History of Russia from Ancient Times. Volumes 25, 26

38 hrs. 52 min.

Language Russian

Author Sergey Solovyov

Narrator Valeria Lebedeva

Volume 25. From the reign of Emperor Peter III to the beginning of the reign of Empress Catherine II Alexeyevna. 1761–1763.

Volume 25. Contents

Comments on Volumes 25 and 26
Chapter 01. Reign of Emperor Peter III Feodorovich 25 December 1761 — 28 June 1762
Mercies of the new ruler. — Return of exiles. — New Prosecutor General Glebov. — New council. — Holstein princes and other influential people. — First orders in the Senate. — Manifesto on the freedom of the nobility. — Destruction of the Secret Chancellery. — Court department in the Senate; division of the Justice — and the Estate Colleges and the Court order into departments. — Decision in the case of church estates. — Decree on the return of fugitive dissenters (Old Believers). — Peasant unrest. — State of finances. — Military preparations. — Peace and alliance with Prussia. — Clashes with Denmark. — Relations with Austria, France, England, Sweden, Poland, and Turkey. — Displeasure in Russia over the change in foreign policy. — Difficult position of Chancellor Vorontsov and Iv. Iv. Shuvalov. — Displeasure of the closest persons. — Displeasure of the clergy and the troops. — Signs of disorder in the government machine. — General dissatisfaction due to Peter III’s behavior. — Fears of Prussian ministers regarding this dissatisfaction. — Correspondence of Frederick II with Peter III on this matter. — Rumyantsev and the overseas army. — Ivan Antonovich. — Grave situation of Empress Catherine. — N. I. Panin; Hetman Razumovsky. — Movements in the Guards. — Princess Dashkova. — Orlovs. — Acceleration of the movement in favor of Catherine. — Proclamation of her as Empress and Autocrat on 28 June. — Her campaign to Peterhof. — Unsuccessful attempts by Peter III; he refuses the throne.
Chapter 02. Reign of Empress Catherine II Alexeyevna 1762
Awards to participants in the event of 28 June. — Return of Count Bestuzhev-Ryumin and Prince Shakhovskoy. — Solemn acquittal of Bestuzhev. — Adadurov and Elagin. — Fate of Gudovich, Volkov, and Melnunov. — Position of Iv. Iv. Shuvalov. — The Vorontsovs. — Minikh. — Catherine in the Senate. — Death of Peter III. — The idea of a monument to Catherine. — Financial measures. — Measures against bribery, against monopolies. — Peasant unrest. — The case of church estates. — The case of establishing the Imperial Council. — Preparations for the coronation. — Correspondence of Teplov with Panin. — The empress arrives in Moscow. — Coronation. — The case of Guryov and Khrushchov. — Care for improving the conditions of both capitals. — Abolition of sheriffs/investigators. — Continued peasant unrest. — Commission on church estates. — Summoning foreign colonists. — Efforts to return Russian refugees. — End of the case of the Imperial Council. — General character of Russia’s foreign policy at the beginning of Catherine II’s reign. — Relations with Prussia, Denmark, Sweden, Poland, Courland, Turkey, Austria, France, and England.
Chapter 03. Continuation of the reign of Empress Catherine II Alexeyevna 1763
Resignation of old nobles. — Troubles for Iv. Iv. Shuvalov regarding university administration; his departure abroad. — Departure abroad of the chancellor, Count Vorontsov. — N. I. Panin—senior member of the Foreign Collegium. — The empress’s orders regarding this collegium. — Zakhar Chernyshev and Rumyantsev. — Volkov—Orenburg governor. — Telleben was taken abroad. — Clash between Bestuzhev and Panin. — The case of Arseny Matseyevich. — Catherine’s journey to Rostov. — The case of Khitrovo. — Return of the court to St. Petersburg. — Division of the Senate into departments. — Abuses in the provinces. — End of the case of Irkutsk investigator Krylov. — Fall of Prosecutor General Glebov. — Reports by Prince Vyazemsky on the state of the eastern provinces. — Disturbances among the merchants. — Limiting torture and confiscation. — Unsuccessful outcome of the Commission on the Rights of the Nobility. — The case of the dissenters (Old Believers). — Peasant unrest. — Peter Iv. Panin’s opinion on peasant escapes. — Audit/revision. — New ranks. — Orders regarding salt. — Measures regarding trade. — Foundation of the Foundling Home. — Establishment of the Medical Collegium. — Fires. — Russian settlements in the East. — Foreign settlements. — Fall of Khorvat. — Cases of the Kyrgyz and Kalmyk. — Movement in Little Russia to establish hereditary hetmanship. — Question of electing the Polish king after the death of Augustus III. — Correspondence on this issue with foreign powers.

Volume 26. Reign of Empress Catherine II Alexeyevna. 1764–1765.

Volume 26. Contents

Chapter 01. Continuation of the reign of Empress Catherine II Alexeyevna. 1764
Senate concerns about a monument to the empress. — The plot of Mirovich. — Catherine’s trip to the Baltic regions. — The Schlisselburg incident. — Trial of Mirovich and his execution. — Prince Vyazemsky appointed to carry out the duties of Prosecutor General. — Instruction written for him by the empress. — Dispute in the Senate regarding the post of general recluitter for petitions (general-reketmeyster). — Resolution of the question of confiscated estates. — Financial orders. — The first Russian ship in the Mediterranean Sea. — Concerns about trade. — Serfs among merchants. — Runaways. — Share-farmers/half-farmers (polovniki). — Unsuccessful outcome of the audit/revision. — Instruction to governors. — Pensions. — End of the commission on church estates. — Dissenters. — Teplov’s note on disorders in Little Russia. — Final abolition of hetmanship. — Rumyantsev—chairman of the Little Russian Collegium. — Instruction to him by the empress. — Transformation of New Serbia. — Sloboda-Ukraine Governorate. — State of the eastern ukraina. — The case of the Kamchatka expedition. — Polish affairs. — Violence at local sejms (sjemiks). — The Czartoryskis demand the entry of Russian troops into Poland. — Convening sejm. — Beginning of transformations. — Radziwill and Branicki flee from Russian troops. — Election of Stanisław Poniatowski as king. — The new king asks the empress to allow reforms in the Polish constitution. — Catherine does not agree. — Failure of the dissenters’ case. — Russia’s alliance with Prussia. — Frederick II makes it clear that one must not allow reforms in Poland. — Displeasure of Russia with Austria regarding Polish matters. — Tense relations between Russia and France. — Efforts of the Russian court to keep the Porte from interfering in Polish affairs. — The animosity of the Crimean Khan toward Russia. — Consul Nikiphorov in Crimea. — Change in French policy toward Sweden. — Intensification of its struggle there with Russia. — Continuation of friendship between Russia and Denmark. — Baron Korff’s project on a “Northern Alliance.” — Unsuccessful negotiations with England about an alliance.
Chapter 02. Continuation of the reign of Empress Catherine II Alexeyevna. 1765
Sins/“guilty” buyouts (redemption payments). — Maintenance of the army. — The empress’s dissatisfaction with the navy and works at the Baltic port. — The Reval harbor. — Catherine’s journey along the Ladoga Canal. — The canal from Sias to Volkhov. — Senate activity on the question of juvenile criminals and the concealment of villains. — The empress’s firmness in limiting torture. — Catherine’s memorandum regarding the Volynsky case. — News in the Senate. — Disorders in the colleges. — Sad news about Russian trade in Constantinople. — Introduction of potatoes. — Activity of the Novgorod governor Sievers. — Commission on state boundary surveying. — Question of the arrangement of barracks. — Events in provincial administration. — Slowness of the audit. — Commission on factory peasants. — Serfs among merchants. — Mail service. — Abolition of fees for appointing clergy. — Determination of pay for religious rites/requests. — Schism (raskol). — The case of Pyskorsky abbot Iust. — Clash between the Voronezh bishop and Don Cossacks. — Rumyantsev’s activity in Little Russia. — Clash of foreign colonists with former Russian settlers. — Self-styled claimants (impostors). — General view on Russia’s relations with Poland. — The dissenters’ case and Poland’s clash with Prussia. — Relations of Russia with other European states in 1765.
Chapter 03. Continuation in Russia from the founding of Moscow University to the death of Lomonosov. 1755–1765
Influence of French literature under Elizabeth and Catherine II. — Intellectual movement in France in the period described. Relations of Russian people to Western enlightenment under Elizabeth. — Correspondence between Voltaire and Iv. Iv. Shuvalov under Elizabeth. — Catherine II’s relations with Voltaire, D’Alembert, Diderot. — Catherine’s correspondence with Geoffrin. — Education of the Grand Duke. — Poroshin, his “Notes,” his fate. — Lomonosov’s and Trediakovsky’s last activity. — Müller. — Schlözer. — Moscow University. — Kazan gymnasium. — Corps units. — Sending students of theological schools abroad. — Private education. — Reminder from the Synod about religious and moral upbringing. — Krishinin. — New educational institutions under Catherine II; Betsky. — Literature. — Theater. — Art.
Additions to Volume 26