Count Bobrinsky, son of Catherine II: biography. Manor of Count Bobrinsky in Bogoroditsk

According to historians, Empress Catherine II is the embodiment of absolutism in Russia. But we must not forget that in her reign, our country has become one of the most important players in the world political arena and has begun to take the first steps towards the development of entrepreneurship and industry. So, Crimea was joined to Russia, reforms were carried out that changed the internal administrative structure of the state, as well as many changes in the sphere of economy. However, the Empress's personal life evoked and is of no less interest. In particular, at all times the townsfolk had many questions about why Count Bobrinsky, the son of Catherine II, born out of wedlock, grew up far from the court.

Grigory Orlov

The story of who Count Bobrinsky, the son of Catherine II, was impossible to start without mentioning his father - Grigory Orlov. This, then still young and very attractive, the officer appeared at the court of Elizabeth 1 in 1760 and immediately acquired the reputation of Don Juan. Soon they were carried away by the wife of Tsarevich Peter Fedorovich - Catherine, who succeeded in obtaining the appointment of a lover for an important post of treasurer of the main artillery and fortification office. Especially important role in the life of the future empress, a young courtier began to play after the death of Elizabeth. And when Catherine ascended the throne, Orlov became an all-powerful favorite and achieved all conceivable honors.

Illegitimate son

Relations between Orlov and the princess were no secret to anyone, besides, her husband - after his accession to the throne - moved his unloved wife to the other end of the palace and never visited her. Therefore, Catherine carefully concealed her pregnancy, which could not be given for "legal". Fortunately, everything worked out, since when on April 11, 1762 the empress began labor, valet Vasily Shkurin set fire to his house, and Pyotr Fedorovich with the court ran to watch the fire. Thus, only a few of Catherine's approximate friends knew about the birth of the boy , and she managed to avoid scandal and imprisonment in the monastery.

Count Bobrinsky, son of Catherine 2: early years

The child, born in secret from the emperor and the court, his parents called Alexei and, since it was impossible to leave him in the Winter Palace, he was transferred to Shkurin's valet's family, ordering him to extradite the baby for his son. Two months after these events, there was a well-known coup, which made the mother of little Alyosha the ruler of a huge state, and her father - one of the most influential nobles of the Russian Empire. But all these events had no effect on the child's fate, and up to the age of 12 he grew up under the same conditions as the other children of the Shkurins. Although it must be said that the valet family was not poor at all, and in 1770 his sons, together with Alexei, were sent to study at Leipzig for a public account. At the end of the course, he was returned to Russia, and on the orders of the Empress, he was called Alexei Grigorievich Bobrinsky.

Origin of the surname

Modern man can be perplexed: why did the omnipotent father not recognize the child from his beloved woman? However, what happened to the illegitimate son of Catherine 2, for the people of the nobility, who lived in the 18th century, was quite in the order of things. In particular, the royal mother acquired for him the village of Spasskoe, or, as it was still called, Bobriki, located in the Epiphany district of the Tula province, and ordered to give him a surname by the name of this estate. From that moment, the funds for the maintenance of the young man had to go not from treasury, but from the proceeds from his own serfs. This was the basis of the estate, known today as the farmstead of the Bobrinsky Counts.

Life of the illegitimate son of Catherine II before the accession of Paul 1

After receiving primary education abroad, Alexei Bobrinsky was admitted to the Land Cadet Corps, which he graduated in 1782 with a gold medal. After that, the young man was enlisted in the army in the rank of lieutenant. However, before taking up his duties, he along with the other most distinguished alumni of the mentioned educational institution was sent on a long journey through the cities of Russia, and then of Europe. At the end of the trip, the young man was in Paris and decided to stay there, leading the rampant life of a rich rake. After a variety of adventures, rumors about which upset Catherine 2, the future Earl of Alexei Bobrinsky was in Russia only in the winter of 1788. His mother did not want to see him and ordered her to leave Riga directly to Reval where he was to serve as a captain. But the military career did not seduce the young man, and in 1790 he wrote a report with a request for resignation, which was granted. After some time, the future Earl of Bobrinsky (the son of Catherine II) bought, with permission of matter, the castle of Ober-Palen and married Anne Ungern-Sternberg. After the wedding, the newlyweds visited the capital and were kindly received by the empress, who asked the daughter-in-law, as she was not afraid to marry a man whose amorous adventures earned him the glory of this ladies' man? However, Catherine II did not invite the young people to live at the court. Therefore, Alexei Bobrinsky returned with his wife to Ober-Palen and lived there until the death of his mother. Then he could not imagine what changes await him in the future.

Assignment of Count's title to Alexei Bobrinsky

Almost immediately after his accession to the throne, Catherine II's successor recalled his stepbrother. The fact is that Paul 1 had no reason to envy or dislike the illegitimate offspring, because neither of them had ever known maternal love. He invited him to St. Petersburg, and the letter said that from now on Alexey Grigorievich Bobrinsky can come to the capital and leave from there any time he likes. In addition, under the imperial order, he was elevated to the rank of Count. Thus, well-known Russian politicians, military leaders, manufacturers and writers of Bobrinsky are graphs who received this title from their relative, Emperor Paul.

last years of life

Pavel 1 also decided to return to Bobrinsky the part of Orlov's legacy that belonged to him by right and granted his father's Petersburg house and commander's office in Gdov district. Moreover, on the day of his coronation, the emperor personally made him into Major-General. But Count Bobrinsky, a photo depicting a portrait of which indicates a strong external resemblance to Catherine, 2 did not like military service. So a year later he asked for rest and decided to take up farming. Since that time, the estate of Count Bobrinsky in Bogoroditsk has turned into one of the most prosperous and exemplary in Russia. In addition, the retired Major General engaged in mineralogy and astronomy, even erected a small observatory in his capital's mansion.

Bobrinsky (columns)

On the line of the illegitimate son from Count Orlov, Catherine II had four grandchildren, among whom Alexei Alekseyevich Bobrinsky, who became a famous specialist in the field of agriculture, deserves special mention, who is the founder of the industrial production of beet sugar in Russia. No less famous was his younger brother - Vasily Alekseevich, who was one of the first to join the Southern Society of the Decembrists. By a lucky chance on the day when the December insurrection took place in St. Petersburg, he was with his family in Paris, and therefore was not arrested. On his return to Russia, he did a lot of natural science and charity, especially in the field of public education.

The Bobrinsky Estate today

In 1933 the estate of this well-known count's family was turned into a museum complex, which is one of the main attractions of the Tula region. Among its most significant buildings are the Bobrinsky Counts Palace, the museum of local lore, the family burial vault, the planetarium and the magnificent park, which was destroyed in the late 18th century. On the territory of the estate there is also a church built in 1774-1778.

Museum in Bogoroditsk: a collection

Objects of art and various rarities were of interest to the first owner of the estate. Therefore, it was the collection that Count Bobrinsky (the son of Catherine II) collected, and became the foundation of the collections of the museum complex in Bogoroditsk. Today they include several thousand exhibits. Among the most valuable are the following:

• Paleontological collection of parts of skeletons of animals of the Pleistocene epoch;
• Archaeological finds, such as stone axes of the Bronze Age;
• Intravital editions of the works of KE Tsiolkovsky;
• Personal belongings of representatives of the Bobrinsky family.

The Bobrinsky Palace

Tourists who visit the Tula region are strongly recommended to visit Bogoroditsk. The palace and park ensemble located there is a creation of the famous architect IE Starov and an excellent example of the architecture of the end of the Catherine's epoch. Today it is difficult to believe that the palace of Count Bobrinsky in Bogoroditsk was badly damaged during the Great Patriotic War, leaving only part of the walls. Thanks to the extensive restoration work carried out in the mid-1970s, this magnificent architectural structure was restored, and the interiors were recreated according to the surviving sketches and eyewitness recollections. By the way, few know that the estate of the Bobrinsky Counts was well known to Leo Tolstoy, who lived in Yasnaya Polyana, located near these places. By the way, it was he who described it in "Anna Karenina" as Alexei Vronsky's estate. And the museum of Count Bobrinsky in Bogoroditsk participated in the All-Russian competition "7 Wonders of Russia", which was held in 2007-2008. And went to the semifinals!

Traveling through the Tula region, be sure to try to visit the museum of the Count Bobrinsky, whose building is a real architectural gem, which invariably provokes admiration among tourists who did not expect to see such splendor in the province.