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Письма и записки императрицы Елизаветы Петровны к великому князю Петру Федоровичу, великой княгине Екатерине Алексеевне, кабинет-секретарю Ивану Антоновичу Черкасову, С. В. Бутурлиной и разным близким к государыне лицам, 1741-1761 г., published in St. Petersburg, 1867
Above: Elizabeth Petrovna, Empress of Russia, artist unknown.
Above: Grand Duke Peter Feodorovich of Russia, formerly Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp and future Tsar Peter III of Russia, painted by Georg Christoph Grooth.
Elizabeth Petrovna (Елизавета Петровна; born December 18/29, 1709, died December 25, 1761/January 5, 1762), was Empress of Russia from 1741 until her death in 1762. She remains one of the most popular Russian monarchs because of her decision not to execute a single person during her reign, her numerous construction projects, and her strong opposition to Prussian policies.
The second eldest daughter of Tsar Peter the Great, Elizabeth lived under the confused successions of her father's descendants since her half-brother Alexei's death. The throne was first passed to her nephew Peter II, who died in 1730 and was succeeded by her first cousin Anna. After the brief rule of Anna's great-nephew, Ivan VI, who was only a toddler, Elizabeth seized the throne in a coup with the military's support and declared her own nephew, the future Tsar Peter III, as her heir.
During her reign, Elizabeth continued her father's policies and brought a remarkable Age of Enlightenment to Russia. Like Kristina of Sweden in the previous century, Elizabeth's foreign policy was very pro-French. Her domestic policies allowed the nobility to gain dominance in local government while shortening their terms of service to the state. She encouraged Mikhail Lomonosov's foundation of the University of Moscow, the highest-ranking Russian educational institution. Elizabeth's court was one of the most splendid in all Europe, especially regarding architecture: she modernised Russia's roads, encouraged Ivan Shuvalov's foundation of the Imperial Academy of Arts, and financed grandiose Baroque projects of her favourite architect, Bartolomeo Rastrelli, particularly in the Peterhof Palace. The Winter Palace and the Smolny Cathedral in St. Petersburg are among the chief monuments of her reign.
Elizabeth led the country during the two major European conflicts of her time: the War of the Austrian Succession, which lasted from 1740 to 1748, and the Seven Years' War, which lasted from 1756 to 1763. She and diplomat Alexei Bestuzhev-Ryumin solved the first event by forming an alliance with Austria and France, but indirectly caused the second war. Russia enjoyed several victories against Prussia and briefly occupied Berlin, but when Frederick the Great was finally prepared to surrender in January 1762, Elizabeth had already passed away when the message arrived.
In her court and personal life, Elizabeth was extremely vain. She reportedly owned 15,000 dresses, none of which she ever wore more than once, several thousand pairs of shoes, and a seemingly unlimited number of stockings. Elizabeth even passed various decrees to make herself stand out: she issued an edict forbidding anyone from having the same hairstyle, dress or accessory as herself. One woman accidentally wore the same item as Elizabeth and was struck in the face for it. Another law required French fabric salesmen to sell to Elizabeth first, and those who disregarded this law were arrested. One famous legend claims that she cut a patch of her hair off to get a piece of powder out, and the other ladies at court were forced to do the same to themselves, "with tears in their eyes". Elizabeth's extreme vanity only intensified as she grew older and became a hallmark of court life during her reign. She was much more lenient with the entertainments she gave. Her famous "Metamorphosis" balls had herself and all the guests dressed as the opposite sex, and Elizabeth often hosted wedding receptions for her ladies and even children's birthday parties.
Elizabeth signed this letter to Peter on January 10, 1742.
The letter:
Свѣтлейшій Герцогъ, мой вселюбезнейшій племянникъ.
Вашего Королевскаго Высочества с' какимъ доброжелателнымъ нетерпѣніемъ к' себѣ ожидаю, о томъ здѣсь описыватъ не хочу; токмо чрезъ сихъ нарочно посланныхъ отъ меня, Двора Нашего служителей, намерена Вамъ тѣмъ наипаче объявитъ мое особливо желаніе, сколко я с' безпокойствомъ дожидатся приѣзду Вашего Королевскаго Высочества принуждена. Того ради какъ для лутчаго и скорѣйшаго прибытия, такъ и для обереженія и безопаснѣйшаго продолжения в' пути Вашего Королевскаго Высочества, сихъ посланныхъ до границы Курляндской отправила, которыхъ рекомендуя в' милостъ и призрение Вашего Королевскаго Высочества, остаюь с' непременнымъ всегда люблениемъ.
Вашего Королевскаго Высочества, моего вселюбезнейшаго племянника, доброжелателная и благосклонная тетка
Елисаветъ.
1742 году, Генваря 10 дня.
В С.-Петербурге.
English translation (my own):
Most Serene Duke, my most gracious nephew.
Your Royal Highness, with what benevolent impatience I look forward to myself, I do not want to describe here; only through these people who were deliberately sent from me, the Court of Our servants, do I intend to tell you especially my desire, how much I must wait with anxiety for the arrival of Your Royal Highness. For the sake of both the best and quickest arrival, and for the protection and safest continuation of Your Royal Highness on the way, I sent those sent to the border of Courland, whom I recommend for the mercy and charity of Your Royal Highness, I remain with always indispensable love,
Your Royal Highness, my most amiable nephew,
Your benevolent and supportive aunt
Elizabeth.
1742, January 10.
In St. Petersburg.
Note: In the Old Style (Julian) calendar that was in use in Russia until 1918, Elizabeth was born on December 18, 1709 and died on December 25, 1761.
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