by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Paul I, Emperor of All Russia; Credit – Wikipedia

• Unofficial Royalty: Russian Titles and Patronymics

Paul I, Emperor of All Russia (Pavel Petrovich) was born on October 1, 1754, at the Summer Palace of Empress Elizabeth in St. Petersburg, Russia. As the son of Grand Duchess Catherine Alexeievna (born Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst, later Catherine II (the Great), Empress of All Russia), Paul was recognized by Catherine’s husband Grand Duke Peter Feodorovich (born Karl Peter Ulrich of Holstein-Gottorp, later Peter III, Emperor of All Russia) as his son. Peter and Catherine’s marriage was not a happy one. Peter took a mistress and Catherine had many lovers. It is possible that Paul’s father was Sergei Vasilievich Saltykov. At a later date, Catherine claimed that Peter was not Paul’s father and that their marriage was never consummated. If this is true, then all subsequent Romanovs were not genetically Romanovs.

Peter III and Catherine II; Credit – Wikipedia

Including Paul, Catherine gave birth to three children during her marriage to Peter and to a possible four others after Peter’s death.

Catherine’s other children born during her marriage to Peter:

• Anna Petrovna (1757 – 1759), died in early childhood, recognized as Peter’s daughter but she probably was the daughter of Stanisław August Poniatowski
• Alexei Grigorievich Bobrinsky (1762 – 1813), son of Grigory Grigoryevich Orlov, Catherine’s lover who helped overthrow her husband Peter III

The future Paul I, Emperor of All Russia as a child; Credit – Wikipedia

Taken from his mother immediately after birth, Paul spent the first eight years of his life at the court of his great-aunt Elizabeth I, Empress of All Russia. Elizabeth was the daughter of Peter I (the Great), Emperor of All Russia and the younger sister of Grand Duchess Anna Petrovna, Peter III’s mother who died shortly after his birth. The unmarried and childless Empress Elizabeth named her nephew Peter as her heir when he was ten-years-old. However, Peter grew up to be boastful, cruel, and selfish and there are suspicions that Empress Elizabeth intended to replace him as her heir with Paul.

Empress Elizabeth controlled all aspects of Paul’s life, starting with naming him. Catherine and Peter were only allowed weekly visits. When he was four-years-old, Paul got his first tutor, Russian diplomat Feodor Dmitrievich Behteev, who began to teach Paul basic math and to read in Russian and French. Behteev used a method that combined fun with teaching and quickly taught Paul to read and count with the help of toy soldiers and a folding fortress. When Paul was six-years-old, Bekhteev was replaced with a governor, Russian diplomat Nikita Ivanovich Panin, who was responsible for Paul’s education. Panin outlined a wide range of subjects that he believed Paul needed to understand and arranged for Paul’s tutors.

Paul as a boy in 1761; Credit – Wikipedia

Empress Elizabeth died in 1762 and was succeeded by her nephew as Peter III, Emperor of All Russia. However, the reign of Peter III lasted only six months. Paul’s mother engineered a coup that not only deposed her husband but also got him killed by her supporters. In the summer of 1762, Paul’s mother began her 34-year-reign as Catherine II, Empress of All Russia, known in history as Catherine the Great.

When Catherine was finally able to retrieve her eight-year-old son after the death of Empress Elizabeth, it was too late to repair their relationship. Paul’s early isolation from his mother created a distance between them which would only be reinforced by later events. As Paul reached adolescence, he became more convinced that the deposed Peter III was his father. He asked people about Peter III’s death and why Catherine had succeeded to the throne instead of him. He heard rumors that Alexei Orlov, the brother of his mother’s lover Grigory Orlov, was responsible for Peter III’s death. The Orlov brothers had been very active in deposing Peter III. The true circumstances of PeterIII’s death are unclear but it is possible that Alexei Orlov murdered him. Another story is that Peter III had been killed in a drunken brawl with one of his jailers. Nevertheless, it is not difficult to see why Paul was suspicious of his mother and resented her.

• Unofficial Royalty: Assassination of Peter III, Emperor of All Russia

Paul’s first wife, Wilhelmine Luise of Hesse-Darmstadt, Grand Duchess Natalia Alexeievna; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1773, Empress Catherine began the search for a bride for her 18-year-old son and heir Paul. Catherine the Great asked Friedrich II (the Great) of Prussia for recommendations and his thoughts immediately turned to the three unmarried daughters of Louis IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt and Countess Karoline of the Palatinate-Zweibrücken: Amalie, Wilhelmine, and Luise. The three sisters went to St. Petersburg with their mother and it did not take Paul long to choose Wilhelmine. Wilhelmine converted to Russian Orthodoxy, took the name Natalia Alexeievna and was created a Grand Duchess of Russia. On September 29, 1773, 17-year-old Natalia Alexeievna and 19-year-old Paul Petrovich were married at the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in St. Petersburg which stood on the site where the Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan now stands. Empress Catherine was happy to hear that after two-plus years of marriage, Natalia Alexeievna was pregnant with a possible heir. She went into labor on April 10, 1776, but sadly on April 15, 1776, 19-year-old Natalia and her baby boy died after six days of agonizing labor.

Paul’s second wife Sophia Dorothea of Württemberg, Empress Maria Feodorovna; Credit – Wikipedia

Through the machinations of Catherine the Great and Friedrich the Great of Prussia, another marriage was quickly arranged for Paul. The bride was to be Sophia Dorothea of Württemberg, the eldest daughter of Friedrich II Eugen, Duke of Württemberg and Friederike Dorothea of Brandenburg-Schwedt. The 16-year-old Sophia Dorothea was pleased with the prospect of becoming Empress of All Russia. She arrived in Russia in August 1776 and converted to Russian Orthodoxy the next month, receiving the name Maria Feodorovna. The next day Maria was formally betrothed to Paul and was created a Grand Duchess of Russia. On October 7, 1776, less than six months after the death of Paul’s first wife, 17-year-old Maria Feodorovna and 22-year-old Paul Petrovich were married in St. Petersburg. The couple had a happy marriage for many years.

Maria Feodorovna and Paul had ten children including two Emperors of All Russia. Only one of their children did not survive childhood.

• Alexander I, Emperor of All Russia (1777 – 1825), married Luise of Baden (Elizabeth Alexeievna), had two daughters who both died in childhood
• Grand Duke Konstantine Pavlovich (1779 – 1831), married (1) Juliane of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (Anna Feodorovna), no children, marriage annulled (2) Joanna Grudzińska, no children, a morganatic marriage that cost Constantine the crown
• Grand Duchess Alexandra Pavlovna (1783 – 1801), married Archduke Joseph of Austria, Count Palatine of Hungary, had one daughter who died at birth, Alexandra died of childbirth complications a week later
• Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna (1784 – 1803), married Friedrich Ludwig, Hereditary Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, had two children
• Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna (1786 – 1859), married Karl Friedrich, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, had four children including Augusta who married Wilhelm I, German Emperor, King of Prussia
• Grand Duchess Catherine Pavlovna (1788 – 1819), married (1) Georg of Oldenburg, had two sons (2) King Wilhelm I of Württemberg, had two daughters including Sophie who married King Willem III of the Netherlands
• Grand Duchess Olga Pavlovna (1792 – 1795), died in early childhood
• Grand Duchess Anna Pavlovna (1795 – 1865), married King Willem II of the Netherlands, had five children including King Willem III of the Netherlands
• Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia (1796 – 1855), married Charlotte of Prussia (Alexandra Feodorovna), had ten children including Alexander II, Emperor of All Russia
• Grand Duke Michael Pavlovich (1798 – 1849), married Charlotte of Württemberg (Elena Pavlovna), had five children

The family of Maria Feodorovna and Paul in 1800; Credit – Wikipedia

At first, Maria Feodorovna and Catherine had a good relationship but the situation deteriorated when Maria’s first child was born in 1777. Just as Empress Elizabeth had done to her, Catherine the Great took away Maria’s firstborn child Alexander to raise him without interference from his parents. When a second son, Constantine, was born in 1779, Catherine also took him away. Maria and Paul were allowed to visit their sons only once a week. As their reward for producing an heir to the throne, Maria and Paul were given Pavlovsk Palace near Tsarkoye Selo. Maria and Paul’s remaining children were allowed to stay with them, however, the couple had a great feeling of animosity toward Catherine. When their eldest daughter Alexandra was born, Catherine presented the couple with Gatchina Palace near St. Petersburg which had been built for Count Grigori Grigoryevich Orlov, who had been a favorite of Catherine.

Catherine the Great in 1794; Credit – Wikipedia

Empress Catherine never considered inviting her son Paul to share her power in governing Russia. Once Paul’s son Alexander (the future Alexander I, Emperor of All Russia) was born, it appeared that Catherine had found a more suitable heir. It is possible that Catherine intended to bypass Paul and name her grandson Alexander as her successor but she never got the chance. On November 4, 1796, Catherine suffered a stroke. Despite all attempts to revive her, she fell into a coma from which she never recovered. Catherine II (the Great), Empress of All Russia died on November 6, 1796, at the age of 67, after a reign of 34 years. Paul was now Emperor of All Russia.

Now as the Emperor of All Russia, Paul sought revenge for the deposed and disgraced his father Peter III and for the coup of his mother Catherine II. Upon his death in 1762, Peter III was buried without any honors at the Alexander Nevsky Monastery in St. Petersburg. Immediately after the death of Catherine II, Paul ordered the remains of Catherine’s husband, the deposed and murdered Peter III, Emperor of All Russia, transferred first to the church in the Winter Palace and then to the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg, the burial site of the Romanovs. 60-year-old Alexei Orlov, who had played a role in deposing Peter III and possibly also in his death, was made to walk in the funeral cortege, holding the Imperial Crown as he walked in front of Peter’s coffin. Peter III was reburied in the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg at the same time as the burial of his wife Catherine II. Peter III had never been crowned so at the time of his reburial, Paul I personally performed the ritual of coronation on his father’s remains.

Paul’s coronation portrait; Credit – Wikipedia

On the day of his coronation, Paul further sought revenge by negating the succession decree issued by Peter I (the Great), Emperor of All Russia in 1722, which stated that the reigning emperor may appoint a successor during his lifetime and that anyone may be named as his heir. Paul personally read out the new Act of Succession of April 5, 1797, also known as the Pauline Laws. The new succession act substituted a strict order of succession by proclaiming that the eldest son of the emperor shall inherit the throne followed by other dynasts according to primogeniture in the male-line. The throne could only pass to a female and through the female line if there were no legitimately-born male dynasts. This succession law remained in effect until the fall of the Romanov dynasty in 1917.

Ironically, Paul I, Emperor of All Russia suffered a fate similar to Peter III. Paul’s reign lasted five years, ending with his assassination by conspirators. As Emperor, Paul agreed with the practices of autocracy and tried to prevent liberal ideas in the Russian Empire. He did not tolerate freedom of thought or resistance against the autocracy. Because he overly taxed the nobility and limited their rights, the Russian nobles, by increasing numbers, were against him. Paul’s reign was becoming increasingly despotic. Eventually, the nobility reached their breaking point. As early as the end of 1797, rumors began swirling of a coup d’état being planned by the nobility. It is probable that Paul’s son and heir Alexander knew of the coup d’état plans and that Paul’s wife Maria Feodorovna knew about the existence of plans.

Afraid of intrigues and assassination plots, Paul disliked the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg where he never felt safe. He ordered his birthplace, the dilapidated Summer Palace of Empress Elizabeth in St. Petersburg to be demolished and replaced with a new fortified residence, the Mikhailovsky Castle. In February 1801, Paul and his family moved into the Mikhailovsky Castle. On the night of March 23, 1801, only forty days after moving into the castle, a group of conspirators charged into Paul’s bedroom, forced him to abdicate, and then strangled and trampled him to death. Paul’s eldest son, who probably knew about the coup but not the murder plot, succeeded as Alexander I, Emperor of All Russia. Paul I, Emperor of All Russia was buried at the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg.

• Unofficial Royalty: Assassination of Paul I, Emperor of All Russia

Tomb of Paul (back left); Photo Credit – www.finagrave.com

Romanov Resources at Unofficial Royalty

• Tsardom of Russia/Russian Empire Index
• Romanov Births, Marriages and Deaths
• Romanov Burial Sites
• Romanovs Killed During the Russian Revolution
• Romanovs Who Survived the Russian Revolution

Works Cited

• En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Paul I of Russia. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_I_of_Russia [Accessed 25 Jan. 2018].
• Lincoln, W. Bruce. (1981). The Romanovs: Autocrats of  All the Russias. New York, NY.: Doubleday
• Massie, R. (2016). Catherine the Great. London: Head of Zeus.
• Ru.wikipedia.org. (2018). Павел I. [online] Available at: https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9F%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%B5%D0%BB_I [Accessed 25 Jan. 2018].

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Peter III, Emperor of All Russia; Credit – Wikipedia

• Unofficial Royalty: Russian Titles and Patronymics

Peter III, Emperor of All Russia (Pyotr Feodorovich) had the shortest reign of all the Romanov rulers – just six months. Originally Karl Peter Ulrich of Holstein-Gottorp, he was born February 21, 1728, at Kiel Castle in Kiel, then in the Duchy of Holstein-Gottorp, now in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. His father was Karl Friedrich, reigning Duke of Holstein-Gottorp. His mother was Grand Duchess Anna Petrovna of Russia, the elder of the two surviving daughters of Peter I (the Great), Emperor of All Russia and his second wife, born Marta Helena Skowrońska, the daughter of an ethnic Polish peasant, renamed Catherine (Ekaterina) Alexeievna, and later the successor to her husband Peter the Great as Catherine I, Empress of All Russia. Peter was his parents’ only child. His mother died at the age of 20, three months after his birth.

Peter’s parents; Credit – Wikipedia

Peter’s father never married again and his son was left in the care of the Holstein household guards who put sergeant’s stripes on Peter’s sleeve and let him drill with them. Peter lacked a serious education and any training in governing. Knowing nothing else but what the guards taught him, Peter became passionate about military drilling. In 1739, Peter’s father died, and at the age of eleven, he became Duke of Holstein-Gottorp.

Peter as Duke of Holstein-Gottorp; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1742, Peter’s life dramatically changed when his unmarried maternal aunt, his mother’s younger sister, Elizabeth, Empress of All Russia, declared him her heir and brought him to St. Petersburg, Russia. His arrival in Russia was of great interest to the nobility who were anxious to see the grandson of Peter the Great. However, Jacob von Stäehlin who had been appointed to be his tutor noted that Peter appeared very pale, weak, and skinny. His aunt Elizabeth had a similar reaction – she was struck by his ignorance, his skinny, sickly appearance, and his unhealthy complexion.

Within weeks of his arrival in St. Petersburg, Peter traveled with Empress Elizabeth to Moscow for her coronation. He was in a specially arranged place of honor near Empress Elizabeth during her coronation at the Assumption Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin on May 6, 1742. After the coronation, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel of the Preobrazhensky Guards and colonel of the First Life Guards Regiment. Every day, he dressed in the uniform of the Preobrazhensky Guards and received monthly reports regarding the two regiments.

Peter’s Preobrazhensky Guards uniform in the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg; Photo Credit – Автор: shakko – собственная работа, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=24503046

His tutor Jacob von Stäehlin, who considered Peter capable but lazy, was not having much success with his pupil. It appeared to his tutor that Peter had not been taught anything in Holstein except some French which greatly surprised and concerned Empress Elizabeth. Stäehlin simplified instruction for Peter using books with pictures, mathematical models, and coins and medals when teaching Peter Russian history. Twice a week, Stäehlin read newspapers to Peter and explained the history of European states while showing him their location on a globe. Peter often could not sit still and when he walked back and forth around the room, Stäehlin joined him and attempted to occupy him with a useful conversation. Peter much preferred playing with tin soldiers, hunting, and playing the violin.

Peter’s aunt, Elizabeth, Empress of All Russia; Credit – Wikipedia

Isaak Pavlovich Veselovsky, a diplomat who had taught Elizabeth and Peter’s mother French, was charged with teaching Peter the Russian language. Peter was instructed in the Russian Orthodox religion by Archbishop Simeon Feodorovich Theodorsky. On November 17, 1742, Peter converted from Lutheranism to Russian Orthodoxy, was given the name Peter Feodorovich, the title Grand Duke, and was officially named the heir to the Russian throne.

In 1743, Jacob von Stäehlin had more success with Peter’s education. By the end of the year, Peter knew the main points of Russian history and geography and knew all the Russian rulers from Rurik who ruled in the 800s to Peter the Great. Once at the dinner table, Peter corrected a Russian Field Marshal during a discussion concerning ancient Russian history. Empress Elizabeth cried with joy and on the next day gave orders to officially thank Peter’s tutor Jacob von Stäehlin.

It was important to Empress Elizabeth that Peter marry so that the Romanov dynasty would be continued. Elizabeth arranged for Peter to marry his second cousin, Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst (later Catherine II the Great), daughter of Christian August, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst and Johanna Elisabeth of Holstein-Gottorp. Sophie converted to Russian Orthodoxy, took the name Ekaterina (Catherine) Alexeievna, and married Peter on August 21, 1745, at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan in St. Petersburg.

Peter and Catherine; Credit – Wikipedia

After their wedding, Peter and Catherine were granted the possession of two palaces, Oranienbaum near St. Petersburg and Lyubertsy near Moscow. Jacob von Stäehlin was dismissed from his duties as tutor and Peter’s education was entrusted to the Russian General, Prince Vassili Anikititch Repnin. Peter was able to influence Repnin to ignore anything educational so that Peter could continuously engage in military games and drilling. Empress Elizabeth was much displeased with this and replaced Repnin with Nikolai Naumovich Choglokov who kept much better, but not complete, control of Peter.

Peter’s palace at Oranienbaum; Photo Credit – Автор: IzoeKriv – собственная работа, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=43632478

Peter and Catherine’s marriage was not happy but Catherine gave birth to one son, the future Emperor Paul, and one daughter Anna Petrovna, who died in early childhood. Both children were taken by Empress Elizabeth to her apartments immediately after their births to be raised by her. Peter took Elizabeth Romanovna Vorontsova as his mistress and Catherine had affairs with Sergei Saltykov, Grigory Orlov, Alexander Vasilchikov, Grigory Potemkin, and Stanisław August Poniatowski. Later, Catherine claimed that Peter was not the father of her son and successor Paul, and that they had never consummated their marriage.

Children born during the marriage of Peter and Catherine:

• Paul I, Emperor of All Russia (1754 – 1801), married (1) Wilhelmina Louisa of Hesse-Darmstadt (Natalia Alexeievna), died in childbirth, no issue (2) Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg (Maria Feodorovna), had issue including Emperor Alexander I, Emperor Nicholas I, Anna Pavlovna, Queen of the Netherlands; it is possible that Paul’s father was Sergei Vasilievich Saltykov, if this is true, then all subsequent Romanovs were not genetically Romanovs
• Anna Petrovna (1757 – 1759), died in early childhood, probably the daughter of Stanisław August Poniatowski
• Alexei Grigorievich Bobrinsky (1762 – 1813), son of Grigory Grigoryevich Orlov, Catherine’s lover who helped overthrow her husband Peter III

The future Paul I, Emperor of All Russia as a child; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1754, General Christian von Brockdorff arrived from Holstein (Peter was still Duke of Holstein-Gottorp) and became the Chamberlain of Peter’s court at Oranienbaum Palace. Brockdorff encouraged Peter’s militaristic habits and his communication with Friedrich II (the Great), King of Prussia. Soon after Brockdorff’s arrival, a detachment of Holstein soldiers arrived. By 1758, the number of Holstein soldiers had risen to about 1,500. Peter and Brockdorff spent most of their time with the Holstein soldiers doing military exercises and maneuvers. Peter had a fortress built for his Holstein troops at Oranienbaum called Peterstadt Fortress.

Peterstadt Fortress, Peter’s pink palace can be seen on the right – Credit – Автор: Chezenatiko – собственная работа, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8319389

Peter never attempted to gain more knowledge about Russia, its people, and its history. He neglected Russian customs, behaved inappropriately during church services, and did not observe fasts and other rites. He spoke Russian poorly and infrequently. Empress Elizabeth did not allow Peter to participate in government affairs. Peter openly criticized the activities of the government, and during the Seven Years’ War publicly expressed sympathy for Friedrich II (the Great), King of Prussia.

Meanwhile, Peter’s wife Catherine became friends with Princess Ekaterina Romanovna Vorontsova-Dashkova, the sister of Peter’s mistress, who introduced Catherine to several powerful political groups that opposed her husband Peter. Peter’s temperament became quite unbearable for those who resided in the palace. Catherine spent much time in her own private boudoir to hide away from Peter’s abrasive personality.

Catherine’s friend, Princess Ekaterina Romanovna Vorontsova-Dashkova; Credit – Wikipedia

Empress Elizabeth was often ill and reluctant to show herself in public because of her ill health. In 1757, she suffered a stroke at a well-attended church service, and then her health situation became well-known. A particularly difficult problem for her was the succession. She was childless and the Romanov dynasty had been extinct in the male line since the death of Peter II in 1730. Elizabeth did not love her nephew Peter and his political views did not suit her because he admired her enemy Friedrich II (the Great), King of Prussia. The sicker Elizabeth became, the more the courtiers turned away from her and tried to please the heir to the throne.

On January 3, 1762, Elizabeth had a massive stroke and the doctors agreed she would not recover. Peter, Catherine, and others close to her gathered around her bed in the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg. Elizabeth, alert and clear-headed, showed no signs of wishing to change the succession. She asked Peter to look after little Paul, who she dearly loved. Peter quickly promised to do so, knowing that Elizabeth could change the succession with a single word. On January 5, 1762, Elizabeth, Empress of All Russia died at the age of 52 and her nephew became Peter III, Emperor of All Russia.

Catherine in mourning clothes at the coffin of Elizabeth, Empress of All Russia; Credit – Wikipedia

As the death of Empress Elizabeth was announced to the court, the room was filled with moans and weeping. Peter was unpopular and few were looking forward to his reign. Later that day, when high government officials and military officers gathered to take the oath of allegiance to the new emperor, Peter insisted that they wear bright colorful clothing. After the oath, Peter gave a gala banquet for over a hundred guests. During the religious ceremonies for the lying-in-state of the deceased empress, Peter, according to Princess Dashkova “made faces, acted the buffoon and imitated poor old ladies.” Peter did little to win the support of Empress Elizabeth’s friends and courtiers.

Peter’s foreign policy also did little to win supporters. At the time of Elizabeth’s death, Russia was on the verge of defeating Prussia in the Seven Years’ War. Instead, because Friedrich I (the Great), King of Prussia was his idol, Peter withdrew Russian troops from Berlin and marched against the Austrians, Russia’s ally. As Duke of Holstein-Gottorp, Peter planned war against Denmark to restore parts of Schleswig to his Duchy. This war would bring no benefit to Russia and even the Prussian king advised Peter against taking this action. The Danish war was planned for June but never happened.

The last straw for Peter may have been how he treated the Russian army. Peter abolished “the guard within the guard”, a group within the Preobrazhensky Regiment, created by Empress Elizabeth as her personal guard in remembrance of their support in the coup which brought her to the throne. He replaced “the guard within the guard” with his own Holstein guard and often spoke about their superiority over the Russian army.

Meanwhile, Catherine’s position deteriorated along with the position of three groups – the clergy, senior statesmen, and the Imperial Guard, the Preobrazhensky Regiment. Peter began to think about divorcing Catherine and marrying his mistress. Wisely, Catherine quietly aligned herself with the three groups. She remained calm and dignified even when Peter grossly insulted her in public. The devotion of the Preobrazhensky Regiment to Catherine was never in doubt because her lover Grigory Orlov and his four brothers were all members of the Guard.

Alexei and Grigory Orlov in the 1770s; Credit – Wikipedia

A conspiracy to overthrow Peter was planned and centered around the five Orlov brothers. On July 9, 1762 (June 29 in Old Style, the feast day of St. Peter and Paul), at Peterhof, a celebration of Peter’s name day was planned. It was no coincidence that the conspirators chose this time for their attack. The day before, Peter was to travel from Oranienbaum to Peterhof. The brothers Alexei Orlov and Grigory Orlov made preparations during the weeks before the planned celebration. With threats and bribes of vodka and money, the brothers set up the guards against Peter.

Peter was late leaving Oranienbaum due to a hangover and his daily habit of reviewing his Holstein troops. He was to meet Catherine at Peterhof but she was not there when he arrived. Eventually, Peter and the few advisers he had with him began to suspect what was happening. Peter sent members of his entourage to St. Petersburg to find out what was happening but none returned. Eventually, he learned that Catherine had proclaimed herself Empress and that senior government officials, the clergy, and all the Guards supported her. Peter ordered his Holstein guards to take up defensive positions at Peterhof. They did so but were afraid to tell Peter they had no cannonballs to fire. Peter thought about fleeing but was told no horses were available because his entourage had all arrived in carriages. Learning that Catherine and the Guards were approaching Peterhof, Peter made a desperate decision to sail Kronstadt, a fortress on an island. Upon arrival, Peter was refused admittance because all those in the fortress had sworn allegiance to Catherine. Peter rejected the advice of his advisors to go to the Prussian army and returned to Oranienbaum.

Peter and his Holstein guards were behind the gates at Oranienbaum and Alexei Orlov and his men had surrounded Oranienbaum. Peter sent a message that he would renounce the throne if he, his mistress Elizabeth Romanovna Vorontsova,  and his favorite Russian general would be allowed to go to Holstein. Catherine sent Grigori Orlov and a Russian general to Oranienbaum insisting that Peter write a formal announcement of abdication in his own handwriting. Orlov was to deal with the abdication and the general was to lure Peter out of Oranienbaum and back to Peterhof to prevent any bloodshed. Orlov rode back to Peterhof with the signed abdication announcement and the general convinced Peter to go to Peterhof and beg Catherine for mercy. Upon arrival at Peterhof, Peter was arrested and taken by Alexei Orlov to Ropsha, a country estate outside of St. Petersburg.

Catherine had to deal with the same dilemma that Empress Elizabeth had to deal with regarding Ivan VI who she had deposed – keeping a former emperor around was a threat to her throne. Catherine intended to send Peter to Shlisselburg Fortress where Ivan VI had been imprisoned for more than twenty years. However, Catherine did not have to live with a living deposed emperor for long. The true circumstances of Peter’s death at the age of 34 on July 17, 1762, are unclear. It is possible that Peter was murdered by Alexei Orlov. Another story is that Peter had been killed in a drunken brawl with one of his jailers. At the time, the official cause was “an acute attack of colic during one of his frequent bouts with hemorrhoids.” It is doubtful that Catherine played any role in Peter’s death.

• Unofficial Royalty: Assassination of Peter III, Emperor of All Russia

On July 19, 1762, Peter was buried without honors in the Alexander Nevsky Monastery in St. Petersburg. In 1796, immediately after the death of Catherine II, on the orders of her son and successor Paul I, Peter’s remains were transferred first to the Grand Church of the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia, and then to the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg, the burial site of the Romanovs. 60-year-old Alexei Orlov was made to walk in the funeral cortege, holding the Imperial Crown as he walked in front of the coffin. Peter III was reburied in the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg at the same time as the burial of his wife Catherine II. Peter III had never been crowned so at the time of his reburial, Paul I personally performed the ritual of coronation of his father’s remains.

The tombs of Catherine II and Peter III (back row) at the Peter and Paul Cathedral; Photo Credit – Автор: Deror avi – собственная работа, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8368144

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Romanov Resources at Unofficial Royalty

• Tsardom of Russia/Russian Empire Index
• Romanov Births, Marriages and Deaths
• Romanov Burial Sites
• Romanovs Killed During the Russian Revolution
• Romanovs Who Survived the Russian Revolution

Works Cited

• De.wikipedia.org. (2018). Peter III. (Russland). [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_III._(Russland) [Accessed 10 Jan. 2018].
• En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Peter III of Russia. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_III_of_Russia [Accessed 10 Jan. 2018].
• Lincoln, W. Bruce. (1981). The Romanovs: Autocrats of  All the Russias. New York, NY.: Doubleday
• Massie, R. (2016). Catherine the Great. London: Head of Zeus.
• Ru.wikipedia.org. (2018). Пётр III. [online] Available at: https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9F%D1%91%D1%82%D1%80_III [Accessed 10 Jan. 2018].

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2018

Credit – Wikipedia

• Unofficial Royalty: Russian Titles and Patronymics

Elizabeth I, Empress of All Russia (Elizaveta Petrovna) was the only one of Peter the Great’s fifteen children to reign over Russia. Born on December 29, 1709, at Kolomenskoye near Moscow, Russia, she was the third daughter and the fifth of the twelve children of Peter I (the Great), Emperor of All Russia and his second wife Catherine (Ekaterina) Alexeievna, born Marta Helena Skowrońska, the daughter of an ethnic Polish peasant, later Catherine I, Empress of All Russia.

Peter the Great and Catherine I’s daughters Anna and Elizabeth; Credit – Wikipedia

Elizabeth had eleven siblings, all of whom died in childhood except Anna:

• Pyotr Petrovich born 1704, died in infancy
• Pavel Petrovich born 1705, died in infancy
• Catherine Petrovna (1706 – 1708)
• Grand Duchess Anna Petrovna (1708 – 1728), married Karl Friedrich, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp, had one son Carl Peter Ulrich, the future Peter III, Emperor of All Russia, Anna died of childbirth complications
• Maria Petrovna of Russia (1713–1715)
• Margarita Petrovna (1714 – 1715)
• Pyotr Petrovich (1715 – 1719)
• Pavel Petrovich (born and died 1717)
• Grand Duchess Natalia Petrovna (1718 – 1725), died from the measles a month after her father’s death
• Pyotr Petrovich (born and died 1723)
• Pavel Petrovich (born and died 1724)

Elizabeth had two half-siblings from Peter the Great’s first marriage to Eudoxia Feodorovna Lopukhina:

• Alexei Petrovich, Tsarevich of Russia (1690 – 1718), married Charlotte Christine of Brunswick-Lüneburg, had two children: Grand Duchess Natalya Alexeievna and Peter II, Emperor of All Russia; both children died in their teens and Charlotte Christine died of childbirth complications a few days after the birth of her son
• Alexander Petrovich (1691 – 1692)

Although no official record exists, Elizabeth’s parents, Peter the Great and Catherine, secretly married between October 23 and December 1, 1707, in St. Petersburg. They married officially on February 19, 1712, at St. Isaac’s Cathedral in St. Petersburg, Russia. Their daughters Anna and Elizabeth were the bridal attendants and were legitimized on the same day as the wedding.

Elizabeth Petrovna, 1712 – 1713; Credit – Wikipedia

Elizabeth’s early years were spent at her birthplace, Kolomenskoye near Moscow. Her parents were mostly absent, so Elizabeth and her older sister Anna were under the care of Russian and Finnish nannies. Later, Anna, Elizabeth, and their younger sister Natalia were placed in the household of Praskovia Feodorovna Saltykova, the widow of Ivan V, Tsar of All Russia (older half-brother of Peter) and the mother of Anna I, Empress of All Russia. While living in the household of Praskovia Feodorovna, Elizabeth developed the strict fasting, constant prayer, and pilgrimages which became part of her normal routine.

When she was eight years old, Elizabeth’s formal education started. Peter the Great employed foreign tutors to teach his children but Elizabeth and her two sisters remained highly uneducated, mainly learning foreign languages in order to be prepared for life at a foreign court. The idea of a Russian-French marriage for one of his daughters first came to Peter the Great when he visited Paris in 1717.  In 1721, negotiations began for a marriage between the future King Louis XV of France and Elizabeth. However, the marriage negotiations were unsuccessful because of religious issues, Elizabeth’s birth before her parents’ marriage, and her mother’s humble origin.

Elizabeth Petrovna in the 1720s; Credit – Wikipedia

On February 8, 1725, Peter I (the Great), Emperor of All Russia died at the age of 52 without naming a successor. A coup arranged by Peter’s best friend Prince Alexander Menshikov proclaimed Elizabeth’s mother Catherine the ruler of Russia. During the two-year-reign of Catherine I, Empress of All Russia, the real power was held by Menshikov and members of the Supreme Privy Council.

Prior to his death, Peter had arranged, in 1724, the betrothal of his daughters Anna and Elizabeth to two cousins from the German Duchy of Holstein-Gottorp. Anna Petrovna married Karl Friedrich, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp on May 21, 1725, at Trinity Cathedral in St Petersburg, Russia. Three years later, Anna would die as a result of childbirth complications giving birth to her only son Carl Peter Ulrich, the future Peter III, Emperor of All Russia.

Elizabeth was due to marry Karl Friedrich’s first cousin Karl August of Holstein-Gottorp but he died on May 31, 1727, before the wedding could be held. Tragically, Elizabeth’s mother Catherine I, Empress of All Russia had died on May 17, 1727, at the age of 43, just two weeks before Elizabeth’s fiancé died. Catherine I had named Peter Alexeievich, the only grandson of Peter the Great and the son of Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich, as her heir. In 1718, Alexei Petrovich, who was the heir to the Russian throne, was suspected of plotting to overthrow his father Peter the Great. Alexei was tried, confessed under torture, convicted, and sentenced to be executed. The sentence could be carried out only with the emperor’s signed authorization, but Alexei died in prison because his father hesitated in making the decision. Alexei’s death most likely resulted from injuries suffered during his torture.

The eleven-year-old Peter Alexeievich succeeded to the throne as Peter II, Emperor of All Russia. Two and a half years later, Peter II died from smallpox. After the death of Peter II, there were five possible candidates for the throne, four adult females and one two-year-old male: the three surviving daughters of Peter the Great’s half-brother Ivan V who were all in their 30s: Ekaterina Ivanovna, Anna Ivanovna, and Praskovia Ivanovna, the only surviving child of Peter the Great and Catherine I: 20-year-old Elizabeth Petrovna, and Peter the Great’s grandson: two-year-old Karl Peter Ulrich of Holstein-Gottorp, son of Anna Petrovna, who died due to childbirth complications. The Supreme Privy Council selected Anna Ivanovna, the daughter of Ivan V, to be the new Empress of All Russia.

Empress Anna had been married in 1710, was widowed in 1711, and had not married again. Elizabeth’s marriage prospects had dried up. There was no love lost between the cousins Elizabeth Petrovna and Empress Anna. Five years into her reign, Empress Anna announced that the throne would be inherited in the male line of her niece, born Elisabeth of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, the daughter of Empress Anna’s sister Ekaterina Ivanovna and Karl Leopold, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. This was an attempt to secure the future of the Russian throne for the descendants of Ivan V, Tsar of All Russia instead of the descendants of his half-brother Peter I (the Great), Emperor of All Russia – namely Elizabeth Petrovna and her nephew Karl Peter Ulrich of Holstein-Gottorp, her sister’s son.

The German-born granddaughter of Ivan V, Tsar of All Russia, Elisabeth of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, converted to Russian Orthodoxy and was given the title and name Grand Duchess Anna Leopoldovna. In 1739, Anna Leopoldovna married Anton Ulrich of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel and the next year, the couple had a son, Ivan Antonovich. Empress Anna adopted the infant Ivan Antonovich and proclaimed him heir to the Russian throne. Within several weeks, Empress Anna was dead at the age of 48 and Russia had an infant ruler, Ivan VI, Emperor of All Russia.

During the ten-year reign of her cousin Anna, Elizabeth had been gathering support in the background. After the infant Ivan became Emperor, a conspiracy soon arose with the aim of obtaining the Russian throne for Elizabeth Petrovna, the only surviving child of Peter the Great. A coup took place during the night of December 5-6, 1741 with financial support from France and military support from the Preobrazhensky Regiment. Elizabeth Petrovna arrived at the regiment’s headquarters wearing armor over her dress asking, “Who do you want to serve, me, your natural sovereign, or those who have stolen my inheritance?” The Preobrazhensky Regiment marched to the Winter Palace and arrested the infant Emperor Ivan VI and his parents. It was a daring coup and succeeded without bloodshed. The new 32-year-old Empress of All Russia, Elizabeth Petrovna, vowed that she would not sign a single death sentence, a promise which she kept throughout her 20-year-reign.

The Preobrazhensky Regiment soldiers proclaim Elizabeth the Empress of Russia; Credit – Wikipedia

Now that she had the throne, Elizabeth had a problem. A living Emperor, a great-grandson of her father’s half-brother Ivan V, and his mother, a granddaughter of Ivan V, remained in St. Petersburg. They were both threats to her throne. Even though 15-month-old Ivan did not know he had been Emperor, his image was on coins used throughout Russia and prayers had been said for him in all Russian churches. Elizabeth originally planned to send Ivan, his mother Anna Leopoldovna, his father Anton Ulrich, and his sister Catherine Antonovna somewhere in Europe so she sent them to Riga (now in Latvia) as the first stage of their journey. However, once the family arrived in Riga, Elizabeth had second thoughts – perhaps it would be a better idea to keep her young, dangerous prisoner under guard in Russia.

Ivan was separated forever from his parents and his sister and classified as a secret state prisoner. He spent the next 23 years imprisoned before being murdered during the reign of Catherine II (the Great). Ivan’s parents spent the rest of their lives imprisoned and with the exception of his sister Catherine, all of his other three siblings were born while their parents were imprisoned. His four siblings remained imprisoned until 1780 when, in their 30s, they were released into the custody of their maternal aunt Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, Queen Dowager of Denmark.

Elizabeth’s coronation outfit on display at the Catherine Palace, Tsarskoye Selo; Credit – © Susan Flantzer

The coronation of Elizabeth, Empress of All Russia was held on May 6, 1742. At the Assumption Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin, Elizabeth crowned herself, which no Russian ruler had dared to do. On November 18, 1742, Empress Elizabeth named Karl Peter Ulrich of Holstein-Gottorp, the 14-year-old son of her sister Anna Petrovna, her successor. Elizabeth’s nephew converted to Russian Orthodoxy and was given the name and title Grand Duke Peter Feodorovich. It was important to Elizabeth that Peter marry so that the Romanov dynasty could be continued. Elizabeth arranged for Peter to marry his second cousin, Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst, later Catherine II (the Great), Empress of All Russia. Sophie converted to Russian Orthodoxy, took the name Ekaterina (Catherine) Alexeievna, and married Peter on August 21, 1745. The marriage was not a happy one but Catherine did have one son, the future Paul, Emperor of All Russia, and one daughter Anna Petrovna who died in early childhood. Both children were taken by Empress Elizabeth to her apartments immediately after their births to be raised by her. Catherine took numerous lovers as did Peter. She later claimed that Paul was not fathered by Peter and that they had never consummated the marriage.

Peter and Catherine; Credit – Wikipedia

Elizabeth’s first concern was to address the Russo-Swedish War.  The Treaty of Åbo was negotiated in August 1743. Sweden had to relinquish a few smaller territories to Russia and Russia agreed to evacuate its army from Finland on the condition that Adolf Frederick of Holstein-Gottorp – the uncle of Elizabeth’s heir apparent and the brother of her dead fiancé – was named as the heir to the throne of Sweden. However, relatively soon after her rise to power, Elisabeth lost interest in government business and often left the affairs of government to her advisers.

Alexei Grigorievich Razumovsky; Credit – Wikipedia

Empress Elizabeth never married but she did have a long-term relationship with and was possibly morganatically married to Alexei Grigorievich Razumovsky, born Alexei Rozum to a Ukrainian-born Cossack. Originally a shepherd, Razumovsky had a beautiful voice and sang in the choir at the village church. In 1731, one of Empress Anna’s courtiers passed through Razumovsky’s village, heard him sing, and brought him back to St. Petersburg where he was renamed Alexei Grigoriev and joined the choir at the palace chapel. He eventually became Elizabeth’s favorite and played a role in the coup deposing Ivan VI. After the coup, Razumovsky was appointed as Chamberlain with the rank of Lieutenant-General. In 1744, Razumovsky was made a Count of Russia and in 1756 he received the rank of Field Marshal. Razumovsky’s apartments adjoined Elizabeth’s apartments and he had constant access to her.

Elizabeth at the Catherine Palace in Tsarskoe, painting by Eugene Lanceray (1905); Credit – Wikipedia

Elizabeth was responsible for having three of the most important Romanov palaces – the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, the Catherine Palace in Tsarskoye Selo, and Peterhof near St. Petersburg – renovated and refurbished. Elizabeth’s court was very lavish and her reign is remembered as a period of luxury and excess. Elizabeth set the tone and was a trendsetter. After her death, it was discovered that her wardrobe included 15,000 dresses and several thousand pairs of shoes. The court regularly held balls and masquerades, including the so-called “metamorphosis,” when women dressed up in men’s clothes and men wore women’s clothes. Only at the end of life, because of illness and obesity, did Elizabeth withdraw from court entertainment.

As she grew older, Elizabeth relished loneliness, slept through the day, and was awake at night, often praying on her knees for hours in front of her icons. She thought of abdication and had the Smolny Resurrection Monastery built in St Petersburg, where she wanted to retire as a nun. Elizabeth was often ill and was reluctant to show herself in public because of her ill health. In 1757, she suffered a stroke at a well-attended church service in Tsarskoye Selo and then her health situation became well known.

Elizabeth in her later years; Credit – Wikipedia

A particularly difficult problem for her was the succession. She was childless and the Romanov dynasty had been extinct in the male line since the death of Peter II in 1730. Elizabeth’s nephew Peter Feodorovich, who she had appointed as her successor, was often ill. Elizabeth did not love her nephew and his political views did not suit her because he was an admirer of her enemy Friedrich II (the Great), King of Prussia. The sicker Elizabeth became, the more the courtiers turned away from her and tried to please the heir to the throne.

On January 3, 1762, Elizabeth had a massive stroke and the doctors agreed she would not recover. Peter, Catherine, and others close to her gathered around her bed in the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg. Elizabeth, alert and clear-headed, showed no signs of wishing to change the succession. She asked Peter to look after little Paul, who she dearly loved. Peter quickly promised to do so, knowing that Elizabeth could change the succession with a single word. On January 5, 1762, Elizabeth asked her priest to read the Orthodox prayer for the dying. She blessed everyone in the room and asked each one for forgiveness. At about 4 PM, Elizabeth, Empress of All Russia died at the age of 52 at the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia. She is buried at the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg next to her mother, who is buried next to her father.

The reign of Peter III, Emperor of All Russia lasted only six months. He was deposed by his wife, born Princess Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst, who reigned as Catherine II (the Great), Empress of All Russia.

Peter and Paul Cathedral – Row 1 left to right: Tombs of Elizabeth I, Catherine I, Peter I; Row 2 left to right: Tombs of Catherine II, Peter III, Anna I; Photo Credit – © Susan Flantzer

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Romanov Resources at Unofficial Royalty

• Tsardom of Russia/Russian Empire Index
• Romanov Births, Marriages and Deaths
• Romanov Burial Sites
• Romanovs Killed During the Russian Revolution
• Romanovs Who Survived the Russian Revolution

Works Cited

• De.wikipedia.org. (2018). Elisabeth (Russland). [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elisabeth_(Russland) [Accessed 5 Jan. 2018].
• En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Elizabeth of Russia. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_of_Russia [Accessed 5 Jan. 2018].
• Lincoln, W. Bruce. (1981). The Romanovs: Autocrats of  All the Russias. New York, NY.: Doubleday
• Massie, R. (2016). Catherine the Great. London: Head of Zeus.
• Ru.wikipedia.org. (2018). Елизавета Петровна. [online] Available at: https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%95%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%B7%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%82%D0%B0_%D0%9F%D0%B5%D1%82%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%BD%D0%B0 [Accessed 5 Jan. 2018].

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Ivan VI, Emperor of All Russia; Credit – Wikipedia

• Russian Titles and Patronymics

The story of Ivan VI and his family is one of the most tragic stories in royal history. Ivan VI, Emperor of All Russia (Ivan Antonovich) succeeded to the throne at the age of two months. A little more than a year later, Ivan was deposed and spent the next 23 years imprisoned before being murdered during the reign of Catherine II (the Great). His parents spent the rest of their lives imprisoned and except for his sister Catherine, all his other siblings were born while their parents were imprisoned. His siblings remained imprisoned until 1780.

Ivan had four younger siblings.

• Catherine Antonovna of Brunswick-Lüneburg (1741–1807)
• Elizabeth Antonovna of Brunswick -Lüneburg (1743–1782)
• Peter Antonovich of Brunswick-Lüneburg (1745–1798)
• Alexei Antonovich of Brunswick-Lüneburg (1746–1787)

Silhouettes of Ivan’s siblings, done after their release from imprisonment; Credit – Wikipedia

Ivan was the oldest of the five children of Elisabeth of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Anton Ulrich of Brunswick-Lüneburg. Elisabeth was the daughter of Ekaterina Ivanovna of Russia and Karl Leopold, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Ekaterina Ivanovna was the eldest of the three surviving daughters of the five daughters of Ivan V, Tsar of All Russia and Praskovia Feodorovna Saltykova.  Ekaterina’s father Ivan V was co-ruler of Russia with his younger half-brother Peter I (the Great)  until Ivan V died in 1696. However, Ivan V had serious physical and mental disabilities, possibly caused by Down’s Syndrome or a consequence of a disease. He was unable to participate in ruling Russia so Peter ruled alone. Upon Ivan’s death, there was no question about the succession because all his children were daughters. Peter I (the Great) became the sole Tsar of All Russia and in 1721, Emperor of All Russia.

When Ekaterina’s uncle Peter the Great died in 1725, Peter’s second wife succeeded to the throne as Catherine I, Empress of All Russia.  However, she died two years later and was succeeded by Peter the Great’s 11-year-old grandson, the only remaining male Romanov, as Peter II, Emperor of All Russia.  In 1730, 14-year-old Peter II died of smallpox. With Peter II’s death, the direct male line of the Romanov dynasty ended. He had left no descendants and had not named an heir.

There were five possible candidates for the throne, four adult females and one two-year-old male: the three surviving daughters of Peter the Great’s half-brother Ivan V who were all in their 30s: Ekaterina Ivanovna, Anna Ivanovna, and Praskovia Ivanovna, and the only surviving child of Peter the Great and Catherine I: 20-year-old Elizabeth Petrovna (the future Elizabeth, Empress of All Russia), and lastly, Peter the Great’s grandson: two-year-old Karl Peter Ulrich of Holstein-Gottorp (the future Peter III, Emperor of All Russia), the only child of Peter’s daughter Anna Petrovna, who died due to childbirth complications, and her husband Karl Friedrich, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp. The Supreme Privy Council selected Ivan V’s daughter Anna Ivanovna to be the new Empress of All Russia.

Empress Anna had married when she was a teenager but her husband died two months after the wedding and Anna never remarried. Because her marriage was unhappy, Anna’s sister Ekaterina Ivanovna and her daughter Elisabeth returned to Russia in 1722. In 1732, Empress Anna Ivanovna announced that the throne would be inherited in the male line of her niece, born Elisabeth of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, the daughter of Anna’s sister Ekaterina Ivanovna and Karl Leopold, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. This was an attempt to secure the future of the Russian throne for the descendants of Ivan V, Tsar of All Russia instead of the descendants of his half-brother Peter I (the Great), Emperor of All Russia.

In 1733, Elisabeth of Mecklenburg-Schwerin converted to Russian Orthodoxy and was given the name Anna Leopoldovna and the title Grand Duchess. Six years later, Anna Leopoldovna married Anton Ulrich of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, son of Ferdinand Albrecht II, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. Anton had lived in Russia since 1733 so the couple could get to know each other. On August 23, 1740, Anna Leopoldovna gave birth to a son, Ivan Antonovich. Empress Anna adopted the infant Ivan Antonovich on October 5, 1740, and proclaimed him heir to the Russian throne. Twenty-three days after proclaiming the infant Ivan Antonovich her heir, Anna I, Empress of All Russia died at the age of 48, and two-month-old Ivan Antonovich was Ivan VI, Emperor of All Russia.

Ivan’s father, Anton Ulrich of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel; Credit – Wikipedia

Before Empress Anna died, she had agreed that her longtime lover and advisor Ernst Johann von Biron would serve as regent until Ivan came of age. The Russian nobility had enough of Biron during Empress Anna’s reign. Biron was regent for three weeks and on November 19, 1740, he was seized and banished to Siberia. Ivan’s mother Grand Duchess Anna Leopoldovna was named regent. Little Ivan was never crowned.

Ivan’s mother, Grand Duchess Anna Leopoldovna in 1740; Credit – Wikipedia

22-year-old Anna Leopoldovna was not qualified to be the regent. She did as little as possible concerning state affairs and argued with her advisers. A conspiracy soon arose intending to obtain the Russian throne for Elizabeth Petrovna, the only surviving child of Peter the Great. A coup occurred during the night of December 5-6, 1741 with financial support from France and military support from the Preobrazhensky Regiment. Elizabeth Petrovna arrived at the regiment’s headquarters wearing armor over her dress asking, “Who do you want to serve, me, your natural sovereign, or those who have stolen my inheritance?” The Preobrazhensky Regiment marched to the Winter Palace and arrested the infant Emperor Ivan and his parents. It was a daring coup and succeeded without bloodshed. The new 32-year-old Empress of All Russia, Elizabeth Petrovna, vowed that she would not sign a single death sentence, a promise she kept throughout her 20-year reign.

The Preobrazhensky Regiment soldiers proclaim Elizabeth the Empress of Russia; Credit – Wikipedia

Now that she had the throne, Elizabeth had a problem. A living Emperor, great-grandson of her father’s half-brother Ivan V, and his mother, granddaughter of Ivan V, remained in St. Petersburg. They were both threats to her throne. Even though 15-month-old Ivan did not know he had been Emperor, his image was on coins used throughout Russia and prayers had been said for him in all Russian churches. Elizabeth originally planned to send Ivan, his mother Anna Leopoldovna, his father Anton Ulrich, and his sister Catherine Antonovna somewhere in Europe so she sent them to Riga (now in Latvia) as the first stage of their journey. However, once the family arrived in Riga, Elizabeth had second thoughts – perhaps it would be a better idea to keep her young, dangerous prisoner under guard in Russia. Ivan was separated forever from his parents and his sister and classified as a secret state prisoner.

Ivan was first sent to Kholmogory, where, seeing no one other than his jailer, he remained for the next twelve years. Eventually, news of Ivan’s whereabouts began to be known. He was then secretly transferred to the Fortress of Shlisselburg where he was under heavy guard and not even the commandant of the fortress knew his true identity. Although instructions had been given not to educate him, Ivan had been taught his letters and could read his Bible. He also seemed aware of his former imperial status and always called himself Gosudar (Sovereign).

Fortress of Shlisselburg; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Empress Elizabeth died in 1762 and her nephew succeeded her as Peter III, Emperor of All Russia. Ivan’s situation improved a bit and Peter III even visited him. However, Peter III’s reign lasted only six months. He was deposed by his wife, born Princess Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst, who reigned as Catherine II (the Great), Empress of All Russia.

Peter III visits Ivan Antonovich at the Fortress of Shlisselburg; Credit – Wikipedia

Catherine II ordered Ivan to be placed in manacles and further ordered that if any attempt were made to free the prisoner, he was to be put to death immediately. Ivan’s presence at the Fortress of Shlisselburg could not remain concealed forever. In 1764, Vasily Mirovich, one of the men guarding Ivan, learned his identity and formulated a plan for freeing and proclaiming him Emperor. At midnight on July 16, 1764, Mirovich and his supporters attempted to free Ivan. However, another guard immediately murdered Ivan, following Catherine II’s orders. Mirovich and his supporters were executed. Ivan VI’s burial place is unknown but it is commonly believed that he was buried in the Fortress of Shlisselburg.

• Unofficial Royalty: Assassination of Ivan VI, deposed Emperor of All Russia

Vasily Mirovich Standing over the Corpse of Ivan VI (1884). by Ivan Tvorozhnikov; Credit – Wikipedia

The fate of the rest of Ivan’s family is nearly as grim. His parents were imprisoned for the rest of their lives. Anna Leopoldovna and Anton Ulrich had three additional children while imprisoned, born between 1743 – 1746. On March 18, 1746, Anna Leopoldovna died during childbirth at the age of 27. In 1762, Catherine II offered Anton Ulrich permission to leave Russia with the condition he would leave his children behind but he declined. At the age of 59, Anton Ulrich died in prison on March 19, 1776, after spending 36 years in captivity.

In 1780, Ivan’s four siblings, ranging in age from 34 – 39, were released into the custody of their maternal aunt, born Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel but then the Queen Dowager of Denmark. The four siblings had spent their entire lives imprisoned. They lived under house arrest in Horsens in Jutland, Denmark under the guardianship of Juliana Maria and at the expense of Catherine II. Although they were really prisoners, they lived in relative comfort and had a small court of between 40 and 50 people, all Danish except for their Russian Orthodox priest. The siblings were unhappy in Denmark because they were not used to their new freedom and their new environment and were surrounded by people whose language they could not understand.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Romanov Resources at Unofficial Royalty

• Tsardom of Russia/Russian Empire Index
• Romanov Births, Marriages and Deaths
• Romanov Burial Sites
• Romanov Frequently Asked Questions
• Romanovs Killed During the Russian Revolution
• Romanovs Who Survived the Russian Revolution
• Russian Titles and Patronymics

Works Cited

• En.wikipedia.org. (2017). Anna Leopoldovna. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Duchess_Anna_Leopoldovna_of_Russia [Accessed 28 Dec. 2017].
• En.wikipedia.org. (2017). Ivan VI of Russia. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivan_VI_of_Russia [Accessed 28 Dec. 2017].
• Lincoln, W. Bruce. (1981). The Romanovs: Autocrats of  All the Russias. New York, NY.: Doubleday
• Massie, R. (2016). Catherine the Great. London: Head of Zeus.
• Ru.wikipedia.org. (2017). Иван VI. [online] Available at: https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%98%D0%B2%D0%B0%D0%BD_VI [Accessed 28 Dec. 2017].

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Anna I, Empress of All Russia; Credit – Wikipedia

• Unofficial Royalty: Russian Titles and Patronymics

Anna I, Empress of All Russia was the fourth of the five daughters of Ivan V, Tsar of All Russia and Praskovia Feodorovna Saltykova. She was born at the Terem Palace in the Moscow Kremlin on February 7, 1693. Anna’s father Ivan V was co-ruler of Russia with his younger half-brother Peter I (the Great) until Ivan died in 1696. However, Ivan had serious physical and mental disabilities which may have been caused by Down’s Syndrome or a consequence of a disease, and was unable to participate in ruling Russia so Peter ruled alone. Upon Ivan’s death, there was no question about the succession because all his children were daughters. Peter became the sole Tsar of All Russia and later Emperor of All Russia.

Anna had three older sisters and one younger sister. Only two of her sisters survived to adulthood.

• Tsarevna Maria Ivanovna (1689–1692), died young
• Tsarevna Feodosia Ivanovna (1690–1691), died young
• Tsarevna Ekaterina Ivanovna (1691–1733), married Karl Leopold, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, had one surviving daughter Elisabeth of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, later known as Grand Duchess Anna Leopoldovna, mother of Ivan VI, Emperor of All Russia
• Tsarevna Praskovia Ivanovna (1694–1731), married Ivan Ilich Dmitriev-Mamonov, had one son who died in childhood

After the death of her father, three-year-old Anna and her two surviving sisters, five-year-old Ekaterina Ivanovna and two-year-old Praskovia Ivanovna, along with their mother Praskovia Feodorovna, were moved from the Moscow Kremlin to the Izmaylovo Estate, a Romanov country residence outside of Moscow. From an early age, the sisters were taught reading, mathematics, geography, French and German, and dancing.

The Izmaylovo Estate where Anna and her sisters grew up; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1708, Anna’s mother Praskovia Feodorovna and her three daughters, by order of Peter the Great, moved to the new city of St. Petersburg where Peter gifted her with a home on the banks of the Neva River. Praskovia Feodorovna had great respect for her brother-in-law Peter I and often served as the first lady, welcoming visitors to the Russian court. She understood the need for the changes Peter was making in Russia, raised her daughters and held her court in a modern Western manner, which made her well-regarded by Peter.

In 1710, Peter the Great made a diplomatic deal related to the Great Northern War to marry 17-year-old Anna to 17-year-old Friedrich Wilhelm, Duke of Courland and Semigallia (now part of Latvia).  This marriage was important to Peter the Great.  Anna was the first Russian princess to marry a foreign prince in two hundred years. The marriage signaled Europe’s acceptance of Russia’s new status in the world and that Russian princesses could be used in diplomacy. The wedding took place on November 11, 1710, in St. Petersburg at the palace of Prince Alexander Menshikov, a close friend of Peter the Great. The next day, Menshikov hosted a spectacular banquet in honor of the couple. The newlyweds spent two months in Russia before heading to Courland. Just twenty miles outside of Moscow, Friedrich Wilhelm died on January 21, 1711, probably due to excessive drinking while in Russia.

Anna’s short-lived husband, Friedrich Wilhelm, Duke of Courland and Semigallia; Credit – Wikipedia

After her husband’s death, Anna continued to Courland, where from 1711 to 1730, Anna acted as reigning Duchess of Courland using a local Russian resident Peter Bestuzhev as her advisor, and perhaps also as a sometime lover. Anna decided not to remarry after her husband’s death but had a long-term relationship with Ernst Johann von Biron, a prominent courtier.

Meanwhile in Russia, upon the death of Anna’s uncle, Peter the Great died in 1725, Peter’s second wife succeeded to the throne as Catherine I, Empress of All Russia.  However, she died two years later and was succeeded by Peter the Great’s 11-year-old grandson as Peter II, Emperor of All Russia.  In 1730, 14-year-old Peter II died of smallpox. With Peter II’s death, the direct male line of the Romanov dynasty ended. He had left no descendants and had not named an heir.

There were five possible candidates for the throne, four adult females and one two-year-old male: the three surviving daughters of Peter the Great’s half-brother Ivan V who were all in their 30s: Ekaterina Ivanovna, Anna Ivanovna, and Praskovia Ivanovna, and the only surviving child of Peter the Great and Catherine I: 20-year-old Elizabeth Petrovna, and Peter the Great’s grandson: two-year-old Karl Peter Ulrich of Holstein-Gottorp, son of Anna Petrovna, who died due to childbirth complications, and her husband Karl Friedrich, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp. (Note: Karl Peter Ulrich of Holstein-Gottorp was later Peter III, Emperor of All Russia.) The Supreme Privy Council selected Anna Ivanovna, the daughter of Ivan V, as the new Empress of All Russia.

Anna was chosen because the Supreme Privy Council thought she would be easy to manipulate and was too conservative to restore Peter the Great’s reforms. To become Empress, Anna had to sign “The Conditions” which gave substantial power to the Supreme Privy Council. Anna could not exercise any of the following powers without the approval of the Supreme Privy Council: declaring war, signing treaties, imposing new taxes, appointing officers to ranks higher than Colonel, depriving and granting estates, appointing to the court ranks, and using public revenues. However, when Anna returned to Russia from Courland, she revoked her approval of “The Conditions” and dissolved the Supreme Privy Council. The members of the Council were removed from the government and some were exiled to Siberia, allowing Anna to become an absolute monarch like her uncle Peter the Great.

Empress Anna ripping up “The Conditions”; Credit – Wikipedia

The coronation of Anna, Empress of All Russia took place on April 28, 1730. Anna’s reign, which lasted ten years, left the Russians with a bitter memory and was considered more Germanic than Russian. Her favorite Ernst Johann von Biron and his wife, Anna’s lady-in-waiting, moved with her to Russia where Biron was appointed Great Chamberlain, made a Count of the Russian Empire, and had much influence at court. Biron surrounded himself with German ministers and generals who were driven by greed.

Anna’s Coronation Portrait; Credit – Wikipedia

Anna continued Peter the Great’s Westernization plans including the continued building of St. Petersburg, the canals for seafaring ships, and the expansion of the navy. She founded the Cadet Corps, a school for young boys who started at the age of eight being trained for the military. Anna also continued to fund the Russian Academy of Science which Peter the Great had founded to allow for the development of science in Russia.

In 1732, Empress Anna announced that the throne would be inherited in the male line of her niece, born Elisabeth of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, the daughter of Anna’s sister Ekaterina Ivanovna and Karl Leopold, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. This was an attempt to secure the future of the Russian throne for the descendants of Ivan V, Tsar of All Russia instead of the descendants of his half-brother Peter I (the Great), Emperor of All Russia.

Ekaterina Ivanovna’s marriage was unhappy and she returned to Russia in 1722 with her surviving daughter. The couple never divorced and never saw each other again. In 1733, Elisabeth converted to Russian Orthodoxy and was given the name Anna Leopoldovna and the title Grand Duchess. Six years later, Anna Leopoldovna married Anton Ulrich of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, son of Ferdinand Albrecht II, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. Anton had lived in Russia since 1733 so the couple could get to know each other. On August 23, 1740, Anna Leopoldovna gave birth to a son, Ivan Antonovich. Empress Anna adopted the infant Ivan Antonovich on October 5, 1740, and proclaimed him heir to the Russian throne.

Empress Anna; Credit – Wikipedia

Suffering from an ulcer on her kidney and repeated attacks of gout, Empress Anna was not in good health. On October 16, 1740, Anna sat down to dine with her favorite Ernst Johann von Biron. Suddenly, she felt ill and became unconscious. Doctors deemed her condition to be serious. The question of succession to the throne had previously been solved, but it remained to decide who would be the regent for the young Ivan Antonovich. Biron was able to secure enough votes to be named regent. Anna I, Empress of All Russia died on October 28, 1740, at the age of 48, apparently from gout and a very painful kidney stone. She was buried in the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg.

Anna’s two-month-old great-nephew succeeded her as Ivan VI, Emperor of All Russia. However, a little more than a year later, Peter the Great’s surviving daughter Elizabeth Petrovna sat upon the throne as Empress of All Russia, and little Ivan was imprisoned until his murder 22 years later during the reign of Catherine II (the Great), Empress of All Russia.

Anna’s tomb is located directly behind the tomb of her uncle Peter the Great; Photo Credit – By Ludushka – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=36437730

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Romanov Resources at Unofficial Royalty

• Tsardom of Russia/Russian Empire Index
• Romanov Births, Marriages and Deaths
• Romanov Burial Sites
• Romanovs Killed During the Russian Revolution
• Romanovs Who Survived the Russian Revolution

Works Cited

• En.wikipedia.org. (2017). Anna of Russia. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_of_Russia [Accessed 27 Dec. 2017].
• Lincoln, W. Bruce. (1981). The Romanovs: Autocrats of  All the Russias. New York, NY.: Doubleday
• Massie, Robert K. (1980). Peter The Great: His Life and World. New York, NY.: Alfred A. Knopf
• https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%90%D0%BD%D0%BD%D0%B0_%D0%98%D0%BE%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%BD%D0%B0

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Peter II, Emperor of All Russia; Credit – Wikipedia

• Unofficial Royalty: Russian Titles and Patronymics

A child emperor who ruled for less than three years, Peter II, Emperor of All Russia (Pyotr Alexeievich) was born in St. Petersburg, Russia on October 23, 1715. He was the only son and the second of the two children of Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich, the heir to the Russian throne, and Princess Charlotte Christine of Brunswick-Lüneburg, and the grandson of Peter I (the Great), Emperor of Russia and his first wife Eudoxia Feodorovna Lopukhina.

Peter had one elder sister:

• Grand Duchess Natalia Alexeievna (1714 – 1728), died of tuberculosis at age 14

Peter, age 8, and Natalia, age 9; Credit – Wikipedia

The marriage of Peter’s parents, Alexei and Charlotte Christine, went well for about six months but then went rapidly downhill. Alexei was drunk constantly, complained about his wife’s appearance, and had mistresses. During her pregnancy with Peter, Charlotte Christine suffered from rheumatic pains. When she was seven months pregnant, she fell down the stairs. In severe pain, she was forced to spend the last weeks of her pregnancy in bed. After giving birth to Peter, the new mother felt well until the third day after the birth when abdominal pain, fever, and delirium developed. Ten days after Peter’s birth, on November 1, 1715, 21-year-old Charlotte Christine died from puerperal fever (childbed fever).

Three years later, Peter and his sister Natalia were orphans. In 1718, Peter’s father Tsarevich Alexei was suspected of plotting to overthrow his father, Peter I (the Great), Emperor of All Russia. Alexei was tried, confessed under torture, convicted, and sentenced to be executed. The sentence could be carried out only with the emperor’s signed authorization, but Alexei died in prison because his father hesitated in making the decision. Alexei’s death most likely resulted from injuries suffered during his torture.

At the time of Alexei’s death in 1718, Peter the Great had only one living son, two-year-old Peter Petrovich, the son of his second wife Catherine Alexeievna, born Marta Helena Skowrońska, the future Catherine, Empress of All Russia. All of Peter’s other sons, except Alexei, had died in infancy. Peter the Great put a lot of stock in little Peter Petrovich but he died a year later. One more son would be born but he died the day of his birth. Out of Peter the Great’s fourteen children, only three reached adulthood: Tsarevich Alexei by his first wife and two daughters by his second wife: Anna who would die as a result of childbirth complications after the birth of Peter III, Emperor of All Russia and the future Elizabeth, Empress of All Russia.

In 1722, Peter the Great issued a decree stating that the reigning emperor should appoint a successor during his lifetime and that anyone may be named as his heir. It may be that he had his wife Catherine in mind as his successor when he had her crowned as Empress and named co-ruler on May 18, 1724.

Alexei’s son Peter had been basically ignored by his grandfather Peter the Great but now because of the succession issue, little Peter received a little more attention. Besides his grandfather, he was the only living male Romanov. His grandfather ordered his best friend Prince Alexander Menshikov to find tutors for Grand Duke Peter. The tutors Menshikov picked were of low quality for a reason – Menshikov supported Peter the Great’s second wife Catherine as his successor.

Peter II; Credit – Wikipedia

During the last two years of his life, Peter the Great suffered from urinary tract problems. During the illness of his grandfather, Peter Alexeievich met Ivan Dolgorukov, his future favorite. Peter often visited the Dolgorukovs’ home where his rights to the Russian throne were explained to him. The young Peter vowed to crush the favorite of his grandfather Prince Alexander Menshikov, who led the opposition to the old noble families who had not been in favor of the Westernizing reforms of Peter the Great. However, there was strong opposition to Peter succeeding his grandfather. Peter was the son of the disgraced Alexei and the grandson of the conservative Eudoxia Feodorovna Lopukhina and this would give the opponents of the reforms hope that the old order would be restored.

On February 8, 1725, Peter I (the Great), Emperor of All Russia died at the age of 52 from a bladder infection without naming a successor. A coup arranged by Prince Alexander Menshikov proclaimed Catherine, Peter’s second wife, the ruler of Russia. During the two-year reign of Catherine I, Empress of All Russia, the real power was held by Menshikov and members of the Supreme Privy Council.

During Catherine I’s reign, Peter was mostly ignored although Menshikov replaced his tutors with Count Andrey Ivanovich Osterman. Osterman did teach Peter history, geography, mathematics, and foreign languages but Peter was not much of a student. His favorite occupations were hunting and feasting.

Catherine I’s reign was only two years and even before her death, it was clear that the inheritance of Peter the Great’s grandson could not be denied. Menshikov began to see this during the end of Catherine I’s reign. Through his efforts, Peter was named Catherine’s heir apparent, even though Catherine had two daughters. Catherine also gave her consent to the betrothal of Peter to Menshikov’s daughter Maria.

On May 17, 1727, 43-year-old Catherine I, Empress of All Russia died of tuberculosis and 11-year-old Peter became Emperor of All Russia. Menshikov took the young emperor into his home and had full control of him. The old nobility, represented by the Dolgorukovs and the Galitzines, united to overthrow Menshikov. He was deprived of all his dignities, offices, and wealth, expelled from St. Petersburg, and banished to Siberia with his entire family. The Senate, the Supreme Privy Council, and the emperor’s guards took an oath of allegiance to Peter II, and German mathematician Christian Goldbach was appointed as his tutor.

Peter’s grandmother Eudoxia Feodorovna Lopukhina, banished to a convent by Peter the Great and then to Shlisselburg Fortress by Catherine I, was brought to Moscow by her grandson. She lived first in the Ascension Convent in the Moscow Kremlin, and then at the Novodevichy Convent. The Supreme Privy Council issued a decree restoring to her the honor and dignity of Tsaritsa.

Grand Duchess Natalia Alexeievna; Credit – Wikipedia

Peter’s coronation took place in Moscow on January 9, 1728. Later that year, on November 22, 1728, Peter’s elder sister Grand Duchess Natalia Alexeievna died of tuberculosis at the age of 14. Natalia was a kind and intelligent girl, and was very close to her brother.

Peter was much too young to deal with government issues. His main favorites were Prince Alexei Dolgorukov and his son Ivan, who had great influence over him. Ivan Dolgorukov was a bad influence on Peter, encouraging him to spend time feasting, playing cards, drinking, and enjoying the company of women. Peter moved the court back to Moscow which was annoying to the nobles as they had to move from St. Petersburg.

Ekaterina Alexeievna Dolgorukova; Credit – Wikipedia

Because of the Dolgorukov influence, 14-year-old Peter became betrothed to 18-year-old Ekaterina Alexeievna Dolgorukova, the daughter of Prince Alexei Dolgorukov. The wedding was due to take place on January 30, 1730.

On January 17, 1730, a frigid day, Peter II attended a parade. When he returned to the palace, he had a fever that developed into smallpox. Ivan Dolgorukov, forced by his relatives, forged Peter’s will with the goal of elevating his sister Ekaterina Alexeievna, Peter’s fiancee, to the throne. On January 30, 1730, which was supposed to be his wedding day, the delirious Peter ordered his sleigh to be readied so he could visit his sister Natalia who had died a little more than a year earlier. Peter died a few minutes later. With Peter’s death, the direct male line of the Romanov dynasty ended. He had left no descendants and had not named an heir.

Peter II, Emperor of All Russia was buried at the Cathedral of the Archangel in the Moscow Kremlin. Peter II and Ivan VI, who was murdered at Shlisselburg Fortress and probably buried there, are the only Romanov rulers after Peter the Great who were not buried at the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg.

After the death of Peter II, the Supreme Privy Council did not accept the will the Dolgorukovs had forged.  There were five possible candidates for the throne, four adult females and one two-year-old male: the three surviving daughters of Peter the Great’s half-brother Ivan V who were all in their 30s: Ekaterina Ivanovna, Anna Ivanovna, and Praskovia Ivanovna, the only surviving child of Peter the Great and Catherine I: 20-year-old Elizabeth Petrovna, and Peter the Great’s grandson: two-year-old Karl Peter Ulrich of Holstein-Gottorp, son of Anna Petrovna, who died due to childbirth complications, and her husband Karl Friedrich, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp. (Note: Karl Peter Ulrich of Holstein-Gottorp was later Peter III, Emperor of All Russia.) The Supreme Privy Council selected Anna Ivanovna, the daughter of Ivan V, to be the new Empress of All Russia.

Tomb of Peter II; Photo Credit – By Shakko – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4661636

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Romanov Resources at Unofficial Royalty

• Tsardom of Russia/Russian Empire Index
• Romanov Births, Marriages and Deaths
• Romanov Burial Sites
• Romanovs Killed During the Russian Revolution
• Romanovs Who Survived the Russian Revolution

Works Cited

• En.wikipedia.org. (2017). Peter II of Russia. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_II_of_Russia [Accessed 24 Dec. 2017].
• Lincoln, W. Bruce. (1981). The Romanovs: Autocrats of  All the Russias. New York, NY.: Doubleday
• Massie, Robert K. (1980). Peter The Great: His Life and World. New York, NY.: Alfred A. Knopf
• Ru.wikipedia.org. (2017). Пётр II. [online] Available at: https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9F%D1%91%D1%82%D1%80_II [Accessed 24 Dec. 2017].

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2018

Catherine I, Empress of All Russia; Credit – Wikipedia

• Unofficial Royalty: Russian Titles and Patronymics

Catherine I, Empress of All Russia was the second wife of Peter I (the Great), Emperor of All Russia. She succeeded her husband upon the Russian throne, a very unexpected occurrence considering her meager beginnings. Her early background is very sketchy. Marta Helena Skowrońska is said to have been born on April 15, 1684, in Jakobstadt, Semigallia, Duchy of Courland and Semigallia. Today Jakobstadt is known as Jēkabpils and it is in Latvia. At the time of Catherine’s birth, the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia was a vassal state of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Her parents were Samuel Skowroński, an ethnic Polish Roman Catholic peasant, and Dorothea Hahn, who both died of the plague around 1689, leaving their five children orphans.

Catherine had four siblings. When she became Empress of All Russia in 1725, she brought them to St. Petersburg, Russia, and created them Count/Countess:

• Krystyna Skowrońska (1687 – 1729), renamed Christina Samuilovna Skavronskaya, married Simon Heinrich <surname unknown>, their descendants became the Counts Gendrikov
• Anna Skowrońska, renamed Anna Samuilovna Skavronskaya, Michael-Joachim <surname unknown>, their descendants became the Counts Efimovsky
• Karol Skowroński, renamed Karel Samuilovich Skavronsky, married a Russian woman Maria Ivanovna <surname unknown>, created Count of the Russian Empire, male line died out in 1793
• Fryderyk Skowroński, renamed Feodor Samuilovich Skavronsky, married (1) an unknown Lithuanian woman (2) Ekaterina Rodionovna Saburova, created Count of the Russian Empire, no children from either marriage

Five-year-old Marta was sent by her uncle to the household of Johann Ernst Glück, a Lutheran pastor, the first to translate the Bible into Latvian. Marta served as a maid, was not taught to read, and remained illiterate for her entire life. At the age of 17, Marta was married to a Swedish dragoon named Johann Raabe during the Great Northern War. A few days after the wedding, Marta’s husband left with his regiment which departed for the war and was never heard of again.

Peter I (the Great), Emperor of All Russia; Credit – Wikipedia

After the Russian army invaded her town, Marta was either a maid or the mistress of the Russian general, and she traveled back to the Russian court with the army. She became part of the household of Prince Alexander Menshikov, the best friend of Peter I (the Great), Emperor of All Russia. Peter met Marta while visiting Menshikov. By 1704, Marta was well established in Peter’s household as his mistress and given birth to a son. In 1705, she converted to Russian Orthodoxy from Roman Catholicism and took the name of Catherine (Ekaterina) Alexeievna. Although no official record exists, Peter and Catherine secretly married between October 23 and December 1, 1707, in St. Petersburg. They married publically on February 19, 1712, at St. Isaac’s Cathedral in St. Petersburg. Their daughters Anna and Elizabeth were the bridal attendants.

Catherine and Peter’s daughters Anna and Elizabeth; Credit – Wikipedia

Catherine and Peter had twelve children, all of whom died in childhood except Anna and Elizabeth:

• Pyotr Petrovich born 1704, died in infancy
• Pavel Petrovich born 1705, died in infancy
• Catherine Petrovna (1706 – 1708)
• Grand Duchess Anna Petrovna (1708 – 1728), married Karl Friedrich, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp, had one son Carl Peter Ulrich, the future Peter III, Emperor of All Russia, Anna died of childbirth complications
• Elizabeth, Empress of All Russia (1709 – 1762), unmarried
• Maria Petrovna of Russia (1713–1715)
• Margarita Petrovna (1714 – 1715)
• Pyotr Petrovich (1715 – 1719)
• Pavel Petrovich (born and died 1717)
• Grand Duchess Natalia Petrovna (1718 – 1725), died from measles a month after her father’s death
• Pyotr Petrovich (born and died 1723)
• Pavel Petrovich (born and died 1724)

In 1703, Peter started building the new city of St. Petersburg. While the city was being built, he lived in a three-room log cabin with Catherine, where she did the cooking and cared for the children, and he tended a garden, as though they were an ordinary couple. The relationship was the most successful of Peter’s life and many letters exist demonstrating the strong affection between Catherine and Peter.  Catherine was very energetic, compassionate, charming, and always cheerful. She was the only one able to calm Peter in his frequent rages.

The cabin where Peter and Catherine lived while St. Petersburg was being built; Photo Credit – © Susan Flantzer

Previously titled Tsar of All Russia, Peter was officially proclaimed Emperor of All Russia on October 22, 1721.  In 1724, all of Peter’s sons were dead and the only other surviving male Romanov besides Peter was his young grandson Peter Alexeievich, the future Peter II, Emperor of All Russia. In 1722, Peter issued a decree stating that the reigning emperor should appoint a successor during his lifetime and that anyone may be named as his heir. Perhaps he had Catherine in mind as his successor when he had her crowned as Empress and named co-ruler on May 18, 1724, at the Assumption Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin. Even though Catherine had the title of Empress, Peter remained Russia’s actual ruler.

On February 8, 1725, Peter I (the Great), Emperor of All Russia died at the age of 52 from a bladder infection without naming a successor. Catherine never left Peter’s bedside during his final illness and he died in her arms. A coup arranged by Peter’s best friend Prince Alexander Menshikov proclaimed Catherine the ruler of Russia. During the two-year reign of Catherine I, Empress of All Russia, the real power was held by Menshikov and members of the Supreme Privy Council.

During her short reign, Catherine was happy to leave the job of governing to her advisers. She was interested only in issues regarding the navy as Peter’s love for the sea had also touched her. Catherine spent much time at Tsarskoye Selo (Tsar’s Village), 15 miles/24 kilometers outside St. Petersburg. The estate had originally belonged to a Swedish noble. Peter gave it to Catherine in 1708 and Catherine started to develop Tsarskoye Selo as a royal country residence. In 1717, Catherine hired German architect Johann-Friedrich Braunstein to construct a summer palace that was named after her, the Catherine Palace. Her daughter Elizabeth, Empress of All Russia later remodeled the palace into the one we see today.

Catherine Palace; Photo Credit – © Susan Flantzer

Catherine’s health was adversely affected by living a difficult life, giving birth to twelve children, having a venereal disease that she contracted from Peter, and her heavy drinking after Peter’s death. On May 17, 1727, 43-year-old Catherine I, Empress of All Russia died of tuberculosis at the Catherine Palace at Tsarskoye Selo. She was buried in a tomb next to her husband’s tomb at the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg. Later their daughter, Elizabeth, Empress of All Russia was buried next to Catherine.

Peter and Paul Cathedral – Row 1 left to right: Tombs of Elizabeth I, Catherine I, Peter I; Row 2 left to right: Tombs of Catherine II, Peter III, Anna I; Photo Credit – © Susan Flantzer

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Romanov Resources at Unofficial Royalty

• Tsardom of Russia/Russian Empire Index
• Romanov Births, Marriages and Deaths
• Romanov Burial Sites
• Romanovs Killed During the Russian Revolution
• Romanovs Who Survived the Russian Revolution

Works Cited

• En.wikipedia.org. (2017). Catherine I of Russia. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine_I_of_Russia [Accessed 23 Dec. 2017].
• Lincoln, W. Bruce. (1981). The Romanovs: Autocrats of  All the Russias. New York, NY.: Doubleday
• Massie, Robert K. (1980). Peter The Great: His Life and World. New York, NY.: Alfred A. Knopf
• Ru.wikipedia.org. (2017). Екатерина I. [online] Available at: https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%95%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B0_I [Accessed 23 Dec. 2017].