Terrible Tsarinas

took a nudge from Leon Naryshkin, Sergei Saltykov’s cheerful

companion in adventure, to push Poniatowski to declare his inter-

est. Miss Vladislavov, Catherine’s chambermaid and confidante,

facilitated their first meetings at Oranienbaum. Always well-

informed about such intrigues, the tsarina soon heard that her

daughter-in-law had found a substitute for Saltykov, that her lat-

est lover was Poniatowski and that the lovebirds were together

constantly while the husband, indifferent, closed his eyes.

Elizabeth didn’t mind that her daughter-in-law was stray-

ing, but she did wonder whether there might not be a political

motive behind this love affair. It suddenly occurred to her that

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there were two rival courts in Russia, one centered around Her

Majesty and one centered around the grand-ducal couple — and

that the interests of these two centers of power were at odds.

To secure the sympathies of “the great court,” traditionally

Francophile, Louis XV sent to St. Petersburg a high-level emis-

sary, Sir Mackenzie Douglas. A Scotsman by origin, he was a par-

tisan of the Stuarts and had taken refuge in France; he was part of

the “parallel cabinet” of Louis the Well-Loved, called “the King’s

Secret.” His purported mission in Russia was to buy furs; mean-

while, he took the opportunity to communicate to the tsarina a

confidential code that would enable her to correspond directly

with Louis XV. Before he even started out, Douglas had been in-

formed that his mission had become more delicate than envisaged,

for Bestuzhev was now in the pay of London and was serving the

British cause. Even the grand duchess, supported by her current

lover, was said to be inclined in favor of the English. And Ponia-

towski, during his temporary absence from the Polish court, had

just been granted a prominent official position: he was named

Minister for the King of Poland in Russia. Thus his presence in

the Russian capital was made more reliable, long-term, giving

Catherine more confidence in the possibility of a peaceful future

for their relationship. She was further comforted by a certain eas-

ing of restrictions in her regard on the part of Alexis Bestuzhev.

Having joined the chancellor in the pro-England clan, she was less

liable to attack. The odious espionage to which she had been sub-

mitted, on behalf of the empress, was removed. The only reports

Elizabeth now received from Oranienbaum were in regard to the

pro-Prussian extravagances of her nephew.

In this atmosphere of reciprocal surveillance, cautious bar-

gaining and courteous deception, a first treaty was concocted in

St. Petersburg in an effort to specify how the various powers

would respond in the event of a French-English conflict. But sud-

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denly, following secret negotiations, a new accord was signed in

Westminster, on January 16, 1756. It stipulated that, in the case of

a generalized war, Russia would join France in its fight against

England and Prussia. This abrupt inversion of alliances shocked

the uninitiated and appalled Elizabeth. Without a doubt, Bestuz-

hev, better paid by someone else, had sacrificed Russia’s honor-

bound commitments to Prussia. And Catherine, that hare-brained

young lady, apparently was very happy to follow Bestuzhev in this

scandalous about-face. She always had shown herself to be too

much impressed with the French spirit! Her Majesty’s fury was a

combination of political frustration and wounded personal pride.

She regretted having trusted Bestuzhev to conduct the interna-

tional talks, when the vice-chancellor, Vorontsov, and the Shu-

valov brothers had been advising her to bide her time.

In order to try to limit the damage, she hastily convened a

“conference” in February 1756, where Bestuzhev, Vorontsov, the

Shuvalov brothers, Prince Trubestkoy, General Alexander Butur-

lin, General Apraxin and Admiral Golytsin met under her effective

presidency. All these minds, working together, would find a way

out of this mess — if anyone could! In the worst case they had to

decide whether, assuming a confrontation did take place, Russia

could accept “subsidies” in exchange for its neutrality. Draped in

imperial honor, Elizabeth said no. But then came word that Louis

XV was on the verge of signing a pact of reciprocal military assis-

tance with Maria Theresa, in Austria. Bound by its former en-

gagements to Austria, Russia became, at the same time, an ally of

France.

Trapped in spite of herself by Louis XV and Maria Theresa,

Elizabeth was obliged to take on Frederick II and George II.

Should she be pleased or frightened? All around her, the courtiers

were divided between national pride, shame at having betrayed

their friends of yesterday, and fear that there would be a high

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price to pay for this unnecessary change of course. Behind closed

doors, it was said that the Grand Duchess Catherine, Bestuzhev,