On June 18, 1667, Prince Ivan Trubetskoy, an associate of Peter the Great, was born.
The era of Peter the Great was a time of fundamental changes in Russia, from the very bottom to the elite. The boyar nobility was replaced by new people, elevated by Peter I.
But young representatives of the old Russian families, who felt the wind of change in time, managed to take their place in the circle of the reformer tsar.
One of the associates of Peter I, Ivan Yuryevich Trubetskoy, had the most unique fate - he became the last Russian boyar, and at the same time was awarded the highest honors of the new Russia.
Petr's favorite, the nephew of Sophia's favorite
Ivan Trubetskoy was born on June 18, 1667 in the family of the boyar Yuri Petrovich Trubetskoy and Princess Irina Vasilievna Golitsyna. Ivan's mother was the sister of Prince Vasily Golitsyn, the favorite of Princess Sophia.
The high position of his relatives was a guarantee of a successful career for Ivan himself. Young Trubetskoy became a steward by the age of 17.
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The relatives of Ivan Trubetskoy, in the face of confrontation between the court parties of the supporters of Sophia and Peter, were divided into different camps. Ivan, despite the fact that he was the native nephew of the favorite of the princess, was one of the first to be enrolled in the Preobrazhensky regiment recruited by Peter, and quickly became one of the favorites of the young tsar. By 1694, Ivan Trubetskoy rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel.
Streltsy knives and the Swedish prisoner
While still with everything young, Trubetskoy became a boyar, one of the last who was awarded this title.
Peter's confidence in Ivan Trubetskoy was very great. He was entrusted with the protection of Princess Sophia, imprisoned in the Novodevichy Convent. During the attempt to free Sophia by the rebel archers, Ivan miraculously escaped death.
Assessing this, Peter conferred on Ivan Trubetskoy the rank of major general, and then appointed him governor in Novgorod.
With the beginning of the Northern War, Trubetskoy was needed by the tsar as a military commander. In the battle of Narva on November 19, 1700, he was given command of a division.
The battle of Narva, which ended in the defeat of the Russian army, turned out to be even more deplorable for Ivan Trubetskoy - he was taken prisoner.
"Gift" from a Swedish beauty
The captured Russian generals were taken to Stockholm, where they lived in very decent conditions. Ivan Trubetskoy petitioned Charles XII, in which he begged to allow his wife and daughters to visit him. The Swedish monarch graciously agreed, and the Trubetskoy family settled in Sweden for many years.
Trubetskoy also had a romantic relationship with local beauties. In February 1704, a Swedish baroness from the Wrede clan gave birth to a son of the Russian prince, who was named Ivan.
The son was illegitimate, and according to the then tradition, he received the abbreviated surname of his father - Betskoy. Trubetskoy Sr. did everything to ensure that his son received a good education. The efforts were not in vain - after many years, Ivan Betskoy will become the personal secretary of Catherine the Great and one of the prominent figures of the Russian Enlightenment.
In captivity, Ivan Yuryevich Trubetskoy had to spend 18 years. Only in 1718 he, along with another Russian general, Avtonom Golovin, was exchanged for the captured Swedish Field Marshal Karl Renschild.
Field Marshal without a single victory
Trubetskoy was greeted by Peter I cordially. At the beginning of 1719 he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general, and soon the prince was appointed to command the Russian cavalry.
In 1721, the Great Northern War ended with the signing of the Nystadt Peace, victorious for Russia. During the celebrations on this occasion, Trubetskoy was awarded the rank of general-in-chief and made a member of the Military Collegium.
In February 1722, Ivan Trubetskoy became the governor-general of Kiev, staying in office until the end of 1723.
After that, the prince left government service for several years. It was returned by Peter II in 1728, who granted Ivan Trubetskoy the rank of Field Marshal. Many of Trubetskoy's contemporaries considered this an excessive favor, because his military career was short and unsuccessful.
Trubetskoy against the "Verkhovniki"
After the sudden death of Peter II, Anna Ioannovna, daughter of the co-ruler and brother of Peter I, Tsar Ivan, was invited to the Russian throne. The members of the Supreme Privy Council decided to make Anna Ioannovna's admission conditional on the acceptance of the restrictions of the royal power - the so-called "conditions". The Trubetskoys, including the hero of our story, became opponents of the "condition".
After the defeat of the "supreme leaders" Ivan Trubetskoy was awarded Anna Ioannovna, who made him a member of the Senate, and also awarded the Orders of St. Andrew the First-Called and St. Alexander Nevsky.
By that time, Prince Ivan Trubetskoy was over 60 years old, and his health left much to be desired. At the meetings of the Military colleague, he rarely appeared, and almost did not influence the decisions made.
The more surprising was the decision taken by Anna Ioannovna at the end of her reign. In May 1739, the tsarina re-established the post of Moscow governor-general. The appointment was received by 71-year-old Prince Ivan Yuryevich Trubetskoy.
He honestly tried to fulfill his duties, but in December 1739 he submitted a letter of resignation, which was granted.
Goodbye boyar
In 1741, as a result of a palace coup, Elizaveta Petrovna ascended the throne, and Prince Ivan Trubetskoy became one of the first to take the oath to the daughter of Peter the Great.
The empress again made him a member of the Senate, but the elderly prince hardly attended meetings.
Ivan Yurievich Trubetskoy died on January 16, 1750, at the age of 82. By that time, he was the last living holder of the boyar title. Together with him, the boyars themselves were buried in the Church of St. Lazarus in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra.
Andrey Sidorchik
