“Memoirs of Catherine ‘the Great’ II of Russia” As Written in Her Own Hand – Ch. 15
Commonplace Book – Pages: 155-156
“Memoirs of Catherine the Great” – Chapter 15: The Clouds Gather (1758-1759)
- End of April: Court goes to Oranienbaum. Prince Charles of Saxony joins the Russian Army as a volunteer. He leaves July 4.
- Catherine arranges a feast for the Grand Duke. She has a chariot built by Antonio Rinaldi which can hold an orchestra of 60 men. The Court poet arranges the verses and Araja, the music. The feast is held on July 17, and the chariot pulled by 20 oxen. Everyone dances until 6:00 am.
- August 14, 1758: The Battle of Zorndorf. “One of the bloodiest routs of the century, as each side lost more than 20,000 men, killed or missing.” (The Russians are thrown back to the Polish frontier.) More than 1,200 officers are lost. General Fermor is replaced by Count Peter Saltikov to command the Army in Prussia.
- September, 1758: The Empress is walking to the parish church from the Palace of Tsarkoe Selo, when she falls unconscious. She is given a blood-letting by the surgeon on the spot but doesn’t wake up. The doctor, a Greek named Condoidis, is late to arrive. The surgeon’s name was Fousadier, a French emigre. Two hours later she awakens, but recognizes no one and is unintelligible.
- September: Catherine is heavily pregnant, therefore the Grand Duke must lead all balls and ceremonies. The father of the child is Poniatovski.
- October: She receives news from the Great Chancellor, Count Bestujev, that the King of Poland is recalling Poniatovski. “Count Bestujev had serious altercations on that subject…he discovered that Vice Chancellor, Count Worontsov and Ivan Shuvalov conspired in this manner.”
- December 8, 9: Catherine begins her labor pains. Shuvalov brings the Empress and Mme Vladislavov convinces the Grand Duke to leave. This is around 2:00 am, she sleeps till morning and then at supper she goes into confinement. 10pm-11pm she gives birth to a girl and the Empress names her Anna Petrovna, after the Grand Duke’s mother.
- On the sixth day the child is baptized, Catherine and the Grand Duke receive 60,000 rubles each.
- January 1, 1759: Peter Shuvalov, as Grand Master of the Artillery, asks for Catherine’s approval for the firework display.
- Towards the end of carnival, Count Alexander Stroganov marries Countess Anna Worontsov; Leon Naryshkine marries Mlle Zakrevski; Count Burturline marries Countess Marie Worontsov.
- Count Bestujev is arrested because of the Shuvalovs and Michel Worontsov, “who are egged on by Count Esterhazy and the Marquis de l’Hopital. They think he is more inclined for an alliance with England. He’s relieved of “all his decorations and rank…and sent back to his house a prisoner.” A Bernadi, Jelagine and Adadurov are also arrested.
- Bernadi: A jeweller; Italian; high intelligencer; carries and secures many messages
- Jelagine: Former A.D.C. to the Great Master of the Hunt, Count Rasumovski; loyal; honest; a friend to Poniatovski
- Adadurov: loyal; once taught Catherine Russian; two or three years before had been in the service of Nikita Trubetskoi, the Public Prosecutor.
- The judges at his trial are Marshal Buturline, the Attorney-General; Prince Trubetskoi, General Count Alexander Shuvalov and Wokov as secretary. Bestujev is charged only with “lese majeste”, that he tried to cause discord between the Empress and Their Imperial Highnesses. Meanwhile Count Poniatovski is asked to be recalled.
“Memoirs of Catherine ‘the Great’ II of Russia” As Written in Her Own Hand – Ch. 14
Commonplace Book – Pages: 154-155
“Memoirs of Catherine the Great” – Chapter 14: Intrigues Renewed (1756-1758)
- After leaving Oraneinbaum, they are visited by Prince and Princess Galitzine and M. Betsky.
- Autumn: Sir Hanbury-Williams goes back to England. He had gotten Count Bestujev to sign a treaty of alliance between Russia and England. However, Bestujev loses the authority and Russia adheres to the convention in Versailles between France and Austria.
- The Shuvalovs gain power. Worontsov, a great supporter, had received old furniture previously used by Madame de Pompadour as a bribe from Louis XV.
- Towards the end of 1756, Count Poniatovski comes back to Petersburg as Minister of the King of Poland.
- Under the influence of Brockdorff, the Grand Duke has a certain Elensheim in Holstein arrested, with no accusation or evidence.
- Brockdorff: tall; long neck; thick, flat head; red hair; “wore a wig of brass wire”; small eyes; “the corners of his mouth came down to his chin”; “almost no lids or eyebrows”; “encouraged the Grand Duke more towards drink”
- “Egyptians”: At this time, a name sometimes applied to “Bohemians” or gypsies.
- Towards Spring, 1757: M. Pechlin, the Grand Duke’s Holstein Minister dies. M. von Stambke, a confidante of Count Bestujev replaces him.
- Spring, 1757: Court goes to Oranienbaum. The Holstein troops made to camp in the village. (“never exceeded 1,300″)
- July, 1757: “Memel had surrendered to the Russian troops by the Agreement of June 24″
- August: News comes of the Battle of Gross – Jaegerndorf. (August 19, the Prussians were defeated by the Russian Army under the command of Marshal Apraxine)
- Later, Marshal Apraxine is found to be in flight, throwing away or burning his ammunition and dismantling his guns. Catherine believes it is because the Empress’ failing health. He believed the war would come to an immediate end if the Empress died.
- Director-General of Works, General Fermor leaves for Petersburg. He was appointed to the Army, having previously been Quartermaster to General Munich. Brigadiers Rosanov and Mordvinov become his assistants.
- Marshal Apraxine has a stroke and dies shortly after being recalled.
- General Fermor continues and occupies Koenigsburg.
- The Shuvalovs convince Leon Naryshkine to join their side, bribing him with the Order of St. Anne.
- April 5, 1758: Prince Charles of Saxony, son of Augustus III of Poland, candidate for the Duchy of Kurland, arrives in St. Petersburg. Count Ivan Chernishev is appointed to attend him.
-For the next 3 or 4 days, Catherine stays in bed with a high fever, and shows symptoms of pregnancy.
“Memoirs of Catherine ‘the Great’ II of Russia” As Written in Her Own Hand – Ch. 13
Commonplace Book – Pages: 153-154
“Memoirs of Catherine the Great” – Chapter 13: The Handsome Pole (1755-1756)
- Sir Hanbury-Williams, the British ambassador, comes to Russia, along with a Count Poniatovski, a Polish man. (Stanislas-August Poniatovski was born 1732 and was 25 when he arrived)
- Autumn: Leon Naryshkine falls ill with brain fever.
- Winter: Catherine suffers from wisdom teeth.
- December 17: Leon Naryshkine and Catherine sneak out to visit his sister-in-law. They find her visiting with Count Poniatovski.
- December 18: The Empress’ birthday.
- 1756: “Preparing for war with the King of Prussia” (The beginning of the Seven Years’ War. The Empress Marie Theresa of Austria, allied to Russia, France, Sweden, Poland, Saxony, attempted to recapture Silesia, lost in the previous war)
- Spring: Marshal Apraxine leaves to command an army to enter Prussia.
- The Grand Duke falls in love with Mme Teplov, niece of the Rasumovskis.
- Mme Schmidt: Wife of one of the Court’s trumpeters; “incredibly large and massive”; ruled over the old ladies-in-waiting “with a rod of iron”; Princess of Kurland was in charge of them in public
- Mme Shuvalov: “the pillar of salt”; thin; small; constrained; “her skirts were always too narrow and an inch shorter than they should have been”
- Countess Golovkine: daughter of Mme Shuvalov; dressed in the same fashion as her mother; “adornments were skimpy”; “always gave an impression of stinginess.”
- Diet of 1756: “almost all the leaders of the Russian party were beheaded”; persecutions from the French party, “Hats”
- Winter: Count Poniatovski is appointed as Polish envoy, the Mission of Saxony, but remains in Count Bestujev’s control.
