother, Empress Catherine I, died.

Peter II of Russia and Elizaveta Petrovna

At the court of Anna Ioannovna, the crown princess was given the honors due to her. However, Elizabeth felt like a stranger in the royal family. Her relationship with her cousin, the empress, was not very warm. Anna Ioannovna assigned Elizabeth a more than modest allowance, and the princess, who previously did not know how to count money, was now constantly in need of it. It is believed that the Empress could not forget her humiliating position in Mitau, when, due to the eternal lack of funds, she very often turned to Elizabeth’s parents with pleas for help and did not always receive what she asked for. And therefore the princess had a hard time living with her.

Unknown artist.Portrait of Tsarevna Elizaveta Petrovna, 1730s

And finally, Anna Ioannovna was worried about Elizabeth’s rights to the Russian crown. The Empress saw her relative as a serious rival and was seriously afraid of a coup in her favor. Anna ordered that the crown princess be placed under surveillance.

Louis Caravaque Portrait of Empress Anna Ioannovna. 1730

To get rid of Elizabeth, they wanted to either marry her somewhere far away from St. Petersburg and to a “safe” prince, or force her to become a nun. A suitable groom was never found. And the threat of lifelong imprisonment in a monastery for Elizabeth became a nightmare, which she got rid of only after ascending to the throne. The Tsesarevna was forced to behave extremely carefully. Any thoughtlessly spoken word - by her or someone close to her - could lead to disaster. She was pointedly not interested in politics.

Ivan VIAntonovich(1740-1764), emperor in 1740-1741. Great-grandson of Ivan V Alekseevich, son of Prince Anton Ulrich of Brunswick and Mecklenburg Princess Anna Leopoldovna, niece of the Russian Empress Anna Ioannovna. By Anna Ioannovna's manifesto he was appointed heir to the throne.

And yet, Anna Ioannovna’s fears were not without foundation, if only because the daughter of Peter I was loved in the guard. She often visited the barracks of the Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky regiments. Familiar guards officers and soldiers often asked Elizabeth to be the godmother of their children, and she willingly fulfilled their wishes. It was among the guards that Elizabeth found her ardent supporters, with the help of whom she seized power in the state in November 1741.

Fyodor Moskovitin Oath of the Preobrazhensky Regiment to Empress Elizabeth Petrovna.

From the first days of Elizabeth's reign under the Empressa circle of long-time adherents formed, occupying all the most important government and court positions. A passionate love for folk songs became the reason for Elizabeth’s attention to Alexei Grigorievich Razumovsky. A Ukrainian Cossack, a rare handsome man, he came to St. Petersburg thanks to his magnificent bass. He was accepted as a court singer back in 1731. Having ascended the throne, Elizaveta Petrovna granted the rootless Razumovsky the title of count and the rank of field marshal, and in 1742, as many historians claim, she secretly married him. Rumors about this marriage inevitably gave rise to legends about the supposedly existing children of Elizabeth and Razumovsky - for example, Princess Tarakanova and even about the whole Tarakanoff family.

Unknown artist Portrait of Alexei Grigorievich Razumovsky, mid-18th century

Elizaveta Petrovna

One of the empress's closest assistants was Mikhail Illarionovich Vorontsov. Vice-Chancellor from 1744, he succeeded A.P. Bestuzhev as Chancellor of the Empire in 1758.

Antropov Alexey Petrovich: Portrait of Prince M.I. Vorontsov

The Empress brought back from exile and brought closer to her the surviving princes Dolgorukov, Count P. I. Musin-Pushkin and several other Russian nobles who suffered during the reign of Anna Ioannovna. Elizabeth removed foreigners from all key positions in the state; she had no intention of expelling foreign specialists from the country, whom Russia urgently needed.

Coronation of Elizabeth Petrovna

Coronation procession of Elizabeth

The development of the foreign policy program and Russian diplomacy of the Elizabethan era are mainly associated with the name of the insightful and experienced statesman Chancellor Alexei Petrovich Bestuzhev.

Bestuzhev-Ryumin, Alexey Petrovich

On his initiative, in the spring of 1756, to consider issues of foreign policy and direct military operations during the pan-European Seven Years' War of 1756-1763. a new government body was established - the Conference at the Highest Court (a permanent meeting of senior dignitaries and generals consisting of ten people). Bestuzhev encountered problems in Russian-Swedish relations at the end of 1741, when he was appointed to the post of vice-chancellor. Sweden, having recovered from its defeat in the Northern War, hoped to take revenge and on the battlefields to reconsider the terms of the Nystadt Peace, according to which Russia had seized Swedish possessions in the Baltic states. In the summer of 1741, the Russian-Swedish war began, ending in the complete defeat of the Swedish army. In August 1743, a peace treaty was signed in Abo (Finland): the Swedish government confirmed the terms of the Peace of Nystadt concluded by Peter I.

Capture of the Kolberg fortress during the Seven Years' War,Alexander Evstafievich Kotzebue

The Seven Years' War, in which Russia, for the purpose of territorial acquisitions,took the side of France and Austria against Prussia and Great Britain; after Bestuzhev’s resignation, it was carried out under M.I. Vorontsov, his successor. At the beginning of 1758, Russian troops entered East Prussia and occupied Königsberg. In August of the following year, the Prussian army was defeated in the battle of Kunersdorf, and in September 1760, Russian troops entered Berlin, which they were then forced to leave due to inconsistency in the actions of the allies. The victories of the Russian army were decisive for the defeat of Prussia, whose armed forces were then considered the best in Europe

Battle of Kunnensdorf,Alexander Evstafievich Kotzebue

Louis CARAVACQUE. Portrait of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna

Upon ascending the throne, Elizabeth proclaimed herself the continuator of the workand his great father. Following Peter's "principles" determined, in particular, the empress's interest in economic issues, the development of industry and trade. Encouraging noble entrepreneurship, Elizabeth ordered the establishment of the Noble Loan Bank in 1753, which issued loans to landowners secured by land. In 1754 the Merchant Bank was founded. New manufactories (industrial enterprises) were created at a rapid pace. In Yaroslavl and Serpukhov, Irkutsk and Astrakhan, Tambov and Ivanovo, on noble estates, manufactories produced cloth and silk, canvas and ropes. Distillation became widespread among landowners.

Unknown artist of the 18th century. Departure of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna. // Kuskovo Estate Museum

The decision of Elizabeth's government, taken in 1753, to abolish internal customs duties, which had been levied on Russian cities and roads since ancient times, had important consequences. As a result of this reform, it was possible to put an end to the economic fragmentation of Russia. This was a bold step at that time. In France, for example, internal customs ceased to exist only during the revolution of the late 18th century, and in Germany - in the 30s. XIX century

Unknown Russian artist of the 2nd half of the 18th century. Portrait of Tsarevna Elizaveta Petrovna

Elizabeth significantly expanded the rights and liberties of the nobles. In particular, she abolished Peter I's law on minors, according to which nobles had to begin military service from a young age as soldiers. Under Elizabeth, children were enrolled in the corresponding regiments from birth. Thus, at the age of ten, these youths, without knowing the service, became sergeants, and were already 16-17-year-old captains in the regiment. During the reign of Elizaveta Petrovna, favorable conditions developed for the development of Russian culture, especially science and education.

Taras Shevchenko Empress Elizaveta Petrovna and Suvorov (engraving). 1850s

The Academy of Sciences participated in the organization of geographical expeditions to the Far East with the aim of detailed study of the northeastern borders of the Russian Empire. In the middle of the 18th century. a four-volume work by naturalist I. G. Gmelin “Flora of Siberia” appeared with a description of 1,200 plants and the first ethnographic work in Russia “Description of the Land of Kamchatka”, written by S. P. Krasheninnikov

The decree of 1744 “On the unification of schools in the provinces into one place and the education in them of all ranks of people...” facilitated access to schools for children from unprivileged sections of the population. In the 40-50s. to the first gymnasium in St. Petersburg that existed since 1726, two more were added - at Moscow University (1755) and in Kazan (1758). In 1752, the Navigation School, founded by Peter I, was reorganized into the Naval Gentry Cadet Corps, where officers of the Russian Navy were trained. January 25, 1755

University of Moscow

Elizabeth signed a decree establishing Moscow University. The spread of university education in Russia was the cherished dream of the Russian scientist and educator M. V. Lomonosov. Having won over Vice-Chancellor M.I. Vorontsov and the even more influential favorite I.I. Shuvalov to his side, Lomonosov drew up a project for opening a university in Moscow. Along with this event is the establishment in 1756 of the Russian professional theater by Fyodor Volkov and Alexander Sumarokov, and in 1758 - the Academy of Arts.

Ivan Ivanovich Shuvalov in 1760, portrait by brush Fyodor Rokotov. State Hermitage Museum (St. Petersburg)

Architect A.F. Kokorinov, director and first rector of the Academy of Arts, 1769. Portrait of the work D. G. Levitsky

Mikhail Vasilievich Lomonosov

The emergence of interest in the fine arts in Russian society during the time of Elizabeth Petrovna is directly related to the empress’s own passion for them. One might say that professional theatre, opera, ballet, and choral singing emerged from the walls of her palace. Even during the difficult years of Anna Ioannovna’s reign for young Elizabeth, many performances were staged at the crown princess’s “small court.” Her courtiers and singers took part in them. The plays were "on the topic of the day." In an allegorical form, they talked about the sad fate of the half-disgraced princess and the political situation in the country.

Heinrich Buchholz Portrait of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna in pearls. 1768

Elizabeth did not lose interest in the theater even as an empress. She enjoyed the performances, even if she saw them more than once. Especially popular in Russia in the mid-18th century. there were plays by A.P. Sumarokov. Not only celebrations and holidays, but also the usual feasts of Elizabeth Petrovna were necessarily accompanied by the playing of an orchestra and the singing of court musicians. As the famous historian E.V. Anisimov writes, “in Elizabethan times, music became an integral and indispensable part” of the life of the palace and the St. Petersburg nobility." The imperial orchestra of highly professional Italian and German musicians performed works by Western European composers. Concerts were also given, originally intended for the court society , they later became public. Citizens could also attend them. At these concerts, Russian listeners became acquainted with the harp, mandolin, and guitar

View of Anichkov Palace

Italian opera flourished at court. No expense was spared in organizing the performances. These were majestic performances with ballet numbers and recitations that made an indelible impression on the audience. Along with Italian musicians and artists, young Russian singers also took part in the performances. Their performance of difficult Italian arias delighted the audience. Russian dancers began to appear more and more often in ballet productions. This is how the foundations of Russian national opera and ballet were laid.

Topics of the material

Peter's daughter always knew how to stand up for herself. Elizaveta Petrovna, a fashionista and dancer, did not forgive Anna Ioannovna for ten years of oblivion at court, and, taking advantage of the situation, ascended the throne without firing a single shot.

She was only 32 years old when she decided to carry out a palace coup and found the right words for the three hundred guards of the Preobrazhensky Regiment who followed their queen.

All Muscovites remembered her coronation: Moscow had never seen more magnificent festivities in 1742. The famous Red Gate was built in honor of her, the future queen. A chic dress embroidered with gold and silver threads, a crown made of two kilograms of gilded silver, pearls and diamonds, diamond earrings and a tiara - Elizaveta Petrovna tried very hard to impress her subjects and demonstrate the greatness of the empire.

Throughout the twenty years of her reign, she remained decisive, entering into wars and expanding boundaries with the same ease as she dressed up in men's dresses at a masquerade, as she built palaces and demolished temples, as she indulged in prayers and amusements.

The queen had no shortage of favorites, and the first ladies of the court considered it an honor to scratch her heels at night. She was the darling of fate, but she went down in history as an ally of enlightenment. It was with her encouragement that schools were opened, and Lomonosov founded Moscow University.

Economic reforms contributed to the flourishing of trade, the architecture was replenished with Elizabethan baroque, and the imperial theater opened. Documents tell very little about Elizaveta Petrovna, but her image is embodied in seventeen films. And how subtly Natalya Gundareva played her in Midshipmen.

Daughter of the washerwoman and the king

Elizabeth was the illegitimate daughter of Peter. However, like her older sister Anna. The girls were born in the Kolomna Royal Palace. Anna - in 1708, and Lizanka, as her father called her, a year later.

Their mother's name was Martha Skavronskaya, she was 19 when the Russian Tsar saw her surrounded by Prince Menshikov. He got a beautiful and calm girl as a trophy in the war with the Swedes. She was from the Baltic peasants, early married a Swedish dragoon who died on the battlefield. Peter assigned her to the house of his sister Natalya, where the girl quickly became one of her own, learned to read and write and was baptized under the name of Ekaterina Alekseevna Mikhailova. She managed to calm the king’s anger, she knew how to relieve his headaches, and sit next to him for a long time while he slept. She shared his military difficulties in the Prussian campaign.

An engraving has been preserved where they are together inside a tent-tent. She knew how to endure discomfort, did not whine, and thanks to her good health after many hours of riding on horseback, she could have fun and dance. Possessing a lively mind and masculine logic, the former maid did not hesitate to give advice and many were surprised at the efficiency of her judgments. The royal entourage valued her more and more. Catherine bore him 11 children, but only two daughters survived.

Elizabeth was three years old when Peter I legalized relations with her mother. He asked his relatives to call his wife Empress, as the Tsar’s associates had long ago addressed her. The wedding took place at the beginning of 1712 in St. Petersburg. The formalities were observed, and the daughters received the status of princesses. But the church recognized her as empress only ten years later. And in 1724 the coronation took place. Catherine was dressed in a red dress, thickly embroidered with silver. For the celebration, a crown was made, which was decorated with two thousand diamonds, pearls and rubies with diamonds in the cross. Peter personally crowned his wife.

On such special occasions, daughters were dressed in luxurious dresses embroidered with gold. There are memories of little Lizanka, who was especially distinguished by her beauty. She really loved to preen, she was often cheerful and did not cause trouble to her loved ones. They predicted a wonderful future for her and were looking for a candidate for a husband from the Bourbon dynasty. Therefore, first of all, they taught language, literacy, good manners and dancing. Elizabeth knew French perfectly and had excellent handwriting, but Versailles was too much for her. The royal offspring responded politely to the proposal to become related, but refused.

Elizabeth was not particularly worried: she studied Swedish in between hunting, balls and festivities. But knowledge of this language did not help her in organizing her personal life. Complex relations between the powers did not contribute to personal happiness. The Tsesarevna then studied German and Finnish, but all her efforts to get married were unsuccessful.

If not for the death of his father, who knows, maybe he would have been able to find a match for his daughter. But at the age of 52 he died in terrible agony from an unknown disease. According to his will, the traditional order of succession to the throne was abolished: the throne could be inherited by appointment of the king, and not necessarily by a direct descendant in the male line. He opened the way to the kingdom for his wife and a whole series of palace coups.

Elizabeth was only 16 when her mother ascended to the Russian throne.

She left a short mark in the history of the Russian court: Catherine I reigned for only two years under the strict control of influential princes. Without her husband, her health was melting away before her eyes.

She tried to persuade 18-year-old Elizabeth to inherit the throne and wanted to make a will in her favor, but she refused. Therefore, the grandson Pyotr Alekseevich was identified as the heir of the first line, and next came Anna Petrovna, the Tsar’s niece. And only then was the turn given to Elizabeth.

At the age of 43, Catherine died, and her will was never destined to come true. Peter Alekseevich ascended the throne at the age of 11, and three years later he died of smallpox. The misfortune ruined the plans of influential princes who dreamed of seeing their children marry royal persons. The intrigues of the palace opened the way to the throne not for Anna Petrovna, but for a completely different Anna, whom Peter I so unsuccessfully passed off as the Duke of Courlia.

Past the throne

Anna was 17 years old when, by the will of Peter I, she was given in marriage to the 18-year-old Duke of Courland - present-day Latvia - Friedrich Wilhelm. The wedding took place in St. Petersburg, and after the royal feast the young couple left for the duchy, which by that time had been liberated from the Swedes. But on the way, a misfortune happened: the newly-made husband died. It was rumored that his body could not withstand the competition in alcohol with Peter I. The Dowager Duchess returned to her mother, but not for long. By royal order, she was sent to Courland, accompanied by Count Bestuzhev-Ryumin, who was the head of government before Anna returned to Russia.

They remembered her when the throne became vacant again. Elizaveta Petrovna was not suitable for the role of empress, although she was the daughter of Peter I. But her mother was not of royal blood. Anna on the throne was beneficial to everyone: the youngest daughter of her brother Peter I was from the Romanov family, she had no favorites at court, because she lived in Courland for almost twenty years. In addition, the royal elite considered her completely controllable, in which she very soon disappointed them.

Anna was jubilant! Although she understood that her reign, bypassing the direct, albeit low-born, heir to the throne, was illegal.

They even wanted to tonsure their dangerous rival as a nun, which was what they did with the nobility in those days. But Anna Ioanovna did not rush, although she did everything to complicate the princess’s life. Cavaliers from among the European imperial blood wooed her, but her marriage was not useful for the ruling empress, who preferred to keep her under a hood.

Elizaveta Petrovna lived far from the courtyard, quite tolerably, and it seemed that they had forgotten about her. And throughout the ten years of Anna’s reign, she consoled herself by taking lovers and dreaming of the throne.

Meanwhile, at court in the first years there was a real struggle for influence on the empress on the part of princes and nobles from foreign countries. A lot happened during the years of her reign, but the army of nobles dissatisfied with Anna Ioanovna grew stronger. And who knows what her fate would have been like if not for her sudden death. At the age of 48, Anna Ionovna fell ill and died within two weeks. The medical verdict was: the cause of death was urolithiasis and gout. But some were not sure about this; over the years of her reign, the empress had accumulated too many ill-wishers.

According to Anna Ioannovna's will, the throne went to a baby: the son of her beloved niece Anna Leopoldovna. Power also passed to her, but for a very short time - only for a year.

All this time, Elizaveta Petrovna prayed to her father’s icon, so that the Mother of God would not leave her and would bless her on the throne. And from prayers I moved on to actions.

Palace coup

She was pushed to take a decisive step by her environment: she is the legitimate heir to the throne, whom not only the nobles and people, but also foreign diplomats want to see. The power of the empress was never firm, and weakened more and more each time. Elizaveta Petrovna herself felt the strength, and the time was right to try to achieve justice.

As documents from those years say, on a frosty night in 1741, she went to the barracks and was able to convince the grenadiers of the Preobrazhensky Regiment to follow her, the daughter of Peter I, to the Winter Palace under the flag of faithful service to the Fatherland and their Empress. All 308 guardsmen swore allegiance to her.

The coup took place without any special obstacles: Elizaveta Petrovna proclaimed herself empress, and the crowned child with her mother and her entourage was sent into exile.

The fact that Elizabeth celebrated this day as her second birthday speaks to how difficult and thawed out the decision to carry out the coup was. A month later she turned 32 and wore a crown.

On the reign

There were legends about her beauty and majestic posture. She emphasized her uniqueness in every possible way: she changed the outfits that were brought to her from France, wore expensive jewelry, and organized balls. The court prospered, they lived happily and ate deliciously. There were gentlemen spinning around: from the bluest bloods to servants. It was rumored that the empress was childless, and her decision to raise her young nephew Karl Peter Ulrich did not surprise anyone. He was the son of her elder sister and Duke Frederick, the nephew of the Swedish king.

Anna died immediately after the birth of her son, and Frederick lost hope of the throne and decided that his son would have better luck. By the way, he turned out to be right: the youth, baptized into Orthodoxy, received the name Peter Fedorovich and entered the history of Russia as Peter III. By the way, Elizaveta Petrovna subsequently raised his son, the future Russian Tsar Paul I.

She entrusted state affairs to her entourage, the main one of whom was Razumovsky. By the time of Elizabeth's coronation they were long-time lovers.

Count Alexey Grigorievich was the same age as His Majesty, but he received the title not by inheritance, but out of gratitude for his faithful service and deeds of the heart. Elizabeth immediately liked the handsome Cossack from Dnepropetrovsk and his business went uphill. He was given palaces, estates, and showered with generous gifts. Behind his back they called him the night emperor. He outlived his queen by ten years, and all subsequent rulers treated him with respect and sympathy. True, he had rivals.

The Empress also had favorites, one of whom, Ivan Shuvalov, was of noble birth, educated and intelligent. He accepted gifts, but refused the title of count. By the way, the age difference between him and Elizabeth was significant: he was 18 years younger than her. He is remembered fondly by many writers, scientists and artists: he patronized them, thereby significantly advancing science and culture.

Elizabeth is credited with many things related to education. She really tried to continue her father’s work in reforming the country. Schools were built en masse and gymnasiums were opened, Lomonosov was finally able to found a university, the first Academy of Arts opened, and the imperial theater arose. The architectural appearance of the cities also changed: the best architects, led by Rastrelli, worked on the Petrograd palaces. Majesty, splendor, and golden decoration reigned not only in clothing, but also in architectural fashion.

A fair number of churches were built under her: despite her cheerful disposition, the empress was a devout woman and often made pilgrimages. True, stories have survived to this day about how she knew how to combine prayer and balls, sometimes without taking a break between them.

With her, the Bible was published, which is called the Elizabethan Bible - the first translation, which, with minor changes, is still used today. She was supportive of the Buddhist lamas, who allowed them to preach in Russia by a special decree of 1741. But she applied opposite measures to Jews and Muslims: she expelled some if they did not want to convert to Orthodoxy, and left others without mosques.

She has always been controversial: she abolished the death penalty, but raised the severity of punishment to a degree. And she herself could whip anyone on the cheeks on occasion, regardless of rank. However, after a while she walked away and cajoled her with gifts.

The nobles received more rights and privileges, while almost everything was taken away from the peasants, even the right to complain.

Under her, a cumbersome administrative apparatus of a dozen boards was created. The main one was Chancellor Bestuzhev-Ryumin, who remained at the top of power until the death of Elizabeth. However, she did not abandon her own: even those 308 guards who secured her crown were not forgotten. They were granted nobility, they guarded the court and accompanied Elizabeth on all her trips. The Empress was very afraid of the conspirators, which is not surprising, looking at the history of palace intrigues, and therefore she often moved. There were two dozen estates and palaces at her service, and at her first request, a royal train with furniture and clothes would depart.

True, by the end of her reign she was dissatisfied: the veterans had become lazy to such an extent that she had to use separate decrees to force them to keep their weapons in order and themselves clean. But her century gave birth to outstanding commanders: Suvorov and Rumyantsev. The country won two successful wars during her reign. The latter went down in history under the name “seven-year-old”. Russia managed to enter Prussia and occupy part of the territory, including Koenigsberg. By the way, among the new subjects who swore allegiance to Queen Elizabeth was the 33-year-old philosopher Immanuel Kant.

She still took care of herself, but by the age of 45 she began to get better and get sick. She suffered from shortness of breath, swelling and frequent nosebleeds. There was less and less music and laughter, the empress spent more often time with healers and healers, trying to look young and survive at the balls.

A year before her death - in 1760 - her personal physician was indignant that she refused to break her fast during pneumonia. He instilled in her that she should not eat exclusively jam and kvass, and overeat the rest of the time. But Elizabeth lived as she wanted, and even being constantly ill, she preferred bloodletting to all other methods of treatment.

She was 52 years old when a sudden throat bleed occurred, leading to death. According to her will, the throne went to her nephew Peter III.

- Russian Empress (1741-24 December 1761), daughter of Peter the Great and Catherine I (born December 18, 1709). Since the death of Catherine I, Grand Duchess Elizaveta Petrovna went through a hard school. Her position was especially dangerous under Anna Ioannovna and Anna Leopoldovna, who were constantly frightened by the guard's commitment to Elizabeth. She was saved from becoming a nun by the existence abroad of her nephew, the Prince of Holstein; during his lifetime, any drastic measure with Elizabeth would have been useless cruelty. Foreign diplomats, the French ambassador Chetardie and the Swedish Baron Nolken, decided, from the political views of their courts, to take advantage of the mood of the guard and elevate Elizabeth to the throne. The mediator between the ambassadors and Elizabeth was the physician Lestocq. But Elizabeth managed without their assistance. The Swedes declared war on the government of Anna Leopoldovna, under the pretext of liberating Russia from the yoke of foreigners. The guard regiments were ordered to set out on a campaign. Before the performance, the soldiers of the grenadier company of the Preobrazhensky Regiment, most of whom Elizabeth baptized children, expressed concern to her: would she be safe among the enemies? Elizabeth decided to act. At 2 a.m. on November 25, 1741, Elizabeth appeared at the barracks of the Preobrazhensky Regiment and, reminding whose daughter she was, ordered the soldiers to follow her, forbidding them to use weapons, because the soldiers threatened to kill everyone. A coup took place at night, and on November 25 a short manifesto was issued on Elizabeth’s accession to the throne, drawn up in very vague terms. Not a word was said about the illegality of Ivan Antonovich’s rights. In front of the guards, Elizabeth showed great tenderness towards John. A detailed manifesto dated November 28 was written in a completely different tone, recalling the order of succession to the throne established by Catherine I and approved by the general oath (see Catherine I). The manifesto says that the throne, after the death of Peter II, followed Elizabeth. Its compilers forgot that, according to Catherine’s will, after the death of Peter II, the throne was to go to the son of Anna Petrovna and the Duke of Holstein, born in 1728. In the accusations directed against the German temporary workers and their friends, they were accused of many things, including what they were not guilty of: this is explained by the fact that Elizaveta Petrovna was very irritated by the attitude towards her of people exalted by her father - Minikh, Osterman and others. Public opinion did not think, however, to enter into an analysis of the degree of guilt of certain individuals; The irritation against the German temporary workers was so strong that the cruel execution they determined was seen as retribution for the painful execution of Dolgoruky and Volynsky. Osterman and Minich were given the death penalty by quartering; Levenvold, Mengden, Golovkin - simply the death penalty. The death penalty has been replaced by exile for everyone. It is remarkable that Minich was also accused of appointing Biron as regent, but Biron himself was not only left untouched, but his fate was even made easier: he was transferred from Pelym to his place of residence in Yaroslavl (since Biron himself did not push Elizabeth).

Empress Elizaveta Petrovna. Portrait by I. Vishnyakov, 1743

In the first years of Elizabeth's reign, conspiracies were constantly being discovered; This is where, by the way, the grim case of the Lopukhins arose. Cases similar to Lopukhin's arose from two reasons: 1) from exaggerated fear of adherents of the Brunswick dynasty, the number of which was extremely limited, and 2) from the intrigues of persons who were close to Elizaveta Petrovna, for example, from the undermining of Lestocq and others against Bestuzhev-Ryumin. Lestok was a supporter of an alliance with France, Bestuzhev-Ryumin - an alliance with Austria; Therefore, foreign diplomats intervened in the domestic intrigue. Natalya Fedorovna Lopukhina, the wife of the lieutenant general, was famous for her outstanding beauty, education and courtesy. They said that under Anna Ioannovna, at court balls, she overshadowed Elizaveta Petrovna, and that this rivalry instilled in Elizaveta Petrovna enmity towards Lopukhina, who at that time already had a son, an officer. She was friends with Anna Gavrilovna Bestuzheva-Ryumina, née Golovkina, the wife of the vice-chancellor's brother. Lopukhina, who was in connection with Levenvold, sent him a bow with one officer, telling him not to lose heart and hope for better times, and Bestuzheva sent a bow to her brother, Count Golovkin, also exiled in the so-called case of Osterman and Minich. Both were acquainted with the Marquis Botta, the Austrian envoy in St. Petersburg. Botta, without hesitation, expressed to his female acquaintances the unfounded assumption that the Brunswick dynasty would soon reign again. Transferred to Berlin, he repeated the same assumptions there. All this empty chatter gave Lestocq a reason to concoct a conspiracy through which he wanted to strike at Vice-Chancellor Bestuzhev-Ryumin, the defender of the Austrian union. The investigation of the case was entrusted to the Prosecutor General Prince Trubetskoy, Lestok and Chief General Ushakov. Trubetskoy hated Bestuzhev-Ryumin as much as Lestok, but he hated Lestok himself even more; he belonged to the oligarchic party, which, after the overthrow of the German temporary workers, hoped to seize power into its own hands and resume the attempt of the supreme leaders. From people who did not hide their regret for the exiled, it was easy to get confession in daring speeches against the empress and in censure of her private life. Torture was used in the case - and despite all this, only eight people were brought to trial. The sentence was terrible: Lopukhin, her husband and son, having their tongues cut out, were to be driven on the wheel. Elizaveta Petrovna abolished the death penalty: Lopukhin, her husband and son, after cutting out their tongues, were ordered to be beaten with a whip, others - only to be beaten with a whip. The manifesto, in which Russia was notified of the Lopukhins’ case, again spoke of the illegality of the previous reign. All this caused sharp criticism against Elizabeth and did not bring the result desired by the intrigue - the overthrow of the Bestuzhevs. The importance of the vice-chancellor not only has not decreased, but has even increased; after some time he received the rank of chancellor. Shortly before the start of the Lopukhina case, Bestuzhev stood for the dismissal of Anna Leopoldovna, with her family, abroad; but the Lopukhins’ case and Anna Leopoldovna’s refusal to renounce, for her children, her rights to the Russian throne were the reason for the sad fate of the Brunswick family (see Anna Leopoldovna). To calm minds, Elizabeth hastened to summon her nephew Karl-Peter-Ulrich, the son of Anna Petrovna and the Duke of Holstein, to St. Petersburg. On November 7, 1742, just before the announcement of the Lopukhins’ case, he was proclaimed heir to the throne. Before that, he converted to Orthodoxy and in church proclamations in his name it was ordered to add: grandson of Peter the Great.

Having secured power for herself, Elizabeth hastened to reward the people who contributed to her accession to the throne or were generally loyal to her. The grenadier company of the Preobrazhensky regiment received the name of the life campaign. Soldiers not from the nobility are enrolled as nobles; they were given estates. Company officers were equal to the ranks of generals, Razumovsky and Vorontsov were appointed lieutenants, with the rank of lieutenant general, the Shuvalovs were appointed second lieutenants, with the rank of major generals. Sergeants became colonels, corporals became captains. The riot of soldiers in the first days of Elizabeth's accession to the throne reached extremes and caused bloody clashes. Alexey Razumovsky, the son of a simple Cossack, showered with orders, in 1744 was already a count of the Roman Empire and the morganatic husband of Elizabeth. His brother Kirill was appointed president of the Academy of Sciences and hetman of Little Russia. Lestocq, who had worked so hard for Elizabeth, was granted the title of count. At the same time, the rise of the Shuvalov brothers, Alexander and Pyotr Ivanovich, with their cousin Ivan Ivanovich began. The chief of the secret chancellery, Alexander Ivanovich, enjoyed the greatest confidence of Elizaveta Petrovna. He left behind the most hateful memory. The Shuvalovs were followed by Vorontsov, who was appointed vice-chancellor, after the appointment of Count Bestuzhev-Ryumin as chancellor. Before the Seven Years' War, the strongest influence was enjoyed by Chancellor Bestuzhev-Ryumin, whom Lestocq wanted to destroy, but who himself destroyed Lestocq. He deciphered the letters of the French ambassador Chetardy, a friend of Lestocq, and found harsh expressions about Elizabeth Petrovna in the letters. Lestocq's estates were confiscated, and he was exiled to Ustyug.

In foreign policy, Bestuzhev knew how to put Russia in such a position that all powers sought its union. Frederick II says that Bestuzhev took money from foreign courts; this is likely, because all of Elizabeth’s advisers took the money - some from Sweden, some from Denmark, some from France, some from England, some from Austria or Prussia. Everyone knew this, but they were silent about this sensitive issue until, as over Lestocq, a thunderstorm broke out on some other occasion. When Elizabeth Petrovna ascended the throne, peace with Sweden could have been expected; but the Swedish government demanded the return of the conquests of Peter the Great, which led to the resumption of the war. The Swedes were defeated and around the world in Abo, in 1743, they had to make new territorial concessions to Russia (part of Finland, along the Kyumen River). In the same year, the question of succession to the throne in Sweden, which had been shaking this country since 1741, since the death of Ulrich-Eleonora, was resolved. On the advice of Bestuzhev, armed assistance was sent to the Holstein party and Adolf-Friedrich, the uncle of the heir to Elizabeth Petrovna, was declared heir to the throne. The War of the Austrian Succession was also ended with the assistance of Russia. England, an ally of Austria, being unable to keep the Austrian Netherlands behind its ally, asked for help from Russia. The appearance of a corps of Russian troops on the banks of the Rhine River helped end the war and conclude the Peace of Aachen (1748). The influence of the chancellor was increasing; Elizaveta Petrovna took his side even in his dispute with the heir to the throne on the issue of Schleswig, which the Grand Duke wanted, contrary to the will of the Empress, to keep for his home. In the future, this discord threatened Bestuzhev-Ryumin with troubles, but he then managed to attract Grand Duchess Ekaterina Alekseevna to his side. Only during the Seven Years' War did the enemies of the chancellor finally manage to break him (see the Seven Years' War and Bestuzhev-Ryumin). The chancellor was put on trial, he was stripped of his ranks and exiled.

Important deeds were accomplished under Elizabeth on the outskirts of Russia; a very dangerous fire could break out there at the same time. In Little Russia, the management of the Little Russian Collegium left behind terrible displeasure. Elizaveta Petrovna, visiting Kyiv in 1744, calmed the region and allowed the election of a hetman in the person of her favorite brother, Kirill Razumovsky. But Razumovsky himself understood that the time of hetmanship was over. At his request, cases from the Little Russian Collegium were transferred to the Senate, on which the city of Kyiv directly depended. The end was approaching for Zaporozhye (see this word and Catherine II), for the steppes, since the time of Anna Ioannovna, were populated more and more. During the reign of Elizabeth Petrovna, new settlers were called; in 1750, in the current districts of Alexandria and Bobrinetsky, Kherson province, Serbs were settled, from whom two hussar regiments were formed. These settlements are called New Serbia. Later, in the current Ekaterinoslav province, in the districts of Slavyanoserbsky and Bakhmutsky, new Serbian settlers settled (Slavyanoserbia). Near the fortress of St. Elizabeth, on the upper reaches of the Ingul, formed settlements from Polish immigrants, Little Russians, Moldavians and schismatics, which gave rise to the Novoslobodskaya line. Thus, Zaporozhye was constrained from almost all sides by the already emerging second Novorossiya. In the first New Russia, that is, in the Orenburg region, in 1744, as a result of serious unrest of the Bashkirs, the Orenburg province was established, the governor of which was subordinate to the Ufa province and the Stavropol district of the current Samara province. Neplyuev was appointed governor of Orenburg. He caught the Bashkir rebellion; the Bashkirs could easily unite with other foreigners; Neplyuev had few troops - but he raised the Kirghiz, Teptyars, Meshcheryaks against the Bashkirs, and the rebellion was pacified. He was helped a lot by the fact that, due to the small number of Russian elements in the region, factories under Anna Ioannovna were built there as fortresses. The general displeasure and irritation of foreigners also affected the remote northeast: the Chukchi and Koryaks in Okhotsk threatened the Russian population with extermination. The Koryaks, holed up in a wooden fort, were especially cruel: they burned themselves voluntarily rather than surrender to the Russians.

Empress Elizaveta Petrovna. Portrait by V. Eriksen

A few weeks after her accession to the throne, Elizabeth issued a personal decree that the Empress saw a violation of the order of government established by her parent: “through the machinations of some (individuals), the Supreme Privy Council was invented, then a cabinet was created in equal strength, as was the Supreme Privy Council advice, only the name was changed, which resulted in a lot of omissions, and justice became completely weak.” Under Elizabeth, the Senate gained strength such as it had never had before or since. The number of senators was increased. The Senate stopped the flagrant disorder both in the colleges and in the provincial institutions. The Arkhangelsk prosecutor, for example, reported that secretaries go to office whenever they want, which is why convicts are kept for a long time. The Senate rendered a particularly important service in one of the years when the poor people in Moscow were in danger of being left without salt. Thanks to the stewardship of the Senate, salt was delivered and the salt tax, one of the important revenues of the treasury, was put in order. Since 1747, when Elton salt was discovered, the salt issue has not become aggravated to such an extent. In 1754, at the suggestion of Pyotr Ivanovich Shuvalov, internal customs and outposts were abolished. According to S. M. Solovyov, this act completed the unification of eastern Russia, destroying traces of appanage division. According to the projects of the same Shuvalov: 1) Russia, in order to ease the burden of recruitment, was divided into 5 stripes; in each strip, recruitment occurred every 5 years; 2) commercial and noble banks were established. But Shuvalov’s merits were not understood by everyone, and the results of his greed were obvious to everyone. He turned sealing and fishing in the White and Caspian Seas into his monopoly; In charge of the alteration of copper coins, he privately gave away money at interest. The Razumovskys, the closest people to Elizaveta Petrovna, did not intervene in state affairs; their influence was great only in the field of church administration. Both Razumovskys were imbued with boundless respect for the memory of Stefan Yavorsky and hostility towards the memory of Feofan Prokopovich. Therefore, people who hated Prokopovich’s educational aspirations began to be elevated to the highest levels of the hierarchy. The very marriage of Elizabeth with Razumovsky was suggested by her confessor. The liberation of Russia from German temporary workers, exacerbating the then already strong spirit of religious intolerance, cost Russia dearly. Sermons in this direction did not spare not only the Germans, but also European science. In Minich and Osterman they saw emissaries of Satan, sent to destroy the Orthodox faith. The abbot of the Sviyazhsk monastery, Dimitri Sechenov, called his opponents the prophets of the Antichrist, who forced the preachers of Christ's word to remain silent. Ambrose Yushkevich accused the Germans of deliberately slowing down the progress of education in Russia and persecuting the Russian students of Peter the Great - a weighty accusation, supported by Lomonosov, who, however, equally accused German academicians and the clergy of the same obscurantism. Having got censorship in its hands, the synod began by submitting a decree for signature in 1743 prohibiting the import of books into Russia without prior inspection. Chancellor Count Bestuzhev-Ryumin rebelled against the draft of this decree. He convinced Elizabeth that not only the ban, but also the delay of foreign books by censorship would have a harmful effect on education. He advised to exempt historical and philosophical books from censorship, and to review only theological books. But the chancellor's advice did not stop the jealousy of the book ban. Thus, Fontenelle’s book “On the Many Worlds” was banned. In 1749, it was ordered to select a book printed under Peter the Great - “Pheatron, or Historical Shame”, translated by Gabriel Buzhansky. In the church itself, phenomena were discovered that pointed to the need for broader education for the clergy themselves: when fanatical self-immolations intensified among schismatics, our shepherds were unable to stop the wild manifestations of fanaticism with a word and appealed to the secular authorities for help. But representatives of the clergy even took up arms against church schools. Arkhangelsk Archbishop Barsanuphius expressed displeasure at the large school built in Arkhangelsk: schools were loved by the bishops of Cherkassy, i.e. Little Russians. It is not surprising that people of this way of thinking had to deal with the Senate in state and legislative matters. Elizaveta Petrovna, due to her personal character, significantly softened our criminal legislation, abolishing the death penalty, as well as torture in tavern cases. The Senate presented a report so that minors under seventeen years of age were completely exempt from torture. The Synod here also rebelled against mitigation, arguing that childhood, according to the teachings of St. fathers are considered only up to 12 years of age. At the same time, it was forgotten that the decrees to which the synod referred were issued for southern countries, where girls begin puberty at the age of 11-12. At the beginning of Elizabeth's reign, Prince Yakov Petrovich Shakhovskoy, a one-sided, proud, but honest man, was appointed chief prosecutor to the synod. He demanded regulations, instructions to the chief prosecutor and a register of unresolved cases; Only the regulations were delivered to him; the instructions were lost and only then delivered to him by the Prosecutor General, Prince Trubetskoy. Fines were ordered for talking in church. The fine was collected by officers who lived at the monasteries; The synod began to prove that the collection of fines should be carried out by the clergy. Such bickering most clearly indicated the need for education. But, with a general almost hatred of enlightenment, powerful energy was required to defend its necessity. Therefore, the memory of Ivan Ivanovich Shuvalov and Lomonosov, who connected their names with the most useful work of the reign of Elizabeth Petrovna, is worthy of the deepest respect. According to their project, in 1755, the Moscow University was founded, gymnasiums arose in Moscow and Kazan, and then the Academy of Arts was founded in St. Petersburg.

By her personal character, Elizabeth was alien to political ambition; it is very likely that if she had not been persecuted under Anna Ioannovna, she would not have thought about a political role. In her youth, she was only interested in dancing, and in her old age - the pleasures of the table. Her love of far niente [doing nothing] grew stronger every year. So, for two years she could not get ready to answer the letter from the French king.

Sources: P.S.Z.; memoirs; The notes of Prince Shakhovsky, Bolotov, Dashkov and others are especially important. The history of Elizabeth is described in detail by S. M. Solovyov. The sketch of the reign of Empress Elizabeth also deserves attention. Eshevsky.

The reign of Elizaveta Petrova (briefly)

The reign of Elizaveta Petrova (briefly)

The future Russian Empress Elizaveta Petrovna Romanova was born in an illegal marriage at that time between Peter the Great and Catherine the First on December 18, 1709. Peter the Great, as soon as he learned about the birth of his daughter, even decided to cancel the celebration planned for that day to mark the end of the Russian-Swedish war. Already in the spring of 1711, the illegitimate Elizabeth was declared princess.

Contemporaries note that the girl was distinguished by her love of horse riding, dancing, and was also unusually resourceful, intelligent and expressively beautiful. Elizaveta Petrovna received her education in the Izmailovsky and Preobrazhensky villages, where she was taught foreign languages, geography and history.

Peter made more than one attempt to marry his daughter to numerous applicants from among the nobility and ruling dynasties, but not one of them was crowned with a positive result. Menshikov’s attempts to “bring together” Elizabeth under Peter the Second were doomed to such failures.

In 1730, Pyotr Alekseevich died and the question of a new ruler of Russia arose, but the Supreme Privy Council placed the reign in the hands of Elizabeth’s sister Anna Ioannovna. During the reign of the latter, the country experienced its hard days: the treasury was plundered by palace entertainment and favorites, the prestige of the state fell every day, etc. As a result of the palace coup, Elizabeth still gained power and legally assumed the throne in 1741.

Wanting to restore the state to its former state as soon as possible, Elizabeth decides to continue the reforms begun by Peter the Great and her first order was the abolition of the death penalty in Russia. Also, in 1741, the stage of internal political reforms began: the Senate (a new legislative body) appeared, new laws were drawn up. In addition, Elizaveta Petrovna improves the position of the nobility, abolishes customs duties and thereby activates the “stagnant” Russian market. It was during the reign of this monarch that new academies and universities appeared in Russia, and a second population census was carried out.

The ruler was no less active in her foreign policy. At the very beginning of her reign, Russia waged military operations with Sweden, which sought to take revenge on Russia for its defeat in the Northern War. The result of these actions is the transfer of part of Finland to Russia. After this, Russia enters the War of the Austrian Succession.

Before accession to the throne

Accession to the throne

Reign

Social unrest

Foreign policy

Seven Years' War (1756-1763)

Personal life

Succession to the throne

Interesting Facts

Literature

Interesting Facts

(December 18 (29), 1709, Kolomenskoye - December 25, 1761 (January 5, 1762), St. Petersburg) - Russian empress from November 25 (December 6), 1741 from the Romanov dynasty, daughter of Peter I and his mistress Ekaterina Alekseevna (future Empress Catherine I).

Childhood, education and upbringing

Elizabeth was born in the village of Kolomenskoye on December 18, 1709. This day was solemn: Peter I entered Moscow, wanting to celebrate his victory over Charles XII in the old capital; Swedish prisoners were brought behind him. The Emperor intended to immediately celebrate the Poltava victory, but upon entering the capital he was notified of the birth of his daughter. “Let’s put off the victory celebration and hasten to congratulate my daughter on her entry into the world,” he said. Peter found Catherine and the newborn baby healthy and celebrated with a feast.

Being only eight years old, Princess Elizabeth already attracted attention with her beauty. In 1717, both daughters, Anna and Elizabeth, greeted Peter returning from abroad, dressed in Spanish attire. Then the French ambassador noticed that the sovereign’s youngest daughter seemed unusually beautiful in this outfit. The following year, 1718, assemblies were introduced, and both princesses appeared there in dresses of different colors, embroidered with gold and silver, and in headdresses sparkling with diamonds. Everyone admired Elizabeth's dancing skills. In addition to her ease of movement, she was distinguished by resourcefulness and ingenuity, constantly inventing new figures. The French envoy Levi noted at the same time that Elizabeth could be called a perfect beauty if her hair were not reddish.

The princess's upbringing could not have been particularly successful, especially since her mother was completely illiterate. But she was taught in French, and Catherine constantly insisted that there were important reasons for her to know French better than other subjects. This reason, as is known, was the strong desire of her parents to marry Elizabeth to one of the persons of French royal blood. However, they responded to all persistent proposals to become related to the French Bourbons with a polite but decisive refusal.

In all other respects, Elizabeth’s education was not very burdensome; she never received a decent systematic education. Her time was filled with horse riding, hunting, rowing and caring for her beauty.

Before accession to the throne

After her parents' marriage, she bore the title of princess. The will of Catherine I of 1727 provided for the rights of Elizabeth and her descendants to the throne after Peter II and Anna Petrovna. In the last year of the reign of Catherine I and at the beginning of the reign of Peter II, there was a lot of talk at court about the possibility of a marriage between an aunt and a nephew, who were connected by friendly relations at that time. After the death of Peter II, engaged to Catherine Dolgorukova, from smallpox in January 1730, Elizabeth, despite the will of Catherine I, was not actually considered as one of the contenders for the throne, which was transferred to her cousin Anna Ioannovna. During her reign (1730-1740), Tsarevna Elizabeth was in disgrace; those dissatisfied with Anna Ioannovna and Biron had high hopes for the daughter of Peter the Great.

Accession to the throne

Taking advantage of the decline in authority and influence of power during the regency of Anna Leopoldovna, on the night of November 25 (December 6), 1741, 32-year-old Elizabeth, accompanied by Count M.I. Vorontsov, physician Lestocq and her music teacher Schwartz, said “Guys! You know whose daughter I am, follow me! Just as you served my father, so will you serve me with your loyalty!” raised behind her the grenadier company of the Preobrazhensky Regiment. Having encountered no resistance, with the help of 308 loyal guards, she proclaimed herself the new queen, ordering the imprisonment of the young Ivan VI in the fortress and the arrest of the entire Brunswick family (relatives of Anna Ioannovna, including the regent of Ivan VI, Anna Leopoldovna) and her adherents. The favorites of the former empress Minich, Levenwolde and Osterman were sentenced to death, replaced by exile to Siberia - in order to show Europe the tolerance of the new autocrat.

Reign

Elizabeth was almost not involved in state affairs, entrusting them to her favorites - the brothers Razumovsky, Shuvalov, Vorontsov, A.P. Bestuzhev-Ryumin.

Elizabeth proclaimed a return to Peter's reforms as the basic principles of domestic and foreign policy. The role of the Senate, the Berg and Manufactory Collegium, and the Chief Magistrate was restored. The Cabinet of Ministers was abolished. The Senate received the right of legislative initiative. During the Seven Years' War, a permanent meeting arose above the Senate - the Conference at the Highest Court. The conference was attended by the heads of the military and diplomatic departments, as well as persons specially invited by the Empress. The activities of the Secret Chancellery became invisible. The importance of the Synod and the clergy increased (the empress's confessor Fyodor Dubyansky acquired particular influence at court), and schismatics were brutally persecuted. The Synod took care of the material support of the clergy, monasteries, and the spread of spiritual education among the people. During the reign of Elizabeth, work on a new Slavic translation of the Bible, begun under Peter I in 1712, was completed. The Elizabethan Bible, published in 1751, is still used in the worship of the Russian Orthodox Church with minor changes.

In 1741, the Empress adopted a Decree allowing Buddhist lamas to preach their teachings on the territory of the Russian Empire. All lamas who wished to come to Russia were sworn to allegiance to the empire. The decree also exempted them from paying taxes. At the same time, on December 2, 1742, a decree was adopted on the expulsion of all citizens of the Jewish faith, with permission to remain only for those who wanted to convert to Orthodoxy.

In 1744-1747, the 2nd census of the tax-paying population was carried out.

In the late 1740s - the first half of the 1750s, on the initiative of Pyotr Shuvalov, a number of serious transformations were carried out. In 1754, the Senate adopted a resolution developed by Shuvalov on the abolition of internal customs duties and petty fees. This led to a significant revival of trade relations between the regions. The first Russian banks were founded - Dvoryansky (Loan), Merchant and Medny (State).

A tax reform was carried out, which made it possible to improve the financial situation of the country: fees for concluding foreign trade transactions were increased to 13 kopecks per 1 ruble (instead of the previously charged 5 kopecks). The tax on salt and wine was increased.

In 1754, a new commission was created to draw up the Code, which completed its work by the end of Elizabeth's reign, but the process of transformation was interrupted by the Seven Years' War (1756-1762).

In social policy, the line of expanding the rights of the nobility continued. In 1746, the nobles were granted the right to own land and peasants. In 1760, landowners received the right to exile peasants to Siberia and count them instead of recruits. Peasants were prohibited from conducting monetary transactions without the permission of the landowner.

In 1755, factory peasants were assigned as permanent (possession) workers in Ural factories.

The death penalty was abolished (1756), and the widespread practice of sophisticated torture was stopped.

Under Elizabeth, military educational institutions were reorganized. In 1744, a decree was issued to expand the network of primary schools. The first gymnasiums were opened: in Moscow (1755) and Kazan (1758). In 1755, on the initiative of I. I. Shuvalov, Moscow University was founded, and in 1760 - the Academy of Arts. August 30, 1756 - a decree was signed on the beginning of the creation of the structure of the Imperial Theaters of Russia. Outstanding cultural monuments have been created (Tsarskoye Selo Catherine Palace, etc.). Support was provided to M.V. Lomonosov and other representatives of Russian science and culture. In the last period of her reign, Elizabeth was less involved in issues of public administration, entrusting it to P.I. and I.I. Shuvalov, M.I. and R.I. Vorontsov and others.

In general, Elizabeth Petrovna’s domestic policy was characterized by stability and a focus on growing the authority and power of state power. Based on a number of signs, it can be said that Elizaveta Petrovna’s course was the first step towards the policy of enlightened absolutism, which was then carried out under Catherine II.

Empress Elizabeth was the last ruler of Russia who was Romanov “by blood.”

Social unrest

At the turn of the 50-60s. XVIII century There were more than 60 uprisings of monastic peasants.

In the 30-40s. There were uprisings twice in Bashkiria.

In 1754-1764. unrest was observed at 54 factories in the Urals (200 thousand registered peasants).

Foreign policy

Russo-Swedish War (1741-1743)

In 1740, the Prussian king Frederick II decided to take advantage of the death of the Austrian emperor Charles VI to capture Silesia. The War of the Austrian Succession began. Prussia and France, hostile to Austria, tried to persuade Russia to take part in the conflict on their side, but they were also satisfied with non-intervention in the war. Therefore, French diplomacy tried to push Sweden and Russia into conflict in order to divert the latter's attention from European affairs. Sweden declared war on Russia.

Russian troops under the command of General Lassi defeated the Swedes in Finland and occupied its territory. The Abo Peace Treaty (Abo Peace Treaty) of 1743 ended the war. The treaty was signed on August 7, 1743 in the city of Abo (now Turku, Finland) on the Russian side by A. I. Rumyantsev and I. Lyuberas, on the Swedish side by G. Cederkreis and E. M. Nolken. During the negotiations, Russia agreed to limit its territorial claims subject to the election of Holstein Prince Adolf Fredrik, cousin of the Russian heir Peter III Fedorovich, as heir to the Swedish throne. On June 23, 1743, Adolf was elected heir to the Swedish throne, which opened the way to a final agreement.

Article 21 of the peace treaty established eternal peace between the countries and obliged them not to enter into hostile alliances. The Peace of Nystad of 1721 was confirmed. The Kyumenegorsk province with the cities of Friedrichsgam and Vilmanstrand, part of the Savolaki province with the city of Neyshlot, went to Russia. The border runs along the river. Kümmene.

Beginning of Kazakhstan's accession to Russia

Back in 1731, Anna Ioannovna signed a document accepting the Junior Kazakh Zhuz into Russia. Khan of the zhuz Abulkhair and the elders swore allegiance to Russia.

In 1740-1743 The Middle Zhuz voluntarily became part of Russia; Orenburg (1743) and a fortress on the river were built. Yaik.

Seven Years' War (1756-1763)

In 1756-1763, the Anglo-French War for the Colonies. The war involved two coalitions: Prussia, England and Portugal against France, Spain, Austria, Sweden and Saxony with the participation of Russia.

In 1756, Frederick II attacked Saxony without declaring war. In the summer of the same year he forced her to capitulate. On September 1, 1756, Russia declared war on Prussia. In 1757, Frederick defeated the Austrian and French troops and sent the main forces against Russia. In the summer of 1757, the Russian army under the command of Apraksin entered East Prussia. On August 19, the Russian army was surrounded near the village. Gross-Jägersdorf and only with the support of the reserve brigade of P. A. Rumyantsev broke out of the encirclement. The enemy lost 8 thousand people. and retreated. Apraksin did not organize the persecution, and he himself retreated to Courland. Elizabeth suspended him and put him under investigation. The Englishman V.V. Fermor was appointed as the new commander.

At the beginning of 1758, Russian troops captured Königsberg, then all of East Prussia, the population of which even swore allegiance to the empress. East Prussia received the status of a province of Russia. In August 1758, a battle took place near the village of Zondorf, in which the Russians won. Some rulers of Germany often raised a toast to the Germans who were victorious at Zondorf, but these statements were erroneous, since the army that occupied the battlefield after the battle was considered victorious. The Russian army occupied the battlefield (this battle is described in detail by Valentin Pikul in the novel “With a Pen and a Sword”). At the beginning of the battle, Fermor, along with the Austrian ambassador to the Russian army, fled from the battlefield. The army won without a commander in chief. Fermor was subsequently suspended. During the battle, Frederick II said the famous phrases:

The army was led by P. S. Saltykov. On August 1, 1759, a 58,000-strong Russian army fought a general battle near the village of Kunersdorf against a 48,000-strong Prussian army. The army of Frederick II was destroyed: only 3 thousand soldiers remained. Seydlitz's cavalry was also destroyed. Saltykov was removed for his defiant attitude towards the Austrian troops and the delay in advancement and A.B. Buturlin was appointed.

On September 28, 1760, Berlin was captured; it was briefly captured by the corps of General Z. G. Chernyshev, who captured military warehouses. However, as Frederick approached, the corps retreated.

In December 1761, Elizabeth died of a throat hemorrhage due to a chronic disease unknown to the medicine of those times.

Peter III ascended the throne. The new emperor returned all the conquered lands to Frederick and even offered military assistance. Only a new palace coup and the accession to the throne of Catherine II prevented Russian military actions against former allies - Austria and Sweden.

Personal life

According to some contemporaries, Elizabeth was in a secret marriage with Alexei Razumovsky. She most likely did not have any children, which is why she took under her personal guardianship two sons and the daughter of chamber cadet Grigory Butakov, who were orphaned in 1743: Peter, Alexei and Praskovya. However, after the death of Elizaveta Petrovna, many impostors appeared, calling themselves her children from her marriage to Razumovsky. Among them, the most famous figure was the so-called Princess Tarakanova.

The period of Elizabeth's reign was a period of luxury and excess. Masquerade balls were regularly held at court, and in the first ten years, so-called “metamorphoses” were held, when ladies dressed up in men's suits, and men in ladies' suits. Elizaveta Petrovna herself set the tone and was a trendsetter. The Empress's wardrobe consisted of up to 15 thousand dresses.

Succession to the throne

On November 7 (November 18), 1742, Elizabeth appointed her nephew (the son of her sister Anna), Duke of Holstein Karl-Peter Ulrich (Peter Fedorovich), as the official heir to the throne. His official title included the words “Grandson of Peter the Great.”

In the winter of 1747, the Empress issued a decree, referred to in history as the “hair regulation,” commanding all court ladies to cut their hair bald, and gave everyone “black tousled wigs” to wear until they grew back. City ladies were allowed by decree to keep their hair, but wear the same black wigs on top. The reason for the order was that the empress could not remove the powder from her hair and decided to dye it black. However, this did not help and she had to cut off her hair completely and wear a black wig.

Memory

Literature

• Klyuchevsky, Vasily Osipovich Course of Russian history (Lectures I-XXXII, rtf)

• V. Pikul “Word and Deed”
• Coronation album of Elizabeth Petrovna
• Soboleva I. A. German princesses - Russian destinies. - St. Petersburg: Peter, 2008. - 413 p.

To the cinema

• "Young Catherine" (" Young Catherine"), (1991). Vanessa Redgrave plays Elizabeth.
• “Viva, midshipmen!” (1991), “Midshipmen - III” (1992). Natalya Gundareva plays the role of Elizabeth.
• “Secrets of palace coups” (1-5th films, (2000-2003)). In the role of Elizabeth - Ekaterina Nikitina.
• With a feather and a sword (2008). Olga Samoshina plays the role of Elizabeth.

• In the winter of 1747, the Empress issued a decree, referred to in history as the “hair regulation,” commanding all court ladies to cut their hair bald, and gave everyone “black tousled wigs” to wear until they grew back. City ladies were allowed by decree to keep their hair, but wear the same black wigs on top. The reason for the order was that the empress could not remove the powder from her hair and decided to dye it black. However, this did not help and she had to cut off her hair completely and wear a black wig.

• Elizaveta Petrovna had a snub nose, and this nose (under pain of punishment) was painted by artists only from the full face, from its best side. And there are almost no profile portraits of Elizabeth, except for the occasional medallion on a bone by Rastrelli.

• On December 22, 2009, the exhibition “Vivat, Elizabeth” opened in the Catherine Palace, organized by the State Museum-Reserve “Tsarskoe Selo” together with the State Museum of Ceramics and the “Kuskovo Estate of the 18th Century” and dedicated to the 300th anniversary of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna. One of the most interesting exhibits of the exhibition was a paper sculpture depicting the ceremonial attire of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna. The sculpture was made especially for the exhibition, commissioned by the museum, by the world-famous Belgian artist Isabelle de Borchgrave.