The last of the Romanovs. The Great Tragedy of the Little Emperor

) Emperor Peter II Alekseevich became the head of Russia.

Peter was born on October 12, 1715. His parents were Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich (1690-1718) and Duchess Charlotte-Christina-Sophia of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (1694-1715). Peter's parents had an eldest daughter, Natalia (1714-28). Peter's mother died after his birth. Tsarevich Alexei died in prison when his son was not even four years old.
There are different opinions regarding the father of our hero - Tsarevich Alexei; we will not dwell on his biography, but will only give polar descriptions.
“The Tsarevich’s favorite pastime is reading books,” the Tsarevich preferred theological books and European history.(see B. Kraevsky in the book “Lopukhins in the history of the Fatherland”)
The emperor's unlucky parent - he drank constantly, surrounded himself with priests and people with a faulty reputation.(See N. Pavlenko. Peter II.).
There are also different references regarding Peter's mother.
A wife who was unattractive in appearance did not inspire love.(Pavlenko)
Charlotte had a gentle soul, which was inherited by her son Peter.(Waliszewski).

Since Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich renounced the throne and was convicted, his children were given the title of only Grand Dukes (for the first time, the persons of the reigning house began to be called this way under the Romanovs).

Pyotr Alekseevich and his sister Natalia in childhood. Artist Caravaque.

In early childhood, Peter was in the care of a certain retired sailor. From about the age of four, he was assigned a teacher, Semyon Mavrin, a courtier who was more involved in politics; in 1727 he was exiled for intrigues against Menshikov. In 1722, Peter I appointed Ivan Zeykin as a teacher for his grandson, he was inclined to refuse the assigned mission, and in 1727, citing inability, he left for Hungary.
Grand Duke Peter, when listing the members of the royal family, he stood below the princesses Anna and Elizabeth, daughters of Peter I from his second marriage. In 1725, the Grand Duke had his own court, in which Prince Ivan Alekseevich Dolgoruky became a cadet, who turned into the boy’s best friend.

But in 1727, a revolution in the life of young Peter began.
The health of Empress Catherine I was deteriorating. The court parties were preparing for a battle for inheritance.

At this time, a member of the Supreme Privy Council, His Holiness Prince Alexander Danilovich Menshikov, after negotiations with the Austrian envoy (who represented the relatives of little Peter on his mother’s side), drew up a project. Grand Duke Peter was declared the heir, who was supposed to marry Menshikov's daughter.
Close attention was now paid to Peter's upbringing; the vice-chancellor of the empire, Andrei Ivanovich Osterman, was appointed his teacher.

The goals of raising young Peter: to make a monarch capable of ruling the country, as well as to instill secular manners and the ability to behave. History was considered the most important subject for preparing the future sovereign, which was necessary for learning lessons and studying positive examples. New history and geography were also taught, where attention was paid to the strengths and weaknesses of neighboring states. The subjects included arithmetic, geometry, mechanics, and foreign languages. The morning began with prayer. Lessons were held at 9-10 p.m., 11-12 p.m., at 14-15 p.m. Peter was given dance and music lessons, later - playing billiards, then another lesson at 15-16 p.m. There were fewer classes on Wednesday and Friday, but after becoming emperor, Peter was given time to attend the Supreme Council on these days in order to master public administration. Then, at the request of the emperor, time was allocated for classes with soldiers instead of dancing, and hunting. When Peter became older, classes were held on fortification and politics, translations from German and French, reading and discussion of newspapers, and conversations about faith.
Peter found a kind and caring person in Osterman, and became attached to his teacher.

Peter II. artist Lutzen. 1728.

On May 6, 1727, Empress Catherine died, and Emperor Peter II Alekseevich was proclaimed sovereign. The administration of the empire until he came of age was entrusted to the Supreme Privy Council.
Menshikov settled the new emperor with his sister Natalya in his palace and protected them from contacts with other courtiers. On May 25, 1727, the eleven-year-old emperor was engaged to sixteen-year-old Maria Alexandrovna Menshikova, and a wedding was scheduled for August. At the same time, the boy himself liked to declare that he did not intend to get married before the age of 25.

Maria Menshikova.

In the summer, while Menshikov was ill, Peter II rested in Peterhof, had fun in the company of his sister Natalia and the young aunt of Tsarevna Elizaveta Petrovna. Peter's teacher Osterman even planned to marry them, but his nephew's marriage to his own aunt aroused hostility both in church circles and in society. (Although in the 18th century such marriages among royalty took place, for example, in Portugal).
After Menshikov’s recovery, conflicts began between him and the young emperor. Menshikov sought to call Peter to discipline; the boy wanted more entertainment. Menshikov forbade Peter to spend money at his own discretion. Osterman, for the sake of political goals, indulged Peter’s friendship with Elizabeth. Thus, a conflict emerged between the strict and kind teacher. Naturally, the good one won.
In September, Menshikov was removed from his post and sent into exile, and the engagement to his daughter was broken off.

V. Surikov. Menshikov in Berezovo.

Before reaching the age of 12, Peter II announced that he would govern the country independently. In the fall, the emperor showed himself to be an exemplary student and devoted time to studies. Those around him noted the boy's great talents, which, if developed, could turn him into a good sovereign.

At the same time, Peter was well physically developed, and he was not distinguished by perseverance. This is a common occurrence for a boy his age. However, in conditions of unlimited power, this became an obstacle to further learning.
Being an absolute monarch, Peter could not listen to his teacher, and already at the beginning of 1728 Osterman said that he was in despair because all his efforts were in vain. Instead of studying, Peter spent time with his friend Ivan Dolgoruky in various pastimes.

Kaftan of Peter II and sword of Peter II

Prince Ivan himself was a cheerful and kind guy, his friendship with the emperor was selfless, he did not cheat or deceive. One day Peter had to sign a death warrant, and Prince Ivan bit him on the ear. The emperor cried out in pain, and the prince said that the person whose head was cut off would be even more painful. Then Peter pardoned the condemned man.
Ivan’s relatives, the Dolgoruky princes, took advantage of the friendly relations with the emperor and decided to seize power.

In fact, Osterman stepped on his own rake. After all, he himself initially indulged the emperor in order to get rid of Menshikov.
Osterman did not show severity, but decided to influence the emperor with the help of his grandmother, Tsarina Evdokia, the only surviving older relative of Peter.
In February 1728, Peter II came to Moscow for his coronation.

The meeting with Queen Evdokia was not successful. Sister Natalya, who was afraid of the old Moscow grandmother and did not like old customs, turned Peter against his grandmother’s moral teachings. Evdokia was given a pension and a yard was built for her, but Peter did not listen to his grandmother’s advice to change his lifestyle.
And here Natalya made a mistake like Osterman. Peter increasingly abandoned his studies and indulged in entertainment. The Dolgorukys in Moscow felt like masters of the situation and invited the emperor to visit their estate. Great hunting fun began.

V. Serov. Emperor Peter II and Tsarevna Elizaveta Petrovna go hunting.

Grand Duchess Natalya fell ill at this time, but her brother did not pay attention to her. She developed consumption and died in November 1728 at the age of 14. Returning from the hunt, Peter barely had time to say goodbye to his sister.
In the spring of 1729, new hunting trips began, which were followed by military maneuvers, and then again trips to estates in the Moscow region and cities.
However, Peter had already begun to get tired of the endless holidays, balls, trips and drinking bouts.

Emperor Peter II. Artist Wedekind.

His beloved aunt Elizabeth saw just a boy in the young emperor; she began a real romance with the courtier Buturlin. Elizabeth began to avoid Peter's company. The Dolgorukies, meanwhile, decided to follow the path of Menshikov and marry the emperor to the sister of Prince Ivan. At first, the emperor liked the young Dolgoruky sisters, but when the eldest of them, seventeen-year-old Catherine, became too intrusive, Peter felt pressure, the possibility of restriction of freedom. He began to avoid Catherine, but the Dolgorukys did not deviate from their plan.

Ekaterina Dolgorukaya.

According to rumors, the fourteen-year-old emperor was given drink, Princess Catherine climbed into his bed and was even able to get pregnant. Peter was forced to agree to the marriage.
In November 1729, Peter II became engaged to Princess Ekaterina Alekseevna Dolgoruka. The wedding was planned after Christmastide. Tsarina Evdokia Fedorovna approved the wedding of her grandson, but the rest of the courtiers were forced to resign themselves to the rise of the Dolgoruky clan.

At Epiphany in 1730, Peter took part in a military parade in severe frost; in the evening his temperature rose and smallpox began. The young emperor’s body was weakened by two years of revelry, and the illness was severe. Just as there was hope for recovery, a draft in the chambers caused complications, and on January 19, 1730, Pyotr Alekseevich died at the age of 14 years and 3 months. The Romanov dynasty in the male line ended.
The Dolgoruky princes tried to forge a will in favor of Princess Catherine, but Osterman was on duty at the bedside of his dying pupil and at least here he was able to defend Peter from encroachments.

Peter II. Artist Molchanov. End of the 18th century.

The sad story of the young emperor shows how vulnerable talents are at a young age and how strict education is necessary. The greed and lust for power of those around him ruined the young life of the emperor.

Portraits of Ludden and Widekind taken



Natalya Alekseevna, sister of Peter II

Grand Duchess, sister of Emperor Peter II, b. July 12, 1714, d. November 22, 1728 According to the spiritual will of Catherine I, she was among those persons of the imperial family who had the right to inherit the Russian throne in the event of the death of Peter II, Anna Petrovna and Elisaveta Petrovna and their descendants. As a result, the manifesto on the death of Empress Catherine I was signed, among other things, by Natalya Alekseevna.

According to the review of the Spanish ambassador Duke de Liria, who personally knew the Grand Duchess, she was ugly, although well-built; but virtue replaced beauty in her: friendly, attentive, generous, full of grace and meekness, she attracted everyone to her. She spoke French and German perfectly, loved reading and favored foreigners. Despite the slight difference in years between her and the emperor (the Grand Duchess was one year and three months older than her brother), she enjoyed great influence over him, and Peter II not only loved, but also respected his sister for her prudence.

Almighty at the beginning of the reign of Peter II Prince. Menshikov, not content with the betrothal of his eldest daughter, Princess Marya Alexandrovna, to the emperor, intended, as is known, to marry his son Alexander (born 1714) to the Grand Duchess. Through the Tsar's envoy to the Russian court, he even secured a promise from Emperor Charles VI to facilitate this marriage. But the plan failed and led to something completely unexpected for the prince. Menshikov's result. Grand Duchess Natalya Alekseevna reacted with indignation to his plan, drawn up without her consent, and began to rely on Osterman, to whom she was generally disposed. Osterman's importance intensified, and he quietly but firmly moved towards his intended goal - the removal of the book. Menshikov from the yard. The rapprochement between the emperor and the prince dates back to this time. Ivan Alekseevich Dolgoruky. Book Menshikov was not afraid of Peter II’s friendship with the frivolous and not particularly intelligent secular youth; Osterman took advantage of the book. Ivan to convince the emperor that the prince. Menshikov acts too autocratically and, after the sovereign’s marriage to his daughter, may encroach on the throne.

Freed from the tutelage of the prince. Menshikov, Peter II began to neglect state affairs, often left Moscow and indulged in endless amusements organized by the Dolgorukys. Submitting to the influence of the prince. Ivan Dolgoruky, he began to move away from his sister, preferring the company of his cheerful, beautiful aunt Elizaveta Petrovna. Natalya Alekseevna, who dearly loved her brother, warmly took to heart his inattention to her and frivolous behavior. She soon fell ill with a debilitating fever, which turned into transient consumption, and died on November 22, 1728, mourned, according to the Duke de Liria, by Russians and foreigners, noble and poor. Her death was a heavy blow for Peter II; he sobbed, did not sleep whole nights and left the Slobodsky Palace, which he occupied in Moscow with his sister. The burial of Natalya Alekseevna was performed very solemnly, two months after her death (January 20, 1729).

Baranov. Inventory Sen. Arch., vol. II and III. Notes of the Duke of Lyria. Translation from French D. Yazykova. St. Petersburg, 1845, p. 115; Arsenyev. Reign of Peter II. St. Petersburg, 1839, p. 22, 23, 29-30, 79, 103-105; pr. 23, 70, 71, 72; Letters from Lady Rondo. St. Petersburg, 1874, p. 8, 158-159, 163, 184; Rus. Art. 1886, vol. L, p. 32.

V. Korsakova.

(Polovtsov)

. 2009 .

See what “Natalya Alekseevna, sister of Peter II” is in other dictionaries:

Princess, b. August 22, 1673, d. June 18, 1716, daughter of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich and his second wife, Natalya Kirillovna Naryshkina. From this marriage there were three children: Peter, Natalia and Theodora (b. September 4, 1674, died in November 1678... ... Large biographical encyclopedia

Natalya Alekseevna (right) in the image of Diana at the age of 8 with her brother, the future Peter II, in the image of Apollo. Louis Caravaque, 1722 Grand Duchess Natalya Alekseevna ... Wikipedia

Natalya Alekseevna (right) in the image of Diana at the age of 8 with her brother, the future Peter II, in the image of Apollo. Louis Caravaque, 1722 Grand Duchess Natalya Alekseevna (July 21, 1714, St. Petersburg November 22, 1728, Moscow, buried in Voznesensky ... Wikipedia

- (princess) (1673 1716) beloved sister of Peter I, daughter of Alexei Mikhailovich and Natalya Naryshkina. Natalya Alekseevna (Grand Duchess) (1714 1728) eldest daughter of Alexei Petrovich, sister of Peter II. Natalya Alekseevna (Grand Duchess) ... ... Wikipedia

Natalya Alekseevna Grand Duchess (1714 1728), daughter of Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich, sister of Emperor Peter II. According to the testament of Catherine I, she had the right to inherit the Russian throne in the event of the suppression of the offspring of Anna Petrovna and Elizaveta Petrovna... Biographical Dictionary

Natalya Alekseevna Tsarevna (1673 1716), daughter of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich and Natalya Kirillovna, younger, beloved sister of Peter the Great. Willingly participating in her brother’s amusements, Natalya Alekseevna became especially addicted to theatrical performances... Biographical Dictionary

For information about her great-niece Princess Natalya Alekseevna, sister of Peter II, refer to this article. Portrait by Ivan Nikitin Tsarevna Natalya Alekseevna (2 ... Wikipedia

For information about her great-niece Princess Natalya Alekseevna, sister of Peter II, refer to this article. Portrait by Ivan Nikitin Tsarevna Natalya Alekseevna (August 22, 1673 June 18, 1716) beloved sister of Peter I, daughter of Alexei ... ... Wikipedia

- (1673 1716) daughter of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich and N. Kirillovna, younger sister of Peter the Great. In the village of Preobrazhenskoye she started (1707) a home theater in her palace; here, at her request, all the “equipment” from the “comedy room” was transported... ... Large biographical encyclopedia

- (1673 1716) daughter of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich and N. Kirillovna, younger sister of Peter the Great. In the village of Preobrazhenskoye she started (1707) a home theater in her palace; here, at her request, all the decorations from the comedy temple were transported, before... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Ephron

Connected by many family threads with the royal houses that ruled Europe at that time.

Naturally, no one was interested in the feelings of the bride and groom, as, incidentally, this almost always happened in dynastic marriages.

Crown Princess Charlotte hoped that her marriage to the “barbaric Muscovite” would not take place. In a letter to her grandfather, Duke Anton-Ulrich, in mid-1709, she reported that his message made her happy, since “it gives me some opportunity to think that Moscow matchmaking may yet blow my mind.” But the princess’s hopes were not justified: the wedding took place in Torgau in October 1711 and amazed everyone with the splendor of the table and the nobility of the guests.

Two children of Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich received the names “Natalia” and “Peter”. These were the names of Peter I himself and his beloved sister Princess Natalia Alekseevna. The boy turned out to be the full namesake of Peter I's grandfather. He was baptized by his grandfather and his sister Natalya. “So Peter II became a complete anthroponymic “copy” of Peter I.” It is noteworthy that 17 days after his birth, the emperor already had his own son, who was also named “Peter” (although it was not customary to name a child after a living ancestor in the direct line). However, in this way the emperor demonstrated the continuity from Peter the father to Peter the son, bypassing the namesake grandson. However, this “competitor” died in 1719.

Due to Alexei Petrovich’s hostile attitude to his father’s reforms, the Tsarevich, as if mocking his desire to have European-educated heirs, assigned two always drunk “mothers” from the German settlement to his son, who, in order to bother with Peter less, served him wine, from whom he fell asleep.

After the death of Tsarevich Alexei in 1718, Peter I turned his attention to his only grandson. He ordered the careless mothers to be driven away, and Menshikov ordered him to find teachers for him. Soon the clerk Semyon Marvin and the Carpathian Rusyn from Hungary I. A. Zeykan were assigned to the Grand Duke.

After some time, Peter I checked his grandson’s knowledge and became furious: he did not know how to communicate in Russian, he knew a little German and Latin, and much better - Tatar curses. The Emperor personally beat Marvin and Zeikan, but Pyotr Alekseevich never received more worthy mentors.

Removal from the throne

In the first three years of Peter's life, he was not considered as a future emperor, since Peter I had a son, Peter. However, he died in early childhood, which created a question of succession to the throne.

From birth, Pyotr Alekseevich was called the Grand Duke. Before this, the sons of kings were called princes; The birth of Peter became the first appearance of a grandson by a reigning sovereign since the introduction of the royal title (and the first in the history of the House of Romanov).

In February 1718, Alexei Petrovich, arrested abroad and brought to Russia, renounced succession to the throne in favor of Peter I’s young son from his second marriage to Catherine, Pyotr Petrovich, who was born a few days after his nephew Pyotr Alekseevich. In the summer of the same year, Tsarevich Alexei died in custody.

Thus, Pyotr Alekseevich, following his father, was removed from the throne.

Grandsons of Peter I Peter and Natalya in childhood, in the image of Apollo and Diana. Hood. Louis Caravaque, 1722

The nobility became interested in Pyotr Alekseevich in 1719, after three-year-old Pyotr Petrovich, officially recognized as the heir, died and the royal grandson remained the only male representative of the Romanov house, besides the sovereign. The transfer of the throne from grandfather to grandson was consistent with the tradition of monarchical houses (for example, shortly before this in France, after the death of Louis XIV in 1715, the throne passed to his young great-grandson Louis XV), but at that time it contradicted the current principles of the law of Peter's succession to the throne on the appointment of an heir to the throne. throne. Catherine I in her will named Elizabeth as heir to the throne in the event of the death of Peter II childless. During his grandfather's illness, Pyotr Alekseevich met Ivan Dolgorukov, his future favorite.

The child often visited the Dolgorukovs’ house, where the capital’s youth from ancient noble families gathered. There he met his aunt, Elizaveta Petrovna. This is how the party began to take shape, destined for Pyotr Alekseevich to become emperor. At meetings in the Dolgorukovs’ house, his rights to the throne of the Russian Empire were explained to him, and Pyotr Alekseevich vowed to crush his grandfather’s favorite, Menshikov, who led the opposition to the ancient boyar families.

However, supporters of the elevation of Peter Alekseevich to the throne had strong opposition. Quite definite fears for their lives and property arose among those comrades of Peter who signed the death warrant for his father. If the emperor had followed the custom and declared his grandson as heir - the son of the disgraced Alexei and the grandson of the conservative Evdokia Lopukhina - then this would have aroused the hopes of opponents of the reforms to return the old order.

The result of the reign of Peter II was the strengthening of the influence of the Supreme Privy Council, which included mainly old boyars (of the eight seats on the council, five belonged to the Dolgorukovs and Golitsyns). The council became so strong that it forced Anna Ioannovna, who became ruler after Peter, to sign the “Conditions”, which transferred full power to the Supreme Privy Council. In 1730, the “Conditions” were destroyed by Anna Ioannovna, and the boyar families again lost strength.

Peter II under Menshikov (1727)

Maria Menshikova, the first bride of Peter II. Hood. I. G. Tannauer

Menshikov led the fight against all those whom he considered dangerous in terms of succession to the throne. The daughter of Peter I, Anna Petrovna, was forced to leave Russia with her husband. Anna Ioannovna, daughter of Tsar John (Peter I's elder brother and co-ruler until 1696), was forbidden to come from Mitava to congratulate her nephew on his accession to the throne. Baron Shafirov, president of the Commerce Collegium, Menshikov’s longtime enemy, was sent to Arkhangelsk, allegedly “to set up a whaling company.”

Trying to strengthen his influence on the emperor, Menshikov moved him on May 17 to his home on Vasilyevsky Island.

Menshikov also did not come to meetings of the Council; papers were delivered to his house. By ruling as an autocratic ruler, the “semi-sovereign ruler” turned the rest of the nobility, as well as the sovereign himself, against himself.

In 1727, on the territory of the Menshikov estate, on the site where the house of the butler prince had previously been located, the construction of the palace of Peter II began. The butler's house was included in this palace as the southeastern wing. After the death of Peter II in 1730, construction was stopped. By this time, only the foundation and lower floor of the palace had been built. The building was completed in -1761 as part of the Stable Yard of the Land Noble Corps.

The fall of A. D. Menshikov

Gradually, the emperor began to cool towards Menshikov and his daughter. There were several reasons for this: on the one hand, the arrogance of Menshikov himself, on the other, the influence of Elizaveta Petrovna and the Dolgorukys. On Natalya Alekseevna’s name day, August 26, Peter treated Maria rather dismissively. Menshikov reprimanded Peter, to which he remarked: “I love her in my heart, but affection is unnecessary; Menshikov knows that I have no intention of getting married before the age of 25.” As a result of this disagreement, Peter ordered the Supreme Privy Council to transport all his belongings from the Menshikov Palace to the Peterhof Palace and make an order that government money should not be given to anyone without a decree signed personally by the emperor.

According to E.V. Anisimov, it was not the young emperor who came up with decrees about moving the court from Vasilyevsky Island, about disobeying Menshikov’s orders, about his house arrest, about replacing the commandant of the Peter and Paul Fortress, who was loyal to the Generalissimo. In the series of imperial decrees signed by Peter II at the beginning of September 1727, the experienced hand of Peter’s educator, Andrei Ivanovich Osterman, is clearly visible. However, it would be a mistake to assume that the time of Menshikov was replaced by the time of Osterman: the tsar’s new favorite, Prince Ivan Alekseevich Dolgorukov, came to the fore.

After the fall of Menshikov, Evdokia Lopukhina began to call herself a queen and on September 21 she wrote to her grandson:

Most powerful Emperor, dearest grandson! Although for a long time my desire was not only to congratulate Your Majesty on the assumption of the throne, but more than to see you, but due to my misfortune I was not granted this date, because Prince Menshikov, not allowing Your Majesty to see you, sent me on guard to Moscow. And now I have been notified that for my opposition to your Majesty I have been excommunicated from you; and so I take the courage to write to you and congratulate you. Moreover, I ask, if Your Majesty does not deign to be in Moscow soon, that I be commanded to be with you, so that in the heat of my blood I can see you and your sister, my dear grandson, before my death.

— Evdokia Lopukhina, letter to Peter II

Thus, the emperor’s grandmother urged him to come to Moscow, but the nobility was afraid that if Peter came to Moscow, Lopukhina would be released and become a ruler. Despite this, at the end of 1727, preparations began to move the court to Moscow for the upcoming coronation, modeled on the Russian tsars.

At the beginning of January, the emperor and his court left St. Petersburg, but on the way Peter fell ill and was forced to spend two weeks in Tver. For some time, Peter stopped near Moscow to prepare for the ceremonial entry. It took place on February 4, 1728.

Peter II under the princes Dolgorukov (1728-1730)

Peter II's stay in Moscow began with his royal wedding

This was the first coronation of an emperor in Russia, which in many ways set the pattern for future ones. According to the latest information, a special crown was made for the young sovereign. Like all subsequent emperors, Peter II (according to a specially drawn up certificate in the Supreme Privy Council) at the coronation received communion at the altar, not reaching the throne, according to the rank of clergy (from the chalice); Archbishop Feofan Prokopovich of Novgorod gave him the cup with the Holy Gifts.

On November 22, 1728, the emperor’s 14-year-old elder sister Natalya Alekseevna, whom he loved very much and who, according to contemporaries, had a beneficial influence on him, died in Moscow.

After moving to Moscow, the Dolgorukovs received great power: on February 3, 1728, princes Vasily Lukich and Alexey Grigorievich Dolgorukovs were appointed members of the Supreme Privy Council; On February 11, the young prince Ivan Alekseevich was made chief chamberlain.

The fall of Menshikov brought Peter closer to Anna Petrovna. At the end of February 1728, a message arrived in Moscow that Anna Petrovna had given birth to a son, Peter (the future Peter III). A ball was held on this occasion. The messenger who announced the birth of Peter was given 300 ducats, and Feofan Prokopovich sent the Duke of Holstein, Anna Petrovna’s husband, a long congratulatory letter, in which he praised the newborn in every possible way and humiliated Menshikov.

After Peter’s arrival in Moscow, he met with his grandmother, Evdokia. This meeting is described touchingly by many historians. But the emperor treated his grandmother rather dismissively, despite the fact that she loved her grandson very much.

Domestic policy

During the Moscow period of his life, Peter II mainly had fun, leaving state affairs to the princes Dolgorukov. The Dolgorukovs themselves, and especially Ivan Alekseevich, spoke with indignation about the emperor’s constant amusements, but, nevertheless, did not interfere with him or force him to engage in state affairs. According to the historian Solovyov, foreign envoys reported the state of affairs in Russia as follows:

When Peter returned home, he developed a fever caused by smallpox. Fearing the death of his patron, Ivan Dolgorukov decided to save the situation of his relatives and elevate his sister to the throne. He took extreme measures by forging the emperor's will. Dolgorukov knew how to copy Peter’s handwriting, which amused him as a child. After the death of Peter, the Supreme Privy Council did not accept the idea of ​​Ivan Dolgoruky. The heir had to be from the house of Romanov.

They coincided in many areas - in particular, in relation to counteracting Moritz of Saxony, he concluded an agreement according to which the borders remained the same and trade was established between the powers in Peter's conquests: Sweden threatened that it would not recognize Peter II as emperor if Russia did not return Vyborg to Sweden. However, later the Swedes, having learned that the army and navy in Russia were still in combat-ready condition, abandoned these demands. Despite this, relations remained tense: in Sweden many regretted that Menshikov was exiled, and, in addition, an invasion of Russia by Sweden and Turkey with the support of England and France was being prepared. However, relations soon changed, and Russia's main enemy, Count Horn, began to swear loyalty to the emperor. At the end of Peter's reign, King Frederick I of Sweden himself tried to enter into an alliance with Russia.

Personality of Peter II

Peter II was distinguished by laziness, did not like to study, but he loved entertainment and at the same time was very wayward. Historian Nikolai Kostomarov gives a historical anecdote from his life:

He was only 12 years old, but he already felt that he was born an autocratic monarch, and at the first opportunity presented himself, he showed consciousness of his royal origin over Menshikov himself. St. Petersburg masons presented the young sovereign with a gift of 9,000 chervonets. The Emperor sent this money as a gift to his sister, Grand Duchess Natalya, but Menshikov, meeting a servant walking with the money, took the money from him and said: “The Emperor is too young and does not know how to use money.” The next morning, having learned from his sister that she had not received the money, Peter asked the courtier about it, who announced that Menshikov had taken the money from him. The Emperor ordered to call Prince Menshikov and shouted angrily:

“How dare you stop my courtier from carrying out my order?”

“Our treasury is depleted,” said Menshikov, “the state is in need, and I intend to give this money a more useful purpose; however, if Your Majesty wishes, I will not only return this money, but will give you a whole million of my money.

“I am the emperor,” said Peter, stamping his foot, “you must obey me.”

According to many, Peter was far from intellectual work and interests, did not know how to behave decently in society, was capricious and insolent to those around him. The reason for this, perhaps, was not so much the inherited bad character as the upbringing, which, as the grandson of the emperor, Peter received rather mediocre.

According to diplomats, he was very headstrong, cunning and somewhat cruel:

The monarch speaks to everyone in the tone of a ruler and does whatever he wants. He does not tolerate bickering, he is constantly busy running around; all the gentlemen surrounding him are extremely tired.

The king is similar to his grandfather in that he stands his ground, does not tolerate objections and does what he wants.

— Lefort, Saxon ambassador to Russia

Previously, it was possible to counteract all this, but now it is impossible to even think about it, because the sovereign knows his unlimited power and does not want to correct himself. He acts solely at his own discretion, following only the advice of his favorites.

— Hohenholtz, Austrian Ambassador to Russia

One cannot help but be surprised at the sovereign’s ability to hide his thoughts; his art of pretending is remarkable. Last week he dined twice with Osterman, whom he at the same time mocked in the company of the Dolgorukys. He hides his thoughts in front of Osterman: he tells him the opposite of what Dolgoruky assured... The art of pretending is the prevailing character trait of the emperor.

— Count Vratislav, Austrian Ambassador to Russia

Although it is difficult to say anything decisive about the character of the 14-year-old sovereign, one can guess that he will be quick-tempered, decisive and cruel.

Pedigree of Peter II Alekseevich

After the accession of Peter II, the position of Tsarina Evdokia Fedorovna, the first wife of Peter I, who had previously experienced more than one personal tragedy, a terrible punishment (in 1718, by the verdict of the Consecrated Council, she was whipped for a love affair with Major Stepan Glebov), who was in captivity all the time - first in the Suzdal-Pokrovsky, and then in the Ladoga Assumption Monastery, it changed.

A few months later, she was honorably transported to Moscow and lived first in the Ascension Monastery of the Kremlin, and then in the Novodevichy Convent. The Supreme Privy Council issued a Decree on restoring the honor and dignity of the queen with the seizure of all documents discrediting her and canceled its decision (1722) on the appointment by the Emperor of an heir at his own discretion without taking into account the rights to the throne (although A.D. Menshikov strenuously resisted this). She was given a large allowance and a special courtyard.

After the fall of A.D. Menshikova Evdokia Fedorovna began to call herself “queen”. On September 21, she wrote to her grandson: “ Most powerful Emperor, dearest grandson! Although for a long time my desire was not only to congratulate Your Majesty on the assumption of the throne, but more than to see you, but due to my misfortune I was not granted this date, because Prince Menshikov, not allowing Your Majesty to see you, sent me on guard to Moscow. And now I have been notified that for my opposition to your Majesty I have been excommunicated from you; and so I take the courage to write to you and congratulate you. Moreover, I ask, if Your Majesty does not deign to be in Moscow soon, that I be commanded to be with you, so that in the heat of my blood I can see you and your sister, my dear grandson, before my death" In a letter dated September 25, 1727, she also asks her grandson to meet.

At the end of 1727, preparations began to move the court to Moscow for the upcoming coronation of Peter II, following the model of the Russian tsars. On February 4, 1728 he arrived in Moscow. He met with his grandmother Evdokia. This meeting is described touchingly by many historians. However, the emperor treated his grandmother rather dismissively, despite the fact that she loved her grandson very much. However, the amount for her maintenance was increased from 4,500 to 60 thousand rubles per year.

After the death of Peter II in 1730, the question arose as to who would become his heir, and Evdokia was mentioned among the candidates. There is evidence that Evdokia Feodorovna refused the throne offered to her by members of the Supreme Privy Council.

Evdokia Feodorovna died in 1731. Evdokia Fedorovna was buried near the southern wall of the Cathedral of the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God of the Novodevichy Convent next to the tombs of the princesses Sophia and her sister Ekaterina Alekseevna. Empress Anna Ioannovna treated her with respect and came to her funeral. Before her death, her last words were: “ God made me know the true price of greatness and earthly happiness».

A letter from Evdokia Fedorovna dated November 16, 1727 mentions her granddaughter, Grand Duchess Natalya Alekseevna (1714–1728), who lived only 14 years.

The brothers and sisters of Peter I are very numerous - only from his first wife, Maria Ilyinichna Miloslavskaya, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich had 13 children.

The second wife, Natalya Kirillovna Naryshkina, besides Peter, gave birth to two more girls.

M. I. Miloslavskaya - the first wife of Alexei Mikhailovich

Half-brothers and sisters of Peter I
children of Alexei Mikhailovich and Miloslavskaya

Dmitry Alekseevich

Tsarevich Dmitry Alekseevich(November 1, 1648 - October 16, 1649) - the first son of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich and Tsarina Maria Ilyinichna Miloslavskaya. Died in infancy of unknown causes. Buried in the Archangel Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin

Measured icon with the image of St. Venerable Evdokia

Evdokia Sr. Alekseevna

(February 17, 1650 - May 10, 1712) - the second child of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich from his first wife. Evdokia, who was not particularly different, tried to distance herself as much as possible from the events of royal life. When her father remarried, Evdokia did not accept her stepmother, who was 1.5 years younger.

After the events of the Streltsy revolt of 1698, Peter I suspected her of assisting her sister Sophia, who was the main rival of the young tsar. It was not possible to prove Evdokia’s involvement in the rebellion, but the princess spent the rest of her life in the Novodevichy Convent, where she died on May 10, 1712 at the age of 62. She was buried in the Smolensk Cathedral of the Moscow Novodevichy Convent.

Marfa Alekseevna

(August 26, 1652 - June 19, 1707) - the third child of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich from his first wife. As a child, she was assigned a mentor, Avdotya Pypina, who taught Martha to read and write, reading from the Book of Hours and the Psalter.

In 1689, her sister Princess Sophia, during a conflict with her brother Peter, sent her to the Tsar in an attempt at reconciliation. For her participation and assistance to Princess Sophia, Peter ordered Martha to be sent to the Assumption Monastery and tonsured as a nun under the name “Margarita.”

While living in the monastery, Martha kept in touch with the sisters. In 1706, during his trip to his mother, her nephew Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich secretly visited the monastery.

Five years later, after the death of Marfa Alekseevna in 1707, her sisters Maria and Feodosia visited the common grave, which became the final resting place of the princess, and organized reburial in the crypt of the monastery Church of the Presentation of the Lord - a small one-domed temple built on the territory of the Kremlin in the 17th century (several years, Theodosia will be buried there). This tomb has not survived to this day.

Alexey Alekseevich

(February 25, 1654 - January 27, 1670) the eldest son of Alexei Mikhailovich and the fourth child from his first wife. Tsarevich Alexei was taught Latin and Polish by Simeon of Polotsk; in addition to languages, he studied Slavic grammar, arithmetic and philosophy. Distinguished by his curiosity, memory and great abilities, he enjoyed reading the books ordered for him from abroad.

Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich issued a special letter announcing that his son was the future sovereign when the boy was 4 years old. Through boyar Matveev, negotiations were held to conclude his marriage with the niece of King John II Casimir.

If the tsar was absent from the capital, Alexei was considered the temporary ruler of the Russian kingdom and it was on his behalf that official letters were issued. The young Tsarevich Alexei died suddenly at the age of 16 and was buried in the Archangel Cathedral.

After Alexei's death, the next oldest brother, Fedor, became the heir to the throne.

Anna Alekseevna

Princess Anna Alekseevna(February 2, 1655 - May 8, 1659) - the third daughter and fifth child of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich and Tsarina Maria Miloslavskaya. She was born during the plague epidemic that broke out in Moscow, so the birth took place in Vyazma, where Maria Ilyinichna came with her entire family to meet Alexei Mikhailovich. She died at the age of 4 years.

Sofya Alekseevna

(September 27, 1657 - July 14, 1704) - became the sixth child and fourth daughter of Alexei Mikhailovich and his first wife. After the death of her brother Fyodor, she participated in organizing the Streltsy revolt of 1682, as a result of which she took the Russian throne as regent under the brothers Ivan and Peter.

Sophia's reign was not successful - seven years later, the matured Peter removed her from the throne and exiled her first to the Holy Spirit Monastery, then to the Novodevichy Monastery, where the princess was kept under guard.

After the events of the Streltsy revolt of 1698, Sophia was suspected of assisting the rebel Streltsy, exiled and tonsured a nun under the name of Susanna. She was buried in the Smolensk Cathedral of the Novodevichy Convent in Moscow.

Ekaterina Alekseevna

(December 7, 1658 - May 12, 1718) - according to legend, before the birth of his fifth daughter, the image of the holy martyr Catherine of Alexandria appeared in a dream to Alexei Mikhailovich, after which the tsar decided to give his daughter such an atypical name for the Romanovs. During the events of the Streltsy revolt of 1682, A.I. Khovansky was accused of trying to seize the throne through his marriage to Catherine.

Princess Catherine tried to stay away from the political intrigues of her own family - perhaps this is what saved her from accusations of helping the rebels during the Streltsy riot of 1698, when shortly after her arrest she was acquitted and released.

She took part in the baptism of Peter I's mistress Martha Skavronskaya, who soon became Empress Catherine I.

She died at home on Devichye Pole and was buried in the Smolensk Cathedral of the Novodevichy Convent.

Maria Alekseevna

(January 28, 1660 - March 20, 1723) - the sixth daughter of Alexei Mikhailovich was born in Moscow and was named after her mother, Maria Miloslavskaya.

Princess Maria, like her other sisters, fell out of favor after the beginning of the reign of Peter I and was exiled to a monastery. She was accused of sympathy for her sister Sophia and good relations with the Tsar's first wife, Evdokia, as well as her son Tsarevich Alexei. She was brought to investigation in the case of treason against the son of Peter I, Tsarevich Alexei, for helping to transmit his letters to his mother. On June 25, 1718, she was imprisoned in the Shlisselburg fortress, and then transported under house arrest to St. Petersburg. She was released only in 1721.

She died the last of all her sisters in 1723 and was buried in the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg.

Fedor III Alekseevich

(June 9, 1661 - May 7, 1682) - the ninth child of Alexei Mikhailovich and Miloslavskaya, ascended to the Russian throne after the death of his father.

The prince was interested in European politics and knew Polish. He was interested in singing and music. He had poor health, so at the beginning of his reign, while Fedor was ill, the actual rulers of the state were A. S. Matveev, Patriarch Joachim and I. M. Miloslavsky.

During his reign, he managed to conduct a general census of the population in 1678 and in 1679 he introduced household taxation with direct taxes, which increased the burden on the already vegetating peasants.

He tried to introduce Polish customs at the Russian court - shaving the beard, a ban on appearing in traditional Russian clothes, haircuts in Polish and attempts to teach the Polish language to young boyars.

Repressions against the Old Believers continued - Archpriest Avvakum and his associates, who predicted the imminent death of the king, were burned.

The only son from the first wife of Tsar Feodor III died on the tenth day of his life, and his mother, Agafya Grushevskaya, died on the third day after giving birth. Fyodor had no children from his second wife, Marfa Apraksina, so after his death on April 27, 1682, the confrontation between the Miloslavskys and Naryshkins flared up again for the right to place their own heir on the Russian throne.

Feodosia Alekseevna

(April 8, 1662 - December 25, 1713) - the tenth child of Alexei Mikhailovich and Miloslavskaya, the princess was modest and reserved. She did not take part in the intrigues, in 1698 she took monastic vows under the name Susanna and lived for 51 years, after which, according to her own will, she was buried along with her sister Martha in the Church of the Presentation of the Lord in Alexandrovskaya Sloboda.

Simeon Alekseevich

(April 3, 1665 - June 18, 1669) - the eleventh child and fourth son of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich and Miloslavskaya, like many other children of the royal couple, was a very sick child and died at the age of four.

False Simeon

At the beginning of 1673, a fifteen-year-old youth appeared in Zaporozhye, calling himself Tsarevich Simeon, allegedly hiding before with Stepan Razin because of a quarrel in the royal family. At the request of the Moscow authorities, he was extradited, taken to Moscow, and then executed by the verdict of the Tsar and the Boyar Duma on September 18, 1674.

Ivan V Alekseevich

(September 6, 1666 - February 8, 1696) - The last of the children of Alexei Mikhailovich and Miloslavskaya. After the death of his older brother Fyodor in 1682, he found himself at the center of political intrigue between the Naryshkins and the Miloslavskys, who were fighting for the Russian throne.

He never showed his own initiative - neither during the reign of Princess Regent Sophia, who took advantage of the Streltsy uprising of 1682 and became the de facto ruler under two young tsars, nor after her overthrow by Peter I.

Ivan was not involved in government, he participated exclusively in ritual ceremonies. Being in poor health, by the age of 27 he could see poorly and was stricken with paralysis. Died at the age of 30.

Princess Sophia, trying to protect herself from Peter's claims to the throne, married her brother to Praskovya Saltykova, one of the daughters from this marriage later became the Russian Empress - Anna Ioannovna.

Evdokia Jr. Alekseevna

(March 8 - March 10, 1669) - 13th and last child of Tsarina Maria Miloslavskaya. She died two days after birth, and three days later the queen herself died of “puerperal fever.”

Full brothers and sisters of Peter I
children of Alexei Mikhailovich and Naryshkina

Natalya Alekseevna

(September 1, 1673 - June 29, 1716) - named after her own mother Natalya Kirillovna Naryshkina, Princess Natalya shared Peter I’s passion for Western traditions and strongly supported his cultural transformations.

In 1706 - 1707 The princess organized theatrical performances on modern themes, dramatizations of the lives of saints, and translated novels in the Preobrazhensky Palace. Materials from the “comedy temple” organized by Peter I, but which was not successful, were used as props and furnishings.

In 1710, having moved to St. Petersburg, Natalya Alekseevna moved her theater for the noble public to the new capital.

She died at the age of 42 from an unknown stomach disease.

Feodora Alekseevna

(September 14, 1674 - December 8, 1677) - the third child of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich from his second marriage to Natalya Naryshkina. She died at the age of three and was buried in the Ascension Monastery in the Moscow Kremlin, and subsequently reburied in the underground chamber of the southern extension of the Archangel Cathedral.