Empress Elizaveta Petrovna - biography, personal life of the empress: a cheerful princess. Brief biography of Empress Elizabeth

Emperor Peter III Years of life 1728–1762 Years of reign 1761–1762 Mother - the eldest daughter of Peter I Anna Petrovna. Father - Duke of Holstein-Gottorp Karl Friedrich, nephew of Charles XII. The future Russian Emperor Peter III was born on February 10, 1728 in the city of Kiel, the capital small

From 1741 to 1761, the Russian Empire was ruled by Empress Elizaveta Petrovna. She was the daughter of Peter the Great and his wife Catherine I. Historians are still debating the role of Elizabeth in the history of the Russian state. Our article will talk about the politics and personal life of the famous ruler.

Childhood and adolescence

Empress Elizaveta Petrovna was born even before the marriage between her parents. They named the girl by a name that the Romanov dynasty had never used before. Elizabeth is a Hebrew name that translates as “one who honors God.” Peter the Great especially loved this name. Oddly enough, that was the name of his dog earlier.

Historians have established the exact years of life of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna. The ruler was born on December 18, 1709 in the Moscow suburb of Kolomenskoye, and died on December 25, 1761 in St. Petersburg. The autocrat lived for about 52 years.

In 1709, Peter the Great won the Battle of Poltava. At the same time, news came about the birth of his child. “Let’s put off the celebration and hasten to congratulate my daughter on her coming into this world!” - exclaimed the king. Pyotr Alekseevich Romanov and his wife Ekaterina got married only two years after the birth of their daughter - in 1711.

The future empress spent her childhood in beauty and luxury. Even in her early years, Elizaveta Petrovna had excellent taste in clothes, and was also distinguished by her extraordinary plasticity and ease of movement. Contemporaries noted that the girl could have been a beauty if not for her crooked nose and bright red hair.

Young Lisa did not receive a proper education. Her only Jewish teacher taught the girl French and calligraphy. The rest of the disciplines passed by the future empress. Elizaveta Petrovna didn’t even know that Great Britain was an island. Biographers claimed that the girl was eccentric, strange and extremely disorganized. She was nervous about trifles and swore at the courtiers. At the same time, Elizabeth was incredibly hospitable and kind to her friends.

Rise to power

In 1727, Catherine I drew up a will, according to which her daughter Elizabeth received rights to the throne after the reign of Peter II and Anna Petrovna. In 1730, the reigning Emperor Peter Petrovich died, and everyone forgot about his mother’s will. Instead of Elizabeth, the niece of Peter the Great, Anna Ioannovna, took the throne. She ruled for 10 years - from 1730 to 1740. All this time, Peter's daughter was in disgrace. She rarely visited the palace, paid for the education of her cousins ​​on her own and wore, as historians say, extremely nasty dresses.

During the reign of Empress Anna, major opposition arose. There were many dissatisfied with the current ruler, and most of them pinned their hopes on Peter’s daughter. In 1740, Anna Ioannovna died, and her place was taken by Anna Leopoldovna, the great-niece of Peter I. The infant Ivan VI became the official ruler. Taking advantage of the moment, Elizabeth raised the Preobrazhensky Regiment behind her.

Continuation of father's policies

From 1721 to 1741, the Russian Empire was under the patronage of rather strange, sometimes even odious, personalities. Catherine I, the wife of Peter the Great, was an uneducated woman. Throughout her reign, Alexander Menshikov was at the helm. This continued under Peter II, a young and sickly emperor.

In 1730, Anna Ioannovna came to power (pictured below).

She was a brave woman, but not capable of normal rule. Her entire biography was marked by rather strange, sometimes terrible events. Anna's behavior did not correspond to her status. She easily dealt with hated ministers, loved to organize sudden celebrations and did not particularly care about her people. Anna Leopoldovna, who came to power, did not have time to prove herself at all. She was only a regent for Tsarevich John VI, who was still an infant in 1740. The country was then flooded with German ministers.

Realizing all the horrors of the existing situation in the empire, Elizabeth decided to act directly. She seized power and declared several times that she would act like her father. The ruler, I must say, did not lie.

When studying the biography of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, it becomes clear how much the daughter of the famous ruler absorbed her father’s traits. In the very first years, the autocrat restored the Senate, the Chief Magistrate and a number of important collegiums. The Cabinet of Ministers, approved by Anna Ioannovna, was liquidated.

During the Seven Years' War, Elizabeth created a special body above the Senate. It was called the Conference at the Highest Court. Military and diplomatic representatives, summoned directly by the Empress, took part in the work of the body. The Secret Chancellery, an organ of investigation and court, was developed.

Economic policy

An analysis of the short biography of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna cannot be carried out without taking into account the ongoing reforms. It is known that in 1744 a decree was passed prohibiting fast driving around the city. Fines began to be levied for foul language in public places. All these little things clearly illustrate how Elizabeth “restored order” after the revelry organized by the previous rulers.

In the 40s of the 18th century, the second population census was carried out. Such a smart step allowed the empress to analyze the state of society in the country and understand exactly in which directions she should move.

A significant role in the 50-60s. The 18th century was played by the head of the executive branch Pyotr Shuvalov (pictured above). During the reign of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, he carried out a number of serious reforms in the customs sphere. A decree was signed abolishing internal border fees. As a result, there is a significant revival of interregional trade relations. At the same time, the first Russian banks appeared: Kupechesky, Medny and Dvoryansky. They issued loans and controlled the state of the country's economy.

Social politics

Like previous rulers, Elizaveta Petrovna continued the line of expanding noble rights. In 1746, a significant event occurred that determined the state of the Russian state for many years: the nobles received the right to own peasants and land. After 14 years, the landowners were able to send peasants to Siberia to settle.

Peasants, unlike nobles, had their rights limited. They could no longer conduct monetary transactions without the permission of their masters. In 1755, factory workers were assigned as permanent workers at Ural industrial enterprises.

The biggest event was the complete abolition of the death penalty. There is a known case when the landowner Natalya Lopukhina was wanted to be thrown on the wheel for publicly humiliating Elizaveta Petrovna. The Russian Empress, however, relented and replaced the death penalty with exile to Siberia. At the same time, Lopukhina was beaten with a whip and lost her tongue.

State of affairs in the regions

Liberalization during the years of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna did not manifest itself in everything. The practice of corporal punishment became widespread in the army and among peasants. A commander or landowner could severely beat his subordinates without fear of consequences. Formally, it was forbidden to kill peasants, but there were a great many cases of beating to death throughout the country. It was extremely rare that landowners could be punished for causing harm to their peasants. This is due to the fact that the nobles were the only effective local managers. They kept order, recruited and handled taxation.

During the life of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, feminism began to flourish. The role of women in society has noticeably increased. Increasingly, landowners began to get involved in the management of estates. It was under Elizabeth that one of the most terrible stories happened during the entire existence of serfdom. Russian landowner Daria Saltykova tortured and brutally killed her own peasants for six years. Due to corruption and ineffective work of law enforcement agencies, the incident became known only at the time when the sadist killed about 80 people.

Local authorities were frankly weak. There was a shortage of personnel in the regions and finances in the treasury. This led to crises in some provinces and even a rise in crime. Often the authorities themselves acted in concert with the villains.

Elizaveta Petrovna’s domestic policy cannot be called weak. On the one hand, she was strikingly different from the chaotic movement that marked the reign of previous empresses. On the other hand, Elizabeth was in no way equal to her father. Peter's reign was progressive, but under his daughter stability was established. Major political reforms, shocking liberal steps and, in general, the growth of the authority of the authorities alternated with stagnation on the ground, restrictions on the rights of the main mass of the people and the rise of absolutism. But under Elizabeth there was something absolutely beautiful, perhaps covering all the shortcomings of the era. This is culture.

Russian Enlightenment

The arrival of the Enlightenment in Russia is directly related to the reign of Elizabeth. The beginning was made in 1744 - then a decree was issued to expand the network of primary schools. The first gymnasiums opened in Kazan and Moscow. Military educational institutions were reorganized in a number of cities of the empire. Finally, in 1755 the famous Moscow University was founded. The initiative was proposed by the empress's favorite, Peter Shuvalov's brother Ivan Ivanovich Shuvalov (pictured below on the right).

Two years later, the first Academy of Arts in Russia appeared.

Broad support was provided to representatives of Russian culture and science. Largely thanks to the empress, Mikhail Vasilyevich Lomonosov became famous. Thanks to the research of Dmitry Ivanovich Vinogradov, the country's first Porcelain factory, specializing in the creation of porcelain products, appeared in St. Petersburg.

Enormous finances were allocated for the improvement of the royal residences. The court architect Rastrelli built the Winter Palace - the main residence of all subsequent monarchs. The architecture in Peterhof, Strelna, Tsarskoye and Ekaterininskoye Selo underwent thorough modernization. Rastrelli's style received the name Elizabethan Baroque in culture.

In 1756, Elizabeth signed a decree on the transportation of Fyodor Volkov’s troupe from Yaroslavl to the capital. The provincial actor created, in fact, the first real theater in the country. It became known as “imperial”.

The photo below shows a ceremonial idealized portrait of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna by Charles van Loo.

Seven Years' War

From 1756 to 1763 there was a war for the colonies between France and England. Two coalitions took part in the clash: France with Spain, Sweden, Saxony, Russia and Austria, as well as England with Prussia and Portugal. In 1756, Russia declares war on Prussia. The Prussian Emperor Frederick II defeats the troops of Austria and France, and then heads to Russia. Russian commanders-in-chief Apraksin and Rumyantsev lead their troops straight into the enemy country. In the Battle of Gross-Jägersdorf, the Prussian army loses 8 thousand people. Apraksin did not dare to pursue, which greatly angered Elizabeth.

In 1758, the Russian army is led by General Fermor. At first, his actions were successful: in captured Koenigsberg, the local population even swore allegiance to the empress. But later a battle took place near the village of Zornsdorf. It was bloody and did not bring victory to either side. Fermor was forced to leave command.

The army of Frederick II was destroyed only in 1759. Then the 60,000-strong Russian army fought a general battle near Kunersdorf. In 1760, Berlin was captured, but not for long. Some of the lands captured during the Seven Years' War were returned after the death of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna. The reason for this is simple: Peter III, who came to power, was not particularly smart, and was also an obsessive fan of Prussian culture. The enemy perceived the death of the Russian Empress as a real miracle.

Russo-Swedish War

Analysis of the short biography of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna provides fairly accurate information about the ongoing foreign policy. In just 20 years of rule, two major wars occurred: with Prussia (Seven Years) and with Sweden. The Russian-Swedish war began immediately with Elizabeth's accession to the throne.

In 1740, the Prussian king Frederick II decided to seize Silesia, a territory belonging to Austria. So that Elizaveta Petrovna does not interfere in the conflict, French diplomacy, in alliance with Prussia, decides to divert Russia’s attention from European affairs. It pits Russia against Sweden.

The Russian troops were commanded by General Lassi. He defeated the Swedes on Finnish territory, where he later settled. The Treaty of Abo in 1743 ended the war. Russia agreed to limit its territorial claims, but only if the Swedish throne was occupied by Prince Frederick of Holstein, cousin of the Russian heir Peter III.

One of the articles of the peace treaty confirmed the Peace of Nystad of 1721, concluded by Peter the Great. The parties agreed to live in eternal peace, and the Kymenegorsk province and part of the shores of the Gulf of Finland went to Russia.

Personal life

The ruler died on December 25, 1761. The cause of death of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna has not yet been established. According to her contemporaries, the 52-year-old queen suddenly began bleeding in the throat. In the last years of her life, Peter’s daughter was sick a lot. The torment was caused by an unhealthy lifestyle, namely endless nightly celebrations, junk food and unwillingness to listen to doctors.

Before her death, Empress Elizaveta Petrovna was angry a lot, fell into depression, hid from people and canceled masquerades. It is likely that the autocrat suspected that her death was approaching. For a long time she thought about transferring power, but never made a proper will.

Empress Elizabeth Petrovna had no children. There were rumors that the riotous ruler gave birth to a son from Alexei Razumovsky, as well as a daughter from Ivan Shuvalov (pictured above). However, there is no documentary evidence of this information.

The husband of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna was also unknown to anyone. Foreigners said that allegedly, in her youth, Elizabeth entered into a church marriage with Razumovsky, the first lover and favorite of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna (see portrait below). Again, there is no evidence of this, and there was no point in a secret marriage at that time.

Elizabeth is an exact copy of her father, Peter the Great. Confident, brave and tough, she was at the same time flighty, frivolous and overly emotional. Despite the contradictory nature of her policies, Elizabeth was able to give new life to the political system of the empire.

ELIZAVETA PETROVNA(1709-1761/62), Russian Empress from 1741, daughter of Peter I. Enthroned by the Guard. During her reign, significant successes were achieved in the development of the economy, culture of Russia and in foreign policy, which was facilitated by the activities of M.V. Lomonosov, P.I. and I.I. Shuvalov, A.P. Bestuzhev-Ryumin and others.

ELIZAVETA PETROVNA, Russian empress (1741 - 61). Daughter of Peter I and Catherine I.

Childhood, education, character

From childhood, Elizabeth enjoyed the love and care of her father, learned to read and write early, and also learned French, the basics of history, and geography. By nature she was cheerful, good-natured and at the same time capricious and hot-tempered. More than anything else, she loved social entertainment: balls, dancing, hunting, masquerades. Elizabeth was known as the first beauty of her time, loved to dress up, never wore the same dress twice and strictly ensured that none of the court ladies was dressed or combed more beautifully than her, or even appeared in a dress of the same material (after the death of the empress, about 15 thousand dresses). At court, plans were made for her marriage. They wanted to give Elizabeth either to the French king Louis XV or to Prince Karl Friedrich of Holstein. There were other candidates, but she never got married.

accession

After the death of her mother (1727), Elizabeth became close to Emperor Peter II, who, apparently, was in love with her. During the reign of Anna Ivanovna, Elizabeth's position became more complicated, since the empress was jealous of her beauty and saw her as a dangerous political rival. At the same time, she enjoyed great sympathy from the residents of St. Petersburg, especially the guards soldiers and officers, who saw in her the heir of Peter the Great. The ministers of the ruler Anna Leopoldovna advised her to remove Elizabeth from St. Petersburg as soon as possible, but the crown princess, who knew about these plans, on November 25, 1741, with the help of a company of guards from the Preobrazhensky Regiment, carried out a coup d'état and usurped power to which she had no rights.

Domestic policy

The circumstances of the accession to the throne were reflected in the Elizabethan reign. A policy of returning to the legacy of Peter the Great was proclaimed; in particular, the role of the Senate and some other central institutions was restored. At the same time, in the late 1740s - the first half of the 1750s, on the initiative of P.I. Shuvalov, a number of serious transformations were carried out, the most important of which was the abolition of internal customs in 1754. This led to a significant revival of trade relations between different regions of the country. The first Russian banks were founded - Dvoryansky, Kupechesky and Medny; tax reform was implemented, which improved the country's financial situation; Heavy industry developed. In 1754, a new commission was created to draw up the Code, which completed its work by the end of Elizabeth's reign. However, the process of transformation was interrupted by the Seven Years' War (1756-62).

Foreign policy

In foreign policy, the government of Elizabeth Petrovna adhered to the principles of Peter the Great. In 1743, the Abo peace treaty (peace) was concluded, which consolidated the results of the Russian-Swedish war of 1741-43. During this period, the head of Russian diplomacy was Chancellor A.P. Bestuzhev-Ryumin, who emphasized an alliance with Austria and opposition to the strengthening of Prussia. This led to Russia being drawn into the Seven Years' War, participation in which placed a heavy burden on the country's economy. However, militarily, the actions of the Russian army were successful. She won a number of serious victories, occupied East Prussia and even (for a short time) Berlin.

The nature of government. Personal life

Elizabeth had a practical mind and skillfully led her court, maneuvering between various political factions. However, she did not take an active part in government affairs, being only occasionally interested in foreign policy. When considering important issues, she often showed indecisiveness and delayed making decisions for a long time. Immediately after her accession, she, a religious woman, made a vow that during her reign there would be no capital punishment. Although this decision did not receive legislative formalization, the empress strictly adhered to it. However, her reign was marked by several noisy political trials, in particular, the Lopukhins (1743) and Bestuzhev-Ryumin (1758).

Even before her accession, Elizabeth began an affair with the Ukrainian singer A. G. Razumovsky, with whom, it is believed, the empress secretly married in 1742. Razumovsky received the title of count, orders, titles and large awards, but took almost no part in state affairs. Later, I.I. Shuvalov, who patronized education, became Elizabeth's favorite. On his initiative, Moscow University was founded in 1755, and in 1760 - the Academy of Arts. Elizabeth's reign was the heyday of Russian culture and science. In general, the reign of Elizabeth Petrovna was a time of political stability, strengthening of state power and its institutions, and the final consolidation of the results of Peter’s reforms in Russian society.

• Years of life: December 29 (18th century), 1709 – January 5, 1762 (December 25, 1762).
• Years of reign: December 6 (November 25) 1741 – January 5, 1762 (December 25, 1761)
• Father and mother: and Catherine I.
• Spouse: Alexey Grigorievich Razumovsky.
• Children: No.

Elizaveta Petrovna (December 29 (18), 1709 – January 5, 1762 (December 25, 1761)) was a Russian empress who reigned for 20 years from 1741.

Elizaveta Petrovna: childhood

On December 29 (18), 1709, in the Kolomna Palace, Catherine I gave birth to a daughter, Elizabeth, whose father was Emperor Peter I. On this day, the emperor returned to Moscow, intending to celebrate the victory in, but postponed the celebration in order to celebrate his daughter’s birthday.

Elizabeth became an illegitimate child; her parents got married only 2 years later. In 1711, Elizabeth and her sister Anna became princesses.

From childhood, Elizabeth was distinguished by her extraordinary beauty; already at the age of 8 she attracted attention with her attractive appearance. She was distinguished by grace, ease of movement, and knew how to dance perfectly.

Catherine, her mother, had no education, so she did not pay due attention to her daughters' education. But Elizabeth had an excellent command of French; she could speak it fluently at the age of 16. The training was conducted by Veselovsky. Such attention was paid specifically to French, since Elizabeth's parents planned to marry her to Louis XV or the Duke of Orleans. Peter the Great negotiated on this issue, but was never able to agree on a marriage.

Elizabeth paid attention to her appearance, outfits, and was fond of horseback riding, boat riding, and hunting. She had beautiful handwriting and read French novels, which also left its mark on her upbringing.

Elizabeth and her sister were surrounded by luxury from childhood: they wore Spanish outfits, dresses embroidered with gold and silver.

The matchmaking of Elizaveta Petrovna

After an unsuccessful attempt to marry Elizabeth to the French Dauphin, Portuguese and Persian suitors approached her, but they were refused. As a result, Elizabeth agreed to marry Karl-August of Holstein; he was the younger brother of the then-ruling duke and bishop of the Ljub diocese, but in 1727 he died in St. Petersburg before he could get married. Elizabeth, left without prospects for a successful marriage, was greatly saddened by the untimely death of her groom.

Osterman, a statesman, decided to marry Elizabeth to the emperor - Peter II. The church opposed this marriage, since Elizabeth was his aunt, as well as Alexander Danilovich Menshikov, because. he planned to marry his daughter to the emperor.

Peter II and Elizabeth in 1727 were united by close friendship. The emperor hunted with his aunt and went for a walk. But despite their warm relationship, the wedding did not take place.

In the same year, portraits of Elizaveta Petrovna were sent to Moritz of Saxony and Karl-August of Holstein. Prince Karl-August decided to marry the princess and went to St. Petersburg. But in the process of preparing for the wedding, he fell ill with smallpox and died. Elizabeth finally came to terms with the prospect of remaining unmarried.

In 1727, she fell in love with the military leader Alexander Borisovich Buturlin. In this regard, meetings between Elizabeth and Peter II were significantly reduced.

When Elizabeth began to live in Alexandrovskaya Sloboda, Buturlin often visited her. This displeased Peter II, who sent him to Ukraine in 1729. The relationship between Elizaveta and Buturlin ended there.

After Semyon Naryshkin became Elizaveta Petrovna’s favorite, rumors appeared about their possible engagement. But the tsar again took part and sent Naryshkin abroad.

The Prussian ambassador offered to arrange a marriage between Elizabeth and the Brandenburg Elector Charles, but Peter refused, without even discussing this issue with the princess herself.

The third lover of Elizaveta Petrovna was the grenadier Shubin, who served as her orderly.

The life of Elizaveta Petrovna under Anna Ioannovna

On January 30 (19), Peter II died. According to the will of Catherine I, power should have gone to Elizabeth, but the throne was offered. Relations between Elizabeth and Anna were strained; the Empress was jealous of Elizabeth's beauty and also saw her as a strong political rival.

Elizabeth lived on an estate near Moscow and did not participate in political life. Afterwards, Anna Ioannovna (her cousin) moved her to St. Petersburg. Elizabeth was forced to live very modestly, she experienced financial difficulties, gave her own funds to educate her cousins ​​- the daughters of Karl Skavronsky.

Elizabeth actively communicated with ordinary people and participated in their holidays. The barracks of the Preobrazhensky Regiment were located near her house. Elizaveta Petrovna developed good relations with the guards, she gave them gifts and even baptized their children. Elizabeth rarely appeared at court.

Anna ordered Elizabeth's favorite, Alexei Yakovlevich Shubin, to be imprisoned in a fortress, and then exiled to Siberia, where he was married against his will to a local resident.

Elizabeth did not crave power, she did not try to stage a coup. She also never declared her rights to the throne.

Coup d'etat and accession to the throne of Elizabeth Petrovna

Elizaveta Petrovna: internal politics

Elizaveta Petrovna said that she planned to continue the policies of Peter I. On December 13 (12), 1741, she abolished the Cabinet of Ministers and restored the Governing Senate, which performed the functions of legislative and executive power. The Berg Collegium, the Manufactory Collegium, the Chief Magistrate, and the Prosecutor's Office were also restored.

Under Peter I, people were executed for embezzlement and bribes, beaten with a whip, and property was taken away. Elizabeth commuted the punishment to reduction in rank, transfer to another service, and dismissal. She abolished the death penalty and was actively involved in the construction of almshouses and homes for the disabled.

In 1741, the Empress forgave the peasants' arrears for 17 years. On the initiative of her favorite Shuvalov, commissions were organized that were engaged in the development of new legislation, the Noble, Merchant and Copper banks were established, internal customs were destroyed and duties on imported goods were increased.

The rights of the nobles were expanded. During their service, they could take long-term leaves. In 1746, the nobles were granted the right to own land and peasants, and in 1760, landowners were given the right to exile them to Siberia.

Under Elizaveta Petrovna, the development of Russian culture took off. M.V. Lomonosov began to publish his works, the first complete geographical atlas of Russia, the first chemical laboratory appeared, the newspaper “Moskovskie Vedomosti” was opened, a university and 2 gymnasiums were established in Moscow, and the first Russian state theater was established in St. Petersburg.

Also, under the empress, the role of the Synod increased, and the persecution of Old Believers increased. In 1742, she issued a decree according to which all citizens who professed Judaism should be expelled, while those who wanted to convert to Orthodoxy could remain. The construction of mosques was prohibited.

Elizaveta Petrovna: foreign policy

In foreign policy, Empress Elizabeth Petrovna also adhered to the principles of Peter I. When she ascended the throne, the country was at war with Sweden. In 1743 it ended, the Russian Empire received part of Finland.

The power of Prussia grew, so the Russian Empire entered into an anti-Prussian alliance with Austria, as a result our country became a participant. The actions of the Russian Empire were quite successful: the Russian army occupied East Prussia and even briefly occupied Berlin.

Elizaveta Petrovna: personal life

Under Elizabeth, as under other monarchs of the 18th century, favoritism flourished. For a long time, Alexey Grigorievich Razumovsky played a big role in the life of the empress. It is believed that even at the end of 1742 they secretly got married in the village of Perov near Moscow, although there is no written evidence of this event. He lived in apartments connected to the empress's chambers. Razumovsky under Elizaveta Petrovna became one of the richest nobles at court. There were also rumors that the Empress and Razumovsky had a child, so after her death, so-called “heirs” began to appear; the most famous impostor was Princess Tarakanova.

At the end of 1749, Ivan Ivanovich Shuvalov became another favorite of Elizabeth. He influenced both the domestic and foreign policies of the Russian Empire. Shuvalov contributed to the development of science, founded Moscow University and created the Academy of Arts.

Life at court under Elizabeth Petrovna

The Empress loved to buy new outfits and organize celebrations. After the death of Elizabeth Petrovna, about 15,000 dresses were found in her wardrobes, and in 1753, during a fire in one of the Moscow palaces, 4,000 outfits burned down. She also had two chests of silk stockings, thousands of pairs of shoes and a huge amount of French fabric.

The Empress also loved to organize masquerades, where women wore men's costumes and vice versa. Those around her often praised the empress's legs; she believed that men's suits suited her, while they spoiled other women.

Only Elizabeth could wear dresses of the new style; other noble ladies could only afford those outfits that the Empress herself had already stopped wearing.

Elizaveta Petrovna: death and last years of life

Since 1757, the Empress had hysterical fits. She was tormented by weakness and fainting, and after such attacks it was difficult for Elizabeth to speak. She had non-healing wounds on her legs.

Shortly before her death, she developed a severe cough of blood, and 10 days later she began to bleed heavily. On January 5 (December 25), Elizaveta Petrovna died.

Choosing an heir

The Empress was the last representative of the Romanov dynasty in the direct female line. She chose her nephew, Duke Karl-Peter Ulrich of Holstein (), as her heir. After her death he became emperor.

The future empress was born in 1709 in the village of Kolomenskoye. Elizaveta Petrovna's childhood and teenage years were spent in an atmosphere of family happiness. At that time he was a happy father and husband. He loved his daughter very much, and over time this feeling intensified, because... the matured Elizabeth became a real beauty. In addition, she was erudite and already at the age of 6 could correspond with her father without any help.

When the girl became an adult, the courtiers began to actively attend to the hassles associated with her marriage. King Louis XV decided to take the beauty as his wife, but after negotiations between the Russian and French sides the marriage did not take place. Soon two misfortunes befell the girl: first her father died, and a few years later her mother died. The main support for Elizabeth was the young ruler Peter II. True, he died some time later, and the girl was deprived of power for many years.

From 1730 to 1740 The Russian throne belonged to Anna Ioannovna. She treated Elizabeth poorly and every time she looked for a reason to scold or insult the girl. However, the cruel empress could not cause real harm to the young beauty, because she was afraid of Count Razumovsky and the Shuvalov brothers, who sympathized with Elizabeth. When Anna Ioannovna died, the all-powerful Biron began to lead the country. Then Elizaveta Petrovna realized that she would have to fight for the throne and in this battle the soldiers of the Preobrazhensky Regiment helped her.

As soon as the guards arrested Biron, the daughter of Peter I became the ruler, but real power was seized by Count Osterman, who was an experienced and cautious politician. Elizabeth quickly moved on to active action in the political arena. After negotiations with the Swedes and the French, the Nystadt Peace Agreement was revised and the conditions unfavorable for Russia were changed.

According to foreigners who lived in Russia, Elizabeth was the most attractive girl in Russia at that time. She shone with beautiful outfits at balls and was fond of cavalry riding. There were over 15 thousand dresses in her wardrobe. During the period when Elizabeth was in power, balls and masquerades were often held in cities.

The Empress lived a rather difficult life and in the last 20 years she tried to make up for lost time, but she was never lucky enough to become anyone’s wife. Nevertheless, numerous love affairs were attributed to her. So, there were rumors throughout the country that she and Count Razumovsky had a secret wedding. But there was no evidence of this union. At the end of the forties, Elizaveta Petrovna chose a new favorite for herself - Shuvalov.

It is noteworthy that under Elizabeth, the death penalty began to be prohibited in Russia for the first time. The ruler tried to abolish many Russian traditions, which she considered barbaric. For example, gun hunting and bear sport were prohibited.

The real disaster for the empress was her old age, which she spent in. She was hiding there from everyone, including her immediate circle. The Empress died in the winter of 1761 in St. Petersburg. Dying, she ordered herself to be buried in one of the fashionable dresses that she received from France.