Favorites of Catherine II. Favorites of Empress Catherine II

The queen's favorite Grigory Orlov, together with his brothers, was generously showered with mercy and honors from a grateful woman. The officer was promoted to major general, received the rank of actual chamberlain, the Order of the Saint and a sword studded with diamonds.

For the time being, Grigory Grigorievich Orlov was the main man in the life of the Empress. But he could not change himself. He remained a poorly educated, rude, brave man, sincerely devoted to the queen, but unable to become her right hand, an adviser who could generate useful ideas and build the Russian state.

Soon the place of the favorite next to this great woman was taken by another worthy man - Grigory Potemkin.

Going back a little, it must be said that the ambitious Orlovs wanted to see their brother as the legal spouse of the Empress. But this was not destined to come true. According to one version, her entourage rebelled. One of the most influential nobles, Count Nikita Panin, told the Tsarina at a meeting of the State Council that she could do as she pleased, but Mrs. Orlova would never be the Empress of Russia.

According to another version, the queen herself did not want this marriage, realizing that she took everything she needed from Grigory Orlov. She needed not only a faithful, but also a very smart man next to her. Just like Potemkin.

Oryol Gate with the legendary inscription

Grigory Grigorievich, at the end of his fame and influence, managed to once again prove his devotion to the queen and the state. In 1771 he was sent to Moscow, where the plague was raging. The rebellious Muscovites started a riot. Orlov managed to suppress it and took effective measures to eliminate the epidemic. His actions turned out to be thoughtful and lightning fast.

Grigory Orlov, who returned from Moscow to St. Petersburg, was again showered with awards and honors. In Tsarskoe Selo, a gate was erected on which was emblazoned a line from the poet:

“Moscow was saved from trouble by Orlov.”

Personal life

According to some historians, true love for the empress's favorite came at the end of his life. The nobleman, no longer needed by the queen, was sent to one of his estates, where he improved his health. Sometimes he traveled abroad, but spent most of his time in idleness on the luxurious Otrada estate.

The news that Grigory Orlov married his 18-year-old cousin Ekaterina Zinovieva, an orphan who had previously been in his care for 4 years, caused a lot of noise in St. Petersburg.

The church immediately responded with a categorical condemnation of this marriage to the closest relative. Another would have been threatened with imprisonment in a monastery, but the queen remembered the favorite’s past merits and stood up for him. She even gave his wife the title of lady of state.

The personal life of Grigory Orlov was illuminated with incredible, but short-lived happiness. He forgot about his former love of feasts and parties. He hurried home to his adored young wife Katenka, who, it seemed, also reciprocated his feelings. But suddenly, in the fourth year of their happy life together, Katya was diagnosed with consumption. Her caring husband took her to Switzerland for treatment. But a young 22-year-old woman died suddenly in Lausanne.

Death

The death of his beloved woman in the summer of 1782 became an irreparable tragedy for Grigory Orlov. He could not survive this fatal blow and became mentally deranged from grief.

The brothers transported him to the Neskuchnoye estate in Moscow (later the famous Neskuchny Garden was laid out near it).

Here Grigory Orlov, despite all the efforts of the doctors, slowly faded away into quiet insanity. He died on an April night in 1783.

The former tsar's favorite was buried in the Otrada estate in Semyonovsky, but in 1832 his coffin was transported to Novgorod and reburied near the western wall of St. George's Cathedral, where the bodies of his brothers Alexei and Fedor were already buried. Their burials have not survived to this day.

For the royal, imperial and royal courts of Europe during the era of absolute monarchies, favoritism was common. The mistresses of European kings, Elionor Gwynne, Diana de Poitiers, Anne Boleyn, shared with their lovers not only a bed, but also the burden of absolute state power. Could palace Russia of the 18th century not succumb to this fashion?

Watch all the details of the history of the relationship between the great empress and her favorites this Sunday on the MIR TV channel. April 8 at 10:45 Moscow time The series “Favorite”, based on the novel of the same name by Valentin Pikul, is starting on our TV channel. The series tells about intrigues, secrets, love and jealousy at the court of Empress Catherine Alekseevna.

“In Russia everything is secret, but there are no secrets,” Catherine II wrote in December 1766 in a letter to the poet Voltaire. The philosopher-educator and part-time political adviser to the empress, due to his age, no longer succumbed to the romantic charms of the august person. But he turned out to be one of the few who never answered Catherine in return. A woman whose list of lovers included at least 25 names. We remembered how the men who dared to love the Empress lived, what happened to their former favorites, and is it true that there was a special male “harem” in Catherine’s palace?

Only husband

Name: Romanov Peter III Fedorovich, grandson of Peter I . Marital status: legal husband of Catherine II. Beginning of the relationship: wedding on September 1, 1745. End of relationship: died under unclear circumstances on July 17, 1762, six months after ascending the throne.

Throughout her life, the Russian empress, the richest in lovers, had only one husband. Born Duke of Holstein-Gottorp, the future Emperor Peter III was Elizabeth Petrovna's nephew, but only at the age of 15 did he learn that he could be a possible heir to the Russian throne.

In 1745, the august aunt made every effort to find a worthy match for the future emperor, baptized in the name of Peter Fedorovich.

When choosing a bride, Elizaveta Petrovna remembered that on her deathbed her mother bequeathed to her to become the wife of the Holstein prince Charles of Eitin, whose young niece Sophia Frederica of Anhalt-Zerbst was already growing up in Prussia by that time. The same German woman who a few years later became famous throughout the world under the name of Empress of All-Russia Catherine II.

Historians subsequently explained Catherine’s consumerist attitude towards men precisely through her first experience of marriage with Peter III. The fact is that immediately after a magnificent ten-day wedding, the young wife discovered gaps in her husband’s education and his absolute indifference to women.

“My husband bought himself some German books, but what books? Some of them are Lutheran prayer books, others are about highway robbers who were hanged and wheeled. At the same time, in four months I read Voltaire and the History of Germany in eight volumes,” she wrote in her diary of 1745.

According to the same memoirs, it becomes known that until the beginning of the 1750s there was no marital relationship between Catherine and Peter, since in the evenings “a certain Camerfrau Kruse delivered toys, dolls and other amusements to the future emperor, which he played until one or two in the morning , and in the morning he hid them under the marital bed so that no one would find them.”

The first-born Pavel appeared to the couple only 9 years after marriage, in 1754.

However, many historians still question the paternity of Peter, considering the real father of the emperor to be Catherine’s first secret lover, the Russian envoy in Hamburg Sergei Vasilievich Saltykov. Baby ( future Emperor Paul I) turned out to be of no use to either his father or his mother, who by this time had completely become disillusioned with her wife and was seriously occupied with her own education.

Mr. Poniatowski

Photo: wikipedia.org / public domain

However, in her memoirs, Catherine underestimated her husband’s interest in women.

Since 1755, Elizaveta Vorontsova, sister of the famous princess Ekaterina Dashkova, an associate of the future palace coup of 1762, openly became the favorite of Peter III. Peter began to ironically call his wife “Mistress Help” and addressed her only on matters of housekeeping or finance.

Following the example of her husband, the crown princess also stopped hiding her loves and in 1756 announced an affair with the personal secretary of the English envoy Stanislaw August Poniatowski . The young Pole became the only foreign lover of Catherine, who preferred to take Russian handsome men much younger than her as her favorites.

It is from this period that rumors date back to the fact that the empress allegedly kept a male “harem” in her chambers. However, there is no historical evidence of this fact, although it is known that two couples - Poniatovsky-Ekaterina and Vorontsova-Peter - often dined together, drank tea, organized evenings for the courtiers and did not even hesitate to spend the night in bedrooms next door.

After the death of Elizabeth Petrovna in December 1761, Peter III was not ready to rule the state. Unlike his wife and noble grandfather, he had no desire for education, no interest in public life, or any political program. The ambitious and power-seeking wife took advantage of this.

His Serene Highness Prince Orlov

Photo: wikipedia.org / public domain

Grigory Grigorievich Orlov was one of the main associates of Ekaterina Alekseevna during the palace coup of 1762. In St. Petersburg society, even before meeting Catherine, he was known as Don Juan for his numerous affairs, including with the beloved of the influential Count Pyotr Shuvalov, Princess Kurakina.

The Tsesarevna, who over the years of her relationship with Peter III had developed an interest in decisive and loving men, wished to personally meet the young rake. A few months before the overthrow of her husband, she appointed Orlov as chief treasurer of the Chancellery of Artillery and Fortification so that he could use all the resources of the army to promote the palace coup they had planned.

The overthrow of Peter III in 1762 elevated Grigory Orlov to the pinnacle of honors: on the day of Catherine II’s accession to the throne, he was promoted to major general, awarded the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky and a sword decorated with diamonds. He became an open and recognized favorite of the new Empress Catherine Alekseevna, with whom she had the longest romantic relationship (almost 10 years) and illegitimate son Alexey Bobrinsky.

Having achieved Catherine's favor, Prince Orlov did not stop in his love affairs. The Empress knew about his hobbies and planned to marry her favorite, but was met with rebuff from advisers and society.

While the young ruler was more occupied with state affairs, she did not pay attention to the favorite’s affairs with other women, but by the beginning of the 70s she was completely disappointed in Orlov as a lover and adviser. In 1772, Catherine sent the prince to a peace congress with the Turks in Focsani to appoint a younger and more devoted lover in his place. Alexander Semenovich Vasilchikov.

Having lost his favorite status, 43-year-old Orlov returned to his homeland in the Tver province, where he married his 18-year-old cousin Ekaterina Zinovieva. In 1781, four years after the marriage, the young girl died of consumption, after which Orlov lost his mind and died unconscious in the spring of 1783.

Prince Potemkin

Photo: wikipedia.org / public domain

Since the time of the coup, many admirers of her determination, courage and wisdom remained next to Catherine. One of these people was the prince Grigory Aleksandrovich Potemkin-Tavrichesky, with whom Catherine began a bright and fleeting romance from 1774 to 1776.

Vasilchikov, the son of a stalwart nobleman, a Horse Guards cornet 17 years younger than Catherine, who flashed on the horizon, could not gain the favor of his august mistress for long. Six months after the start of their relationship, the Empress was already openly complaining to Advisor Potemkin that Vasilchikov had become boring to her.

Having long been in love with Catherine, Grigory Potemkin advised her to send her young lover to Moscow. A few days after his departure, the prince came to the empress's room and offered her not only his devotion, but also his hand.

The secret wedding of Potemkin and Catherine II took place in early January 1775 in the Church of the Ascension of the Lord in Storozhi. By this time, the Empress was already pregnant, and in July of the same year she gave birth to a girl, Elizaveta Temkina. Potemkin remained the only man who, after the break in relations, was able to maintain friendship with the empress and for many years remained the second person in the state.

Favorites of Empress Catherine II

Catherine II had several favorite friends and confidantes to whom she could entrust her most intimate problems and experiences: Anna Nikitichna Naryshkina, Anna Stepanovna Protasova and Marya Savvishna Perekusikhina. However, there were also favorites to whom she trusted not her intimate experiences, but matters of national importance, and their names were Ekaterina Romanovna Dashkova and Alexandra Vasilievna Branitskaya. At court they were not called favorites, but they were precisely favorites: by their position, they constituted the closest circle of Catherine II. The first, favorite confidantes, in addition to intimate problems related to Catherine’s favorites, were also entrusted with matters relating to the career advancement of court officials and various kinds of petitioners, which brought them a good income. In addition, they received from the empress various benefits, advantages and assistance in the form of repayment of debts, money for the purchase or repair of a house and for other needs. Their relatives also received financial assistance (for weddings, christenings, purchasing housing, etc.), as well as those for whom the Empress’s favorite asked.

As already mentioned, among the confidantes and friends of Catherine II, the most trusted were: Anna Nikitichna Naryshkina (1730–1820), Anna Stepanovna Protasova (1745–1826) and Marya Savvishna Perekusikhina (1739–1824). Let's start with the last one.

Marya Savvishna Perekusikhina (1739–1824) was physically the closest and therefore confidant of Catherine II. She first served in the rank of chamber-jungfer in the empress's rooms, and was responsible, like a mother to a child, for dressing her in the morning and putting her to bed in the evening, for introducing favorites into the empress's chambers, and for the most intimate natural procedures. Until the end of Catherine II’s life, she was devoted and faithful to her, and after her death she never revealed the secrets of her former mistress to anyone.

It is known that she was a noblewoman from a very poor family who had a small estate in the Ryazan province. But it is not known exactly how she got into the palace, into the chambers of the empress herself. According to rumors, she received the position of chamberlain-jungfer on the recommendation of Grigory Potemkin, who was then the favorite of Catherine II. Potemkin became the favorite of Catherine II in 1774 and remained so as a lover (and according to one version, husband) until 1776. Following the rumors, we can say that it was during this period that Marya Savvishna appeared in the palace. At that time, she should have been 35 years old, which in itself was already too late for admission to the palace for the position of chamber-jungfer. However, there is news that is more similar to the truth that in the 60s Catherine baptized Maria Savvishna’s niece, Catherine. And this means that the favorite then was indeed Grigory, but not Potemkin, but Orlov, so the Orlovs, apparently, were her patronage. In the 60s, Marya Savvishna was 25–26 years old. She was 10 years younger than Catherine II. It is possible that she appeared in the chambers not of the Empress, but of Grand Duchess Ekaterina Alekseevna, and not in the 60s, but in the 50s of the 18th century, when she was still a young girl.

“Savishna,” as the empress called her, remained with the empress all these years, she had only the one granted to her, that is, in modern language, the “exclusive right” to appear in the empress’s bedroom at the first call, to look after her in intimate matters, to help dress her, comb her hair. Over time, others began to do this work, but Savvishna was always present as a manager during the toilet, dressing, combing the empress’s hair, and during morning audiences.

Marya Savvishna's rooms were located in close proximity to the chambers of Catherine II, so that high-ranking officials who came to the audience waited their turn in Marya Savvishna's room, and these were: the Grand Duke's tutor N.I. Panin, the famous poet and State Secretary G.R. Derzhavin, President of the Russian Academy of Sciences E.R. Dashkova, State Secretary A.V. Khrapovitsky, Chief Prosecutor of the Holy Synod of the National Academy of Sciences. Protasov, honored generals and admirals. They all understood how important Perekusikhina’s word to the empress was for their affairs, and Savvishna constantly accepted gifts from visitors of such a high rank.

Catherine II completely trusted her Savvishna and her personal, including love affairs, consulted with her on everyday issues, found out her opinion regarding this or that court nobleman or candidate favorite.

From the chamber-jungfer, she transferred Perekusikhin to the chamber-lady-in-waiting, but these changes had almost no effect on the position of “Savishna” at court: she continued to remain in the empress’s rooms, faithfully serving her and performing the same duties. In addition to household chores, Perekusikhina accompanied her mistress during her daily walks, on pilgrimages, and long journeys, always being nearby, ready to come to her aid at any moment of the day or night.

Marya Savvishna was a simple, poorly educated, but very intelligent woman, extremely sincere and devoted. She loved her patroness, her empress, her mistress selflessly, completely devoting her life to her and remaining an old maid. One day, Catherine gave Savvishna an expensive ring with her portrait and at the same time said, as if jokingly: “Here is your groom, whom I am sure you will never cheat on.” And from then on she began to call himself her fiancé. And indeed, Perekusikhin never cheated on this “groom”, even after his death.

In the 19th century, many anecdotes were published about Catherine II, characterizing her as a wise ruler of the Russian Empire, as a kind person, intelligent and fair, distinguished by her ease of communication not only with people close to her, but also with strangers. Some anecdotes also mentioned Marya Savvishna Perekusikhina. Here is one of them: “Once Catherine was sitting in the Tsarskoe Selo garden on a bench with her beloved chamberlain-jungfer M.S. Perekusikhina. A St. Petersburg dandy passing by, not recognizing the empress, looked at her rather impudently, did not take off his hat, and continued his walk, whistling.

Do you know,” said the empress, “how annoyed I am with this naughty fellow?” I am able to stop him and soap his head.

After all, he didn’t recognize you, mother,” Perekusikhina objected.

Yes, that’s not what I’m talking about: of course, I didn’t find out; but you and I are dressed decently, also with braid, dapper, so he was obliged to have respect for us, as ladies. However,” Catherine added, laughing, “I must tell the truth, you and I are outdated, Marya Savvishna, and if we were younger, he would have bowed to us too” (Characters of Catherine the Great. St. Petersburg, 1819).

For herself personally, Marya Savvishna never asked Catherine for anything, she was quite happy with her position, but she did not forget her relatives. Her brother, Vasily Savvich Perekusikhin, at her request became a senator, and her niece E.V. Torsukova and her husband received a place at yard and became very rich.

On November 5, 1796, when Catherine had a stroke, Savvishna was the first to find her lying unconscious in the dressing room and the first, after shock, pulled herself together and began to beg the confused Zubov to let her bleed, as had happened before. Perhaps this managed to save the life of the empress at least temporarily. But Zubov did not allow blood to be drawn without Dr. Rogers, who was away somewhere at that time. When Doctor Rogers arrived an hour later and wanted to bleed the Empress, it was already too late: the blood did not flow.

Paul I, who did not like everyone who faithfully served Catherine, including Marya Savvishna, having taken the reins of government into his own hands, first of all dismissed Perekusikhin from the court. However, wanting to show himself honest and fair, he assigned her a good pension from the Cabinet of His Majesty in the amount of 1,200 rubles per year, granted her 4,517 acres of land in the Ryazan province, and in St. Petersburg a house bought by the treasury from the banker Sutherland.

After the death of her beloved empress, Marya Savvishna lived for another 28 years. She died in St. Petersburg on August 8, 1824 at the age of 85 and was buried at the Lazarevskoye cemetery of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra.

The same selflessly devoted favorite of Catherine II was Anna Stepanovna Protasova (1745–1826), daughter of Stepan Fedorovich Protasov, who became a senator in 1763, and his second wife Anisia Nikitichna Orlova, cousin of the Orlov brothers.

Catherine II enrolled the 17-year-old noblewoman Protasova in the court staff as a maid of honor of the Supreme Court on the recommendation of her favorite Grigory Orlov. Apparently, this happened in 1763, when, through the intercession of the same Grigory Orlov, her father Stepan Fedorovich Protasov became a privy councilor and senator.

Anna Protasova, like Marya Savvishna Perekusikhina, devoted her entire life to the Empress, remaining an old maid. She was ugly, even ugly-looking, and besides, she was not rich. She was considered a maiden until the end of her days, although the courtiers of both the large and small courts were well aware of her real participation in the examination of candidates for favorites in terms of their male suitability.

There were cases when court gentlemen began to court her, but, unfortunately, it quickly became clear that the purpose of this courtship was to gain her support at court and take advantage of her closeness to the empress. Anna Stepanovna was 16 years younger than Catherine II, but her external unattractiveness only set off the empress’s charms.

In 1784, when Protasova’s age approached 40, Catherine granted her a maid of honor at the Highest Court with a “richest portrait” of the empress, that is, a portrait abundantly showered with diamonds, which Protasova was very proud of. The appearance of Anna Stepanovna has survived to this day: by order of the Empress, the French artist Jean Louis Voile painted a portrait of Anna Stepanovna Protasova, depicting her, apparently somewhat embellished, but most importantly - with this “richest portrait” pinned to the dress on a blue moire bow on the left side chest, at the shoulder.

As a lady-in-waiting of the Imperial Court, Protasova acquired the right to monitor the behavior of the ladies-in-waiting, give them instructions, and manage an entire staff of page-chambers. She began to receive a higher salary, live in more comfortable apartments located near the empress’s chambers, use the table “from the empress’s kitchen,” dine with the empress almost every day on a “gilded service,” and sometimes serve her in the bedroom.

As the favorite of Catherine II, Anna Protasova had great weight at court: people fawned over her, they sought her support, but they were also afraid of her. However, most often people turned to her for support, especially her relatives, even those who were distantly related. For example, there was this historical anecdote:

“Before the accession of Paul, the Order of Annen, established by the son-in-law of Peter the Great, Duke of Holstein Friedrich-Karl, was not considered among the Russians. Although Pavel Petrovich, when he was the Grand Duke, signed all the documents for the award of the Annen Order as Duke of Holstein, the latter was given only to those persons who were appointed by Empress Catherine II. The Grand Duke really wanted some of his close associates to wear the Annen Cross, but the Empress did not give this order to them.

Finally, the Grand Duke came up with the following trick. Having ordered two small Annen crosses with screws, he called to him two of his favorites, Rostopchin and Svechin, and told them:

I grant you both the Knights of Annen; take these crosses and screw them to the swords, only on the back cup, so that the empress cannot see.

Svechin screwed the cross on with the greatest fear, and Rostopchin considered it more prudent to warn his relative, Anna Stepanovna Protasova, who enjoyed the empress’s special favor, about this.

Protasova promised him to talk to Ekaterina and find out her opinion. Indeed, having chosen a convenient moment, when the empress was in a cheerful mood, she informed her about the heir’s cunning and said that Rostopchin was afraid to wear the order and at the same time was afraid of offending the Grand Duke.

Catherine laughed and said:

Oh, he is a poor hero! And I couldn’t have come up with a better idea! Tell Rostopchin to wear his order and not be afraid: I won’t notice.

After such an answer, Rostopchin boldly screwed the Annen Cross not to the back, but to the front cup of the sword and appeared at the palace.

The Grand Duke, noticing this, approached him with the words:

What are you doing? I told you to screw it to the back cup, and you screwed it to the front. The Empress will see!

Your Highness’s mercy is so precious to me,” answered Rostopchin, “that I do not want to hide it.

Yes, you will destroy yourself!

Ready to destroy myself; but by this I will prove my devotion to your Highness.

The Grand Duke, amazed by such obvious evidence of Rostopchin's devotion, hugged him with tears in his eyes.

This is the origin of the Order of St. Anne of the fourth degree" (M. A. Dmitriev. Little things from the stock of my memory. 2nd ed. M., 1869).

Anna Protasova never betrayed her patron and mistress; in all the unpleasant moments of the empress’s life, Anna Stepanovna was always there, she knew how to patiently listen to Catherine, console her, and persuade her, although it was oh so difficult to calm the stubborn and persistent empress.

Anna Stepanovna was next to her benefactor on November 5, 1796, when Catherine had a stroke. Protasova did not leave her bedside for 24 hours; she was present both during the agony and at the last breath of Catherine the Great.

Having come to power, Paul I did not excommunicate Anna Stepanovna Protasova from the court. She retained her court status as a maid of honor; she retained both the palace chambers and the palace kitchen. This attitude of Pavel towards her was explained by the fact that Anna Stepanovna, through the marriage of her niece, became a relative of the sovereign’s favorite, Count F.V. Rostopchin, who became Governor-General of Moscow during the Patriotic War of 1812. Moreover, Emperor Paul awarded her the Order of St. Catherine of the Lesser Cross, and with it, as expected, the title of “cavalry lady”, assigned her a good pension with the award of 100 souls of peasants in the Voronezh and St. Petersburg provinces.

Emperor Alexander I did not forget the former favorite of his unforgettable grandmother, and on the day of her coronation, when, according to tradition, many people at court received titles, orders, promotions and other awards, Anna Stepanovna was awarded the title of Countess. At her request, this count's dignity was extended to her three unmarried nieces and to her brother, Alexander Stepanovich, with his descendants.

After the death of Paul I, Countess Protasova continued to serve as a senior lady-in-waiting, but not at the High Court, but at the small court of the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna. At the same time, she managed to win the favor of Empress Elizaveta Alekseevna, wife of Alexander I, and thus get into the intimate circle of courtiers of the Imperial Court.

In old age, Countess Protasova lost her sight, but she continued to go out into the world and appear at court.

The former favorite and senior maid of honor of Catherine II, Countess Anna Stepanovna Protasova, having outlived her patroness Catherine II and the emperors Paul I and Alexander I, died on April 12, 1826 at the age of 81. She served at the Russian court for 46 years and outlived her patron, Catherine the Great, by 30 years.

Along with the previous favorites, near Empress Catherine II there was a third, her special favorite, friend and confidante, Countess Anna Nikitichna Naryshkina(1730–1820), née Rumyantseva, daughter of Major General Count Nikita Ivanovich Rumyantsev and Princess Maria Vasilievna Meshcherskaya.

When Countess Anna Rumyantseva was 20 years old, she married Count Alexander Alexandrovich Naryshkin (1726–1795), chamberlain of the small court of Grand Duke Peter Feodorovich (Peter III) and Grand Duchess Ekaterina Alekseevna (Catherine II). The wedding took place on October 8, 1749. By order of the then reigning Empress Elizaveta Petrovna, Grand Duchess Ekaterina Alekseevna took the bride to the crown and accompanied the newlyweds to the house prepared for them. From that time on, a friendship began between Catherine and Anna, reinforced by the closeness of Lev Aleksandrovich Naryshkin, the brother of Anna’s husband and her brother-in-law, to Catherine.

Soon, Empress Elizaveta Petrovna appointed Anna's husband, Count Alexander Alexandrovich Naryshkin, chamberlain of the small court of the Imperial Highnesses, which further strengthened Catherine's friendly relationship with the Naryshkins. In her “Notes”, Catherine told how Lev Naryshkin helped her secret meetings with Poniatovsky: in the evening he picked up Catherine in a carriage and took her, wrapped in a dark cloak, to a meeting with her lover at his brother’s house, where he provided them with all the conditions for a meeting his daughter-in-law, Anna Nikitichna, and in the morning, unnoticed by anyone, he brought him back.

The lover Stanislav Poniatowski made his way to Catherine and her rooms in the Grand Duke's palace. But one day, according to his story, he was caught by guards, appeared before the husband of his beloved - the Grand Duke, heir Peter Feodorovich, who, having learned why Poniatovsky ended up on the territory of the small courtyard, invited Poniatovsky to spend time with the four of them: he, the Grand Duke, with his mistress Elizaveta Romanovna Vorontsova, and Poniatovsky with Grand Duchess Ekaterina Alekseevna. First they had dinner together, and then went off in pairs to their rooms. This friendly gesture on the part of the heir turned out to be not at all as broad as it might at first seem. When Catherine became pregnant, Peter Feodorovich renounced his involvement in the unborn child, and Catherine had to send Lev Naryshkin to negotiate with him, who, on behalf of the Grand Duchess, demanded that the heir publicly renounce intimacy with his wife, after which the issue was hushed up.

These were the morals in the spirit of favoritism that flourished in those days under the Russian throne.

Chief Chamberlain of the Court of Their Highnesses Alexander Naryshkin with his wife Anna Nikitichna, his brother Chief Master of Horse Lev Naryshkin (1733–1799), the main favorite of Peter III and “assistant of all his passions”, and under Grand Duchess Ekaterina Alekseevna - the main wit and merry fellow, as well as Stanislav Poniatovsky, and after his departure to Poland, the Orlov brothers - this was Catherine’s circle of friends, the germ of the conspiracy that brought her to the throne. Of course, there were also well-wishers who helped her enthronement, such as N.I. Panin, E.R. Dashkova, who also participated in this process. However, in comparison, for example, with Anna Nikitichna Naryshkina, Ekaterina Romanovna Dashkova, although she was known as the empress’s favorite, was not in such favor as Anna Nikitichna, who was only one year younger than Ekaterina (in fact, they were the same age) and with whom they were very approached each other, both young and cheerful; the loving Grand Duchess Ekaterina Alekseevna with her love affairs and the devoted accomplice of her hobbies, the keeper of her intimate secrets - Anna Naryshkina. Was it possible to compare Anna Nikitichna, the most devoted and best friend, who never condemns or takes offense for anything, but only helps with advice and action, with Ekaterina Romanovna, the bearer of the highest morality, always edifying, dissatisfied and condemning? Therefore, one day (this was in May 1788), Empress Catherine II ordered to prepare rooms for A.N. Naryshkina in the Tsarskoye Selo Palace and arrange them in such a way that there were no rooms left for Princess Dashkova. “...I want to spend time with one, but not with the other; They’re also in a quarrel over a piece of land!” - Catherine added in connection with this order.

Catherine II in her “Notes” wrote about the reasons for her rapprochement with Anna Nikitichna Naryshkina, who had no children: “This marriage had no more consequences than ours; This similarity in Naryshkina’s position and mine greatly contributed to the friendly connection that united us for a long time; my condition has changed after 9 years, counting from the day of my wedding, but she is still in the same situation, and has been married for 24 years.”

On September 15, 1773, Catherine made her friend a lady of state of the Imperial Court, and in 1787 she awarded her the Order of St. Catherine.

Anna Nikitichna did especially a lot for Catherine in those difficult days when the betrayal of the favorite Dmitriev-Mamonov became clear. For the empress, this was an impudent and rude insult; it was a blow to the very heart. Two young impudent people - favorite Alexander Mamonov and maid of honor Daria Shcherbatova - who had been dating and leading her by the nose for almost two years, simply laughed at her, an elderly woman, despising her title of empress and her power. At the same time, the favorite played a comedy, arranging scenes of jealousy for Catherine, monitoring her disposition towards other men. Or he could just talk about his love for his maid of honor Daria. Anna Nikitichna spent all these nightmare days with her patron and mistress, who was literally sobbing and could not calm down. She was shocked by Mamonov’s ingratitude and stupidity, his constant insincere declarations of love, this unjustified lie. Naryshkina was present during Catherine’s explanations with her favorite, and once she scolded him so much that Catherine later wrote: “I have never heard anyone scolded like that before.”

Anna Nikitichna, spending several hours a day alone with the empress, helped her gather her courage, carry out the engagement, and then the wedding of Alexander Dmitriev-Mamonov with Daria Shcherbatova, dress her maid of honor for the wedding and present them with money and valuable gifts. Justice and the greatness of the Empress were preserved and demonstrated before the Russian court, high society and the courts of Western Europe.

State Lady Naryshkina quickly responded to the situation, realizing that “wedge is knocked out with wedge,” and in a matter of days she introduced Catherine to a new favorite - Platon Aleksandrovich Zubov, even more handsome and more obsequious than Mamonov, and many years younger. Revenge was taken, and until the end of his days Mamonov felt like a fool, having exchanged the position of the “Red Kaftan” in the imperial palaces for a reclusive life in Moscow in the company of the narrow-minded, and therefore boring Daria.

After the death of Empress Catherine II, Anna Nikitichna remained at the Imperial Court. A few days after his accession to the throne, Paul I not only did not dismiss his mother’s former favorite, Anna Nikitichna Naryshkina, but on November 12, 1796 (7 days after the death of Catherine I) appointed her chamberlain of the Highest Court.

The Chamberlain of the Highest Court, the cavalry lady Countess Anna Nikitichna Naryshkina, a former friend and confidante of Catherine the Great, her lady of state and main favorite, died on February 2, 1820, just 9 days short of her birthday, when she would have turned 90 years old.

Ekaterina Romanovna Dashkova (Vorontsova ) (1744–1810). Countess Ekaterina Romanovna Vorontsova (by her husband Princess Dashkova) was born in St. Petersburg on March 17, 1744 (according to another version - 1743). She herself, in her “Notes of the Princess,” determines the date of her birth as 1744, “approximately around the time when Empress Elizabeth returned from Moscow after her coronation.” The coronation of Elizabeth Petrovna took place in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin on April 25, 1742. The Empress appeared in St. Petersburg in the same year, 1742: on October 24, 1742, by her Decree, she declared her nephew Peter as heir to the Russian throne. Consequently, Ekaterina Vorontsova was lying: she was born in March 1743.

Ekaterina Romanovna was born into the family of senator Count Roman Illarionovich Vorontsov. But from the age of two, after the death of her mother, she was raised in the family of her uncle, Count Mikhail Illarionovich Vorontsov, who during the reign of Elizabeth Petrovna was a prominent statesman, diplomat, and state chancellor of the Russian Empire. In her “Notes,” Ekaterina Romanovna gave the following description of her surname and her father: “I will not dwell on my father’s surname. Its antiquity and the brilliant merits of my ancestors place the name of the Vorontsovs in such a prominent place that my family pride has nothing more to desire in this regard. Count Roman, my father, the chancellor's second brother, was a riotous man and lost my mother in his youth. He did little about his own affairs and therefore willingly handed me over to my uncle. This kind relative, grateful to my mother and loving his brother, received me with pleasure.”

Mikhail Illarionovich was married to Anna Karlovna Skavronskaya, Elizaveta Petrovna’s cousin, so the Empress considered the Vorontsov family to be related to her and took part in her family affairs, taking care of Mikhail Illarionovich’s orphan nephews. She easily came to the Vorontsovs and often invited them to visit her, to Tsarskoe Selo. Moreover, Countess Anna Karlovna had the court title of lady of state (1742), and then received the highest court lady title of Chief Chamberlain (1760) and was awarded the Order of St. Catherine, 1st degree (Grand Cross).

Ekaterina Romanovna had two sisters: Maria Romanovna (married Countess Buturlina) and Elizaveta Romanovna, maid of honor, official favorite of Grand Duke Peter Fedorovich (Peter III), married Polyanskaya. But the sisters were older than Catherine. After the death of their mother, Elizaveta Petrovna appointed them as maids of honor to the palace, where they lived. Catherine rarely met her sisters and had almost no contact with them at all. She received her upbringing and education together with her uncle’s daughter. At that time, this was an excellent education for court life. As for education, Ekaterina Romanovna considered it insufficient, although she knew four languages, spoke French fluently, danced well and drew well. But she was dissatisfied with the knowledge she had received and asked herself the question: “But what has been done for character education and mental development?” And she answered herself: “Exactly nothing.” Although for court life such education was considered the most brilliant.

Even in her teenage years, Ekaterina Vorontsova showed great curiosity: she asked everyone who visited her uncle’s house, and these were politicians, envoys, writers, artists, “about foreign lands, about forms of government and laws.” Sometimes she received permission from her uncle to review his old diplomatic papers, and this contact with the historical past of Russian diplomacy gave her the greatest pleasure. But most importantly, she passionately loved reading books. She re-read almost all the books from her uncle’s library (and the library consisted of about 900 volumes), bought new items that arrived in bookstores, and enjoyed the courtesy of Ivan Ivanovich Shuvalov, Elizaveta Petrovna’s favorite, who gave her all the new book and magazine arrivals from Paris that he had ordered. This self-education already in her youth made Ekaterina Vorontsova one of the most educated women in Russia.

The acquaintance with Prince Mikhail (Kondrat) Dashkov and their mutual affection were approved by Elizaveta Petrovna, and soon, in 1759, Countess Vorontsova became Princess Dashkova and with this name entered the history of Russia.

In the winter of 1759, Ekaterina Romanovna met Grand Duchess Ekaterina Alekseevna. In the “Notes of the Princess” this fact was noted in the following way: “In winter, the Grand Duke, later Peter III, and his wife, later Catherine II, also visited and dined with us. Thanks to many of my uncle's visitors, I was already known to the Grand Duchess as a young girl who spends almost all her time studying, and, of course, many other flattering reviews were added. The respect with which she subsequently honored me was the result of this friendly courtesy; I responded to it with complete enthusiasm and devotion, which then threw me into such an unforeseen sphere and had a greater or lesser influence on my whole life. In the era I’m talking about, it can probably be said that in Russia it was impossible to find two women who, like Catherine and me, were seriously engaged in reading; from here, by the way, our mutual affection was born, and since the Grand Duchess had an irresistible charm when she wanted to please, it is easy to imagine how she must have captivated me, a fifteen-year-old and unusually impressionable creature.”

This meeting turned out to be fateful for Dashkova. The Grand Duchess became an object of admiration and heartfelt devotion for the young princess, so Ekaterina Romanovna took part in the coup with the aim of overthrowing Peter III and enthroning his wife Ekaterina Alekseevna.

Despite the fact that Grand Duke Peter Fedorovich (Peter III) was the godfather of Ekaterina Dashkova, she, smart and very observant, realized as a girl that he was stupid and did not love Russia. She saw and understood that Elizaveta Petrovna, already at the end of her life, was very alarmed that she was handing over great Russia to an unworthy heir, albeit the grandson of Peter the Great. However, it was too late to do anything.

On December 25, 1761, on the first day of the Nativity of Christ, Elizaveta Petrovna died, and her uneducated, ill-mannered and stupid nephew, who was contemptuous of Russia and the Russian people, became sovereign emperor of the Russian Empire under the name of Peter III.

When he became emperor, his behavior, his statements finally convinced Dashkova that neither Russia nor its people needed such an emperor, that Empress Ekaterina Alekseevna, intelligent, very educated and well-mannered, loving Russia, deserves to be the ruler of the Russian Empire and has the right to rule at least as the mother of the minor Heir to the Throne Pavel Petrovich. Ekaterina Romanovna knew that not only she, but also many people, both among the courtiers and among high society, but most importantly, among the officers of the most privileged regiments, thought so. Everyone was outraged by the peace concluded by Peter III with Prussia on the most humiliating terms for victorious Russia and the start of the war with Denmark, a war completely unnecessary for Russia.

The humiliation from her husband-emperor, to which Empress Ekaterina Alekseevna began to be subjected at court, and in public, and the public expression of his desire to see his favorite-mistress Elizaveta Romanovna Vorontsova as empress (whom, by the way, he, as a commoner, simply called “Romanovna”), and the intention to send Ekaterina Alekseevna, whom he hated, to a monastery - all this showed what fate awaited the one whom Dashkova simply adored and, as an honest person, considered it her duty to save. Moreover, many of the “acts” of her godfather Peter III took place before her eyes.

And Dashkova, having decided to carry out, as she said, a “revolution” and overthrow Peter III from the throne, began to look for accomplices in the conspiracy she had conceived to put Empress Ekaterina Alekseevna on the throne. Dashkova described all the measures she took in her “Notes of the Princess”:

“After the separation from my husband, I spared no effort to animate, inspire and strengthen opinions favorable to the implementation of the intended reform. The most trusted and closest people to me were the friends and relatives of Prince Dashkov: Pasek, Bredikhin - captain of the Preobrazhensky regiment, Major Roslavlev and his brother, captain of the Izmailovo Guards. ‹….› As soon as my idea about the means of a well-organized conspiracy was determined and strengthened, I began to think about the result, adding to my plan some of those persons who, with their influence and authority, could give weight to our cause. Between them was Marshal Razumovsky, head of the Izmailovo Guard, very beloved by his corps.” Having heard from the English envoy that “the guards are showing a disposition towards an uprising, especially for the Danish War,” Dashkova spoke with some officers of Razumovsky’s regiment - “with two Roslavlevs and Lasunsky,” then involved Panin, the teacher of Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich, in the conspiracy, who, however, , was eager to place his pet on the throne, and to assign Ekaterina Alekseevna the role of only the regent, but he completely agreed with the overthrow of Peter III. Having talked with Panin directly, Ekaterina Romanovna revealed to him the participants in the conspiracy, whom she had already involved in the case: two Roslavlevs, Lasunsky, Pasek, Bredikhin, Baskakov, Getrof, princes Baryatinsky and Orlov. “He was surprised and scared when he saw how far I had gone in my assumption and, moreover, without any preliminary negotiations with Catherine.” Dashkova managed to persuade Panin not to advertise his plans for the Heir at this time until real steps were taken.

The Archbishop of Novgorod, “known for his learning, loved by the people and adored by the clergy, of course, had no doubt about what the church could expect from such a ruler as Peter III.” And the young conspirator attracted him to her side, “if not as an active participant, then at least as a zealous patron of our plans.” Prince Volkonsky also joined her plan, who informed her that the spirit of murmuring against the emperor had also appeared among the soldiers: they were unhappy that they were being forced to turn their arms in favor of the Prussian king against Maria Theresa, who had recently been their ally, and the Prussian king enemy.

Ekaterina Romanovna Dashkova, working on creating a conspiracy, did not imagine that Ekaterina Alekseevna already held all the threads of it in her hands, had already developed a plan for a coup, relying on the guard and on the high authority of the guardsmen of the Orlov brothers, especially Grigory and Alexei. And she didn’t like these negotiations between Dashkova and everyone, moreover “without preliminary negotiations with Catherine", as Dashkova herself wrote. Ekaterina Alekseevna has already studied the experience of Russian coups with the aim of enthroning Catherine I, Anna Leopoldovna, Elizaveta Petrovna, following whose example she also decided to dress in a man’s military dress in order to appear in such an impressive form at the barracks and take the oath from the guards. She calculated that in Russia military officials faithfully serve, first of all, their lovers, and therefore the main guard authority - Grigory Orlov - became her lover. Catherine wrote to her former lover, the Polish king Stanislav-August Poniatowski, that she secretly supervised the preparation of the coup. , but she did not reveal this secret to her close circle (except for the Orlov brothers). She subsequently wrote about this in her Notes.

And Dashkova had a naive idea that the coup was prepared by her, but it happened as if by itself, by the will of Providence, as she wrote later in her “Notes”: “... without a plan, without sufficient funds, by different people and even opposite beliefs, like their characters, and many of them barely knew each other, had nothing in common with each other, with the exception of one desire, crowned by chance (sic!), but with more complete success than could be expected from the most strict and deeply considered plan..."

Ekaterina Romanovna did not even understand that Alexey Orlov could not have come to Peterhof on his own for Ekaterina and for her; he would not have dared to wake up the empress and, without prior agreement, say the following words: “It’s time to get up, everything is ready to proclaim you.” After all, Dashkova did not prepare all this. She was not involved either in the appearance of the imperial cortege on Nevsky Prospect, or in the proclamation of her friend in the Kazan Cathedral as “the most autocratic empress of all Russia, Catherine II.”

Dashkova wrote her memoirs in her declining years, for all the years from the age of 18, when these events took place, she had a lot of time to comprehend and understand everything, but at the end of her life she very much appreciated her role in this “revolution.” highly: “As for me, I say, hand on heart, that although I played the first role in this coup - in the overthrow of an incapable monarch, at the same time I am amazed at the fact: neither historical experiences, nor the fiery imagination of eighteen centuries do not provide an example of such an event , which happened before us in a few hours” (emphasis added. - I.V.)

What is the power of delusion of a person who has read a huge number of books, especially on the history of Russia, both in Russian and French publications, including about the accession to the throne of Elizabeth Petrovna, whom Dashkova also knew personally! And for her, the accession to the Russian throne of Elizaveta Petrovna, who was also in a military uniform, also leaning on the guard, just as unexpectedly for everyone and just as quickly was proclaimed Empress of All Russia, was not “an example of such an event”?

Catherine II in her “Notes”, assessing her ascension to the Russian throne, wrote: “Princess Dashkova, the younger sister of Elizabeth Vorontsova, although she wants to take credit for all the honor of this revolution, she did not enjoy much confidence for her relationship; in addition, her nineteen years did not inspire much respect in anyone. She claimed that everything came to me through her hands. However, I had already been corresponding with all the bosses for six months before she learned the first name of one of them. True, she is very smart; but her mind is spoiled by her excessive vanity, and her character is eccentric; she is hated by her bosses and is friendly with flighty heads who told her what they knew, that is, unimportant details. ‹…› I had to hide from Princess Dashkova the ways in which others communicated with me, and for five whole months she knew nothing; the last four weeks, although she was told, but as little as possible. ‹…› Everything was done, I admit, under my special leadership; and, finally, I myself suspended everything, because leaving the city interfered with the execution of our plan; everything was completely ready two weeks ago.”

Catherine gave Dashkova a very accurate description, as we will see later: “She is very smart, but her mind is spoiled by excessive vanity and her character is eccentric.” As for the “bosses,” Dashkova really hated all of Catherine’s lovers: favoritism was alien to her.

For 19-year-old, romantically inclined Dashkova, who spent most of her life in solitude, with books, these events seemed like some kind of mysterious and exciting game to save her beloved friend and eliminate the rude and stupid emperor. She believed that the case had been won, and friendship with the empress, now crowned Catherine II, continued, and she, Dashkova, should be given a leading role at court, and relations with Catherine should remain friendly, as if on equal terms. And she began to behave in accordance with her ideas: showing her displeasure regarding the favored Grigory Orlov, giving orders to guard officers and soldiers, arguing with their commander in front of the soldiers, and so on. Catherine tried to somehow reason with her, but realized that it was useless, that it was better to maintain decent relations.

After her accession, Catherine rewarded everyone who helped her seize the throne. But at court it was proper to consider these awards as ordinary awards before the coronation of the monarch, especially since even those who did not participate in the conspiracy, but whom it was desirable to win over to the side of the new empress, for example, such as the Skavronskys, were noted by the empress's favor.

Ekaterina Romanovna Dashkova was not forgotten either. Catherine II elevated her to the rank of lady of state of the highest court, granted her the Order of St. Catherine, 1st degree, with the title “Her Excellency the Cavalry Dame Grand Cross” and a cash prize of 24 thousand rubles. Dashkova had doubts about the prize for a long time and consulted with many: whether to take it or not, because she didn’t try for money, but in the end she took it, and made a lot of noise at court with her reasoning. But such was the character of the princess.

In the very first days after the coup, Catherine invited Dashkova, as her favorite, and Grigory Orlov, as her favorite, to the palace for lunch. When Dashkova came into the hall where the dining table was set, and saw Orlov there, sitting on the sofa with his leg outstretched (he seriously bruised it), and a table was pushed towards him, she realized that there was a conflict between the empress and Orlov. connection, and she did not like this discovery extremely. Catherine II immediately noticed the displeasure on Dashkova’s face and realized that Dashkova was far from her life credo, that with her particularly “honest” understanding of life, no ruler would remain on the throne for more than two months. Dashkova, adhering to Orthodox morality, did not understand what favoritism was, why Catherine, such an intelligent, educated and cultured woman, now the All-Russian Empress, chose as her favorite a rude, ignorant martinet like Grigory Orlov. She did not understand that Catherine ascended the throne on the shoulders of guard soldiers led by the Orlovs, and not thanks to 19-year-old Dashkova, who told six officers, three nobles and Panin about the conspiracy.

Catherine II never broke off relationships with anyone suddenly and rudely, because she knew that every person, especially smart, well-mannered and educated, could always be useful someday. Therefore, in front of the courtiers, she always treated Dashkova as her favorite, but began to avoid friendly meetings with her. Ekaterina Romanovna felt this cooling towards her, but Ekaterina’s always friendly tone when meeting her, invitations to the palace for dinner, to balls, to imperial appearances, simply to live in the palace with her husband, as a favorite - all this did not give Dashkova an official reason to consider herself rejected, but she always felt the chill of the relationship. When one day she wanted to live in the palace next to Catherine, for some reason there was no room for her in the palace: all the rooms were occupied by the Empress’s favorite Anna Nikitichnaya Naryshkina, with whom Dashkova was in conflict “over a piece of land,” as Catherine defined it II. Ekaterina Romanovna did not know that the rooms were not found by order of the Empress, but she felt that this was not without reason.

Catherine Romanovna's husband, Prince Mikhail Dashkov, was the secret confidant of Catherine II, who appointed Prince Dashkov (shortly before his departure to Poland) as the head of a cuirassier regiment, previously headed only by German commanders. Dashkova was proud that her husband, in her opinion, managed to make the cuirassier regiment the best regiment in Russia. (Strange, but in “Notes” she always calls her husband only “Prince Dashkov”, as a stranger, so the reader until the end of her memoirs never learns from her what his name was.)

Catherine II entrusted Prince Dashkov with his cuirassier regiment with the elevation of Poniatowski to the Polish throne. Dashkov, with the support of the Russian troops brought into Poland, had to ensure (sometimes by persuasion, sometimes by bribery, sometimes by hinting at the presence of troops) a positive vote of the Sejm for Poniatowski. Which was done flawlessly. But Dashkov did not return to Russia. He died in Poland from "fever associated with a sore throat." Was it so? In her memoirs, many years later, Dashkova several times mentions his throat illness and, in connection with this, the severe fever to which he was subject. Maybe it was necessary?

The news of the death of Prince Dashkov, who, having completed the task, was already returning home with his cuirassiers, but caught a cold on the way and died, crippled the twenty-year-old widow with two children: son Pavel and daughter Anastasia. She was sick for a long time. According to her, Prince Dashkov left huge debts, the payment of which would put the family on the verge of ruin. But the 24 thousand given to her by Catherine, which she wanted to refuse, completely covered the debts, and the ruin did not take place.

Feeling a chill in relations with Catherine and influential people at court, Dashkova, as a lady of state, citing the difficult financial situation of the family, asked Catherine for leave and left with the children to the village, to her husband’s estate. Life in the village was much cheaper than in the capital, and after 5 years of living in the village, Ekaterina Romanovna managed to save enough money for a long trip around Europe. Under the pretext of the need to give her son Pavel an English education and upbringing after home, which took place according to the method developed by Dashkova, Ekaterina Romanovna, as a lady of state, had to ask the Empress for permission to travel abroad. The two letters she sent to the Empress did not receive an answer, and Dashkova herself went to St. Petersburg for an answer. Catherine II met her very cordially, during the conversation she found out that Dashkova was going to return and would debunk negative myths about Russia abroad, and, of course, gave the go-ahead for her departure . And when Dashkova returned to her estate, the courier brought her 4 thousand rubles as a gift from the empress. Ekaterina Romanovna was indignant at the insignificant amount, in her opinion, and did not want to take it, but then, as she writes in “Notes,” she made a list of necessary things that needed to be bought for the trip, calculated their cost, took exactly this amount, and the rest I returned the money to the courier. She knew that the courier would report to Catherine exactly how Dashkova accepted her gift.

In December 1768, Ekaterina Romanovna Dashkova, with her daughter Anastasia and son Pavel, went on a trip to Europe under the pseudonym “Princess Mikhalkova.” Europe already knew the lady of state, the Knight Grand Cross, Princess Dashkova, the favorite of the Russian Empress, the 18-year-old girl who, according to rumors, placed Catherine II on the throne. The invented pseudonym could not hide her secret: many noble and famous people in Europe knew Dashkova by sight, because they had been to Russia and saw her at court next to Catherine. Therefore, she was warmly greeted by many celebrities: the head of the encyclopedists Diderot, and Voltaire, and new acquaintances from high spheres in France, and in Austria, and in Switzerland, and in Germany, and in England.

From the book Temporary Men and Favorites of the 16th, 17th and 18th Centuries. Book I author Birkin Kondraty

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Catherine the Great had many favorites, because first of all, she was a woman who needed to have a heart-to-heart talk with someone, to keep secrets about love affairs, and to discuss state affairs with someone. Who were these court ladies who were able to make friends with the empress and become more than just ladies-in-waiting for her?

Anna Protasova, faithful and ugly

Anna Protasova, the niece of Grigory Orlov, who was her patronage, appeared at court at the age of 17. Anna was an ugly girl, and besides, she came from a poor family, so her personal life did not work out. Even Catherine II’s plans to marry Protasova to diplomat Arkady Morkov were not successful.

Not receiving the desired female happiness, Protasova made every effort to become a significant figure at court. When she reached adulthood, she was awarded the honorary title of maid of honor. Catherine II, who favored her, provided Anna with luxurious apartments next to her bedroom. Protasova was Catherine's faithful companion on her travels, received a very good salary and even dined with the empress.

Anna Protasova monitored the behavior and work of the maids of honor and pages, and was very strict with them. They feared this woman, sought her favor, and respected her. She stayed with Catherine until the empress’s death, supported the empress and was always faithful to her. Paul 1 granted Protasova the Order of St. Catherine, and she was also given serfs in the amount of one hundred souls and was assigned a large pension.

Marya Perekusikhina, keeper of secrets and best friend

The Empress did not have many close friends. One of them is Maria Savvishna Perekusikhina, a simple girl from the Ryazan province. How she, an uneducated girl from a family of poor nobles, managed to end up next to Catherine II is unknown today. But one thing is clear - the empress became attached to her with all her soul and considered her the most sincere, wise and devoted friend.

There was no family or love secret that Catherine would not share with her beloved Savvishna. Perekusikhin was the first adviser, both in court affairs and in everyday life. When Marya was in the rank of chamber-jungfrau, she served Catherine when dressing; subsequently Savvishna was appointed chambermaid-in-waiting and received the right to dispose of the morning toilet, and she also prepared a sleeping place for the empress.

Savvishna and Catherine II were inseparable, always together, both on the road and at court. This woman was very influential, so people often approached her with requests. It was in her power to help someone arrange a marriage, she could get a reception from the empress, promote a person up the career ladder, she was allowed to ask Catherine for money. When Catherine II was struck by a stroke, and this happened in 1796, Marya was the first to discover her friend-empress, and was constantly by her side until the very last minutes. After the death of Catherine, she was excommunicated by Paul I from the court with the assignment of a large pension.

Ekaterina Dashkova, brilliant mind and quarrel with Ekaterina

Ekaterina Vorontsova was an educated woman. This lady knew four languages, was good at mathematics, and danced and painted beautifully.

Her uncle was Chancellor Mikhail Vorontsov; in her younger years, Ekaterina often visited and lived with him, absorbing books one after another, of which Vorontsov had plenty. That is why Catherine II reacted with interest to her namesake when in 1758 she was introduced not yet to the empress, but to the Grand Duchess. The women experienced mutual sympathy and were pleasantly surprised by the unity of interests and tastes.

Vorontsova married Prince Mikhail Dashkov and became Ekaterina Dashkova. Dashkova considered Peter III’s ascension to the throne a big mistake, so she took an active part in organizing the coup d’etat. Dashkova’s flexible mind made it possible to attract very worthy people to Catherine’s side, including Count Razumovsky, Prince Baryatinsky, Ivan Betskoy and others. However, Catherine II did not appreciate Dashkova’s merits, and after her accession to the throne in 1762, mutual understanding between women began to disappear. The friendship finally broke up when the empress heard rumors that Ekaterina Dashkova had a negative attitude towards the marriage of Catherine II and Grigory Orlov.

Anna Naryshkina, who knew everything about love affairs

Catherine II met young Anna Naryshkina, then still Rumyantseva, in 1749, at the wedding of Anna and Alexander Naryshkin, who was then chamberlain of Catherine’s small court. The rules at that time were Elizaveta Petrovna, who introduced the women, asking Ekaterina to help the girl Rumyantseva in the troubles before the wedding.

Anna and Catherine felt mutual sympathy; they were both young, cheerful, dreaming of adventures and love affairs. Countess Naryshkina became an understanding and devoted friend; she always helped Catherine in organizing meetings with her favorites. Husband and wife Naryshkin took an active part in preparing the coup, after which Catherine became empress. When Catherine II died, by the decision of Paul 1 Anna Naryshkina was awarded the position of chamberlain.

Alexandra Branitskaya, favorite maid of honor

One of Catherine II's favorites was Grigory Potemkin. He introduced his niece, Alexandra Branitskaya, to the empress, and subsequently helped her become a maid of honor. Smart and wise Branitskaya, despite the lack of education, was able to win over the empress and soon, having received the title of maid of honor, became Catherine's close confidant. She behaved so subtly and intelligently that the Empress considered her practically a member of the family. Branitskaya was a real favorite; she loved to dress beautifully and eat delicious food. An unprecedented amount was spent on exquisite dinners for the countess - almost 400 rubles daily.

The Empress granted her chambers not far from her own, and often took Alexandra with her on trips. And in 1787 Branitskaya received the Order of St. Catherine. When the Empress died, Branitskaya, whom Paul 1 did not like and did not want to tolerate, was forced to leave her estate and spend the rest of her days there.

Amazing stories are associated with favorites and favourites. One of them is about
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Plan
Introduction
1 Characteristics
2 Chronological lists
2.1 Husbands, lovers and favorites
2.2 Children

3 In books, films and propaganda
4 See also
5 Bibliography
Bibliography

Introduction

The list of Catherine II's men includes men who figured in the intimate life of Empress Catherine the Great (1729-1796), including her spouses (legal and possibly morganatic; highlighted in purple in the table), official favorites and lovers.

Catherine enjoys notoriety because of her connections with numerous lovers, however, the number of names actually known from the memoirs of contemporaries reaches only 23 (according to the list of Catherine scholar P. I. Bartenev with additions by Ya. L. Barskov; there are discrepancies). Only 10 of them officially held the post of favorite with all its privileges and responsibilities, and therefore information about the others is quite vague, in particular, it is not always clear to what stage their relationship with the empress reached and how long it lasted, and for several it is not known exact surnames (highlighted in green in the table).

The most famous of her favorites were Grigory Orlov, Grigory Potemkin and Platon Zubov. After the death of her husband Peter III in 1762, she planned a marriage with Orlov, but on the advice of those close to her, she abandoned this idea, and with Potemkin, most likely, Catherine was secretly married in 1775 (see The wedding of Catherine II and Potemkin) - with these two She had the strongest feelings with men, as well as with the early deceased Alexander Lansky. Catherine bore three or four children, and two or three more are attributed to her (see separate table).

1. Characteristics

In 1778, the Frenchman Corberon reported to his government that “in Russia, from time to time, a kind of interregnum in affairs is noticed, which coincides with the displacement of one favorite and the emergence of a new one. This event outshines all others. It concentrates all interests on itself and directs them in one direction; even the ministers, to whom this general mood responds, suspend affairs until the final choice of a temporary worker brings everyone back to normal and gives the government machine its normal course.”

Usually (with the exception of a short period in 1778-1780, when she was nearing fifty, and she changed several lovers in a short period of time), Catherine spent several years with her favorites, usually parting with them due to incompatibility of characters, poor education of her favorites, their betrayals or unworthy behavior (problems for the favorites arose due to the large age difference with the empress, her strict daily routine and control over their schedule, and the need to show respect to Potemkin). Catherine’s surviving correspondence with her lovers reveals “her unbridled sensuality,” but “as far as we know, she never entered into a loveless relationship. There is no evidence that she ever approached a man without believing that she was entering into a long-term, serious relationship.” There were probably “transitional occasions” and “one-night stands” in search of a suitable companion, but they were inevitably rare, since it was practically impossible to bring someone in and out of the palace without bypassing the numerous servants, guards and courtiers who invariably noticed and commented any actions of the empress (information about a potential future favorite was valuable - letters from foreign diplomats to their homeland indicate that they carefully collected rumors of this kind).

Catherine's relationship with her favorites was the warmest; she actually fell passionately in love with each of them, surrounding each with care and attention. The romance usually began "with a flash of her maternal love, German sentimentality and admiration for the beauty of her new lover." She admired her current favorite when communicating with others, and when the need arose to part with him, she became depressed and sometimes abandoned her work for several weeks. None of the lovers who lost her favor, even those who cheated on her, were subjected to serious disgrace; they were usually sent from the capital with large gifts to the granted estates. Contemporaries and historians (especially Soviet ones) calculated the amounts that Catherine spent on gifts to her lovers during the period of favor, and named colossal figures.

Potemkin shortly before his death, April 1791

Almost all of her favorites after Potemkin were introduced to Catherine personally by him (except for Zubov) and defended his interests. Apparently, after the crisis caused by the appearance of Zavadovsky’s next favorite after Potemkin, an “unspoken agreement” was concluded between Catherine and Potemkin: each favorite must protect the interests of the prince at court. She demanded unquestioning obedience to Potemkin from her favorites, and if this rule was violated, the favorite received resignation. The empress's favorites were young people who had neither wealth nor influential relatives, who owed their rise entirely to Potemkin and Catherine and subsequently did not play an independent role. Potemkin's biographer writes that historians often lost sight of the triangle “Catherine - Potemkin - young favorite,” but it was precisely this triangle that made up the “family” of the empress. Potemkin's rooms were still connected to the empress's apartments, he had the right to enter without reporting, and the current favorite at any moment could be faced with the need to endure his company or even leave. Apparently, Catherine and Potemkin did not interrupt their “marital relationship” until the end of their lives. Some memoirists call it "favorite-chief", and the rest - "non-commissioned favorites".

2. Chronological lists

2.1. Husbands, lovers and favorites

№	Name	Portrait	Start of a relationship	End of a relationship	Status	Note
1	Grand Duke Peter Fedorovich (Emperor Peter III) (1728-1762)	1745, August 21 (September 1) - wedding	June 28 (July 9) 1762 - death of Peter III	Legal spouse	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 Stanisław Poniatowski). He suffered, according to rumors, from some kind of impotence associated with deformation of the penis - possibly phimosis, and in the early years he did not have marital relations with her. Then this problem was solved with the help of a surgical operation, and in order to perform it, Peter got Saltykov drunk.
2	Saltykov, Sergey Vasilievich (1726-1765)	1752 Since this period, he has been at the “small court” of the Grand Dukes Ekaterina Alekseevna and Pyotr Fedorovich. The beginning of the novel is probably the spring of the same year.	1754, October. 2 weeks after birth led. book Paul was hastily sent as envoy to Sweden. A few months earlier, when signs of Catherine's pregnancy became noticeable, he was no longer allowed to see her and she suffered from separation anxiety.	Secret Lover	The only known man of the empress older than her in age. Catherine II, wanting to discredit her son Paul, did not refute rumors that Saltykov was his father. After the story with Catherine, he remained at foreign courts almost his entire life.
3	Stanislav August Poniatowski (1732-1798)	1756 Catherine, having recovered from childbirth and separation from her beloved Saltykov, fell in love again with a young Pole who came to Russia in the retinue of the English Ambassador Williams.	1758 After the fall of Chancellor Bestuzhev, Williams and Poniatovsky were forced to leave St. Petersburg.	Secret Lover	Officially recognized Grand Duchess Anna Petrovna(1757-1759), most likely, was the daughter of Poniatovsky, as Grand Duke Peter Fedorovich himself believed, who, judging by “Notes of Catherine,” said: “God knows how my wife gets pregnant; I don’t know for sure whether this child is mine and whether 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. The only foreigner on the list of lovers of Catherine, a German-born princess: such a passion for Russian beauties pleased her subjects, who remembered the “German dominance” of the favorites Anna Ioannovna and Anna Leopoldovna.
4	Orlov, Grigory Grigorievich (1734-1783)	1759 or 1760. In the spring of 1759, Count Schwerin, the aide-de-camp of Frederick II, who was captured in the Battle of Zorndorf, arrived in St. Petersburg, to which Orlov was assigned as a guard. Orlov gained fame by wresting his mistress from Pyotr Shuvalov.	1772 In total, the couple was together for 12 years; after the death of her husband, Catherine even wanted to marry him, but she was dissuaded. At the same time, he had many mistresses, about whom Catherine knew. Finally, at the beginning of 1772, he left for a peace congress with the Turks in Focsani, and in his absence the favorite’s star sank, as Catherine turned her attention to Vasilchikov.	Secret lover, then official favorite (from 1762).	Bobrinsky, Alexey Grigorievich- son of Catherine and Orlov, born on April 22, 1762, a few months after the death of Elizaveta Petrovna. It is reported that on the day she went into labor, her faithful servant Shkurin set his house on fire, and Peter rushed off to watch the fire. Orlov and his passionate brothers contributed to the overthrow of Peter and the accession of Catherine to the throne. Having lost favor, he married his cousin Ekaterina Zinovieva, and after her death he went crazy.
5	Vasilchikov, Alexander Semenovich (1746-1803/1813)	1772, September. In the spring and summer of this year, he often stood guard in Tsarskoe Selo, where he attracted the attention of the Empress and soon received a golden snuffbox “for maintaining the guard.” Then he occupied the rooms in the palace in which Orlov lived, and out of fear of the sudden return of the former favorite, a guard was posted at the doors of his premises. Such a change in the favorite, after the Oryol decade, was new and caused a great stir at court.	1774, March 20. In connection with the rise of Potemkin, Vasilchikov was sent the highest order to go to Moscow.	Official Favorite	The first of Catherine’s favorites was much younger than her in age (14 years difference) and was distinguished by her beauty. He was unselfish and made little use of his position. Catherine, however, felt his emptiness and lack of education and considered him boring. After retirement, he settled in Moscow with his brother, but did not marry.
6	Potemkin, Grigory Alexandrovich (1739-1791)	1774, spring. A longtime acquaintance of Catherine, who took part in the coup	1776 In April 1776, he went on vacation to inspect the Novgorod province, at which time Zavadovsky, on whom the Empress had her eye, took his place.	The official favorite, apparently, has been the morganatic spouse since 1775 (see Wedding of Catherine II and Potemkin)	Catherine gave birth to Potemkin's daughter - Elizaveta Grigorievna Tyomkina. Despite the gap in his personal life, thanks to his abilities, he maintained the friendship and respect of Catherine and for many years remained the second person in the state. He was not married, his personal life consisted of “enlightening” his young nieces, including Ekaterina Engelgart (see).
7	Zavadovsky, Pyotr Vasilievich (1739-1812)	1776, November. He was under Rumyantsev and was introduced to the empress as the author of dispatches and reports on the affairs of Little Russia in the summer of 1775 during her stay in Moscow. He interested her as a “quieter and more humble” person than Potemkin.	1777, July. He joined the party of the Orlovs and Count Rumyantsev, did not suit Potemkin and was removed through his efforts. In May 1777, after Catherine met Zorich, Zavadovsky was given a 6-month official leave.	Official Favorite	Little Russian by birth. After his resignation, he held prominent positions in the administration. He loved the empress “like a woman” and was truly jealous of her, which harmed him in her eyes. I couldn’t forget her even after the breakup. He went to the Lyalichi estate granted to him, in 1777 he was recalled by the empress back to the capital, and since 1780 he has been engaged in administrative activities on her behalf. Became the first Minister of Public Education. He married Vera Nikolaevna Apraksina, daughter of S. O. Apraksina, niece and mistress of Kirill Razumovsky. Considered next in ability after Potemkin among Catherine's favorites; the only one besides him whom she allowed to return and assigned to engage in government activities.
8	Zorich, Semyon Gavrilovich (1743/1745-1799)	1777, June. Potemkin, wanting to remove Zavadovsky, looked for a replacement for him and took Zorich as his adjutant, and then appointed him commander of the Life Hussar Squadron - Catherine’s personal guard.	1778, June. He displeased the Empress with his immoderate card game, and displeased Potemkin with his unwillingness to take into account his interests; in a fit of temper, he said a bunch of insolence to the prince. He was expelled from St. Petersburg.	Official Favorite	A handsome hussar of Serbian origin, 14 years younger than the Empress. Catherine was dissatisfied with his poor education and the fact that he did not share her cultural interests, always expecting that he could “do something dirty.” As a result, he was dismissed with a large reward, granted 7 thousand peasants and settled in the town of Shklov, given to him by Catherine II, where he founded the Shklov Noble School at his own expense. Enmeshed in debt and suspected of counterfeiting.
9	Rimsky-Korsakov, Ivan Nikolaevich (1754-1831)	1778, June. Noticed by Potemkin, who was looking to replace 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 (including Bergman, Rontsov). On June 1, he was appointed aide-de-camp to the Empress.	1779, October 10. Removed from the court after the Empress found him in the arms of Countess Praskovya Bruce, sister of Field Marshal Rumyantsev. This intrigue of Potemkin was aimed not at removing Korsakov, but at Bruce herself.	Official Favorite	25 years younger than the Empress; Catherine was attracted by his announced “innocence.” He was very handsome and had an excellent voice (for his sake, Catherine invited world-famous musicians to Russia). After the loss of favor, he first stayed in St. Petersburg and talked in living rooms about his connection with the empress, 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. Stroganova’s husband eventually gave her a divorce. Korsakov lived with her until the end of her life, they had a son and two daughters.
The year 1778/1779 was chaotic in Catherine’s personal life; she could not choose a permanent lover. Perhaps this was due to the blow from Korsakov's betrayal. Information about men of this period is contradictory .				Chronology of the “interregnum” (according to Kazimir Waliszewski):· 1778, June - rise of Korsakov · 1778, August - rivals try to take away the Empress' favor from him, they are supported by Potemkin (on the one hand) and Panin and Orlov (on the other) · 1778, September - Strakhov gains the upper hand over his rivals · 4 months later - the rise of Levashev. A young man, patronized by Countess Bruce, Svejkovsky (or Svikhovsky), pierced himself with a sword in despair that this officer was preferred to him. · Rimsky-Korsakov briefly returns to his previous position · Rimsky-Korsakov fights Stoyanov
10	Stakhiev (Strakhov)	1778; 1779, June.	1779, October.	According to the description of contemporaries, “a jester of the lowest order.” Strakhov was a protégé of Count N.I. Panin Strakhov may be Ivan Varfolomeevich Strakhov(1750-1793), in this case, he was not the empress’s lover, but a man whom Panin considered insane, and who, when Catherine once told him that he could ask her for some favor, threw himself on his knees and asked her hands, after which she began to avoid him.
11	Stoyanov (Stanov) Possibly two separate people.	1778	1778	Potemkin's protégé
12	Rantsov (Rontsov), Ivan Romanovich (1755-1791)	1779. Mentioned among those who participated in the “competition”; it is not entirely clear whether he managed to visit the Empress’s alcove	1780	One of the illegitimate sons of Count R.I. Vorontsov, half-brother of Dashkova. A year later he led a London mob in riots organized by Lord George Gordon.
13	Levashov, Vasily Ivanovich (1740(?) - 1804)	1779, October	1779, October	Major of the Semenovsky regiment, a young man protected by Countess Bruce. He was distinguished by his wit and cheerfulness. Uncle of one of the subsequent favorites - Ermolov. 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)	1780, March. Potemkin's nephew	1780, March
15	Lanskoy, Alexander Dmitrievich (1758-1784)	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 supervised his court education for about six months, after which in the spring of 1780 he recommended him to the empress as a warm friend.	1784, July 25. Died after a five-day illness with toad and fever	Official Favorite	29 years younger than the 54-year-old at the time the empress began her relationship. The only one of the favorites who did not interfere in politics and refused influence, ranks, and orders. He shared Catherine’s interest in science and, under her guidance, studied French and became acquainted with philosophy. He enjoyed universal sympathy. He sincerely adored the Empress and tried his best to maintain peace with Potemkin. If Catherine began to flirt with someone else, Lanskoy “wasn’t jealous, didn’t cheat on her, wasn’t insolent, but so touchingly […] lamented her disfavor and suffered so sincerely that he won her love again.”
16	Mordvinov	1781, May. For a short time, Catherine drew attention to the young man, which almost cost the Empress’s favorite A.D. Lansky the resignation.	1781, June	Probably, Mordvinov, Nikolai Semenovich(1754-1845). The admiral's son, the same age as Grand Duke Paul, was brought up with him. The episode did not affect his biography and is usually not mentioned. He became a famous naval commander. Relative of Lermontov
17	Ermolov, Alexander Petrovich (1754-1834)	1785, February. The officer, Potemkin's adjutant, was introduced to them. Gelbig reports that Potemkin specially arranged a holiday to introduce Yermolov to the empress. Only 9 months after the death of Lansky, whose loss hit her hard, did Catherine resume her personal life. Before he got into the “accident,” he had to fight a difficult battle with other rivals, of whom the most serious was 22-year-old Pavel Mikhailovich Dashkov, Dashkova’s son.	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 Ermolov for help), in addition, the empress also lost interest in him. He was expelled from St. Petersburg - he was “allowed to go abroad for three years.”	Official Favorite	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 proposed him as a favorite. He was tall and slender, blond, gloomy, taciturn, honest and too simple. With letters of recommendation from the Chancellor, Count Bezborodko, he left for Germany and Italy. Everywhere he behaved very modestly. After retirement, he settled in Moscow and married Elizaveta Mikhailovna Golitsyna, with whom he had children. Nephew of the previous favorite - Vasily Levashov. Then he left for Austria, where he bought the rich and profitable Frosdorf estate near Vienna, where he died at the age of 82.
18	Dmitriev-Mamonov, Alexander Matveevich (1758-1803)	1786, July. A distant relative of Potemkin and his adjutant. Presented to the Empress the day after Yermolov's departure.	1789, November. He fell in love with the maid of honor, Princess Daria Fedorovna Shcherbatova, which was reported to Catherine. “...Before the evening exit, Her Majesty herself deigned to betroth Count A.M. Mamonov to Princess Shcherbatova; they, on their knees, asked for forgiveness and were forgiven.” The groom was given gifts and ordered to leave St. Petersburg the very next day after the wedding, July 12.	Official Favorite	28 year old at the start of a relationship. He was distinguished by his tall stature and intelligence. He wrote poetry and plays. Did not interfere in government. Being married in Moscow, he repeatedly turned to Empress Catherine II with a request to allow him to return to St. Petersburg, but was refused. As Golovkin noted: “He was neither this nor that, nor anything at all; he had only one entertainment - to torment his wife, whom he endlessly accused of being the culprit of his complete insignificance.” She bore him 4 children and eventually separated.
19	Miloradovich	1789 He was among the candidates proposed after Dmitriev’s resignation. Their number also included retired second major of the Preobrazhensky regiment Kazarinov, Baron Mengden - all young handsome men, behind each of whom stood influential courtiers (Potemkin, Bezborodko, Naryshkin, Vorontsov and Zavadovsky).	1789	Probably, Miloradovich, Mikhail Andreevich(1771-1825). The famous general was killed on Senate Square by the Decembrist Kakhovsky. The episode of Catherine’s possible favor is usually not mentioned in biography. According to the instructions of Ya. L. Barskova, he is included in Catherine’s Don Juan list.
20	Miklashevsky	1787	1787 Miklashevsky was a candidate, but did not become the favorite.	According to evidence, during Catherine II’s trip to Crimea in 1787, a certain Miklashevsky was among the favorite candidates. Perhaps it was Miklashevsky, Mikhail Pavlovich(1756-1847), who was part of Potemkin’s retinue as an adjutant (the first step to favor), but it is unclear from what year.. In 1798, Mikhail Miklashevsky was appointed Little Russian governor, but was soon dismissed. In biography, the episode with Catherine is usually not mentioned.
21	Zubov, Platon Alexandrovich (1767-1822)	1789, July. A protege of Field Marshal Prince N.I. Saltykov, the chief educator of Catherine’s grandchildren.	1796, November 6. Catherine's last favorite. The relationship ended with her death.	Official Favorite	22-year-old at the time of the beginning of a relationship with the 60-year-old empress. The first official favorite since Potemkin, who was not his adjutant. N.I. Saltykov and A.N. Naryshkina stood behind him, and Perekusikhina also worked for him. He enjoyed great influence and practically managed to oust Potemkin, who threatened to “come and snatch tooth" Later he 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.