Tsar Peter II of Russia

[Yseult]

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...

[Romanov_fan]

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.

[bell_the_cat]

Yes he had a good time, but died young!

[Yseult]

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...

[ilyala]

i read that he was quite depraved, even if he was very young

[Romanov_fan]

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.

[Robert_Hall]

FIVE EMPRESSES by Evgenii Anisimov 2004

[Romanov_fan]

Yes, I believe that is the one that has the things about Peter.

[lori_c]

Yes that is the book.  This book also says that the male  line of the Romanovs died out with this Tsar.

[ivanushka]

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.

[ivanushka]

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.

[Vasaborg]

Strange he never had any natural children.

[Romanov_fan]

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.

[Robert_Hall]

Doubtful that a Catholic Arcduchess would have been allowed to marry into  the Orthodox Russin Imperial Family. She could not convert.

[ivanushka]

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.