If you forget for a moment about how the history of the Russian state developed, in what order the Russian monarchs inherited the throne, you can see behind the official chronicles ordinary human inclinations, affections and antipathies, those that led to the birth of future great monarchs or became the cause of disgrace and the deaths of promising contenders for the throne. Peter I is known as the main Russian reformer and in general a figure of grandiose magnitude. Much less often he is described as a passionate person who easily started affairs, and also children, of whom Peter had either eleven or more - in short, there is something to study in this part of the family tree of the Romanov family.
First marriage of Peter and Tsarevich Alexei
There are two famous offspring of Peter I - Tsarevich Alexei, apparently killed at the behest of his father, and Tsarevna Elizabeth, who became empress. But the list of the emperor’s heirs was not limited to these two; however, few of Peter’s children managed to survive infancy.
The first wife of the future emperor and reformer was Evdokia Lopukhina - for whom the young tsar at that time did not have any particularly warm feelings, but over time, the wife generally began to weigh on Peter, eventually going to a monastery. During the marriage, she managed to give birth to sons Alexei and Alexander. The first grew up in the care of his mother and grandmother, communicated little with his father, but over time the cooling became more and more - the reason was resentment for the fate of his mother, and the fact that children began to appear from his new, beloved wife, and among them - the future heir to the throne, who was supposed to get ahead of Alexei, whose right to the royal title was sanctified by centuries of tradition.
The second son of Evdokia Lopukhina from Peter was Alexander, who died at the age of seven months. Rumor attributed to the spouses another son, Pavel, who died either during childbirth or immediately after it.
Second marriage and children from Catherine I
Since 1703, the emperor had a relationship with Marta Skavronskaya, who after baptism took the name of Ekaterina Alekseevna. The first offspring of this couple were Peter and Paul, but the official chronicle begins the list with Catherine, who was born in 1707 and lived only a few months. The next in a series of daughters born to the future empress was Anna, the one who would continue the ruling branch of the Romanov dynasty. Anna died at age twenty, shortly after giving birth to Karl Peter Ulrich, the future Emperor Peter III.
Elizabeth, the third daughter of Peter, lived longer than all the official children of the emperor; it is interesting that she was distinguished by excellent physical characteristics, while her brothers and sisters often could not survive the first months and years of life, dying during childbirth or due to infections and insufficient hygiene .
Following Elizabeth, Natalya was born - nicknamed the eldest, so as not to be confused with her younger sister, also Natalya. By the way, these two relatives never met, the first died at the age of two, the second lived for seven, becoming the last child of Peter and Catherine. Before her, the couple also gave birth to Margarita (who lived for 1 year), Peter and Pavel, who died almost immediately after birth.
As for Pyotr Petrovich, this boy from his very birth began to be considered the heir to the Russian throne - despite the fact that Tsarevich Alexei already existed. The emperor was not particularly attached to his eldest son, and if for some time he looked at him as the continuer of his business, it was only because of the absence of other sons.
It is known how the cool relationship between father and eldest son turned out - in 1718, the arrested Alexei died in the Peter and Paul Fortress, and little Peter became the official heir to the throne.
Actually, he received his name in honor of his father - to emphasize the continuity of power, to indicate the continuation of the policies of Peter I in the future, during the reign of the new emperor. But the little prince did not have the chance to become one: he died before he was four years old in 1719, and the state found itself on the verge of a crisis of succession to the throne.
True, the son of the murdered Alexei remained - also Peter, but he was a very undesirable figure, because his father was already compromised by intrigues with Western rulers, and in Russia he was supported by the ill-wishers of Peter I. The result of thinking about the future structure of power was the decree on succession to the throne, which was issued in 1722. According to this document, the monarch himself appointed his successor to the Russian throne.
It is assumed that it was his wife Catherine who Peter wanted to see take the throne; shortly before his death, he crowned her empress and co-ruler - however, he did not have time to give the appropriate order to appoint her as his successor. Despite this, it was she who took the throne after Peter I, and it is also known that Peter Alekseevich had the chance to rule for several years under the name of Peter II.
Unrecognized children of Peter
Eleven children born in two official marriages is apparently not an exhaustive list; some researchers come to the conclusion that this is almost a third of all children born to Peter I. Because the emperor was famous for his rather hot temperament, every now and then he entered into love affairs with women of both noble families and from simpler families. There is no official confirmation that children were actually born in this relationship; Peter himself also did not recognize any of the illegitimate children (with the exception of those born to him and Catherine I before their official wedding in 1712).
But rumors circulated - especially since the emperor often married off his mistresses without ending relations with them - and therefore it is possible that some of the nobles born during the marriage were in fact the next Petrovichs and Petrovnas. There was such a rumor about Peter Rumyantsev-Zadunaisky, based, among other things, on his external resemblance to Peter I.
Among the ladies who enjoyed the special favor of the emperor were Avdotya Rzhevskaya (in marriage - Chernysheva), Peter's long-time love Anna Mons, Maria Hamilton, convicted and executed for infanticide, Maria Cantemir - the daughter of the Moldavian ruler Prince Dmitry Cantemir. She was indeed pregnant by the emperor - this was in 1722, and from the correspondence of those close to the court one can find out that in the event of the birth of an heir, Peter was even ready to divorce his wife in order to enter into a new marriage with Cantemir. But Maria was unable to bear the child.
The descendants of Peter are an interesting object for study; many questions have not yet been explained. For example, about why the rule of naming children with “traditional” names of the Romanov family was violated - why Peter’s daughters were baptized as Elizabeth and Margarita. The question remains open even about the number of children in the official marriages of the emperor - sometimes it is claimed that there was another Tsarevich Peter, by the way, this once provided food for the imagination of impostors - in 1732, a certain Larion Starodubtsev declared himself Peter Petrovich and a contender for the throne.
Peter I died suddenly as a result of pneumonia on January 28, 1725, without having time to decide who would be his heir. Shortly before his death he canceled the decree “On Succession to the Throne,” which regulated the transfer of the Russian crown through the male line from father to son, which ultimately led to a struggle for the crown after death. There were two main contenders: the second wife of Peter I, Catherine, and the grandson of the emperor, Peter.
First the rebellion - then the throne
Peter was the child of Tsarevich Alexei (the son of Peter I from his first marriage to Evdokia Lopukhina). The boy was seven years old at the time of his grandfather’s death. If the emperor had not revoked the decree, he would have been the only legal heir. Princes Repnin, Golitsyn, Dolgorukov insisted that it was worth giving the crown to Peter even despite the innovations.
This position was opposed by those close to the late Pyotr Alekseevich Alexander Menshikov, Pyotr Tolstoy, Fyodor Apraksin and Pavel Yaguzhinsky. They declared that the widow of the ruler, Catherine I, had the right to the throne.
How this dispute between the noble families in the palace would have ended is unknown, but Catherine’s supporters brought in the guards to “help”, who demanded to “satisfy their demands” and bring her to the throne immediately after Peter’s death (that same night).
Before dawn, it is unknown how the guards officers ended up in the hall where the meeting was taking place, demanding the ultimatum of Catherine’s accession, and on the square in front of the palace two guards regiments were lined up under arms, expressing support for the empress by beating drums. This forced the argument to end. Catherine was recognized as empress, writes I.A. Mudrova. (“Great mothers of famous people. 100 amazing stories and destinies.”)
For two years, the former laundress (which is exactly what the current empress did before meeting her royal husband) was at the head of the country. But in 1727, his health, undermined by balls, open outfits in any weather, gluttony and alcohol, finally gave out.
Catherine tried to place on the throne not the already grown-up Peter Alekseevich, but one of her daughters - 18-year-old Elizabeth or 19-year-old Anna. She even came up with a “compromise”: to marry seven-year-old Peter II to her daughter Elizabeth. That is, in fact, to betroth an aunt to a nephew (they were relatives along the male line). Menshikov, whom she unconditionally obeyed, recognized the idea as unsuccessful, since such marriages were considered “out of the ordinary” in the Russian Empire. As a result, Catherine wrote a will in favor of Peter II. A mandatory condition of the will was that the boy should marry the daughter of Menshikov himself.
Disgraced favorite
The wife of Peter I died in May 1727 from complications of a pulmonary abscess.
Saturday came, May 6th. Ekaterina Alekseevna was quietly fading away. During the day the delirium began. The death occurred at about nine o'clock in the evening. Empress Ekaterina Alekseevna died at the age of 43, writes B.A. Nakhapetov (“Medical secrets of the Romanov house”).
An 11-year-old boy took the throne. The child was not interested in politics or the art of war, unlike his grandfather. However, he adopted half of the qualities from the legendary relative, but “not those”.
Both emperors were known for their love of women and alcohol. Well, what could such a ruler “direct”? And for the nobility, he was an open channel, in whose name you can do whatever you want.
Initially, power was in the hands of Menshikov. But he overdid it with attention, boring the teenager with a crown on his head to such an extent that the latter tried to complain about the “usurper” Dolgorukov at the first opportunity. So, Peter was literally locked up in the Menshikov house, which looked more like a palace. The Dolgorukovs were simply not allowed to see him. His only female companion was supposed to be his future wife Maria.
Meanwhile, the Dolgorukovs did not sleep. “Menshikov is trying on your throne”, “Oh, father-emperor, don’t drink from the snake’s hands”, “He is already giving orders on your behalf”, “We will save you - give it time”, “If you don’t get rid of Menshikov - you will die” - these and other rumors spread both throughout St. Petersburg and Moscow. Of course, the thick walls of Menshikov’s house could not save him from numerous gossip.
In the summer of 1727, the favorite of the first Russian emperor fell seriously ill. Doctors made a disappointing diagnosis - tuberculous arthritis, which was accompanied by lesions of the musculoskeletal system. At some point, Menshikov completely lost control over Peter, which was not missed by his rivals for his attention, and therefore for power.
Ivan and Alexey Dolgorukov first gained the trust of 11-year-old Peter using “proven methods” - hunting and alcohol.
“Prince Ivan was six years older than Tsar Peter. Therefore, the teenager was fascinated by the broken young man, with whom he could talk about hunting, balls and other entertainment. Ivan at that time was known as a Don Juan and could tell a lot about matters of the heart.” (V.A. Vilkov, T.Yu. Shnyakina, M.V. Korneva “Favorites of the Rulers of Russia.”)
Peter II happily supported the idea of his “friends” to send into exile the “usurper,” who only recovered from his illness in August. Catherine’s will did not protect Alexander Danilovich. When Menshikov finally got stronger, he was told that “his health was quite enough for Siberia,” and he was sent to Berezov with his whole family. The engagement to the hated “marble statue” was upset.
According to legend, the disgraced bride of the emperor Maria Menshikova died in childbirth. Only the ruler himself had nothing to do with the child, who was born dead. The girl's father was the son of Peter's favoriteII Fedor Dolgorukov. The young man allegedly came to Berezov and secretly spent time with Maria. However, their feelings were whispered even when Mary had a chance to take the throne.
Hunting, ladies, alcohol
The coronation of the last Romanov in the male line took place on February 25, 1728 in the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin. On this occasion, the Governor General of Moscow Fyodor Romodanovsky was ordered to decorate the gates in Kitay-Gorod, White City and Zemlyanoy Gorod. The main celebrations took place in the Faceted Chamber of the Kremlin Palace. The festivities lasted three days.
In the spring of the same year, all government institutions were transported from St. Petersburg to Moscow. This decision was made because the 11-year-old boy liked the bright, shining, and most importantly, warmer city, where rain and wind are not normal weather at any time of the year.
The Lefortovo Palace was made the emperor's residence. Peter, however, loved more The Moscow region, where I hunted. He often spent the night in the Dolgorukovs’ house.
The easiest way is to ingratiate yourself with a child who is not much older than him. The “candidate” must have extensive experience in eating “forbidden fruits”. And, of course, he is obliged to support his younger friend in everything. This is what Ivan Dolgorukov was.
In the eyes of noble Muscovites and St. Petersburg residents, Dolgorukov was a kind of playboy, because of whom a good half of the girls from noble families cried. In hound and falconry hunting he had no equal among his peers.
He was not going to hammer into Peter's head knowledge about politics, the international system or the military situation in the Russian Empire. Dolgorukov had no problems gaining the trust of the young emperor - he simply entertained him “with his own methods.” Dog and falconry hunting, scouring the fields in search of prey, drunkenness, a broken way of life. And, of course, intimacy with any woman the emperor lays his eyes on. In Moscow they discussed how orgies took place in the Dolgorukovs’ house, in which the father emperor took an active part.
The nephew of Peter I's favorite, Franz Lefort, noted that the ruler, despite his precarious health, spent his time in “constant debauchery,” often involving his sister Elizabeth. In what It was precisely the quality that “attracted” her that was not specified.
Peter scours the streets and, in the company of princesses, drops in either to Ivan Dolgorukov or to the palace servants. Forbidden games were practiced in the room located next to the billiard room. The emperor rarely goes to bed before seven in the morning, wrote Lefort.
This lifestyle could not but affect the growing child’s body. The boy's immunity was undermined - he was forced to lie in bed for several days, catching the slightest cold.
The lifestyle that the sovereign is forced to lead will very soon lead him to the grave, wrote Peter’s tutor, Baron Osterman, to Burchard Minich.
The first time serious concerns about the emperor's health were expressed was in August 1729.
The fever into which he fell was very strong, but this time his death was avoided, wrote memoirist Christoph Manstein in Notes on Russia.
Second bride
Sprees often took place in the Dolgorukovs’ house, where Ivan’s 17-year-old sister, Ekaterina, often appeared in full view of the high-ranking guest. The girl desperately tried not to miss her chance. As a result, the wayward and eccentric boy (historians attribute to Peter II a grandfatherly character, but a complete lack of desire for science) succumbed to women’s charms and announced his intention to get married.
Catherine's relatives quickly upset her engagement to Count Friedrich Milesmo. Catherine did not argue with the decisions of the male half of the family and “worked in a different direction,” becoming pregnant at the end of 1729.
In November 1729, the engagement of the sovereign was announced.
According to legend, at the announcement of the official bride of the sovereignFriedrich Milesmo was present. When she extended her hand for a kiss, as custom required, the young man fainted. After an unpleasant incident, the ex-fiancé had to quickly go abroad.
Preparations for the wedding, scheduled for January 19, proceeded at an accelerated pace. The Dolgorukovs tried to arrange a celebration as quickly as possible for two reasons: Menshikov’s experience before their eyes and fears for the emperor’s health, which was always fragile. Fear of not being on time.
“Two weeks before the wedding, the servants were horrified to discover “dangerous marks” on the emperor’s body. The doctor called confirmed the fears: smallpox.” (B.A. Nakhapetov “Medical secrets of the House of Romanov.”) The situation was catastrophic because they had not yet learned how to treat this disease in the 18th century.
The Dolgorukovs hoped to have time to engage Catherine. Peter, despite his illness, was going to get married, because, according to various sources, he either understood the catastrophic nature of his situation, or simply did not know about it, hoping to get back on his feet in the near future.
The last 24 hours before the wedding, the emperor’s condition was such that he could not go out to the guests even if he wanted to. Soon it became known that the ruler died of smallpox.
“Following the regiments with their generals and officers, many representatives of the provincial nobility came to Moscow in anticipation of the court festivities. Having gathered for a wedding and going to a funeral, the nobles found themselves in a whirlpool of political struggle.” (Klyuchevsky V.O. “Russian history. Complete course of lectures.”)
"Black Widow"
After the death of Peter II, the Dolgorukovs were accused of deliberately slowly ruining the ruler’s health. Whether this corresponded to reality is unknown, but many factors speak in favor of this version.
According to the research of medical historian and physician Wilhelm Richter, Peter II could have been specifically infected by Prince Sergei Dolgorukov. The former Russian envoy in Warsaw, knowing about the same illness in his children, freely visited Peter II.
The Dolgorukovs are also credited with deliberately destroying the emperor’s fragile body with the help of alcohol and long walks in the cold “without a hat.”
The purpose of such actions was allegedly to marry Catherine and Peter, and after his death (which, after such a lifestyle, would not wait long) to declare Dolgorukova empress. There is a version about the “will of Peter II, signed by Ivan Dolgorukov, one of the last who saw the young emperor alive.
Allegedly, he came out of the royal chambers, raised his sword and shouted: “Long live Empress Catherine the Second!” - referring to his sister. There was silence in the room. After this, Ivan allegedly said in a whisper: “It’s broken.”
They were severely reproached, everyone cursed their unusual boldness, insatiable delicacy and love of power,” Klyuchevsky writes about what happened in Moscow after the news of the tsar’s death.
Anna Ioannovna (daughter of Peter I's brother Ivan V) sent the Dolgorukovs into exile in 1730 in the same Berezov, where three years earlier " with the whole family" Alexander Menshikov went.
During the reign of Peter II, the main power was concentrated in the hands of Menshikov, after his exile - the Dolgorukovs and the Supreme Privy Council, so we can say that the reforms that took place under him were the work of their hands. The young ruler himself had nothing to do with state affairs, except for signing documents.
There was no mention of state affairs or high royal responsibilities. The emperor, physically exhausting his strength in tedious [hunting] walks, had neither the hunt nor the opportunity to develop mental strength and improve his mind through teaching and science, wrote K.I. about Peter II. Arsenyev.
Klyuchevsky, in principle, did not talk about positive changes in the “era” of Peter II, noting that the move to Moscow was assessed by foreigners as a return to the times of “darkness” that existed before the reign of his grandfather.
Despite big problems with his sons, the reformer tsar provided Russia with emperors until 1917
Peter the Great had two official wives and countless mistresses. But after his death there were no clear heirs to the throne, and the era of palace coups began.
Unloved wife and unwanted son
His first wife Evdokia Lopukhina Peter didn't like it. The bride, brought up according to the traditions of Domostroy, was the personification of old Moscow, hated by the young tsar.
Evdokia was chosen for Peter by his mother Natalya Kirillovna. In this way, she wanted to calm down the 16-year-old Tsar, who often visited the German Settlement, became addicted to wine there and became interested in Anna Mons, the daughter of a local wine merchant or goldsmith. Peter did not object, he got married, but a month later he left again for Lake Plesheevo, closer to Mons.
On February 18, 1690, a year after the wedding, Peter and Evdokia had their first child. The boy's name was Alexey. He was considered the official heir to the throne. The second son of Evdokia and Peter, born in the fall of 1691, died five months later. The existence of a third son Pavel Petrovich, many historians question whether he most likely died during childbirth or in the first days of his life.
In 1694, Petra's mother Natalya Kirillovna died. Soon after this, the tsar completely stopped paying attention to his wife, left for Arkhangelsk and did not even write letters to Evdokia. All this time he continued to live with the love of his youth, Anna Mons. The king and his first wife had no more children.
The first years of the life of the only heir to the throne were raised by his grandmother, Natalya Kirillovna. At the age of six, Alexei began to be taught to read and write, but the prince’s teachers were not particularly intelligent; the child often raised his hand to them.
Alexey lost his mother when he was eight years old - Peter forcibly sent Evdokia to a monastery. After this, the king gave his son to be raised by his sister Natalia.
Peter remembered the heir when he was 9 years old. He tried to involve his son in government affairs, even gave instructions. When Alexey turned 14, he began to take him on military campaigns. But the prince did not show much interest in the affairs of the country. The reformer's only heir was more like his mother than the king wanted - he loved antiquity and secretly hated all his father's transformations.
To make Alexey look more like a European, they found him an overseas bride. In the autumn of 1711, a magnificent wedding took place between the 21-year-old heir to the Russian throne and the 17-year-old German princess. Charlotte Christina Sophia of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, in Russia they began to call it Natalya Petrovna.
Queen from the convoy
In 1704, Peter broke off relations with Anna Mons, who was convicted of treason. By this time, the place in his heart had already begun to be occupied by the prince, so timely presented to the king. Menshikov Marta Skavronskaya, former maid. Marta, captured during the capture of the Swedish fortress, became first the mistress and then the wife of the king. EkaterinaI.
Even before the official wedding, Catherine gave birth to four children to Peter - two boys, Paul And Peter died shortly after birth, daughters Anna And Elizabeth in the future they played a decisive role in the fate of the Russian throne.
The official wedding of Peter and Catherine took place in 1712. Over the next three years, Catherine gave birth to two now “legitimate” daughters, but both died in infancy. On November 9, 1715, another contender for the throne was born - Tsarevich Petr Petrovich.
Died under unclear circumstances
When Catherine gave birth to Peter's long-awaited boy, the position of the son from his first marriage was shaken. By this time, the heir to the throne, Alexei Petrovich, had two children from the German princess - the eldest Natalia and junior Peter(future emperor PeterII, last Romanov in the direct male line). But soon after giving birth, Alexei’s wife died. On the day of the wife's funeral, the prince was given a letter from his father. In it, Peter threatened to deprive his son of the throne.
Peter's opponents took advantage of the disagreement between father and son - they advised Alexei to flee to Austria. The prince obeyed and thereby ruined himself.
The fugitive was found, returned to Russia and sent to his father for trial. After interrogations and brutal torture, Alexey named the names of those who helped him escape from the country. And he admitted that he went on the run because he was afraid for his life. Alexey understood that he was an unwanted heir, and was afraid that his father, together with his wife Catherine, would decide to get rid of him.
The Tsarevich was placed in the Peter and Paul Fortress. The court sentenced the traitor to death. But 28-year-old Alexey did not live to see his execution - he was found dead in his cell. The official cause of death was apoplexy. But historians are still arguing about what actually happened.
Empress Elizabeth
Outwardly, Peter tried to remain calm and behaved as usual. After Alexei's death, no mourning was declared; the country widely celebrated the anniversary of the victory at Poltava. But in letters to his loved ones, Peter admitted that it was hard for him.
Less than a year after the death of Alexei, Tsarevich Peter, who was considered at that time the heir to the throne, died. The boy was a little over three years old. He never learned to walk or talk. Peter the Great had high hopes for his son, but they were not justified.
The sovereign had no other sons left. The baby was born shortly after Pyotr Petrovich Paul died in the first days of life. By the beginning of 1725, the last year of Peter’s life, only three of his daughters from Catherine remained alive: Anna and Elizabeth, who were born before the official wedding, and the youngest, the last child of Catherine and Peter, Natalia.
Natalya briefly outlived her father - the girl died of measles at the age of six and a half years, on March 15, 1725. Then Emperor Peter had not yet been buried; the coffins of his father and his daughter were placed in the same hall.
Natalia's older sister, Elizabeth, was prepared from childhood for marriage with one of the heirs to the French throne. But Bourbons Peter was politely refused. According to contemporaries, an incredible beauty, Elizabeth never officially married. As a result of the palace coup of 1741, the 31-year-old daughter of Peter I ascended the throne. She reigned until her death in January 1762.
Peter, not the same one
Anna married the Duke after her father's death Karl Friedrich of Holstein-Gottorp. This marriage was organized by Peter during his lifetime; according to the terms of the marriage contract, Anna and Karl renounced their claims to the Russian throne, but their children had the right to this.
In 1728 Anna gave birth to a son Karl Peter Ulrich and died soon after giving birth, she was 20 years old. Anna's son, the grandson of Peter I, laid claim to two thrones at once - Russian and Swedish. In 1762, he was already under the name PeterIII at the behest of his aunt Elizaveta Petrovna, he went to Russia.
Thus, the direct descendants of Peter's daughter Anna ruled Russia from 1762 until 1917.
Reference: PeterIII, again at the behest of Elizabeth, married a German princess, baptized in Ekaterina II . Her son succeeded her to the throne Paul I , then the son of Paul Alexander I . After the childless Alexander, his brother ruled Nikolay I . Then Nicholas's son ascended the throne Alexander II , then his son ruled Alexander III , and the last Russian emperor was the son of AlexanderIII Nicholas I I .
How many wives and children did Peter the Great have? Their fates?
- Ekaterina Alekseevna bore her husband 11 children, but most of them died in childhood, except for Anna and Elizaveta
- PETER I ALEXEEVICH (05/30/1672 - 01/28/1725) was married twice, his wives:
1. Evdokia Fedorovna Lopukhina (06/30/1670 - 08/27/1731), Elena as a monk
2. Marta Skavronskaya (Catherine I) (5.04.1684-6.05.1727)In total, he officially had 14 children, 3 of them from his first marriage and 11 from his second.
3 reached legal age, the rest died in childhoodChildren from marriage with E. F. Lopukhina
Alexey (1690-26.06.1718)
Alexander (3.10.1691-14.05.1692)
Pavel (born, died 1693)Children from marriage with Marta Skavronskaya (Catherine II)
Paul (1704-1707);
Peter (1705-1707);
Catherine (1707-1708);
Anna (28.02.1708 - 4.05.1728)
Elizabeth (1709-1761)
Natalya (03/27/1713 - 05/27/1715)
Margaret (09/08/1714 - 06/27/1715)
Peter (27.10.1715-25.04.1719)
Pavel (01/2/1717 - 01/3/1717)
Natalia (19.08.1718 - 4.03.1725)
Peter (1719 - 9.09.1723)Evdokia Fdorovna Tsarina, the first wife (1689-1698) of Tsar Peter I, daughter of the boyar F. Lopukhin, was chosen as Peter’s mother without his consent. This was the last marriage of a sovereign with a compatriot in the history of Russia. Their family life did not work out, E.F. was brought up according to the canons of antiquity, Peter felt hostility towards her relatives, ardent adherents of Moscow. antiquity, often left his wife, became close to the beauty from the German settlement, Anna Mons. Intrigues, conspiracies, all this prompted Ptra 1 to send her to Suzd in 1698. Pokrovsky Monastery, the queen was tonsured with the name Elena. E.F. wore monastic dress for only six months, then began to live in the monastery as a laywoman. Together with her son, Tsarevich Alexei, she became the core of a party hostile to Peter. All this was revealed from the so-called. Kikinsky search in the case of Tsarevich Alexei. Having brutally executed everyone involved in the case, Ptr, in relation to E.F., limited himself to transferring to the Ladoga Assumption Monastery. Then she was imprisoned in Shlisselburg, where under Catherine I she was kept in strict secret custody. In 1727, with the accession of her grandson Peter II, E. F. settled in Novodevichy, then in the Resurrection Monastery in Moscow; she was assigned a large allowance and given a special courtyard. Peter II and Anna Ivanovna treated her with full respect as a queen.
Catherine I Alekseevna Romanova
Born Marta Skavronskaya. Declared queen on March 6, 1717, declared empress on December 23. 1721 crowned on May 7, 1724. Accessed the throne on January 28. 1725 Married February 19 1712 for Emperor Peter the Great. Empress of All Russia in 1725-1727.
She was buried in St. Petersburg, in the Peter and Paul Cathedral.Alexey Petrovich (1690-06/26/1718), the eldest son of Peter 1 from his marriage to E.F. Lopukhina, did not live up to his father’s hopes, grew up weak-willed and did not accept his father’s transformation. Conflicts constantly arose between them, Alexey often aroused his father’s anger.
In October 1711 in Torgau, in the presence of Peter I, Alexey Petrovich married Sophia-Charlotte of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel in the baptism of Evdokia, died in 1715; their children are Natalya (1714-1728) and Peter (future Emperor Peter II).
At the end of 1716 he fled abroad with his Chukhonka mistress Afrosinya under the patronage of Emperor Charles VI. In 1717, A.I. Rumyantsev, together with P.A. Tolstoy, persuaded the prince to return home, where he was taken into custody. On June 24 (July 5), 1718, the Supreme Court, consisting of 127 people, sentenced Alexei to death, finding him guilty of treason.
He died under torture or was strangled in the Peter and Paul Fortress.Elizaveta Petrovna Romanova (12/18/1709 - 12/25/1761), daughter of Peter I and Catherine I, born before her parents entered into a church marriage. She was declared princess on March 6, 1711 and crown princess on December 28, 1721; ascended the throne on November 25, 1741, was crowned on April 25, 1742. Empress of All Russia in 1741-1761.
Anna Petrovna (27.1.1708-4(15).3.1728), crown princess, Duchess of Holstein. The second daughter of Catherine I and Peter I. She was well educated. Wife of Duke Friedrich Charles of Holstein-Gottorp (May 21, 1725 - March 4, 1728). She died giving birth to her son, who later became Emperor Peter III
- Ptr I the Great (Ptr Alekseevich; May 30 (June 9) 1672 January 28 (February 8) 1725) Russian Tsar (from 1682) and first Emperor (from 1721) of the Russian Empire; one of the most outstanding statesmen in world history, who determined the direction of Russia's development in the 18th century.
Ptr married for the first time at the age of 17, at the insistence of his mother, to Evdokia Lopukhina in 1689. A year later, Tsarevich Alexei was born to them, who was raised by his mother in concepts alien to Peter’s reform activities. The remaining children of Peter and Evdokia died shortly after birth
Alexei Petrovich, the official heir to the Russian throne, condemned his father's reforms, and eventually fled to Vienna under the protection of his wife's relative, Emperor Charles VI, where he sought support in the overthrow of Peter I. In 1717, the weak-willed prince was persuaded to return home, where he was taken into custody. On June 24 (July 5), 1718, the Supreme Court, consisting of 127 people, sentenced Alexei to death, finding him guilty of treason.
From his marriage to Princess Charlotte of Brunswick, Tsarevich Alexei left a son, Peter Alekseevich (1715-1730), who became Emperor Peter II in 1727, and a daughter, Natalya Alekseevna (1714-1728).
In 1703, Peter I met 19-year-old Katerina, whose maiden name was Martha Skavronskaya.
In 1704, Katerina gives birth to her first child, named Peter, the next year Paul (both soon died). Even before her legal marriage to Peter, Katerina gave birth to daughters Anna (1708) and Elizabeth (1709). Elizabeth later became empress (reigned 1741-1762), and Anna's direct descendants ruled Russia after Elizabeth's death, from 1762 to 1917.In 1724 Peter crowned Catherine as empress and co-ruler. Ekaterina Alekseevna bore her husband 11 children, but most of them died in childhood, except for Anna and Elizaveta
Among the Russian monarchs there is no one who can be compared with Peter 1 in terms of the scale of the reforms he carried out and the importance of their results for strengthening the role of our country in the international political arena. And although the personal lives of rulers throughout human history have always been visible, often their offspring, especially those who could not claim the throne or never ended up on it, died in obscurity. So who were the descendants and what do we know about them?
Tsarevich Alexey
In 1689, Peter 1 married a woman. From this marriage, a year later, he had a son, Tsarevich Alexei, who until 1718 was considered the heir to the Russian throne. From early childhood, the boy did not feel the love of his father, who transferred his negative attitude towards the unwanted wife imposed on him to his son. However, after Peter 1 sent Queen Evdokia to a monastery, he forbade Alexei to visit his mother, which made him suffer greatly and harbor a grudge against his father. Over time, this feeling grew into hatred, and the young man turned into a toy in the hands of the king’s opponents. Moreover, after his stepmother, Catherine, gave birth to a son almost simultaneously with his wife, who gave birth to the emperor’s first grandson (the future Peter 2), Alexei was made to understand that he was superfluous and the emperor now had an heir from his beloved woman, with whom he was connected all your hopes. After this, the prince, who was very afraid that he might be killed, wrote a letter to his father. In it, he renounced the throne and expressed his desire to enter a monastery.
However, he never carried out this intention, but instead fled to Vienna to ask for the patronage of Emperor Charles 6. As a result of great efforts made by the famous Russian diplomat P. Tolstoy, Alexei was able to be returned to Russia and put on trial as a traitor who was plotting to arrange rebellion to overthrow Peter 1. The prince died on June 26, 1718 in the Peter and Paul Fortress from a blow. At least, this was the official version of the reasons for his death.
Alexander Petrovich and Pavel Petrovich
The second offspring of the first Russian emperor from his marriage to Lopukhina was Alexander Petrovich, who was born in 1691 and died at the age of 7 months. In addition, some sources attributed to Peter 1 another son from Queen Eudokia - Paul. However, no documentary evidence of this was found.
Thus, it can be argued that the direct descendants of Peter 1 from his marriage to Lopukhina are Alexey and Pavel, as well as grandchildren Natalya Alekseevna (1714-178) and Pyotr Alekseevich (1715-1730).
Ekaterina Petrovna
Before finding out how many children Peter 1 had in general, it must be said that in 1703 Peter 1 had a new mistress, Marta Skavronskaya. Three years after their meeting, this new royal favorite gave birth to his illegitimate daughter, Catherine. The girl lived only a year and a half and was buried in
Anna Petrovna
5 years after the birth of her first child, Martha again gave birth to an illegitimate girl, who was named Anna. In 1711, a year before her parents' wedding, she, contrary to all customs, was declared a princess, and in 1721 - a princess. When the girl grew up, at the age of 17 she was married to Duke Karl-Friedrich of Holstein, from whom she gave birth to a son, Karl Peter Ulrich, in 1728. This boy was the grandson of Peter 1. And although he had never been to his mother’s homeland until the age of 13, he was destined to take the throne of the Russian Empire in the future under the name of Peter 3.
Elizabeth
In 1709, Peter again had a daughter, who was named Elizabeth, and 2 years later she was declared a princess. This girl, who never married, was unable to continue the Romanov family, but when she became Empress Elizabeth 1, she was able to do a lot to strengthen the reforms of her great father.
Children of Peter 1, born between 1713-1719
After the birth of Crown Princess Elizabeth, Empress Catherine became the mother of royal offspring 5 more times. In particular, between 1713 and 1719, the couple gave birth to Natalya the Elder, Peter, Pavel, Margarita and Natalya the Younger. They all died in infancy. The emperor's last daughter lived the longest, dying of measles a month after her father's death.
Grandchildren of Peter 1
As already mentioned, only three of the children of this monarch lived to adulthood: Alexei, Anna and Elizabeth. Moreover, his son, who died in prison, left behind two children. As for the crown princesses, Anna died after giving birth to a boy, and Elizabeth had no offspring. Thus, the grandchildren of Peter 1 are the children of Alexei - Natalya, born in 1714, and Peter (born 1715), as well as Karl Peter Ulrich. And if the only granddaughter of the first Russian emperor lived until she was 14 years old and did not show herself in any way, then both boys each took the Russian throne in due time.
Petr Alekseevich
The son of Tsarevich Alexei from Charlotte Sophia of Brunswick was born in 1715. The boy was named Peter in honor of his grandfather, and he and his sister became complete orphans in 1718. After the last son of the emperor died, these children were brought closer to the court. The fact is that the grandson of Peter 1, Peter 2, at that time turned out to be the only male representative of the Romanov dynasty, except for the monarch himself. As you know, after the death of the emperor, Catherine 1 ascended the throne, reigning for only two years.
Although many courtiers sought to place one of the princesses on the throne, through the efforts of A. Menshikov, Peter 2 became emperor in May 1727. The boy was only 11 years old at that time, and at such an early age he already had an addiction to alcohol. Thus, the children of Peter 1, Anna and Elizabeth, who were healthy at that time, were out of work.
But the young emperor actually did not have any power, since all affairs in the country were first decided by A. Menshikov. After his arrest in 1727, the Russian Empire was once again ruled by the boyars, who displaced the associates of Peter 1. In particular, Ivan Dolgoruky began to exert increasing influence on the young emperor, who even persuaded him to get engaged to his sister. However, the wedding never took place, as he died on the night of January 19, 1730. Being at that time a teenager only 14 years old, he left no heirs, and after him the descendants of Peter 1 were no longer Romanovs, since from ancient times in Rus' the surname was passed on from father to son only through the male line.
Karl Peter Ulrich
By 1730, almost all of the direct descendants of Peter 1 were dead. Only Tsarevna Elizabeth and two-year-old Karl Peter Ulrich, the only son of her sister Anna, who died two years earlier, remained alive. The fate of this boy was even more tragic than that of his cousin, who reigned for only three years. The fact is that, having lost his mother immediately after birth, he also lost his father at the age of 11. Then his uncle, the future king of Sweden, Adolf Frederick, took care of his upbringing. The teachers assigned to the child treated him very poorly and often humiliated him. Karl's life changed dramatically when he was 14 years old, since in 1742 the childless empress ordered her nephew to be brought to St. Petersburg and declared him her heir. By order of the royal aunt, he converted to Orthodoxy and received the name Peter Fedorovich, and 3 years later he was married to the Princess of Anhalt-Zerbst. All Elizabeth’s efforts to raise her nephew to be a statesman, to whom she could leave her father’s throne with a pure heart, failed, and she was forced to admit that this young man would never become a worthy sovereign. From his marriage to Catherine, Peter Fedorovich had a son, Pavel, who is officially considered Peter’s first great-grandson. However, many historians doubt that this child had anything to do with the Romanovs by blood. Having ascended the throne in 1761 as Peter 3, Karl Peter Ulrich reigned for only 1 year and was overthrown by his wife Catherine as a result
Now you know how many children Peter 1 had and what fate was in store for his grandchildren.
