Ernest-Johann Biron
Rod Bironov
The Bironov family (according to the original writing of the Birens), according to authentic acts, dates back to XVI century... Its representatives in the 16th and 17th centuries. served in military service in Courland and Poland, were related to German nobles and fought with the best representatives the then Courland nobility; All this almost makes us abandon the previous opinion in our literature about the very low origin of the regent Biron, whose family began with his grandfather, who was supposedly the groom of the Duke of Courland. In all likelihood, the Biron family was noble, but not old and poor. It acquires the greatest importance and wealth in the 30s of the 18th century thanks to the disposition that the Russian empress Anna Ioannovna had for one of the representatives of this family, Ernest-John Biron, who played the role of the supreme ruler during the entire reign of the empress and even was regent after her death for several weeks for the early childhood of John Antonovich, who was declared emperor Russian Empire... The lucky star of Ernest Johann Biron linked Russian history with several other names of representatives of his family.
Ernest-Johann Biron
Ernest-Johann Biron, the second son of Karl Biren, was born in 1690, on his father's estate Kalentsi; for education, the only one of all the Birens (Bironov) brothers was sent to the then best university in Konigsberg, but without completing the course there, he returned to Courland. What he did before 1718, when, thanks to the efforts of one influential Courland nobleman Keyserling, he received some position at the court of Anna Ioannovna, has not been established with certainty. There is news that he came to Russia with an unfulfilled desire to enter the chamber-cadets at the court of the wife of Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich. They also say that he was engaged in teaching in Mitava, in Riga he served in the drinking department, etc. Being, probably, the secretary at the court of Anna Ioannovna, Biron wanted to use the same value with the duchess, which was used by the Russian resident in Mitava (now Jelgava, Latvia), Petr Mikhailovich Bestuzhev-Ryumin with sons Mikhail and Alexei. It was Bestuzhev-Ryumin, and not the widow Duchess Anna Ioannovna, who was the true ruler of Courland, directing all its affairs according to the type of Peter I who appointed him. According to many reports, Bestuzhev-Ryumin was also Anna's lover.
Rapprochement of Biron with Anna Ioannovna
To eliminate the opponent, Biron resorted to "undermining" and slander. But the result of his intrigues was the removal from the court, to which he managed to get a second time only in 1724 thanks to the patronage of the same Keyserling, and from that year Biron remained inseparably with the person of Anna Ioannovna until her death. He was young, agile, handsome, and took possession of Anna Ivanovna's heart, ousted Bestuzhev from there, to whom the duchess now began to be extremely hostile. This struggle between two competitors for Anna's heart soon acquired a rather important political connotation - it was about the preservation of Russian influence in Courland. In Russia, meanwhile, Peter I died, and power passed into the hands of the Supreme Privy Council. Not having the determination and firmness of Peter and not wanting to quarrel with Anna Ioannovna, the Soviet accused the Bestuzhev family of doing intrigues "and with those intrigues they were looking for for their own benefit to cause trouble at court." The daughter of Peter Bestuzhev, Agrafena, by her husband Princess Volkonskaya, who called Biron in letters to friends in Russia "canal", was sentenced to be sent to a monastery. Her brother, Alexei Petrovich Bestuzhev (later the famous chancellor and long-term head of Russian diplomacy) barely escaped punishment - he barely held on to his career. Anna Ivanovna accused her former manager and rival Biron of embezzling large amounts of her income.
Having now taken a strong position under Anna Ivanovna, Biron became so close to her that he became her essential person... Anna Ivanovna's affection for Biron was unusual - she thought and acted only as her favorite influenced her. Everything that Anna did, in essence, came from Biron. So it was, and when she was the duchess in Courland, so it was later, when she became the Russian empress. Soon Biron, out of vain ambition, changed his real name (Biren) to Biron, and began to hint at his relationship with the ancient aristocratic French family of Biron. Members of this family in France, upon learning of this, laughed at him, but did not protest, especially after, with the accession of Anna Ioannovna to the Russian throne, the unborn Biren-Biron became the first person in the powerful Orthodox empire.
4. Anna Ioannovna (1730-1741). Bironovshchina
The significance of the reign of Anna Ioannovna, which lasted ten years, primarily lies in the fact that at this time the final transition from the old to new Russia... The perception of this reign by contemporaries, and through them and by descendants, reflected the fact that during this period there was a change of generations. Old companions-in-arms of Peter I left the stage, and younger ones came, no less ambitious, but, perhaps, even more free from moral restrictions. It was to them, whose childhood and youth, usually painted in pink in our memories, coincided with the era of Peter the Great, that the new reign seemed a suffocating timelessness.
Already in 1731, the Secret Chancellery, liquidated four years earlier, was restored, which for many years was headed by A.I. Ushakov. All cases that could be interpreted as treason, conspiracy, attempt on the life and honor of the sovereign were transferred to the jurisdiction of this department. Moreover, according to the decree of 1730, such sins could be sentenced to the death penalty, which in practice was usually replaced physical punishment and exile to Siberia. Refusal to drink to the health of the empress, the story of an inappropriate dream seen the day before, and even more so the transition to another faith (especially Judaism) could be regarded as a crime. Even more than before, denunciations flourished - courtyards and peasants against their landowners, wives against husbands and, conversely, children against parents, etc. During the investigation, both the accused and the informer were tortured, after which most were left crippled. An informer who failed to prove the truth of his denunciation was punished as a criminal. In the 1930s, about 10 thousand people, representing all social strata, became victims of the Secret Chancellery. The most noisy political processes Anna's reign are associated with the names of those who tried to impose "standards" on her. At first, the empress pretended that she did not hold any grudge against the Dolgoruks, but after a few months they were sent first to their estates, and then to the bodies of Berezov himself, where A had recently died. .D. Menshikov. In 1738, the investigation of the events of the interregnum was resumed, and the next, in 1739, four of the Dolgoruky princes were executed, and several more family members were sentenced to imprisonment. D.M. Golitsyn ended his days in the fortress.
The unsuccessful personal life of the early widowed empress paradoxically affected the government of the country. Even in Mitava, the closest person to Anna was the Courland nobleman Ernst Biron. With him, who arrived soon after the empress's accession to Moscow, Anna did not part for a minute. She constantly needed his company, shared with him all the sorrows and joys. Biron with his wife and children and the empress constituted, in essence, one family, and Anna was very attached to the children of her favorite, and some historians, apparently, not without reason, believe that at least one of his sons was her own child. The empress's affection for Biron was so great that as soon as his mood deteriorated, the empress's mood immediately deteriorated. Biron's power over her was truly unlimited, and it is quite understandable that not a single important decision was made without his participation. Biron was an ambitious, domineering, calculating and rather cautious man, and therefore tried not to advertise his participation in management and not to occupy key posts, which subsequently misled some historians. However, Biron's role was evidently clear to his contemporaries. And since in the minds of the Russian people of that time, ready to demolish everything from their lawful sovereign, the power of any favorite, it does not matter - official or unofficial, capable or incompetent as statesman, seemed illegitimate, then, naturally, everything bad in Anna's time was associated with Biron. The concept of "Bironovschina" is also associated with his name, which has become firmly established in historical literature.
As a rule, “Bironovism” is understood as the rampant police terror, which was mentioned above and the foundations of which, of course, were laid by Peter I, as well as the so-called “dominance of foreigners”.
5. John VI (1740-1741), reign of Anna Leopoldovna. November coup of 1741
Already in 1731, shortly after accession to the throne, Anna Ioannovna took care of her possible successor. He was proclaimed the unborn son of the Empress's niece - daughter of her sister Catherine and Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin Anna Leopoldovna. The latter was only 13 years old at the time. After some time, a groom was picked up for her - Duke Anton-Ulrich of Braunschweig-Luneburg.
In order to dispel the first not too favorable impression, he was offered to win the princess's hand with military valor and was sent to fight the Turks under the command of Minich. The prince proved himself to be a brave and honest officer, took part in the capture of Ochakov and earned the rank of major general. Matured, matured and even stretched out and resounding in his shoulders, Anton-Ulrich returned to St. Petersburg. True, during the years of his absence, Anna Leopoldovna managed to hopelessly fall in love with the handsome foreigner Count Linard, but the empress insisted on marriage, and in July 1739 the wedding finally took place. In August 1740, Anna Leopoldovna gave birth to a boy who was destined to become Russian emperor John VI.
Historians believe that the dying empress hesitated and, perhaps, hesitated whether to leave the throne to Anna Leopoldovna herself, but the niece's inattention to her aunt during her illness decided the matter, and Ivan Antonovich was proclaimed heir. But now the question arose about the regent with a two-month-old baby. There were three possibilities. Firstly, the role of regent could have been entrusted to his parents or Anna Leopoldovna alone, but the empress, apparently, feared that in this case the real power would be in the hands of the Duke of Mecklenburg Leopold, who was famous for his bad character and was not at all a desirable guest in Russia. It would be possible to transfer the reins of government to the hands of a collegial body - the Cabinet of Ministers, but this would mean, in fact, a return to the model of power that Anna Ioannovna rejected at the very beginning of her reign. Finally, the third contender for the regency was Biron, who started a complex intrigue for this. In addition to his lust for power, he was apparently motivated by the awareness that until now only the empress herself was the guarantor of his well-being, and that during the change of power there was little chance of preserving him. To receive the regency from the hands of the empress meant for Biron not only to keep power in his hands, but also to increase it, and in a legal way. As a result, he managed to attract influential members of the Cabinet to his side and get Anna Ioannovna to sign a corresponding decree. However, the empress herself, according to legend, signing the decree, which was to be announced after her death, exclaimed: "I pity you, Duke, you yourself are striving for your own destruction!"
Among those who actively helped Biron in obtaining the regency was Minich, according to some historians, who already then cherished plans to overthrow the regent if he did not share power with him. But, apparently, the situation was such that in a short time when the empress was about to die, it was possible to persuade her only in favor of Biron. If the decree on regency had not been signed at all, riots would have begun, in which, against the background of general discontent with the temporary workers, a real chance to get the throne would have been given to the one whom both Minich and Biron feared most of all - the crown princess Elizabeth Petrovna.
Be that as it may, there was no mass protest against the infant emperor and his regent in October 1740, although the struggle for power in the ruling elite did not subside. A few days after his announcement as regent, Biron learned about the hostile conversations between Prince Anton-Ulrich and his entourage. A stormy explanation and public repentance of the prince followed, after which he did not leave his chambers for two weeks. An easy victory turned Biron's head, and he, apparently, decided that now he didn't care about anything. On November 7, he quarreled with Anna Leopoldovna, spoke rude words to her and threatened to send her to Germany with her husband. This conversation turned out to be fatal for Biron: on the same night there was a coup that ended his rule.
The main organizer of the coup was Munnich, who believed that by ridding the Braunschweig family of Biron, he would serve him in such a service that it would not cost him anything to get the coveted title of generalissimo and forever ensure the primacy at the Russian court. At the same time, he did not claim the role of regent, intending to give her to Anna Leopoldovna, but, urging the guards to arrest Biron, deftly manipulated the name of Elizabeth, for whose sake they were ready to go into fire and water. The coup took place without complications, and on November 9, a manifesto issued on behalf of the emperor appeared on the dismissal of the Duke of Courland from the regency. Biron went to exile in Siberia.
According to contemporaries, the coup was greeted with enthusiasm. After taking the oath to Anna Leopoldovna as a ruler, the infant Ivan Antonovich was brought to the window of the palace and shown to the crowd of people who greeted him with joyful shouts. Thus began the reign of the Duchess of Brunswick.
First orders new government were traditional for such cases: the participants in the coup received awards, although in a slightly different way than Minich had intended. The title of generalissimo went not to him, but to Prince Anton-Ulrich. The field marshal had to be content with orders, money and the post of cabinet minister. This fact indicates that the parents of Ivan Antonovich were going to rule on their own. Count M.G. Golovkin, and as a result, half of the government was made up of Russians and half of foreigners. The same was the case with the court staff, where Levenwolde, a Livonian, was the chief marshal, and D. Shepelev, a Russian knight marshal. Of the eight chamberlains, there were six Russians. Thus, there is no reason to assert that the ruler gave preference to foreigners. Moreover, Anna Leopoldovna was devout, punctually observed all the rituals of the Orthodox Church.
The ruler herself was not attracted to state activities and often, sighing, she spoke of how she dreamed that her son would grow up as soon as possible. In this situation, perhaps, if energetic and decisive people were in the government, they could achieve a lot. But Anna Leopoldovna kept around her mainly those who surrounded her aunt. Prince Anton Ulrich was just as incapable of government activities.
Meanwhile, Ivan Antonovich grew up under the supervision of his mother's favorite, the maid of honor Julia Mengden, and he was very rarely shown to outsiders, even when etiquette demanded it.
The government's open unwillingness to seriously engage in governing the country caused more and more dissatisfaction. The legitimacy of Anna Leopoldovna's power was doubtful, and the prospect of seventeen years of her reign to spend in the same way did not inspire anyone. The tension in society grew, and the possibility of overthrowing the ruler became more and more real, and only she herself, it seemed, did not want to notice anything. Back in March 1741, Minich, desperate to change anything, resigned, and Osterman threatened to resign. Experienced politicians were well aware of the situation in St. Petersburg, were aware that the disaffected were increasingly concentrated in the circle of Princess Elizabeth, and considered it necessary to take security measures. Some suggested sending her to a monastery, others urgently to marry her. But Elizabeth knew about these plans, and it was the danger of their implementation more than anything else, perhaps, pushed her, who loved a cheerful and carefree lifestyle no less than her niece, on the path of a conspiracy.
Meanwhile, information about the conspiracy, in which some foreign diplomats were involved, could not fail to reach the ears of the members of the Cabinet. On November 11, the sick Osterman was brought to the ruler's chambers on a stretcher, begging to immediately arrest one of the main conspirators, the doctor Elizabeth Lestok, and also isolate the crown princess herself. The ruler replied that she did not believe in the guilt of the crown princess and would talk to her herself. On November 23, Anna and Elizabeth talked about the content of which there are various versions, but it is obvious that the crown princess categorically denied her involvement in the conspiracy and completely convinced the gullible ruler of this. Neither Prince Anton Ulrich nor the members of the Cabinet managed to convince her. The only thing Anna Leopoldovna agreed to was to declare herself empress, which it was decided to do on her birthday on December 18, but there was no time left. The conversation on November 23 only accelerated the development of events, and on the night of November 24-25, 1741, a new coup d'état put an end to the reign of Ivan Antonovich.
To overthrow the one-year-old emperor was not difficult, to avoid mistakes when deciding further destiny It was almost more difficult for the Brunswick family. At first, it was decided to send the disgraced family abroad. But they were taken only to Riga, where they were detained for a year, then they were kept in a suburb of Riga - Dunamunde for another year. By this time, Anna Leopoldovna gave birth to two more daughters - Ekaterina and Elizabeth. After that, they were all taken back to Russia, first to Raneburg, and then to Kholmogory, where in 1744 Ivan Antonovich was taken away from his parents. In 1745 and 1746, Anna Leopoldovna gave birth to two more sons, Peter and Alexei, after which she died. Her body was brought to St. Petersburg and buried with due honors. Numerous rumors about the fate of the deposed emperor forced the government in 1756 to send him to the Shlisselburg fortress, where he was to die in 1764 at the hands of the jailers, when Lieutenant V.Ya. Mirovich made an attempt to free him. Meanwhile, his father, brothers and sisters remained in Kholmogory. In 1774, Prince Anton Ulrich died, and in 1780 his unfortunate children were sent to Denmark to their aunt Queen Juliana Maria. Princess Elizabeth died in 1782, Alexei in 1787, Peter in 1798. The only surviving aged, deaf princess Catherine in 1803 unsuccessfully asked Emperor Alexander I for permission to return to Kholmogory.
Good luck and "almighty chance" that opens the way to power and wealth. With the light hand of V.O. Klyuchevsky, many historians evaluated the 1720s - 1750s. as the time of the weakening of Russian absolutism. N. Ya. Eidelman generally viewed palace coups as a kind of reaction of the nobility to a sharp increase in the independence of the state under Peter I, as historical experience showed, - he writes, meaning “...
It was greeted with delight by the Petersburgers. The Empress set out for Petersburg at the head of the guards regiments. Peter, who learned about the incident, sent his wife a written abdication of the throne. 2.2. Domestic policy of Catherine II Catherine ascended the throne, having a well-defined political program, based, on the one hand, on the ideas of the Enlightenment and, on the other, taking into account the peculiarities ...
Bironovshchina Ernst Ioga nn Biron (1690 -1772) - Regent of the Russian Empire and Duke of Courland and Semigalia. Biron's task - everything Biron's task is to report. In Anna's letters: "Biron is the only person I can trust."
“Insidious letters, how I came to the throne. »Anna Ioannovna Konditsii (from Lat. Condicio - agreement) - an act, sometimes considered as a document of constitutional content, proposed for signing to Empress Anna Ioannovna when she entered the throne by members of the Supreme privy council(the so-called "supreme leaders") in 1730
She had no right to: Start a war, make peace Introduce new taxes Appoint top officials Arbitrarily spend state. money, etc. D. M. Golitsyn
Projects on the reorganization of the state Abolition of the law on single inheritance Determination of terms of service Do not appoint nobles as soldiers and sailors Creation of a "Higher government" of 21 people and introduce elective members of this government, senators, governors and presidents of colleges Projects did not provide for the preservation of absolutism
After the break in conditions, the Manifesto of March 4, 1730 - the abolition of the Supreme Privy Council Creation of a cabinet of ministers Departure to exile and prisons of the supreme leaders (princes Dolgorukiy, Golitsyna in resignation)
Cabinet of Ministers Gavriil Golovkin President of the Collegium of Foreign Affairs. Alexei Cherkassky, Chancellor of the Russian Empire, Andrei Osterman, Vice Chancellor and First Cabinet Minister.
Domestic policy of 1733 - abolition of the decree on single inheritance Established Shlyakhetsky cadet corps(initiative of P. Yaguzhinsky) limited to 25 years of service of the nobles, new guards regiments were formed - the Izmailovsky Leibguard regiment (infantry) and the Horse Life Guards (cavalry)
§ Like her formidable uncle, she appointed bishops, not paying attention to the presentation of the Synod.With her, new theological seminaries were opened, the death penalty for blasphemy (1738). § New factories are being built. In the 30s, pig iron smelting amounted to 25 thousand tons. (Russia has overtaken England!) Executions are sent to villages with arrears.
1740 - nobles could choose between civil and military service Landlord peasants have lost the right to acquire land as property Salary from foreigners is reduced or equated to the salary of Russian employees
Cultural innovations By order of Anna Ivanovna, a theater for 1000 seats was built, and in 1737 the first ballet school in Russia was opened. 1740 - the clownish wedding of Prince M. Golitsyn-Kvasnik with a Kalmyk woman A. Buzheninova in a specially built Ice House.
Foreign policy§ 1733-1735 - the war for the Polish inheritance between the coalitions of Russia, Austria and Saxony on the one hand and France, Spain and the Kingdom of Sardinia on the other. § 1735 -1739 - Russian-Turkish war § In the summer of 1736, the Azov fortress was successfully captured by the Russians. (Field Marshal Petr Lassi) § In 1737 it was possible to take the fortress of Ochakov. (Field Marshal Munnich)
§ In 1736-1738 it was defeated Crimean Khanate... The river spins Tatarsku blood, That flowed between them; Not daring to go into battle again, In places the enemy runs empty, Forgetting the sword, and the camp, and shame, And presents a terrible look In the blood of his friends lying. Mikhail Lomonosov
Anna Ioannovna
Plan:
Introduction
- 1 Early biography
- 2 Accession to the throne
- 3 Board of Anna Ioannovna
- 3.1 Domestic policy
- 3.2 Russian Wars
- 3.3 Bironovshchina
- 4 Appearance and character
- 5 End of reign
- 6 Trace in art
- 6.1 Literature
- 6.2 Filmography
- 7 Interesting facts
Notes (edit)
Introduction
AnnaIoannovna(Anna Ivanovna; January 28 (February 7) 1693 - October 17 (28), 1740) - Russian empress from the Romanov dynasty.
The second daughter of Tsar Ivan V (brother and co-ruler of Tsar Peter I) by Praskovya Fedorovna. She was married in 1710 to the Duke of Courland Friedrich Wilhelm; widowed 4 months after the wedding, she remained in Courland. After the death of Peter II, she was invited to the Russian throne in 1730 by the Supreme Privy Council, as a monarch with limited powers, but she took all power, dispersed the Supreme Council.
The time of her reign later received the name Bironovism by the name of her favorite Biron.
Early biography
Since 1682, the brothers Peter I and Ivan V reigned on the Russian throne, until in 1696 the elder but painful Tsar Ivan V died. In January 1684, Ivan (or John) married Praskovya Fedorovna Saltykova, who gave birth to the sovereign 5 daughters, of whom only three survived. The eldest daughter Catherine later married the Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin Karl-Leopold, and her grandson briefly stayed as the Russian emperor under the name of Ivan VI. The middle daughter Anna was born in 1693 and until the age of 15 lived in the village of Izmailovo near Moscow under her mother Praskovya Fedorovna.
In April 1708, the royal relatives, including Anna Ioannovna, moved to St. Petersburg.
In 1710, Peter I, wishing to strengthen the influence of Russia in the Baltic States, married Anna to the young Duke of Courland, Friedrich Wilhelm, the nephew of the Prussian king. The wedding took place on October 31 in St. Petersburg, in the palace of Prince Menshikov, and after that the couple spent time at feasts in northern capital Russia. Having barely left Petersburg at the beginning of 1711 to his domain, Friedrich-Wilhelm died, as was suspected, due to excessive excesses at feasts.
At the request of Peter I, Anna began to live in Mitava (now the western part of Latvia), under the control of the Russian representative PM Bestuzhev-Ryumin. He ruled over a duchy, and long time was also Anna's lover. Anna agreed to marry Moritz of Saxony in 1726, but under the influence of Menshikov, who had views of the Duchy of Courland, the marriage was upset. Around this time, a person entered Anna's life, who retained a huge influence on her until her death.
In 1718, the 28-year-old Courland nobleman Ernest-Johann Buren, who later appropriated the French ducal name Biron, entered the service in the office of the dowager duchess. He was never Anna's groom, as patriotic writers sometimes claimed, soon became the manager of one of the estates, and in 1727 completely replaced Bestuzhev.
It was rumored that Biron's youngest son Karl Ernst (born October 11, 1728) was actually his son from Anna. There is no direct evidence of this, but there is indirect evidence: when Anna Ioannovna went to the kingdom from Mitava to Moscow in January 1730, she took this baby with her, although Biron himself and his family remained in Courland.
Accession to the throne
After the death of Peter II at 1 o'clock in the morning on January 19 (30), 1730, the highest governing body, The Supreme Privy Council, began to deliberate on the new sovereign. The future of Russia was determined by 7 people: Chancellor Golovkin, 4 representatives of the Dolgoruky family and two Golitsyns. Vice-Chancellor Osterman declined to discuss.
The question was not easy - there were no direct descendants of the Romanov family in the male line.
The members of the Council talked about the following candidates: Princess Elizabeth (daughter of Peter I), Queen-grandmother Lopukhina (1st wife of Peter I), Duke of Holstein (was married to Peter I's daughter Anna), Princess Dolgoruka (was betrothed to Peter II). Catherine I in her will called Elizabeth the heir to the throne in the event of the death of Peter II childless, but this was not remembered. Elizabeth frightened off the old nobles with her youth and unpredictability, and the noble nobility generally disliked the children of Peter I from the former servant and foreigner Ekaterina Alekseevna.
Then, at the suggestion of Prince Golitsyn, they decided to turn to the senior line of Tsar Ivan Alekseevich, who until 1696 was the nominal co-ruler of Peter I.
Having rejected the married eldest daughter of Tsar Ivan Alekseevich, Catherine, 8 members of the Council elected him to the kingdom by 8 a.m. on January 19 (30). youngest daughter Anna Ioannovna, who has lived in Courland for 19 years and did not have favorites and parties in Russia, which means that she arranged for everyone. Anna seemed to the nobles obedient and controlled, not prone to despotism. Taking advantage of the situation, the leaders decided to limit the autocratic power in their favor, demanding that Anna sign certain conditions, so-called " Condition". According to " Condition»Real power in Russia was transferred to the Supreme Privy Council, and the role of the monarch was reduced to representative functions.
On January 28 (February 8), 1730, Anna signed “ Condition", According to which, without the Supreme Privy Council, she could not declare war or conclude peace, introduce new taxes and taxes, spend the treasury at her own discretion, promote to ranks higher than colonel, grant estates, deprive a nobleman of life and property without trial, marry, to appoint an heir to the throne.
On February 15 (26), 1730 Anna Ioannovna solemnly entered Moscow, where the troops and the highest ranks of the state in the Assumption Cathedral swore allegiance to the empress. In the new form of the oath, some of the previous expressions that meant autocracy were excluded, but there were no expressions that would mean new form reign, and, most importantly, there was no mention of the rights of the Supreme Privy Council and the conditions confirmed by the empress. The change consisted in the fact that they swore allegiance to the empress and the fatherland.
The struggle of two parties in relation to the new state structure continued. The leaders sought to convince Anna to confirm their new powers. Supporters of the autocracy (A. I. Osterman, Feofan Prokopovich, P. I. Yaguzhinsky, A. D. Kantemir) and wide circles of the nobility wished to revise the "Konditsiy" signed in Mitava. The ferment was primarily due to dissatisfaction with the strengthening of a narrow group of members of the Supreme Privy Council.
Portrait of Anna Ioannovna on silk. 1732 g.
February 25 / March 7, 1730 large group nobility (by different information from 150 to 800), including many guards officers, came to the palace and filed a petition to Anna Ioannovna. The petition expressed a request to the empress, together with the nobility, to reconsider a form of government that would be pleasing to the entire people. Anna hesitated, but her sister Ekaterina Ioannovna resolutely forced the empress to sign the petition. The representatives of the nobility did not consult for long and at 4 o'clock in the afternoon they submitted a new petition, in which they asked the empress to accept full autocracy, and to destroy the "Konditsiy" points.
When Anna asked the confused leaders for approval of the new conditions, they only nodded their heads in agreement. As a contemporary notes: “ It is their happiness that then they did not budge; if they showed even the slightest disapproval of the nobility's verdict, the guards would have thrown them out the window. " In the presence of the nobility, Anna Ioannovna tore " Condition»And your letter of acceptance.
On March 1 (12), 1730, the people took the oath for the second time to Empress Anna Ioannovna on the terms of complete autocracy.
Anna Ioannovna's reign
Anna Ioannovna herself was not very interested in state affairs, leaving the management of affairs to her favorite Biron and the main leaders: Chancellor Golovkin, Prince Cherkassky, Osterman for external affairs and Field Marshal Munnich for military affairs.
Domestic policy
Having come to power, Anna dissolved the Supreme Privy Council, replacing it the following year with a cabinet of ministers, which included A. I. Osterman, G. I. Golovkin, A. M. Cherkassky. The first year of her reign, Anna tried to accurately attend the meetings of the Cabinet, but then she completely lost interest in business and already in 1732 she visited here only twice. Gradually, the Cabinet acquired new functions, including the right to issue laws and decrees, which made it very similar to the Supreme Council.
During the reign of Anna, the decree on single inheritance was canceled (1731), the Gentry Cadet Corps was established (1731), the service of the nobles was limited to 25 years. Anna's inner circle consisted of foreigners (E. I. Biron, K. G. Levenvolde, B. H. Minich, P. P. Lassi).
By the end of the reign of Anna Ioannovna, the number of inhabitants of the Russian Empire, according to the revision of 1742, was more than 20 million people.
Russian wars
B.X. Minich, who commanded the army, began rebuilding the army in a European manner. The Prussian training system was introduced, the soldiers were dressed in German uniforms, ordered to wear brooches and braids, and to use powder.
According to Minich's designs, fortifications were built in Vyborg and Shlisselburg, defensive lines were erected along the southern and southeastern borders.
New Guards regiments were formed - Izmailovsky and Horse Guards.
Foreign policy generally continued the traditions of Peter I.
In the 1730s, the War of the Polish Succession began. In 1733, King August II died, and a kingdomlessness began in the country. France managed to install its protégé - Stanislov Leshchinsky. For Russia, this could be a serious problem, since France would create a block of states along the borders of Russia as part of the Commonwealth, Sweden and Ottoman Empire... Therefore, when the son of Augustus II August III turned to Russia, Austria and Prussia with the "Declaration of the Benevolent", in which he asked to protect the Polish "form of government" from the intervention of France, this gave rise to war (1733-1735).
The French fleet was defeated at Gdansk (Danzig). Leshchinsky fled on a French ship. August III became king of Poland.
During the war, French diplomacy tried to foment the Russian-Turkish conflict in order to weaken Russia's efforts in the West. But negotiations with the Turks did not give the desired results, since the Porta was at war with Iran. However, in 1735, the war with Turkey nevertheless began because of 20 thousand people who were traveling to the Caucasus and violated the borders. troops of the Tatars. Russian diplomacy, knowing about the aggressive intentions of the Port, tried to enlist the friendly support of Iran. For this purpose, the former Iranian possessions along the western and southern shores of the Caspian Sea were transferred to Iran in 1735, concluding the Ganja Treaty. When it became known in Istanbul about the treatise, the Crimean Tatars were sent to Transcaucasia to conquer the lands transferred to Iran.
In the fall of 1735, 40 thousand. General Leontyev's corps, before reaching Perekop, turned back. In 1736, the troops crossed Perekop and occupied the capital of the khanate, Bakhchisarai, but fearing to be encircled on the peninsula, Minikh, who commanded the troops, hastily left the Crimea. In the summer of 1736, the Azov fortress was successfully captured by the Russians. In 1737, they managed to take the Ochakov fortress. In 1736-1738 the Crimean Khanate was defeated.
On the initiative of the Sultan's court in 1737, a congress on the world settlement of the conflict was held in Nemirov with the participation of Russians, Austrians and Ottomans. Negotiations did not lead to peace and hostilities resumed.
In 1739, Russian troops defeated the Ottomans near Stavuchany and captured the Khotin fortress. But in the same year, the Austrians suffer one defeat after another and go to the conclusion of a separate peace with Porte. In September 1739, a peace treaty was signed between Russia and the Porte. According to the Belgrade Treaty, Russia received Azov without the right to keep the fleet, a small territory of Right-bank Ukraine; Big and Small Kabarda in the North. The Caucasus and a large area south of Azov were recognized as a "barrier between the two empires."
In 1731-1732 a protectorate was declared over the Kazakh Junior Zhuz.
Bironovshchina
In 1730, the Office of Secret Investigation Affairs was established, replacing the Preobrazhensky order destroyed under Peter II. V short term it gained extraordinary strength and soon became a kind of symbol of the era. Anna was constantly afraid of conspiracies that threatened her rule, so the abuses of this department were enormous. An ambiguous word or a misunderstood gesture was often enough to end up in a dungeon, or even completely disappear without a trace; All those exiled under Anna to Siberia were over 20 thousand people, for the first time Kamchatka became a place of exile; of these, more than 5 thousand were those about which it was impossible to find any trace, since they were often exiled without any record in the proper place and with a change of names of the exiles, often the exiles themselves could not say anything about their past, since for a long time, under torture they were indoctrinated with other people's names, for example: “I don’t remember kinship,” without even informing the Secret Chancellery. The executed were counted up to 1000 people, not including those who died during the investigation and were executed in secret, of which there were many.
A special resonance in society was made by the reprisals against the nobles: the princes Dolgoruky and the cabinet minister Volynsky. The former favorite of Peter II, Prince Ivan Dolgoruky, was on the wheel in November 1739; the other two Dolgoruky had their heads cut off. The head of the family, Prince Alexei Grigorievich Dolgoruky, had died earlier in exile in 1734. Volynsky was sentenced to impalement in the summer of 1740 for bad reviews about the empress, but then his tongue was cut out and his head was simply cut off.
Patriotic representatives of Russian society in the 19th century began to associate all abuses of power under Anna Ioannovna with the so-called dominance of Germans at the Russian court, calling Bironovism... Archival materials and research by historians do not confirm the role of Biron in plundering the treasury, executions and repressions, which was later attributed to him by literary men in the 19th century.
Appearance and character
Jesters in the bedroom of Anna Ioannovna (Yakobiy V.I., 1872)
Judging by the surviving correspondence, Anna Ioannovna was classic type lady landowners. She loved to be aware of all the gossip, the personal life of her subjects, she gathered around her a lot of jesters and talkers who amused her. In a letter to one person, she writes: “ You know our disposition, that we favor those who would be forty years old and as talkative as that Novokshchenova". The empress was superstitious, amused herself with shooting at birds, and loved bright outfits. State policy was determined by a narrow group of confidants, among whom there was a fierce struggle for the Empress's mercy.
The reign of Anna Ioannovna was marked by huge expenses for entertainment events, the costs of holding balls and maintaining the courtyard were dozens of times higher than the costs of maintaining the army and navy, with her for the first time an ice town with elephants at the entrance, from whose trunks burning oil flowing like a fountain, later the jester's wedding of her court jester, Prince MA Golitsyn, with AI Buzheninova, the newlyweds spent their wedding night in an ice house.
Lady Jane Rondeau, wife of the English envoy at the Russian court, described Anna Ioannovna in 1733:
She is almost my height, but somewhat thicker, with a slender body, a dark, cheerful and pleasant face, black hair and blue eyes... In her body movements, she shows some kind of solemnity that will amaze you at first sight, but when she speaks, a smile plays on her lips, which is extremely pleasant. She speaks a lot to everyone and with such gentleness that it seems as if you are talking to someone equal. However, she does not for one minute lose the dignity of a monarch; it seems that she is very gracious and I think that she would be called pleasant and thin woman if she were a private person. The Empress's sister, the Duchess of Mecklenburg, has a gentle expression on her face, good physique, black hair and eyes, but small in stature, stout and cannot be called a beauty; a cheerful disposition, and endowed with a satirical look. Both sisters speak only Russian and can understand German.
The Spanish diplomat Duke de Liria is very delicate in his description of the empress:
Empress Anna is thick, dark-skinned, and her face is more masculine than feminine. She is pleasant, affectionate and extremely attentive in handling. Generous to the point of extravagance, loves splendor excessively, which is why her courtyard surpasses all other European ones in splendor. She strictly demands obedience to herself and wants to know everything that is done in her state, does not forget the services rendered to her, but at the same time she remembers well the insults inflicted on her. They say that she has a gentle heart, and I believe this, although she carefully hides her actions. In general, I can say that she is a perfect empress ...
The duke was a good diplomat - he knew that in Russia the letters of foreign envoys were opened and read.
There is also a legend that in addition to Biron, she had a lover - Karl Vegele
The end of the reign
Anna Ioanovna. Engraving by Ivan Sokolov, 1740
In 1732, Anna Ioannovna announced that the throne was inherited by a male descendant of her niece Elizabeth-Catherine-Christina, daughter of Catherine Ioannovna, Duchess of Mecklenburg. Catherine, the sister of Anna Ioannovna, was married by Peter I to the Duke of Mecklenburg Karl-Leopold, but in 1719 with her one-year-old daughter she retired from her husband to Russia. Anna Ioannovna watched over her niece, who after baptism into Orthodoxy received the name of Anna Leopoldovna, as her own daughter, especially after the death of Catherine Ioannovna in 1733.
In July 1739, Anna Leopoldovna was married to the Duke of Brunswick Anton-Ulrich, and in August 1740 the couple had a son, John Antonovich.
On October 5 (16), 1740 Anna Ioannovna sat down to dine with Biron. Suddenly she felt sick, she fell unconscious. The disease was recognized as dangerous. Conferences began among the highest dignitaries. The issue of succession to the throne was resolved long ago; the empress named her two-month-old child, Ioann Antonovich, as her successor. It remained to decide who would be the regent until he came of age, and Biron was able to collect votes in his favor.
On October 16 (27), the sick empress fell into a seizure, foreshadowing a quick death. Anna Ioannovna ordered to call Osterman and Biron. In their presence, she signed both papers - on the inheritance after her of John Antonovich and on the regency of Biron.
At 9 o'clock in the evening on October 17 (28), 1740 Anna Ioannovna died at the age of 48. Doctors declared the cause of death to be gout in conjunction with urolithiasis... They buried her in the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg.
Trace in art
Literature
- V. Pikul "Word and Deed"
- Anna Ioannovna is one of the main actors novel by Valentin Pikul "Word and Deed".
- M. N. Volkonsky "Prince Nikita Fedorovich"
- I. I. Lazhechnikov. "Ice House"
- Anna Ioanovna's coronation album
Filmography
- 1983 - Demidovs. 2 series. - Lydia Fedoseeva-Shukshina
- 1986 - Mikhailo Lomonosov. Multi-part film. - Marina Policeimako
- 2001 - Secrets palace coups... Russia, XVIII century. Film 2. Testament of the Empress. - Nina Ruslanova
- 2001 - Secrets of palace coups. Russia, XVIII century. Film 5. The second bride of the emperor. - Nina Ruslanova
- 2003 - Secrets of palace coups. Russia, XVIII century. Film 6. Death of the young emperor. - Nina Ruslanova
- 2003 - Russian Empire. Series 3. Anna Ioannovna, Elizaveta Petrovna.
- 2008 - Secrets of palace coups. Russia, XVIII century. Film 7. Vivat, Anna! - Inna Churikova
Interesting Facts
- There is a legend according to which, shortly before her death, the empress was seen talking to a woman very similar to Anna Ioannovna herself. Later, the empress stated that it was her death.
Notes (edit)
1. This statement is contained in the book of Prince Dolgoruky, published in 1788
2. "La cour de la Russieilу a cent ans", 37. Manian's dispatch - www.magister.msk.ru/library/history/kostomar/kostom52.htm
3. Solovyov S. M. History of Russia since ancient times. T. 20 - militera.lib.ru/common/solovyev1/20_add.html
4. The growth of the population of the Russian Empire in the XVII-early XX century. - orthomed.ru/pms.php?id=library.demography.00040. Orthodox medical server OrthoMed.ru.
5. N. I. Kostomarov. Russian history in the biographies of its main figures. Empress Anna Ivanovna. - www.magister.msk.ru/library/history/kostomar/kostom52.htm#three
6. Rondo, Jane. Letters from Lady Rondo, consort British minister at the Russian court, during the reign of Empress Anna Ioannovna - historydoc.edu.ru/catalog.asp?ob_no=14389&cat_ob_no=12196 - St. Petersburg, 1836: Letter dated 14th from 1733
7. Historical lexicon. Volume 8, XVIII century. - M .: Knowledge, 1997. Editor: V. N. Kudryavtseva.
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Date the page was created: 2017-12-12
LIFE STORY
Anna Ioannovna (January 28 (February 7) 1693 - October 17 (28), 1740), the second daughter of Tsar John V (brother and co-ruler of the Tsar) and Tsarina Praskovya Fedorovna, was born in Moscow, in the Kremlin. She spent her childhood in Izmailovo. In 1708 she moved to St. Petersburg for a short time. In 1710 she was married to the Duke of Courland; widowed shortly after the wedding. In October 1709, Peter I, at a meeting with King Frederick William I, agreed on the marriage of the young duke with one of the representatives of the Russian royal family... The choice fell on the middle daughter of Tsarina Praskovya - Anna Ioannovna. From the summer of 1712, she lived in Courland as Duchess of Courland. In 1726, she recklessly gave her consent to marriage to the illegitimate son of the Polish king and Saxon Elector Augustus the Strong, Count Moritz of Saxony, who was not a member of political plans Russian Empire and upset by the personal intervention of A.D. Menshikov (the so-called Courland crisis). In 1718, the 28-year-old Courland nobleman Ernst Johann Biron entered the service of the Duchess, and since 1727 he became her favorite.
After the death of Peter II in 1730, there were no direct male descendants of the Romanov family. Among other candidates, the Supreme Privy Council turned to the senior line of Tsar John V Alekseevich and invited his daughter Anna Ioannovna, who had already lived in Courland for 19 years and had no favorites and adherents in Russia, to the throne. It was assumed her reign with limited powers in favor of the "supreme leaders", members of the Supreme Privy Council, who demanded that Anna Ioannovna sign certain conditions, "Konditsiy". With the support of opponents of the "supreme leaders", she gained full power and dissolved the Supreme Privy Council. By the name of her favorite, the time of her reign was called "Bironovschina".
THE VALUE OF THE SENATE UNDER ANNA IOANNOVNA
But instead of the Senate, as we already know, the Supreme Privy Council (1726–1730) was installed: this reduced the Senate to the degree of a collegium, and the position of the Prosecutor General, "the eye of the sovereign", was deprived of the importance that Peter gave it. This position has completely disappeared, as if it was devoid of its meaning. The Prosecutor General, reinstated under Anna Ioannovna, did not receive the same significance, because the Senate did not receive it either. Anna in 1730 destroyed the Supreme Privy Council, restored the rights of the Senate, dividing the Senate into 5 departments; but soon over the Senate she put a Cabinet, similar in importance to the Supreme Privy Council, and this again dropped the importance of the Senate and the Attorney General.
[…] But under Peter the Great, the top administrative officials close to him were not organized into an institution and did not have the influence that they received under the weak representatives of the authorities after Peter (women and children). When they had this influence, they strove to close themselves into an institution not subject to general government control (the Senate and the Prosecutor's Office), on the contrary, they themselves took control into their own hands and ruled the country with the power of their "persons", standing over the entire system of administration. In 1730, they even attempted to rule not only the country, but the government itself. The attempt failed and led to a modification of the institution that made it; but also under the autocracy, the persons of the Supreme Privy Council and the Cabinet, overthrowing administrative system Peter, directed against the arbitrariness of individuals, developed this arbitrariness.
Platonov S.F. Complete course lectures on Russian history. SPb., 2000 http://magister.msk.ru/library/history/platonov/plats005.htm#gl6
CONDITION "CONDITION"
When those present agreed on the candidacy of Anna Ivanovna, D.M. Golitsyn imperceptibly proceeded to the most intimate link of his maneuver. His speech ended with a seemingly vague exclamation: "Your will, whomever you please, we just need to feel better for ourselves." - "How to ease yourself?" someone asked here. “So take it easy in order to add will to yourself,” was Golitsyn's answer. Apparently, the representatives of the feudal aristocracy eventually understood what was the matter. After a short debate, they set about drawing up "conditions" or "clauses" limiting the power of the new empress. Although some sources attributed the creation of "conditions" to D.M. Golitsyn, apparently, the "child" was the fruit of joint efforts.
CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF THE REGION OF ANNA IOHANNOVNA
V deep secret D. M. Golitsyn with V. L. Dolgoruky made up the conditions, that is, the conditions for Anna Ioannovna's accession to the throne. Anna Ioannovna was supposed to govern the state not as an autocratic empress, but together with the Supreme Privy Council, without the knowledge of which she was forbidden to declare war and conclude peace, introduce new taxes, award a rank higher than a colonel, grant or take away estates without trial. The command of the guard passed to the Supreme Privy Council. Thus, conditions limited the autocracy, but not in the interests of the entire nobility, but in favor of its aristocratic elite, who sat in the Supreme Privy Council.
The rumor about a "trick" to limit "autocracy" penetrated into the nobility and guards environment and caused a clearly hostile reaction there. In contrast to the condition of the supreme leaders, various groups of the nobility drew up their projects outlining their views on the political structure of the country. If the conditions of the supreme leaders meant the interests of a small handful of aristocrats, then the authors of the noble projects demanded a reduction in the term of service, the abolition of restrictions on the inheritance of real estate, the facilitation of the conditions of service in the army and navy by organizing special educational institutions for the training of officers, and a broader involvement of the nobles in management. etc.
Anna Ioannovna, who resignedly signed the conditions in Mitava, after arriving in Moscow, quickly discovered that the "trick" of the leaders did not enjoy the support of either the masses of nobles or the guards. In their presence and with their support, she tore up a sheet of paper with the conditions she had signed. By this, she proclaimed herself the autocratic empress. The Supreme Privy Council was abolished, and its members (Golitsyn and Dolgoruky) were expelled from the capital under various pretexts to be executed a few years later.
Lazy and ignorant, distinguished tall and in extreme completeness, the empress, who was enthralled by the rude jokes of the dwarfs, showed no interest in state affairs. Instead of the abolished Supreme Privy Council, an institution of about the same competence was organized under her, but under a new name - the Cabinet of Ministers. The composition of the Cabinet of Ministers was also new, which included the empress's confidants.
Anna Ioannovna was burdened by participation in public affairs and in 1735 issued a decree declaring the signatures of three cabinet ministers to be equivalent to the imperial signature.
During the reign of Anna Ioannovna, the influence of foreigners reached unprecedented proportions. Their influx into Russia began at the end of the 17th century, however, until the accession of Anna Ioannovna, they did not play a significant role in political life country. Their position under Anna Ioannovna became different. The tone at court was set by the Empress's ignorant favorite, the German of Courland [...], Biron, who did not hold official posts, but enjoyed Anna Ioannovna's boundless trust. Under his patronage, crooks from foreigners occupied the highest and well-paid positions in the administrative apparatus and the army. Many of them robbed the treasury with impunity.
During the years of Bironovschina, or rather Ostermanovschina, for Osterman ruled the country, foreigners enjoyed advantages in appointment to lucrative positions and promotion. This provoked a protest from the Russian nobility, deprived of part of their income and infringed on national feelings.
It was expressed by the cabinet minister A.P. Volynsky, who, together with a circle of like-minded people, developed the "Draft on the amendment of the internal state affairs." Volynsky demanded a further expansion of the privileges of the nobility, filling all posts in the state apparatus - from clerk to senator by nobles, sending noble children abroad for training, "so that their natural ministers would eventually be." Spiritual shepherds from village priests to senior positions in church hierarchy should also be replaced by people from the nobility. Harsh responses about Anna Ioannovna ("Our Empress is a fool, and no matter how you report, you won't get any resolution from her"), condemnation of the actions of Biron and his entourage led Volynsky and his accomplices to the chopping block in 1740.
History of Russia from ancient times to 1861 N. Pavlenko, I. Andreev, V. Kobrin, V. Fedorov. 3rd ed .. M., 2004 http://wordweb.ru/andreev/59.htm
5510. - March 4. Manifesto. - About the destruction of the Supreme Tainago Council and the High Senate, and about the restoration of the former Governing Senate.
We command everyone to do this, both spiritual, and worldly military and land administration, higher and lower ranks, that We, the Supreme Privy Council and the High Senate, have set aside, and for the rule, we have established such a government , as with Our Uncle, blessed and eminent memory of Peter the Great, the Emperor and Autocrat of the All-Russian was. And in management, to act according to the position given to the Senate under His Imperial Majesty and according to the Code and decrees, to which the Governing Senate, all their decrees, may be obedient, under cruel punishment or death, depending on the fault. And if this Senate through its present promise brought by God and the previous promise of the oath of allegiance to Us, it is unjust that they will act in some State or particular purpose, and whoever warns about something, he will return to Us, however We are destined, and the guilty will be severely punished.
ATTITUDE TO REFERENCES AND OPAL
In the "vain and dangerous time" of the German government of Anna Ioannovna, it was impossible to go to bed in the evening in full confidence that you would wake up at home the next morning: they were often arrested at night - and the prisoner met the next day in one of the casemates Peter and Paul Fortress or some kind of jail. Book. Sergei experienced the vicissitudes of fate, quite unexpectedly finding himself in Fominki, and then in the Ranenburg fortress. From Ranenburg, roads led to “more distant places” - it was possible to get to Berezov, Pelym, Yeniseisk, Okhotsk ... [...]
October 23, 1730 [book. Sergei Dolgoruky] addresses the Empress Anna Ioannovna with the following petition:
“Most sovereign tsarina and autocrat of all Russia, most merciful sovereign! I dare to pray your imperial majesty, as if we all bow down and pray to the Almighty Creator, so extend the right hand of mercy from the mountain dwelling. Tako now the most submissive servant of your majesty, merciful sovereign, slavishly falling at your feet, I pray: stretch out the right hand of mercy from the Highest Power of your throne, have mercy, have mercy on your lost and suffering servant. Your Imperial Majesty, the most submissive and most humble servant of the prince. Sergey Dolgorukoy ".
In April 1731, Prince. Sergei took advantage of the upcoming celebration of the anniversary of the coronation of Empress Anna Ioannovna to remind him of his grievous situation a second time and ask for an improvement in his lot. On April 21 of this year, he wrote to the Empress:
Your Imperial Majesty, Empress of all mercy, bowing my knees, I most sincerely pray, do divine mercy with your wretched and last slave: have mercy on all merciful Empress for the days of the great from all the Creator, the solemn Highness of the coronation of your imperial majesty and the last and the last Your Majesty's servant had a small part in such great joy and with indescribable gratitude in all the continuation of my poor belly in the village granted to me for the highest of Your Imperial Majesty to all the merciful Empress the health of the All-Almighty Creator was vigilantly asking for the health of the Almighty Creator. Your Imperial Majesty, the Most Merciful Empress, the last and most subservient servant of Prince. Sergey Dolgorukoy ".
Still, his fate was not mitigated.
PERSONALITY AND LEISURE
Anna was a person of a critical era, when the old in culture was replaced by the new, but for a long time it coexisted with it. Therefore, along with the traditional jesters and hangers-on at Anna's court, Italian operas and comedies were staged in a specially built theater with a thousand seats. Opera singers and ballerinas delighted the hearing and sight of the courtiers during dinners and holidays. Anna's time entered the history of Russian art when the first ballet school was founded in 1737. A choir chapel was formed at the court, and the composer Francesco Araya, invited from Italy, worked. But most of all Anna, unlike the Moscow princesses, was fond of hunting, or rather shooting. It was not just a hobby, but a deep passion that haunted the queen. She often shot at crows and ducks flying in the sky, and hit the target in the indoor arena and in the parks of Peterhof. She also took part in grandiose hunts, when the beaters, covering a gigantic area of the forest, gradually (often for weeks) narrowed it down and drove the forest dwellers into the clearing. In the middle of it stood a special tall carriage — the yagt-wagen — with the armed empress and her guests. And when the animals, distraught with horror: hares, foxes, deer, wolves, bears, elks, ran out into the clearing, prudently fenced with a wall of ship's canvas, then a disgusting slaughter began. In the summer of 1738 alone, Anna personally shot 1,024 animals, including 374 hares and 608 ducks. How many animals the tsarina killed in 10 years is hard to imagine!
