Paul I. Women of Paul I Memoirs about the daughters of Paul 1 year
In the 18th century, during the time of Paul I, the imperial family usually came to Gatchina in early August and stayed here until the autumn cold, and returned to St. Petersburg at the end of November or beginning of December. Chamber-Fourier journals and testimonies of contemporaries give an idea of court life and bring to us the breath of the Pavlovian era, full of conventions and saturated with strict observance of regulations, which had to be followed by everyone without exception - both adults and children. Rising early in the morning, walking or riding, lunches, dinners that began at the same time, performances and evening meetings - all this was subject to strict etiquette and followed the order established once and for all by the emperor.
The day started early. Exactly at seven in the morning, the emperor, together with the grand dukes, was already riding out on horseback to meet the troops. Then the heir to the throne Alexander and Grand Duke Konstantin were present at the exercises of the Gatchina troops and parades, which took place daily on the huge parade ground in front of the palace and ended with the changing of the guard.
The Grand Duchesses strolled a little later - as a rule, in carriages, together with the Empress and accompanied by ladies of their retinue. Lunch was served at 1:30 p.m. In good weather, tables were set outdoors, in the garden under a tent. Only the three eldest Grand Duchesses, Alexandra, Elena and Maria, had lunch and dinner with their parents. The Grand Dukes Alexander and Constantine, who by that time already had wives, received only residential apartments for free in their country palaces, and the court staff, servants, table and stables had to be maintained “at their own expense.” If you believe a contemporary (memoirs of Count Golovkin), then Grand Duke Alexander Pavlovich was able to “dine only on those days when he was invited to the imperial table.”
At five o’clock the whole family went for a day’s walk: on foot in the garden, or in “karataykas” or lines around the park and the Menagerie, where the children especially loved to be. There, wild animals were kept in special enclosures: deer, fallow deer, guinea fowl, pheasants and even camels. The forester Gundius served a snack. Six miles from Gatchina, in the small village of Pudost, there was a “stone quarry” - the famous Pudost limestone was mined here, from which the architect Brenna built arched bridges and monumental gates in Gatchina Park. There was a mill there in Pudost. At its owner, the miller Stackenschneider (father of the famous architect A.I. Stackenschneider), they usually drank coffee in a small coffee house, lined with yellow stone.
In early September, autumn maneuvers began with the participation of the grand dukes. As for the princesses, they certainly acted as observers and lively discussed all the movements of the troops. One of these maneuvers was described in his memoirs by the Polish king Stanislav-August Poniatowski, who arrived in Gatchina in 1797: “The military maneuver was carried out by 7,600 people of various types of weapons... The troops participating in the matter were divided into four parts. The maneuver lasted about three hours, during which they occupied and fortified a small forest. The cavalry made several very lively attacks. The infantry deserved special praise for its transitions, deployment and alignment. The light artillery detachment also distinguished itself here. Moderate sunshine and lack of rain and wind made it a successful day in all respects.” Of course, nature was not always so lenient; there were winds, rain and snow, but nothing could cancel the scheduled military exercise or parade.
In the first years of their life together in Gatchina, for the senior grand dukes, service in the Gatchina troops was new and brought joy. After some time, the charm of novelty disappeared and they began to be burdened by lack of freedom, but neither Alexander nor Constantine dared to show displeasure to the sovereign father.
The Gatchina Palace had a very good theater: performances were the favorite entertainment of all its inhabitants; they started at seven o'clock in the evening. Performances were given by Russian, French and Italian troupes. Thus, during Poniatowski’s stay in Gatchina in 1797, plays, operas or ballets were performed every day, and those he especially liked were even repeated. The music for the plays was written by D.S. Bortnyansky, the theater decorator was the famous P. Gonzago. Of the younger children, only one Ekaterina Pavlovna was allowed to attend performances.
When there were no performances, the Grand Dukes with their spouses and the four eldest daughters, together with their august parents, attended the evening “meeting”, where the Empress and the Grand Duchesses - the wives of the Grand Dukes - played cards, most often picket.
On holidays, balls were held “for gentlemen visiting from St. Petersburg and for ladies and ladies-in-waiting living at court.” On this occasion, gentlemen came to the palace in elegant caftans, and ladies always put on “Russian dress”. During the evening “meetings” there were also so-called “small balls”, which were organized impromptu among loved ones. In the dance fashion of that time, the minuet, French or Polish, was considered the most popular. The empress opened the ball for them, “walking around in Polish” with the grand dukes. One day, two-year-old Anna Pavlovna and Grand Duke Nikolai Pavlovich, who was one year old at the time, took part in the dance. The balls did not last long and ended no later than nine o’clock in the evening, followed by the “evening meal.” At ten, everyone retired to their rooms. This was the daily routine of court life in Gatchina.
Village life hardly seemed boring to younger children, because, according to a contemporary, “all the amusements of Versailles and Trianon were magically... transferred to Gatchina.” In addition, despite numerous ceremonies, they saw their parents more often than usual - the emperor-father, who loved them dearly, called them “lambs”, “lambs”, handed them toys that had fallen from their tiny hands and even - to the displeasure of Maria Feodorovna - freely talked to the nannies, “relaxing” court etiquette in their favor. The teacher of the boys and girls was the lady of state and her serene princess Charlotte Karlovna Lieven. They told her simple childhood secrets and called her grandmother. The daughters of the august monarch were beautiful and were considered one of the most educated princesses in Europe. They knew foreign languages, read and translated a lot, were well versed in music and inherited from their mother empress the ability to draw and sculpt in wax. The beautiful Alexandra already published two translations from French at the age of thirteen. Graceful and lovely Elena was particularly successful in dancing, and Princess Maria had many different talents, for which her family called her “the pearl.” According to the Empress Mother, every woman had to be “a perfect seamstress, weaver, stocking maker and cook” and recognize “her weakness and her husband’s advantage in any case” in order to deserve his “love and affection by modesty and humility.” These views were probably passed on to their daughters.
All members of the royal family took part in the most significant ceremonies: namesake days and birthdays. The autumn of 1799 in Gatchina turned out to be perhaps the most brilliant in terms of the number and splendor of various celebrations. They began on August 30: the namesake of the heir to the throne coincided with the celebration of the day of the holy noble prince Alexander Nevsky. Tsarevich Alexander Pavlovich received congratulations in his own Throne Room, and the table that day was set with 53 pieces of Oryol and Gatchina sets. Of the women at the table, only Empress Maria Feodorovna was present.
On October 12, 1799, wedding celebrations began in Gatchina: the emperor gave two daughters in marriage. Probably, this holiday was timed to coincide with the transfer to the Russian Tsar, who in 1798 accepted the title of Grand Master of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, of Christian relics: the incorruptible Hand of John the Baptist, Part of the Calvary Cross of the Lord and the icon of the Mother of God of Filermo, painted by the Evangelist Luke. The wedding of Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna with Prince Friedrich of Mecklenburg was scheduled for October 12. The bride was fifteen years old and was the second oldest daughter. At the end of the ceremony, the cannons began to fire: a total of 101 shots were fired.
On October 19, another daughter, sixteen-year-old Alexandra, got married. Her fiancé, the Austrian Archduke Joseph, was a Catholic, so the wedding was also held in the White Hall according to the Catholic rite. The Emperor blessed both daughters with Maltese shrines. Small children were also present at the wedding. Nikolai Pavlovich, the future Emperor Nicholas I, recalled: “...they put me in a chair in the choir; the cannon shot that rang out frightened me greatly, and they carried me away.” A vivid impression of these days for the little Grand Duke was “riding” on the train of the wife of his brother-heir.
A masquerade ball for the nobility and merchants was held with special festivity. On November 8, on the name day of Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich, the ceremony of entering the church was so magnificent that it amazed his contemporaries. Cavaliers of Russian orders and ladies granted the Order of St. Catherine appeared in the order's robes (the royal daughters received this order at holy baptism).
On November 11, a meeting of the Governing Senate took place in Gatchina, at which Paul I expressed the following command: “... I want my heir to occupy the first place in the Senate for me.” Balls, celebrations, and fun sleigh rides continued for a whole month. However, a shadow of sadness had already descended over Gatchina: Pavel, who adored his daughters, was worried, anticipating separation. In addition, he did not like Austria and therefore insisted that he was “giving Grand Duchess Alexandra into the hands of her enemies and would never see her again.” The sovereign's premonitions did not deceive him. Both of his daughters, for whom wedding celebrations were arranged with such luxury, went abroad and became homesick. The unfortunate emperor never found out about their early death: the message about the death of his favorite Alexandra came to Russia after the assassination of Paul I in the Mikhailovsky Castle; Elena Pavlovna outlived her older sister by only two and a half years. It must be said that all the children of Pavel and Maria Feodorovna were very attached to each other and retained the most tender memories of their father for the rest of their lives.
Having lost her husband, the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna continued to come to Gatchina during the autumn months. However, she also spent two winters in 1809 and 1810 at her husband’s favorite country residence. Here the grand dukes intensively studied the Latin language, but they were more attracted to mathematics, artillery and engineering. Staying “surrounded by wonderful nature” involved doing agricultural work: the grand dukes and princesses dug up beds, sowed peas, and caught fish with a net.
In their presence, the stern castle, and after it Gatchina, came to life again, but... only distantly reminded of the splendor and splendor that once reigned here.
Although, because of his father’s jokes on the topic “it’s unknown where his wife got her children from,” many consider the father of Paul I to be Ekaterina Alekseevna’s favorite, Sergei Saltykov. Moreover, the first-born was born only after 10 years of marriage. However, the external similarity between Paul and Peter should be considered as a response to such rumors. The childhood of the future autocrat cannot be called happy. Because of the political struggle, the current Empress Elizabeth I Petrovna was afraid for Paul the First, protected him from communication with his parents and surrounded him with a real army of nannies and teachers who curry favor with high-ranking officials rather than worry about the boy.
Pavel the First in childhood | Runiverse
The biography of Paul I claims that he received the best education that was possible at that time. The extensive library of Academician Korf was placed at his personal disposal. Teachers taught the heir to the throne not only the traditional Law of God, foreign languages, dancing and fencing, but also painting, as well as history, geography, arithmetic and even astronomy. It is interesting that none of the lessons included anything related to military affairs, but the inquisitive teenager himself became interested in this science and mastered it at a fairly high level.
Pavel the First in his youth | Arguments and Facts When Catherine II ascended the throne, she allegedly signed an obligation to transfer the reign to her son Paul I when he reached adulthood. This document has not reached us: perhaps the empress destroyed the paper, or maybe it is just a legend. But it was precisely such a statement that all the rebels dissatisfied with the rule of the “Iron German,” including Emelyan Pugachev, always referred to. In addition, there was talk that already on her deathbed, Elizaveta Petrovna was going to transfer the crown to her grandson Paul I, and not to her nephew Peter III, but the corresponding order was not made public and this decision did not affect the biography of Paul I.
Emperor
Paul the First sat on the throne of the Russian Empire only at the age of 42. Right during the coronation, he announced changes in the succession to the throne: now only men could rule Russia, and the crown was passed on only from father to son. By this, Paul unsuccessfully hoped to prevent the palace coups that had become more frequent recently. By the way, for the first time in history, the coronation procedure took place simultaneously for both the emperor and the empress on the same day.
The disgusting relationship with his mother led to the fact that Paul I chose the method of leading the country to actually contrast his decisions with its previous ones. As if “to spite” the memory of Ekaterina Alekseevna, Pavel the First returned freedom to convicted radicals, reformed the army and began to fight serfdom.
Pavel the First | Petersburg stories But in reality, all these ideas did not lead to anything good. The liberation of the radicals would come back many years later in the form of a Decembrist uprising, the reduction of the corvee remained only on paper, and the fight against corruption in the army grew into a series of repressions. Moreover, both the highest ranks, who one after another were deprived of their positions, and ordinary military personnel remained dissatisfied with the emperor. They grumbled about the new uniform, modeled on the Prussian army, which turned out to be incredibly uncomfortable. In foreign policy, Paul the First became famous for his fight against the ideas of the French Revolution. He introduced the strictest censorship in book publishing; French books and French fashion, including round hats, were banned.
Pavel the First | Wikipedia During the reign of Paul the First, thanks to commander Alexander Suvorov and Vice Admiral Fyodor Ushakov, the Russian army and navy achieved many significant victories, collaborating with Prussian and Austrian troops. But later Paul I showed his fickle character, broke off relations with his allies and formed an alliance with Napoleon. It was in Bonaparte that the Russian emperor saw the force that could stop the anti-monarchist revolution. But he was mistaken strategically: Napoleon did not become a winner even after the death of Paul the First, but because of his decision and the economic blockade of Great Britain, Russia lost its largest sales market, which had a very significant impact on the standard of living in the Russian Empire.
Personal life
Officially, Pavel the First was married twice. His first wife, Grand Duchess Natalya Alekseevna, was by birth the German Princess Wilhelmina of Hesse-Darmstadt. She died two years after the wedding during childbirth. The first son of Paul I was born dead. That same year, the future emperor married again. The wife of Paul the First, Maria Feodorovna, was called Sophia Maria Dorothea of Württemberg before marriage, and she was destined to become the mother of two rulers at once, Alexander I and Nicholas I.
Princess Natalya Alekseevna, first wife of Paul I | Pinterest It is interesting that this marriage was not just beneficial for the state, Pavel really fell in love with this girl. As he wrote to his family, “this blonde with a pleasant face captivated the widower.” In total, in union with Maria Feodorovna, the emperor had 10 children. In addition to the two above-mentioned autocrats, it is worth noting Mikhail Pavlovich, who founded the first Russian Artillery School in St. Petersburg. By the way, he is the only child born during the reign of Paul the First.
Paul I and Maria Feodorovna surrounded by children | Wikipedia But falling in love with his wife did not stop Paul the First from following the generally accepted rules and having favorites. Two of them, ladies-in-waiting Sofya Ushakova and Mavra Yuryeva, even gave birth to illegitimate children from the emperor. It is also worth noting Ekaterina Nelidova, who had enormous influence on the emperor and it is believed that she tried to lead the country with the hands of her lover. The personal life of Paul I and Ekaterina Nelidova was more intellectual than carnal in nature. In it, the emperor realized his ideas of romantic chivalry.
Favorites of Paul I, Ekaterina Nelidova and Anna Lopukhina When those close to the court realized how much the power of this woman had increased, they arranged a “replacement” for the favorite of Paul I. Anna Lopukhina became his new lady of the heart, and Nelidova was forced to retire to Lode Castle, in the territory of present-day Estonia. It is curious that Lopukhina was not happy with this state of affairs, she was burdened by the status of the mistress of the ruler Paul the First, his “knightly” manifestations of attention, and was annoyed that these relationships were being put on display.
Death
During the several years of Paul the First's reign, despite the change in succession, at least three conspiracies were organized against him, the last of which was successful. Almost a dozen officers, commanders of the most famous regiments, as well as government officials on the night of March 24, 1801 entered the emperor’s bedroom in the Mikhailovsky Castle and committed the murder of Paul I. The official cause of his death was apoplexy. It is worth noting that nobles and ordinary people greeted the news of death with poorly controlled glee.
Engraving "The Assassination of Emperor Paul I", 1880 | Wikipedia The perception of Paul the First by subsequent generations is ambiguous. Some historians, especially during the reign of his successor Alexander I, and then in Soviet times, created the image of a tyrant and tyrant. Even the poet in his ode “Liberty” called him “a crowned villain.” Others try to emphasize Paul the First’s heightened sense of justice, calling him “the only romantic on the throne” and “the Russian Hamlet.” The Orthodox Church even at one time considered the possibility of canonizing this man. Today it is generally accepted that Paul the First does not fit into the system of any known ideology.
The 18th century in Russian history is also called “women’s”. During this period, women ascended to the Russian throne four times. There has never been such a “matriarchy” in Russian history either before or since.
Maria Fedorovna Romanova, wife emperor Paul I, was the direct opposite of its predecessors. Instead of political intrigues and amorous adventures, she devoted all her time to her husband and children.
However, the woman whom her contemporaries considered an ideal wife and mother had a very difficult life.
Sophia Maria Dorothea Augusta Louise of Württemberg born on October 14 (25), 1759 in Stettin Castle, in the same place as her future mother-in-law Catherine the Great. Sophia-Dorothea's father, Prince Friedrich Eugene of Württemberg, like Catherine’s father, was in the service of the Prussian king and was the commandant of Stettin.
This is where the similarities between the two Russian empresses end. If the future Catherine played with boys as a child and showed extraordinary intelligence and ambition, then Sophia-Dorothea was much more in line with the classical ideas of the time about the role of a woman.
Sophia Maria Dorothea Augusta Louise of Württemberg. Painting by an unknown artist. Photo: Public Domain
Spare bride
From a young age, Sophia-Dorothea learned that a good woman should devote her life to giving birth and raising children, caring for her husband and thrifty and wise housekeeping.
Brought up in such views, Sophia-Dorothea was destined to be her husband Prince Ludwig of Hesse, and an engagement had already been concluded between them. But then unforeseen circumstances intervened.
On April 15, 1776 in St. Petersburg she died during childbirth first wife of the heir to the throne Pavel Petrovich Natalya Alekseevna, maiden name Wilhemina of Hesse. By the way, the sister of the groom Sophia-Dorothea.
Paul was shocked by the death of his wife, but his mother, Empress Catherine the Great, was more worried that her son did not have an heir. She intended to solve this problem at all costs and again began searching for a bride.
Sofia-Dorothea had previously been on the list of candidates, but at the time when the first choice was made, she was only 13 years old and she could not give birth to an heir in the near future, so her candidacy was abandoned.
After the death of Natalya Alekseevna, Catherine again remembered Sophia-Dorothea, who by this time was already 17 years old, and felt that this time the girl was ripe to become Pavel’s wife.
Maria Feodorovna. Painting by Fyodor Rokotov, 1770s. Photo: Public Domain
Pavel was amazed
But the engagement to Ludwig of Hesse interfered with the marriage to the heir to the Russian throne.
And then I got involved King of Prussia Frederick II, to whom this marriage seemed beneficial from a political point of view.
Ludwig was politely given his resignation, and the meeting between Paul and his new bride in Berlin was personally organized by Frederick II.
Pavel was completely smitten and wrote to his mother: “I found my bride to be the kind of person I could only wish for in my mind: not bad-looking, tall, slender, shy, answers intelligently and efficiently. As for her heart, she has it very sensitive and tender. Very easy to use, loves to be at home and practice reading or music.”
Perhaps, Pavel, who fell in love at first sight, sinned against the truth only once, calling the bride “slender.” Contemporaries noted that the stately blonde was prone to being overweight from a young age. And one more interesting point - Sophia-Dorothea was taller than the heir to the Russian throne.
However, the girl knew how to be in the shadow of her man, which Pavel, who was tired of the dictates of his overbearing mother, liked extremely.
Sophia-Dorothea, who had learned from childhood that submission is a virtue for a woman, endured the change of groom very easily. Just a few days after her engagement to Pavel, she told her friends that she loved him madly.
Maria Fedorovna and Pavel I. Painting by Gavrila Skorodumov, 1782. Photo: Public Domain
4 sons, 6 daughters
Following her guidelines, she knew how to maintain a conversation on topics that were interesting to her husband, for which she diligently acquired new knowledge. In order to write Pavel’s first letter in Russian, the bride only had to study a new language for a week.
Soon Sofia-Dorothea moved to Russia, was baptized into Orthodoxy under the name of Maria Feodorovna and was legally married to Pavel Petrovich.
The mother-in-law was extremely pleased with her daughter-in-law - submissive, respectful, obedient. And most importantly, in December 1777, Maria Feodorovna, to the great joy of the Empress, gave birth to a son Alexandra.
In Russian royal families, a large number of children was not uncommon, but none of the Russian empresses was as prolific as Maria Feodorovna.
In April 1779 she gave birth to her second son Constantine, in July 1783 daughter Alexandru, in December 1784 Elena, in February 1786 - Maria, in May 1788 - Ekaterina, in July 1792 - Olga, in January 1795 - Anna, in June 1796 - Nicholas, and in January 1798 - Mikhail.
Mortality in childhood was the most acute problem of that era, but out of 10 children of Maria Feodorovna, nine survived to adulthood - only daughter Olga died in infancy.
At the same time, frequent pregnancies did not prevent Maria Feodorovna from running the household and attending social events.
Maria Fedorovna did not play a significant role at court; the reason for this was Paul’s discord with his mother Catherine. And just as Catherine’s mother-in-law once took away her son to raise, so Catherine also took away her daughter-in-law’s two older children, Alexander and Konstantin, for whom her grandmother had big political plans.
Maria Fedorovna did not disagree, strictly following the postulates learned in her youth.
Chief curator of Russian orphans
However, neither the qualities of an ideal wife nor humility saved Maria Fedorovna from problems in her relationship with her husband.
Intimacy became the bone of contention. The fact is that after the birth of his youngest son Mikhail obstetrician of the empress Joseph Morenheim categorically stated that a new birth could cost Maria Feodorovna her life. Over twenty years of marriage, Pavel had not lost his passion for his wife and was fairly disappointed by such a ban.
And since the impulsive Pavel was extremely irritable, this disappointment turned into actual disgrace for the empress. The emperor himself found solace in his relationship with his favorite Anna Lopukhina.
Maria Fedorovna had to focus on charitable activities. With her husband's accession to the throne, she was appointed chief supervisor of educational homes. A mother of many children, the empress approached her new responsibilities with the utmost seriousness. Thanks to her, the work of institutions for foundlings and homeless children was streamlined. For example, while studying the work of these institutions, Maria Fedorovna discovered that infant mortality was at a monstrously high level. The reason turned out to be that there are simply no maximum standards for the number of children who can be in an orphanage at the same time. By order of Maria Feodorovna, such restrictions were introduced. It was decided to send the remaining children to state-owned sovereign villages to trustworthy and good-behaving peasants for education in order to accustom the pets to the rules of rural housekeeping; boys should be left with peasants until they are 18 years old, girls until they are 15 years old. At the same time, the empress ordered those children who were weaker than others and required constant care to be left in educational homes.
In addition to caring about the education and upbringing of orphans, which she oversaw until her death, Maria Feodorovna was involved in issues of women's education in Russia.
Thanks to her patronage and partly assistance during the reign of her eldest son Alexander I, several women's educational institutions were founded both in St. Petersburg and in Moscow, Kharkov, Simbirsk and other cities.
The most terrible night
The most terrible event in the life of the Empress was the murder of her husband, Emperor Paul I, on the night of March 11-12, 1801. Despite the deterioration of personal relationships and her husband’s attacks on her eldest sons, Maria Feodorovna in no way wanted her husband to die.
However, on that same night, political ambitions unexpectedly awoke in this submissive and meek woman. To the surprise of the conspirators, Maria Feodorovna demanded that after the death of her husband she be proclaimed the reigning monarch. For at least four hours, she refused to obey her son, putting the already embarrassed Alexander in an extremely awkward position.
The conspirators were ruder - the empress was not allowed to see the body of her murdered husband, and one of the brothers Zubov and completely said: “Get this woman out of here!” In response to Maria Feodorovna’s claims to power, one of the conspirators, Bennigsen, said: “Madam, don’t play a comedy.”
Ultimately, Maria Feodorovna, now the Dowager Empress, submitted to her fate, as she had always submitted to it.
She survived the quarter-century reign of her eldest son Alexander, who left no heirs, survived the Decembrist uprising and the accession to the throne of her third son Nicholas.
Maria Fedorovna is in mourning. Painting by George Dow. Photo: Public Domain
"Office of the Empress Maria"
She tried to influence both of her sons, the emperors, by defending the interests of her German relatives in foreign policy and giving advice on important issues of government. The sons listened respectfully, but acted in their own way - after all, the mother herself proved to them throughout her life that a woman’s place is in the kitchen and in the nursery, and not at meetings where political issues are decided.
Maria Fedorovna lived for many years in the Pavlovsk Palace - this summer palace, founded in 1782, was a gift from Paul I to his beloved wife. The Empress herself took an active part in the creation of both the palace itself and the famous Pavlovsk Park. We can say that the Pavlovsk Palace was in many ways the brainchild of Maria Feodorovna.
Maria Fedorovna died on October 24, 1828, at the age of 69. Her son, Emperor Nicholas I, ordered the formation of the IV Department of the Imperial Chancellery to run charitable and orphan institutions, in order to continue the activities to which Maria Feodorovna devoted three decades. The new department eventually received the name “Department of Empress Maria.”
In addition, in memory of his mother, Nicholas I established the Mariinsky Insignia of Immaculate Service, which was awarded to female persons for long-term diligent service in the institutions of the Empress Maria, as well as in other charitable and educational institutions under the direct authority of the Sovereign Emperor and members of the Supreme House.
Almost immediately a complete dissimilarity of character and upbringing is revealed. Georg may be half an hour, an hour late with a visit to both her and her brother Alexander. This infuriates Ekaterina terribly. One day the Prince of Wales was an hour and a half late, but a courtier came out to him and said that His Highness had arrived too early, Her Highness was taking a bath.Meanwhile, one of George's brothers, Duke of Clarence, became seriously interested in the Russian beauty. If it weren’t for her prejudice against the boors of the English and she would eventually be the Queen of England
However, the enmity between Catherine and the English world was quite fierce. The wife of our ambassador in London, Daria Lieven (the sister of the future chief of gendarmes Benckendorff and the head of our station in Europe), writes about the sister of her king, in solidarity with the Prince of Wales: “She was very power-hungry and distinguished by enormous conceit. I have never met a woman who was so obsessed with the need to move, act, play a role and outshine others.”
“The need to move and play a role” led to the fact that in London, Catherine, casually, upset the emerging alliance of the heir to the Dutch throne with one of the English princesses and urgently reoriented it in favor of her younger sister Anna.
Moving further in the matrimonial direction, Catherine finds a groom for herself, this is her close relative, the heir to the throne of the Duchy of Württemberg, the handsome Wilhelm. For the sake of his beloved sister, Alexander assigns the status of a kingdom to Württemberg through the Congress of Vienna. (Moreover, Württemberg is the birthplace of Maria Feodorovna).
So, having flown past the Austrian, French and English crowns, Catherine still becomes the Queen of Württemberg (since 1816).
Her second marriage is successful in all respects. Spouses love each other passionately and sincerely. Both are engaged in the organization of their kingdom. It’s amazing: Catherine does so much for the prosperity of Württemberg that the inhabitants of this German land still honor her memory! Catherine’s motto: “Providing work is more important than giving alms” sounds acutely relevant today!
She gives her husband two daughters. One of them will eventually become the wife of Count Neiperg, the son of Marie-Louise and her second (after Napoleon) husband. No matter how hard the rope twists, the descendants of Catherine of Württemberg still had to become related to the Habsburgs (and to some extent to Bonaparte)
In 1818, Maria Feodorovna visited the capital of her kingdom and her hometown of Stuttgart. She is delighted with Catherine’s successes, with the happiness that reigns in their home, and leaves them with tears of tenderness to continue her voyage to the Courts of her daughters. Maria Feodorovna's path lies in Weimar. And here terrible news overtakes her: shortly after her departure on January 9, 1819, Catherine of Württemberg dies of transient meningitis.
She is not yet 32 years old
King William still could not believe his loss; he was literally taken by force from his wife’s corpse
Catherine was buried outside the city in an Orthodox church, which still stands today. This church is connected not only with Russian history, but also with Russian culture. Many years later, the wedding of the 58-year-old poet V.A. Zhukovsky and the 17-year-old daughter of his friend Elizaveta Reitern took place here.
In 1994, all of Germany widely celebrated the 175th anniversary of the birth of Catherine of Württemberg. They remember her more there than at home
Family of Emperor Paul I Petrovich
20.09.1754-11.03.1801
Years of reign: 1796-1801
Father– Grand Duke Peter Fedorovich (Karl Peter Ulrich of Holstein-Gottorp) (10(21).02.1728-05.07.1762); 1761–1762 - Russian Emperor Peter III.
Mother– Grand Duchess Ekaterina Alekseevna (Princess Sophia Augusta Frederica of Anhalt-Zerbst) (21.04. (02.05).1729-06.11.1796); 1762–1796 – Russian Empress Catherine II.
First wife– Princess Wilhelmina Louise of Hesse-Darmstadt (1775–1776), Grand Duchess Natalya Alekseevna.
He had no children in his first marriage.
Second wife– Princess Sophia Dorothea of Württemberg (1759–1828), Grand Duchess Maria Feodorovna.
Children from second marriage:
sons:
Grand Duke, Tsarevich Alexander Pavlovich(12.12.177619.11.1825); 1801–1825 - Russian Emperor Alexander I.
Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich (1779–1832), future governor of the Duchy of Warsaw.
Grand Duke Nikolai Pavlovich(06/25/1796-02/18/1855); 1825–1855 - Russian Emperor Nicholas I.
Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich (1798–1843).
Daughters:
Grand Duchess Alexandra Pavlovna (1783–1801), wife of the Hungarian viceroy, Archduke Joseph.
Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna (1784-?), wife of Prince Friedrich Ludwig of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.
Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna (1786–1859), wife of Duke Charles Friedrich of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach.
Grand Duchess Ekaterina Pavlovna (1788–1819), wife of Prince George of Oldenburg, then (in his second marriage) King William of Württemberg.
Grand Duchess Olga Pavlovna (1790–1795), died in early childhood.
Grand Duchess Anna Pavlovna (1795–1865), wife of King William II of the Netherlands.
Daughters-in-law:
Princess Louise Maria Augusta of Baden, Grand Duchess Elizaveta Alekseevna, wife of Grand Duke Alexander Pavlovich.
Princess Julia Henrietta of Coburg, Grand Duchess Anna Feodorovna, wife of Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich.
From the book Secrets of the House of Romanov author From the book Another History of the Russian Empire. From Peter to Paul [= Forgotten history of the Russian Empire. From Peter I to Paul I] author Kesler Yaroslav ArkadievichThe youth of Paul I Petrovich 1754, September 20. - A son, Pavel, was born into the family of Tsarevich and Grand Duke Peter Fedorovich and Grand Duchess Ekaterina Alekseevna. The father took the birth of the heir indifferently, spending only a few minutes in his wife’s chambers that day, and in the light
From the book of the Romanovs. Family secrets of Russian emperors author Balyazin Voldemar NikolaevichBirth of the heir to the throne, Pavel Petrovich, Catherine, pregnant again, managed to safely reach St. Petersburg and on Wednesday, November 20, 1754, around noon, gave birth to a son in the Summer Palace. “As soon as he was swaddled, the Empress brought in her confessor, who gave
author Istomin Sergey Vitalievich From the book Chronology of Russian history. Russia and the world author Anisimov Evgeniy Viktorovich1796–1801 Reign of Paul I He was born in 1754 in the family of the heir to the throne, Grand Duke Peter Fedorovich (future Emperor Peter III), and Grand Duchess Ekaterina Alekseevna (future Empress Catherine II). His relationship with his mother did not work out. Paul, who became
From the book The Short Age of Paul I. 1796–1801. author Team of authorsPolitical views of Pavel Petrovich The views of the Grand Duke on government were formed, on the one hand, under the influence of French educators, on the other, teachers and educators. Justice and love of order characteristic of Pavel Petrovich,
From the book Russian Chronograph. From Rurik to Nicholas II. 809–1894 author Konyaev Nikolay MikhailovichAt the turn of the century. The reign of Emperor Paul (1796–1801) Perhaps no other reign causes as much controversy among historians as the short reign of Paul. Noble historiography portrays Paul as a kind of resemblance to his official father, Peter III, whose ashes
From the book All the Rulers of Russia author Vostryshev Mikhail IvanovichEMPEROR PAUL I PETROVICH (1754–1801) Son of Emperor Peter III and Empress Catherine II. Born on September 20, 1754 in St. Petersburg. Pavel’s childhood passed in unusual conditions, which left a sharp imprint on his character. Immediately after birth the child was taken
From the book Generalissimo Prince Suvorov [volume I, volume II, volume III, modern spelling] author Petrushevsky Alexander FomichChapter XXIII. Catherine II and Pavel Petrovich; 1754-1797. The childhood years of Pavel Petrovich; shortcomings that were revealed in him from an early age; double marriage; the influence of each spouse on Pavel Petrovich; foreign travel; their evil traces. - Mutual alienation
From the book Public Readings about Russian History author Soloviev Sergey MikhailovichREADING XVI About Russian schools and writers under Catherine II; about the second Turkish, Swedish and two Polish wars under her - About the reign of Emperor Pavel Petrovich Until the time of Catherine II, in cities other than the capitals, there were no schools for everyone, with very few exceptions;
From the book On the Greatness of Russia [From the “Special Notebooks” of the Empress] author Second CatherineA contemporary's note about the death of Catherine the Great and the accession of Pavel Petrovich November 1796 On the 5th day (Wednesday) at 9 o'clock, paralysis struck Empress Catherine Alekseevna II so severely that everyone lost consciousness. After this she lived for another 22 hours, that is, until 7 o’clock in the morning on November 6, at
From the book Family Tragedies of the Romanovs. Difficult choice author Sukina Lyudmila BorisovnaEmperor Pavel I Petrovich (09/20/1754-03/11/1801) Years of reign - 1796-1801 Pavel Petrovich was born on September 20, 1754. He was a legitimate scion of the imperial family, and it would seem that everything in his fate was predetermined. But Paul’s great-grandfather, Peter the Great, issued a decree on the transfer
From the book Crazy Chronology author Muravyov MaximPeter I is Paul I (1754–1801) Peter I coincides with the Apostle Peter. And the Apostle Peter, amazingly, died on the same day and even in the same year as the Apostle Paul, both in Rome, but it seemed that they were seized and executed separately. Although historians are not sure about the year, they say that Peter for a year
From the book I Explore the World. History of Russian Tsars author Istomin Sergey VitalievichEmperor Paul I Years of life 1754–1801 Years of reign 1796–1801 Father - Peter III Fedorovich, Emperor of All Russia. Mother - Catherine II Alekseevna, Empress of All Russia. The reign of Paul I Petrovich was shrouded in mystery for many years. Only after 1905 were the bans on
From the book The Heir got up early and sat down to his lessons... How they taught and studied in the 18th century author History Team of authors --Raising the heir Pavel Petrovich 1764. September 20. His Imperial Highness's birthday: ten years have passed. In the morning, Plato spoke to Her Majesty in her chambers with his small congratulations, very reasonably composed. Then we went to Her Majesty's half; from there
From the book Russian History author Platonov Sergey FedorovichThe time of Emperor Paul I (1796-1801) Only recently the personality and fate of Emperor Paul received proper coverage in historical literature. In addition to the old, but not aging work of D.F. Kobeko “Tsarevich Pavel Petrovich”, we now have for general acquaintance with
Sign of cutting your finger: who thinks about you
Fortune telling on coffee grounds: Flower - Meaning of the symbol
Methods of fortune telling for the loss of a lost item
Soup with beans and chicken
Tuscan white bean soup
Test “Are you a conflict-ridden person?”
Baby meatballs with gravy