According to the urban reform of 1870, cities were governed. City government (duma, council, heads)

I. Argunov "Portrait of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna"

“Elizabeth has always had a passion for rearrangements, restructuring and moving; in this “she inherited the energy of her father, built palaces in 24 hours and covered the then route from Moscow to St. Petersburg in two days” (V. Klyuchevsky).

Empress Elizaveta Petrovna (1709-1761)- daughter of Peter I, born before the church marriage with his second wife, the future Catherine I.

Her father surrounded her and her older sister Anna with splendor and luxury as future brides of foreign princes, but was not very involved in raising them. Elizaveta grew up under the supervision of “mammies” and peasant nurses, which is why she learned and fell in love with Russian morals and customs. To teach foreign languages, teachers of German, French, and Italian were assigned to the crown princesses. They were taught grace and elegance by a French dance master. Russian and European cultures shaped the character and habits of the future empress. The historian V. Klyuchevsky wrote: “From Vespers she went to the ball, and from the ball she kept up with Matins, she passionately loved French performances and knew all the gastronomic secrets of Russian cuisine to a fine degree.”

Louis Caravaque "Portrait of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna"

Elizaveta Petrovna’s personal life did not work out: Peter I tried to marry her to the French Dauphin Louis XV, but it did not work out. Then she rejected French, Portuguese and Persian applicants. Finally, Elizabeth agreed to marry the Holstein prince Karl-August, but he suddenly died... At one time, her marriage with the young Emperor Peter II, who passionately fell in love with his aunt, was discussed.

Anna Ioannovna (Elizabeth's cousin), who ascended the throne in 1730, ordered her to live in St. Petersburg, but Elizabeth did not want to tease the empress, who hated her, with her presence at court and deliberately led an idle life, often disappearing in the Alexandrovskaya Sloboda, where she communicated mainly with ordinary people. people, took part in their dances and games. Next to Elizaveta Petrovna’s house there were barracks of the Preobrazhensky Regiment. The guards loved the future empress for her simplicity and good attitude towards them.

Coup

After the baby John VI was proclaimed emperor, Elizabeth Petrovna’s life changed: she began to visit the court more often, meeting with Russian dignitaries and foreign ambassadors, who, in general, persuaded Elizabeth to take decisive action. On November 25, 1741, she appeared at the barracks of the Preobrazhensky Regiment and made a speech to the grenadiers, who swore allegiance to her and headed to the palace. Having overthrown the ruler and her son, Elizabeth declared herself empress. In a short manifesto, she explained her action by the request of her loyal subjects and her blood relationship with the reigning house.

She generously rewarded the participants in the coup: money, titles, noble dignity, ranks...

Surrounding herself with favorites (mostly these were Russian people: the Razumovskys, Shuvalovs, Vorontsovs, etc.), she did not allow any of them to achieve complete dominance, although intrigues and the struggle for influence continued at court...

HER. Lansere "Empress Elizaveta Petrovna in Tsarskoe Selo"

The artist Lanceray masterfully conveys the unity of the lifestyle and art style of past eras. The entrance of Elizaveta Petrovna with her retinue is interpreted as a theatrical performance, where the majestic figure of the empress is perceived as a continuation of the facade of the palace. The composition is based on the contrast of lush baroque architecture and the deserted ground floor of the park. The artist ironically juxtaposes the massiveness of architectural forms, monumental sculpture and characters. He is fascinated by the roll call of architectural decorative elements and toilet details. The Empress's train resembles a raised theatrical curtain, behind which we are caught by surprise by the court actors rushing to play their usual roles. Hidden in the jumble of faces and figures is a “hidden character” – an Arab little girl, diligently carrying the imperial train. A curious detail was not hidden from the artist’s gaze either – an unclosed snuffbox in the hasty hands of the gentleman’s favorite. Flashing patterns and spots of color create a feeling of a revived moment of the past.

Domestic policy

Upon her accession to the throne, Elizaveta Petrovna, by a personal decree, abolished the Cabinet of Ministers and restored the Government Senate, “as it was under Peter the Great.” To consolidate the throne for her father's heirs, she summoned her nephew, the 14-year-old son of Anna's elder sister, Peter-Ulrich, Duke of Holstein, to Russia, and declared him her heir as Peter Fedorovich.

The empress transferred all executive and legislative power to the Senate, and she indulged in festivities: going to Moscow, she spent about two months in balls and carnivals, which ended with the coronation on April 25, 1742 in the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin.

Elizaveta Petrovna turned her reign into sheer entertainment, leaving behind 15 thousand dresses, several thousand pairs of shoes, hundreds of uncut pieces of fabric, the unfinished Winter Palace, which absorbed from 1755 to 1761. 10 million rubles. She wished to remodel the imperial residence to her taste, entrusting this task to the architect Rastrelli. In the spring of 1761, the construction of the building was completed, and interior work began. However, Elizaveta Petrovna died without ever moving to the Winter Palace. The construction of the Winter Palace was completed under Catherine II. This building of the Winter Palace has survived to this day.

Winter Palace, 19th century engraving

During the reign of Elizabeth Petrovna, no fundamental reforms were carried out in the state, but there were some innovations. In 1741, the government forgave the peasants' arrears for 17 years; in 1744, by order of the Empress, the death penalty was abolished in Russia. Homes for the disabled and almshouses were built. On the initiative of P.I. Shuvalov, a commission was organized to develop new legislation, noble and merchant banks were established, internal customs were destroyed and duties on foreign goods were increased, and conscription duties were eased.

The nobles again became a closed, privileged class, acquired by origin, and not by personal merit, as was the case under Peter I.

Under Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, the development of Russian science took off: M.V. Lomonosov publishes his scientific works, the Academy of Sciences publishes the first complete geographical atlas of Russia, the first chemical laboratory appeared, a university with two gymnasiums was founded in Moscow, and the Moskovskie Vedomosti began to be published. In 1756, the first Russian state theater was approved in St. Petersburg, of which A.P. became the director. Sumarokov.

V.G. Khudyakov "Portrait of I.I. Shuvalov"

The foundation of the library of Moscow University is being laid; it is based on books donated by I.I. Shuvalov. And he donated 104 paintings by Rubens, Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Poussin and other famous European artists to the collection of the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts. He made a huge contribution to the formation of the Hermitage art gallery. In Elizabethan times, art galleries became one of the elements of magnificent palace decoration, which was supposed to stun those invited to the court and testify to the power of the Russian state. By the middle of the 18th century, many interesting and valuable private collections appeared, the owners of which were representatives of the highest aristocracy, who, following the empress, sought to decorate palaces with works of art. The opportunity for Russian nobles to travel a lot and interact closely with European culture contributed to the formation of new aesthetic preferences of Russian collectors.

Foreign policy

During the reign of Elizaveta Petrovna, Russia significantly strengthened its international situation. The war with Sweden, which began in 1741, ended with the conclusion of peace in Abo in 1743, according to which part of Finland was ceded to Russia. As a result of the sharp strengthening of Prussia and the threat to Russian possessions in the Baltic states, Russia, on the side of Austria and France, took part in the Seven Years' War (1756-1763), which demonstrated the power of Russia, but cost the state very dearly and gave it practically nothing. In August 1760, Russian troops under the command of P.S. Saltykov defeated the Prussian army of Frederick II and entered Berlin. Only the death of Elizabeth saved the Prussian king from complete disaster. But Peter III, who ascended the throne after her death, was an admirer of Frederick II and returned all of Elizabeth’s conquests to Prussia.

Personal life

Elizaveta Petrovna, who in her youth was a passionate dancer and a brave rider, over the years found it increasingly difficult to accept the loss of her youth and beauty. From 1756, fainting and convulsions began to happen to her more and more often, which she carefully hid.

K. Prenne "Equestrian portrait of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna with her retinue"

K. Waliszewski, a Polish historian, writer and publicist, created a series of works dedicated to Russian history. Since 1892, he has published books in France in French, one after another, about the Russian tsars and emperors, and about their entourage. Waliszewski's books were combined into the series "Origin modern Russia”and cover the period between the reigns of Ivan the Terrible and Alexander I. In the book “Daughter of Peter the Great. Elizaveta Petrovna” (1902) he describes it this way Last year life of the empress: “Winter 1760-61. passed in St. Petersburg not so much in balls, but in tense anticipation of them. The Empress did not appear in public, locked herself in her bedroom, and received only ministers with reports without getting out of bed. For hours Elizaveta Petrovna drank strong alcohol, looked at fabrics, talked with gossips, and suddenly, when some outfit she tried on seemed successful to her, she announced her intention to appear at the ball. The court bustle began, but when the dress was put on, the empress’s hair was combed up and makeup was applied according to all the rules of art, Elizabeth went to the mirror, peered - and canceled the celebration.”

She died in 1761 in great suffering, but assured those around her that they were too small compared to her sins.

Elizaveta Petrovna was in a secret morganatic marriage with A.G. Razumovsky, from whom (according to some sources) they had children who bore the surname Tarakanov. In the 18th century Two women were known under this surname: Augusta, who, at the behest of Catherine II, was brought from Europe and tonsured into the Moscow Pavlovsk Monastery under the name Dosithea, and an unknown adventurer, who declared herself the daughter of Elizabeth in 1774 and laid claim to the Russian throne. She was arrested and imprisoned in the Peter and Paul Fortress, where she died in 1775, hiding the secret of her origin even from the priest.

K. Flavitsky "Princess Tarakanova"

The artist K. Flavitsky used this story for the plot of his painting “Princess Tarakanova.” The canvas depicts a casemate of the Peter and Paul Fortress, outside of which a flood is raging. A young woman stands on the bed, trying to escape the water rushing through the barred window. The wet rats climb out of the water, approaching the prisoner's feet.

Ruled Russia from 1741 to 1761. Among the Russian autocrats, Elizabeth is among the debt stewards. Was in power for 20 years. Peter the Great, Catherine II, Alexander I, Nicholas I, Alexander II, Nicholas II conducted the Empire for 20 or more years

“The peaceful inclinations of the government in foreign policy, the humane direction in domestic policy, outlined the reign of Elizabeth with sympathetic features and influenced the morals of Russian society, preparing it for activity” ( Platonov “Complete course of lectures on Russian history”«)

Different assessments of Elizaveta Petrovna’s activities

« From then on (from Peter the Great) until Catherine the Great herself, Russian history comes down to the history of private individuals, brave or cunning temporary workers, and the history of the struggle of famous parties, court intrigues and tragic disasters.”(S. V. Eshevsky “Essay on the reign of Elizabeth Petrovna”
— — — — —
« This era deserves a special note: in it everything was sacrificed to the present time, the desires of fitful people and all sorts of extraneous small adventures in business.”(count, diplomat and statesman, mentor of Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich N. I. Panin)
— — — — —
«… People's activity is dispelled by the destruction of internal customs; banks come to the aid of the landowner and merchant; in the east, strong development of ore wealth begins; trade with Central Asia takes on extensive dimensions; the southern steppes receive population from abroad - a population homogeneous with the main population, therefore easily merging with it;

a general survey is established; the people, having come to their senses, begin to speak for themselves and to themselves, and literature appears, a language worthy of a people speaking about itself appears, writers appear who remain to live in the memory and thoughts of posterity, a folk theater appears, a magazine appears, a university is founded in old Moscow ; torture is removed at the first opportunity; for the future, a new generation is being prepared, a whole series of figures are being educated and prepared who will make the reign of Catherine II famous” (S.M. Solovyov “History of Russia from Ancient Times”)

Brief biography of Elizaveta Petrovna

• 1709, December 18 - birth of Elizaveta Petrovna in Moscow
• 1722, February - recognition of Elizabeth as an adult; Peter I's negotiations about her marriage

“Elizabeth seemed like a young lady who had been brought up as a girl. All her life she didn’t want to know when to get up, get dressed, have lunch, and go to bed. The weddings of the servants gave her great entertainment: she herself took the bride to the crown and then from behind the door admired how the wedding guests were having fun. In her manner she was sometimes too simple and affectionate, sometimes she lost her temper and scolded over trifles...

Lazy and capricious, frightened of any serious thought, disgusted with any business activity..., in her inner chambers she created for herself a special political environment of hangers-on and storytellers, gossips. The subjects of this “office” were stories, gossip, gossip, all sorts of tricks and baiting the courtiers against each other, which gave Elizabeth great pleasure. These were the “spheres” of that time; important ranks and positions of bread were distributed from here; major government affairs were carried out here" (V.O. Klyuchevsky “Course of Russian History”)

• 1728, January - move from St. Petersburg to Moscow, friendship with Peter II
• 1741, November 25 - participation in the night coup. Accession to the throne

“On November 23, the Tsarevna went to the Winter Palace to visit the ruler....The guests sat down at the card tables;...Suddenly Anna Leopoldovna invited Elizabeth into another room, said that she was being warned, informing her that the Tsarevna... was plotting to carry out a coup... The Tsesarevna showed her face amazement, assures... that she would never break the oath of allegiance given to the young emperor... The Tsesarevna burst into tears and threw herself into the ruler’s arms; Anna Leopoldovna, in her good nature, burst into tears herself and parted with the crown princess with mutual assurances of love and devotion.

...in the evening...Lestok went to the princess to announce that...the time had come to act. Elizabeth did not go to bed. It was two o’clock in the morning... Elisaveta Petrovna got into the sleigh...
Arriving at the palace, Elizabeth unexpectedly entered the guardhouse and said:
“Both I and you all suffered a lot from the Germans, and our people suffer a lot from them; Let's free ourselves from our tormentors! Serve me as you served my father!
- Mother! - the guards shouted, - whatever you say, we’ll do everything!
According to some news, Elizabeth entered the inner chambers of the palace, straight into the ruler’s bedroom, and loudly said to her:
- Sister! it's time to get up!
According to other news, the crown princess did not go to the ruler herself, but sent grenadiers...
Elizabeth was returning to her palace. The people ran in droves after the new empress and shouted “hurray”…” (N.I. Kostomarov “Russian history in the biographies of its main figures”)

• 1742 - arrival of Karl Peter Ulrich (Peter Fedorovich) to Russia, proclamation of him heir to the throne
• 1744, February 3 - arrival in Russia of Sofia Augusta Frederica (Ekaterina Alekseevna).
• 1745, August 21 - marriage of Pyotr Fedorovich with Ekaterina Alekseevna.
• 1749, autumn - the beginning of the favor of I. I. Shuvalov
• 1761, December 25 - death of Elizaveta Petrovna in St. Petersburg

“Elizabeth was an intelligent and kind, but disorderly and capricious Russian lady of the 18th century, whom, according to Russian custom, many scolded during her lifetime and, also according to Russian custom, everyone mourned after her death” (Klyuchevsky)

Figures from the reign of Elizabeth

“...the circle of people who acted under Elizabeth is extremely diverse in personal qualities, abilities, even in age. There is not a single trait that would allow them all to be characterized equally from any aspect. They lived very disagreeably, constantly quarreling with each other. It is clear that such an environment could not introduce a guiding program and unity of action into government administration; could not rise above...essentially private government measures. So it was"(Platonov)

— Alexey Grigorievich Razumovsky (1709-1771) - count, first owner of the Anichkov Palace, Field Marshal General of the Russian Imperial Army

A poor Little Russian Cossack girl tended a village flock and had a beautiful voice. Thanks to this, he became a court singer and was taken to the palace of Princess Elizabeth. Elizabeth's affection for Razumovsky was very strong: it continued until her death, and Razumovsky invariably remained one of the most influential people in Russia, was very powerful, even lived in a palace, but had little influence on public administration, constantly evading government affairs... In the history of the Russian court he is a remarkable person, in the history of the state he is a completely unnoticeable figure

— Kirill Grigorievich Razumovsky (1728-1803) - younger brother of A. G. Razumovsky, count, last hetman of the Zaporozhye Army, field marshal general, president Russian Academy sciences from 1746 to 1798

In 1743 he was sent “incognito” abroad to study; For 16 years he was already a count of the Roman Empire, for 18 years he was president of the Academy of Sciences, for 22 years he was field marshal general and hetman of Little Russia. For him, in 1750, the hetmanate, which had not existed since 1734, was restored. He had the same character as his older brother, and if he was more noticeable than his brother in government activities, then thanks only to his education, he was a person...passive and, occupying high positions, did not strive for influence

— Pyotr Ivanovich Shuvalov ((1711-1762) - head of the Russian government at the end of the reign of Elizabeth Petrovna, field marshal general, senator, chief of artillery, manager of many other departments

Occupying many positions, Shuvalov was at the same time a major industrialist and tax farmer. Both in the sphere of management and in economic affairs he showed great abilities and at the same time a strong desire for profit and extreme ambition. A power-hungry intriguer and a dishonest money-grubber overshadowed him statesman. He used his state influence for personal purposes... He held strong at court thanks to the influence of his wife (Mavra Egorovna Shepeleva, Elizabeth’s closest maid of honor), and partly due to his own intelligence and dexterity.

Hypocritical and able to adapt to any circumstances, he was a terrible person for everyone both in his influence and in his vindictiveness; he was a man without principles, without morals and represented the dark face of the reign of Elizabeth. He was so hated by the people that the St. Petersburg crowd at his funeral could not resist a hostile demonstration

— Ivan Ivanovich Shuvalov (1727-1797) - adjutant general (1760), favorite of Empress Elizabeth I Petrovna, philanthropist, founder of Moscow University and the Academy of Arts, cousin of P. Shuvalov

He was always seen with a book in his hands, he studied for knowledge because he loved it; Science developed in him a certain moral worldview and made him one of the first pioneers of education in Russia. He supported Russian science, founded Moscow University and two gymnasiums. Being a chamberlain and a great favorite of Elizabeth, he did not strive for state and political activities and remained a philanthropist and curator of Moscow University

— Alexander Ivanovich Shuvalov (1710 - 1771) - count, head of the Office of Secret Investigative Affairs, Field Marshal, Senator, member of the St. Petersburg Conference, brother of P. I. Shuvalov

He showed neither special intelligence nor special abilities. He was the head of the Secret Chancellery, which was almost inactive under Elizabeth, which is why its chief was also invisible

— Alexey Petrovich Bestuzhev-Ryumin (1693-1766) - count, diplomat, determined Russian foreign policy from 1742 to 1757

undeniably smart and capable, surprisingly educated for that time and, as they say, a jack of all trades. A great practitioner by nature...Bestuzhev is viewed differently as a political figure. Some see in him a figure without a program, others, on the contrary, find in Bestuzhev a successful student of Peter and a sensible politician

— Mikhail Illarionovich Vorontsov (1714-1767) - count, vice-chancellor, chancellor Russian Empire, diplomat, determined Russia's foreign policy after Bestuzhev fell into disgrace in 1757

Hardworking and honest, he had neither the education, nor the character, nor the experience of Bestuzhev. Having taken Russian politics into his hands during the war with Prussia, he did not contribute anything of his own to it, was susceptible to outside influences and could not adhere to his views as staunchly as Bestuzhev. Under Elizabeth, he waged war with Prussia, under Peter III he was ready for an alliance with her, and under Catherine II he was again close to a break.

— Nikita Yuryevich Trubetskoy (1699-1767) - prince, field marshal general, prosecutor general, “a two-faced man and not without abilities”
— Ivan Ivanovich Lestok (1692-1767) - count, the first court physician in Russia, actual Privy Councilor, chief director of the Medical Chancellery. In the late 1730s and early 1740s - Elizabeth Petrovna's confidant, organizer palace coup November 25, 1741. Agent of French diplomatic influence. From 1745 in disgrace

Internal politics of the government of Elizabeth Petrovna

—

• Elizabeth's decree prohibiting anyone other than nobles from buying “people and peasants without land and with land” (1746)
• Decrees prohibiting personal nobles, that is, those who received nobility for service, from buying people and lands
• Senate resolutions on personal nobles: “Since their children are not nobles, they cannot own or buy villages”; “non-nobles promoted through civil service to chief officers cannot be considered among the nobility and cannot have villages behind them” (1758 and 1760)
• A series of Senate resolutions stating that only persons who have proven their noble origin can be included in the lists of nobility, and the very procedure for such proof was determined (1756)

—

• Regulations of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences, according to which the Academy was defined as a scientific and educational institution, consisting of the Academy itself (a meeting of learned people), the University (a meeting of teaching and learning people) and the Gymnasium preparatory to the University (1747)
• Creation of Moscow University (1755). The university had three faculties: law, medicine and philosophy, two gymnasiums: one for nobles, the other for commoners
• The Naval Cadet Corps of the Gentry was opened for 360 students (1752)
• Artillery and Engineering schools merged into one (1758)

“By all these measures, the nobility from the class, hallmark which served state duties, began to turn into a class, the distinction of which was made by special exclusive rights: ownership of land and people. In other words, the nobility became a privileged class in the state, hereditary and closed.”

—

• 1741, November 25 - Senate decree that “everyone was to be sworn in ... to Her Imperial Majesty, with the exception of the “arable peasants,” thereby the government looked at the peasants as slaves (only under Paul the First In 1796, the peasants again allowed to swear allegiance to the new emperor)
• In 1760 (December 13), the landowner was given the right to exile faulty peasants to Siberia
  Peasants were deprived of the right to enter into monetary obligations without the permission of their owners (1761)

“The nobleman appeared before the government not only as the owner of the land inhabited by peasants, but as the owner of the peasants, tax and police power over them. The government transferred part of its functions and power over the peasants to the nobles, and this, of course, created excellent conditions for the further development of serfdom.”

“According to Peter’s laws, the Senate did not have a legislative function, it was only an administrative-judicial body. However, the Elizabethan Senate also seemed to be a legislative institution. According to Catherine II, “The Senate was established to execute the laws prescribed to it, and it often issued laws, distributed ranks and dignities, money, villages, in a word, almost everything, and oppressed other judicial places in their laws and advantages.” The 19th-century historian Gradovsky speaks of the Elizabethan Senate as follows: “Without exaggeration, the reign of Elizabeth can be called the administration of the most important dignitaries assembled in the Senate.”

• 1744, December 24 - decree of Elizabeth Petrovna, according to which the permission of the autocrat was required for the dissolution of marriages of nobles
• Revision (census) of the tax-paying population in 1743 and 1761
• The Commission on Commerce created a number of projects for the development of Russian foreign trade
• Abolition of internal customs and petty duties on goods (1754)
• Creation of the Merchant Loan Bank (May 13 (24), 1754)
• The beginning of continuous land surveying (In May 1754, the Instruction for Land Surveyors was approved)
• The policy of settling the southern lands by Orthodox Christians from abroad (Slavs, Serbs)
• 1744, March - decree on the creation of the Orenburg province
• Recruitment was regulated by dividing Russia into five parts, from which recruits were taken in turn only after 4 years in the 5th, recruitment spread to the regions of Little Russia and the Baltic states
• Decree on the closure of iron, alcohol, and glass factories within a radius of 200 km. from Moscow to prevent deforestation (1748)
• Measures for the development of sericulture in Little Russia, Orenburg and Astrakhan provinces (1752)
• Establishment of the Academy of Arts (1757)

Decrees of June 18, 1753 and September 30, 1754 replaced the “natural death penalty” with a “political” one, which was expressed in the reference to “hard labor, having previously been subjected to: punishment with a whip with tearing out of the nostrils and branding” or without it. However, replacement death penalty Punishment with a whip was often of a formal nature, since according to court sentences, criminals were given such a number of blows with a whip that often led to their death (Wikipedia)

Foreign policy of the government of Elizabeth Petrovna

Russia maneuvered between Prussia, which fought with Austria for possession and influence on some German principalities, Austria, which was afraid of the increased power of Prussia, France, which intrigued either against Austria or against Prussia.
Ultimately, Russia became a participant in the Seven Years' War

The reign of Elizaveta Petrova (briefly)

The reign of Elizaveta Petrova (briefly)

The future Russian Empress Elizaveta Petrovna Romanova was born in an illegal marriage at that time between Peter the Great and Catherine the First on December 18, 1709. Peter the Great, as soon as he learned about the birth of his daughter, even decided to cancel the celebration planned for that day to mark the end of the Russian-Swedish war. Already in the spring of 1711, the illegitimate Elizabeth was declared princess.

Contemporaries note that the girl was distinguished by her love of horse riding, dancing, and was also unusually resourceful, intelligent and expressively beautiful. Elizaveta Petrovna received her education in the Izmailovsky and Preobrazhensky villages, where she was taught foreign languages, geography and history.

Peter made more than one attempt to marry off his daughter to numerous applicants from among the nobility and ruling dynasties, but none of them succeeded positive result. Menshikov’s attempts to “bring together” Elizabeth under Peter the Second were doomed to such failures.

In 1730, Pyotr Alekseevich died and the question of a new ruler of Russia arose, but the Supreme Privy Council placed the reign in the hands of Elizabeth’s sister Anna Ioannovna. During the reign of the latter, the country experienced its hard days: the treasury was plundered by palace entertainment and favorites, the prestige of the state fell every day, etc. As a result of the palace coup, Elizabeth still gained power and legally assumed the throne in 1741.

Wanting to restore the state to its former state as soon as possible, Elizabeth decides to continue the reforms begun by Peter the Great and her first order was the abolition of the death penalty in Russia. Also, in 1741, the stage of internal political reforms began: the Senate (a new legislative body) appeared, new laws were drawn up. In addition, Elizaveta Petrovna improves the position of the noble class, abolishes customs duties and thereby activates the “stagnant” Russian market. It was during the reign of this monarch that new academies and universities appeared in Russia, and a second population census was carried out.

The ruler was no less active in her foreign policy. At the very beginning of her reign, Russia waged military operations with Sweden, which sought to take revenge on Russia for its defeat in the Northern War. The result of these actions is the transfer of part of Finland to Russia. After this, Russia enters the War of the Austrian Succession.

Daughters Anna and Elizabeth (12/18/1709 - 12/25/1761), as those born out of wedlock, had little chance of ever taking the Russian throne. Moreover, Anna Petrovna, having married the Duke of Holstein, lost her rights to the crown. And Elizabeth, due to her age and frivolous nature, it seemed that all her life she would just walk around and break hearts. However, fate decreed otherwise...

Biography of Elizaveta Petrovna

It was difficult not to love her: cheerful, cheerful, inquisitive, spontaneous - she invariably attracted the sympathy of almost everyone from her immediate circle. At the same time, she partly inherited her father's temper. Elizabeth led a stormy social life, was considered an enviable bride, but was in no hurry to get married. There is an assumption that the very young Emperor Peter II was in love with his aunt, and she reciprocated his feelings. One way or another, after the death of the young ruler from smallpox and excessive libations, Elizabeth was removed from the court, since Anna Ioannovna, who reigned, saw her as a dangerous political rival. Premonitions did not deceive the empress. Taking advantage of the situation, knowing about the attitude towards her in the guard, Elizabeth led a palace coup and overthrew Anna Leopoldovna with the infant emperor John. Elizabeth reigned for twenty years. Her personal life has not undergone major changes. Her cordial confidant for a long time was A.G. Razumovsky, with whom she, if you believe the fabrications of some pseudo-historians, even secretly got married. In later years, the intellectual I.I. Shuvalov, a thinker and philanthropist, became a favorite. Elizabeth, like a true woman, was little involved in state affairs, preferring fun and amusement to them. It is not for nothing that the poet A.K. Tolstoy in one of his poems “walked” about her with the following stanza: “The cheerful queen / was Elizabeth: / She sings and has fun, / There is just no order.”

Domestic policy of Elizaveta Petrovna

Elizabeth was elevated to the pinnacle of power due to the fact that she was the beloved “daughter” (daughter) of Peter the Great himself. With all the strength of her soul and decrees, she tried to maintain such an idea of ​​​​herself. The first Russian banks were established - Dvoryansky, Kupechesky and Medny. Thanks to the abolition of internal customs, trade revived. The taxation system has undergone major changes. The Senate was restored to its former rights. Civil service became an exclusively noble privilege. Through the efforts of M.V. Lomonosov, Moscow University was opened. Actually, the versatility of Lomonosov himself in full force It was revealed precisely during the reign of Elizabeth Petrovna, who clearly favored the poet and scientist. The first Russian public theater arose. In Ukraine and Little Russia the hetmanate was restored. Elizabeth abolished the death penalty; not a single person was executed during her reign (with the possible exception of fugitives and serfs, but they belonged, as it were, to “subhumans”). Political and economic stability arrived, the institutions of state power were strengthened, and Peter’s reforms became irreversible.

Foreign policy of Elizaveta Petrovna

During the entire twenty-year reign of Elizaveta Petrovna, Russia practically did not fight. Only at the beginning of the reign and at its end did armed conflicts take place with Sweden and Prussia, respectively. Chancellor A.P. Bestuzhev-Ryumin greatly contributed to the pacification of the warring parties. As for the Seven Years' War, the successes of the Russian troops in it were obvious. Our troops took Berlin and Prussia was close to complete collapse, if not for the death of the Empress and the rollback of what had already been achieved by the new ruler, Peter III.

Elizabeth very zealously ensured that she was considered the first beauty at court and throughout the state. Thus, the wardrobe discovered after her death consisted of as many as 15 thousand dresses. Needless to say, beauty is a terrible force!

Under Elizabeth, the career of the all-powerful A.I. Osterman, an experienced and crafty courtier who outlived several rulers and contributed to the fall of the seemingly all-powerful A.D. Menshikov, came to an end. Sentenced to quartering, he was, nevertheless, pardoned and merely exiled to Siberia for a settlement.

Elizabeth had to wait a long time for her right to reign on the Russian throne and ultimately defended it with the help of a military coup. Having strengthened the foundations of her power legislatively and eliminated all possible contenders, the empress began reforms. Relying on the help of her favorites and advisers, such as P. Shuvalov, Vorontsov, A.P. Bestuzhev, Elizabeth, throughout her reign, she tried to fulfill the promises given to her by her subjects to “rule in the spirit of her father” and strengthen the country’s international authority a level that dropped significantly during the reign of Anna Ioanovna. Looking back at the results of her activities, we can say that she kept her promises.

Internal customs duties and the death penalty were abolished.

A number of measures were taken to improve the position and advantages of the noble class, and at the same time, there was an even greater restriction of the rights and freedoms of the peasants.

It was a time of flourishing of science, culture and education, as well as the expansion of the influence of the Russian Orthodox Church.

A fairly successful and active foreign policy was pursued, which brought Russia new territorial gains.