Terrible Tsarinas

results of the matrimonial maneuvers that had been conducted in

his behalf? The principal interested party, too, was kept out of

the negotiations of which she was the object. Everything was

agreed through confidential correspondence between Zerbst

(where Sophia’s parents resided), Berlin (where Frederick II was

headquartered), and St. Petersburg (where the empress was anx-

iously awaiting the news from Prussia).

All the information she was able to obtain concurred: ac-

cording to the few people who had met the girl, she was gracious,

cultivated and reasonable, spoke French as well as German, and,

despite her tender years, conducted herself well under any cir-

cumstance. Too good to be true? Seeing Figchen’s portrait, sent

by Frederick II, Elizabeth was even more convinced. The little

princess was truly delicious, with a sweet face and an innocent

look.

Fearing any last-minute disappointment, the tsarina kept

secret from her entourage the imminence of the great event that

she was preparing for the happiness of Russia. But, while Alexis

Bestuzhev may have been in the dark, diplomats close to Prussia

were well aware of what was going on, and they found it hard to

keep the news to themselves. Mardefeld kept La Chétardie and

Lestocq informed as the talks progressed day by day. Here and

there, rumors began to circulate. The Francophile clan was

guardedly optimistic to hear that this princess, educated by a

French teacher, was coming to join the court. She might be Prus-

< 161 >

Terrible Tsarinas

sian by blood, but she could not help but serve the cause of France

if she had been well-instructed by her governess — even if the

marriage plans fell through.

Elizabeth received news of Sophia’s progress en route to the

capital, with her mother. They presented themselves in Berlin,

where they received Frederick II’s blessing and bankrupted them-

selves buying a suitable trousseau. Sophia’s father stayed behind

in Zerbst. Was it to save money or to save face that he refused to

accompany his daughter on this quest for a prestigious fiancé?

Elizabeth didn’t care: the fewer Prussian relations surrounding

the girl, the better it would be. She sent the ladies an allowance

to help defray their travel expenses, and suggested that they re-

main incognito at least until they arrived in Russia. When they

crossed the border, they were to say that they were on their way

to St. Petersburg to pay Her Majesty a courtesy call. The tsarina

had a comfortable carriage, drawn by six horses, waiting for them

when they got to Riga. They gratefully wrapped themselves in the

sable shawls that Elizabeth had thoughtfully provided against the

chill, and continued their journey north.

However, upon their arrival in St. Petersburg, , they were

disconcerted to learn that the Empress and all the court had re-

moved to Moscow in order to celebrate Grand Duke Peter’s 17th

birthday on February 10, 1744. In Elizabeth’s absence, La Chétar-

die and the Prussian ambassador, Mardefeld, had been left to wel-

come the ladies and introduce them to the capital city.

Sophia was enchanted by the beauty of this enormous city

built at the water’s edge, admired the regiments’ changing of the

guard and clapped her hands with pleasure at the sight of four-

teen elephants, a gift to Peter the Great from the shah of Persia.

Her shrewd mother, however, was miffed that they had not yet

been presented to the Empress. She was also worried by Chancel-

< 162 >

An Autocrat at Work and Play

lor Alexis Bestuzhev’s frosty attitude toward the intended match.

She knew he was “more Russian than Russia itself,” and violently

opposed to any concession to the interests of Prussia. Further-

more, she had heard rumors that he intended to induce the Holy

Synod to oppose the marriage on the basis that the two fiancés

were too closely related. Elizabeth was unfazed by Johanna’s wor-

ries: she knew that at the first hint from her, Bestuzhev would

drop his objections and fall into line, for fear of setting off another

wave of punishment against his clan, and she knew that the high

prelates, mumbling in their beards, would bite their tongues and

go ahead to give the couple their blessing.

Johanna cut short her daughter’s fun and entertainment and,

on Mardefeld’s advice, set off at the end of January to meet the

court in Moscow. La Chétardie escorted them. Elizabeth had set

a date to receive them at the Annenhof Palace, in the eastern sec-

tor of the second capital, on February 9 at 8:00pm. After keeping

them waiting, she gave orders to open the doors to the audience

hall and appeared at the threshold, while the two visitors sank

into their deepest curtseys. She took in the future fiancée in a

glance — a slender, pale young girl, in a pink and silver gown with

a plain skirt — no pannier. The toilette was inadequate but the

girl herself was darling. Standing next to this scrumptious young

lady, Peter — who had come to take delivery of this princess that

had been shipped to him — looked even uglier and more disagree-