The Life And Death Of Peter II of Russia

Описание: Peter II Alexeyevich (Russian: Пётр II Алексеевич, Pyotr II Alekseyevich) (23 October [O.S. 12 October] 1715 – 30 January [O.S. 19 January] 1730) was the Emperor of Russia from 1727 until his death. He was the only son of Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich, son of Peter I of Russia by his first consort Eudoxia Lopukhina, and Princess Charlotte of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel.

Peter was born in Saint Petersburg on 23 October [O.S. 12 October] 1715. His mother died when he was only ten days old. His father, Prince Alexis, was accused of treason by Peter the Great, and in 1718 Alexis died in prison. Peter the Great gave the child over to his sister, Grand Duchess Natalia – he did not care about the upbringing and education of young Peter II, because he reminded him of Alexis. From his childhood the orphan grand duke was kept in the strictest seclusion. His earliest governesses were the wives of a tailor and a vintner from the Dutch settlement; a sailor called Norman taught him the rudiments of navigation; and, when he grew older, he was placed under the care of a Hungarian noble, Janos (Ivan) Zeikin (Zékány), who seems to have been a conscientious teacher.

After the death of Peter the Great in 1725, Aleksandr Danilovich Menshikov replaced the boy’s teachers with Vice-Chancellor, Count Ostermann. The program of education which Ostermann compiled included history, geography, mathematics and foreign languages. The education of the future Emperor was rather shallow, and left much to be desired. Peter himself did not display much interest in science. His favorite occupations were hunting and feasting.

During the reign of Peter the Great's successor, his second wife Catherine I, Peter was quite ignored; but just before her death in 1727 it became clear to those in power that the grandson of Peter the Great could not be kept out of his inheritance much longer. The majority of the nation and three-quarters of the nobility were on his side, while his uncle, the Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI, through the imperial ambassador at Saint Petersburg, persistently urged his claims. Through the efforts of Prince Menshikov, Peter II was named successor to Catherine I. The Empress also gave her consent to the betrothal of Peter II and Menshikov’s daughter Maria.

After Catherine's death and the proclamation of Peter II as emperor, Menshikov took the young autocrat into his own house on Vasilievsky Island and had full control over all of his actions. For a few months in the summer of 1727, "Not even Peter the Great was so feared or so obeyed" according to the Saxon ambassador. Menshikov became arrogant and domineering. He issued orders to the Emperor himself and then removed a silver plate that Peter had just given as a gift to his sister Natalya. To which the Emperor replied, "We shall see who is emperor, you or I." Soon, however, Menshikov became sick, and his opponents took advantage of his illness. Under the influence of Ostermann and the Dolgorukovs, Peter – long sick of Menshikov’s wardship – stripped him of his rank and exiled him to Siberia. He also announced the dissolution of his engagement with Menshikov’s daughter.

Peter tightened serfdom by banning serfs from volunteering for military service and thus escaping serfdom.

The senate, the privy council and the guards took the oath of allegiance forthwith. At this time, German mathematician Christian Goldbach was appointed tutor to the young Peter II to take over for the one appointed by Menshikov.