Emperor Peter II lived a short and rebellious life. From birth, entangled in a network of palace intrigues, he practically did not influence the fate of the country and at the age of fourteen he died of smallpox.
A web of intrigue from birth
Deprived of parental affection, Pyotr Alekseevich grew like grass in a meadow: they taught him "something and somehow", practically did not engage in education. Meanwhile, Peter I died, his widow, Empress Catherine I took the throne, and the real power was in the hands of His Serene Highness Prince Alexander Menshikov. The sly intriguer watched with dismay as the health and strength of Catherine I, plunged into a mad whirlwind of pleasure and entertainment, was melting. He needed to take care of the future. And Menshikov begins courting the heir to the throne - young Peter Alekseevich. The child, yearning for affection, reached out to the "most luminous", he even began to call the "priest" the person who signed the death warrant to his real father! And the "father", meanwhile, hastened to betrothal the "little prince" to his daughter Maria. With the help of this "rose" Menshikov hoped to consolidate his influence on Peter.
The little Prince
Catherine I dies, and the 11-year-old boy becomes emperor. “He is one of the finest princes you can meet; he possesses extraordinary cuteness, extraordinary liveliness,”writes the French diplomat Lavi about Peter. The young sovereign promised to imitate the Roman emperor Titus, who tried to act so that no one left him with a sad face. Unfortunately, Peter did not keep this promise …
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Osterman
Menshikov was in a hurry to "forge the iron while it is hot": he transported the crowned youth to his own house, the sovereign's bride Maria received the title of Imperial Highness. Some ill-wishers were sent into exile by the "Most Serene One", others were bribed by high positions.
The young sovereign, who fully trusted the "priest", meekly signed any decree drawn up by him. But Menshikov made a big mistake with the Tsar's tutor. He assigned to Peter the crafty German Osterman, who pretended to be a devoted supporter of the "most luminous". In fact, Osterman hated the all-powerful temporary worker and, together with the Dolgoruky princely clan, prepared for his fall. The cunning German was a good psychologist. The lessons of Osterman fascinated Peter so much that the boy, barely waking up early in the morning, almost ran to school. And the teacher gradually turned the young tsar against Menshikov.
Imperial wrath
Once the subjects presented the emperor with a hefty sum. Peter ordered to send money to his lady of the heart - Elizabeth. Upon learning of this, Menshikov intercepted the messenger and unceremoniously pocketed the royal gift. Peter was furious, he called the prince "on the carpet" and arranged a uniform dressing. “I'll show you which one of us is the emperor!” The young tsar raged, in whom the violent temper of his grandfather, Peter the Great, leaped. Stunned Menshikov had to return the money to Elizaveta.
Change of favorite
In September, the prince arranged a magnificent celebration on his estate. Peter promised to be, but did not come. And then the annoyed Menshikov made a fatal mistake: during the divine service in the chapel, he defiantly took the royal place. The "well-wishers" of the prince, of course, reported to Peter. This trick put an end to Menshikov's dizzying career: the "half-sovereign ruler" was arrested and exiled with his family to Berezov. The new favorite of the tsar was Ivan Dolgoruky - a mot and reveler known throughout St. Petersburg.
Revelry
With the fall of Menshikov, Peter felt completely independent. He stopped studying, abandoned state affairs. According to the memoirs of a contemporary, "the emperor is only engaged in prowling the streets all day and night with Princess Elizabeth, visiting chamberlain Ivan Dolgoruky, pages, cooks and God knows who else." Dolgoruky taught the young sovereign to revelry and debauchery, distracting him from any serious occupations.
Peter's character also changed for the worse: the "little prince" became hot-tempered, capricious and irritable. Most of all he fell in love with hunting, with a magnificent retinue he went into the forests and chased prey for weeks. And the state was "ruled" by the Dolgoruky clan, and under their "sensitive leadership" things in the country went worse and worse.
At the end of 1729, the presumptuous princes, in the words of the Spanish diplomat de Liria, "opened the second volume of Menshikov's folly." Repeating the mistake of the "most luminous", they decided to present to Peter their own "rose" - to marry Ekaterina Dolgoruka. Prince Ivan persuaded Peter to announce the upcoming marriage. The tsar reluctantly yielded to the favorite, but the courtiers noticed that at the ball in honor of the betrothal Peter looked displeased and almost did not pay attention to the bride.
Hate life
In December 1729, the tsar fell seriously ill; Elizabeth came to visit her nephew. The 14-year-old boy was sad, said that he was sick of life, and he would soon die. The words turned out to be prophetic: on January 19, 1730, Peter II died of smallpox.
In the fairy tale of Saint Exupery, the Little Prince finds himself on a planet full of wonderful roses. But their beauty seems to him cold and empty. “You are not in the least like my rose,” he told them. - You are nothing. Nobody has tamed you, and you have not tamed anyone. " The prince from the fairy tale was lucky - he had a Rose. And the Russian "little prince" did not find his Rose among many bright and lush flowers.
Dmitry Kazennov