History of Russia from Ancient Times. Volumes 21, 22

30 hrs. 54 min.

Language Russian

Author Sergey Solovyov

Narrator Vyacheslav Gerasimov

Volume 21. The Reign of Empress Elizaveta Petrovna. 1740–1744.

Volume 21. Contents

Chapter 01. The Brunswick family
The Regulations on the Regency of Biron. — The oddity in the arrangements regarding the succession to the throne.— The Regent’s orders. — Popular grumbling. — Discontent of the Guards. — Movement of certain individuals against Biron. — Biron’s quarrel with Prince Anton of Brunswick. — A scene between them at an extraordinary meeting of ministers, the Senate, and the general staff. — Biron’s relations with the heiress Elizaveta. — Biron and Minikh. — Minikh arrests Biron. — Anna Leopoldovna—ruler; Minikh—first minister. — Grants and favors. — Anna Leopoldovna and Yulia Mengden. — Minikh and Osterman. — Movements against Minikh; his resignation. — The trial of Biron and of all those who helped him achieve the regency. — Sentences against them. — Fear of Minikh. — Internal activities of the government under Anna Leopoldovna. — A split between the ruling empress and her husband. — Movements against Osterman. — Linar. — External activities of the government. — An overview of the state of Europe at the end of 1740. — Relations of Russia to Austria, Prussia, and Sweden. — The Swedish war. — Contacts of the Russian court with the Prussian court regarding the Swedish war. — Relations of Russia to Poland and Saxony, to Turkey, Persia, Denmark, England, and France. — The heiress Elizaveta Petrovna, her position under Empress Anna, under Biron, and under Anna Leopoldovna. — Her contacts with the French envoy Shetardi and the Swedish Nölken. — Elizaveta’s position during the Swedish war. — The Guards’ movement. — The coup on November 25, 1741.
Chapter 02. The reign of Empress Elizaveta Petrovna. The end of 1741 and all of 1742
A manifesto explaining Elizaveta’s rights to the throne. — Intention regarding the Brunswick family. — Arrival of the Duke of Holstein in Russia. — Rise of Aleksey Petrovich Bestuzhev-Ryumin and Cherkasov. — First acts of clemency. — Return of exiles. — The Leib-company. — Trial of Osterman, Minikh, Levenwolde, and others; their exile. — Restoration of the Senate in its earlier meaning, as it had under Peter the Great. — Administration of foreign affairs. — The Senate’s activities. — Attitude toward foreigners. — A brawl in St. Petersburg with foreign officers. — The clergy. — Conduct of preachers against the overthrown government. — The Synod’s activities. — Finances. — Industry. — Decree concerning Jews. — Measures regarding peasants and domestic servants. — Departure of the court to Moscow. — Coronation of Elizaveta. — Grants and favors. — Appointment of Peter Fedorovich as successor to the throne. — Orders concerning Moscow. — The Turchaninov plot. — The position of government officials at the beginning of Elizaveta’s reign. — Their relations with European affairs. — Negotiations with Sweden and renewal of the war. — Unrest in the Russian camp directed against foreigners. — Renewal of negotiations. — Contacts with France, England, Denmark, Austria, Prussia, the Polish-Saxon court, Turkey, and Persia.
Chapter 03. Continuation of the reign of Empress Elizaveta Petrovna. 1743
New returns of exiles. — Senate activities. — Reports by prosecutors about disturbances in various institutions. — Contractors in the Senate. — Finances. — Commission on the “criminal stamp.” — Measures regarding trade and industry. — Peasants. — A Mordvin uprising. — Measures regarding newly baptized non-Russians. — Schismatics (Raskol). — Khlystyism. — Destruction of the Economic College. — Voivodes and archbishops. — Correction of the Bible. — The question of marriage of the Grand Duke-heir. — The Empress settles on the Princess of Anhalt-Zerbst. — Brummer’s letters to her mother. — Friedrich II’s involvement. — Arrival of the princesses of Zerbst in Moscow. — The attitude of the mother-princess toward parties. — Engagement. — Exiling Shetardi from Russia. — The Empress’s trip to Kyiv. — Attention focused on Prussian relations.
Chapter 04. Continuation of the reign of Empress Elizaveta Petrovna. 1744
Senate activities in 1744. — Disturbances in colleges and chancelleries. — Shortage of salt. — Case of the textile/cloth factories. — Shortage of labor hands. — Robberies. — Quelling the peasants. — Synod activities: orders regarding newly baptized. — Schism. — Khlystyism. — Destruction of the College of Economy. — Voivodes and archbishops. — Correction of the Bible. — Question of marriage for the grand duke-heir. — The empress settles on the Princess of Anhalt-Zerbst. — Brummer’s letters to her mother. — Friedrich II’s participation. — Arrival of Zerbst princesses in Moscow. — Attitude of the princess-mother toward parties. — Engagement. — Exiling Shetardi from Russia. — The empress’s trip to Kyiv. — Focus shifts toward Prussian relations.

Volume 22. The reign of Empress Elizaveta Petrovna. 1745–1748

Volume 22. Contents

Chapter 01. Continuation of the reign of Empress Elizaveta Petrovna. 1745
The Grunstein case. — Fate of Tatishchev. — Vyatka archbishop Varlaam. — Violent acts against the clergy. — Converting non-Russians to Christianity. — Elizaveta’s efforts to support Orthodoxy. — The case of the sale of church books. — Troubles regarding publishing the Bible. — The idea of foreign censorship; the chancellor does not allow it to be carried out. — Senate’s household concerns: care about salt, cases about iron, linen, cloth, and silk production. — Robberies, fires. — Revision (audit). — Family concerns of the Empress. — Wedding of the Grand Duke. — Irritation at the Princess of Zerbst and her departure from Russia. — Brummer and Lestok lose influence. — A change in Vorontsov’s relations to Bestuzhev. — Russia’s relations with Western Europe regarding the war between Friedrich II and Saxony. — A meeting in St. Petersburg on whether to restrain the Prussian king by offering aid to Saxony. — Decision to send the Russian army to help Saxony. — Swedish affairs. — Danish affairs. — Turkish affairs.
Chapter 02. Continuation of the reign of Empress Elizaveta Petrovna. 1746
Pleasures and sad incidents in St. Petersburg at the beginning of 1746. — The death of Anna Leopoldovna. — Fate of the Brunswick family. — Senate activities. — Smolensk Nobility (shlyahta). — Financial arrangements. — Industry. — Old concerns about salt. — Strengthening foreign trade. — Clash of the Belgorod merchants with the Main Magistrate. — Revision. — Clash of Estland privileges with the general orders of the government. — Church affairs. — The Synod’s relations to its chief procurator, Prince Shakhovskoy. — External affairs. — The chancellor’s relations with the vice-chancellor. — Return of Count Vorontsov to St. Petersburg. — The Empress’s coolness toward him. — Bestuzhev’s financial difficulties. — An allied treaty with Austria. — Saxon and Polish affairs. Troubles with Prussia. — Swedish affairs. — Danish, Turkish, and Persian affairs.
Chapter 03. Continuation of the reign of Empress Elizaveta Petrovna. 1746
The chancellor Bestuzhev’s attitude toward the Senate. — The Senate’s intensified concerns about finances due to political circumstances. — Old concerns about salt. — Measures against smuggling/illegal production. — Tobacco. — Shortage of money and labor hands. — Results of the audit. — A note by Count Pyotr Shuvalov about a method to multiply revenues. — Obstacles for trade. — Magistrate disturbances. — Obstacles to foreign trade on the part of Poland. — Industry. — Robberies and fires. — Police. — Regional administration. — Colleges. — Church affairs. — The hospital case. — The matter of the Pyskorsky monastery. — Conflicting opinions of foreigners about Russia. — Negotiations about the “transfer” of the Russian army to the sea powers. — Success of the negotiations. — Austrian affairs. — Saxon affairs. — Relations to Poland regarding persecution of Orthodoxy. — Prussian affairs. — Swedish affairs. — Turkish affairs. — The impostor Fyodor Ivanov. — Persian affairs.
Chapter 04. Continuation of the reign of Empress Elizaveta Petrovna. 1748
Orders regarding war. Financial measures. — A new nature of the consulate in Persia. — Terrible fires. — Police conditions. — Robberies. — Rural population. — Colleges. — The College of Foreign Affairs; relations between its members. — Lestok’s downfall. — Contacts with England, Austria, Saxony, Poland, Sweden, France. — Departure of the Empress to Moscow.
Chapter 05. Continuation of the reign of Empress Elizaveta Petrovna.
Education in Russia in the first seven years of Elizaveta’s reign. 1741–1748
Appendices to Volume 22