Origin and upbringing

Charlotte Christina of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (?)

Grand Duke Pyotr Alekseevich, born on October 12, 1715 in St. Petersburg, was the son of the heir to the throne, Alexei, who was executed in 1718, and his wife Sophia-Charlotte of Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel, who died ten days after giving birth. The future heir to the throne, like his older sister Natalia for a year, was not the fruit of love and family happiness. The marriage of Alexei and Charlotte was the result of diplomatic negotiations between Peter I, the Polish king August II and the Austrian emperor Charles VI, and each of them wanted to get his own benefit from the family union of the Romanov dynasty and the ancient German Welf family, connected by many related threads with the then ruling royals in Europe houses. At the same time, naturally, no one was interested in the feelings of the bride and groom. , as, however, this almost always happened with dynastic marriages.

Crown Princess Charlotte hoped that her marriage to the "barbarian Muscovite" would not take place. In a letter to her grandfather, Duke Anton-Ulrich, in the middle of 1709, she reported that his message made her happy, because "it gives me some opportunity to think that Moscow matchmaking may still blow me." But the hopes of the princess did not come true: the wedding was played in Torgau in October 1711 and impressed everyone with the splendor of the table and the nobility of the guests.

In connection with the hostile attitude of Alexei Petrovich to his father's reforms, the tsarevich, as if mocking his desire to have European-educated heirs, assigned two always drunk "mothers" from the German settlement to his son, who, in order to less bother with Peter, served him wine, from which he fell asleep.

After the execution of Alexei in 1718, Peter I turned his attention to his only grandson. He ordered the negligent mothers to be driven away, and ordered Menshikov to pick up teachers for him. Soon, the clerk Semyon Marvin and the Carpathian Rusyn from Hungary Zeykan I.A. were assigned to the Grand Duke. German and Latin, and much better - Tatar curses. The emperor personally beat Marvin and Zeikan, but Pyotr Alekseevich never received more worthy mentors.

Removal from the throne

In the first four years of Peter's life, he was not considered as the future emperor, since Peter I had sons Peter and Paul. Both died in early childhood, which created the question of succession to the throne.

From birth, Pyotr Alekseevich was called grand duke. Prior to this, the sons of kings were called princes; the birth of Peter was the first since the introduction of the royal title (and the first in the history of the Romanov dynasty) the appearance of a grandson by the reigning sovereign.

In February 1718, arrested abroad and brought to Russia, Alexei Petrovich renounced the throne in favor of the young son of Peter I from his second marriage with Catherine - Peter Petrovich, who was born a few days after his nephew Peter Alekseevich. In the summer of the same year, Tsarevich Alexei died in custody. Thus, Peter Alekseevich was, following his father, removed from the throne.

The nobility became interested in Pyotr Alekseevich in 1719, after the three-year-old Pyotr Petrovich, officially recognized as the heir, died, and the tsar's grandson remained the only male representative of the Romanov dynasty, except for the sovereign. The passage of the throne from grandfather to grandson was in keeping with the tradition of monarchical houses; so, shortly before in France after the death Louis XIV in 1715 the throne passed to his young great-grandson Louis XV. During his grandfather's illness, Pyotr Alekseevich met Ivan Dolgorukov, his future favorite. The child often visited the Dolgorukovs' house, in which the capital's youth from ancient noble families gathered. There he met his aunt, Elizaveta Petrovna. So the party began to take shape, predicting Peter Alekseevich to emperor. At meetings in the Dolgorukovs' house, he was explained his rights to the throne Russian Empire, and Pyotr Alekseevich swore to crush the favorite of his grandfather - Menshikov, who led the opposition to the old boyar families.

However, supporters of the elevation of Peter Alekseevich to the throne had a strong opposition. Quite definite fears for their lives and property arose among those associates of Peter who signed the death warrant to his father. If the emperor had followed custom and declared the heir to his grandson - the son of the disgraced Alexei and the grandson of the conservative Evdokia Lopukhina - then this would have aroused the hopes of opponents of the reforms to return the old order.

Youth (1725-1727)

Peter II in the late 1720s

Under Catherine I

After the death of Peter I, the question of an heir began to be decided. Representatives of the old tribal nobility (Lopukhins, Dolgorukovs) advocated the candidacy of 9-year-old Peter Alekseevich, while representatives of the new service nobility, who became influential under Peter I, spoke in favor of declaring Peter's widow Catherine the Empress. The issue was resolved simply - Prince Menshikov surrounded the palace with guards and elevated his former mistress Catherine to the throne.

Over time, the main supporter of Catherine, Menshikov, knowing about her poor health and assuming her imminent death, began to think about how to win Peter over to his side. He hoped to betroth his daughter Mary to the heir to the throne, and after his accession to the throne, to become regent until he came of age and thereby expand his already strong power, and in the long run - to become the grandfather of the future emperor if Peter and Mary had children. Despite the fact that Maria was betrothed to the Polish magnate Pyotr Sapega, Menshikov managed to get Catherine's consent to marry his daughter with Pyotr Alekseevich. Sapieha was married to Sofia Karlovna Skavronskaya, the niece of the Empress.

Menshikov's opponents wanted to avoid Peter's enthronement, as this would strengthen Menshikov's power. They hoped, under the pretext of training, to send Peter Alekseevich abroad, and after the death of Catherine, to enthrone one of her daughters - Anna or Elizabeth. Anna Petrovna's husband, the Holstein Duke Karl-Friedrich, also joined this party. The plans of the conspirators were thwarted by the suddenly aggravated illness of the empress.

Ascension to the throne

Shortly before the death of the empress, members of the Supreme Privy Council, the Senate, the Synod, the presidents of the colleges and the staff officers of the guards gathered in the palace for a conference on who should become emperor after Catherine's death. Enemies of Menshikov began to discuss the idea of ​​coronating one of the princesses, but the majority voted for Pyotr Alekseevich, who was supposed to be under the tutelage of the Supreme Privy Council until the age of 16 and take an oath not to take revenge on anyone who signed the death sentence on his father, Alexei Petrovich.

After resolving the issue of succession to the throne, Menshikov, on behalf of the Empress, began an investigation into the intrigues of his enemies. Many opponents of Menshikov were arrested and tortured, exiled and deprived of their ranks, some were only demoted. The Duke of Holstein tried to negotiate with Menshikov through his minister Bassevich. Menshikov set the condition that the daughters of Peter I, Anna and Elizabeth, would not interfere with the accession to the throne of Peter Alekseevich, and Menshikov agreed to issue a million rubles for each princess.

Testament of Catherine

It follows from this document that the articles of the will provided for guardianship of the minor emperor, determined the power of the Supreme Council, the order of succession to the throne in the event of the death of Peter Alekseevich (in this case, the throne passed to Catherine's daughters - Anna and Elizabeth and their descendants, if they did not renounce the Russian throne or the Orthodox faith, and then to Peter's sister - Natalya Alekseevna). Article 11 amazed those who read the will. It commanded all nobles to promote the betrothal of Peter Alekseevich with one of the daughters of Prince Menshikov, and then, upon reaching adulthood, to promote their marriage. Literally: " our princesses and the government of the administration also have to try to arrange a marriage between his love [Grand Duke Peter] and one princess of Prince Menshikov».

Such an article clearly indicated that Menshikov took an active part in the preparation of the will, however, for Russian society, the right of Peter Alekseevich to the throne - the main article of the will - was indisputable, and there were no unrest due to the content of the 11th article.

Reign

Portrait of Peter II.
Hood. I. Wedekind, 1730

General overview of the board

Peter II was not able to rule on his own, as a result of which practically unlimited power was first in the hands of Menshikov, and then - Osterman and Dolgoruky. As with its predecessor, the state was ruled by inertia. The courtiers tried to follow the precepts of Peter the Great, but the conservation of the political system he created revealed all the shortcomings inherent in it.

The time of Menshikov's regency was not much different from the reign of Catherine I, since the actual ruler of the country remained the same, only gaining more power. After his fall, the Dolgorukovs came to power, and the situation changed radically. Last years the reign of Peter II, some historians tend to consider the "boyar kingdom": much of what appeared under Peter I fell into decay, the old order began to be restored. The boyar aristocracy was strengthening, and the "chicks of Petrov's nest" faded into the background. On the part of the clergy there were attempts to restore the patriarchate. The army and especially the fleet fell into decay, corruption and embezzlement flourished. The capital was moved from Saint Petersburg to Moscow.

The result of the reign of Peter II was the strengthening of the influence of the Supreme Privy Council, which consisted mainly of old boyars (out of eight seats in the council, five belonged to the Dolgorukovs and Golitsyns). The council became so strong that it forced Anna Ioannovna, who became the ruler after Peter, to sign the “Conditions”, transferring all power to the Supreme Privy Council. In 1730, the "Conditions" were destroyed by Anna Ioannovna, and the boyar clans again lost their strength.

Peter II under Menshikov (1727)

Menshikov led the fight against all those whom he considered dangerous in terms of succession to the throne. The daughter of Peter I Anna Petrovna was forced to leave Russia with her husband. Anna Ioannovna, daughter of Tsar John (the elder brother of Peter I and co-ruler until 1696), was forbidden to come from Mitava in order to congratulate her nephew on his ascension to the throne. Baron Shafirov, president of the Commerce Collegium, a longtime enemy of Menshikov, was removed to Arkhangelsk, allegedly "to set up a whaling company."

Trying to strengthen his influence on the emperor, Menshikov moved him on May 17 to his house on Vasilyevsky Island. On May 25, 11-year-old Peter II was betrothed to 16-year-old Princess Maria, Menshikov's daughter. She received the title "Her Imperial Highness" and an annual allowance of 34 thousand rubles. Although Peter was kind to her and her father, in his letters from that time he called her "porcelain doll".

It is unlikely that Menshikov had anything to do with the initiative of the emperor to summon his grandmother, Evdokia Lopukhina, whom he had never seen before, from Suzdal imprisonment. She was moved to the Novodevichy Convent, where she received a decent maintenance.

Domestic politics

Shortly after the accession of Peter II to the throne, Menshikov drew up two manifestos on his behalf, designed to turn the population in his favor. The first of these decrees forgave long-standing arrears to the serfs, and freedom was granted to those exiled to hard labor for non-payment of taxes. This initiative has been continued. Under Peter in Russia, the code of punishments was softened - a process that will reach its climax under Elizabeth. In particular, the imperial decree was henceforth forbidden "for intimidation" to put on display the dismembered bodies of the executed.

The so-called "turnaround tax" was also abolished - that is, to file from each arriving cart. The explanation for this was “the concern of the government to protect subjects from the insults perpetrated by collectors”, however, the amount usually received in this way for a year was distributed in the form of an indirect tax to the imperial taverns.

Along with the forgiveness of old arrears, which, apparently, it was still impossible to recover, the Menshikov government made efforts leading to a tightening of control over tax collections. So, after a failed attempt to appoint zemstvo commissars from local residents to collect taxes (in the hope that they would be better aware of the situation on the ground), it was decided to oblige local governors to send messengers directly to local estates, and demand arrears from landlords, their clerks or managers.

Andrey Osterman

Education of the Emperor

Osterman drew up Peter's plan of study, which consisted of ancient and modern history, geography, mathematics, and geometry:

Read the history and briefly the main cases of former times, changes, increments and diminutions different states, the reasons for this, and especially the virtues of the rulers of the ancients with subsequent benefits and glory to represent. And in this way it is possible to go through the Assyrian, Persian, Greek and Roman monarchies up to the most recent times in half a year, and you can also use the author of the first part of historical cases Yagan Gibner, and for searching - the so-called Bilderzaal ... new story to interpret in this, according to the drive of Mr. Pufendorf, the new act of each, and especially the border states, to present, and in other things, the news of the ruling name of each state, interest, form of government, strength and weakness, gradually submit ... Geography partly according to the globe, partly according to the land maps , and to use short description Gibner's ... Mathematical operations, arithmetic, geometry and other mathematical parts and arts from mechanics, optics and so on. Andrey Osterman, Peter II's training plan

The training plan also included entertainment: billiards, hunting, and so on. At the direction of Osterman, the Collegium of Foreign Affairs compiled a "curious" handwritten newspaper for the emperor based on materials from the European press. In addition to the training plan drawn up by Osterman, a note written personally by Peter II has also been preserved:

According to Osterman's plan, Peter was to visit the Supreme Privy Council on Wednesdays and Fridays. However, he only appeared there once, on June 21, 1727. More about Peter's visits to the highest government body under Menshikov is unknown.

The young emperor did not like to study, preferring fun and hunting, where he was accompanied by the young prince Ivan Dolgorukov and the 17-year-old daughter of Peter I, Elizabeth. Menshikov also did not come to the meetings of the Council, the papers were carried to his house. Disposing as an autocratic ruler, the "semi-powerful ruler" turned against himself the rest of the nobility, as well as the sovereign himself.

In 1727, on the territory of the Menshikov estate, on the site where the house of the butler prince had previously been, the construction of the palace of Peter II began. The butler's house entered this palace as the southeast wing. After the death of Peter II in 1730, construction was stopped. By this time, only the foundation and the lower floor of the palace had been erected. The building was completed in -1761 as part of the Stable Yard of the Land Gentry Corps.

Fall of Menshikov

Gradually, the emperor began to grow cold towards Menshikov and his daughter. There were several reasons for this: on the one hand, the arrogance of Menshikov himself, on the other, the influence of Elizaveta Petrovna and Dolgoruky. On the name day of Natalya Alekseevna, August 26, Peter treated Maria rather dismissively. Menshikov reprimanded Peter, to which he remarked: “ I love her in my heart, but caresses are superfluous; Menshikov knows that I have no intention of getting married before the age of 25". As a result of this disagreement, Peter ordered the Supreme Privy Council to transfer all his things from the Menshikov Palace to the Peterhof Palace and make an order that state money should not be issued to anyone without a decree signed personally by the emperor.

Evdokia Fedorovna Lopukhina.
Unknown Russian artist of the 18th century. Canvas, oil. Museum Estate Kuskovo

According to E. V. Anisimov, it was not at all a young emperor who came up with decrees on moving the court from Vasilyevsky Island, on disobeying Menshikov’s orders, on his house arrest, on the replacement of the commandant loyal to the generallisimo Peter and Paul Fortress. In a series of imperial decrees signed by Peter II in early September 1727, the experienced hand of Peter's tutor, Andrei Ivanovich Osterman, is clearly visible. However, it would be a mistake to assume that the time of Menshikov was replaced by the time of Osterman: a new favorite of the tsar, Prince Ivan Alekseevich Dolgoruky, came to the fore.

After the fall of Menshikov, Evdokia Lopukhina began to call herself queen and on September 21 she wrote to her grandson:

Most sovereign emperor, most gracious grandson! Although for a long time my desire was not only to congratulate Your Majesty on the assumption of the throne, but rather to see you, but due to my misfortune I have not been honored to this date, since Prince Menshikov, not allowing me to reach Your Majesty, sent me for guard to Moscow. And now I have been informed that for my opposition to your majesty I have been excommunicated from you; and I take the liberty of writing to you and congratulating you. Moreover, I ask, if your Majesty will not soon be in Moscow, so that I am ordered to be with me, so that by the ardor of blood I can see you and your sister, my dear grandson, before my death.

Evdokia Lopukhina, letter to Peter II

Thus, the emperor’s grandmother urged him to come to Moscow, but she was afraid that if Peter came to Moscow, then Lopukhina would be released and become the ruler. Despite this, at the end of 1727, preparations began for the court to move to Moscow for the upcoming coronation on the model of Russian tsars.

In early January, the emperor left St. Petersburg with his court, but along the way, Peter fell ill and was forced to spend two weeks in Tver. For some time, Peter stopped near Moscow to prepare for the solemn entry. It took place on February 4, 1728.

Peter II under the Dolgorukovs (1728-1730)

Camisole of Peter II, sewn in 1727-30, allows you to imagine the skinny figure of a teenager

The stay of Peter II in Moscow began with the coronation in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin (February 25 (March 8)). This was the first coronation of an emperor in Russia, which in many ways set a model for future ones. Like all subsequent emperors, Peter II (according to a certificate specially drawn up in the Supreme Privy Council) during the coronation took communion in the altar, not reaching the throne, according to the order of the clergy (from the bowl); the chalice with the Holy Gifts was given to him by the Archbishop of Novgorod Feofan Prokopovich.

On November 22, 1728, the 14-year-old elder sister of the emperor died in Moscow Natalya Alekseevna, whom he loved very much and who, according to contemporaries, had a beneficial effect on him.

After moving to Moscow, the Dolgorukovs received great power: on February 3, 1728, Princes Vasily Lukich and Alexei Grigorievich Dolgoruky were appointed members of the Supreme Privy Council; On February 11, the young prince Ivan Alekseevich was made chief chamberlain.

The fall of Menshikov brought Peter closer to Anna Petrovna. At the end of February 1728, a message came to Moscow that Anna Petrovna had a son, Peter (the future Peter III). On this occasion, a ball was arranged. The messenger who announced the birth of Peter was presented with 300 chervonets, and Feofan Prokopovich sent a long congratulatory letter to the Duke of Holstein, the husband of Anna Petrovna, in which he praised the newborn in every possible way and humiliated Menshikov.

After Peter's arrival in Moscow, he met with his grandmother, Evdokia. This meeting is touchingly described by many historians. But the emperor treated the grandmother rather dismissively, despite the fact that she loved her grandson very much.

Domestic politics

In the Moscow period of his life, Peter II mainly had fun, leaving the princes Dolgoruky to conduct state affairs. The Dolgorukovs themselves, and especially Ivan Alekseevich, spoke indignantly about the emperor's constant amusements, but, nevertheless, did not interfere with him and did not force him to engage in state affairs. According to the historian Solovyov, foreign envoys reported on the state of affairs in Russia in the following way:

In the Supreme Privy Council, Apraksin, Golovkin and Golitsyn - that is, almost half of the members - expressed their dissatisfaction with the fact that the emperor was not present in the Council and two of its members, Prince Alexei Dolgorukov and Osterman, were mediators between the emperor and the Council; they themselves almost never go to meetings, and the opinions of the Council should be sent to them with a request to carry out the matter, reporting to the emperor.

The army and navy were in crisis: after Menshikov's exile, the Military Collegium was left without a president, and after the transfer of the capital to Moscow, without a vice president, the army did not have enough ammunition, many capable young officers were fired. Peter was not interested in the army; the organization of military maneuvers near Moscow in the spring of 1729 did not attract his attention. The construction of ships was stopped, they wanted to limit themselves to the release of some galleys, which practically led to a war with Sweden. The transfer of the capital to Moscow also did not contribute to the development of the fleet. When Osterman warned Peter that due to the removal of the capital from the sea, the fleet might disappear, Peter answered: “ When need calls for the use of ships, I will go to sea; but I do not intend to walk on it like a grandfather».

During the reign of Peter II, disasters often occurred: for example, on April 23, 1729, a fire broke out in Moscow, in the German Quarter. When extinguishing it, the grenadiers took valuable things from the owners of the houses, threatening with axes, and only the arrival of the emperor stopped the robberies. When Peter was informed about the robbery, he ordered the guilty to be taken away; but Ivan Dolgorukov tried to hush up the matter, since he was their captain.

At that time, robbery attacks were very common. So, for example, in the Alatorsky district, the robbers burned the village of Prince Kurakin and killed the clerk, two churches and more than 200 courtyards were burned. They wrote that more than one of these villages had suffered, and the robbers were standing near Alatyr in large numbers with weapons and cannons and boasting that they would take and ruin the city, where there was no garrison, and send no one to catch the thieves. This also happened in the Penza region and the Lower Volga region.

Bribery and embezzlement flourished on a large scale. In December 1727, the trial of Admiral Matvey Zmaevich began, who abused his powers and plundered the treasury. The court sentenced Zmaevich and his accomplice Major Pasynkov to death penalty, which was replaced by a demotion, an honorary exile to Astrakhan and compensation for damages.

Ruble of Peter II in silver. 1727

After the repressions of the time of Peter the Great, an indulgence was given from monetary duties and recruitment sets, and on April 4, 1729, the punitive body, the Preobrazhensky Prikaz, was liquidated. His affairs were divided between the Supreme Privy Council and the Senate, depending on their importance.

Contradictions in the church escalated. After the death of Menshikov, the opposition clergy felt strength and began to advocate the restoration of the patriarchate. Since the time of Peter I, all church affairs have been in charge of the vice-president of the Holy Synod Feofan Prokopovich, who was accused of condescension to the spread of Lutheranism and Calvinism, as well as participation in the All-Jesting and All-Drunken Council. The main accusers were Bishop of Rostov Georgy (Dashkov) and Markell (Rodyshevsky).

Many undertakings of Peter the Great continued by inertia. So, in 1730, Vitus Bering returned to St. Petersburg and announced the discovery of a strait between Asia and America.

Engagement with Ekaterina Dolgorukova

Through his friend, Ivan Dolgorukov, in the fall of 1729, the emperor met and fell in love with his sister, 17-year-old Princess Ekaterina Dolgorukova. On November 19, Peter II gathered the Council and announced his intention to marry the princess; on November 30, the betrothal took place in the Lefort Palace. On the other hand, there were rumors that the Dolgorukovs forced the emperor to marry. Observers noted that Peter II treated his bride coldly in public. On January 19, 1730, a wedding was scheduled, which did not take place due to the premature death of Peter II.

Meanwhile, there was no unity in the Dolgoruky camp: for example, Alexei Dolgorukov hated his son Ivan, who was also disliked by his sister Ekaterina because he did not allow her to take away the jewels that belonged to the late emperor's sister. In early January 1730, a secret meeting between Peter and Osterman took place, at which the latter tried to dissuade the emperor from marriage, talking about the embezzlement of the Dolgorukovs. This meeting was also attended by Elizaveta Petrovna, who talked about the bad attitude of the Dolgorukovs towards her, despite Peter's constant decrees that she should be given proper respect. Probably, the Dolgorukovs had a dislike for her due to the fact that the young emperor was very attached to her, although he was going to marry Ekaterina Dolgorukova.

Emperor's death

Foreign policy

Despite the short reign of Peter, foreign policy Russia in his time was quite active. Osterman, in charge foreign policy, wholly relied on an alliance with Austria. The emperor had no doubts about this policy, because his maternal uncle was Emperor Charles VI, and his cousin was the future Empress Maria Theresa. The interests of Russia and Austria coincided in many areas - in particular, in relation to countering the Ottoman Empire.

An alliance with Austria, according to the concepts of that time, automatically meant strained relations with France and England. They wanted to use the coronation of George II to improve relations between Russia and Great Britain, but the death of the chief Russian ambassador to France and England, Boris Kurakin, ruined these plans.

Relations between Russia and Poland deteriorated significantly due to the fact that the Poles considered Courland, in which Anna Ioannovna ruled, their province and openly said that it should be divided into provinces. Moritz of Saxony, the illegitimate son of the Polish King Augustus II, was refused marriages to Elizaveta Petrovna and Anna Ioannovna.

The news of Peter's accession was well received in Denmark, since a close relative of the king, the Duke of Holstein, was married to Peter's aunt, which could serve as the basis for an alliance with Denmark. Alexei Bestuzhev reported to Peter from Copenhagen: "The king hopes to receive your friendship and is ready to seek it in every possible way, directly and through the Caesar."

At first, relations with Sweden were very hostile: the Russian envoy was treated coldly, while the Turkish envoy was showered with favors; Sweden forced Russia to start a war in order to attribute to it the beginning of a hostile movement and to receive help from France and England. Disputes about Peter's conquests continued: Sweden threatened that it would not recognize Peter as emperor if Russia did not return Vyborg to Sweden. However, later the Swedes, having learned that the army and navy in Russia were still in a combat-ready state, abandoned these requirements. Despite this, relations remained tense: in Sweden, many regretted that Menshikov was exiled, and, in addition, an invasion of Russia by Sweden and Turkey was being prepared with the support of England and France. However, relations soon changed, and Russia's main adversary, Count Horn, began to pledge allegiance to the emperor. At the end of Peter's reign, King Frederick I of Sweden himself tried to ally with Russia.

Personality of Peter II

Peter II was lazy, did not like to study, but he loved entertainment and at the same time was very capricious. Historian Nikolai Kostomarov gives a historical anecdote from his life:

He was only 12 years old, and he already felt that he was born an autocratic monarch, and at the first opportunity that presented itself, he showed the consciousness of his royal origin over Menshikov himself. Petersburg masons presented the young sovereign with 9,000 chervonets as a gift. The sovereign sent this money as a gift to his sister, Grand Duchess Natalya, but Menshikov, meeting a minister walking with money, took the money from him and said: "The sovereign is too young and does not know how to use money." The next morning, having learned from his sister that she did not receive money, Peter asked the courtier about them, who announced that Menshikov had taken the money from him. The sovereign ordered to call Prince Menshikov and shouted angrily:

How dare you prevent my courtier from following my order?

Our treasury is exhausted, - said Menshikov, - the state needs, and I intend to give this money a more useful purpose; however, if your Majesty pleases, I will not only return this money, but I will give you a whole million from my money.

I am the emperor, - said Peter, stamping his foot, - I must obey.

The king is like his grandfather in that he stands his ground, does not tolerate objections and does what he wants.

Lefort, Saxon ambassador to Russia

Previously, it was possible to counteract all this, but now it is impossible even to think about it, because the sovereign knows his unlimited power and does not want to correct himself. He acts solely at his own discretion, following only the advice of his favorites.

Hohenholtz, Austrian Ambassador to Russia

It is impossible not to be surprised at the ability of the sovereign to hide his thoughts; his art of pretending is wonderful. Last week he dined twice at Osterman's, over whom he at the same time mocked in the company of the Dolgorukis. In front of Osterman, he hides his thoughts: he tells him the opposite of what he assured Dolgoruky ... The art of pretending is the predominant character trait of the emperor.

Count Vratislav, Austrian Ambassador to Russia

Although it is difficult to say anything decisive about the character of the 14-year-old sovereign, one can guess that he will be quick-tempered, decisive and cruel.

Duke De Liria, Spanish Ambassador to Russia

Titles

years	Title
-	Grand Duke
-	Bozhіeyu pospѣshestvuyuscheyu milostіyu We Petr Second, the Imperator and Samoderzhets Vserossіyskіy, Moskovskіy, Kіevskіy, Vladimіrskіy, Novgorodskіy, King Kazanskіy, King Astrahanskіy, King Sibirskіy, Emperor Pskovskіy and Velikіy Prince Smolenskіy, Prince Estlyandskіy, Liflyandskіy, Korelskіy, Tverskіy, Yugorskіy, Permskіy, Vyatka, Bulgarian and other Sovereign and Grand Duke of Novgorod of Nizovsky lands, Chernigov, Ryazan, Rostov, Yaroslavl, Beloozersky, Udorsk, Obdorsk, Kondiya and all Northern countries Princes and others Hereditary Sovereign and Possessor

Impostors

Pedigree

Alexey Mikhailovich

Natalia Naryshkin

Peter I 1672 - 1725

Evdokia Lopukhin 1669 - 1731

Ludwig Rudolf 1671 - 1735

Christina Louise 1671 - 1747

Alexander Petrovich 1691 - 1692

Paul Petrovich 1693 - 1693

Alexey Petrovich 1690 - 1718

Sofia Charlotte 1694 - 1715

Born on 23 (12 old style) October 1715 in St. Petersburg.

He was the son, the eldest son of Peter I, and his wife, nee Charlotte-Sophia of Blankenburg. Peter's mother died 10 days after his birth, in 1718 he lost his father.

After the death in 1719 of the son of Peter I from his second marriage, Tsarevich Peter Petrovich, the Tsarevich began to be considered by Russian society as the only legitimate heir. imperial crown. In 1722, Peter I issued a decree on his right to appoint his successor, thereby violating the established order of succession to the throne. After the death of Peter I, Prince Alexander Menshikov achieved the proclamation of the empress. The attempt of the old aristocracy (Dolgoruky, Golitsyn, Count Gavriil Golovkin, Prince Anikita Repnin) to enthrone ten-year-old Peter failed, but the empress brought him closer to her and throughout her reign showed signs of attention to him.

The upbringing of Tsarevich Peter, both under Peter I and under Catherine I, was not given much attention. Of his teachers, two are known - Semyon Mavrin and Ivan Zeikin, who taught the prince history, geography, mathematics and Latin.

In 1727 diplomat Andrey Osterman was appointed Chief Chamberlain of the Grand Duke Peter Alekseevich.

Foreseeing the imminent death of Catherine I, not wanting the throne to pass to her daughters, and given the popularity of Peter among the people and among the nobility, Prince Menshikov decided to support the candidacy of the prince, planning to marry him to his eldest daughter Maria. The prince convinced the dying empress to sign a will in favor of Tsarevich Peter Alekseevich.

Peter II ascended the throne on May 18 (7 according to the old style) in 1727. At first, he was under the influence of Alexander Menshikov, who moved him to his house on Vasilyevsky Island and on June 4 (May 24, according to the old style) betrothed him to his daughter Maria.

The post of educator under Peter II was retained by Osterman, who was assisted by Prince Alexei Dolgoruky, Academician Goldbach and Archbishop Feofan Prokopovich.

In July 1727, using Menshikov's illness and the young emperor's dissatisfaction with him, the court opposition in the person of Andrei Osterman, the princes Dolgoruky and Tsesarevna Elizaveta Petrovna succeeded in removing the prince from power. On September 19 (8 according to the old style) Peter II announced the beginning of his independent reign and the break of his engagement with Maria Menshikova. Menshikov himself was stripped of all ranks and exiled to Siberia.

At the end of 1727 the imperial court moved to Moscow. On March 7 (February 24), 1728, the coronation of the 13-year-old Emperor Peter II took place.

In Moscow, the princes father and son Alexei and Ivan Dolgoruky acquired unlimited influence on the emperor, who tried to distract the emperor from business with fun and entertainment. The emperor practically did not deal with state affairs, devoting all his time to entertainment, especially hunting with dogs and falcons, bear-baiting and fisticuffs. He became addicted to alcohol early. Osterman's attempts to persuade him to continue his education were unsuccessful.

Dolgoruky decided to marry Peter to the eldest daughter of Alexei Dolgoruky, Princess Catherine. On December 11 (November 30, Old Style), 1729, the betrothal took place, the marriage ceremony was scheduled for January 30 (November 19, Old Style), 1730.

On January 17 (6 according to the old style) of January, signs of smallpox were found in Emperor Peter II, and on the night of January 30 (19 according to the old style) he died in the Lefortovo Palace in Moscow.

Peter II was buried in the Archangel Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. With his death, the Romanov family was interrupted in the male line.

During his short reign, Peter II issued several decrees: on the transfer of important matters from the Cabinet of His Imperial Majesty to the Supreme Privy Council; more correct collection of the poll tax and the abolition of the Chief Magistrate; on the transfer of Little Russian cases from the Senate to the Collegium of Foreign Affairs; about the prohibition of the clergy to wear secular clothes. The real power in the state was in the hands of the Supreme Privy Council and the favorites of the young emperor.

The material was prepared on the basis of information from open sources

Or a representative of a noble and wealthy family? Here, they say, they have power, wealth. But not always, power and wealth bring happiness to a person.

In Russian history there are many examples of the unfortunate fate of monarchs, various officials, people.

Separately, in the list of these examples, one can single out the personality of Emperor Peter II, and we will talk about him.

Peter II was the grandson of Peter I, the son of Tsarevich Alexei and Princess Sophia Charlotte of Blankenburg, who received the name Natalia Alekseevna at baptism.

Pyotr Alekseevich was born on October 12, 1715. Natalya Alekseevna died ten days after giving birth. And three years later, his father, Tsarevich Alexei, died.

At the end of 1726, she began to get sick. This circumstance forced the Empress and the Russian public to think about the heir to the throne.

Several descendants claimed the Russian throne at once. These were his daughters - Elizabeth (future Empress), Anna, and grandson Peter II Alekseevich.

For the fact that little Peter sat on the Russian throne, representatives of the old boyar families spoke out. Less well-born nobles supported the "party" of princesses.

Osterman having at court big influence, proposed a compromise in resolving this issue, which would suit all the warring parties.

This, of course, is about the fact that one of the princesses became the wife of Peter. But this was not destined to be. The game was won by Menshikov, who staked on Peter. Catherine signed the will, and after her death, Peter II became the new Russian monarch.

Having become a monarch, Peter II became a tool with the help of which adult and influential uncles solved their personal, often selfish issues. From the very first day of his reign, the emperor fell under the strict tutelage of Menshikov.

Alexander Danilovich forced the young monarch to study a lot and did not allow unnecessary entertainment. Everything would be fine, but Menshikov decided to marry Pyotr Alekseevich to his daughter, who was absolutely not nice to the emperor.

The relationship between the Emperor and Menshikov was strained. Time passed, the little boy grew up more and more and, having a great resentment against Alexander Danilovich, he accumulated it more and more in himself.

One day his resentment came out. The reason for the conflict with Menshikov was the case. Peter sent a cash gift to his own sister, which was supposed to be given by one of the courtiers. It soon became clear that the gift had not reached Natalya Petrovna, but that Menshikov had confiscated it.

The boy, meek up to this moment, suddenly poured out on Alexander Danilovich all the insults accumulated in his heart. Immediately, Alexander Danilovich's health failed. After leaving the capital for a short time, Peter fell under the influence of Osterman, sister Natalia and aunt Elizabeth, who vied with each other that old Menshikov was abusing his position.

Soon Meshnikov returned to St. Petersburg, but in the course of court struggles and various intrigues, he was removed from the capital, exiled into exile. Fate was also cruel to Menshikov, but that's another story...

Leaving the tutelage of Menshikov, Peter II fell under the influence of Dolgoruky. Vasily Lukich and Alexei Grigorievich Dolgoruky held prominent government posts. The son of Alexei Grigorievich, Ivan Dolgoruky, generally had friendship with the emperor.

Young Ivan had a detrimental effect on young Peter. Dolgoruky addicted him to wine, gambling, they were often seen in campaigns with various young ladies. The main hobby of Peter II, acquired from Ivan Dolgoruky, was hunting. Sovereign most gave time to this hobby.

The boy loved hounds, which he was specially ordered from abroad. From take with them, he received tremendous pleasure. He also liked fast horses. Peter II burned his life.

Before the "overthrow" of Menshikov, he was close with his sister Natalya, but then he forgot about her. Although Natalia was his true friend and support. Soon the sister died and, for him, her death was a real blow.

The young emperor suffered unrequited love to his aunt Elizaveta Petrovna. No, of course she loved him, but only as a nephew. Peter saw her only as his wife.

To increase their influence, the Dolgorukiy decided to marry the daughter of Alexei Grigorievich, Catherine, to Peter. In the course of a cunning intrigue, Ekaterina Alekseevna became engaged to Peter II. Both were not nice to each other. But he was under the great influence of a noble family, so he could not refuse a new bride.

Ekaterina Alekseevna was a decent girl, but she decided to behave selfishly in order to take revenge on her father for this wedding in the future, already being the empress. The wedding did not take place in the end. Peter II caught a cold and fell ill with smallpox. He died at the age of 14. With the death of the young emperor, the male line came to an end. The question of succession arose again ...

The fate of Peter II is tragic. I will be a little boy, not having a proper education, being among court liars, liars and scoundrels, he could not independently cope with the temptations that were around him. After all, everything is allowed to the emperor. And delicious food, and booze, the attention of girls and friends.

There was no one to curb the emperor's fragile childish consciousness. Dolgoruky, who won the confidence of the monarch, were busy with their own selfish deeds. Others, seemingly loyal people, like Osterman, were afraid to say their word.

Peter II (short biography)

Peter the Second Alekseevich, the future All-Russian Emperor, was born on October 12, 1715. Peter's mother died ten days after giving birth, and three years later his father also died. Peter the Great, who was his grandfather, did not pay much attention to his grandson. His youth passes rather carefree among the youth of noble families. The closest to the future Russian ruler was Ivan Dolgorukov.

After the death of his grandfather Peter the Great the First, it was his grandson who was obliged to head the state. However, the king violates the established system of inheritance of power and in 1722 issues a decree on his own right in appointing an heir. Prince Menshikov, who at that time with great influence achieved the proclamation of the wife of Peter the Great Catherine the Great as Empress.

At the same time, throughout her reign, she was very supportive of Peter Alekseevich and even made a will in his favor.

The reign of Peter II begins on May 18, 1727. Menshikov becomes regent under the young emperor, and Peter himself publishes manifestos that were drawn up by the regent. Thanks to the first of them, the popularity of the emperor among the masses was significantly increased. The second manifesto received field marshal's batons from princes Dolgorukov and Trubetskoy. And Minich receives not only a rod, but also a count's title. At the same time, Menshikov himself becomes a generalissimo during this period.

On May 24, 1727, Peter becomes engaged to Menshikov's eldest daughter, Maria. Dolgoruky, Academician Goldbach, Feofan Prokopovich, and A. I. Osterman are engaged in the education of the young ruler. Despite the fact that from the side royal life flowed smoothly, the king did not feel feelings for Mary, who also did not shine with her mind.

Very soon after the engagement, Menshikov leaves Peter because of an illness. During this period, the tsar changes his views on Menshikov's advice, and the engagement with Mary is broken. On September 8, 1727, the beginning of the independent reign of Peter the Second was announced. After that, he moves to Peterhof, and Menshikov (deprived of posts and ranks) goes into exile in the Ryazan province.

On February 24, 1728, the young ruler is crowned king. There is a serious struggle at the court for influence on the young king. The imperial sister, Natalya Alekseevna, expressed support for Osterman, and the tsar's aunt Elizabeth was on the side of the Golitsyn family.

In 1729, the date of the king's wedding was set, but this was not destined to happen, because on February 18, 1730, the king died.

Peter II Alekseevich. Born October 12 (23), 1715 in St. Petersburg - died January 19 (30), 1730 in Moscow. Russian Emperor. Grandson of Peter I. The last representative of the Romanov family in the direct male line.

Grand Duke Pyotr Alekseevich was born on October 12 (23 according to the new style) October 1715 in St. Petersburg.

Father - Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich, heir to the throne, sentenced to death in 1718.

Mother - German Princess Sophia-Charlotte of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, died 10 days after giving birth.

The marriage of Alexei and Charlotte was the result of diplomatic negotiations between Peter I, the Polish King August II and the Austrian Emperor Charles VI, each of them wanted to get his own benefit from the family union of the Romanov dynasty and the ancient German Welf family. At the same time, no one was interested in the feelings of the bride and groom. The wedding was played in Torgau in October 1711.

The older sister is Natalia.

The boy turned out to be the full namesake of his grandfather,. He was baptized by his grandfather and his sister Natalya.

The father assigned to his son two always drunk "mothers" from the German settlement, who, in order to less bother with Peter, served him wine, from which he fell asleep.

After the death of Tsarevich Alexei in 1718, Peter I turned his attention to his only grandson. He ordered the negligent mothers to be driven away, and ordered him to pick up teachers. Soon, the clerk Semyon Semyonovich Mavrin and the Carpathian Rusyn from Hungary Ivan Alekseevich Zeykan (1670-1739) were assigned to the Grand Duke. After some time, Peter I checked the knowledge of his grandson and became furious: he did not know how to explain himself in Russian, knew a little German and Latin, and Tatar curses much better. The emperor personally beat Mavrin and Zeikan with a stick, but Pyotr Alekseevich never received more worthy mentors.

In the first three years of his life, Peter was not considered as the future emperor, since Peter I had a son, Peter. The death of the latter in early childhood raised the question of succession to the throne.

From birth, Peter Alekseevich was called the Grand Duke. Prior to this, the sons of kings were called princes. The birth of Peter was the first since the introduction of the royal title (and the first in the history of the Romanov dynasty) the appearance of a grandson by the reigning sovereign.

In February 1718, arrested abroad and brought to Russia, Alexei Petrovich renounced the throne in favor of the infant son of Peter I from his second marriage to Peter Petrovich, who was born a few days after his nephew Peter Alekseevich. In the summer of the same year, Tsarevich Alexei died in custody. Thus, Peter Alekseevich was, following his father, removed from the throne.

The nobility became interested in Pyotr Alekseevich in 1719, after the three-year-old Pyotr Petrovich, officially recognized as the heir, died and the tsar's grandson remained the only male representative of the Romanov dynasty, except for the sovereign. The transition of the throne from grandfather to grandson corresponded to the tradition of monarchical houses (for example, shortly before that, in France, after the death of Louis XIV, the throne passed to his young great-grandson Louis XV), but it contradicted the law of succession in force at that time.

During his grandfather's illness, Pyotr Alekseevich met Ivan Dolgorukov, his future favorite. The child often visited the Dolgorukovs' house, in which the capital's youth from ancient noble families gathered. There he met his aunt, Elizaveta Petrovna. So the party began to take shape, predicting Peter Alekseevich to emperor. At meetings in the Dolgorukovs' house, he was explained his rights to the throne of the Russian Empire, and Pyotr Alekseevich vowed to crush his grandfather's favorite, Menshikov, who led the opposition to the old boyar families.

The supporters of the elevation of Peter Alekseevich to the throne had a strong opposition. Quite definite fears for their lives and property arose among those associates of Peter who signed the death warrant to his father. If the emperor followed the custom and declared the heir to his grandson - the son of the disgraced Alexei and the grandson of the conservative Evdokia Lopukhina, then this would give rise to the opponents of the reforms hope to return the old order.

On February 5 (16), 1722, Peter issued a decree on succession to the throne (which continued to be valid until the end of the century), in which he abolished the ancient custom of passing the throne to direct male descendants, but allowed the appointment of any worthy person by the will of the monarch. So Peter Alekseevich was formally deprived of pre-emptive rights to the throne, but the question of the heir remained open. Before his sudden death in 1725, Peter did not have time to appoint an heir.

After the death of Peter I, the question of an heir began to be decided. Representatives of the old tribal nobility (Lopukhins, Dolgorukovs) advocated the candidacy of 9-year-old Peter Alekseevich, while representatives of the new service nobility, who became influential under Peter I, spoke in favor of declaring Peter's widow Catherine Empress. The issue was resolved simply - Prince Menshikov surrounded the palace with guards and elevated his former mistress to the throne.

Vice-Chancellor Osterman proposed, in order to reconcile the interests of the noble and new serving nobility, to marry Grand Duke Peter Alekseevich to Tsesarevna Elizabeth Petrovna, daughter of Catherine I. Their unacceptably close relationship according to church canons served as an obstacle: Elizabeth was Peter's own aunt (although she was not born from the same mother that his father). Empress Catherine, wishing to appoint her daughter Elizabeth (according to other sources - Anna), did not dare to accept Osterman's project and continued to insist on her right to appoint her successor, hoping that the issue would be resolved over time.

Over time, the main supporter of Catherine, Menshikov, knowing about her poor health and assuming her imminent death, began to think about how to win Peter over to his side. He hoped to betroth his daughter Maria to the heir to the throne, and after his accession to the throne, to become regent until he came of age and thereby strengthen his already strong power, and in the long run - to become the grandfather of the future emperor if Peter and Mary had children. Despite the fact that Maria was betrothed to the Polish magnate Pyotr Sapega, Menshikov managed to get Catherine's consent to marry his daughter with Pyotr Alekseevich. Sapieha was married to Sophia Karlovna Skavronskaya, the niece of the Empress.

Menshikov's opponents wanted to avoid Peter's enthronement, as this would strengthen Menshikov's power. They hoped, under the pretext of training, to send Peter Alekseevich abroad, and after the death of Catherine, to enthrone one of her daughters - Anna or Elizabeth. The husband of Anna Petrovna, the Duke of Holstein, Karl-Friedrich, also joined this party. The plans of the conspirators were thwarted by the suddenly aggravated illness of the empress.

Shortly before the death of the empress, members of the Supreme Privy Council, the Senate, the Synod, the presidents of the colleges and the staff officers of the guards gathered in the palace for a meeting on who should become emperor after the death of Catherine. Enemies of Menshikov began to discuss the idea of ​​coronating one of the princesses, but the majority voted for Pyotr Alekseevich, who was supposed to be under the tutelage of the Supreme Privy Council until the age of 16 and take an oath not to take revenge on anyone who signed the death sentence on his father, Alexei Petrovich.

After resolving the issue of succession to the throne, Menshikov, on behalf of the Empress, began an investigation into the intrigues of his enemies. Many opponents of Menshikov were arrested and tortured, exiled and deprived of their ranks, some were only demoted. The duke of Holstein tried to negotiate with Menshikov through his minister Bassevich. Menshikov set the condition that the daughters of Peter I, Anna and Elizabeth, would not interfere with the accession to the throne of Peter Alekseevich, and Menshikov agreed to issue a million rubles for each princess.

On May 6 (17), 1727, the 43-year-old Empress Catherine I died. Before his death, Bassevich urgently drew up a will, signed instead of the sick queen by her daughter Elizabeth. According to the will, the throne was inherited by the grandson of Peter I, Peter Alekseevich. Later, Empress Anna Ioannovna ordered Chancellor Gavrila Golovkin to burn this spiritual one. He carried out her order, having previously made a copy of the document.

The will provided for guardianship of the minor emperor, determined the power of the Supreme Council and the order of succession to the throne in the event of the death of Peter Alekseevich (in this case, the throne passed to the daughters of Catherine, Anna and Elizabeth, and their descendants, if they did not renounce the Russian throne or the Orthodox faith, and then to Peter's sister Natalya Alekseevna). The 8th article of the Empress' Testament read: "If the Grand Duke has no heirs, then Tsarina Anna with her descendants (descendants) has (the right to inherit), Tsarina Elizabeth and her descendants according to her."

The 11th article amazed those who read the will: it commanded all nobles to promote the betrothal of Peter Alekseevich to one of the daughters of Prince Menshikov, and then, upon reaching adulthood, to promote their marriage. Literally: “our princesses and the government of the administration also have to try to arrange a marriage between his love [Grand Duke Peter] and one princess of Prince Menshikov.” This clearly indicated that Menshikov took an active part in the preparation of the will, however, for Russian society, the right of Peter Alekseevich to the throne - the main article of the will - was indisputable, and there were no unrest due to the content of the 11th article.

Peter II ( documentary)

The reign of Peter II

Peter II was not able to rule on his own, as a result of which practically unlimited power was first in the hands of Menshikov, and then - Osterman and Dolgoruky. As with its predecessor, the state was ruled by inertia. The courtiers tried to follow the precepts of Peter the Great, but the conservation of the political system he created revealed all the shortcomings inherent in it.

The time of Menshikov's regency was not much different from the reign of Catherine I, since the actual ruler of the country remained the same, only gained more power. After his fall, the Dolgorukovs came to power, and the situation changed radically. The last years of the reign of Peter II, some historians tend to consider the "boyar kingdom": much of what appeared under Peter I fell into decay, the old order began to be restored. The boyar aristocracy was strengthening, and the "chicks of Petrov's nest" faded into the background. On the part of the clergy there were attempts to restore the patriarchate. The army and especially the fleet fell into decay, corruption and embezzlement flourished. The capital was moved from St. Petersburg to Moscow.

The result of the reign of Peter II was the strengthening of the influence of the Supreme Privy Council, which included mainly old boyars (out of eight seats in the council, six belonged to the Dolgorukovs and Golitsyns). The council became so strong that it forced Anna Ioannovna, who became the ruler after Peter, to sign the “Conditions”, transferring all power to the Supreme Privy Council. In 1730, the "Conditions" were destroyed by Anna Ioannovna, and the boyar clans again lost their strength.

On May 6 (17), 1727, Peter Alekseevich became the third All-Russian emperor, taking the official name Peter II. According to the will of Catherine I, until the age of 16, the teenager-emperor had to rule not independently, but relying on the Supreme Privy Council, which was manipulated by Alexander Menshikov.

Menshikov led the fight against everyone whom he considered dangerous in terms of succession to the throne. The daughter of Peter I Anna Petrovna was forced to leave Russia with her husband. Anna Ioannovna, daughter of Tsar John (the elder brother of Peter I and co-ruler until 1696), was forbidden to come from Mitava to congratulate her nephew on his ascension to the throne. Baron Shafirov, president of the Commerce Collegium, an old enemy of Menshikov, was removed to Arkhangelsk, allegedly "to set up a whaling company."

Trying to strengthen his influence on the emperor, Menshikov moved him on May 17 (28) to his house on Vasilyevsky Island. May 25 (June 5) happened betrothal of 11-year-old Peter II to 16-year-old Princess Maria Menshikova. She received the title "Her Imperial Highness" and an annual allowance of 34 thousand rubles. Although Peter was kind to her and her father, in his letters of that time he called her "porcelain doll".

Maria Menshikova - the first bride of Peter II

It is unlikely that Menshikov had anything to do with the initiative of the emperor to summon his grandmother, Yevdokia Lopukhina, whom he had never seen before, from Shlisselburg imprisonment. She was moved to the Novodevichy Convent, where she received a decent maintenance.

Shortly after the accession of Peter II to the throne, Menshikov drew up two manifestos on his behalf, designed to turn the population in his favor. The first of these decrees forgave long-standing arrears to the serfs, and freedom was granted to those exiled for non-payment of taxes to hard labor. This initiative has been continued. Under Peter, a softening of the code of punishments began in Russia - a process that will reach its climax under Elizabeth. In particular, the imperial decree was henceforth forbidden "for intimidation" to put on display the dismembered bodies of the executed.

The so-called "turnaround tax" was also abolished - to file from each arriving cart. The explanation for this was “the concern of the government to protect subjects from the insults perpetrated by collectors,” however, the amount usually received in this way for a year was distributed in the form of an indirect tax to the imperial taverns.

Along with the forgiveness of old arrears, which, apparently, it was still impossible to recover, the Menshikov government made efforts leading to a tightening of control over tax collections. So, after a failed attempt to appoint zemstvo commissars from local residents to collect taxes (in the hope that they would be better aware of the situation on the ground), it was decided to oblige local governors to send messengers directly to local estates, and demand arrears from landlords, their clerks or managers .

The 37.5% protectionist duty introduced by Peter I on hemp and yarn sold abroad was reduced to 5%. The Siberian fur trade was completely left without duty.

According to the second manifesto, Princes Trubetskoy, Dolgorukov and Burkhard Munnich were given the rank of Field Marshal General, and the latter, in addition, was given the title of Count. Menshikov himself became the generalissimo and commander-in-chief of the entire Russian army.

The Sejm was introduced in Livonia, in 1727 the Little Russian Collegium was abolished and the hetmanate in Ukraine was restored. This decision was due to the need to tie Ukrainians to the Russian government in light of the impending Russian-Turkish war. It was also beneficial for Menshikov, since a lot of complaints accumulated about the collegium and its president, Stepan Velyaminov, and its abolition could increase Menshikov's authority in Little Russia.

In the Supreme Privy Council, Peter announced: “In Little Russia, to the pleasure of the local people, decide the hetman and other general foremen in everything according to the content of the points at which this people entered the citizenship of the Russian Empire.” In other words, Ukraine began to submit to Russia according to the agreements established on Pereyaslav Rada. All cases concerning Ukraine were transferred to the jurisdiction of a foreign collegium.

On July 22 (August 2), 1727, a decree was issued: “In Little Russia, the hetman and the general foreman should be and support them according to the treatise of the hetman Bohdan Khmelnitsky, and for the election to the hetman and foreman, send Privy Councilor Fyodor Naumov, who will be the minister under the hetman” . Menshikov in secret points on the choice of centurions and other ranks good people ordered to add: "Except for the Jews." Daniil Apostol was elected hetman.

Under Catherine I, magistrates were subordinate to governors and governors, and under Peter II, the idea arose to completely abolish them, since they duplicated the power of governors and governors and a lot of money was spent on them. The idea was not implemented, but the Chief Magistrate was abolished. The abolition of the Chief Magistrate, in addition to visible positive effects (monetary savings), however, led to the disappearance of the cassation body, where the subject could apply with a complaint against the governor or local authorities.

Osterman drew up a plan for teaching Peter, which consisted of ancient and modern history, geography, mathematics and geometry: “Read history and briefly the main cases of former times, changes, increment and depreciation of different states, the reasons for this, and especially the virtues of the rulers of the ancients with subsequent benefits and represent glory. And in this way, it is possible to go through the Assyrian, Persian, Greek and Roman monarchies to the most recent times in half a year, and you can also use the author of the first part of historical cases, Yagan Gibner, and for searching, the so-called Bilderzaal ... New history can also be interpreted in this at the instigation of Mr. Pufendorf, the new act of each, and especially the border states, to present, and in other things the news of the ruling name of each state, interest, form of government, strength and weakness, gradually submit ... Geography partly on the globe, partly on the land maps to show, and In addition, use a brief description of Gibner's ... Mathematical operations, arithmetic, geometry and other mathematical parts and arts from mechanics, optics, and so on.

The training plan also included entertainment: billiards, hunting, and so on. At the direction of Osterman, the Collegium of Foreign Affairs compiled a “curious” handwritten newspaper for the emperor based on materials from the European press. In addition to the training plan drawn up by Osterman, a note written personally by Peter II has also been preserved: “On Monday afternoon, from 2 to 3 o’clock, study, and then teach the soldiers; Tuesday and Thursday afternoons - from the dog to the field; Wednesday afternoon to train soldiers; Friday afternoon - ride with birds; Saturday afternoon - music and dancing; in the afternoon on Sunday - to the summer house and to the gardens there.

According to Osterman's plan, Peter was to visit the Supreme Privy Council on Wednesdays and Fridays. However, he appeared there only once - on June 21 (July 2), 1727. More about Peter's visits to the highest government body under Menshikov is not known.

The young emperor did not like to study, preferring fun and hunting, where he was accompanied by the young prince Ivan Dolgorukov and the 17-year-old daughter of Peter I, Elizabeth. Menshikov also did not come to the meetings of the Council: papers were carried to his house. Disposing as an autocratic ruler, the "semi-powerful ruler" turned against himself the rest of the nobility, as well as the sovereign himself.

In 1727, on the territory of the Menshikov estate, on the site where the house of the butler prince had previously been, the construction of the palace of Peter II began. The butler's house entered this palace as the southeast wing. After the death of Peter II in 1730, construction was stopped. By this time, only the foundation and the lower floor of the palace had been erected. The building was completed in 1759-1761 as part of the Stable Yard of the Land Gentry Corps.

Gradually, the emperor began to grow cold towards Menshikov and his daughter. There were several reasons for this: on the one hand, the arrogance of Menshikov himself, on the other, the influence of Elizaveta Petrovna and the Dolgorukovs. On the name day of Natalya Alekseevna, August 26 (September 6), Peter treated Mary rather dismissively. Menshikov reprimanded Peter, to which he remarked: “I love her in my soul, but caresses are superfluous; Menshikov knows that I have no intention of getting married before the age of 25.” As a result of this disagreement, Peter ordered the Supreme Privy Council to transfer all his things from the Menshikov Palace to the Peterhof Palace and make an order that state money should not be issued to anyone without a decree signed personally by the emperor.

In addition to this, in the summer of 1727, Menshikov fell ill. After five or six weeks, the body coped with the disease, but during the time that he was absent from the court, Menshikov’s opponents extracted the protocols of interrogations of Tsarevich Alexei, the emperor’s father, in which Menshikov participated, and familiarized the sovereign with them.

On September 6 (17), by order of the Supreme Privy Council, all the things of the emperor were transferred from the Menshikov house to the Summer Palace.

On September 7 (18), Peter, upon his arrival from hunting in Petersburg, sent to announce the guards so that she obeyed only his orders.

On September 8 (19), Menshikov was accused of high treason, embezzlement of the treasury, and, together with his whole family, was exiled to the city of Berezov, Tobolsk Territory.

After the fall of Menshikov, Evdokia Lopukhina began to call herself the queen and on September 21 (October 1) wrote to her grandson: “The most powerful emperor, most gracious grandson! Although for a long time my desire was not only to congratulate Your Majesty on the assumption of the throne, but rather to see you, but due to my misfortune I have not been honored to this date, since Prince Menshikov, not allowing me to reach Your Majesty, sent me for guard to Moscow. And now I have been informed that for my opposition to your majesty I have been excommunicated from you; and I take the liberty of writing to you and congratulating you. Moreover, if your majesty does not deign to be in Moscow soon, I beg you to order me to be with you, so that by the ardor of blood I can see you and your sister, my dear grandson, before my death.

Thus, the emperor's grandmother urged him to come to Moscow, but she was afraid that if Peter came to Moscow, then Lopukhina would be released and become the ruler. Despite this, at the end of 1727, preparations began for the court to move to Moscow for the upcoming coronation along the lines of the Russian tsars.

In early January, the emperor left St. Petersburg with his court, but along the way, Peter fell ill and was forced to spend two weeks in Tver. For some time, Peter stopped near Moscow to prepare for the solemn entry, which took place on February 4 (15), 1728.

The stay of Peter II in Moscow began with the coronation in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin (February 25 (March 8), 1728). This was the first coronation of an emperor in Russia, which in many ways set a model for future ones. According to the latest information, a special crown was made for the young sovereign. Like all subsequent emperors, Peter II (according to a certificate specially drawn up in the Supreme Privy Council) during the coronation took communion in the altar, not reaching the throne, according to the order of the clergy (from the bowl); the chalice with the Holy Gifts was given to him by the Archbishop of Novgorod Feofan Prokopovich.

On November 22 (December 3), 1728, the 14-year-old elder sister of the emperor Natalya Alekseevna died in Moscow, which he loved very much and which, according to contemporaries, had a beneficial effect on him.

After moving to Moscow, the Dolgorukovs received great power: on February 3 (14), 1728, princes Vasily Lukich and Alexei Grigoryevich Dolgorukov were appointed members of the Supreme Privy Council, and on February 11 (22), the young prince Ivan Alekseevich was made chief chamberlain.

The fall of Menshikov brought Peter closer to Anna Petrovna. At the end of February 1728, a message came to Moscow that Anna Petrovna had a son, Peter (the future Peter III). On this occasion, a ball was arranged. The messenger who announced the birth of Peter was presented with 300 chervonets, and Feofan Prokopovich sent a long congratulatory letter to the Duke of Holstein, the husband of Anna Petrovna, in which he praised the newborn in every possible way and humiliated Menshikov.

After Peter's arrival in Moscow, he met with his grandmother, Evdokia. This meeting is touchingly described by many historians. But the emperor treated the grandmother rather dismissively, despite the fact that she loved her grandson very much.

In the Moscow period of his life, Peter II mainly had fun, leaving the princes Dolgorukov to conduct state affairs. The Dolgorukovs themselves, and especially Ivan Alekseevich, spoke indignantly about the emperor's constant amusements, but, nevertheless, did not interfere with him and did not force him to engage in state affairs. In 1728, the Saxon envoy Lefort compared Russia during the reign of Peter II with a ship that rushes by the will of the winds, while the captain and crew sleep or get drunk.

In the Supreme Privy Council, Apraksin, Golovkin and Golitsyn - that is, almost half of the members - expressed their dissatisfaction with the fact that the emperor was not present in the Council and two of his members, Prince Alexei Dolgorukov and Osterman, were mediators between the emperor and the Council, they themselves almost never go to meetings, and the opinions of the Council should be sent to them with a request to carry out the matter, reporting to the emperor.

The army and navy were in crisis: after Menshikov's exile, the Military Collegium was left without a president, and after the transfer of the capital to Moscow, without a vice president, the army did not have enough ammunition, many capable young officers were fired. Peter was not interested in the army; the organization of military maneuvers near Moscow in the spring of 1729 did not attract his attention.

The construction of ships was stopped, they wanted to limit themselves to the release of some galleys, which practically led to a war with Sweden. The transfer of the capital to Moscow also did not contribute to the development of the fleet. When Osterman warned Peter that due to the removal of the capital from the sea, the fleet might disappear, Peter answered: “When the need requires the use of ships, I will go to sea; but I do not intend to walk on it like a grandfather.

During the reign of Peter II, disasters often occurred: for example, on April 23 (May 4), 1729, a fire broke out in Moscow, in the German Quarter. When extinguishing it, the grenadiers took valuable things from the owners of the houses, threatening with axes, and only the arrival of the emperor stopped the robberies. When Peter was informed about the robbery, he ordered the guilty to be taken away, but Ivan Dolgorukov tried to hush up the matter, since he was their captain.

At that time, robbery attacks were very common. So, for example, in the Alatorsky district, the robbers burned the village of Prince Kurakin and killed the clerk, two churches and more than 200 courtyards were burned. They wrote that this village was not the only one affected, and the robbers stand near Alatyr in large numbers with weapons and cannons and boast that they will take and ruin the city, where there is no garrison, and send no one to catch the thieves.

Bribery and embezzlement flourished on a large scale. In December 1727, the trial of Admiral Matvey Zmaevich began, who abused his powers and plundered the treasury. The court sentenced Zmaevich and his accomplice, Major Pasynkov, to death, which was replaced by a demotion, an honorary exile to Astrakhan, and compensation for damages.

After the repressions of the time of Peter the Great, relief was given from monetary duties and recruitment sets, and on April 4 (15), 1729, the punitive body, the Preobrazhensky Prikaz, was liquidated. His affairs were divided between the Supreme Privy Council and the Senate, depending on their importance.

Contradictions in the church escalated. After the death of Menshikov, the opposition clergy felt strength and began to advocate the restoration of the patriarchate. Since the time of Peter I, all church affairs have been in charge of the Vice-President of the Holy Synod Feofan Prokopovich, who was accused of condescension to the spread of Lutheranism and Calvinism, as well as participation in the All-Joking and All-Drunken Council. The main accusers were Bishop of Rostov Georgy (Dashkov) and Markell (Rodyshevsky).

Many undertakings of Peter the Great continued by inertia. So, in 1730, Vitus Bering returned to St. Petersburg and announced the discovery of a strait between Asia and America.

Through his friend, Ivan Dolgorukov, in the fall of 1729, the emperor met and fell in love with his sister, the 17-year-old princess. On November 19 (30), Peter II gathered the Council and announced his intention to marry the princess, November 30 (December 11) was engaged to Ekaterina Dolgorukova at Lefort Palace. On the other hand, there were rumors that the Dolgorukovs forced the emperor to marry. Observers noted that Peter II treated his bride coldly in public. On January 19 (30), 1730, a wedding was scheduled, which did not take place due to the premature death of Peter II.

Ekaterina Dolgorukova - the second bride of Peter II

Meanwhile, there was no unity in the camp of the Dolgorukovs. So, Alexei Dolgorukov hated his son Ivan, who was also disliked by his sister Ekaterina because he did not allow her to take away the jewels that belonged to the late emperor's sister. In early January 1730, a secret meeting between Peter and Osterman took place, at which the latter tried to dissuade the emperor from marriage, talking about the embezzlement of the Dolgorukovs. This meeting was also attended by Elizaveta Petrovna, who talked about the bad attitude of the Dolgorukovs towards her, despite Peter's constant decrees that she should be given proper respect. Probably, the Dolgorukovs had a dislike for her due to the fact that the young emperor was very attached to her, although he was going to marry Ekaterina Dolgorukova.

Despite the short reign of Peter, Russia's foreign policy in his time was quite active. Osterman, who was in charge of foreign policy, relied entirely on an alliance with Austria. The emperor had no doubts about this policy, because his maternal uncle was Emperor Charles VI, and his cousin was the future Empress Maria Theresa. The interests of Russia and Austria coincided in many areas - in particular, in relation to countering the Ottoman Empire.

An alliance with Austria, according to the concepts of that time, automatically meant strained relations with France and England. They wanted to use the coronation of George II to improve relations between Russia and Great Britain, but the death of the chief Russian ambassador to France and England, Boris Kurakin, ruined these plans.

Relations between Russia and Poland deteriorated significantly due to the fact that the Poles considered Courland, in which Anna Ioannovna ruled, their province and openly said that it should be divided into provinces. Moritz of Saxony, the illegitimate son of the Polish king Augustus II, was refused marriages with Elizaveta Petrovna and Anna Ioannovna.

Relations with the Qing Empire were difficult due to territorial disputes, in connection with which the borders were closed to merchants. The Qing Empire wanted to annex the southern part of Siberia up to Tobolsk, where there were many Chinese inhabitants, and Russia opposed this. On August 20 (31), 1727, Count Raguzinsky concluded an agreement according to which the borders remained the same and trade between the powers was established in Kyakhta.

The news of the accession of Peter was well received in Denmark, since in Denmark they feared the ascension to Russian throne daughter of Peter I, Anna Petrovna, who was the wife of the Duke of Holstein, who in turn claimed the Danish province of Schleswig. Alexei Bestuzhev reported to Peter from Copenhagen: "The king hopes to receive your friendship and is ready to seek it in every possible way, directly and through the Caesar."

At first, relations with Sweden were very hostile: the Russian envoy was treated coldly, while the Turkish envoy was showered with favors; Sweden forced Russia to start a war in order to attribute to it the beginning of a hostile movement and to receive help from France and England. Disputes about Peter's conquests continued: Sweden threatened that it would not recognize Peter II as emperor if Russia did not return Vyborg to Sweden. However, later the Swedes, having learned that the army and navy in Russia were still in a combat-ready state, abandoned these requirements. Despite this, relations remained tense: in Sweden, many regretted that Menshikov was exiled, and, in addition, an invasion of Russia by Sweden and Turkey was being prepared with the support of England and France. However, relations soon changed, and the main enemy of Russia, Count Horn, began to swear allegiance to the emperor.

At the end of Peter's reign, King Frederick I of Sweden himself tried to ally with Russia. Such inconsistency in Swedish politics is explained by the fact that the political situation has changed. At the beginning of the reign of Peter II between Hanover and Vienna unions there were many contradictions, and Russia's aggression was beneficial to Sweden, since in this case the entire Hanoverian Union (England, Holland, Denmark, France) would stand up for it. At the end of the reign of Peter II, these contradictions were settled through mutual concessions of the parties, and Sweden could no longer count on the fact that in the event of Russian aggression, the Hanoverian Union would stand up for it. Therefore, she radically changed her behavior towards Russia.

Peter II was lazy, did not like to study, but he loved entertainment and at the same time was very capricious. Peter was far from intellectual work and interests, did not know how to behave decently in society, was capricious and insolent to others. The reason for this, perhaps, was not so much the inherited bad character, but the upbringing, which, as the grandson of the emperor, Peter received rather mediocre. According to diplomats, he was very headstrong, cunning and somewhat cruel.

Death of Peter II

On the feast of the Epiphany on January 6 (17), 1730, despite the severe frost, Peter II, together with Field Marshal Munnich and Osterman, hosted a parade dedicated to the consecration of water on the Moscow River. When Peter returned home, he developed a fever caused by smallpox.

Then Ivan Dolgorukov, forced by relatives, forged the will of the emperor in order to enthrone his sister. Dolgorukov knew how to copy Peter's handwriting, which entertained him as a child. The Supreme Privy Council, after the death of Peter, did not accept this forgery.

At the first hour of the night from 18 (29) to 19 (30) January 1730, the 14-year-old sovereign came to his senses and said: “Lay the horses. I will go to my sister Natalia” - forgetting that she had already died. A few minutes later he died, leaving no descendants or a designated heir. On it, the house of the Romanovs was cut short in the male knee.

The last of the Russian rulers, Peter II was buried in the Archangel Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. On his tombstone (near the southern edge of the northeastern pillar of the cathedral) is the following epitaph: “The most pious and most autocratic sovereign Peter the Second Emperor of All Russia. Born in the summer of October 1715 on October 12, ancestral possession took over on May 7, 1727, married and anointed on February 25, 1728. Having briefly hoped for great blessings by the hope of their subjects, by the will of God to the eternal kingdom, they settled down in the summer of 1730 Januarius 18. The joy of our hearts scattered, turned into our weeping, the crown fell from our head, woe to us, as if we have sinned (Lamentations 5: 15-16 )".

Titles of Peter II:

1715-1727 - Grand Duke

1727-1730 - Bozhіeyu pospѣshestvuyuscheyu milostіyu We Petr Second, the Imperator and Samoderzhets Vserossіyskіy, Moskovskіy, Kіevskіy, Vladimіrskіy, Novgorodskіy, Kazanskіy King, King Astrahanskіy, Sibirskіy King, Emperor Pskovskіy and Velikіy Smolenskіy Prince, Prince Estlyandskіy, Liflyandskіy, Korelskіy, Tverskіy, Yugorskiy, Permskiy, Vyatskіyi, Bolgarskіy and other sovereign and grandee Prince NOVAGORODA NOVOVSKIY EARTH, Chernigovskіyi, Ryazanskіy, Rostovskiy, Yaroslavskіyi, Bѣlozerskіyi, Odorskiy, Obdorskiy, Kondіyskiy and All Summary countries Lord and Sovereign Earth, Cartalinsky and Georgian kings, and Kabardinsk region , Cherkasy and Mountain Princes and other Hereditary Sovereign and Possessor.

Impostors posing as Peter II:

The 18th century in the history of Russia was rich in peasant and soldier "tsars" - monarchs and members of their families, both those who died of natural causes and those killed during a palace coup, were not left without "successors". Peter II was no exception. His sudden death in young age also caused rumors and stories about the villainous courtiers who hurried to get rid of the "objectionable" ruler, who, of course, planned to make his subjects happy.

Rumors that Peter was "changed and locked in a dungeon" began to circulate almost immediately after his death. In one of the cases of the Secret Chancellery, a recording of a conversation between two unnamed peasants was preserved, one of whom told the other that during his illness the young tsar was replaced by scoundrel courtiers, “walled up in the wall”, but after a long imprisonment he managed to free himself and hide in schismatic sketes.

The impostor appeared in the Trans-Volga region, and, according to his own stories, while still a prince, together with Prince Golitsyn, Ivan Dolgorukov and Count Minikh, for some reason, he went to foreign lands to hunt dogs. On the way, the young prince fell ill with smallpox and was safely replaced and taken to Italy, where he was kept “in a stone pillar” with a single window for serving food and water. He spent 24 and a half years in prison and finally managed to escape. Traveled for nine more years different countries, after which he returned to his homeland. The impostor did not skimp on generous promises - so, after his accession, he promised freedom of religion for the Old Believers and exemption from taxes for the peasants. However, the false Peter was quickly arrested and during interrogation called himself Ivan Mikhailov. In the future, his traces are lost.

The image of Peter II in the cinema:

1986 - Mikhailo Lomonosov (as Peter II -)
2000 - Secrets palace coups(in the role of Peter II - Ivan Sinitsyn (in childhood) and Dmitry Verkeenko)

2012 - Notes of the Expeditor of the Secret Office (in the role of Peter II - Roman of Macedon)
2013 - Romanovs. Film four. Chapter 1. Peter II Alekseevich (in the role of Peter II - Velimir Rusakov)