I´m interested on the tsaritsa Praskovia, wife of tsar Ivan V. If I´m not wrong, the marriage was a choice made by the grand duchess regent Sophia Alexeyevna, sister of Ivan V and half-sister of Peter I.
Ivan and Peter were "double tsars". In fact, Ivan was de "senior tsar", because he was six year older than his half-brother Peter; but, really, he had not a chance to rule since he was mental retarded and suffered a poor health. But, when Ivan had eighteen years old, his sister Sophia was persuaded that the deficient young man could procreate...and she bethroted him to Praskovia Saltykova, aged sixteen, daughter of Feodor Saltykov and Anna Tatishcheva.
The couple had five daughters: Maria, Feodosia, Ekaterina, Anna and Praskovia. Maria and Feodosia died in childhood, but the three others grand duchess reached adulthood. Anna became, years later, grand duchess of Curland by marriage, then empress of Russia as Anna I. And Ekaterina was the mother of Anna Leopoldovna, so the maternal grandmother of Ivan VI.
I read somewhere that Praskovia was not a sweet and tender mother to her daughters. When Ivan died, Ekaterina had almost four, Anna three and little Praskovia two years. The three sisters were established with their mother at Ismailov, near to Moscow. It seems that Praskovia neglected their education and was really abussive to the three daughters. Is that true?
