Ekaterina Alekseevna: biography and photos

Ekaterina Alekseevna - Empress, who became one of the iconic figures of the history of Russia in the XVIII century. It was with her that the so-called age of women began on the Russian throne. She was not a man of strong political will or a state mindset, but because of her personal qualities she left her mark in the history of the Fatherland. It is about Catherine I - first mistress, then wife of Peter I, and later a full-fledged ruler of the Russian state.

The secret is the first. Childhood

If we talk about the early years of this personality, we involuntarily come to the conclusion that there are more riddles and uncertainties in her biography than real information. Until now, its exact place of origin and nationality is unknown - more than 300 years after its birth, historians can not give an exact answer.

According to one version, Ekaterina Alekseevna was born on April 5, 1684 in the family of a Lithuanian (or maybe Latvian) peasant in the vicinity of Kegums, which was located in the historical area of Vidzem. Then these territories were part of the most powerful Swedish state.

Another version shows her Estonian roots. It is narrated that she was allegedly born in the modern city of Tartu, which was called Dorpat at the end of the 17th century. But it is also indicated that it did not have a high origin, but left the peasantry.

In recent years, another version has appeared. Catherine's father was Samuel Skavronsky, who served Casimir Jan Sapieha. Once he fled to Livland, settled in the Marienburg area, where he started a family.

There is one more nuance. Ekaterina Alekseevna - the princess of Russia - did not have a name under which she went down in history. Her real name is Skavronska, named Martha, who was the daughter of Samuel. But it is not worthy for a woman with this name to occupy the Russian throne, so she received new "passport data" and became Ekaterina Alekseevna Mikhailova.

The second mystery. Adolescence

In Europe, in those early years, the plague was still dangerous. And her family could not avoid this danger. As a result, in the year of Martha's birth from "black death" her parents were killed. There was only an uncle who could not assume the duties of a parent, so he gave the girl to the family of Ernst Gluck, who was a Lutheran pastor. By the way, he is famous for translating the Bible into Latvian. In 1700 the Northern War began, the main opposing forces in which were Sweden and Russia. In 1702, the Russian army stormed the inaccessible fortress of Marienburg. After that, Ernst Gluck and Martha were sent to Moscow as prisoners. After a while, under the receipt of Pastor Fagezia settled in his house, in the German settlement. Martha herself-the future Catherine Alekseevna-did not study and not read books, and was in the house as a servant.

The version given in the dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron leads other information, according to which her mother did not die from the plague, but lost her husband. After she was widowed, she was forced to give her daughter to the family of the same Gluck. And this version says that she was taught literacy and various needlework.

According to the third version, she got into the Gluck family after reaching the age of 12. Before that, Martha lived with Veselovskaya Anna Maria, her aunt. At the age of 17 she was married to the Swede Johann Kruse on the eve of the Russian offensive on the fortress of Marienburg. After 1 or 2 days he had to go to war, where he disappeared without a trace.

Such secrets of birth and early years were shrouded in her personality by Ekaterina Alekseevna. Her biography does not at all become 100% clear from this point on, various kinds of white spots will appear in her.

Field Marshal Sheremetev in the life of Catherine

Russian troops at the beginning of the Northern War in Livonia headed Sheremetev. He managed to capture the main fortress of Marienburg, after which the main forces of the Swedes moved further. The triumphant subjected the region to a ruthless plunder. He himself reported to the Russian Tsar in the following way: "... he sent in all directions to burn and take captivity, the whole is nothing left." Men and women were taken prisoner, everything was ruined and burned. Workers and other livestock in the amount of 20,000 were taken, the rest was chopped and chopped ".

In the fortress, the Field Marshal captured 400 people. Pastor Ernst Gluck came to the Sheremetev to petition for the fate of the residents, here was Yekaterina Alekseevna, who then had the name of Marta Kruze, was (Sheremetev). The aged field-marshal sent all the inhabitants and Gluck to Moscow, and Martha took him into his mistresses. For several months she was his concubine, after which, in a heated quarrel, Menshikov took Martha from him, since then her life was connected with a new military and political figure, the closest associate of Peter.

The version of Peter Henry Bruce

In a more favorable offer to Catherine himself, Scotsman Bruce described in his memoirs these events. According to him, after the capture of Marienburg, Marth was taken by Baur, a colonel of the dragoon regiment, and in the future a general.

Putting it at home, Baur instructed her to do housework. She had the right to fully dispose of the servants. What she did skillfully enough, as a result, earned the love and respect of her subordinates. Later, the general recalled that his house had never been so well-groomed as before under Martha. Once Prince Menshikov, the immediate boss of Baur, visited him, during which the girl noticed, she turned out to be Ekaterina Alekseevna. The photo in those years did not yet exist to capture it, but Menshikov himself noted her extraordinary facial features and manners. He became interested in Martha and asked about it from Baur. In particular, does she know how to cook and how to farm? To which he received an affirmative answer. Then Prince Menshikov said that his house was in fact without good supervision and needed just such a woman as our heroine.

Baur was strongly indebted to the prince and after these words he called Martha and said that before her Menshikov was her new master. He assured the prince that she would be a good support for him in the household and a friend you could rely on. In addition, Baur strongly respected Martha in order to prevent her "the opportunity to get a share of honor and good fortune." Since that time Catherine I Alekseevna began to live in the house of Prince Menshikov. It was in 1703.

The first meeting between Peter and Catherine

In one of his frequent trips to Menshikov, Tsar Peter I met, and then turned into his mistress Martha. There remains a written record of their first meeting.

Menshikov lived in St. Petersburg (then - Nyenskans). Peter went to Livonia, but he wanted to stay with his friend Menshikov. That very evening he saw his chosen one for the first time. She became Catherine Alexeevna - wife (in the future) of Peter the Great. That evening she served on the table. The king asked Menshikov who she was, where and from where he could buy it. After that, Peter stared at Catherine for a long time and as a result, in a joking manner, said that she brought him a candle before going to sleep. However, this joke was an order from which it was impossible to refuse. They spent the night together. In the morning Peter left, in gratitude he left her 1 ducat, in military terms, putting it into Marta's hand at parting.

This was the first meeting of the king with a servant girl, who was destined to become the empress. This meeting was very important, because if it had not happened, Peter would never have learned about the existence of such an unusual girl.

In 1710, on the occasion of victory in the Battle of Poltava in Moscow, a triumphal procession was organized. The area was held by prisoners of the Swedish army. Sources say that among them was Catherine's husband Johann Kruse. He reported that the girl who gives birth to one child after another to the king is his wife. The result of these words was his exile to Siberia, where he died in 1721.

Mistress of Peter the Great

The next year after the first meeting with the Tsar, Catherine I Alekseevna gave birth to the first-born, whom she called Peter, a year later a second child, Pavel, appeared. Soon they died. The king called it Martha Wasilewska, probably by the surname of her aunt. In 1705, he decided to take her and put him in the house of his sister Natalia in Preobrazhensky. There, Martha learned Russian literacy and became friends with the Menshikov family.

In 1707 or 1708, Marta Skavronska turned to Orthodoxy. After baptism she received a new name - Ekaterina Alekseevna Mikhailova. She received the patronymic by the name of her godfather, who was Tsarevich Alexei, and the surname was given by Peter, so that she remained incognito.

The lawful wife of Peter the Great

Catherine was the beloved woman of Peter, she was the love of his whole life. Yes, he had a huge number of novels and intrigues, but he loved only one person - his Martha. She saw it. Peter I, as is known from the memoirs of contemporaries, was tormented by severe headaches. Nobody could do anything with them. Ekaterina Alexeyevna was his "analgesic". When the tsar began another attack, she sat next to him, embraced him and stroked his head, for a few minutes he fell asleep a sound sleep. After awakening, he felt fresh, cheerful, ready for new achievements.

In the spring of 1711, going to the Prut march, Peter gathered his relatives in Preobrazhensky, brought out his chosen one before them, and said that from now on, everyone should consider her a legitimate wife and queen. He also said that if he perishes before marrying, then everyone should consider her a legitimate heir to the Russian throne.

The wedding took place only in 1712, on February 19, in the church of Isaac Dalmatsky. From this moment, Ekaterina Alekseevna is the wife of Peter. The couple were strongly attached to each other, especially Peter. He wanted to see her everywhere: at the descent of the ship, the military review, on holidays.

Children of Peter and Catherine

Katerynushka, as her king called her, gave birth to 10 children, but most of them died in infancy (see the table).

Only with his two daughters is connected the further political history of the Romanovs' house. The daughter of Catherine Alekseevna Elizaveta ruled the country for more than 20 years, and Anna's descendants ruled Russia from 1762 until the very fall of monarchical power in 1917.

Ascension to the throne

As you know, Peter was remembered as the tsar-reformer. Concerning the process of succession to the throne, he did not ignore this issue. In 1722, in this sphere, a reform was carried out, according to which the heir to the throne was not the first male descendant, but the one who was appointed by the incumbent. As a result, any subject could become a ruler.

November 15, 1723 Peter issued the Manifesto on the coronation of Catherine. The coronation itself occurred on May 7, 1724.

The last weeks of his life Peter was very ill. And when Catherine realized that he was no longer recovering from illness, he called on Prince Menshikov and Count Tolstoy so that they would work to attract the powers that be to her side, since Peter had not left the will.

On January 28, 1725, with the support of the Guards and the majority of the nobles, Catherine was proclaimed empress, heiress of Peter the Great.

Great Ekaterina Alekseevna on the Russian throne

The Russian imperial power during the reign of Catherine was not autocratic. Virtually the power was in the hands of the Privy Council, although it was alleged that its fullness is possessed by the Senate, which under Catherine was renamed the Great Senate. The unlimited power was vested in Prince Menshikov, the same one who took Marta Skavronska from Count Sheremetev.

Ekaterina Alekseevna - Empress without state affairs. She was not interested in the state, putting all the worries on Menshikov, Tolstoy and the Privy Council, created in 1726. Her interest was only in foreign policy, and especially in the fleet, which she was transferred from her husband. During these years the senate lost its determining influence. All documents were developed by the Privy Council, and the function of the empress was to simply sign them.

Long years of the reign of Peter I were in constant wars, the burden of which completely fell on the shoulders of the common people. It is tired of this. At the same time, there was a bad harvest in agriculture, the prices for bread increased. A tense situation was created in the country. To somehow discharge it, Catherine reduced the per capita tax from 74 to 70 kopecks. The born Marta Skavronska, unfortunately, did not differ with her reformist characteristics, which her namesake was endowed with - Empress Ekaterina 2 Alekseevna, and her state activities were limited to small businesses. While the country was drowning in embezzlement and arbitrariness on the ground.

Poor education and non-participation in state affairs nevertheless did not deprive her of popular love - she was drowning in it. Catherine willingly helped the unfortunate and just people asking for help, others wanted to see her as a goddess. As a rule, she did not refuse anyone and gave several godfathers to her next godson.

Ekaterina Alekseevna was in power only two years - from 1725 to 1727. During this time, the Academy of Sciences was opened, the Bering expedition was organized and carried out, and the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky was introduced.

Leaving a life

After Peter's death, Catherine's life spun: masquerades, balls, parties, greatly undermined her health. In April 1727, on the 10th, the Empress went blind, the cough increased, signs of lung damage were revealed. The death of Catherine Alexeyevna was a matter of time. She had less than a month to live.

May 6, 1727, in the evening, at 9 o'clock, Catherine died. She was 43 years old. Before her death, a will was made, which the empress could no longer sign, so there was the signature of her daughter Elizabeth. According to the will, Peter Alekseevich, grandson of Emperor Peter I.

Ekaterina Alekseevna and Peter I were a good couple. They supported each other in life. Catherine acted magically, soothing to him, Peter, in turn, restrained her inner energy. After his death, Catherine spent the remaining time in festivities and drinking. Many eyewitnesses claimed that she simply wanted to forget herself, others talk about her walking nature. In any case, the people loved her, she knew how to arrange men and remained an empress without real power in her hands. Catherine 1 Alexeyevna began the era of women's rule in the Russian Empire, which remained at the helm until the end of the XVIII century with short breaks of several years.