Which of the Russian tsars played toy soldiers? Favorite games and sports of the country's top officials - from Peter I to Putin

Many people have hobbies that have nothing to do with their main profession. Called by the overseas word hobby (from the English hobby), such a pastime was no exception among the rulers of our country; the autocrats of the Russian state sometimes had very interesting and unusual activities"for the soul".

For example, Ivan the Terrible was seriously interested in astrology. It is not surprising that at the tsar’s court there was an English astrologer Elisha Bomeley, who not only compiled horoscopes for Ivan IV, but also taught him the wisdom of his craft. True, the Englishman became involved in palace intrigues and was executed on August 2, 1575.

Another passion of the ruler was chess. Ivan the Terrible even died at the chessboard, arranging the pieces. According to eyewitnesses, the king could not put the king in his place, who fell several times.

Alexei Mikhailovich's favorite pastime was falconry. At that time, the position of the royal falconer was very honorable. Alexey Mikhailovich personally drew up a special charter - “Uryadnik of the Falconer’s Way”, which contained the rules of hunting.

Listing all the hobbies of the great reformer Peter the Great is not an easy task. The sovereign did all sorts of things: built ships, sewed boots, pulled courtiers’ teeth. I even tried to learn how to weave bast shoes, but without success. Peter threw away the half-woven bast shoe with annoyance, declaring “that there is no trickier craft.”

But Emperor Peter the Third loved to play soldiers. One day, the sovereign even ordered the execution of a rat that snuck into his chambers and ate two soldiers made from starch. The treacherous animal was hanged.

Nicholas the First took a break from government affairs, developing sketches of uniforms for Russian army. The emperor was so passionate about this activity that he could sit for days on drawings of military uniforms.

Alexander the Third was passionate about fishing and hunting. When he was twenty years old, he was already hunting bears. In 1894, the autocrat caught a severe cold while hunting in Belovezhskaya Pushcha and developed nephritis - acute inflammation of the kidneys. At the insistence of doctors, the emperor went to Crimea for treatment, where he died on October 20, 1894.

Nicholas II loved to play tennis, play the violin and chop wood. Even in 1918, while in custody with his family in Yekaterinburg, Nikolai was very sad that he was deprived of the opportunity to do what he loved.

What the rulers of the Russian lands played, what sports they liked to play - from Peter I to Vladimir Putin.

Let's start with Peter the Great, because I did not find information about the hobbies, games and hobbies of earlier rulers. Most likely I didn't search well...

Peter I

Peter I, the last Tsar of All Rus' (since 1682) and the first Emperor of All Russia (since 1721), was an extraordinary and restless child from childhood. Peter's favorite game was war. And, if in childhood we played “war games” in the yard, then for the young ruler, already from childhood, everything was grown-up, large-scale and real.

From an early age, Peter loved to play war. His children's room, with wooden horses, soldiers, rifles, and cannons scattered everywhere, resembled a battlefield. Finding himself in Preobrazhenskoye, the boy felt like a fish in water: all around was expanse, groves, clearings, and the Yauza River flowed nearby.

He could not sit next to his mother, listening to the annoying gossip of her confidantes about the hated Miloslavskys, and at every opportunity he ran out into the street. Now the whole village with its country palace, servants' huts, stables, and kennels becomes his children's room. For the first time in Russian, and perhaps throughout world history, a minor monarch had the opportunity to be himself and do whatever his heart desires.

True, now instead of wooden guns he has real muskets and even cannons, instead of wooden soldiers - funny soldiers from among the servants and local peasants. A quiet, blessed place near Moscow is resounding with the roar of drums, blank shots and shouts of “Hurray!” True, on some days the young tsar seems to lose interest in the “Mars fun.” But then in Preobrazhenskoye axes are knocking and saws are screeching. It is on the orders of the Boy Tsar that the amusing fortress of Presburg is being built, and that means that the drums will soon begin to crackle again and “Hurray!” will be heard.

Mother Queen, of course, was worried, did not sleep at night, worrying that Petrusha would be killed during these games. But what can she do? Although he is a minor, he is a king, and it is better not to contradict kings. And with a purely maternal instinct, she guesses that such energy is bubbling in her lanky, long-legged son that if she doesn’t let it come out, she will tear her beloved child to pieces... This is how the amusing troops of Peter the Great were born, perhaps one of the most favorite hobbies and games in my entire life Emperor. By the way, we have already written about them - I recommend them.

It is also known that Peter I loved checkers and chess. So, when going on hikes, he took with him not only chess, but also two regular partners. He himself played excellently and ordered rooms for games to be set up at assemblies.

They play the so-called chess, the famous Persian game, truly royal in name and course, every day, developing their minds to an amazing degree. Roman Ambassador to Muscovy Jacob Reitenfels.

Catherine II

Empress of All Russia from 1762 to 1796.

In addition to palace intrigues and reckless falling in love, Catherine II passionately loved playing quadruple chess, which was fashionable in the 18th century. “Quadruple” chess is a game of “pair against pair”, which made it possible to blame your ally in case of loss. Knowing about Catherine’s hobby, Stroganov gave her chess. Just not simple ones, but... living ones. The chessboard was a lawn with designated squares of turf, and instead of pieces there were servants dressed in medieval clothes who moved around the field according to the orders of the players. Once, while visiting Stroganov’s country palace, King Gustav IV of Sweden was invited to a “live chess game” with Catherine herself. However, historians do not know who won that game.

These Russians are excellent at chess; our best players in front of them are schoolchildren. Adam Olearius.

Nicholas II

The last emperor of Russia. Reign 1894-1917

Nicholas II was a big fan of tennis. Apparently, he became acquainted with the game of lawn tennis during his visits to England in the mid-1890s. However, in England he only watched how they played.

In Russia, Nicholas II first took to the tennis court in the village of Ilinskoye near Moscow, where he rested after his coronation in Moscow in 1896. The diary of Nicholas II records the exact date when he first picked up a tennis racket. On June 2, 1896, he wrote:

After tea I went to play lawn tennis with others for the first time.

On the tennis court in the village of Ilinskoye, Nicholas II received his first playing skills. And since Nicholas II was physically well developed, his game took off.

Usually the tsar in his diary entries called this game lawn-tennis, a net, or tennis in Russian.

Nicholas II's partners, as a rule, were officers of security units or officers of the imperial yacht "Standart".

The first tennis court for Nicholas II was built in the summer of 1896 in Peterhof Alexandria Park, shortly after the Tsar returned from Moscow. It was this tennis court that became the most frequently used of all the royal tennis courts. In total, by order of the emperor, 5 truly royal tennis courts were built.

The emperor got all his five children addicted to tennis. Even the hemophiliac heir Alexei, whom doctors did not recommend making sudden movements, even got carried away. One day, after playing tennis, Alexey’s illness began to worsen: “Alexey’s right elbow began to hurt in the evening due to increased movements of his arms during the game. He couldn’t sleep for a long time and suffered greatly, poor thing!” — the Sovereign Emperor wrote in his diary.

The Grand Duchesses also loved to play tennis. There were tennis courts in Tsarskoe Selo, Peterhof, and Livadia. Often photographs of the Royal Family playing tennis appeared on the pages of the St. Petersburg magazine Lawn Tennis. Last time The Tsar played tennis on July 16, 1914. Three days later, Germany declared war on Russia, and the First World War began. Nicholas II never appeared on the court again.

Also, one of the most favorite games of the emperor and all royal family there was a card game - bezique. The family especially loved to play bezique in the evenings, before going to bed.

Bezique(French besique), an ancient card game of French origin.

Vladimir Lenin

Lenin did not engage in sports, he was sick a lot in childhood and youth, apparently strengthening his body with physical activity was not for him. The leader of the socialist revolution, Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, had far from proletarian hobbies.

Contrary to the ideals of social equality, Lenin was interested in cars, and was very fond of hunting, cycling and horseback riding, and chess. But I haven’t found a single source about what games other than chess, or what sports Vladimir Lenin played. If my reader is more purposeful and inquisitive, I will be glad to receive any information in the format of this article.

Stalin and sport

There is a myth that Stalin was not physically developed and did not engage in physical education or sports.

Stalin really was not a hero. As a child, he was a lively and active child, he loved to play all the games common for boys at that time. Subsequently, when he plunged headlong into politics, he had no time to engage in sports or even physical education. As for physical disabilities, as is known, his left hand I couldn’t straighten my elbow, which was a consequence of a serious injury received in childhood. As for physical culture and sports, first of all it should be borne in mind that, in general, he had no time to do this, at least regularly. Having headed the party and the state, he worked all the time, even on holidays, even on his birthday.

However, this does not mean that he was completely far from physical education and sports. He loved to play the old Russian game “gorodki”, which he learned in exile.

Stalin himself did not play very well. After each hit, he did not hide his joy and certainly said: “This is how we can do it.” And when he missed, he immediately began looking for matches in his pockets.

He loved billiards and enjoyed playing bowls with heavy balls. Stalin was an excellent shot with a pistol, revolver, rifle, and hunting rifle. He was a good hunter. There are photographs of him hunting with friends. Although not often, I practiced shooting. He shot very accurately. I could easily hit a revolver cartridge from a small-caliber rifle from a great distance.

Contrary to all the stories, Stalin knew how to ride a horse quite well, but since he did not have enough time for constant training in horse riding, he, as a rule, did not demonstrate this skill.

Brezhnev and sport

Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev led the USSR for 18 long years. Many articles, books have been written about him and several films have been made. Of interest are not only his biographical data and activities as a politician, but also his personal life, his passions and tastes.

Those who knew Brezhnev note that, having become the leader of the USSR, his tastes changed a little. And this is not strange, because now he had a high position and great opportunities. But still he was a simple person by nature. One of his main passions was the pool - he loved to swim in the morning. At Brezhnev’s dacha there was billiards, and next to the house there was a tennis court, but the leader did not play billiards or tennis.

The Secretary General had a great love for cars and awards. He often liked to drive at breakneck speed. As long as his health allowed him, he always got behind the wheel himself. In addition, he loved playing dominoes and chess.

Khrushchev, Andropov, Gorbachev

Khrushchev in his memoirs (or his son, Sergei, writes about this) recalls that he was surprised to see with what passion Brezhnev played dominoes: too primitive entertainment for a statesman. But nothing is known about any sports hobbies of Khrushchev himself. He loved to hunt and drink, but this had nothing to do with sports.

But Yuri Vladimirovich Andropov, who did not stay at the post of General Secretary for long, but is better known as the most mysterious chairman of the KGB of the USSR, wrote poetry. Andropov was generally - especially by Kremlin standards - an intellectual and an esthete. Also, no sources about sports hobbies and passions are reported anywhere.

As for Mikhail Gorbachev, he closes the top three most unsportsmanlike leaders in charge of the country. Already retired, Gorbachev pays special attention to fitness and a healthy lifestyle, walking in the fresh air and proper nutrition. But nothing beyond that became known. Alas and ah.

Yeltsin

The first president of Russia, Boris Nikolaevich, was a controversial personality. He held a stopper in one hand and a racket in the other. The Yeltsin era is remembered by many, but in article format, we recall exclusively Yeltsin’s sports hobbies.

Yeltsin's favorite game was tennis. Although, in his youth he received a master of sports in volleyball.

Boris Yeltsin started playing tennis to cope with stress and made it a habit to play two to three times a week. Under Yeltsin's leadership, tennis, which was not very popular in the Soviet Union, received greater financial support. It was under Yeltsin's leadership that Russia began producing a steady stream of world-class tennis champions, both men and women.

Yeltsin was so keen on tennis that he appointed Shamil Tarpishchev, who had long been captain of the men's team Soviet Union tennis, his personal trainer and provided him with an office in the Kremlin.

Shamil Tarpishchev:“He fell in love with tennis, of course, quite sincerely. I remember the situation of the period when he was already retired. I’m driving in a car, Boris Nikolaevich calls me and asks: “Shamil, where is Zhidkov in the ranking now?” And she stood at the end of a hundred, in some place ninety. I say: “Boris Nikolaevich, I’m driving, can I call you back in 15 minutes - I’ll tell you for sure?” And he tells me this phrase: “You see, I’m interested in tennis, but you’re not.”

Yeltsin's sports training was relatively good - after all, he was a master of sports in volleyball. The feeling of the ball, the excitement – ​​it was all there. He was always very worried about every ball and tried to win without fail - he was a sportsman by nature.

Dmitry Medvedev

The 3rd President of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev, along with thousands of Russians, turned out to be a fan of the ancient Indian art of yoga. Yoga, he explained, helps him relax and get rid of the stress he gets from work. At one time there was a famous story online from The Moscow Times:

The first president staged a tennis revolution, the second encouraged his people to take up martial arts, and under the third, the whole country will soon stand on its head.

Banned during the Soviet era due to links to Hindu religious practices, yoga is becoming increasingly popular in Russia. It seems to me that if the head of state has a hobby, then it becomes a hobby for the whole people. But there's nothing wrong with that.

By the way, in his youth, Dmitry Anatolyevich was quite seriously involved in weightlifting and rowing.

Medvedev has repeatedly stated that he considers sport to be the best antidepressant. At one of the meetings with journalists in 2008, after his election, and not yet being inaugurated as head of state, Medvedev admitted that he “didn’t come to an understanding of this right away” - 10 years ago he thought that everything was fine, but when the workload began to increase , I realized that I can’t do without daily sports.

Medvedev also loves badminton. (By the way, it’s a very dynamic game - I recommend it to everyone.) In October 2011, he took the initiative to introduce badminton lessons in schools across the country.

On top of that, Medvedev pretty much scares his security service with his passion for extreme sports. He prefers ATVs, snowmobiles and skis, and for skiing he tries to choose domestic ski resorts.

Most recently, Dmitry Anatolyevich was featured in a sensational photo shoot, where he and Vladimir Putin held a joint training session in gym. I view all this as a kind of message to the whole country, unobtrusive and well-reasoned. You can look decent at any age.

Vladimir Putin

Under President Vladimir Putin, Russia has learned to value martial arts. Putin, a black belt in judo and also known among his friends and judo club members for his haraigoshi, or outstretched leg catch, began judo at age 14. Putin and Yasuhiro Yamashita, the world judo champion from Japan, released a joint video tutorial on judo.

Already during Putin’s tenure as the second president of Russia, the popularity of judo grew noticeably; competitions and documentaries on judo began to be frequently shown on television. And now the popularization of judo is developing dynamically. Why not? The desire to instill in compatriots an interest in an active lifestyle is a very powerful argument. Look at the “physics” in which Putin finds himself. I would like to remind you of the age of the “first” - 63 years. Personally, I admire it.

Sambo and judo.

Eastern martial arts, according to Vladimir Putin, provide such knowledge, skills and abilities that a politician simply needs. Putin believes that judo is an activity for both the body and the mind. It develops strength, reaction, endurance, teaches you to control yourself, feel the urgency of the moment, see the strengths and weaknesses of your opponent, strive for the best result and constantly work on yourself.

Putin has been practicing sambo and judo since he was 11 years old. “I came to judo as a boy. And I became seriously interested in martial arts, their special philosophy, the culture of relationships with an opponent and the rules of fighting,” recalls Putin, who holds the title of Master of Sports in judo. In September 2006, he became honorary president of the European Judo Union, and in 2010, he received an honorary Doctor of Judo degree from Yongin University, South Korea.

Putin is also a multiple champion of St. Petersburg in sambo and a master of sports in this type of martial arts. Has a black belt in karate.

Judo teaches you to control yourself, feel the urgency of the moment, see the strengths and weaknesses of your opponent, and strive for the best result. Agree, all this knowledge, skills and abilities are simply necessary for a politician. V. Putin

Skiing.

Vladimir Putin has been interested in skiing for a long time. According to him, he rides with great pleasure. “This is a dynamic, technical sport and a great opportunity to actively, profitably relax, maintain physical fitness, get a boost of energy and Have a good mood", says Putin. Soviet champion in this sport Leonid Tyagachev says that Vladimir Putin's technique is stable, and he goes down the mountain at a very high speed.

Hockey

Another serious sporting hobby of Putin is hockey.

In February 2011, Vladimir Putin promised the participants of the Universiade in Turkey to learn to skate. “I thought it was simply impossible for me! I tried to do this once, when I was still actively involved in wrestling,” Putin recalls. But, since the promise was made, he began training.

For two months he studied under the guidance of the famous hockey player Alexei Kasatonov. Training very often took place after midnight, when Vladimir Putin finished his working day. By mid-April, he was already confidently skating and on April 15, 2011, he took part in the training of young hockey players before the final of the Golden Puck tournament, where he even scored several pucks into the goal.

Well, just recently, on October 7, the President celebrated his birthday on the ice, playing hockey and scoring seven goals in a gala match of the Night Hockey League (NHL) in Sochi.

If you missed something, don’t judge harshly. If you liked the article, feel free to share it with your friends. Play sports - be healthy!

Hobbies of our rulers, or what the kings played As you know, passion for any activity always enriches a person, develops his horizons, receptivity to something new and hard work. Diversity of interests has always been an indicator of the uniqueness of a person, especially if this person is burdened with power.

Ivan groznyj

He was seriously interested in astrology and chess. True, Ivan Vasilyevich somehow failed to instill this passion in his court. The Tsar unsuccessfully taught the rules of the game to the main guardsman, Malyuta Skuratov, but he never became a worthy player. IN last years In life, Ivan IV's constant partners in chess were his favorites Boris Godunov and Prince Ivan Glinsky. According to legend, the formidable king died at the chessboard.

Peter I

He was perhaps the most enthusiastic of the rulers of Russia. And what did he not do! During his life, Peter mastered many crafts. He learned shipbuilding, navigation, watchmaking, took lessons in drawing and engraving, learned to make paper, mastered the craft of a carpenter, mason, gardener, and also attended the anatomical theater, where he studied the structure of human body and practiced surgery. Often, as a release, he practiced dentistry - pulling out diseased teeth. At the same time, sometimes I got carried away and even practically healthy people could get caught up in the distribution. But one craft was not given to Peter. Once he learned to weave bast shoes, but was never able to master this science, exclaiming in his heart: “There is no craft more sophisticated than bast shoes...”. Peter 1 easily compensated for this shortcoming by inventing skates in the form in which we are accustomed to seeing them now. Initially, skates were tied to shoes with ropes and belts. But the Tsar, while once in Holland on his ship business and became seriously interested in ice skating there, came up with skates that were more convenient for himself, with runners attached to the sole.

Catherine I

The “combat girlfriend” of the great reformer tsar, cook and laundress, who became the empress, danced and drank after Peter’s death. But sometimes, tired of fun and revelry, the ruler of a huge empire went down to the kitchen and, out of old memory, cooked in the kitchen.

Peter III

He loved to play with soldiers, sometimes, they say, he played too much: once he ordered to hang a rat that ate two of his little sentries made of starch. His collection of soldiers was very impressive: it included not only simple figures made of wood, wax, lead, but even cotton wool fixed with powdered sugar; in addition, his collection included mechanical figures of Saxon work. The emperor had a special office, on the shelves of which there were many soldiers, and on the table - a toy fortification, where he acted out battles and studied military affairs.

Elizaveta Petrovna

She loved masquerades, balls, outfits and hairstyles. True, she once dyed her hair unsuccessfully and had to cut it off. Thus came the order for all court ladies to shave their heads. After her death, a collection of more than 15 thousand dresses was counted in the empress’s wardrobe.

Alexander I

He loved and played the violin very well. The king had a good collection of instruments. In 1814, the “Russian Stradivarius” Ivan Batov presented him with his best violin, whose violins were not inferior in sound to the violins of the great Guarneri, they were bought the best musicians. For new instruments made by Batov, they gave 800 rubles in banknotes, and the old ones were valued even more. If Peter I sewed boots, then Nicholas I personally developed the cut and details of uniforms for the army and courtiers, down to the smallest detail. The emperor loved and respected military affairs very much and strove to streamline the world around him even in everyday life. Among his many decrees one can find a decree on painting city roofs only in strictly defined colors.

Lenin

He had every respect for a healthy lifestyle, gymnastics, dousing with cold water, etc. The leader of the world proletariat also loved cycling. During one of them in Paris, Lenin was attacked in the most natural way. It was not some hapless hard-working motorist who ran into Ilyich, but a real French aristocrat. Surely it was the social origin of the offender that forced Vladimir Ilyich not to leave the said “reckless driver” without retribution. This is how Lenin himself describes the incident: “I was driving from Juvisy, and a car crushed my bicycle (I managed to jump off). The public helped me record the number and provided witnesses. I found out the owner of the car (Viscount, damn him!) and am now suing him through a lawyer. (...) I hope to win.” (Paris, 1910). Considering that Lenin himself was a lawyer by training, he spoke foreign languages ​​perfectly, so the fact of seeking legal assistance in a seemingly simple court case remains without comment. Apparently, years without daily legal practice were taking their toll. Be that as it may, the process ended quite successfully for Ilyich. Word to the winner: “The weather is so good that I hope to take up a bicycle again, since I won the case and should soon receive money from the owner of the car” (Paris, 1910).

Leonida Ilyich Brezhnev

For many years, Brezhnev's main passion was hunting. From her general secretary did not give up even in the last years of his life. As a rule, he spent his weekends in Zavidovo, a military hunting estate. The boars there were fed with potatoes, and they approached the hunters at 25-30 meters. It was almost impossible to miss. But just in case, the huntsman fired at the same time as Brezhnev.

Yuri Andropov

Wrote poetry. And very good ones. Moreover, he was equally successful in works, both lyrical and comic, sometimes even obscene. Unfortunately, they have not yet been published. One day Bovin and Arbatov sent him a letter of congratulations on some occasion and expressed slight concern that power was corrupting people. He responded with a poem:

Some villain made a lie
It’s as if people’s power is being corrupted.
That's what all the smart guys say
Since then, for many years in a row,
Without noticing (what a misfortune!),
That more often people spoil power.

Psychologists say that a person’s hobby is his failed profession. Even those in power at all times are sometimes distracted by pleasant activities: for some, poetry and aristocratic hunting are closer, for others, collecting or painting. Today we will talk about the alter egos of Russian celestials.

Yaroslav the Wise - the first bibliophile of all Rus'

Yaroslav the Wise became the first prince Kievan Rus who learned to read and write, studied foreign languages and read it on my own. He created a library, into which, at his command, books were brought from Europe and Byzantium, copied and carefully stored. For his time, Yaroslav the Wise was very knowledgeable in the field of world politics, which helped him become one of the greatest princes of Rus'.

Ivan IV the Terrible - lover of heavenly bodies and chess

But the real passion of the Russian Tsar was chess. His constant partners on the chessboard were Prince Ivan Glinsky and Boris Godunov. But Malyuta Skuratov, despite all the efforts of the tsar, never mastered the science of chess. According to legend, John IV died while sitting at the chessboard.

Peter I “loved silver not for its silver”

The first Russian emperor even had several albums for storing coins, made with his own hands. In his free time, Peter could spend hours sorting through coins, cleaning and examining them. The emperor's interest in coins played an important role in the formation and development of the Russian mint.

Peter III: toy battles accompanied by vodka

However, one day a misfortune happened. The palace rat thoroughly chewed three soldiers from the collection. The ruler could not bear such an insult inflicted on him and the Russian army, even a toy one. Already on the same day, by his order, the rat was caught and publicly hanged. However, this did not stop the rats from gnawing the soldiers.

Nicholas I – Emperor-couturier

Nicholas II - violin connoisseur

Non-proletarian hobbies of the leader of the proletariat

Stalin - wine connoisseur and film lover

Sybarite Brezhnev and poet Andropov

But Yuri Vladimirovich Andropov, who did not stay at the post of General Secretary for long, but is better known as the most mysterious chairman of the KGB of the USSR, wrote poetry. And it’s worth noting that they are very good. Some of his contemporaries called him a fair and wise statesman, others a treacherous and ambitious politician - there are enough facts in his biography for both images. His poems are just as different: lyrics, comic ones, and even not quite decent content.

They say that once the historian of the Russian Academy of Sciences, academician Georgy Arbatov, and political scientist Alexander Bovin sent Andropov a congratulatory letter, in which they casually expressed concern that power was corrupting people. The Secretary General answered them with a poem:

Some villain made a lie
It’s as if people’s power is being corrupted.
That's what all the smart guys say
Since then, for many years in a row,
Without noticing (what a misfortune!),
That more often people spoil power.

As we see, nothing human is alien even " strong of the world this." In any case, their sweet character traits make each of them more understandable and relatable to posterity.

Contemporaries of Paul I called him the Russian Hamlet.

Pavel Petrovich was born on September 20 (October 1), 1754 in the family of Grand Duke Peter Fedorovich (future Peter III) and Grand Duchess Ekaterina Alekseevna (future Catherine II). The place of his birth was the Summer Palace of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna in St. Petersburg.

Portrait by G. H. Grot. Peter III Fedorovich (Karl Peter Ulrich) State Tretyakov Gallery

Louis Caravaca. Portrait of Grand Duchess Ekaterina Alekseevna (Sofia Augusta Frederica of Anhalt-Zerbst). 1745. Portrait gallery of the Gatchina Palace

Pavel Petrovich's childhood began here

Summer Palace of Elizabeth Petrovna. 18th century engraving

Empress Elizaveta Petrovna expressed her favor towards the mother of the newborn by the fact that after the christening she herself brought her a cabinet decree on a golden platter to give her 100,000 rubles. After the christening, a series of festive celebrations began at court on the occasion of the birth of Paul: balls, masquerades, fireworks lasted about a year. Lomonosov, in an ode written in honor of Pavel Petrovich, wished him to compare in deeds with his great great-grandfather, prophesied that he would liberate the Holy Places and step over the walls separating Russia from China.

***
Whose son was he?
Since 1744, at the small court, Sergei Vasilyevich Saltykov was the chamberlain of the Grand Duke and heir to the throne Peter Fedorovich .
Why did Chamberlain Sergei Vasilyevich suddenly begin to enjoy success with the wife of the heir to the Russian throne in 1752? What happened then at the Russian court?

By 1752, the patience of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, who had been waiting for a long time and unsuccessfully for an heir from the grand ducal couple, had run out. She kept Catherine under constant surveillance, but now she has changed tactics. The Grand Duchess was given some freedom, of course, for a well-known purpose. A medical fuss was organized around Grand Duke Peter Fedorovich, and rumors began to spread about his release from forced celibacy. Saltykov, who himself participated in both the fuss and the spread of rumors, was quite well aware of the real situation, he decided that his time had come.

According to one version, he was the father of the future Emperor Paul I

Portrait of S. V. Saltykov
When Catherine II gave birth to Paul, Bestuzhev-Ryumin reported to the empress:
« ...that what was drawn, according to the wise consideration of Your Majesty, took on a good and desired beginning - the presence of the executor of Your Majesty’s highest will is now not only not necessary here, but even to achieve all-perfect fulfillment and concealment on eternal times secrets would be harmful. In accordance with these considerations, your most gracious empress, please deign to command Chamberlain Saltykov to be Your Majesty’s ambassador in Stockholm, under the King of Sweden.”

Catherine II herself contributed to Saltykov’s fame as the “first lover”; she, of course, counted on the domestic use of this image and really did not want such fame to spread to a wider sphere. But the genie could not be kept in the lamp, and a scandal broke out.

On the way to his destination, Saltykov was honored in Warsaw, warmly and cordially greeted in the homeland of Catherine II - in Zerbst. For this reason, rumors about his paternity grew stronger and spread throughout Europe. On July 22, 1762, two weeks after Catherine II came to power, she appointed Saltykov as Russian ambassador in Paris, and this was taken as confirmation of his closeness to her.

After Paris, Saltykov was sent to Dresden. Having earned from Catherine II the unflattering description of “the fifth wheel of the carriage.” He never appeared at court again and died in almost complete obscurity. He died in Moscow with the rank of major general at the end of 1784 or the beginning of 1785.

And now about another legend about the birth of Tsarevich Paul.

It was resurrected in 1970 by the historian and writer N. Ya. Eidelman, who published it in the magazine “ New world"historical essay "Reverse Providence." Having studied the evidence about the circumstances of the birth of Pavel Petrovich, Eidelman does not exclude that Catherine II gave birth to a stillborn child, but this was kept secret, replacing him with another newborn, a Chukhonian, that is, a Finnish boy, born in the village of Kotly near Oranienbaum. The parents of this boy, the family of the local pastor and all the village residents (about twenty people) were sent to Kamchatka under strict guard, and the village The boilers were demolished, and the place where it stood was plowed under.

Fedor Rokotov. Portrait of Emperor Paul I as a child. 1761 Russian Museum

So still no one knows whose son he is. Russian historian G.I. Chulkov in the book "Emperors: Psychological portraits" wrote:
"He himself was convinced that Peter III was really his father. "

Probably still in early childhood Paul heard rumors about his birth. This means that he also knew that a variety of people considered him “illegitimate.” This left an indelible mark on his soul.

***
Empress Elizabeth loved her great-nephew, she visited the baby twice a day, sometimes she got out of bed at night and came to see the future emperor.

And immediately after birth, she tore him away from his parents. She herself began to lead the upbringing of the newborn.
The Empress surrounded her great-nephew with ladies-in-waiting, nannies and nurses, and the boy became accustomed to female affection.
Pavel loved to play with soldiers, shooting cannons and models of warships.

Porcelain soldiers. Maysenskaya Models of guns on a field carriage from

porcelain manufactory. J. Kändler's model collections of Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich

Such a cannon was an exact copy of the real one and could fire both small cannonballs (buckshot bullets were used for this) and produce blank shots, i.e. shoot with regular gunpowder. Naturally, these amusements of the little Tsarevich Pavel Petrovich took place under the watchful eye of both the teachers and a specially appointed orderly from the artillery team.
(Napoleon also played such toy soldiers with his son and nephews, and the composer Johannes Brahms simply adored this activity. Our famous compatriot A.V. Suvorov also loved this game very much)

Pavel enjoyed the company of his peers, of whom Prince Alexander Borisovich Kurakin, Panin’s nephew, and Count Andrei Kirillovich Razumovsky enjoyed his special favor. It was with them that Pavel played soldiers.

A.K. Razumovsky L. Guttenbrunn. Portrait of A.B. Kurakina
At the age of 4 he was taught to read and write.
As a child, Pavel had three Russian teachers who took care of his education and upbringing - Fyodor Bekhteev, Semyon Poroshin and Nikita Panin.

F. Bekhteev - the first teacher of Tsarevich Pavel Petrovich. Empress Elizaveta Petrovna punished "pupil of the "women's mansion" to inspire that he is the future man and the King...” Immediately upon arrival, he began to teach Pavel to read Russian and French using a very original alphabet.
When studying, Bekhteev began to use a special method that combined fun with learning, and quickly taught the Grand Duke reading and arithmetic with the help of toy soldiers and a folding fortress.
F. Bekhteev presented the prince with a map of the Russian state with the inscription: “Here you see, sir, the inheritance that your glorious grandfathers spread with victories.”
Under Bekhteev, the first textbook, specially compiled for Paul, was published, “A Brief Concept of Physics for the Use of His Imperial Highness the Sovereign Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich” (St. Petersburg, 1760).

Semyon Andreevich Poroshin - second educator of Tsarevich Pavel Petrovich, in the period 1762-1766, i.e. when Pavel was 7-11 years old. Since 1762 he has been a permanent cavalier under Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich. Poroshin treated the Grand Duke with the loving warmth of an older brother (he was 13 years older than Pavel), cared about the development of his spiritual qualities and heart and acquired more and more influence over him; the Grand Duke, in turn, was on friendly terms with him.

And in 1760, when Paul was 6 years old, the Empress appointed a chamberlain Nikita Ivanovich Panin chief chamberlain (mentor) under Paul. Panin was then forty-two years old. For some reason, he seemed to the little crown prince to be a gloomy and scary old man.

Pavel rarely saw his parents.

On December 20, 1762, Tsarevich Pavel Petrovich was granted the rank of admiral general of the Russian fleet by Empress Elizaveta Petrovna. His mentors in the difficult naval wisdom were I.L. Golenishchev-Kutuzov (father of the famous Russian commander), I.G. Chernyshev and G.G. Kushelev, who managed to instill in the heir a love for the fleet, which he retained for the rest of his life.

Delapier N.B. Portrait of Tsarevich Pavel Petrovich in an admiral's uniform.

When Pavel was 7 years old,
Empress Elizaveta Petrovna died and he got the opportunity to constantly communicate with his parents. But Peter paid little attention to his son. Only once did he wander into his son’s lesson and, after listening to his answer to the teacher’s question, he exclaimed, not without pride:
“I see this rogue knows things better than us.”
As a sign of his favor, he immediately granted Pavel the rank of corporal of the guard.

Pavel was a very sensitive boy, he flinched warily from any unexpected knock and quickly hid under the table. For several years now a strange fear had haunted Pavel. Even patient Panin found it difficult to get used to Pavel’s fears and his constant tears at dinner.

The ghost of his strangled father, Peter III, stands before the eyes of little Pavel. He doesn't tell anyone about this memory. Pavel Petrovich matured early and sometimes even seemed like a little old man.

Peter III Fedorovich

Now Paul's fate more and more resembled the fate of Hamlet. The father was overthrown by his mother from the throne and, with her consent, killed. The murderers were not punished, but enjoyed all the benefits at court. In addition, the mental health of the unbalanced Pavel was reminiscent of Hamlet's madness.

Fate did not deprive Pavel Petrovich of his abilities in science.
Here is a list of subjects he masters: history, geography, mathematics, astronomy, Russian and German languages, Latin, French, drawing, fencing and, of course, Holy Bible.

His teacher of the law was Father Platon (Levshin) - one of the most educated people of his time, the future Metropolitan of Moscow. Metropolitan Platon, recalling Paul’s teaching, wrote that he
“The distinguished pupil, fortunately, was always disposed towards piety, and reasoning or conversation regarding God and faith was always pleasant to him.”

The Tsarevich's education was the best that could be obtained at that time.

Once during a history lesson, the teacher listed about 30 names of bad monarchs. At this time, five watermelons were brought into the room. Only one of them turned out to be good. Pavel Petrovich surprised everyone:
“Out of 30 rulers, not a single one is good, and out of five watermelons, one is good.”
The boy was humorous.

Pavel Petrovich read a lot.
Here is a list of books with which the Grand Duke became acquainted: works of French enlighteners: Montesquieu, Rousseau, D'Alembert, Helvetius, works of Roman classics, historical works Western European authors, works by Cervantes, Boileau, La Fontaine. works by Voltaire, “The Adventures of Robinson” by D. Defoe, M.V. Lomonosov.

Pavel Petrovich knew a lot about literature and theater, but most of all he loved mathematics. Teacher S.A. Poroshin spoke highly of Pavel Petrovich’s successes. He wrote in his Notes:
“If His Highness were a particular person and could completely indulge himself in mathematical teaching alone, then, in terms of his sharpness, he could very conveniently be our Russian Pascal.”

Pavel Petrovich himself felt these abilities in himself. And as a gifted person, he could have an ordinary human desire to develop in himself those abilities to which his soul was drawn. But he couldn't do that. He was the heir. Instead of his favorite activities, he was forced to attend long dinners, dance at balls with ladies-in-waiting, and flirt with them. The atmosphere of almost outright debauchery in the palace depressed him.

***
1768
Tsarevich Pavel Petrovich is 14 years old.

A famous doctor who arrived from England inoculates Pavel Petrovich with smallpox. Before this, he conducts a detailed examination of Pavel. Here is his conclusion:

"... I was glad to see that the Grand Duke was beautifully built, cheerful, strong and without any natural illness. ... Pavel Petrovich ... is of average height, has beautiful facial features and is very well built ... he is very dexterous, friendly, cheerful and very reasonable, which is not difficult to notice from his conversations, in which there is a lot of wit.”

Vigilius Eriksen. Portrait of Tsarevich Pavel Petrovich. 1768 Museum, Sergiev Posad

His mother Empress Catherine II decided to replace Russian teachers with foreign ones.

The teachers were: Osterwald, Nikolai, Lafermière and Levesque. All of them were ardent supporters of Prussian military doctrine. Pavel Petrovich loved parades, like his father Peter III. Catherine called this military tomfoolery.

Alexander Benois. Parade under Paul I. 1907

Catherine the Great is to blame for the fact that her son did not receive a Russian military education - the best in Europe. And she didn’t do it by accident. The Empress understood that Russian generals and officers knew their worth; they had won military victories more than once. And visiting emperors and empresses, in order to maintain their influence in the country, need to lower this price by all means, including inviting foreign specialists to train the crown princes.

Karl Ludwig Christinek. Portrait of Tsarevich Pavel Petrovich in the costume of a holder of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called. 1769

At this time, Nikita Ivanovich Panin, a zealous Freemason, gave Pavel mysterious handwritten works to read, including “The History of the Order of the Knights of Malta.” And the Tsarevich became interested in the knightly theme. The writings proved that the emperor must guard the welfare of the people, like a kind of spiritual leader. The emperor must be dedicated. He is the anointed one. It is not the church that should lead him, but he the church. These crazy ideas were mixed in Paul’s unfortunate head with that childish faith in God’s providence, which he learned from his infancy from Queen Elizabeth, the mothers and nannies who once cherished him.

And so Paul began to dream of a true autocracy, of a true kingdom for the good of the people.

***
1772
Tsarevich Pavel Petrovich came of age.

Some courtiers expressed that Catherine II should involve Pavel Petrovich in the management of the state. Pavel Petrovich himself told his mother about this! But Catherine II did not win the throne in order to give it up to Paul. She decided to distract her son with marriage.

Catherine II began to look for a suitable daughter-in-law. Such that she would connect Russia with dynastic ties with the reigning houses of Europe, and at the same time be submissive and devoted to Catherine II.

Back in 1768, she instructed the Danish diplomat Asseburg to find a bride for the heir. Asseburg drew Catherine's attention to the Princess of Württemberg - Sophia-Dorothea - Augusta, who was only ten years old at that time. He was so captivated by her that he constantly wrote to Catherine II about her. But she was too young in age.

Unknown artist. Portrait of Princess Sophia Dorothea Augusta Louise of Württemberg. 1770. Alexander Palace Museum, Pushkin.

Asseburg sent Catherine a portrait of Louise of Saxe-Gotha, but the alleged matchmaking did not take place. The princess and her mother were zealous Protestants and did not agree to convert to Orthodoxy.

Louise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg

Assenburg proposed Princess Wilhelmina of Darmstadt to Catherine. He wrote:
"... the princess is described to me, especially from the kindness of her heart, as the perfection of nature;... that she has a rash mind, prone to discord..."

King Frederick II of Prussia really wanted the marriage of the crown prince and the princess of Hesse-Darmstadt to take place. Catherine II was very dissatisfied with this and at the same time wanted the crown prince’s matchmaking to end as soon as possible.

She invited the landgrave and her three daughters to Russia. These daughters are: Amalia-Frederica - 18 years old; Wilhelmina - 17; Louise - 15 years old

Friederike Amalia of Hesse-Darmstadt

Augusta Wilhelmina Louise of Hesse-Darmstadt

Louise Augusta of Hesse-Darmstadt

A Russian warship was sent after them. The empress sent 80,000 guilders for the rise. Asseburg accompanied the family. In June 1773, the family arrived in Lubeck. Three Russian frigates were waiting for them here. The princesses sat on one of them, and their retinue sat on the rest.

Catherine II wrote:
“My son fell in love with Princess Wilhelmina from the very first meeting; I gave three days to see if he would not hesitate, and since this princess is superior to her sisters in every respect ... the eldest is very meek; the younger seems to be very smart; in the middle, all the qualities we desire: her face is lovely, her features are regular, she is affectionate, she is smart, I am very pleased with her, and my son is in love... then on the fourth day I turned to the Landgravine... and she agreed..."

Among the documents of the Ministry of Justice, the diary of the 19-year-old Grand Duke was kept in a sealed bag for more than a hundred years. In it he wrote down his experiences while waiting for his bride:
"..joy mixed with anxiety and awkwardness, who is and will be a lifelong friend...a source of bliss in the present and in the future."

***
1773

First marriage
On August 15, 1773, Princess Wilhelmina received holy confirmation with the title and name of Grand Duchess Natalia Alekseevna.
On September 20, 1773, a solemn wedding took place in the Kazan Cathedral of Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich and Grand Duchess Natalia Alekseevna. The groom is 19 years old, the bride is 18 years old.

Alexander Roslin. Grand Duchess Natalya Alekseevna, Princess of Hesse-Darmstadt, 1776 State Hermitage Museum

The wedding celebrations lasted 12 days and ended with fireworks on the square near the Summer Palace.
Catherine's generosity was great. The Landgravine was given 100,000 rubles and, in addition, 20,000 rubles for expenses on the return trip. Each of the princesses received 50,000 rubles, each of the retinue received 3,000 rubles. Thanks to Catherine's favors, the princesses' dowries were secured.

Only one event overshadowed the wedding celebrations: as in Shakespeare’s play, the shadow of Pavel Petrovich’s murdered father, Emperor Peter Fedorovich, appeared at the wedding. As soon as the glow of the festive fireworks faded, the rebel Pugachev appeared, declaring himself Peter III.

Emelyan Pugachev. Ancient engraving.

The young couple's honeymoon was overshadowed by the worries of the peasant war.
But despite this, everyone in the family circle was happy. Pavel Petrovich was pleased with his wife. The young wife turned out to be an active person. She dispelled her husband’s fears, took him on country walks, to the ballet, organized balls, and created her own theater, in which she herself acted in comedies and tragedies. In a word, the withdrawn and unsociable Pavel came to life with a young wife in whom he doted. The Grand Duke never dared to cheat on her.

Natalia Alekseevna did not feel love for her husband, but, using her influence, she tried to keep him away from everyone except a narrow circle of her friends. According to contemporaries, the Grand Duchess was a serious and ambitious woman, with a proud heart and a tough disposition. They had been married for two years, but there was still no heir.

In 1776, the court of Empress Catherine was excited: the long-awaited pregnancy of Grand Duchess Natalia Alekseevna was announced. On April 10, 1776, at four o’clock in the morning, the Grand Duchess began to experience the first pains. A doctor and a midwife were with her. The contractions lasted for several days, and soon the doctors announced that the child was dead. Catherine II and Paul were nearby.

The baby could not be born naturally, and the doctors did not use either obstetric forceps or C-section. The child died in the womb and infected the mother's body.
After five days of torment, at 5 am on April 15, 1776, Grand Duchess Natalia Alekseevna died.
The empress did not like Natalya Alekseevna, and diplomats gossiped that she did not allow the doctors to save her daughter-in-law. The autopsy, however, showed that the mother suffered from a defect that would not have allowed her to give birth to a child. naturally, and that the medicine of that time was powerless to help her.
The funeral of Natalya Alekseevna took place on April 26 at the Alexander Nevsky Lavra.

Pavel did not find the strength to attend the ceremony.

Catherine wrote to Baron Grimm:
“I started by suggesting travel, changing places, and then I said: you can’t resurrect the dead, you have to think about the living and go to Berlin for your treasure.”
And then she found Andrei Rozumovsky’s love notes in the deceased’s box and handed them to her son.
And Pavel Petrovich quickly calmed down.

***
1776
Second marriage

It had only been about three months of his widowhood!

Pavel Petrovich goes to Berlin to propose to Württemberg Princess Sophia-Dorothea-August. Throughout the journey, Paul wrote to his mother:
“I found my bride to be the kind of person I could only wish for in my mind: she’s not ugly, she’s big, she’s slender, she’s not shy, she answers intelligently and efficiently...”

The princess was baptized according to the Orthodox rite, taking the name Maria Fedorovna. She began to zealously learn Russian.
On September 26, 1776, the wedding took place in St. Petersburg.

The next day Paul wrote to his young wife:
“Every manifestation of your friendship, my dear friend, is extremely precious to me and I swear to you that every day I love you more and more. May God bless our union just as He created it.”

Alexander Roslin. Maria Feodorovna shortly after the wedding. State Hermitage Museum

Maria Fedorovna turned out to be a worthy wife. She gave birth to Pavel Petrovich 10 children, of whom only one died in infancy, and of the remaining 9, two, Alexander and Nikolai, became Russian autocrats.

When in 1777 their first child was born , Catherine II dealt a strong blow to the soul of Pavel Petrovich, a kind family man, and did not allow him to become a happy parent.

Catherine II only showed it to her parents from afar born boy and took him to her forever. She did the same with his other children: sons Konstantin and Nikolai and two daughters.

K. Hoyer (?) Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich and Grand Duchess Maria Feodorovna with their sons Alexander and Konstantin. 1781

I.-F.Anting. Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich and Grand Duchess Maria Feodorovna with their sons in the park. 1780. Black ink and gilded bronze on glass. State Hermitage Museum

***
1781
Travel to Europe
In 1780, Catherine II broke close ties with Prussia and moved closer to Austria. Pavel Petrovich did not like this kind of diplomacy. And in order to neutralize Paul and his entourage, Catherine II sends her son and his wife on a long journey.
P They consoled themselves under fictitious names - Count and Countess of the North.

When in 1781, passing through Vienna, Pavel Petrovich was supposed to attend a court performance and it was decided to give Hamlet, the actor Brockmann refused to play this role, saying that he did not want so that there are two Hamlets in the hall. The Austrian Emperor Joseph II sent the actor 50 ducats in gratitude for his tact.

They visited Rome, here they were received by Pope Pius VI.

Reception by Pope Pius VI of the Count and Countess of the North on February 8, 1782. 1801. Etching by A. Lazzaroni. GMZ "Pavlovsk"

In April they visited Turin. In Italy, the grand ducal couple begins to acquire antique sculpture and Venetian mirrors. All this will soon be included in the decoration of the Pavlovsk Palace.

About his position in Hamlet Pavel Petrovich was silent at first. But once he found himself in a friendly (which promised to become kindred) circle, he stopped holding back. Pavel Petrovich began to speak sharply about his mother and her politics.

These statements reached Catherine. In anticipation of the troubles threatening Russia, she said:

“I see into what hands the empire will fall after my death.”

In the summer of 1782 they visited Paris. In Versailles, the grand ducal couple was received by Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, in Paris by the Prince of Orleans, and in Chantilly by the Prince of Condé. According to reviews of contemporaries in Paris, they said that
“The king received the Count of the North in a friendly manner, the Duke of Orleans in a bourgeois manner, and the Prince of Condé in a royal manner.”
Grand Ducal couple visited artists' workshops, got acquainted with hospitals, factories, and government institutions.
From Paris they brought furniture, Lyon silks, bronze, porcelain and luxurious gifts from Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette: tapestries and a unique Sèvres toiletry.

Parisian service. France 1782. Sevres manufactory

Gift from Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette to Grand Duchess Maria Feodorovna and the Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich.

Toilet fixture. France. Sever. 1782. State Museum "Pavlovsk".

We visited Holland, the house of Peter the Great in Zaandam.

Unknown artist. Exterior view of the House of Peter the Great in Zaandam.

Then Pavel Petrovich and Maria Fedorovna spent almost a month visiting her parents in Montbéliard and Etyupe.
The young couple returned home in November 1782.

***
Gatchina
In 1783, Catherine II gave her son the Gatchina estate.
In 1765, Catherine II bought the estate to give to her favorite Count G.G. Orlov. It was for him, according to the design of A. Rinaldi, that a palace was built in the form of a hunting castle with towers and an underground passage. The foundation stone for the Gatchina Palace took place on May 30, 1766; construction of the palace ended in 1781.

Palace facades. Drawing from 1781

Great Gatchina Palace. Porcelain painting. Author unknown. Second half of the 19th century

Having left the capital for Gatchina, Pavel introduced customs that were sharply different from those of St. Petersburg. In addition to Gatchina, he owned the Pavlovsk estate near Tsarskoe Selo and a dacha on Kamenny Island. Pavlovsk and Gatchina became the grand ducal residences for a long 13 years.

In order to at least occupy himself with something, Pavel Petrovich turned here into an exemplary landowner-owner. The day started early. Exactly at seven in the morning, the emperor, together with the grand dukes, was already riding out on horseback to meet the troops. was present at the exercises of the Gatchina troops and parades, which took place daily on the huge parade ground in front of the palace and ended with the changing of the guard.

Schwartz. Parade in Gatchina

At five o'clock the whole family went for a day's walk: on foot in the garden, or in "karatayki" or lines around the park and the Menagerie, where the children especially loved to be. There, wild animals were kept in special enclosures: deer, fallow deer, guinea fowl, pheasants and even camels.

In general, life was full of conventions and full of strict adherence to regulations, which everyone, without exception, had to follow - both adults and children. Rising early in the morning, walking or riding, lunches, dinners that began at the same time, performances and evening meetings - all this was subject to strict etiquette and followed the order established once and for all by the emperor.

Pavel I, Maria Fedorovna and their children. Artist Gerhardt Kügelgen

During the Gatchina period of the Tsarevich’s life:
* *creates his own mini-army.
Pavel Petrovich's army here is growing every year and acquiring a clearer organization. The manor itself soon turned into “Gatchina Russia”.

Infantry, cavalry, consisting of gendarmerie, dragoon, hussar and Cossack regiments, as well as a flotilla with the so-called “naval artillery” were presented here. In total by 1796 - 2,399 people. And the flotilla by this time consisted of 24 ships.
The only case of Gatchina troops participating in hostilities was the 1788 campaign in the Russian-Swedish War.
Despite their small numbers, by 1796 the Gatchina troops were one of the most disciplined and well-trained units of the Russian army.

**prepares the Charter of the Navy, which came into force in 1797.

The charter introduced new positions in the fleet - historiographer, professor of astronomy and navigation, draftsman. An important direction of Paul I's policy towards the fleet was the establishment of the principle of unity of command. Double subordination of one private to several superiors of the same rank was excluded.

The Grand Duke had two libraries in the Gatchina Palace.
The basis of Pavel Petrovich’s Gatchina library was the library of Baron I.A. Korfa, which Catherine II acquired for her son. There was also a library formed by Paul I himself.
The library was located in the Tower Study, and consisted of books that he used, which were constantly at hand.

This collection is relatively small: 119 titles, 205 volumes; of which 44 titles, 60 volumes, are in Russian. Given the small number of books, what is noteworthy is their extreme diversity in content. Side by side are a variety of works:

"Atlas Russian Empire", "Diplomatic ceremony of European courts", "Modern knowledge of horses", "Reflections on sea signals",

“A detailed description of mining”, “Charter of the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture in Turin”,

"A General History of the Ceremonies, Customs and Religious Practices of all the Peoples of the World", " General studies on fortification, attack and defense of fortresses."

In addition, there was historical literature.

Gatchina became Pavel Petrovich's favorite place to stay. And the word “Gatchina resident” became almost a household word. It meant a disciplined, efficient, honest and devoted person.

***
1796
The long-awaited throne
On the night of November 7, 1796, in the palace church, Metropolitan Gabriel announced to the capital's nobles, generals and highest dignitaries of the state about the death of Catherine II and the accession to the throne of Paul I. Those present began to swear allegiance to the new emperor.

Several hours passed after Paul I was declared emperor. He went for a walk in St. Petersburg. Driving past the theater building, built at the behest of Catherine II, Paul I shouted: “Remove it!”
500 people were sent to the building, and by morning the theater was razed to the ground.

The day after Paul I ascended the throne, a thanksgiving prayer service was served in the Winter Palace. To the horror of those present, in deathly silence the protodeacon proclaimed: “To the most pious, most autocratic, great sovereign, our Emperor Alexander Pavlovich...” - and then he only noticed a fatal mistake. His voice broke off. The silence became ominous. Paul I quickly approached him: “I doubt, Father Ivan, that you will live to see the solemn commemoration of Emperor Alexander».
That same night, returning home half-dead from fear, the archdeacon dies.

Thus, under the sign of a mystical omen, the short reign of Paul I began.

Pavel Petrovich was crowned in Moscow. The crowning took place on April 27, 1797, the celebration was held very modestly, not like his mother. He was crowned together with his wife. This was the first joint coronation of the emperor and empress in the history of the Russian Empire.

After the coronation, the emperor traveled for two months in the southern provinces, and upon returning to St. Petersburg, he assumed the crown of Grand Master of the Spiritual-Knightly Order of St. John of Jerusalem. The Order needed military help. And Paul I took over the patronage of the Order of Malta. Europe did not like this, and the order was alien to the Russian people. This did not add authority to Paul I.

Paul I wearing the crown, dalmatic and insignia of the Order of Malta. Artist V. L. Borovikovsky. Around 1800.
After ascending the throne, Paul I decisively began to break the order established by his mother.

He transferred the ashes of his father Peter III to the imperial tomb - the Peter and Paul Cathedral.

He ordered the release of the writer N.I. from the Shlisselburg fortress. Novikov, return A.N. Radishchev from exile. He carried out provincial reform, reducing the number of provinces and liquidated the Ekaterinoslav province. Particular mercy was shown to the rebel Kosciuszko: the emperor personally visited the prisoner in prison and granted him freedom, and soon all the Poles arrested in 1794 were released. Paul I completely rehabilitated Kosciuszko, gave him financial assistance and allowed him to go to America.

Paul I adopted a new law on succession to the throne, which drew a line under a century of palace coups and female rule in Russia. Now power legitimately passed to the eldest son, or, in his absence, to the eldest man in the family.

With his first manifesto, Emperor Paul reduced peasant labor for landowners (“corvée”) to three days a week, that is, by half. On Sunday, as the Lord's Day, it was forbidden to force peasants to work.
Paul I perfectly understood the role of the book in the life of society, its influence on the mood of minds.

In 1800, a decree of Paul I to the Senate was published, which stated:
"So how through various books exported from abroad, the depravity of faith, civil law and good morals is caused, then from now on, pending a decree, we command to prohibit the entry from abroad of all kinds of books, no matter what language they are in, without exception, into our state, including music.”

Under Paul I, three monuments were erected: a statue of Peter the Great, an obelisk of “Rumyantsev’s victories” designed by Brenna on the Field of Mars, and a monument to A.V. Suvorov in the image of the god of war Mars, which replaced it, ordered by Emperor Paul I to the sculptor M. Kozlovsky, but erected already after the death of the emperor.
In 1800, construction began on the Kazan Cathedral according to the design of A. Voronikhin.

During his reign, the General Armorial was compiled and approved. Under him, the distribution of princely titles began, which had previously been almost never practiced.

During the reign of Paul I, 17 new battleships and 8 frigates were launched in the Baltic and Black Sea Fleets, and the construction of another 9 large ships began. In St. Petersburg, at the end of Galernaya Street, a new shipyard was built, called the New Admiralty.

The results of Paul I's activities in the naval department were significantly higher than the results of activities carried out during the previous reign.

In memoirs and history books, tens and thousands of people exiled to Siberia during Pavlov’s time are often mentioned. In fact, in the documents the number of exiles does not exceed ten people. These people were exiled for military and criminal crimes: bribery, grand theft and others.

Literature:

1.I.Chizhova. Immortal triumph and mortal beauty.EXMO.2004.
2. Toroptsev A.P. the rise and fall of the House of Romanov. Olma Madia Group.2007
3. Ryazantsev S. Horns and crown Astrel-SPb.2006

4 Chulkov G. Emperors (Psychological portraits)

5. Schilder N.K. Emperor Paul the First. SPb. M., 1996.

6.Pchelov E.V. Romanovs. History of the dynasty. - OLMA-PRESS.2004.

7. Grigoryan V. G. Romanovs. Biographical reference book. —AST, 2007

8.photo from the website Magazine Our Heritage website http://www.nasledie-rus.ru

9. Photo from the State Hermitage website http://www.hermitagemuseum.org