Count favorite of Catherine 2. Favorites of Catherine the Great

The list of men of Catherine II includes men who figured in the intimate life of Empress Catherine the Great (1729-1796), including her spouses, official favorites and lovers. Catherine II has up to 21 lover, but how can we object to the empress, then, of course, there were methods.

1. Catherine's husband was Peter Fedorovich (Emperor Peter III) (1728-1762). They had a wedding in 1745, August 21 (September 1) The end of the relationship June 28 (July 9), 1762 - the death of Peter III. His children, according to the Romanov tree, Pavel Petrovich (1754) (according to one version, his father is Sergei Saltykov) and officially Grand Duchess Anna Petrovna (1757-1759, most likely the daughter of Stanislav Poniatovsky). He suffered, he was a type of impotence, and in the early years did not carry out marital relations with her. Then this problem was solved with the help of a surgical operation, and in order to perform it, Saltykov got Peter drunk.

2. While she was engaged, she also had an affair, Saltykov, Sergey Vasilyevich (1726-1765). In 1752 he was at the small court of the Grand Dukes Catherine and Peter. The beginning of the 1752 novel. The end of the relationship was the born child Pavel in October 1754. After that, Saltykov was expelled from St. Petersburg and sent as an envoy to Sweden.

3. Catherine's lover was Stanisław August Poniatowski (1732-1798) who fell in love in 1756. And in 1758, after the fall of Chancellor Bestuzhev, Williams and Poniatowski were forced to leave St. Petersburg. After the novel, her daughter Anna Petrovna (1757-1759) was born to her, and Grand Duke Pyotr Fedorovich himself thought so, who, judging by Catherine's Notes, said: “God knows where my wife gets pregnant from; I don’t know for sure if this child is mine and if I should recognize him as mine. ”In the future, Catherine will make him King of Poland, and then annex Poland and annex it to Russia.

4. Also, Catherine 2 was not upset and continued to fall in love further. Her next secret lover was Orlov, Grigory Grigoryevich (1734-1783). The beginning of the novel in the spring of 1759, Count Schwerin, the adjutant wing of Frederick II, arrived in St. Petersburg, who was captured in the Battle of Zorndorf, to which Orlov was assigned as a guard. Orlov gained fame by repulsing his mistress from Pyotr Shuvalov. The end of the relationship 1772 after the death of her husband, even she wanted to marry him and then she was dissuaded. Orlov had many mistresses. They also had a son, Bobrinsky, Alexei Grigorievich was born on April 22, 1762, a few months after the death of Elizabeth Petrovna. It is reported that on the day when she began giving birth, her faithful servant Shkurin set fire to his house, and Peter rushed off to look at the fire . Orlov and his passionate brothers contributed to the overthrow of Peter and Catherine's accession to the throne. Having lost favor, he married his cousin Ekaterina Zinovieva, and after her death he went crazy.

5. Vasilchikov, Alexander Semyonovich (1746-1803/1813) Official favorite. Acquaintance in 1772, September. Often stood guard in Tsarskoye Selo, received a golden snuffbox. I took Orlov's room. On March 20, 1774, in connection with the rise of Potemkin, he was sent to Moscow. Catherine considered him boring (14 years difference). After his resignation, he settled in Moscow with his brother and did not marry.

6. Potemkin, Grigory Alexandrovich (1739-1791) Official favorite, husband since 1775. In April 1776 he went on vacation. Catherine gave birth to Potemkin's daughter, Elizaveta Grigoryevna Tyomkina. He was unmarried, his personal life consisted of the "enlightenment" of his young nieces, including Ekaterina Engelgart.

7. Zavadovsky, Pyotr Vasilyevich (1739-1812) official favorite.
The beginning of relations in 1776. November, presented to the Empress as the author, interested Catherine. In 1777, June did not suit Potemkin and was dismissed. Also in May 1777, Catherine met Zorich. He was jealous of Catherine 2, which hurt. 1777 recalled by the empress back to the capital, 1780 engaged in administrative affairs, married Vera Nikolaevna Apraksina.

8. Zorich, Semyon Gavrilovich (1743/1745-1799) . In 1777, June became Catherine's personal bodyguard. 1778 June caused inconvenience, expelled from St. Petersburg (14 years younger than the Empress) Was fired and expelled with a small reward. He founded the Shklov School. Entangled in debt and was suspected of counterfeiting.

9. Rimsky-Korsakov, Ivan Nikolaevich (1754-1831) Official favorite. 1778, June. Noticed by Potemkin, who was looking for a replacement for Zorich, and distinguished by him due to his beauty, as well as ignorance and lack of serious abilities that could make him a political rival. Potemkin introduced him to the Empress among three officers. On June 1, he was appointed adjutant wing to the empress. 1779, October 10. Removed from the court, after the Empress found him in the arms of Countess Praskovya Bruce, Field Marshal Rumyantsev's sister. This intrigue of Potemkin had as its goal the removal not of Korsakov, but of Bruce herself. 25 years younger than the Empress; Catherine was attracted by his announced "innocence". He was very handsome and had an excellent voice (for the sake of it, Catherine invited world-famous musicians to Russia). After losing favor, he first stayed in St. Petersburg and talked about his connection with the empress in the living rooms, which hurt her pride. In addition, he left Bruce and began an affair with Countess Ekaterina Stroganova (he was 10 years younger than her). This turned out to be too much, and Catherine sent him to Moscow. In the end, her husband divorced Stroganova. Korsakov lived with her until the end of her life, they had a son and two daughters.

10 Stakhiev (Fears) The beginning of relations in 1778; 1779, June. The end of the relationship 1779, October. According to the description of contemporaries, "a jester of the lowest sort." Strakhov was the protégé of Count N.I. Panin Strakhov may be Ivan Varfolomeevich Strakhov (1750-1793), in which case he was not the empress's lover, but a man whom Panin considered insane, and who, when Catherine once told him that he can ask her for some favor, threw himself on his knees and asked for her hand, after which she began to avoid him.

11 Stoyanov (Stanov) The beginning of relations 1778. End of relationship 1778. Potemkin's protege.

12 Rantsov (Rontsov), Ivan Romanovich (1755-1791) The beginning of relations 1779. Mentioned among those who participated in the "competition", it is not entirely clear whether he managed to visit the empress's alcove. End of relationship 1780. One of the illegitimate sons of Count R. I. Vorontsov, half-brother of Dashkova. A year later, he led the London crowd in the riots organized by Lord George Gordon.

13 Levashov, Vasily Ivanovich (1740 (?) - 1804). The beginning of relations in 1779, October. The end of the relationship 1779, October. Major of the Semyonovsky regiment, a young man patronized by Countess Bruce. He was witty and funny. The uncle of one of the subsequent favorites is Ermolova. He was not married, but had 6 "pupils" from a student of the theater school Akulina Semyonova, who were granted the dignity of nobility and his surname.

14 Vysotsky, Nikolai Petrovich (1751-1827). The beginning of relations 1780, March. Potemkin's nephew. End of relationship 1780, March.

15 Lanskoy, Alexander Dmitrievich (1758-1784) Official favorite. The beginning of relations 1780 April He was introduced to Catherine by Chief of Police P. I. Tolstoy, she drew attention to him, but he did not become a favorite. Levashev turned to Potemkin for help, he made him his adjutant and led his court education for about six months, after which in the spring of 1780 he recommended him to the empress as a cordial friend. End of relationship 1784, July 25. He died after a five-day illness with a toad and fever. 29 years younger than the 54-year-old at the time of the beginning of the relationship of the empress. The only one of the favorites who did not interfere in politics and refused influence, ranks, and orders. He shared Catherine's interest in the sciences and, under her guidance, studied French and got acquainted with philosophy. Enjoyed universal sympathy. He sincerely adored the empress and tried his best to keep peace with Potemkin. If Catherine began to flirt with someone else, Lanskoy “did not get jealous, didn’t cheat on her, didn’t dare, but so touchingly […] lamented her disfavor and suffered so sincerely that he won her love again.”

16. Mordvinov. The beginning of relations in 1781. May. Lermontov's relative. Probably Mordvinov, Nikolai Semyonovich (1754-1845). The admiral's son, the same age as Grand Duke Paul, was brought up with him. The episode was not reflected in his biography, usually not mentioned. Became a famous naval commander. Lermontov's relative

17 Ermolov, Alexander Petrovich (1754-1834) February 1785, a holiday was specially arranged to introduce him to the Empress. 1786, June 28. He decided to act against Potemkin (the Crimean Khan Sahib-Girey was supposed to receive large sums from Potemkin, but they were detained, and the khan turned to Yermolov for help), in addition, the empress cooled off. He was expelled from St. Petersburg - he was "allowed to go abroad for three years." In 1767, traveling along the Volga, Catherine stopped at his father's estate and took the 13-year-old boy to St. Petersburg. Potemkin took him into his retinue, and almost 20 years later he proposed a candidate as a favorite. He was tall and slender, blond, sullen, taciturn, honest and too simple. With letters of recommendation from Chancellor Count Bezborodko, he left for Germany and Italy. Everywhere he kept himself very modest. After his resignation, he settled in Moscow and married Elizaveta Mikhailovna Golitsyna, with whom he had children. The nephew of the previous favorite is Vasily Levashov. Then he left for Austria, where he bought a rich and profitable Frosdorf estate near Vienna, where he died at the age of 82.

18. Dmitriev-Mamonov, Alexander Matveevich (1758-1803) In 1786, June is presented to the Empress after Yermolov's departure. In 1789, he fell in love with Princess Darya Fedorovna Shcherbatova, Catherine was donated. asked for forgiveness, forgiven. After the wedding, he was forced to leave St. Petersburg. Future married in Moscow. Repeatedly asked to return to St. Petersburg, but was refused. His wife gave birth to 4 children, eventually parted.

19. Miloradovich. The beginning of relations in 1789. He was among the candidates who were proposed after Dmitriev's resignation. They also included the retired second-major of the Preobrazhensky regiment of Kazarinov, Baron Mengden - all young handsome men, behind each of whom were influential courtiers (Potyomkin, Bezborodko, Naryshkin, Vorontsovs and Zavadovsky). End of relationship 1789.

20. Miklashevsky. The beginning of the relationship is 1787. The end is 1787. Miklashevsky was a candidate, but he did not become a favorite. According to evidence, during the trip of Catherine II to the Crimea in 1787, some Miklashevsky was among the candidates for favorites. Perhaps it was Miklashevsky, Mikhail Pavlovich (1756-1847), who was part of Potemkin's retinue as an adjutant (the first step towards favor), but it is not clear from what year. In 1798, Mikhail Miklashevsky was appointed Little Russian governor, but was soon dismissed. In the biography, the episode with Catherine is usually not mentioned.

21. Zubov, Platon Alexandrovich (1767-1822) Official favorite. The beginning of relations in 1789, July. He was a protege of Field Marshal Prince N. I. Saltykov, the main educator of Catherine's grandchildren. End of relationship 1796, November 6th. The last favorite of Catherine. Relations were interrupted with her death. 22-year-old at the time of the beginning of relations with the 60-year-old empress. The first official favorite since the time of Potemkin, who was not his adjutant. Behind him were N. I. Saltykov and A. N. Naryshkina, and Perekusikhina also fussed for him. He enjoyed great influence, practically managed to force out Potemkin, who threatened to "come and pull out a tooth." Later participated in the assassination of Emperor Paul. Shortly before his death, he married a young, humble and poor Polish beauty and was terribly jealous of her.

Memory of Catherine II. Monuments dedicated to her.

Much is known, but who were the close friends of the autocrat? There are three court ladies with whom the empress shared her personal experiences: Marya Perekusikhina, Anna Protasova and Anna Naryshkina. She entrusted other favorites - Ekaterina Dashkova and Alexandra Branitskaya - with affairs of state importance. Kultura.RF tells how these ladies managed to win the friendship of Catherine the Great.

Marya Perekusikhina

Maria Perekusikhina. Image: New York Public Library Digital Collection

Marya Savvishna Perekusikhina, or simply Savvishna, as she was often called, was one of the closest friends of the Empress. It is not known for certain how a girl from a poor noble family in the Ryazan province ended up at the royal court. She was simple, poorly educated, did not speak foreign languages, but Catherine valued her primarily for her devotion, sincerity, complaisance and wisdom.

Only Perekusikhina, of all the ladies of the court, had the privilege of entering the empress's room at her first call; in the rank of Chamber Jungfrau, she dressed the Empress, and in subsequent years, becoming a chamber maid of honor, she acted as steward at the completion of her morning toilet and was responsible for preparing for bed. Over time, these rituals became the responsibility of simple ladies-in-waiting, but Perekusikhina never left the post of observer. Catherine II shared with her family and love secrets, listened to her opinion about the nobles of the court, asked for everyday advice.

Perekusikhina was inseparable from Catherine II - not only at court, but also during the empress's travels to cities and distant regions. The favorite had great influence: she could promote promotion, arrange someone's marriage, ask for money from the empress and achieve an audience. At the same time, the courtiers noted that the maid of honor never used her position to the detriment of the state or the patroness.

It was Perekusikhina who first discovered Catherine II when she had a stroke in 1796, and remained with the empress during the last minutes of her life. After the death of the Empress, Paul I removed Perekusikhina from the court and assigned her a generous pension.

Anna Protasova

Dmitry Levitsky. Portrait of Anna Protasova. 1800. State Russian Museum

17-year-old Anna Protasova was enrolled in the court staff thanks to the patronage of her uncle, Grigory Orlov. Catherine II tried for a long time to facilitate the wedding of Protasova and Arkady Morkov, a real privy councilor and diplomat, but the plans of the empress were not destined to be realized. The poor Protasova family could not provide the bride with a dowry, and Anna herself was a real ugly girl. “Mademoiselle Protasova was repulsively ugly, black, bearded and very amused by the majesty of her appearance”, - the Russian art critic Nikolai Wrangel wrote about the maid of honor.

When Protasova became a mature lady and never started a family, Catherine II granted her the title of chamber maid of honor. Her duties included supervising the work and behavior of the ladies-in-waiting and the staff of chamber pages. The luxurious apartments of the ladies-in-waiting were located next to the chambers of the empress, so that Protasova could come at the first call and serve her in the bedroom. She repeatedly accompanied Catherine on her travels: she went with her to Vyshny Volochek, to the Crimea. The privileges that the position gave Protasova consisted of a generous salary and the opportunity to keep the empress company during dinner. Anna Protasova was not the last figure at court: they sought her support, they were afraid of her, they fawned over her.

Protasova remained faithful to Catherine until the end of her life and was next to the Empress in the most difficult moments.

Unlike Marya Perekusikhina, Pavel I treated Anna Protasova favorably: she retained the title of maid of honor and the rooms she occupied. Moreover, he awarded Protasova with the Order of St. Catherine, appointed her a decent pension and granted 100 souls of serfs. And all because Protasova was a relative of the favorite of Paul I - Count Fyodor Rostopchin.

Anna Naryshkina

Johann Heinrich Schmidt. Portrait of Ekaterina Naryshkina. 1785.

Countess Anna Naryshkina (nee Rumyantseva) was not so much a friend as an accomplice of the empress in love affairs. The acquaintance of the countess and the future empress took place in 1749. 19-year-old Anna Rumyantseva married Alexander Naryshkin, chamberlain of the small court of Ekaterina Alekseevna and Pyotr Fedorovich. The ruling Empress Elizaveta Petrovna ordered that Catherine personally help the bride prepare for the wedding - and the women quickly found a common language.

In those years, they had a lot in common: they were young and had a light disposition. Ekaterina Alekseevna, moreover, needed a faithful friend who would organize her meetings with favorites and keep love affairs secret - which Naryshkina coped with brilliantly. The women were also brought together by a common grief: for many years they were childless. “... My condition has changed after 9 years, counting from the day of my wedding, but she is still in the same position, and has been married for 24 years”, - Catherine II recalled in her Notes.

Their friendship became fateful not only for Ekaterina Alekseevna, but for the entire state. The Naryshkins were among the organizers of the palace coup, as a result of which Catherine the Great ascended the throne.

After the death of Catherine, Anna Naryshkina remained at court, and Paul I not only did not deprive the mother's favorite of her privileges, but also appointed her to the position of chamberlain - head of the court ladies' staff.

Ekaterina Dashkova

Dmitry Levitsky. Portrait of Ekaterina Dashkova. 1784. Private collection

The meeting of Countess Ekaterina Vorontsova with the future Catherine II took place in 1758. Vorontsova was introduced to the Grand Duchess as one of the most educated women in Russia. And this was not an exaggeration: she had an excellent education, spoke four languages, understood mathematics, had a talent for dancing and drawing. In her youth, Vorontsova lived with her uncle, Chancellor of the Russian Empire Mikhail Vorontsov, and read almost all of his home library. It turned out that Ekaterina Alekseevna shared the literary tastes of a new acquaintance, which gave rise to their mutual sympathy.

When Peter III took the throne, Ekaterina Dashkova, at that time already the wife of Prince Mikhail Dashkov, joined the organizers of the coup d'etat: she believed that the new sovereign would lead Russia to death with her views and plans. Thanks to the intelligence and prudence of Dashkova, many aristocrats were attracted to the side of Ekaterina Alekseevna: Count Nikita Panin, Count Kirill Razumovsky, Ivan Betsky, Prince Fyodor Baryatinsky and others.

In 1762, after the accession of Catherine, the unanimity between the comrades-in-arms was shaken. The new empress deeply offended Dashkova, not mentioning her merits in organizing the coup. The end of their friendship came when Catherine II found out that Dashkova did not approve of her marriage to Grigory Orlov.

Alexandra Branitskaya

Joseph Maria Grassi. Portrait of Alexandra Branitskaya. 1793. Private collection

Countess Alexandra Branitskaya was the niece of Grigory Potemkin, a favorite of Catherine II. Potemkin introduced an 18-year-old relative to court and secured the rank of maid of honor for her. Branitskaya did not have a good education and outstanding appearance, but she possessed amazing wisdom and had a powerful patron, which more than compensated for her shortcomings.

Branitskaya fell in love with the Empress so much that she made her a chamber maid of honor. She became one of the close associates of the empress and became her confidant, almost a member of the family. The content of Branitskaya was expensive for the state treasury: according to the records in the books of the Court Office, up to 400 rubles a day went to the table of Catherine's favorite. Her rooms were located not far from the chambers of the Empress, she often spent time with her and sometimes accompanied Catherine on her travels.

In 1787, the Empress awarded Branitskaya with the Order of St. Catherine. After the death of Catherine, Branitskaya, like many other persons objectionable to Paul I, was no longer accepted at court - she left for the Bila Tserkva estate and lived there until the end of her life.

Catherine the Great

The empress was very fond of this word. And not only loved, she rightfully deserved it. For "Greatness in everything" is the motto of this extraordinary woman! But we will not touch on her public deeds, this is not our task, although we, of course, know that she is both a great statesman and an excellent politician. We are more interested in the alcove side, especially since it has become overgrown with such myths, such legends, that it is time to separate the “grains and tares”, since there are plenty of fiction and rumors running around the world and memoirs. What kind of slander was erected on our mother, the Empress, taking her excessive sensuality for nymphomania and sexual pathology! Until now, some believe that she really built a company of soldiers and looked for among them men with a particularly large phallus, for which purpose they put on special cases that emphasize the shape and beauty of the reproductive organ. You wandered into the wrong century, dear gossips! This was indeed the case with Europeans of the 14th-16th centuries, when it was fashionable for men to put so-called nets on their bodies, sometimes of unimaginable sizes, because the cult of the phallus flourished. Well, maybe the men of Siberia still put on some kind of little cases there, but it’s not from fashion, only from the desire to protect male nature from the frosty climate.

D. G. Levitsky. Portrait of Catherine II in the form of a legislator in the temple of the Goddess of Justice. 1780

They whisper about some stallions, which, as if by no means for riding, were looked for for the queen. And the well-known English writer and psychologist Dian Ackerman in her new book “A Natural Love Story” authoritatively states that such a fact took place in the life of Catherine the Great and that a special design was attached to the stallion for safety.

All this is wild nonsense, dear reader, there was something, of course, but it never reached such a degree of perversion. Although, of course, we will not argue, under her love joys flourished in full bloom, shone with golden placers for many and many years, entering into amazement all of humanity, because never before has the institution of favorites reached such glory, brilliance, power and greatness!

Empire of favorites! Have you seen this?

And for starters, the pedigree: she was born on April 21, 1729 in the small German principality of Anhalt-Zerbst Princess Sophia Augusta Frederick. Her parents are Prince Anhalt-Zerbst and Princess Goldstein. She arrived in Russia in 1744 during the coronation of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, and in 1745 she married Grand Duke Peter III.

In 1762, after the death of Elizabeth Petrovna and the brief reign of Peter III, she ascended the Russian throne. She died in February 1796 at the age of 67. Reigned for 34 years.

She loved order and moderation in everything, except for love pleasures, there was no measure. And so all her life she followed this “golden mean” of Confucius. Moderation in food, almost asceticism in alcoholic beverages, the maximum number of hours at the desk, at which state affairs are intertwined with literary activity. Connoisseurs did not highly appreciate the literary work of Catherine II, we do not undertake to judge this, we can only say that its genre was quite diverse. Here are the plays: the comedies “Oh, Time”, “Name Day of Mrs. Vorchalkina”, “Deceiver”, and fairy tales for children written for educational purposes for her grandchildren, but intended for wide distribution: “The Tale of Tsarevich Chlor”, “The Tale of Prince Fabia. Even the libretto for the opera was written by the queen, and the most famous is Fedul with Children, the plot of which tells about the ups and downs of poor Fedul, who was left a widower with 15 children. Surprisingly, the opera was staged on the St. Petersburg stage, and the music was written by the court bandmaster V. Pashkevich.

Many believed that Catherine had wonderful talents and a subtle mind. Here is how the French envoy Segur writes about her: “She had great talents and a subtle mind. It combines qualities that are rarely found in one person. Inclined to pleasure and industrious, simple in domestic life and secretive in political affairs. Her ambition is boundless, but she knew how to direct it to prudent goals. Passionate in hobbies, but constant in friendship. Majestic before the people, kind and condescending in society. Her importance was always mixed with good nature, gaiety was decent. The French envoy, Count Segur, states: "She was a majestic monarch and a kind lady."

The appearance of Catherine, at least in her youth and years of maturity, is attractive: "She had an aquiline nose, a lovely mouth, blue eyes, black eyebrows, a pleasant look, a charming smile."

The portrait of Catherine the Great, given by a man in love, is similar to the original, except for ... the eyes. Some believed that Catherine the Great's eyes were gray. Maybe that's why indecisive historians, entangled in conflicting assessments of the color of the Empress' eyes, compromised and wrote: "She has blue eyes with a grayish veil." That is, gray-blue or bluish-gray. Do not be surprised, dear reader, that it is not so easy to determine the color of the eyes of reigning monarchs. Even mere mortals have the ability to change their color depending on the mental state of its owner. Recall that there are still conflicting estimates of Grigory Rasputin's eye color. Green - say some, others - blue, third - gray, fourth - azure, and the fifth declare: "Rasputin's eyes are whitish with such deep sockets that the eyes themselves are not visible."

Let us return, however, to Empress Catherine the Great.

She got up early, although somewhat later than the "early bird" Anna Ioannovna, who was usually on her feet at six o'clock in the morning. Catherine got up at seven - seven thirty in the morning. She worked at her desk until nine o'clock.

At nine in the morning she returned to the bedroom and received reports. When the favorites appear, all the officials leave with a bow. For favorites, the doors of Her Highness are always open. Then the queen goes to a small dressing room, where she is combed by the palace hairdresser Kozlov. Her hair is thick and long and does not at all correspond to the Russian proverb: "the hair is long, the mind is short." When she sits down in front of the toilet, they fall to the ground. The personal apartments of the queen are magnificent and equipped with great taste: “It is impossible to imagine anything more refined and magnificent than the dressing room, bedroom and boudoir of Her Majesty. The dressing room is all furnished with mirrors decorated with golden frames. The bedroom is surrounded by small pillars, covered from top to bottom with massive silver, half silver, half purple. The background of the columns is formed by mirrors and a painted ceiling. All three chambers are luxuriously decorated with bronze and gilded garlands around all columns.

In this little dressing room they finish dressing her. Her costume is simple: a simple Moldavian dress with wide sleeves. There are no jewels on the dress. She wears jewelry and a ribbon with the Order of Catherine only at ceremonial receptions. On parade days, a simple suit will be replaced by a red velvet dress, which Catherine called the “Russian dress”. She generally liked to demonstrate everything Russian, even with some exaggeration. All her servants, unlike other queens, are only Russians. While she is taking her toilet, she is surrounded by four chamber-jungfers. Recall that at that time Elizabeth Petrovna was surrounded by up to forty ladies-in-waiting. All Kammer Jungfers are old maids and, of course, ugly.

Staying in a small closet is a big reception time. And the room itself resembles a reception room. It is packed full of people: here are the grandchildren who came to greet their grandmother, several close friends, the court jester Naryshkin, Matryona Danilovna, who amuses the empress with her jokes, through which the queen learns about St. Petersburg gossip, which she did not shun at all.

Catherine's palaces are magnificent. Here and Zimny, in which her son Pavel especially loved to live later, and Ekateringof, built by Peter I in honor of his wife Catherine, completed by Elizaveta Petrovna, who turned it from a one-story building into a two-story one with twenty rooms on each floor. Preserving the first floor in modesty and asceticism, as Peter loved, she turned the upper floor into luxurious salons with walls upholstered in white velvet with flowers and satin damask. Everywhere, as in a museum, magnificent paintings in heavy gilded frames. This palace was especially close to Elizabeth Petrovna. Here she died.

Catherine the Second preferred to stay in the Hermitage - the Big and the Small. The Hermitage impressed with the hugeness of the halls and galleries, the richness of the furnishings, the many mirrors and paintings by great masters and the magnificent winter garden, where greenery, flowers and birdsong are at any time of the year. Here at the end of the palace was a beautiful theater hall. It is semicircular, without boxes, with benches located in an amphitheatre. Twice a month, solemn performances take place here, at which the presence of the entire diplomatic corps is obligatory. On other days, the number of spectators did not exceed 20 people, and the actors complained that they were playing almost without an audience.

In addition to the Russians, a troupe of French actors was discharged from France, who were constantly at a loss: how can you play in an empty hall? There was an intimate Small Hermitage here, in whose apartments only the closest circle of people was allowed and whose intimacy was kept by a well-trained footman and lady Perekusikhina, but there was an unhealthy rumor about him: they say, unbridled orgies are committed there. So what? Kings and kings also need privacy. Not all live for show! Commercials and under a nervous breakdown you can fall. Louis XV, who had cooled to his Pompadour to the point of purely physical disgust, when the great woman cried from the coldness of the king, who ran away from her bed at night to an uncomfortable couch, supposedly from the heat, also had his own "Deer Park" - a small but superbly furnished building in which young prostitutes grew up for him. True, Louis XIV did not have the Deer Park, but his apartments were always connected by some secret corridors and secret staircases with the chambers of his mistresses. Henry II dug an underground corridor from his palace to the palace of Diana Poitiers for unhindered communication with her.

In a word, there is nothing new in these secret apartments. And there is nothing to be surprised here at one foreign ambassador, who, after the death of Catherine, opened two small rooms in the Winter Palace, located behind the bedroom of the empress: the walls of one of them were hung from top to bottom with very valuable miniatures in gold frames depicting voluptuous scenes. The second room was an exact copy of the first, but only all the miniatures were portraits of men whom the Empress loved and knew.

In 1785, Catherine left the Hermitage and moved to live in the Winter Palace. Her private quarters are on the ground floor and are very small. Climbing up a small staircase, one must enter a room where almost the entire place is occupied by a table for secretaries. Nearby is a lavatory with windows overlooking the Palace Square. Here Catherine makes a toilet. This is a small exit. There are two doors in the dressing room: one leads to the Diamond Hall, the other to Catherine's bedroom. The bedroom communicates in the back with a small dressing room, where everyone is forbidden to enter, and to the left - with the queen's study. It is followed by the Hall of Mirrors and other reception rooms of the palace.

From here, the queen goes to the church for worship. On certain days, all foreign ambassadors had to take part in this. By the way, about the ambassadors. Foreign ambassadors have long existed in Russia. But in the beginning they were isolated and their deeds were random. But already under Ivan the Terrible in Russia there was a permanent ambassador of the Queen of England, and under Peter I the institution of ambassadors increased. They represented strong powers seeking friendship with Russia. There were embassies of Denmark, Holland, Austria, Saxony, Brandenburg, Sweden, England and France in St. Petersburg.

The English ambassador Cox describes the visit of Empress Catherine to the Great Church in 1778 as follows: “After mass, a long line of courtiers of both sexes stretched out, the Empress walked alone, moving forward with a quiet and solemn step, with her head proudly raised and incessantly bowing to both sides. At the entrance, she stopped for a few seconds and spoke affably to the foreign ambassadors who kissed her hand. The empress was dressed in a Russian attire: a light green silk dress with a short train and a corsage of golden brocade with long sleeves. She seemed heavily rumpled. Her hair was combed low and lightly powdered. The headdress is all studded with diamonds. Her person is very majestic, although her height is below average, her face is full of dignity and is especially attractive when she speaks.

The empress allowed herself to rest only in the evening and after dinner. After dinner, she embroidered while her secretary, Betsky, read aloud to her. In the evening - theater, balls and masquerades, as well as a card game, before which there was a great hunter and which her son Paul subsequently banned, and the merry court of the queen became as boring as Versailles during the reign of Louis XIV's secret wife, Madame Montenon.

This hypocrite, the daughter of a counterfeiter, born in prison, raising the illegitimate children of the king, whom he hated at first, crept into his confidence so much that she claimed to openly proclaim herself queen of France. But how bored this "cold snake" was! There are such people, Catherine's son Paul belongs to them, who have the ability to extinguish the spark of God in everything. Catherine, filled with life and fun, on the contrary, inflated her. Her balls and masquerades are very interesting and devoid of prim court etiquette. Citizens were even allowed not to get up in her presence. Thanks to such immediacy, the atmosphere at her balls became relaxed, the fun was natural. Masquerades received a lot of attention. If Catherine the Great adopted anything from her aunt Elizabeth Petrovna, it was a passion for masquerades. At that they took place regularly, twice a week, with great fanfare and a huge number of guests. There were up to 1000-1500 people invited. It was considered a great honor to receive an invitation ticket to the masquerades of Elizabeth Petrovna, which took place in the palace, located on the corner of the Moika and Nevsky Prospekt. All the front chambers leading to the great hall opened up there. All wooden decorations and carvings were painted green, and the wallpaper panels were gilded. On one side were 12 large windows and as many mirrors, the largest you could possibly have. The hall, by its immensity, made a colossal impression. Countless masks in the richest costumes moved along it. All the chambers were richly lit, with ten thousand candles. There were several rooms for dancing, for playing cards. In one of the rooms, the empress played “pharaoh” or “picket”, and at ten o’clock in the evening she left and appeared in a fancy dress, remaining in it until 5–6 o’clock in the morning. Catherine the Great limited the number of masquerades, they took place once a week, and their duration was only until two in the morning. As for costumes, Elizabeth, who has unusually slender legs, invariably appeared in men's attire, each time in a different one: once she was a page, another time - a French musketeer, and then a Ukrainian hetman. Catherine, who did not have the graceful legs of Elizaveta Petrovna, wore a man's outfit not for masquerades, but out of necessity, for fishing or horse riding, and at masquerades she appeared in women's dresses, but so filthy and poor that she always succeeded in the desired incognito, and courtiers brought to curious cases.

A certain courtier wrote in his diary: “A female mask approaches, dressed very simply and not very neatly, and puts a silver ruble at stake. The banker objected dryly: “You can’t bet less than a gold piece.” The mask, without saying a word, pointed to the image of the empress on the ruble. “All respect is due to her,” Freigold said, kissing the portrait, “but this is not enough for the bet.” The mask suddenly shouted: "All in." The banker got angry, threw a deck of cards at her, which he held in his hands, and, giving another ruble, said with annoyance: “It’s better to buy yourself new gloves instead of these, full of holes.” The mask laughed and walked away. The next day, Freigold found out that it was Catherine. “Your lame major is good,” she said to one of the courtiers. “Almost beat me up.”

There can be no doubt about the impunity of such an act. Catherine had an excellent sense of humor. The old General Sh. once introduced himself to Catherine. “I still did not know you,” said the Empress. The bewildered general answered not entirely successfully: “Yes, and I, mother empress, did not know you until now.” “I believe,” Catherine objected with a smile. - Where to know me, poor widow!

The widow, of course, will remain for the entire thirty-four years of her reign, but by no means poor, and most importantly, not alone. The rude word "lover" is not very suitable for those men whom Catherine allowed herself. She adored her favorites, who were enough for three decades of reign, from 12 to 26 pieces, but qualitatively their significance is much higher than, say, that of her predecessor, Elizabeth Petrovna. Under Elizabeth, they served exclusively for love pleasures; under Catherine, they served not only her, but also the state. Catherine's favorite is always rich, noble, deified. He is charged with the obligation to have personal dignity.

And if some “little gray bird” on which the attention of the empress fell, well, simply does not possess them, he should have instantly acquired them: fall in love with literature, learn a foreign language, play a musical instrument himself and adore music, as well as know palace etiquette and be able to express yourself gracefully. “We all learned a little, something and somehow” - these words of Pushkin are the most suitable for Catherine's favorites. She skillfully created “magnificent”, “great” and even “brilliant” personalities from modest possibilities, with whom it is not a sin to surround the empress.

However, Catherine bowed before true genius and talent without undue praise and honored without idle colorful words, for she knew how to distinguish gold from glass. Such a favorite, after the loss of her love for him, became for life her sincere friend, friend, adviser in all matters, from love to government, became her first assistant. This is what happened to Prince Potemkin.

Everyone praises Catherine's favorite to the skies, of course, more from a desire to please the queen than from a sincere feeling. He gets a big position, and if he is also vain, then he will be allowed to run the state a little. But only a little! Catherine did not want to share power with anyone. This is not Anna of Austria, who, having fallen madly in love with Cardinal Mazarin and secretly married him, became almost his slave, not having her own voice. Business is time, and fun is an hour, as they say. And Catherine distinguished fun from business very significantly. “I rule the state, and you do what I consider it possible for you to give or take” - as if offered to her favorites. But it is impossible to say for one hundred percent that the queen mother was always free in her feelings. There were times when her public affairs suffered greatly from her mood.

In 1772, Catherine II did not read anything for more than four months and hardly touched the papers, as she was busy with the affairs of the Orlov family.

“I received great sensuality from nature,” Catherine writes in her notes. Of course it is. Only in scientific medical terminology is it called either sexual hysteria or nymphomania. “Ekaterina was never a nymphomaniac,” says researcher-historian K. Valishevsky. Practice says something completely different. No matter how we call Catherine's immoderate sensuality, there is only one conclusion - she is exaggerated, which means it is not normal from the point of view of an ordinary person. To give one's sensuality such gigantic proportions, to nurture it with such cynicism, shamelessness, in the complete absence of elementary female modesty, which is already in the very nature of a woman, is this not a pathology?

To trample on one's sex, one's great rank, one's mind, one's genius, and, finally, a lofty mission, satisfying bestial instincts - is this not a crime against humanity? - say too jealous moralizers. In the learned Forel, we read about the pathological phenomenon of satyriasis in men and nymphomania in women, when they are in the grip of the so-called lust and when they are unable and unable to do anything else but satisfy their sizzling physical passion. Was it the same with Catherine? Yes, in the last years of her life, during the period of aging, one could detect these traits of immoderation in her, when base orgies were organized in the secret room of the Hermitage, but basically her love ardor, outwardly at least, was quite decent.

Yes, the state treasury suffered greatly from the appetite of the favorites. And who will calculate the moral damage? After all, moral principles were overthrown. Many dignitaries of that time pointed to the negative phenomenon of "favoritism". So, in a letter to a friend, Prince Shcherbatov openly denounced this shameful phenomenon in Russian life, because the royal court, which legally cultivated adultery, contributed to the decline in morals in Russian society, since society took an example from the court.

Catherine not only did not hide her relationship with her lovers, but clearly preached them, raised them to a pedestal, made them a kind of cult. Otherwise, why would she decorate all the walls of a small boudoir with magnificent miniature portraits depicting her long-term and short-term lovers, as a museum rarity, for everyone to see. Her cynicism in the matter of morality and morality knows no equal, and this despite the sanctimonious appearance of a champion of moral standards. Let us recall how sharply she spoke out against the free morals of French actresses, or with what passion she fought against the traditional washing of women and men in the same bath.

The appointment of a favorite was made very quickly, although not without a certain ceremony. All young officers who really had or believed that they had a beautiful figure, and in particular, excuse us for obscene frankness, impressing the phallus, which was not difficult to detect with the then fashion for tight white trousers, could count on special service in the queen's palace apartments. She loved to pass into private rooms among two rows of handsome young men lined up, proudly displaying their charms. The courtiers laughed: "The palace apartments were a place where the lower part of the body was especially valued." Many families based their hopes on some young relative who fell into the retinue of the empress, if, in their opinion, his constitution deserved the attention of the queen's watchful eye.

At the evening reception, the courtiers suddenly noticed that the empress was staring at some lieutenant. The next day, he was expected to be promoted - he was appointed adjutant wing of the queen. The position of the adjutant wing is the road to the alcove of Catherine II. In the afternoon, a young man was summoned to the palace with a short note. He is undergoing a medical examination by the life physician of the Empress, the Englishman Rogerson - a precaution far from superfluous in caring for the health of the Empress.

After all, Catherine in no case could make the mistakes of her predecessors - Ivan the Terrible and Peter I, who, without special precautions, gave themselves up to love pleasures, not thinking about its consequences. Historians and chroniclers, in order not to belittle the greatness of the genius, bashfully kept silent about the venereal disease of Peter I. Only two dared to break this taboo: the emigrant Stepanov in 1903 and the modern writer Valentin Lavrov. The latter not only mentions this incident, but also goes into details: with whom and when.

And other historical examples in this regard are far from comforting. The royal courts of the advanced countries of Europe were infected with venereal diseases. Peyron, the surgeon of King Louis XV, treated the ladies of the court for syphilis.

Louis XIV was ill with syphilis and was cured with difficulty in his early youth. And the court physician did not treat him with anything for seven whole months: he washed the organ with formic alcohol, forced him to drink bull's blood and some mysterious elixirs, the recipe of which was kept in great secret. Barely cured, because then there was no saving penicillin.

The doctor of Henry VII treated him for syphilis for a very long time with a medicine based on mercury, the composition of which was kept in deep secrecy.

The great Frederick II, who was not specifically a Don Juan, managed to get a severe form of syphilis from a prostitute and remained barren for the rest of his life.

Cardinal Dubois surgeons were forced to remove the genitals altogether, because untreated, chronic syphilis gave a dangerous ulcer on the bladder. The courtiers maliciously sneered: "A great man will go to the next world without his manhood."

Queen Elizabeth fled Vienna because her husband infected her with gonorrhea. The incorrigible Don Juan, the French king Henry IV, suffered from this disease an infinite number of times, in whose democratic alcove a variety of ladies visited: aristocrats, courtesans, actresses and many peasant girls, in total, as not entirely objective chroniclers say, up to eleven thousand, for this overly sensual the king had a weakness for the female sex in all its diversity: from secular ladies and prostitutes to nuns, inclusive. And he especially loved these “black” pious quiet women who served God: they brought the necessary pepper to his sexual intercourse. Well, I received an “award” from such a nun Katerina Verdun - severe syphilis. Forcefully healed.

The father of Catherine de Medici was ill with a severe form of syphilis, who adopted this heredity not in its direct form, but in frail offspring, including Queen Margot and the son of Charles IX. Venereal disease at court is the scourge of the Renaissance, no wonder King Francis I was so mortally afraid of contracting it that, being very eager for love pleasures, he forced his mistresses, regardless of their social status, even famous secular ladies, before going to bed in his bed , to undergo the humiliating procedure of a gynecological examination by a court physician. Some husbands were afraid of venereal diseases like fire, which their wives could pick up in the bed of the king.

So, after a medical examination, Catherine's favorite is entrusted to the care of Countess Bruce, whose task was to take care of the appropriate wardrobe of the chosen one. He passes the next stage of testing at the alcove lady, Mrs. Protasova, and then, checked, washed, dressed in the thinnest shirts and hastily trained in palace etiquette, he is taken to the prepared apartments. He is expected here by comfort, unprecedented luxury, servants. Opening his desk drawer, he discovers 100,000 rubles (a fixed rate for sexual favors to newly minted favorites) in it.

Then he is solemnly escorted into the bedroom of the Empress. In the evening, cheerful and contented, the empress appears before the assembled court, leaning on the hand of her favorite. By her mood, the courtiers will know if he is left in his position. If not, they will let him go with God, and even the award of 100,000 rubles will not be taken away. We remind dear readers that with this money he could buy three thousand serf girls.

But the favorite is confirmed. Exactly at ten o'clock in the evening, having finished playing cards, the empress retires to her bedchamber, where the favorite slips after her with a nimble mouse. From now on, his future depends only on himself. If the empress is satisfied with his services, he will remain in his “golden cage” for as long as the empress wishes, unless, of course, unforeseen circumstances occur for his somewhat hasty resignation, which happened to the empress more than once.

From the moment he is approved for the position of favorite, he will accompany the queen everywhere, in all her trips and exits. When leaving, his apartments will be located next to the apartments of the queen, and the beds will be masked by a huge mirror, which can move aside with the help of a special spring - and now the double marital bed is ready.

The position of the favorite is very well paid. Much more than all other positions. Unheard-of wealth and royal honors await the lover, and if he is ambitious, then glory. From now on, he does not have to worry about his future. If, after some time, he is shown the door, he will not leave empty-handed. He will take with him the granted estates, palaces, furniture, utensils, how many thousands of souls of peasants there, he will be allowed to marry, go abroad, in a word, he will be happy for the rest of his life. It is estimated that Catherine the Great distributed 800,000 acres of land, along with the peasants inhabiting them, and 90 million in money to her favorites. The position of favorite thus became an official state institution. What the first Russian tsarinas timidly began, what Elizabeth Petrovna had already introduced with some courage, was ingeniously improved, exalted, introduced to the rank of honorary titles by Catherine II. With what disarming simplicity and naturalness she accepts the services of a favorite, without making any secret of this, even before her grandchildren. In the evening, a friendly family gathers in her apartment: son Pavel with his wife and children and a favorite. They drink tea, joke, talk about family affairs, then the family delicately says goodbye, the grandchildren kiss their grandmother's hand, she kisses them on the cheek, and leaves, leaving the favorite alone with the queen.

Everything is decent, as in a respectable family. No one ever expressed any censure at court on this occasion. Only foreigners were indignant, believing that Catherine was compromising both her deeds and her great name. She herself sincerely did not see anything discrediting her in this.

Well, what is it about this that Catherine raised the bed to the highest pedestal, created a cult of sensual love? She was not only sensual by nature, but also an educated woman, well-read, besides German, where the cult of the bed had its own historical traditions. “You get into bed and you get your rights,” says an old German proverb. And sexual insatiability was one of the features of this era, serving three cults: food, drink and sexual pleasures. And if Catherine was extremely moderate in food and drink, then she gave herself to love with all the passion she was capable of.

The Empress guards her favorites and is jealous. Usually they are not allowed to leave the palace without her knowledge. There were exceptions, of course. Such an exception was Grigory Orlov, who openly cheated on the queen with his numerous mistresses and often left her for whole weeks. Such an exception was Prince Potemkin, the only one who retained his independence and, having ceased to be Catherine's lover, became her friend, adviser, an absolutely necessary and valuable person. But other favorites were forced to reckon with their dependent position and not to forget that they are supposed to be unobtrusive and inoffensive. So, Mamonov only once received permission to go himself to the house of the ambassador Count Segur, but the empress was so worried and jealous of her lover that her carriage flashed back and forth in front of the windows of the embassy, ​​to the great bewilderment of the astonished guests.

It would be best for Catherine if the favorite absolutely merged with her "I". Observed the same interests, tastes and desires.

That is why she was so willing to educate them. And when in other royal courts of Europe they began to whisper about the immorality of Catherine the Great, Masson declared: "Her manners were refined and dissolute, but she always retained some outward decency."

What about other monarchs? At the Viennese court, the favorite is a common thing: he played the role of a servant, lover and friend. The mistress maintains him and pays him a salary. He is always with her, during the toilet he replaces the maid, at dinner - a friend, on a walk - a companion, in bed - her husband. Blaming Catherine the Great, we forget that long before her, European queens introduced the position of favorite. Neither Elizabeth of England, nor Mary of Scotland, nor Christina of Sweden made secrets from their relationship with favorites.

From time immemorial, the mistress of the king was higher than the legitimate spouse. Madame Montespan, mistress of King Louis XIV, had twenty rooms in Versailles on the first floor, and the queen only eleven, and then on the second floor. In front of the palace of the favorite of the Prussian king Frederick II, ballerina Barbarini, there was a guard of honor, there were maids of honor at her service, as to the persons of the King, and the honors accorded to her were truly royal. Exorbitant signs of attention turned out to the Marquise Pompadour, the mistress of King Louis XV, and neither King Frederick II, nor Queen Maria Theresa, nor our Catherine the Great considered it shameful for themselves to correspond with her.

Henry IV had a Gabrielle who felt so queen that only her death prevented this official appointment. Henry II appears as a submissive slave before the all-powerful Diana Poitier, about whom his wife Catherine de Medici said: "This whore rules the state."

Are we accusing Catherine the Great of indefatigable sensuality? But how many erotomaniac kings reigned in Europe, giving an example "worthy of imitation" to their subjects? With Louis XIV, the parade of favorites begins. Under Friedrich Wilhelm II, the entire court was one great brothel. Everyone vied with each other to offer both their wives and daughters to the bed of the king, and this was considered the highest favor on his part. The favorite "dish" of Louis XV were girls, who were not difficult to seduce just because for his pleasures the girls were fattened like geese for slaughter.

In general, the whole life of this king is a continuous chain of immorality and obscenity. It is difficult to instill morality in subjects. They tried with might and main, wanting to outdo each other in perversion and sadism. Count Haufeld indulged in debauchery openly, in front of everyone, most unceremoniously in front of his own wife. In her presence, he caressed the women who were staying in the castle, forced his wife to be a witness to his nightly adventures. Husbands needed to test their sexual sadism on the patience of their wives. When the wife of Count Haufeld gave birth to a dead child and her life was in danger, her husband did not find anything better to console her than to copulate with her best friend Countess Nesselrode right there, in front of her eyes.

He forced his wife to submit to all his lustful desires, all the disgusting depraved tricks he had learned from prostitutes, and to top it all, he infected her with a venereal disease.

Watteau. French theatre.

In France, a certain nobleman, Becker, maintained relations for seven years with children of school age from eight years old. The judicial authorities became interested in him when a pregnant thirteen-year-old girl indicated the name of her father. In prestigious brothels, customers, as a special dessert - quite expensive, however - demanded children.

It is known that Ivan the Terrible was madly in love with his first wife Anastasia. How many times did he cheat on her? The chroniclers found out that after her burial, in the deepest grief, already on the eighth day after her death, he indulged in unbridled debauchery.

And so for centuries. Here is the report of the Board of Trustees of the Committee of the St. Petersburg House of Mercy for 1908: "A twelve-year-old prostitute specialized in the unnatural satisfaction of the lust of erotomaniacs." By unnatural meant oral contact. In less than ninety years, in the most backward state in sexual development, which was considered the socialist USSR, where the sexual problem was forbidden, now there is a program on television about the merits of oral sex as the highest degree of sexual pleasure. The program is called "About It" and is presented in such a way that people who have traditional sex should feel inferior.

Sexologist Ellis Gevlock, who studies the sexual question in society, writes: “The libertine will inevitably face a complete moral decline, he reaches the very latest sexual perversions in his striving.”

But, actually, what is "sexual perversion"? Who determines the criteria for what is permitted and what is not permitted? And here we, dear reader, are completely at a loss: it turns out that there is no such criterion. "One likes watermelon, the other pork cartilage." That which among the Europeans was reputed to be refined debauchery, among primitive tribes, by virtue of their animal instinct, is considered the most natural and most natural. The theory of relativity makes itself felt here too.

So, in Australia, young boys and barely formed girls back in the 19th century, starting at the age of ten, cohabited quite freely. The very act of sexual intimacy is not given any bad meaning. Often, parents copulated with children, and the girls were obliged to spend the night with guests accepted by the tribe.

The northern peoples still have a custom, as a sign of special favor to the guest, to give him his wife for the night. Almost from childhood, Polynesian girls behave, according to European concepts, with unbridled debauchery: they are constantly given or sold with the consent of their parents. And when the sailor Cook, glorified by Vysotsky, eaten by the natives, arrived on one of the African islands, he was struck by the sight of local men vying with each other offering their wives, sisters and daughters to the sailors. While Europeans severely punish the newlywed if she turned out to be a non-virgin.

In a word, everything is relative! And give us free rein, we would give this Einstein not one, but a thousand Nobel awards only for one brilliant statement that EVERYTHING IN THE WORLD IS RELATIVE.

Thus, we will not be too strict with Catherine the Great, but we will try, without emotions, to calmly deal with her lovers.

The most difficult and burdensome for Catherine II was her favorite Grigory Orlov. He was the second son of the remaining five (four sons died at an early age). His father, also Grigory, married at the age of 53 a sixteen-year-old girl, Zinovieva. All the sons lived in complete harmony and loved each other. With Grigory Orlov, the queen, then still the former Grand Duchess, was brought together by chance. And it was like this: after one unpleasant scene with her husband Peter III, with whom, as we already know, Catherine lived worse than ever, she opens the window to cool off at least a little from the quarrel and breathe fresh air. And then her eyes fall on Grigory Orlov. And this moment decided everything: the return look of a handsome young man pierced her like an electric current. The historian tells about this event as follows: “The mere thought of it filled in her heart that void that had formed as a result of the departure of Count Poniatowski from St. Petersburg. Grigory Orlov very soon and not without pleasure noticed what a strong impression he made on the young princess. Thus, an intrigue was born between Ekaterina and Orlov, which proceeded in the usual way. Night darkness covered the forbidden meetings in Gregory's rooms.

In a word, a holy place is never empty. Poniatowski drove off, Orlov appeared. We just don’t understand in any way, in which rooms of Grigory Orlov intimate dates took place? He then lived in an apartment on the corner of Nevsky and Moika. It was difficult for the princess to visit there under the watchful eye of Elizabeth Petrovna. In the palace, too, it doesn’t hurt to scatter with love, around your eyes and ears. But one way or another, Catherine and Grigory Orlov nevertheless found secluded places for love pleasures, and successfully, if she became pregnant from him soon. And since there had been no bodily contacts with her legal husband for a long time, the pregnancy had to be hidden, since the dresses were then worn wide. But God saves the safe. Ekaterina, in order to hide her pregnancy from Aunt Elizabeth, sat all the time, explaining this with a leg disease. For several months, the leg continued to hurt, until the time for childbirth came. And it was in 1762, already in the reign of Peter III, who to deceive - just spit.

And Catherine the Great will give birth many more times, without breaking the record for illegitimate children of Elizaveta Petrovna.

In general, Catherine the Great, who gave birth to about nine illegitimate children, including those who died immediately at birth, gave the next child either to Mrs. Protasova, her trusted maid, or to Mrs. Perekusikhina, her lady's alcove, or to her trusted stoker Shkurin. That big maneuvers had to be carried out so that the queen could give birth safely. Later, when Peter III, her husband, forcibly passed away, the queen could not be embarrassed to walk with a swollen tummy, but the fruits of love joys often appeared even in the presence of her husband. Then this very Shkurin came up with such a maneuver: as soon as the queen felt labor pains, Shkurin's house was on fire. Peter III - we know, we know such a passion of the kings, Ivan the Terrible was seized by it, and Peter I - retired to put out the fire. The owner set fire to the house. And while Peter III extinguished the fire, the queen was safely relieved of the burden.

Mother Catherine the Great always followed both the upbringing and the further fate of her children. Each of them received an estate, money in the bank, education and ... a surname. Well, of course, not royal, really. But quite worthy. Surnames arose either from the name of the estate, as was the case with the son of Catherine and Grigory Orlov - Bobrinsky. He - received a surname from the Bobrino estate donated to him, and one million money was put in a bank in his name. Parents will not be so generous to other children. This Bobrinsky spoiled a lot of blood for the Empress. This son turned out to be an ungrateful scoundrel. Sent abroad, he boasted to foreigners of his illegally high origin, compromising the great queen, losing huge sums in cards, forcing his mother to pay. In general, a worthless son was born, although he was kept almost in a golden carriage, his father and mother secretly, in a closed carriage, often visited Shkurin. He did not take anything from his great mother, but from his father he had an immoderate rage and a quick-tempered temper. He was sent to Revel, to vegetate in the provinces, but the legitimate son of the tsarina, Pavel, who did everything in spite of his mother, avenging his infringed youth, caressed Bobrinsky, called him to the court, elevated him to the counts, and even “for no reason at all” awarded him the Order of the Holy Anna.

The second son was tutored by Ribas, a scientist husband. The child was sent to the cadet corps and his royal origin was not advertised on purpose. But it was an open secret: everyone knew where he came from, and they gave him much more attention than the rest of the children in this very cadet corps.

The next son - Galaktion - remained in the palace for a long time, and he was often seen running around the rooms of the queen's apartments. Then, when he grew up, he was made an officer and sent to England for an education. But Galaktion did not want to be educated, but began, like his older brother, to drink and walk, and died at a young age. The fourth son - Ospin, modest and quiet, who, as we have already told you, received his last name for the smallpox serum given to Pavel, was a page, but also died early.

All the sons of the queen and Orlov were losers and worthless. But daughter Natalya was a success. Natalya Alekseevna Alekseeva, she bore such a surname, like Natasha Rostova, had no conceited claims, was a beautiful blonde, a good mother and wife of a Russian general. She believed that her life, although modest, quiet, was very calm and happy, which, in fact, is what a person needs.

One daughter, they said, was from Potemkin, and was brought up by him, imitating his sixth niece.

Among historians, dear reader, there was a rumor that Catherine II also had a son from his brother Grigory Orlov, Alexei. But there is no exact data on this topic, so, some vague assumptions. Actually, in the variety of illegitimate children of Catherine, this does not matter much: one more, one less, what a difference! They will educate everyone, they will bring them out to the people, they will give estates and a surname.

Grigory Orlov, fast for love pleasures, will become the father of several more children from the Empress's ladies-in-waiting. Two of his illegitimate daughters from maids of honor are known, about whom the father did not care at all, so one of them, outraged by such an attitude of her father towards her person, decided to seek justice from the empress herself. Somehow she ambushed her in the garden and threw herself at her feet, complaining about her father, from whom she did not know any kindness in infancy, and when she became a girl, she did not receive a dowry and in general almost dies of hunger. Catherine the Great, in accordance with her good nature, of course, provided this girl, adopted by Orlov with her maid of honor, with a dowry, but, frightened by such scenes (that is, all the illegitimate children of her favorites will begin to watch for her in the garden and demand a dowry), she forbade strangers to enter the park, when she walks her dogs there. So it was lucky for our Masha Mironova that, before this order, she ambushed the queen in the park, if this happened a little later, her beloved Grinev would rot in prison dungeons.

And Grigory Orlov was directly insolent in his love affairs, he did not even give married women rest, always getting into incidental stories. So, once Senator Muromtsev found his wife in bed with Grigory Orlov and made a loud noise, demanding a divorce. Catherine again had to intervene in the matter and shut her horned husband's mouth, giving him a beautiful estate in Livonia.

From the book From Rurik to Paul I. History of Russia in questions and answers author Vyazemsky Yuri Pavlovich

Chapter 9. Catherine the Great Catherine the Great (reigning years - 1762–1796) Husband's wife Question 9.1 At the beginning of 1762, the Prussian King Frederick the Great, sobbing with happiness, dictated to his secretary: “My head is so weak that I can only say one thing: the Tsar of Russia - divine

From the book A complete course of Russian history: in one book [in a modern presentation] author Klyuchevsky Vasily Osipovich

Catherine the Great (1729-1796) So the Empress Catherine the Great ascended the throne - the German princess Sophia-Augusta from the Zerbstdoornburg line of the Anhalt house. curious in many

From the book Another History of the Russian Empire. From Peter to Paul [= The Forgotten History of the Russian Empire. From Peter I to Paul I] author Kesler Yaroslav Arkadievich

Catherine the Great Humiliated Sweden and destroyed Poland, these are Catherine's great rights to the gratitude of the Russian people. But over time, history will appreciate the influence of her reign on morals, will reveal the cruel activity of her despotism under the guise of meekness and tolerance,

From the book Unknown Russia. A story that will surprise you the author Uskov Nikolai

Catherine the Great: The First Russian Revolution Catherine the Great ruled the Russian Empire for the longest time - 34 years, although she had no rights to the throne. Contemporaries called the events of 1762 a "revolution", as, for example, a participant in the conspiracy and a friend of Catherine writes about them,

From the book 100 famous women author

CATHERINE II THE GREAT (born in 1729 - died in 1796) Empress of Russia from 1762 to 1796. She came to power as a result of a coup d'etat organized by her. She pursued a policy of enlightened absolutism. She left a great literary legacy, consisting of

Khoroshevsky Andrey Yurievich

Catherine II the Great (Born in 1729 - died in 1796) Empress of Russia from 1762 to 1796, who came to power as a result of a coup d'etat organized by her. She pursued a policy of enlightened absolutism. According to the famous Russian historian N. M. Karamzin,

From the book Satirical History from Rurik to the Revolution author Orsher Iosif Lvovich

Catherine the Great At Catherine's court, a person began with an eagle. Every general, every courtier was an eagle. So they went down in history under the collective pseudonym "Ekaterininsky Eagles." The main eagle was short-sighted and became famous for the fact that he constantly bit his nails. They called him the prince

From the book The Battle for Syria. From Babylon to ISIS author Shirokorad Alexander Borisovich

From the book Great People Who Changed the World author Grigorova Darina

Catherine the Great - the real Empress Catherine II entered the history of Russia as an empress-enlightener. She is considered the successor of the cause of Peter the Great. The story of her accession is melodramatic, and only the lazy one does not know the details of her love relationships.

From the book State and Spiritual Leaders author Artemov Vladislav Vladimirovich

Catherine II the Great (1729-1796) Catherine II - the Russian Empress, nicknamed the Great, ruled the country for more than 30 years. Sophia Frederica Augusta, who became the Russian Empress Catherine II, was born on May 1, 1729 in Stetin, one of the tiny German principalities. She got

From the book Women who changed the world author Sklyarenko Valentina Markovna

Catherine II the Great (born in 1729 - died in 1796) Empress of Russia from 1 to 1796. Came to power as a result of a coup d'etat organized by her. She pursued a policy of enlightened absolutism. She left a great literary legacy, consisting of

From the book 50 heroes of history the author Kuchin Vladimir

From the book Rus' and its autocrats author Anishkin Valery Georgievich

CATHERINE II ALEXEEVNA THE GREAT (b. 1729 - d. 1796) Empress of Russia (1762–1796). Before baptism - Sophia-Augusta-Frederick, princess of the seedy German principality of Anhalt-Zerbsky, wife of Peter III, Prince of Holstein Karl-Ulrich. Sophia-Frederick grew up in a poor family and

From the book Russian Royal and Imperial House author Butromeev Vladimir Vladimirovich

Catherine II Alekseevna Great Catherine was born on April 21, 1729 in Stettin. Her mother was a cousin of the father of Peter III, and her mother's brother was the fiancé of Elizabeth Petrovna, but died before the marriage. Catherine's father, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst, was Prussian

The intimate life of Catherine the Great has long been the subject of discussion and controversy. This section lists officially confirmed and alleged men, some of whom had the official status of a favorite, while others were considered only lovers (which, however, did not prevent them from receiving generous gifts and titles from the empress).

Confirmed and official relationship

1. Romanov Peter III Fedorovich

Status: husband
Relationship start: official wedding on September 1, 1745
End of a relationship: died under unexplained circumstances 9 July 1762
Add. information: the children of Peter III - Pavel and Anna, were presumably the children of two lovers of Catherine II. Pavel Petrovich, according to the most popular theory, is the son of Sergei Saltykov, Anna Petrovna is the daughter of Stanislav Poniatovsky, who later became the Polish king. The empress accused her husband of not having a normal intimate life and justified her novels by his lack of interest in her person.

1. Saltykov Sergey Vasilievich

Status: Lover
Relationship start: spring 1752
End of a relationship: October 1754 - already a few months before the birth of Paul I, he was no longer allowed to see the Empress, after his birth he was sent as an ambassador to Sweden.
Add. information: according to one version, he is the real father of Paul I. He was recommended to Catherine II by Bestuzhev, during the period of final disappointment by Empress Elizabeth in Peter III.

1. Stanislav August Poniatowski

Status: Lover
Relationship start: 1756, arrived in Russia as part of the retinue of the English ambassador
End of a relationship: when in 1758 Bestuzhev, as a result of an unsuccessful intrigue, fell into disgrace - Poniatowski was forced to leave the Russian Empire
Add. information: the probable father of Anna Petrovna, which was indirectly confirmed by Peter III himself. Subsequently, thanks to the patronage of Catherine the Great, he became the Polish king and contributed to the division of the Commonwealth.

1. Orlov Grigory Grigorievich

Status: Lover before 1762, 1762-1772 - official favorite
Relationship start: 1760
End of a relationship: in 1772 he went to negotiate with the Ottoman Empire, during this period Catherine II lost interest in relations and drew attention to Alexander Vasilchakov.
Add. information: one of the longest novels of the Empress. In 1762, Catherine the Great even planned a wedding with Orlov, but the environment considered such an undertaking too adventurous and was able to dissuade her. From Orlov, the Empress in 1762 gave birth to an illegitimate son - Alexei Grigorievich Bobrinsky. He took a direct part in the coup of 1762. One of the most intimate people of the Empress.

1. Vasilchakov Alexander Semyonovich

Status: official favorite
Relationship start: in 1772 attracted the attention of Catherine II, while Count Orlov was away.
End of a relationship: after the start of relations between the Empress and Potemkin in 1774, he was sent to Moscow.
Add. information: was 17 years younger than Catherine, could not be a serious opponent to Potemkin in the struggle for attention.

1. Potemkin-Tavrichesky Grigory Alexandrovich

Status: official favorite
Relationship start: in 1774.
End of a relationship: during his vacation in 1776, the empress turned her attention to Zavadovsky.
Add. information: one of the most prominent figures in the intimate life of Catherine II was secretly married to her since 1775. An outstanding commander and statesman, having influence on her even after the end of intimacy. Presumably, his daughter, Tyomkina Elizaveta Grigorievna, was born to Catherine.

1. Zavadovsky Petr Vasilievich

Status: official favorite
Relationship start: in 1776.
End of a relationship: in May 1777 he was dismissed by the intrigues of Potemkin and sent on vacation.
Add. information: a capable administrative figure who loved the empress too much. Only Zavadovsky was allowed by Catherine to continue his political career after the end of the relationship.

1. Zorich Semyon Gavrilovich

Status: official favorite
Relationship start: in 1777 he appeared as an adjutant to Potemkin, and then became the commander of the personal guard of the Empress.
End of a relationship: sent from St. Petersburg in 1778 after a quarrel with Potemkin
Add. information: a hussar who has no education, but enjoys the attention of Catherine, who was 14 years older than him.

1. Rimsky-Korsakov Ivan Nikolaevich

Status: official favorite
Relationship start: in 1778 he was selected by Potemkin, who was looking for a more accommodating and less gifted favorite to replace Zorich.
End of a relationship: in 1779 he was caught by the empress in a relationship with the Countess Bruce and lost favor.
Add. information: was 25 years younger than Catherine. After the countess, Bruce became interested in Stroganova and was sent from St. Petersburg to Moscow.

1. Lanskoy Alexander Dmitrievich

Status: official favorite
Relationship start: in the spring of 1780 attracted attention on the recommendation of Potemkin.
End of a relationship: in 1784 he died of a fever. Different versions suggest poisoning or abuse of an aphrodisiac.
Add. information: did not interfere in political intrigues, preferring to devote time to the study of languages ​​​​and philosophy. A close intimate relationship with the Empress is confirmed by descriptions of her "broken feelings" in connection with the death of Lansky.

The lovers of Catherine II went down in history, in literary works, became the heroes of films, performances, serials, as well as tales and anecdotes (sometimes obscene). How to explain such a close interest and often unjustified rumors about the great empress and the men of Catherine II?

On the part of women - elementary envy (the queen was smart and sensual, she could support any conversation, but what power was concentrated in her hands!). On the part of men - an anti-feminist attitude (representatives of the stronger sex still cannot forgive Catherine that she is one of the most revered of the monarchs of the Russian Empire). On the part of foreigners - Russophobia, which is alive to this day.

Most likely, there were no perversions (and even more so, bestiality) and hundreds of men who were in the bed of Catherine II. She was unlucky with her husband, and her passionate nature longed for satisfaction, so official favorites appeared (of which there were not two hundred, not one hundred, but only ten) and "intermediate" lovers. Here are 10 main men in the life of Catherine II.

From spouse to last favorite: men of Catherine II

Peter the Third: legal husband

It is clear that the first main man of Catherine II is her lawful husband Peter III (at the time of the marriage in 1745 - still Grand Duke Peter Fedorovich). True, in the first years of their married life, the couple did not have sex: Catherine married at the age of 16, and her husband (he was only a year older) had other interests. In addition, Peter, according to sources, was impotent (until he underwent surgery). Two pregnancies of the future empress ended in miscarriages, and after the birth of the first-born Paul in 1757, the husband finally cooled off by the second half and had fun with his mistresses. Catherine answered the same. The death of Peter the Third in 1762 is covered with rumors - they say that his close wives "helped" him.

Sergei Saltykov: Pavel's alleged father

The only man of Catherine II (not counting her husband) who was older than her (though only 3 years) was Sergey Saltykov, who was at the court of Grand Duke Peter. Almost immediately after receiving the post, Sergei became the lover of the princess. Historians claim that Pavel is the son of Saltykov, and not the lawful husband of Catherine. Probably, Empress Elizaveta Petrovna found out about this, so Saltykov was "exiled" to Sweden and has since worked as an envoy abroad.

Stanislaw Poniatowski: King of Poland

The paternity of Catherine's second child, Princess Anna Petrovna, who was born in 1757 and died two years old, was attributed to Stanislav August Poniatowski. He was another secret lover of Catherine II, who replaced Saltykov. Stanislav arrived in St. Petersburg with the English ambassador, was handsome and attracted the attention of Catherine. They became close in 1756, and two years later, after Bestuzhev's conspiracy was revealed, Poniatowski and his patron left Russia, but later Catherine made him king of Poland. As everyone knows, Empress Catherine II was of German origin, but she chose exclusively Russians as her lovers. The foreigner Poniatowski is the only one on her list of cordial attachments.

Grigory Orlov: 12-year-old novel

One of the longest novels of the monarch was an affair with a brilliant officer, Count Grigory Orlov. They remained together for 12 years, Catherine forgave her favorite for other hobbies and dreamed of marrying him (however, she changed her mind in time). Grigory became Catherine II's lover at the turn of 1759-1760, he was 5 years younger than the tsarina and was the father of her son Alexei Bobrinsky (born in 1762, shortly after the death of Catherine's mother-in-law). When Orlov inadvertently left the palace for a long time, his mistress found a younger gentleman. There were rumors about two daughters born to the queen from Grigory, both were pupils of Orlov.

Alexander Vasilchikov: young handsome

Orlov was replaced by a young handsome Alexander Vasilchikov - Catherine II noticed this man during the guards in Tsarskoye Selo. She presented the officer with a golden present - a snuffbox, and rumors spread around the palace. He was 26 years old, the Empress - 43 years old, the guy took the place of the official favorite, but did not ask for honors for himself or his family because of modesty. Two years later, he bored Catherine (the officer could not boast of a brilliant mind and education). Alexander was sent to Moscow, and the queen brought another.

Grigory Potemkin: secret wedding

The name and surname of the “other” will be given by anyone who is at least somewhat familiar with history. One of the most prominent men of Catherine II - Grigory Potemkin - was 10 years younger than her passion, and the empress went down the aisle with him (in strict secrecy, of course). In the spring of 1774, Gregory took a "place of honor" in the bed of his mistress, in 1975 they secretly married. Despite the fact that already in 1776 the tsarina consoled herself in the arms of another favorite, she (according to contemporaries) never parted with Potemkin, from time to time inviting him to her chambers. They seemed like spouses who take lovers on the side, but continue to be a couple. His Serene Highness Prince Potemkin died suddenly of a fever five years before the death of his beloved, he was 52 years old. Catherine had a daughter from Gregory - Elizabeth Temkina, born on July 13, 1775, but the queen did not officially recognize her as her own.

Peter Zavadovsky: loved and jealous

In the autumn of 1776, Peter Zavadovsky, a politician, the same age as Potemkin, became Catherine II's lover, but much more submissive and quieter than his predecessor in character. This is how he attracted the monarch. Peter had true love for the empress (whereas many burned with a short-lived passion or sought intimacy out of self-interest). She did not understand his jealousy and was angry. Therefore, she abandoned her lover so quickly - 8 months after the rapprochement. However, Zavadovsky was distinguished by a rare mind and tact, therefore he became the only lover of Catherine II (except for Prince Potemkin), who was allowed to continue to conduct affairs of the state. In particular, he served as Minister of Education.

Ivan Rimsky Korsakov: Potemkin's protégé

The relationship between Potemkin and Catherine was very strange and free - sometimes the prince independently looked for a secret wife of lovers. His protege Ivan Rimsky-Korsakov was appointed adjutant wing of the queen in June 1778, at the same time the young man became a favorite. The age difference never bothered Catherine, Ivan was 25 years younger. Beautiful appearance, innocence, excellent vocals - all this played into the hands of a young lover. And Potemkin distinguished Ivan for his small mind (the most illustrious prince did not see him as a true rival). Having “begotten” this favorite, Grigory himself “killed” him: he set up a meeting between Korsakov and Countess Bruce. Catherine became jealous and kicked out the adjutant at the end of 1779.

Alexander Lanskoy: an example of true feelings

If Alexander Lanskoy had not died of a transient fever, then he could well have remained the favorite of the Empress until the end of her days. They were connected by a lot - a sharp mind, a keen interest in the sciences. Catherine the Great loved him, Alexander answered her the same. He did not demand honors and power, he did not intrigue, he did not quarrel with Potemkin, he was sweet, quiet, and not jealous. The queen used to be carried away by others, but each time Sasha returned the favor of his beloved with his touching tenderness and defenselessness. Their romance began in the spring of 1780, when Lansky was 25 years old, Ekaterina - 54. Their closeness continued until the summer of 1884, when Alexander Dmitrievich "burned out" from illness.

Platon Zubov: proud and ambitious

The last man of Catherine II was the favorite Platon Zubov, with whom she maintained relations from July 1789 until her death in November 1796. When Zubov was introduced to the Empress, he was only 22 years old, and she had just exchanged her seventh decade. Powerful political forces stood behind Plato, he was actively promoted by Prince and Field Marshal Nikolai Saltykov. Zubov was flattering and ambitious, he was able to "move" Prince Potemkin and had great influence. After the death of his benefactress, Plato was in disgrace, and later became one of the organizers and participants in the murder of Paul the First (he entered the bedchamber of the Mikhailovsky Castle with the conspirators, but did not touch the king himself). Favorit died at the age of 54 on his estate in Courland (Baltic).