Secret children of Russian empresses: Who they became and how their lives turned out. Bastard Bobrinsky. The story of Catherine the Great's illegitimate son

The Russian Empress Catherine the Second, also known as the Great, reigned from 1762 to 1796. Through her own efforts, she significantly expanded the Russian Empire, significantly improved the administration system and energetically pursued a policy of Westernization, which implied the process of transition to Western ideas and traditions. During the time of Catherine the Great, Russia became a fairly large country. It could compete with the great powers of Europe and Asia.

The childhood of the future great empress

Catherine the Second, born Sophia Frederike Auguste, was born on April 21, 1729 in the small German principality of Stettin, Prussia (now Szczecin, Poland). Her father, Christian August of Anhalt-Zerbst, was the prince of this tiny domain. He made a military career under Frederick William the First.

Catherine's mother is Princess Elisabeth of Holstein-Gottorp. The girl's parents really hoped for an heir, and therefore did not show much affection for their daughter. Instead, they devoted most of their time and energy to their son Wilhelm, who sadly later died at the age of twelve.

Receiving an education and intimacy with the governess

As a child, the future Catherine the Second was very close to her governess Babette. Subsequently, the empress always spoke warmly of her. The girl's education consisted of those subjects that were necessary for her status and origin. This is religion (Lutheranism), history, French, German and even Russian, which will be very useful later. And, of course, music.

This is how Catherine the Great spent her childhood. Briefly describing her years in her homeland, we can say that nothing unusual could happen to the girl. Life seemed very boring to the growing Catherine, and she did not know then that an exciting adventure awaited her - a journey to a distant, harsh land.

Arrival in Russia, or the beginning of family life

As soon as Catherine grew up, her mother saw in her daughter a means of moving up the social ladder and improving the situation in the family. She had many relatives, and this helped her to conduct a thorough search for a suitable groom. At the same time, Catherine the Great's life was so monotonous that she saw in this upcoming marriage an excellent means of getting away from her mother's control.

When Catherine turned fifteen, Empress Elizabeth Petrovna invited her to Russia so that she could become the wife of the heir to the throne, Grand Duke Peter the Third. He was an immature and unpleasant sixteen-year-old boy. As soon as the girl arrived in Russia, she immediately fell ill with pleurisy, which almost killed her.

Elizabeth survived thanks to frequent bloodletting, which she insisted on. But her mother was against this practice, and because of this she fell into disgrace with the empress. However, as soon as Catherine recovered and accepted the Orthodox faith, despite the objections of her father, a devoted Lutheran, she and the young prince married. And along with the new religion, the girl received another name - Katerina. All these events took place in 1745, and this is how the story of Catherine the Great began.

Years of family life, or How a spouse plays toy soldiers

Having become a member of the royal family on August 21, Catherine began to bear the title of princess. But her marriage turned out to be completely unhappy. Catherine the Great's husband was an immature youth who, instead of spending time with his own wife, preferred to play with soldiers. And the future empress spent her time entertaining herself with other pastimes and reading.

The Count, who was Catherine's chamberlain, knew the memoirist James Boswell well, and he informed the Count of the details of the monarch's intimate life. Some of these rumors contained information that shortly after his marriage, Peter took Elizaveta Vorontsova as his mistress. But after that I didn’t remain in debt. She was seen in relationships with Sergei Saltykov, Grigory Orlov, Stanislav Poniatovsky and others.

The appearance of the long-awaited heir

Several years passed before the future empress gave birth to an heir. Catherine the Great's son, Pavel, was born on September 20, 1754. The paternity of this child has been the subject of endless debate. There are many scientists who believe that in fact the boy's father is not the husband of Catherine the Great, but Sergei Saltykov, a Russian nobleman and member of the court. Others claimed that the baby looked like Peter, who was his father.

In any case, Catherine did not have time for her first-born, and soon Elizaveta Petrovna took him into her care. Despite the fact that the marriage was unsuccessful, this did not overshadow Catherine’s intellectual and political interests. The bright young woman continued to read a lot, especially in French. She loved novels, plays and poetry, but was most interested in the works of major figures of the French Enlightenment, such as Diderot, Voltaire and Montesquieu.

Catherine soon became pregnant with her second child, Anna, who would live only four months. The children of Catherine the Great, due to various rumors about the debauchery of the future empress, did not evoke warm feelings in Peter the Third. The man doubted that he was their biological father. Of course, Catherine rejected such accusations from her husband and preferred to spend most of her time in her boudoir to hide from his obnoxious character.

One step from the throne

After the death of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, who died on December 25, 1761, Catherine's husband ascended the throne, becoming Peter the Third, while Catherine herself received the title of Empress. But the couple still lived separately. The Empress had nothing to do with the reign. Peter was openly cruel to his wife. He ruled the state together with his mistresses.

But Catherine the Great was a very ambitious woman with enormous intellectual abilities. She hoped that over time she would eventually come to power and rule Russia. Unlike her husband, Catherine tried to demonstrate her devotion to the state and the Orthodox faith. As she correctly assumed, this helped her not only take a place on the throne, but also gain the necessary support of the Russian people.

Conspiracy against your own spouse

Within just a few months of his reign, Peter the Third managed to get a bunch of enemies in the government among the military and especially church ministers. On the night of June 28, 1762, Catherine the Great entered into an agreement with her lover Grigory Orlov, left the palace and went to the Izmailovsky regiment, where she gave a speech to the soldiers in which she asked to protect her from her own husband.

This is how a conspiracy was carried out against Peter the Third. The ruler was forced to sign a document of abdication, and Catherine the Great's son, Paul, ascended the throne. The empress was supposed to remain with him as a regent until he came of age. And Peter, soon after his arrest, was strangled by his own guards. Perhaps it was Catherine who ordered the murder, but there is no evidence of her guilt.

Dreams Come True

From this time on, the reign of Catherine the Great began. In the first years, she devotes maximum time to ensuring the firmness of her position on the throne. Catherine understood perfectly well that there were people who considered her a usurper who had seized someone else’s power. Therefore, she actively used the slightest opportunities to win the favor of the nobles and military.

In terms of foreign policy, Catherine the Great understood that Russia needed a long period of peace in order to concentrate on domestic problems. And this peace could only be achieved through a cautious foreign policy. And to conduct it, Catherine chose Count Nikita Panin, who was very knowledgeable in matters of foreign affairs.

The unsettled personal life of Empress Catherine

The portrait of Catherine the Great shows us her as a woman of rather pleasant appearance, and it is not at all surprising that the personal life of the empress was very varied.

Catherine could not remarry because it would have jeopardized her position.

According to most researchers, the history of Catherine the Great includes about twelve lovers, whom she often presented with various gifts, honors and titles in order to win their favor.

Favorites, or How to ensure your old age

After Catherine’s affair with adviser Grigory Alexandrovich Potemkin ended, and this happened in 1776, the Empress chose a man who had not only physical beauty, but also excellent mental abilities. It was Alexander Dmitriev-Mamonov. Many of the empress's lovers treated her very kindly, and Catherine the Great always demonstrated generosity towards them even after all relationships were completed.

So, for example, one of her lovers - Pyotr Zavadovsky - received fifty thousand rubles, a pension of five thousand and four thousand peasants after their relationship ended (this happened in 1777). The last of her many lovers was Prince Zubov, who was forty years younger than the Empress.

What about the children of Catherine the Great? Is it really possible that among so many favorites there was no one who gave her another son or daughter? Or did Paul remain her only descendant?

Children of Catherine the Great, born from favorites

When Empress Elizaveta Petrovna died, Catherine was six months pregnant with Grigory Orlov's child. The baby was born in secret on April 11, 1762 in a remote part of the palace. Her marriage to Peter the Third was completely destroyed at that time, and he often showed off at court with his mistress.

Catherine's chamberlain Vasily Shkurin and his wife took the child into their house. The reign of Catherine the Great began when the boy was only a few months old. He was returned to the palace. The baby began to enjoy a normal childhood under the control of his parents - Empress Catherine and Gregory. Orlov began to use the child in an attempt to push Catherine towards marriage.

She thought very long and hard, but still accepted the advice of Panin, who said that Mrs. Orlova would never be allowed to rule the Russian state. And Catherine did not dare to marry Grigory Orlov. When Alexey became a teenager, he went to travel abroad. The journey continued for ten years. After returning to Russia, the son received an estate as a gift from his mother and began studying in the Holy Cadet Corps.

The influence of favorites on state affairs

According to other historical data, the Empress gave birth to a boy and a girl from Poniatowski, but these children of Catherine the Great lived only about sixteen months. They were never publicly acknowledged. Most came from noble families and managed to build distinguished political careers. For example, Stanisław Poniatowski became King of Poland in 1764.

But none of Catherine’s lovers used their status enough to influence public policy. With the exception of Grigory Potemkin, with whom Catherine the Great had very deep feelings. Many experts even claim that a secret marriage took place between the Empress and Potemkin in 1774.

Catherine the Great, whose years of reign brought significant benefits to the Russian state, remained a loving and beloved woman throughout her life.

Main services to the Russian state

And although love was an important part of Catherine’s life, feelings never overshadowed political interests. The Empress always worked hard to master the Russian language to the point of completely eliminating her accent, absorbed Russian culture and customs, and meticulously studied the history of the empire. Catherine the Great indicates that she was a very competent ruler.

During her reign, Catherine expanded the borders of the Russian Empire to the south and west by almost 520,000 square kilometers. The state became the dominant force in southeastern Europe. Numerous victories on the military front allowed the empire to gain access to the Black Sea.

Moreover, in 1768, the Bank of Assignation was entrusted with the task of issuing the first government paper money. Similar institutions opened in St. Petersburg and Moscow, and then bank branches were created in other cities.

Catherine paid great attention to the education and upbringing of young people of both sexes. The Moscow Orphanage was opened, and soon the Empress established Smolny. She studied pedagogical theories in the practice of other countries and initiated many educational reforms. And it was Catherine who laid down the commitment to open schools in the provincial parts of the Russian Empire.

The Empress constantly patronized the cultural life of the country, and also demonstrated devotion to the Orthodox faith and the state. She paid maximum attention to expanding educational institutions and increasing the economic power of the country. But who ruled after Catherine the Great? Who continued her path in the development of the state?

The last days of the reign. Possible heirs to the throne

For several decades, Catherine II was the absolute ruler of the Russian state. But all this time she had a very strained relationship with her own son, the heir Pavel. The Empress understood perfectly well that it was impossible to transfer power into the hands of her son.

Catherine the Great, whose reign ended in mid-November 1796, decided to make her grandson Alexander her successor. It was in him that she saw the future ruler and treated him very warmly. The Empress prepared her grandson for the reign in advance, engaging in his education. Moreover, she even managed to marry Alexander, which meant reaching adulthood and the opportunity to take a place on the throne.

Despite this, after the death of Catherine the Second, with the help of the next son of the Empress, Paul the First, took the place of heir to the throne. Thus, he became the one who ruled after Catherine the Great for five years.

The topic of this article is the biography of Catherine the Great. This empress reigned from 1762 to 1796. The era of her reign was marked by the enslavement of the peasants. Also, Catherine the Great, whose biography, photos and activities are presented in this article, significantly expanded the privileges of the nobility.

Origin and childhood of Catherine

The future empress was born on May 2 (new style - April 21), 1729 in Stettin. She was the daughter of Prince Anhalt-Zerbst, who was in Prussian service, and Princess Johanna Elisabeth. The future empress was related to the English, Prussian and Swedish royal houses. She received her education at home: she studied French and German, music, theology, geography, history, and danced. Expanding on such a topic as the biography of Catherine the Great, we note that the independent character of the future empress appeared already in childhood. She was a persistent, inquisitive child and had a penchant for active, lively games.

Catherine's baptism and wedding

In 1744, Catherine and her mother were summoned by Empress Elizaveta Petrovna to Russia. Here she was baptized according to Orthodox custom. Ekaterina Alekseevna became the bride of Peter Fedorovich, the Grand Duke (in the future - Emperor Peter III). She married him in 1745.

Hobbies of the Empress

Catherine wanted to win the favor of her husband, the Empress and the Russian people. Her personal life, however, was unsuccessful. Since Peter was infantile, there was no marital relationship between them for several years of marriage. Catherine was fond of reading works on jurisprudence, history and economics, as well as French educators. Her worldview was shaped by all these books. The future empress became a supporter of the ideas of the Enlightenment. She was also interested in the traditions, customs and history of Russia.

Personal life of Catherine II

Today we know quite a lot about such an important historical figure as Catherine the Great: biography, her children, personal life - all this is the object of study by historians and the interest of many of our compatriots. We first meet this empress at school. However, what we learn in history lessons is far from complete information about such an empress as Catherine the Great. The biography (4th grade) from the school textbook omits, for example, her personal life.

Catherine II began an affair with S.V. in the early 1750s. Saltykov, guards officer. She gave birth to a son in 1754, the future Emperor Paul I. However, rumors that his father was Saltykov are unfounded. In the second half of the 1750s, Catherine had an affair with S. Poniatowski, a Polish diplomat who later became King Stanislav August. Also in the early 1760s - with G.G. Orlov. The Empress gave birth to his son Alexei in 1762, who received the surname Bobrinsky. As relations with her husband deteriorated, Catherine began to fear for her fate and began to recruit supporters at court. Her sincere love for her homeland, her prudence and ostentatious piety - all this contrasted with the behavior of her husband, which allowed the future empress to gain authority among the population of St. Petersburg and the high society of the capital.

Proclamation of Catherine as Empress

Catherine's relationship with her husband continued to deteriorate during the 6 months of his reign, eventually becoming hostile. Peter III openly appeared in the company of his mistress E.R. Vorontsova. There was a threat of Catherine's arrest and possible deportation. The future empress carefully prepared the plot. She was supported by N.I. Panin, E.R. Dashkova, K.G. Razumovsky, the Orlov brothers, etc. One night, from June 27 to 28, 1762, when Peter III was in Oranienbaum, Catherine secretly arrived in St. Petersburg. She was proclaimed an autocratic empress in the barracks of the Izmailovsky regiment. Other regiments soon joined the rebels. The news of the empress's accession to the throne quickly spread throughout the city. The residents of St. Petersburg greeted her with delight. Messengers were sent to Kronstadt and the army to prevent the actions of Peter III. Having learned about what had happened, he began to send proposals for negotiations to Catherine, but she rejected them. The Empress personally set out for St. Petersburg, leading the guards regiments, and on the way received a written abdication of the throne by Peter III.

Personality and character of Catherine II

Not only the biography of Catherine the Great is interesting, but also her personality and character, which left an imprint on her domestic and foreign policy. Catherine II was a subtle psychologist and an excellent judge of people. The Empress skillfully chose assistants, while not being afraid of talented and bright personalities. Catherine's time was therefore marked by the appearance of many outstanding statesmen, as well as generals, musicians, artists, and writers. Catherine was usually reserved, tactful, and patient in dealing with her subjects. She was an excellent conversationalist and could listen carefully to anyone. By the empress’s own admission, she did not have a creative mind, but she caught worthwhile thoughts and knew how to use them for her own purposes.

There were almost no noisy resignations during the reign of this empress. The nobles were not subject to disgrace; they were not exiled or executed. Because of this, the reign of Catherine is considered the “golden age” of the nobility in Russia. The Empress, at the same time, was very vain and valued her power more than anything in the world. She was ready to make any compromises to preserve it, including to the detriment of her own convictions.

Religiosity of the Empress

This empress was distinguished by her ostentatious piety. She considered herself the protector of the Orthodox Church and its head. Catherine skillfully used religion for political interests. Apparently her faith was not very deep. The biography of Catherine the Great is noted for the fact that she preached religious tolerance in the spirit of the times. It was under this empress that the persecution of the Old Believers was stopped. Protestant and Catholic churches and mosques were built. Nevertheless, conversion to another faith from Orthodoxy was still severely punished.

Catherine - opponent of serfdom

Catherine the Great, whose biography interests us, was an ardent opponent of serfdom. She considered it contrary to human nature and inhumane. Many harsh statements on this issue were preserved in her papers. Also in them you can find her thoughts on how serfdom can be eliminated. Nevertheless, the empress did not dare to do anything concrete in this area for fear of another coup and noble rebellion. Catherine, at the same time, was convinced that Russian peasants were spiritually undeveloped, therefore there was a danger in granting them freedom. According to the empress, the life of the peasants is quite prosperous under caring landowners.

First reforms

When Catherine ascended the throne, she already had a fairly definite political program. It was based on the ideas of the Enlightenment and took into account the peculiarities of the development of Russia. Consistency, gradualism and consideration of public sentiment were the main principles of the implementation of this program. In the first years of her reign, Catherine II carried out a reform of the Senate (in 1763). His work became more efficient as a result. The following year, 1764, Catherine the Great carried out the secularization of church lands. The biography for children of this empress, presented on the pages of school textbooks, necessarily introduces schoolchildren to this fact. Secularization significantly replenished the treasury and also alleviated the situation of many peasants. Catherine in Ukraine abolished the hetmanate in accordance with the need to unify local government throughout the state. In addition, she invited German colonists to the Russian Empire to develop the Black Sea and Volga regions.

Foundation of educational institutions and the new Code

During these same years, a number of educational institutions were founded, including for women (the first in Russia) - the Catherine School, the Smolny Institute. In 1767, the Empress announced that a special commission was being convened to create a new Code. It consisted of elected deputies, representatives of all social groups of society, except serfs. For the commission, Catherine wrote “Instructions,” which is, in essence, a liberal program for the reign of this empress. However, her calls were not understood by the deputies. They argued over the smallest issues. Deep contradictions between social groups were revealed during these discussions, as well as the low level of political culture among many deputies and the conservatism of most of them. The established commission was dissolved at the end of 1768. The Empress assessed this experience as an important lesson, which introduced her to the sentiments of various segments of the state's population.

Development of legislative acts

After the Russian-Turkish war, which lasted from 1768 to 1774, ended, and Pugachev’s uprising was suppressed, a new stage of Catherine’s reforms began. The Empress herself began to develop the most important legislative acts. In particular, a manifesto was issued in 1775, according to which it was allowed to establish any industrial enterprises without restrictions. Also this year, a provincial reform was carried out, as a result of which a new administrative division of the empire was established. It survived until 1917.

Expanding on the topic “Brief biography of Catherine the Great,” we note that in 1785 the Empress issued the most important legislative acts. These were letters of grant to cities and nobility. A letter was also prepared for state peasants, but political circumstances did not allow it to be put into effect. The main significance of these letters was associated with the implementation of the main goal of Catherine’s reforms - the creation of full-fledged estates in the empire on the model of Western Europe. The diploma meant for the Russian nobility the legal consolidation of almost all the privileges and rights that they had.

The last and unimplemented reforms proposed by Catherine the Great

The biography (summary) of the empress we are interested in is marked by the fact that she carried out various reforms until her death. For example, education reform continued into the 1780s. Catherine the Great, whose biography is presented in this article, created a network of school institutions in cities based on the classroom system. In the last years of her life, the Empress continued to plan major changes. The reform of the central government was scheduled for 1797, as well as the introduction of legislation in the country on the order of succession to the throne, the creation of a higher court based on representation from the 3 estates. However, Catherine II the Great did not have time to complete the extensive reform program. Her short biography, however, would be incomplete if we did not mention all this. In general, all these reforms were a continuation of the transformations begun by Peter I.

Catherine's foreign policy

What else is interesting about the biography of Catherine 2 the Great? The Empress, following Peter, believed that Russia should be active on the world stage and pursue an offensive policy, even to some extent aggressive. After her accession to the throne, she broke the alliance treaty with Prussia concluded by Peter III. Thanks to the efforts of this empress, it was possible to restore Duke E.I. Biron on the Courland throne. Supported by Prussia, in 1763 Russia achieved the election of Stanislav August Poniatowski, its protege, to the Polish throne. This, in turn, led to a deterioration in relations with Austria due to the fact that it feared the strengthening of Russia and began to incite Turkey to war with it. In general, the Russian-Turkish war of 1768-1774 was successful for Russia, but the difficult situation within the country prompted it to seek peace. And for this it was necessary to restore previous relations with Austria. Eventually a compromise was reached. Poland fell victim to it: its first division was carried out in 1772 by Russia, Austria and Prussia.

The Kyuchuk-Kainardzhi Peace Treaty was signed with Turkey, which ensured the independence of Crimea, beneficial for Russia. The Empire took neutrality in the war between England and the colonies of North America. Catherine refused to help the English king with troops. A number of European states joined the Declaration of Armed Neutrality, created on Panin’s initiative. This contributed to the victory of the colonists. In subsequent years, the position of our country in the Caucasus and Crimea was strengthened, which ended with the inclusion of the latter into the Russian Empire in 1782, as well as the signing of the Treaty of Georgievsk with Irakli II, the Kartli-Kakheti king, the following year. This ensured the presence of Russian troops in Georgia, and then the annexation of its territory to Russia.

Strengthening authority in the international arena

The new foreign policy doctrine of the Russian government was formed in the 1770s. It was a Greek project. His main goal was the restoration of the Byzantine Empire and the announcement of Prince Konstantin Pavlovich, who was the grandson of Catherine II, as emperor. In 1779, Russia significantly strengthened its authority in the international arena by participating as a mediator between Prussia and Austria in the Teschen Congress. The biography of Empress Catherine the Great can also be supplemented by the fact that in 1787, accompanied by the court, the Polish king, the Austrian emperor and foreign diplomats, she traveled to Crimea. It became a demonstration of Russia's military power.

Wars with Turkey and Sweden, further divisions of Poland

The biography of Catherine 2 the Great continued with the fact that she started a new Russian-Turkish war. Russia now acted in alliance with Austria. Almost at the same time, the war with Sweden also began (from 1788 to 1790), which tried to take revenge after the defeat in the Northern War. The Russian Empire managed to cope with both of these opponents. In 1791 the war with Turkey ended. The Peace of Jassy was signed in 1792. He consolidated Russia's influence in Transcaucasia and Bessarabia, as well as the annexation of Crimea to it. The 2nd and 3rd partitions of Poland took place in 1793 and 1795 respectively. They put an end to Polish statehood.

Empress Catherine the Great, whose brief biography we reviewed, died on November 17 (old style - November 6), 1796 in St. Petersburg. So significant is her contribution to Russian history that the memory of Catherine II is preserved by many works of domestic and world culture, including the works of such great writers as N.V. Gogol, A.S. Pushkin, B. Shaw, V. Pikul and others. The life of Catherine the Great, her biography inspired many directors - creators of such films as “The Caprice of Catherine II”, “The Tsar’s Hunt”, “Young Catherine”, “Dreams of Russia”, “ Russian revolt" and others.

An incredible amount of myths, gossip and rumors always gather around historical figures, cultural figures, art and politics. The Russian Empress Catherine II was no exception. According to various sources, the children of Catherine II were born from her legal husband Peter III, favorites Grigory Orlov and Potemkin, as well as adviser Panin. Now it is difficult to say which rumors are true and which are fiction, and how many children Catherine II had.

Children of Catherine II and Peter III

Pavel Petrovich- the first child of Catherine II from Peter III, was born on September 20 (October 1), 1754 in the Summer Imperial Palace in St. Petersburg. Present at the birth of the heir to the empire were the current Empress of Russia Elizaveta Petrovna, the future Emperor Peter III and the Shuvalov brothers. The birth of Paul was an extremely important and anticipated event for the empress, so Elizabeth organized festivities on this occasion and took all the troubles of raising the heir upon herself. The Empress hired a whole staff of nannies and educators, completely isolating the child from his parents. Catherine II had almost no contact with Pavel Petrovich and had no opportunity to influence his upbringing.

It should be noted that the heir’s father doubted his paternity, although Catherine II herself categorically denied all suspicions. There were doubts at court as well. Firstly, the child appeared after 10 years of marriage, when everyone at court was sure of the couple’s infertility. Secondly, it is not known for certain what caused the long-awaited pregnancy of Catherine II: the successful cure of Peter III from phimosis through surgery (as the empress claims in her memoirs) or the appearance at court of the noble handsome man Sergei Saltykov, Catherine’s first favorite. To be fair, it is worth noting that Pavel had an extreme external resemblance to Peter III and was completely different from Saltykov.

Anna Petrovna

Princess Anna was born on December 9 (20), 1757 in the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg. As in the case of Paul, Empress Elizabeth immediately took the baby to her chambers for upbringing, forbidding her parents to visit her. In honor of the birth of a girl, 101 shots were fired from the Peter and Paul Fortress around midnight. The baby was named Anna in honor of the Empress Elizabeth's sister, although Catherine intended to name her daughter Elizabeth. The baptism was carried out almost secretly: there were no guests or representatives of other powers, and the empress herself entered the church through a side door. For the birth of Anna, both parents received 60,000 rubles, which greatly delighted Peter and offended Catherine. The children of Catherine II from Peter grew up and were raised by strangers - nannies and teachers, which deeply saddened the future empress, but completely suited the current empress.

Stanislav August Poniatowski

Peter doubted his paternity and did not hide it; there were rumors at court that the real father was Stanislav Poniatowski, the future king of Poland. Anna lived for just over a year and died after a short illness. For Catherine II, the death of her daughter was a strong blow.

Illegitimate children

Children of Catherine II and Grigory Orlov

Alexey Bobrinsky

The relationship between Catherine II and Grigory Orlov was quite long, so many are inclined to the idea that the empress gave birth to several children about the count. However, information has been preserved about only one child - Alexei Bobrinsky. It is unknown whether Orlov and Catherine II had any more children, but Alexei is the official offspring of the couple. The boy became the first illegitimate child of the future empress and was born on April 11-12 (22), 1762 in the Summer Palace in St. Petersburg.

Immediately after birth, the boy was transferred to the family of Vasily Shkurin, Catherine’s wardrobe master, where he was brought up with Vasily’s other sons. Orlov recognized his son and secretly visited the boy with Catherine. The son of Catherine II from Grigory Orlov, despite all the efforts of his parents, grew up to be a mediocre and infantile man. Bobrinsky’s fate cannot be called tragic - he received a good education, arranged his life well with government funding, and even maintained friendly relations with his brother Pavel after his coronation.

Other children of Orlov and Catherine II

In various sources you can find references to other children of the empress and favorite, but there is not a single fact or document confirming their existence. Some historians are inclined to believe that Catherine II had several failed pregnancies, while others talk about stillborn children or those who died in infancy. There is also a version about Grigory Orlov’s illness and his inability to bear children after it. However, the count, having married, became a father again.

Children of Catherine II and Grigory Potemkin

Just like with Orlov, Catherine II had a close relationship with Potemkin for a long time, which is why there are many myths around this union. According to one version, Prince Potemkin and Catherine II had a daughter, born on July 13, 1775 in the Prechistensky Palace in Moscow. Existence itself Elizaveta Grigorievna Tyomkina There is no doubt - such a woman really existed, she even left behind 10 children. Tyomkina's portrait can be seen in the Tretyakov Gallery. What’s more important is that the woman’s origins are unknown.

The main reason for doubt that Elizabeth is the daughter of Potemkin and the Empress is the age of Catherine II at the time of the girl’s birth: at that time the Empress was about 45 years old. At the same time, the baby was handed over to the family of the prince’s sister, and Potemkin appointed his nephew as her guardian. The girl received a good education, Grigory allocated significant sums for her maintenance and worked hard for the marriage of his intended daughter. In this case, it is more obvious that Elizabeth’s father was Grigory Potemkin, while her mother could well have been one of his favorites, and not Empress Catherine.

Other illegitimate children of Catherine II

It is not known for certain how many children Empress Catherine II had and what their fate was. Different sources name different numbers of children and mention different fathers. According to some versions, miscarriages and stillborn babies were attributed to Catherine’s union with Potemkin, as well as with Orlov, but no evidence of this has survived.

Publications in the Museums section

Portraits of illegitimate children of Russian emperors

Descendants of the ruling dynasty, born from favorites - what secrets do their images conceal? We look at the “fruits of love” of the Romanov family with Sofia Bagdasarova.

In the Russian kingdom, unlike medieval Europe, morality, at least in the chronicles, was strict: there is no mention of extramarital affairs and children of monarchs (with the exception of Ivan the Terrible). The situation changed after Peter the Great turned Rus' into the Russian Empire. The court began to focus on France, including in gallant adventures. However, at first this had no effect on the appearance of bastards. In the first half of the 18th century, the Romanov dynasty had a shortage of legal heirs, not to mention illegitimate children. With the accession of Catherine the Great in 1762, stability came to the country - it also influenced the increase in the birth rate of illegitimate offspring. And, of course, the appearance of works of art dedicated to them.

Son of Catherine II

Fedor Rokotov. Portrait of Alexey Bobrinsky. Around 1763. State Russian Museum

Alexey Grigoryevich Bobrinsky was the son of then simply Empress Ekaterina Alekseevna (without serial number) and her favorite Grigory Orlov. He was born under stressful conditions: Catherine was pregnant with him when Empress Elizabeth Petrovna died in December 1761 and her legal husband Peter III ascended the throne. Relations between the spouses by that time were already very strained, they communicated little, and the emperor did not even know about Catherine’s interesting situation. When the time came for the birth in April, the devoted valet Shkurin set fire to his house to distract Peter, who loved to look at the fire. Having barely recovered (a little more than two months had passed), Catherine led the coup, and spent the night without dismounting her horse.

Alexey grew up completely different from his passionate, intelligent parents; he received a poor education, went on a drinking spree, incurred debts, and, on the orders of his angry mother, lived throughout her reign in the Baltic states, away from the court.

In the portrait by Rokotov, a boy with a silver rattle in his hands is depicted at about a year old. When the painting came to the Russian Museum, it was believed that it was a portrait of his half-brother, Emperor Paul. The subtle resemblance to the mother's features, and the fact that the painting came from her private chambers, seemed to confirm this version. However, experts in Rokotov’s work saw that, judging by the style, the painting was created in the mid-1760s, when Pavel was already ten years old. Comparison with other portraits of Bobrinsky proved that it was he who was depicted.

Daughter of Catherine II

Vladimir Borovikovsky. Portrait of Elizaveta Grigorievna Tyomkina. 1798. Tretyakov Gallery

Elizaveta Grigorievna Tyomkina was the daughter of the Empress's favorite Grigory Potemkin - this is evidenced by her artificial shortened surname (these were given by Russian aristocrats to illegitimate children), and the patronymic, and the words of her son. Who exactly was her mother, unlike Bobrinsky, is a mystery. Catherine II never showed attention to her, however, the version about her motherhood is widespread. Tyomkina’s son, directly pointing out that she is Potemkina on her father’s side, writes evasively that Elizaveta Grigorievna “on her mother’s side is also of high-ranking origin.”

If the empress is really her mother, then she gave birth to a child at the age of 45, during the celebration of the Kuchuk-Kainardzhi peace, when, according to the official version, Catherine suffered from an upset stomach due to unwashed fruit. Potemkin's nephew, Count Alexander Samoilov, was involved in raising the girl. When she grew up, she was given a huge dowry and married to Ivan Kalageorgi, a school friend of one of the grand dukes. Tyomkina gave birth to ten children and, apparently, was happy. One of her daughters married the son of the sculptor Martos - is this really how the author of “Minin and Pozharsky” became related to the Romanovs?

The portrait painted by Borovikovsky, at first glance, is quite in line with the images of beauties for which this artist became so famous. But still, what a contrast with the portrait of Lopukhina or other languid young ladies of Borovikovsky! Red-haired Tyomkina clearly inherited both temperament and willpower from her father, and even an empire-style dress in antique fashion does not give her coldness. Today this painting is one of the decorations of the Tretyakov Gallery collection, proving that Borovikovsky could reflect the most diverse aspects of human character. But the founder of the museum, Tretyakov, twice refused to buy a portrait from her descendants: in the 1880s, the art of the gallant age seemed old-fashioned, and he preferred to invest money in current, highly social Itinerants.

Daughter of Alexander I

Unknown artist. Portrait of Sofia Naryshkina. 1820s

Sofya Dmitrievna Naryshkina was the daughter of the long-time favorite of Emperor Alexander I, Maria Antonovna Naryshkina. Despite the fact that the beauty deceived the emperor (and her husband) either with Prince Grigory Gagarin, or with Count Adam Ozharovsky, or with someone else, Alexander I considered most of her children to be his own. In addition to the eldest daughter Marina, born from her husband, Maria Antonovna, during the 14 years of her relationship with the emperor, gave birth to five more children, two of whom survived - Sophia and Emmanuel. The emperor especially loved Sophia, who was even called “Sofya Alexandrovna” and not “Dmitrievna” in the world.

Alexander I was concerned about her fate and wanted to marry the girl to one of the richest people in Russia - the son of Parasha Zhemchugova, Dmitry Nikolaevich Sheremetev, but he managed to evade this honor. Sophia was engaged to the son of her mother’s friend, Andrei Petrovich Shuvalov, who expected a great career takeoff from this, especially since the emperor had already begun to joke with him in a related way. But in 1824, 16-year-old Sophia died of consumption. On the day of the funeral, the upset careerist groom said to a friend: “My dear, what significance I have lost!” Two years later he married a millionaire, the widow of Platon Zubov. And the poet Pyotr Pletnev dedicated the lines to her death: “She did not come for the earth; / She blossomed not in an earthly way, / And like a star in the distance, / Without approaching us, she shone.”

In a small miniature painted in the 1820s, Sophia is depicted as young, pure girls were supposed to be depicted - without an elaborate hairstyle or rich jewelry, in a simple dress. Vladimir Sollogub left a description of her appearance: “Her childish, seemingly transparent face, large blue childish eyes, light blond curly curls gave her an unearthly glow.”

Daughter of Nicholas I

Franz Winterhalter. Portrait of Sofia Trubetskoy, Countess de Morny. 1863. Chateau-Compiegne

Sofya Sergeevna Trubetskaya was the daughter of Ekaterina Petrovna Musina-Pushkina, married to Sergei Vasilyevich Trubetskoy (future Lermontov's second) while heavily pregnant. Contemporaries believed that the father of the child was Emperor Nicholas I, because it was he who organized the wedding. After the birth of the baby, the couple separated - Ekaterina Petrovna and the child went to Paris, and her husband was sent to serve in the Caucasus.

Sophia grew up to be a beauty. When she was 18 years old, at the coronation of her supposed brother Alexander II, the French ambassador, the Duke of Morny, saw the girl and proposed to her. The Duke was not embarrassed by the dubiousness of Trubetskoy’s origins: he himself was the illegitimate son of the Dutch Queen Hortense of Beauharnais. And moreover, he even flaunted the fact that for several generations there were only bastards in his family: “I am the great-grandson of a great king, the grandson of a bishop, the son of a queen,” meaning Louis XV and Talleyrand (who, among other things, bore the title of bishop) . In Paris, the newlywed was among the first beauties. After the Duke's death, she married the Spanish Duke of Albuquerque, created a sensation in Madrid and in 1870 erected the first Christmas tree there (an exotic Russian custom!).

Her portrait was painted by Winterhalter, a fashionable portrait painter of the era who painted both Queen Victoria and Empress Maria Alexandrovna. A bouquet of wildflowers in the hands of a beauty and rye in her hair hints at naturalness and simplicity. The white outfit emphasizes this impression, as do pearls (of fabulous value, however).

Children of Alexander II

Konstantin Makovsky. Portrait of the children of His Serene Highness Princess Yuryevskaya. 19th century

George, Olga and Ekaterina Alexandrovich, His Serene Highness Princes Yuryevsky, were illegitimate children of Emperor Alexander II from his long-term mistress, Princess Ekaterina Dolgorukova. After his wife Maria Alexandrovna died, the emperor, unable to withstand even two months of mourning, quickly married his beloved and granted her and the children a title and a new surname, at the same time legitimizing them. His murder by the Narodnaya Volya the following year stopped the further flow of honors and gifts.

Georgy died in 1913, but continued the Yuryevsky family, which still exists today. Daughter Olga married Pushkin's grandson, the unlucky heir to the Luxembourg throne, and lived with him in Nice. She died in 1925. The youngest, Ekaterina, died in 1959, having survived both the revolution and both world wars. She lost her fortune and was forced to earn a professional living by singing at concerts.

The portrait of Konstantin Makovsky, in which the three of them are depicted as children, is typical of this secular portrait painter, from whom many aristocrats ordered their images. The picture is so typical that for many years it was considered to be an image of unknown children, and only in the 21st century did specialists from the Grabar Center determine who these three were.

Catherine II is the great Russian empress, whose reign became the most significant period in Russian history. The era of Catherine the Great is marked by the “golden age” of the Russian Empire, whose cultural and political culture the queen raised to the European level. The biography of Catherine II is full of light and dark stripes, numerous plans and achievements, as well as a stormy personal life, about which films are made and books are written to this day.

Catherine II was born on May 2 (April 21, old style) 1729 in Prussia in the family of the governor of Stettin, Prince of Zerbst and the Duchess of Holstein-Gottorp. Despite the rich pedigree, the princess's family did not have a significant fortune, but this did not stop the parents from providing home education for their daughter, without much ceremony with her upbringing. At the same time, the future Russian empress learned English, Italian and French at a high level, mastered dancing and singing, and also gained knowledge about the basics of history, geography and theology.

As a child, the young princess was a playful and curious child with a pronounced “boyish” character. She did not show any special mental abilities and did not demonstrate her talents, but she helped her mother a lot in raising her younger sister Augusta, which suited both parents. In her youth, her mother called Catherine II Fike, which means little Federica.

At the age of 15, it became known that the Zerbst princess had been chosen as a bride for her heir, Peter Fedorovich, who later became the Russian Emperor. In this regard, the princess and her mother were secretly invited to Russia, where they went under the name of the Countesses of Rhinebeck. The girl immediately began studying Russian history, language and Orthodoxy in order to learn more fully about her new homeland. Soon she converted to Orthodoxy and was named Ekaterina Alekseevna, and the next day she became engaged to Pyotr Fedorovich, who was her second cousin.

Palace coup and ascension to the throne

After the wedding with Peter III, practically nothing changed in the life of the future Russian empress - she continued to devote herself to self-education, studying philosophy, jurisprudence and the works of world-famous authors, since her husband showed absolutely no interest in her and openly had fun with other ladies in front of her eyes. After nine years of marriage, when the relationship between Peter and Catherine went completely wrong, the queen gave birth to an heir to the throne, who was immediately taken away from her and was practically not allowed to see him.

Then a plan to overthrow her husband from the throne matured in the head of Catherine the Great. She subtly, clearly and prudently organized a palace coup, in which she was helped by the English Ambassador Williams and the Chancellor of the Russian Empire, Count Alexei Bestuzhev.

It soon turned out that both confidants of the future Russian empress had betrayed her. But Catherine did not abandon her plan and found new allies in its implementation. They were the Orlov brothers, adjutant Khitrov and sergeant Potemkin. Foreigners also took part in organizing the palace coup, providing sponsorship to bribe the right people.

In 1762, the Empress was completely ready to take a decisive step - she went to St. Petersburg, where the guards units, who by that time were already dissatisfied with the military policy of Emperor Peter III, swore allegiance to her. After this, he abdicated the throne, was taken into custody and soon died under unknown circumstances. Two months later, on September 22, 1762, Sophia Frederica Augusta of Anhalt-Zerbst was crowned in Moscow and became Empress Catherine II of Russia.

Reign and achievements of Catherine II

From the very first day of her ascension to the throne, the queen clearly formulated her royal tasks and began to actively implement them. She quickly formulated and carried out reforms in the Russian Empire, which affected all spheres of life of the population. Catherine the Great pursued a policy that took into account the interests of all classes, which won the enormous support of her subjects.

To pull the Russian Empire out of the financial quagmire, the tsarina carried out secularization and took away the lands of churches, turning them into secular property. This made it possible to pay off the army and replenish the treasury of the empire by 1 million peasant souls. At the same time, she managed to quickly establish trade in Russia, doubling the number of industrial enterprises in the country. Thanks to this, the amount of government revenue increased fourfold, the empire was able to maintain a large army and begin the development of the Urals.

As for Catherine’s domestic policy, today it is called “absolutism”, because the empress tried to achieve the “common good” for society and the state. The absolutism of Catherine II was marked by the adoption of new legislation, which was adopted on the basis of the “Order of Empress Catherine,” containing 526 articles. Due to the fact that the queen’s policy was still “pro-noble” in nature, from 1773 to 1775 she was faced with a peasant uprising led by. The peasant war engulfed almost the entire empire, but the state army was able to suppress the rebellion and arrest Pugachev, who was subsequently executed.

In 1775, Catherine the Great carried out a territorial division of the empire and expanded Russia into 11 provinces. During her reign, Russia acquired Azov, Kiburn, Kerch, Crimea, Kuban, as well as part of Belarus, Poland, Lithuania and the western part of Volyn. At the same time, elected courts were introduced in the country, which dealt with criminal and civil cases of the population.

In 1785, the Empress organized local government in cities. At the same time, Catherine II established a clear set of noble privileges - she freed the nobles from paying taxes, compulsory military service, and gave them the right to own lands and peasants. Thanks to the empress, a secondary education system was introduced in Russia, for which special closed schools, institutes for girls, and educational homes were built. In addition, Catherine founded the Russian Academy, which became one of the leading European scientific bases.

During her reign, Catherine paid special attention to the development of agriculture. Under her, for the first time in Russia, bread began to be sold, which the population could buy with paper money, also introduced into use by the empress. Also among the valor of the monarch is the introduction of vaccination in Russia, which made it possible to prevent epidemics of fatal diseases in the country, thereby maintaining the population.

During her reign, Catherine the Second survived 6 wars, in which she received the desired trophies in the form of lands. Her foreign policy is considered by many to this day to be immoral and hypocritical. But the woman managed to go down in Russian history as a powerful monarch who became an example of patriotism for future generations of the country, despite the absence of even a drop of Russian blood in her.

Personal life

The personal life of Catherine II is legendary and arouses interest to this day. The Empress was committed to “free love,” which was a consequence of her unsuccessful marriage to Peter III.

The love stories of Catherine the Great are marked in history by a series of scandals, and the list of her favorites contains 23 names, as evidenced by data from authoritative Catherine scholars.

The most famous lovers of the monarch were Platon Zubov, who at the age of 20 became the favorite of 60-year-old Catherine the Great. Historians do not rule out that the empress’s love affairs were her kind of weapon, with the help of which she carried out her activities on the royal throne.

It is known that Catherine the Great had three children - a son from her legal marriage with Peter III, Pavel Petrovich, Alexey Bobrinsky, born from Orlov, and a daughter, Anna Petrovna, who died of illness at the age of one.

In the last years of her life, the Empress devoted herself to caring for her grandchildren and heirs, as she was on bad terms with her son Paul. She wanted to transfer power and the crown to her eldest grandson, whom she personally prepared for the royal throne. But her plans were not destined to happen, since her legal heir learned about his mother’s plan and carefully prepared for the fight for the throne.

The death of Catherine II occurred according to the new style on November 17, 1796. The Empress died from a severe stroke; she tossed about in agony for several hours and, without regaining consciousness, passed away in agony. She was buried in the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg.

Movies

The image of Catherine the Great is very often used in modern cinema. Her bright and rich biography is taken as a basis by screenwriters all over the world, since the great Russian Empress Catherine II had a turbulent life filled with intrigues, conspiracies, love affairs and the struggle for the throne, but at the same time she became one of the most worthy rulers of the Russian Empire.

In 2015, a fascinating historical show started in Russia, for the script of which facts were taken from the diaries of the queen herself, who turned out to be a “male ruler” by nature, and not a feminine mother and wife.