John Antonovich: reign and death

In the history of Russia, John Antonovich (1740-1764) remains one of the most unusual rulers. He occupied the throne, while still a child, and was thence exiled in the same unconscious age. The greater part of his life fell to imprisonment, from which he could not escape. This is a vivid example of the sad fate of a man who claims power because of his origin.

Heir

Newborn John Antonovich was born in the family of Anna Leopoldovna and Anton Ulrich. These were the most notable parents that the boy in Russia could have been. Mother was niece of Empress Anna Ioannovna and granddaughter of Tsar John I V. Father was of German descent and had the title of Duke of Braunschweig.

The Empress Anna had no children, because of which the throne after her death in 1740 passed to the nearest male relative (grand-nephew). This ambiguous choice was also connected with the fact that the dying ruler wanted to leave power behind the descendants of her father John, but not Peter. Therefore, in her will, she indicated that after the baby the throne would pass to the other children of her niece Anna Leopoldovna.

The Regency of Biron

Of course, the child needed a regent who could lead the state while the formal bearer of power is growing. Neither the mother nor the father of the baby was suitable for this role because of the lack of organizational skills and simple interest in governing the country. Therefore, at such a high, but dangerous position was appointed German Biron - a favorite of the old empress.

However, Biron did not rule for long. During the life of the empress, he enjoyed her favor, but after her death remained surrounded by enemies and ill-wishers. When he was a favorite, the Duke of Courland and Semigallia broke many fates and crossed the path to many prominent officials. They were unhappy with the army, which did not want to see an alien German at the head of state.

Mother Board

Therefore, literally the second week of the reign of the baby, Biron was removed from power by the St. Petersburg Guard, which placed Regent Anna Leopoldovna in her place. But she had an apathetic character and eventually gave the reins to other Germans. First it was Field Marshal Minich, and then Gray Cardinal Osterman. All of them appeared in St. Petersburg in the post-Petrine era, when a wave of newly arrived Germans literally flooded Russia - they were appointed to leading posts in the state.

It is interesting that the official papers that were compiled during the period under consideration referred to the young king John III. This tradition has developed since the times of Ivan the Terrible (the first Russian tsar). However much later, in the XIX century, historians began to use the numbering, according to which the little emperor was already the Sixth. In this case, the countdown is conducted from John Kalita, the first Moscow prince with this name, who ruled in the XIV century, during the Golden Horde.

Link to the North

But already in 1741 the Guard again changed its views. The dominance of foreigners is tired of everyone, and many have sided with the daughter of Peter the Great, Elizabeth. The coup was carried out quickly. When it became clear that John Antonovich was no longer a ruler, it was decided to send him with his family to the North, exile. This place was the city of Kholmogory.

John Antonovich, in 1741 for which he became a turning-point, now lived in a small house, isolated from his parents. Mother died a few years later, unable to withstand the severe climate. Throughout the reign of Elizabeth, attempts to erase from historical memory a short period of the rule of this family continued. In particular, the coins of John Antonovich, minted in the year of his stay on the throne, were hastily melted. And people who try to pay off with such money, began to detain and blame treason.

Efforts aimed at the disappearance of John and his parents from state chronicles were so successful that even when the 300th anniversary of the Romanovs' house was celebrated in the 20th century, no mention was made of the child, including monuments erected on the occasion of the jubilee.

Shlisselburg Fortress

In 1756, the ex-Emperor John Antonovich was transferred from Kholmogory to the Shlisselburg Fortress. Conditions of its maintenance have considerably worsened. Since the appearance of the new site, he has not seen a single human face, he was forbidden to leave the cell. All this could not but affect the mental state of the now young man. The witnesses stated that he was inadequate, although during the time spent in the North, the boy learned to read and even knew that he had once been an emperor.

Meanwhile, Catherine II came to power. John Antonovich became a figure, which various adventurers tried to use and want to seize power. One of them was lieutenant Vasily Mirovich. In 1764 he persuaded half the guards of the fortress to commit a riot and release the former emperor. However, the prisoner's personal guards had secret instructions from St. Petersburg, who, in the event of any danger, would kill John. So they did. Mirow was seized and publicly executed in the capital.