Terrible Tsarinas

sometimes the chamberlain Basil Chulkov, sometimes Her Maj-

esty’s eternal suitor Simon Naryshkin, sometimes Shubin (a pri-

vate in her guard), and sometimes the indestructible and ever so

accommodating Alexis Razumovsky, the most assiduous and hon-

ored of all.

The people around Elizabeth called him “the night emperor.”

She often deceived him, but in the end she could never stand to

give him up. Only in his arms could she feel that she was both

dominant and dominated at the same time. He had a deep voice,

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Terrible Tsarinas

and used to be the cantor in the imperial chapel; he spoke with a

heavy Ukrainian accent, only said simple things, and — a rarity in

the tsarina’s entourage — never asked for favors. At most he con-

sented to have his mother, Natalya Demianovna, share the fortune

that he was enjoying. He was concerned that contact with the

court would harm a woman of her condition, accustomed to dis-

cretion and poverty. Natalya Demianovna’s first visit to the palace

was an event. Seeing this muzhik’s widow stepping into her apart-

ments, wedged into a formal gown, Elizabeth forgot all modesty

and exclaimed with gratitude, “Blessed be the fruit of your en-

trails!” But her lover’s mother was not an ambitious woman.

Hardly having been named lady-in-waiting and installed in the

palace, “Razumikhina”2, as she was contemptuously called behind

her back, requested permission to leave the court. Returning to

obscurity, sheltered from scandalmongers, she once again donned

her peasant clothing.

Alexis Razumovsky understood very well how frightened

this “woman of the people” must have been by the excesses of

those at the top. He insisted that Her Majesty spare his mother

the signs of honor that others around her were so keen to receive.

As for himself, in spite of his rising stature and fortune, he refused

to consider himself worthy of the good fortune that had come to

him. The more his influence over Elizabeth increased, the less he

wished to be involved in politics.

His lack of interest in intrigues and rewards only gave his

imperial mistress greater confidence in him. She made many pub-

lic appearances with him, and she was proud of this companion

whose only claim to respect from the nation were the titles that

she had given him. When she presented him she was presenting

her own handiwork, her personal Russia that she offered to her

contemporaries for their assessment. He owed his elevation to

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An Autocrat at Work and Play

her, and she was gratified to see her favorite receiving further hon-

ors. Scornful as he was of official distinctions, she was delighted,

as much for herself as for him, when he was named count of the

Holy Roman Empire by Charles VII. When she made him a field

marshal, he smiled ironically and thanked her in terms that give a

clear picture of the man he was: “Liz, you can do whatever you

like, but you will never make anyone take me seriously, even as a

simple lieutenant.”3

Soon, all the court considered Razumovsky not only the

“night emperor” but a Prince Consort, as legitimate as if his union

with Elizabeth had been consecrated by a priest. Moreover, ru-

mors had been circulating for months that they had married, in

great secrecy, in the church of the little village of Perovo, outside

of Moscow. The couple supposedly had been blessed by Father

Dubiansky, the empress’s chaplain and guardian of her deepest

secrets. No courtier attended these clandestine nuptials. Nothing

changed, outwardly, in the tsarina’s relations with her favorite. If

Elizabeth had wanted this secret sacrament, it was simply to keep

God on her side. Debauched and unruly as her lifestyle was, she

needed to believe that the Almighty was with her in her everyday

life and in her exercise of power. This illusion of a supernatural

partnership helped her maintain some semblance of equilibrium

in the midst of the many contradictions that shook her from all

sides.

From that day forward, Razumovsky visited her at night

with impunity. This new situation should have encouraged them

to exchange political opinions with as much ease and confidence

as their caresses, but Razumovsky was still hesitant to abandon

his neutrality. However, while he never imposed his will on Eliza-

beth when it came to making fundamental decisions, she was well

aware of his preferences. Guided by his instinct as a man of the

earth, he was generally supportive of Chancellor Bestuzhev’s na-

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Terrible Tsarinas

tionalist ideas. In such times, when some states are at war and

others are preparing for it, and when forging alliances is the prin-

cipal occupation of all the foreign ministries, it was difficult to see

clearly where Russia’s best interests lay. What is clear, in any

case, is that the hostilities between Russia and Sweden

(recklessly started in 1741 under the regency of Anna Leo-

poldovna) came to an end. The Russians, led by Generals Lascy

and Keith, won several victories over the Swedes and a peace