Anna Ioannovna, the daughter of Tsar Ivan V (co-ruler of the first Russian emperor Peter I), did not even dream of becoming a Russian empress someday. At the age of seventeen, she was married off by Peter I to Friedrich Wilhelm, Duke of Kurlyansky. Four months later, Anna Ioannovna became a widow. The woman did not want to return to her homeland, remaining to live in Mitava, the capital of Courland. But she was not concerned with the affairs of the duchy. The duchy was ruled by her lover P. Bestuzhev, who was sent together with Anna Ioannovna to Courland.
Thirteen years later, in 1730, after the sudden death of Peter II, the Supreme Privy Council invited her to take the Russian throne, but with limited powers. At that time, the Privy Council was ruled by the princes Dogorukovs and Galitsyns, it was they who remembered the dynasty of Tsar Ivan V, removed from power by Peter I, whose representative was the fourth daughter of the Tsar, Anna Ioannovna. The nobles considered her a very modest person, who, in gratitude for receiving the Russian crown, would become an obedient instrument in their hands.
But Anna Ioannovna, having become monarch, dispersed the Supreme Privy Council and took power completely into her own hands. The main advisor and close person for her was Ernst Johann Biron, who replaced P. Bestuzhev in 1718 and became not only a confidant, but also Anna Ioannovna's lover. Biron was not the son of a wealthy Courland nobleman, but posed as a descendant of an ancient French family. An experienced, skillful and cunning seducer, he deftly charmed the young widow, who completely submitted to her new lover. In a very short time, he managed to become the most necessary person for Anna Ioannovna. She acted and thought as her beloved told her. Therefore, everything she did came exclusively from Biron. This happened not only when the future empress lived in Courland, but also when she took the Russian throne. Members of the French aristocratic Biron family, to which the impostor ranked himself, only laughed at the rascal, but did not protest, since the unborn courtier became a powerful man in the Orthodox empire.
Back in 1723, Anna Ioannovna, in order not to incur the wrath of Peter I, who controlled all the finances of the Courland court, married her lover to a woman whom she herself had chosen for him. Ugly and stupid Bening von Trott-Traiden became Biron's wife. She was completely dependent on Anna Ioannovna and did not dare to contradict her in anything, let alone reproach her husband for infidelity. Anna Ioannovna had a special caring attitude towards Beninga's children: she presented them with gifts and donated huge sums for their upbringing. It was rumored that Biron's children were actually the children of Anna Ioannovna, and Biron's wife played out a play for those around her for nine months each time, putting a pillow under her dress.
The young empress showered Biron with favors. On the day of her coronation, she conferred on him the title of count, awarded him the Order of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called and appointed him chief chamberlain, which put him above the senators in the ranks. Happy times came for Biron - wealth and fame came easily not only to him, but also to his entire family. Awards and titles fell on the Empress's favorite: he received the Andreevskaya and Aleksandrovskaya ribbons, by order of Emperor Charles VI he was awarded the title of Count of the Roman Empire, by the grace of Anna Ioannovna he received the title of Duke of Courland.
In the history of Russia, the era of the reign of Anna Ioannovna is the darkest period. Not trusting her Russian advisers, she transferred virtually all the power to govern the state to her confidants - the Courland Germans: Duke E. Biron, Count B. Minin and Baron A. Osterman. All important decisions were made personally by Biron, without even informing the empress about it. Therefore, the reign of the Courland nobles was called "Bironovism". Biron coped well with the role of a loving tsarist favorite, but most of all he was interested in power, wealth and fame.
The Empress herself spent her time in idle amusements and stupid amusements. The queen loved to listen to gossip and obscene stories. She was surrounded by numerous jesters, dwarfs, hunchbacks, freaks and cripples, who fulfilled her every whim. Anna Ioannovna quickly forgot about her impoverished lifestyle in Courland, the luxury of her court in Petersburg amazed all foreigners. The queen herself spent huge sums of money on outfits and demanded that the courtiers dress in the latest fashion. Lavish balls, feasts, theatrical performances, which were given by a troupe specially discharged from Italy, were arranged. Another of the empress's fun was hunting. For this, various animals were brought from all over the Russian Empire and released into the forest, in which Anna Ioannovna hunted them. Since the queen loved to shoot at the birds flying by the palace,loaded rifles were in each room.
The Empress woke up early, but lay in bed for a long time unkempt and undressed. Then I drank my morning coffee and examined my jewelry. Closer to dinner, she received the ministers, signing, without reading, the documents prepared by Biron. Then she went to the apartments occupied by the Biron couple. The wife of the favorite quickly retired away so as not to disturb the lovers.
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According to contemporaries, Anna Ioannovna was lazy, did not care about her appearance, was untidy, obese. She was very afraid of conspiracies, so she constantly encouraged denunciations and espionage. Even the slightest hint or careless gesture towards the Empress threatened with death or expulsion. During her reign, twenty thousand people were sent into exile and a thousand were executed. Biron took an active part in all the massacres. The Empress fulfilled all the whims of her favorite, favored only those whom he favored, persecuted those who did not love Biron, signed mortal contracts for innocent people, just to please Biron.
The Empress's favorite himself possessed absolutely insignificant abilities to govern a great power, hated and despised everything Russian. The only goal is personal enrichment and strengthening of their position at court. Acting together with a crowd of Germans and loyal Russian nobles, he plundered the country, despising all laws and constantly deceived the empress. Together with Anna Ioannovna, he created the Secret Chancellery, which was engaged in the analysis of numerous denunciations and, fabricated against objectionable, cases. Biron created all-round terror in Russian society. In all cities, Biron's gangs of spies were created, who monitored all actions, deeds, conversations and reported to the Secret Chancery. Exile to Siberia became the mildest punishment, many were cut out with tongues, whipped with a whip, wheeled or handed over to executioners for reprisal.
The vengeful Biron did not forget about the grandees of the Privy Council, who, having invited Anna Ioannovna to the Russian throne, asked not to bring Biron to Russia. All of them were mercilessly executed. The Dogoruk and Golitsyn families suffered the most.
Hatred of Biron grew not only among the common people, whom the ruler imposed exorbitant taxes and taxes, but also among the ancient Russian families. It was Biron who was considered guilty of all the troubles of the state, both internal and external. The people had not yet moved away from the Peter's wars, as they had to endure new wars on their shoulders, the reasons for which no one could understand.
Defeat in the Russian-Turkish war of 1735-1739 also attributed to Biron. And although the military operations of the Russian troops, who took the Crimea, entered Moldova and Wallachia, were quite successful, because of Biron's decision, a shameful document was signed with the Turks - the Belgrade Peace. As a result, Russia got the desert lands between the Bug and the Dnieper, trade in the Black Sea was only possible for the Russians on Turkish ships, the Azov fortress was razed to the ground, Khotin and Ochakov returned back to the Turks. The Russian government, headed by Biron, pledged not to disturb the Ottoman predatory horde in the future.
Bironovschina would have continued for many years if not for the death of Anna Ioannovna on October 17, 1740. The Empress fell ill shortly after the signing of the Belgrade Peace Treaty. Biron did not want to lose power in the state and took care to keep it after the death of Anna Ioannovna. According to the will of the empress, an infant was appointed to the throne - the son of her niece Anna Leopoldovna, and Biron was regent with him.
Biron was regent for only a month, but during this time he proved to be a cunning, embittered, cruel and self-confident ruler. Field Marshal B. Minich had a hand in his overthrow with the approval of Anna Leopoldovna. On the night of November 9, Biron was arrested and taken to Shlisserburg, where he was put on trial. On April 18, 1741, a manifesto "on the wines of the former Duke of Courland" was read to the people. He was accused of: the violent seizure of regency power, lack of religiosity, the intention to seize the throne, neglect of the health of the empress, cruelty towards the people, appointment of Germans to government positions, increased espionage, etc. The commission considering Biron's case sentenced him to quartering, but Anna Leopoldovna significantly mitigated the sentence to the former empress's beloved person - she deprived Biron of his ranks,all property and exiled him with his family to the town of Pelym (Tobolsk province). 5 thousand rubles were allocated from the state treasury for its maintenance. a year, and also two women and two footmen were assigned to serve him. The most powerful and richest man could not bear such humiliation. In exile, Biron became pensive and gloomy, fell into the hardest despondency and began to prepare for death.
A year later, another palace coup took place and the daughter of Peter I, Elizabeth, became the empress. The new empress remembered that during the years of his power Biron provided her with some services and transferred him to Yaroslavl. Although the living conditions here were easier than in the Siberian wilderness, the depressed state of the former favorite did not improve, and his health was undermined.
Only 22 years later, when Catherine II came to power, Biron was able to return. The property was returned to him, the rank was restored, and the Duchy of Courland was given. At the age of 82, the former all-powerful favorite of the Empress Anna Ioannovna died at home in 1772.
