Terrible Tsarinas

neously presented her fingers to the attaché, who brushed them

with his lips before standing straight again, under the murderous

gaze of the groom. Seeing the tsar’s rage, Millesimo’s friends took

him by the elbow and propelled him into the crowd, where they

disappeared. At this point Prince Vasily Dolgoruky, one of the

most eminent members of this large family, felt that the proper

time had come to address a short homily to his niece. “Yesterday,

I was your uncle,” he said, facing a circle of attentive listeners.

“Now, you are my sovereign and I am your faithful servant. How-

ever, I call upon my former rights in giving you this advice: do not

look upon the one whom you are marrying as your husband only,

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Machinations around the Throne

but also as your master, and make it your only concern to please

him. . . . If any member of your family asks you for a favor, forget it

and consider only the merits of the situation. That will be the

best means of ensuring all the happiness that I wish you.”1

These judicious words completely spoiled Peter’s mood. He

scowled until the end of the reception. Even during the fireworks

at the end of the celebration, he did not so much as glance at the

woman with whom he had just exchanged pledges of eternal love

and confidence. The more he looked out at the faces surrounding

him, the more he felt that he had fallen into a trap.

While he had allowed himself to be buffeted about between

political intrigues, women, drink and the pleasures of hunting, the

Supreme Privy Council had, after a fashion, managed the affairs of

State. At the initiative of these wise men and with the tsar’s con-

currence, measures were taken to reinforce their control over the

magistrature, to regulate the use of bills of exchange, to ban the

clergy from wearing lay clothing and to keep knowledge of Rus-

sia’s problems reserved to the Senate. In short, in spite of the em-

peror’s defection, the empire went on.

Meanwhile, Peter learned that his sweetheart Ivan Dol-

goruky was planning to marry little Natalya Sheremetiev. To be

honest, he did not see much problem in giving up his former favor-

ite to a rival. It was agreed that, to affirm the bond of friendship

between the four young people, their two marriages should be

celebrated the same day. However, this reasonable arrangement

still troubled Peter. Everything and everybody had disappointed

him and annoyed him. There was no place where he could feel

comfortable and he did not have anyone whom he felt he could

trust.

Shortly before the end of the year, he paid a surprise visit to

Elizabeth, whom he had neglected for the last several months. He

found her poorly housed, poorly served, and lacking the essen-

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Terrible Tsarinas

tials — whereas she should have been the first lady in the empire.

He had gone to her to complain about his own distress, and in-

stead it was she who complained to him about her destitution.

She accused the Dolgorukys of having humiliated her, of ruining

her and of preparing to dominate him through the wife that they

had tossed into his arms. Shaken by his aunt’s complaints (and

still secretly in love with her), he answered, “This is not my fault!

No one obeys me; but I will soon find the means to break my

chains!”12

These remarks were reported to the Dolgorukys, who put

their heads together to work out a response that would be effec-

tive while preserving the appearance of respecting the tsar. More-

over, they had another family problem on their hands that re-

quired urgent intervention: Ivan had fallen out with his sister Ka-

tya, who had lost all sense of restraint since her engagement and

was laying claim to the late Grand Duchess Natalya’s diamonds,

saying that the tsar had promised them to her. This sordid quarrel

over a box of jewels was liable to irritate Peter just at the moment

when they needed more than ever to dampen his mistrust. But

how could they make a woman listen to reason, when she was less

sensitive to male logic than to the glitter of precious stones?

On January 6, 1730, at the time of the traditional blessing of

the waters of the Neva, Peter arrived late at the ceremony and po-

sitioned himself behind the open sledge in which Catherine was

seated. In the frozen air, the chanting of the priest and the singing

of the choir resonated weirdly; vapor rose from the mouths of the

singers. Peter shivered throughout the interminable service. Re-

turning home, he could not stop shaking; he was put to bed. They

thought he’d gotten a chill. And anyway, by January 12, he had

recovered. But, five days later, the doctors detected symptoms of

small pox, which was often fatal at the time. Receiving this news,

all the Dolgorukys gathered together at the Golovin palace in ter-

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Machinations around the Throne

ror. They already foresaw the worst and started looking for ways

to avert the catastrophe. Amid the general panic, Alexis Dol-

goruky stated that only one solution existed, should the tsar die