Alexander Palace Forum
Discussions about the Imperial Family and European Royalty => Rulers Prior to Nicholas II => Topic started by: Yseult on August 31, 2006, 01:39:35 AM
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(http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e56/vanozzacatanei/PeterIIofRussia.gif)
One of the most infortunate russian sovereigns was Peter, the son of tsarevich Alexis and his wife Sophie Charlotte. Sophie Charlotte was died in the labour to put into the world Peter, and the father, Alexis, was tortured and murdered by political reasons when Peter was just three years old. The paternal grandfather Peter I the Great neglected the child, while the maternal grandmother Eudoxia could not raise him because she was transferred to a convent in Ladoga.
Peter was crowned aged twelve. The power was in the hands of Alexander Danilovich Menshikov, who wished to marry Peter with his favourite daughter Mariya Menshikova. The fall from grace of Menshikov´s family, all of them including Mariya banished to Berozovo in North Siberia, made powerful the prince Vasily Dolgorukov. Dolgorukov was not less ambitious than Menshikov, and bethroted Peter to his niece Ekaterina Dolgorukova. The wedding was celebrated while the young tsar was dying as a result of smallpox. It´s said that young Ekaterina was introduced rudeless in the bed where Peter was dying, in a desperate attempt of Dolgorukov to make her pregnant by the poor tsar...
A very sad life...
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Yes, it is was. He was a very precocious young man, and had a taste for a more dissipated lifestyle, even at the age he died. He enjoyed having a good time, at least according to some books. He may not have known anything else, or it was his solace for what his life was. He was handsome and charming and it is said that Elizabeth, Peter the great's daughter was attracted to him. There were rumours they had an affair, and they were close, that is true. Some talked of marriage between them even, so at least they were friends as well as relatives.
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Yes he had a good time, but died young!
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Yes, it is was. He was a very precocious young man, and had a taste for a more dissipated lifestyle, even at the age he died. He enjoyed having a good time, at least according to some books. He may not have known anything else, or it was his solace for what his life was. He was handsome and charming and it is said that Elizabeth, Peter the great's daughter was attracted to him. There were rumours they had an affair, and they were close, that is true. Some talked of marriage between them even, so at least they were friends as well as relatives.
Imperial Angel...can you explain more about his dissipated lifestyle? I have read somewhere about the closely friendship between Peter and a young prince named Ivan Dolgorukov...and also about the relationship with his aunt Elisabeth Petrovna, but I can´t remember well...
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i read that he was quite depraved, even if he was very young
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Yes, I had read that as well; I think it was from that Five Empresses book published a few years ago. It has him in it anyway. I could get the author and the more formal title of it.
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FIVE EMPRESSES by Evgenii Anisimov 2004
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Yes, I believe that is the one that has the things about Peter.
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Yes that is the book. This book also says that the male line of the Romanovs died out with this Tsar.
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Another book that has quite a lot of information about Peter's life and reign is "Terrible Tsarinas" by Henri Troyat. Though I didn't enjoy the book that much - personally I found Troyat's biographies of Catherine the Great and Alexander I much more enjoyable - it does have a lot of information on Peter.
It's another of the great "what ifs" of history. What would have happened to the course of Russian history had Peter survived the smallpox and had a long life. From what I've read, it seems he was very anti his grandfather, Peter the Great, had no interest in developing St Petersburg as the capital and was happy for Russia to stay as it was rather than continue to develop along European lines.
In the Troyat book he comes across as an unpleasant personality. Perhaps it's understandable though. His mother died shortly after giving birth to him, his father was murdered by his grandfather and he spent most of his childhood before his accession being neglected and ignored. It seems that the only person he truly loved was his sister, Natalia, and that she was the only person who could exert some control over his behavior. Her death was a bitter blow from which, I suspect, he never really recovered.
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One fact I've only just realised about Peter was that he was actually the first cousin of the Austrian Empress Maria Theresa (their mothers being sisters). Perhaps if he'd lived and had a family of his own, then in order to cement family ties one of Maria Theresa's daughters could have married his son and ended up as Empress of Russia.
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Strange he never had any natural children.
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It might have been because he was so young. He never had much time, albeit he did have many chances, given the life he led. Maybe he did, and it just isn't on the record, but even if he had had natural children, I don't think it would have mattered with regards to the succession. I didn't know he was Maria Theresa's cousin- very interesting.
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Doubtful that a Catholic Arcduchess would have been allowed to marry into the Orthodox Russin Imperial Family. She could not convert.
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Doubtful that a Catholic Arcduchess would have been allowed to marry into the Orthodox Russin Imperial Family. She could not convert.
Good point - and one I only thought of after I'd made my post! That said, if such an alliance had been considered necessary I'm sure they would have found a way around it. Also, Peter's mother, Charlotte of Brunswick, was allowed to keep her own religion when she married Alexis, rather than having to convert to the Orthodox Church.
As I've said in an earlier post, I just find it fascinating to speculate on what would have happened to Russia had Peter not caught smallpox but instead lived a long (and fertile!) life.
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Charlotte was Protestant, was she not? They did not have the same restrictions as Catholics. It took a dispensation from the Pope, for Catholic, and they were few and far between.
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That's interesting. I didn't know about the need for Catholics to have a Papal dispensation and yes, I think Charlotte was Lutheran. Presumably the catholic Hapsburgs didn't mind when a Protestant converted to Catholicism - as presumably Charlotte's sister had to convert from Protestantism when she married the Emperor Charles.
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Yes, the other way around was fine. Prot. to Catholic.
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It's doubtful she would have received dispensation, IMO. Conversion from Catholicism was extremely rare especially in those circumstances. Look at Helene of Orleans. Threats of excommunication were hurled when faced with the same situation.
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Doubtful that a Catholic Arcduchess would have been allowed to marry into the Orthodox Russin Imperial Family. She could not convert.
Good point - and one I only thought of after I'd made my post! That said, if such an alliance had been considered necessary I'm sure they would have found a way around it. Also, Peter's mother, Charlotte of Brunswick, was allowed to keep her own religion when she married Alexis, rather than having to convert to the Orthodox Church.
As I've said in an earlier post, I just find it fascinating to speculate on what would have happened to Russia had Peter not caught smallpox but instead lived a long (and fertile!) life.
It is interesting to speculate- I think he would have been a '' in charge'' ruler later, not like his grandfather perhaps, but even so young, he seems to have had a distinctive character, good or bad. There probably wouldn't have been a Catherine the Great had he lived, since she only came in because she married Peter III, who would have had a much happier life home in Holstein. Elizabeth wouldn't have reigned, but might have been happy enough with her lifestyle anyway, I don't think it was bad during his reign. I don't think Anna Ivanovna would have ruled either, certainly no great loss for Russia. It is hard to know what direction his reign would have propelled Russia into- but his court would have been a very decadent one, basically like that of Elizabeth or even Anna Ivavnova , however I believe he would have been VERY interested in ruling. But, these are speculations about a boy who died at about 15.
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I have a question about Peter II.
Is it accurate to state that Peter became Tsar because of the last will of Catherine the Great? And if so, was there any controversy surrounding that will?
Thank you,
Lexi
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I think you mean Peter the Great.. I can't remember, I would have to look that up. I think he started the right to choose your own succesor, not follow any line of sucession- and he was on his death bed, naming his successor, when he died. His wife Catherine I seemed a logical successor, so she ruled a few years, after which Peter II came to the throne. It could be supposed at least at one time that Peter started the new type of succession precisely to avoid his son Alexei 's descendants coming to the throne, whom he disliked for reasons probably known to everyone here. Peter II was the the son of Tsarvitch Alexei, and I think became Czar at the time because he was the only male heir around, really. I hope someone answers your question directly though- I will if I have the time.
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Yes, that's right: Peter the Great changed the succession laws and gave the Tsar the right to name his own successor, rather than the throne passing from eldest son to eldest son... However, just to complicate things, Peter then died without naming a successor! Though most of the nobility were in favour of the succession of the rightful heir in dynastic terms - his grandson, the future Peter II, son of Peter's only son, Alexis - a powerful minority, headed by Peter the Great's best friend, Alexander Menshikov, manouevered to have Peter's widow, Catherine, declared Tsaritsa instead.
Catherine only ruled for two years and, I believe, named Peter II as her successor. Menshikov, who was essentially ruling the country at this point, pushed her to do so as 1) he was the popular choice of the nobility and people, and 2) because he was only 11 and so could be governed by a regent - namely Menshikov ihimself! Unfortunately for Menshikov, this child of 11 turned out to a much stronger personality than expected and within a few months Menshikov found himself exchanging his St Petersburg palace for a hovel in Siberia!!
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Actually, I meant Catherine.
Thank you Ivanushka. That cleared it up for me.
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It is interesting to speculate- I think he would have been a '' in charge'' ruler later, not like his grandfather perhaps, but even so young, he seems to have had a distinctive character, good or bad. There probably wouldn't have been a Catherine the Great had he lived, since she only came in because she married Peter III, who would have had a much happier life home in Holstein. Elizabeth wouldn't have reigned, but might have been happy enough with her lifestyle anyway, I don't think it was bad during his reign. I don't think Anna Ivanovna would have ruled either, certainly no great loss for Russia. It is hard to know what direction his reign would have propelled Russia into- but his court would have been a very decadent one, basically like that of Elizabeth or even Anna Ivavnova , however I believe he would have been VERY interested in ruling. But, these are speculations about a boy who died at about 15.
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Yes, that's right. There never would have been a Catherine the Great - I wonder who she would have married and what sort of mark she would have made on history had Peter III not been available. Perhaps she might have married him anyway - he was her second cousin and already heir to the throne of Sweden. Her parents were angling for Catherine to marry him long before Elizabeth adopted him, and with Catherine at his side, perhaps Sweden would have regained some of its domination of Northern Europe.
I don't know how happy Elizabeth would have been if Peter had lived. When he first became Tsar the two of them were very close and he was said to be in love with her. However by the time he died he was engaged to Catherine Dolgorukova, and the Dolgoruvky family were doing their best to keep Elizabeth in the background. She might have had a happy life living on her estates - apparently she loved the countryside and the people who lived there - or she might have ended up marrying some German Prince.
As you said, Anna Ivanovna not being Empress wouldn't have been much of a loss for Russia. However, the one thing she did do was reestablish St Petersburg as the capital. Peter, who hated the place, complaining that he had no wish to live somewhere surrounded by water (or words to that effect) had moved the capital back to Moscow and showed little interest in European affairs or Russa's place in them. Having spent so many years in Courland, Anna had adapted to the European lifestyle and was keen that her court and subjects should consider themselves Europeans too.
One other consequence of Peter surviving is that poor Ivan VI would probably never have been born. In light of the terrible way his life worked out that might have been a blessing.
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Speculation is fun.
I find it hard to imagine Russia without Catherine the Great. Had he lived, he probably would have had an heir. Ivan V probably would not have been co-ruler. There would not have been an uprising in 1682 and maybe not a Nicholas II. It could have been a very different Russia.
Lexi
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It's doubtful she would have received dispensation, IMO. Conversion from Catholicism was extremely rare especially in those circumstances. Look at Helene of Orleans. Threats of excommunication were hurled when faced with the same situation.
It wouldn't have been impossible. Orthodoxy was viewed as schismatic, not necessarily heretical. Its sacraments were never viewed as invalid. The Apostolic Succession was never broken, as happened with the Protestant sects.
If the right Pope & the right Catholic monarch saw an advantage to placing a protege in the Kremlin, they could've made it happen.
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One Catholic Orthodox match, although the other way around was the marriage of Grand Duchess Alexandra Pavlovna, daughter of Paul I to a Hapsburg Archduke. It was pretty rare though. She ended up dying young in childbirth not long after the marriage, and the child didn't survive, so nothing came of it, but it did happen. Perhaps a Catholic bride marrying into the Romanov dynasty would have been harder though. Anyway, that's a subject for a whole thread on its own- back to Peter II.
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IA- in the case you cite, the difference was that the bride was not required to convert. Marrying the heir to the throne of Russia required the bride to become Orthodox.
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IA- in the case you cite, the difference was that the bride was not required to convert. Marrying the heir to the throne of Russia required the bride to become Orthodox.
I thought the emphasis was on the mother to the heir to the Russian throne had to be Orthodox. That is why the bride had to be Orthodox.
I'll put it another way. I thought the emphasis of the law was that the woman who gave birth to the heir to the throne must be Orthodox at the time of the birth.
In practical terms the woman always converted before she got married.
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That is what I have just said. In the case IA cited, it was a Russian Grand Duchess [Orthodox] marrying an Austrian Grand Duke [Roman Catholic]. There was heir to the throne involved.
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IA- in the case you cite, the difference was that the bride was not required to convert. Marrying the heir to the throne of Russia required the bride to become Orthodox.
[/quote
know it has been ages and this is off topic ( belongs in Alexandra Pavlovna thread), but well I understand that as someone answered me long ago in Alexandra Pavlovna thread, that all Romanov GDs who married had to remain orthodox, and indeed her first marriage negotitations broke down for religious reasons ( they insisted she convert to Protestantism in Sweden, the country that the marriage negotiations were about), if comversion wasn't necessary why didn't more GDs marry Catholic royalty? They tended to stick with Protestants.Catholic royalty marrying into the Romanovs was rare too, although I'm assuming that was all conversion issues- although Helene of Orleans was Catholic and her marriage to Nicholas II was considered, and I'm sure she would have converted, as she was willing to convert to Protestanism for Eddy, as she said so. Generally, the Protestant royalty married Protestant royalty, and the Catholics married Catholic royalty, and never the twain shall meet, but what about Orthodox GDs marrying into Catholic royal families (maybe this question has been addressed,or I asked this long ago, but I'm not certain).
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Wasnt he Bisexual? :o
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I think it was said that he was- he led a wild life. So that was likely true.
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There is currently an exhibition of Imperial Russian male court dress at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London called "Magnificence of the Tsars." The surviving wardrobe of Peter II is a large part of the display - his hunting clothes, mourning clothes for his sister etc. If any of you are in London, its worth a visit
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I didn't realize any of his clothes survived. Too bad I'm not in London.
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Same for me, unfortunately I'm not in London, it would be fantastic to be able to see the exhibition.
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There is a beautiful companion book to the exhibition called "Magnificence of the Tsars." Its probably available from the Victoria and Albert Museum gift shop online for those of you who couldn't make it to London
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Thank you for the information!, I will try to order the book from the online gift shop.
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I have it, At 30pounds for 112 pages, it is not worth it.
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Portrait of Maria Menshikova, first bride of Emperor Peter II.
(http://nearyou.ru/rossik/tan/tan3.jpg)
Portraits of Catherine Dolgorukaya, second bride of Emperor Peter II.
(http://www.sgu.ru/rus_hist/img/x1-278.jpg)
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d0/Ekaterina_Dolgorukaya.jpg)
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Can someone tell me more of his second bride...I tried to google her (short) biography but failed as many results concerned other Princess Ekaterina Dolgorukaya who married other Russian Emperor...anyone know something more about her?
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Can someone tell me more of his second bride...I tried to google her (short) biography but failed as many results concerned other Princess Ekaterina Dolgorukaya who married other Russian Emperor...anyone know something more about her?
Ekaterina's bio is really brief and tragic. She was born in 1712, lived till 1729 in Warsaw, and felt in love there in Count Melissimo, who she wanted to marry, but her relatives sent her to Russia, to her tragic fate. After the death of Peter II her family was disgraced and wnet into exile. Her brother Ivan was soon executed, Ekaterina till 1741 (the year of Empress Elizaveta's accession to the throne) lived in Tomsk, the Siberia, in exile. Empress Elizaveta forgave her, ordered to return to St-Petersburg, appointed her a maid-of-honour and in 1745 Ekaterina married Count Bruce. She died soon though.
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Thank you Svetabel..did she left any descendants?
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Thank you Svetabel..did she left any descendants?
No, she didnn't.
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More Petr II
(http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x118/stj_album/Petr-ii/41F0435044204400-II-410043B0435043A0441043504350432043804470_thumb_zps6196375d.jpg)
Pert II and his sister Natalia (~1722)
(http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x118/stj_album/Petr-ii/e19wjbgs8y13_zpse8e3fb1c.jpg)
(http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x118/stj_album/Petr-ii/rhgyqu2i6x94_zps4f7b9dd1.jpg)
(http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x118/stj_album/Petr-ii/9Wc499YV_zpsbbf2878d.jpg)
(http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x118/stj_album/Petr-ii/1227266921_zps3c5656b0.jpg)
(http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x118/stj_album/Petr-ii/104293-i_074_zpsaf185110.png)
(http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x118/stj_album/Petr-ii/00000084_zps2700fd62.jpg)
(http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x118/stj_album/Petr-ii/p9pug91q07xs_zps4a5adebb.jpg)
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The film (mini serial) (2001):
http://www.kinopoisk.ru/film/448751/stills/
(http://www.spbdvd.ru/images/25213.jpg)
(http://i061.radikal.ru/0809/db/5d523878f43d.jpg)
(http://f.kinozon.tv/frames/12072-1/Film_shot00019.jpg)
(http://verkeenko.narod.ru/majesty2.jpg)
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whats the film called
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Yet another interesting Russian mini-serial that probably has no English subtitles (weeps)
Despite being a short life it certainly was a very fascinating one!
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I want to see this
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Romanov_Fan19, It's word for word "The Secrets of the era of Russian palace revolutions: XVIII century"
1 ep - "The Last Will of Emperor" - Peter I (1725)
2 ep - "The Last Will of Empress" - Ekaterina/Catherine I (1725-1727)
3 ep - "I'm Emperor!" - Peter II (1727)
4 ep - "Downfall of Goliath" - (Alexandr Menshikov) Peter II (1727)
5 ep - "The second bride of Emperor" - Peter II (1728-1729)
6 ep - "The death of young Emperor" - Peter II (1729-1730)
7 ep - "Vivat, Anna!" - Anna (1730-1935)
8 ep - "The princess hunting" - Anna (1736)
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More young Peter II
(http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x118/stj_album/Petr-ii/vlcsnap-2014-07-22-22h24m21s71_zps69465b43.png)
(http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x118/stj_album/Petr-ii/vlcsnap-2014-07-21-20h05m10s143_zpsa0f66171.png)
(http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x118/stj_album/Petr-ii/vlcsnap-2014-07-22-22h26m21s45_zps028edc6e.png)
(http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x118/stj_album/Petr-ii/vlcsnap-2014-07-22-22h26m48s53_zps66df399a.png)
(http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x118/stj_album/Petr-ii/vlcsnap-2014-07-23-00h01m02s250_zps77082653.png)
(http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x118/stj_album/Petr-ii/vlcsnap-2014-07-21-19h49m36s25-2_zps13555037.png)
Peter II & his minion prince Ivan Dolgoruky
(http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x118/stj_album/Petr-ii/vlcsnap-2014-07-23-22h21m49s102_zpsd4f6fed4.png)
(http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x118/stj_album/Petr-ii/vlcsnap-2014-07-21-02h14m38s115_zps5acd9aa8.png)
(http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x118/stj_album/Petr-ii/vlcsnap-2014-07-21-19h48m11s179_zps034df065.png)
Peter II & Aleksandr Danilovich Menshikov
(http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x118/stj_album/Petr-ii/vlcsnap-2014-07-21-01h59m44s139_zpsc4524438.png)
Peter II & Elizabeth Petrovna (Liza)
(http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x118/stj_album/Petr-ii/vlcsnap-2014-07-21-02h16m54s213_zpsd6361b6a.png)
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this looks amazing
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this looks amazing
It is. I watched it on youtube and even though I can't speak any Russian managed to work out who was who and how the story was playing out. Well worth checking out!
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I Looked for it can find it
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Ivanushka,
Please can you tell us what title did you find it in youtube? Thanks
Amelia
(Eva McDonald)
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Here is a link to the first video - dealing with the death of Peter the Great and the accession of Catherine the First. Hopefully you can find the others from that.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bmQU5dt7yk
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thanks Ivanushka
Amelia
(Eva McDonald)
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My pleasure. I hope you enjoy it!
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Wish it was in English
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(http://cs319720.vk.me/v319720458/4388/nv-XbrO7fMA.jpg)
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UPD! A links to all video. But it's only russian language:
1 ep - "The Last Will of Emperor" - Peter I (1725) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJTxP2QhScs
2 ep - "The Last Will of Empress" - Ekaterina/Catherine I (1725-1727) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoexLhuXrPg
3 ep - "I'm Emperor!" - Peter II (1727) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpOx6G9WwYY
4 ep - "Downfall of Goliath" - (Alexandr Menshikov) Peter II (1727) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWgGgS-zETQ
5 ep - "The second bride of Emperor" - Peter II (1728-1729) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAFFguwr99A
6 ep - "The death of young Emperor" - Peter II (1729-1730) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnZKKKWPjH0
7 ep - "Vivat, Anna!" - Anna (1730-1935) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dottzNU9sM4
8 ep - "The princess hunting" - Anna (1736) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NO4zIWhwnD0
(http://6.firepic.org/6/images/2015-10/14/h24wop2e3fe9.jpg)
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It has been said that Peter II who dies at 15 was of course obliged to marry and both the Maria daughter of Menshikov were being fostered on him and the sister of Ivan Dolgorukov, Catherine. He like Elizabeth the daughter of Peter who was proposed for him by Peter Tolstoy as well. He called the sister of Ivan a porcelain doll. But it is said that he loved ivan Dolgorukov who was handsome and it was even suggested that he and Elizabeth both shared him. Is this true?
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I doubt this is true.
Peter II Alexievich was a teen aged Emperor whose father was imprisoned and who was then subject to the control of courtiers such as Menshikov and Dolgoruki. He was controlled by them and by the alcohol that his handlers fed him.
It is doubtful that he ever had the chance to figure out his sexuality because both factions thrust women of their own families at Peter in an attempt to further control the boy.
His is a tragic story and with his death, childless, the direct male line of Peter the Great became extinct.