The reign of Anna Ioannovna (1730-1740). Anna Ioannovna surrounded herself with people devoted and close to her. Her favorite, Chief Chamberlain Ernst Johann Biron, was summoned from Courland. Since then, he was constantly next to the queen and directed her actions. A representative and educated man, Biron preferred to remain in the shadows, but held in his hands all the threads of governing the country. The fundamental interests of Russia were alien to Biron.

Lina Ioannovna destroyed the Supreme Privy Council, and a Cabinet of three people appeared in its place. The leading role in it belonged to A.I. Osterman. The Secret Chancellery (a body of political investigation) was also created.

At the insistence of Biron and Osterman, Anna Ioannovna removed D.M. from power. Golitsyn, who ended up in the Shlisselburg fortress. The Dolgorukys were sent to their estates, and then sent to Berezov, where Menshikov had recently languished.

To strengthen her position, Anna Ioannovna took a number of measures. The service life of nobles was set at 25 years. The law on single inheritance was repealed, now estates could be divided between sons; estates were finally equalized with estates and were to be called estates - estates. A Cadet Corps was created, from which noble children immediately became officers and did not have to pull the soldier's burden, as under Peter. All this reconciled the nobility with the authorities.

The new government met the industrialists halfway: the old order of providing enterprises with serf labor was confirmed. Moreover, entrepreneurs were allowed to buy peasants without land. The scope of serf labor in the economy expanded.

The times of Anna Ioannovna are sometimes called the Bironovschina. However, Bironovism cannot be associated only with the dominance of people of German origin. Rather, it was a clan whose members were devoted to the queen, but that devotion was, as a rule, based on material interests - the key positions they received provided high incomes, the opportunity to enrich themselves through bribes and theft of the state treasury.

The concept of “Bironovism” includes the creation in Russia of a strong political investigation, a powerful repressive organization. The Secret Chancellery focused on persecuting those who opposed the empress and her favorite. The most high-profile case of the Secret Chancellery was the trial of the excellent administrator A.P. Volynsky, who opposed German dominance in the country. He was executed.

From the second half of the 1730s. Anna Ioannovna was less and less involved in government affairs. The empress's craving for entertainment and luxury blossomed in full bloom. Balls, masquerades, gala lunches and dinners, accompanied by illuminations and fireworks, replaced each other.

In the mid-1730s, trying to satisfy the ambitions of Anna Ioannovna, her favorite and her inner circle, Russia got involved in wars with Poland and Turkey, which further undermined the country's financial position.

– Empress of All Russia (1730-1740), b. 28 Jan 1693, crowned April 28 1730, d. 17 Oct. 1740 - The second daughter of Tsar Ivan Alekseevich and Tsarina Praskovya Feodorovna (born Saltykova), Anna Ioannovna grew up under rather unfavorable conditions in a difficult family situation. The weak and poor in spirit Tsar John had no importance in the family, and Tsarina Praskovya did not love her daughter. It is natural, therefore, that Princess A. did not receive a good upbringing that could develop her natural talents. Her teachers were Diedrich Osterman (brother of the vice-chancellor) and Ramburkh, the “dance master”. The results of such training were insignificant: Anna Ioannovna acquired some knowledge of the German language, and from a dance master she could learn “physical splendor and compliments in German and French style,” but she wrote poorly and illiterately in Russian. Until the age of seventeen, Anna Ioannovna spent most of her time in the village of Izmailovo, Moscow or St. Petersburg under the supervision of her aunt Catherine and uncle Peter the Great, who, however, did not bother to correct the shortcomings of her upbringing and, due to political calculations, married her to the Duke of Courland Frederick William in the fall 1710. But soon after the noisy wedding, celebrated with various celebrations and “curiosities,” on January 9, 1711, the Duke fell ill and died. Since then, Anna Ioannovna spent 19 years in Courland. The still young but widowed duchess did not live a particularly cheerful life here; she needed material resources and was put in a rather delicate position among foreigners in a country “which was a constant bone of contention between strong neighbors - Russia, Sweden, Prussia and Poland.” With the death of Frederick William and after the quarrel of his successor Ferdinand with the knighthood of Courland, the princes became contenders for the Duchy of Courland. And D. Menshikov and Moritz of Saxony (the illegitimate son of King Augustus II). Moritz even pretended to be in love with Anna Ioannovna; but his plans were upset thanks to the intervention of the St. Petersburg cabinet. During her stay in Courland, Anna Ioannovna lived mainly in Mitau. Having become close (around 1727) with E.I. Biron and surrounded by a small staff of courtiers, among whom Pyotr Mikhailovich Bestuzhev and his sons Mikhail and Alexei were of particular importance, she was in peaceful relations with the Courland nobility, although she did not break ties with Russia, where she traveled occasionally, for example in 1728 for the coronation of Peter II, whose sudden death (March 19, 1730) changed the fate of the duchess. The old nobility wanted to take advantage of the premature death of Pyotr Alekseevich to implement their political claims. At the meeting of the Supreme Privy Council on March 19, 1730, at the proposal of Prince. It was decided to bypass D. M. Golitsyn’s grandson Peter Vel. and his daughter. Anna Ioannovna was elected to the throne, and with a proposal for this election, under the condition of limiting power, the prince was immediately sent to Mitava. V. L. Dolgoruky, book. M. M. Golitsyn and gene. Leontyev. The Duchess signed the “conditions” presented to her and, therefore, decided, without the consent of the Supreme Privy Council, which consisted of 8 “persons,” not to start a war with anyone and not to make peace, not to burden loyal subjects with any new taxes and not to use state revenues for expenses. , not to promote both Russians and foreigners to the court ranks, not to promote anyone “above the rank of colonel” to the noble ranks, both civil and military, land and sea, and finally, to the nobility “life, property and honor” without do not take away the court. If these conditions were violated, the empress was deprived of the Russian crown. Upon arrival in Moscow, the Empress, however, did not show any particular desire to submit to the conditions she had signed. In the capital, she found a whole party (Couns. Golovkin, Osterman), which was ready to counteract the oligarchic aspirations of the leaders and, perhaps, knew that the officers of the guard regiments and the small nobility, who had come to the expected wedding of Emperor Peter II, were gathering in the houses of the princes Trubetskoy, Baryatinsky, Cherkassky and clearly express their dissatisfaction with the “lust for power” of the Supreme Privy Council. These princes, together with many nobles, were allowed into the palace and persuaded the Empress to assemble the Council and Senate. At this solemn meeting on February 25, 1730, Prince. Cherkassky submitted a petition from the nobility, which was read aloud by V.N. Tatishchev and in which he asked the empress to discuss the standards and gentry projects by elected representatives of the generals and nobility. The Empress signed the petition, but expressed a desire for the nobility to immediately discuss the petition submitted to her. After a short discussion, Prince Trubetskoy, on behalf of the entire nobility, submitted an address to the Empress, which was compiled and read by the prince. Antiochus Cantemir. In the address, the nobility asked the empress to accept “autocracy”, to prudently rule the state in justice and in easing taxes, to destroy the Supreme Council and elevate the importance of the Senate, and also to grant the nobility the right to become members of the Senate “in fallen places”, to elect presidents and governors by “balloting” . The Empress willingly agreed to accept autocracy and on the same day (February 25) tore up the “conditions” she had signed shortly before. Thus the political undertaking of the old Moscow nobility collapsed. The Dolgoruky princes were exiled to their villages or to Siberia, and soon afterwards some of them were executed. The Golitsyn princes suffered less: “at first, none of them were sent into exile; they were only removed from the Court and from the most important state affairs, however, they were entrusted with the rule of the Siberian provinces.”

Empress Anna Ioannovna. Portrait by L. Caravaque, 1730

Anna Ioannovna was 37 years old when she became the autocratic Empress of All Russia. Gifted with a sensitive heart and natural mind, she, like her father, was, however, deprived of a strong will, and therefore easily put up with the leading role played by her favorite E. I. Biron at court and in government. Like her grandfather (Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich), she willingly talked with the monks, loved church splendor, but, on the other hand, she was passionately interested in target shooting, kennels, baiting and menageries. The old Moscow palace rank could no longer satisfy the new needs of court life in the 18th century. Extraordinary luxury was often reconciled with bad taste and poorly covered the dirt; Western European dress and secular politeness did not always smooth out the natural rudeness of morals, which was so dramatically reflected in the nature of court entertainment of that time. The Empress provided her patronage to saints and hangers-on, kept various jesters at court (Prince Volkonsky, Prince Golitsyn, Apraksin, Balakirev, Costa, Pedrillo), organized “maskerades” and curious processions; Of these, the most famous are those that took place on the occasion of the marriage of the jester Prince. Golitsyn and the construction of the ice house at the end of winter 1739. Thus, the court life of this time was no longer regulated by the strict and boring ritual of the Moscow tower, but it was not yet accustomed to the refined forms of Western European court life.

Upon accepting autocracy, the empress hastened to destroy the institution, which revealed a desire to limit her supreme power. The Supreme Privy Council in 1731 was replaced by the Cabinet, however, equal to it in importance. The Cabinet, in essence, managed all affairs, although it sometimes acted in a mixed composition with the Senate. The latter acquired greater importance than before, divided into 5 departments (ecclesiastical affairs, military, financial, judicial and commercial-industrial), but decided matters at general meetings. An attempt was also made (by decree of June 1, 1730) to attract “good and knowledgeable people” from the nobility, clergy and merchants to the drawing up of a new Code. But due to the failure of the majority of elected officials to appear by the deadline (September 1), this was done by decree on December 10. 1730 was entrusted to a special commission, which worked on drawing up the patrimonial and judicial chapters of the Code until 1744. Thus, the requests made by the nobility on February 25, 1730 remained far from being fulfilled. Nevertheless, changes in his position occurred politically and economically, changes due to which his official significance also changed significantly. These changes were caused, on the one hand, in addition to the government, by the participation that the nobility took in palace coups since the death of the Transformer, on the other hand, by the desire of the government itself to alleviate the strong tension in which the national economy had been since the time of Peter. Under the influence of these reasons, military service was made easier. The manifesto of December 31, 1736 allowed one of the noble’s sons, “whoever the father pleases, to remain at home to maintain the economy”; however, this son had to learn to read and write and at least arithmetic in order to be fit for civil service. Since January 1732, the salary of those of the gentry's children who were sent to serve was compared with the salary of foreigners, and the manifesto of December 31 limited their service to a 25-year period, considering it valid from the age of 20. Along with the ease of service, the privileges of landowners were increased. By decree of March 17, 1731, the law on single inheritance (majority) was abolished, estates were finally equalized with patrimonies, the procedure for inheritance of spouses was determined, and the widow received 1/7 of the real estate and 1/4 of the movable property of her late husband, even if she entered into marriage. th marriage. Military service was difficult not only for the nobles, but also for the peasants, who hired recruits for a lot of money (an average of 150 rubles. for each). In 1732, Minikh proposed collecting recruits for 15-30 years by lot from peasant families with more than one son or brother, and issuing letters of assurance to the recruits stating that if he served 10 years as a private and did not receive a promotion, he could be promoted to military service. resignation.

But if in the internal activities of the government quite significant deviations from the views of Peter are noticeable, then in relations with Little Russia and in foreign policy it, on the contrary, sought to fulfill Peter’s plans. True, the government abandoned the idea of ​​​​establishing itself on the shores of the Caspian Sea and at the beginning of 1732 returned to Persia the regions conquered from it by Peter. But in Little Russia, after the death of Hetman Apostol in 1734, a new hetman was not appointed, but a “government of the hetman’s order” was established of 6 “persons,” three Great Russians and three Little Russians, who, under the authority of the Senate, but “in a special office,” ruled Little Russia. In relations with Poland and Turkey, the previous principles of Peter’s policy also continued to apply. After the death of Augustus II, Russia, in alliance with Austria, sought to install his son Augustus III on the Polish throne, who promised to promote Russian plans for Courland and Livonia. But Stanislaw Leszczynski continued to voice his claims to the Polish throne, and the marriage of his daughter Maria to Louis XV strengthened the influence of his party. Then the Polish party, which sympathized with the election of Augustus, itself turned to the empress with a request for help, who was not slow to take advantage of this opportunity. Following the appearance of twenty thousand Russian troops under the command of Count Lassi in Lithuania, the election of Augustus took place (September 24, 1733). Stanislav Leszczynski fled to Danzig. Lassi also arrived here, but the siege of the city went well only with the arrival of Minich (March 5), and with the appearance of the Russian fleet (June 28, 1734) the city surrendered and Leshchinsky was forced to flee. The siege of Danzig lasted 135 days and cost the Russian troops more than 8,000 people, and a million chervonets indemnity was taken from the city. But Russian forces were needed not so much in the northwest as in the southeast. Peter the Great could not remember the Prut Peace without annoyance and, apparently, intended to start a new war with Turkey; at several strategic points in southern Ukraine, he prepared a significant amount of various kinds of military supplies (flour, soldiers' clothing and weapons), which, when examined by Inspector General Keith in 1732, turned out, however, to be almost all rotten and spoiled. The closest reason for declaring war was the Tatar raids on Ukraine. The government took advantage of the time when the Turkish Sultan was busy with a difficult war with Persia and when the Crimean Khan was away with selected troops in Dagestan, to open military operations. However, the first expedition of General Leontyev to Crimea with a detachment of twenty thousand was unsuccessful (in October. 1735). Leontyev lost more than 9,000 people without any results. Further actions were more successful; They were partly directed towards Azov, partly towards the Crimea. The Azov army (1736) was under the command of Lassi, who, after a rather difficult siege, captured Azov (June 20). At the same time, Minikh took Perekop (May 22) and reached the Bakhchisarai gorges, and Kinburun surrendered to General Leontyev. In 1737, Lassi devastated the western part of Crimea, and Minikh began the siege of Ochakov, which was taken on July 2. In the autumn of the same year, General Stofelen bravely defended himself here from the Turks besieging him. This, however, did not end the hostilities. In 1739, Lassi again invaded the Crimea with the aim of taking possession of Kafoya, and Minikh moved to the southwest, won a brilliant victory at Stavuchany (August 17), took Khotin (19th of the same month), entered the city of Iasi on September 1 and received expressions of submission to the Empress from the secular and spiritual officials of Moldova. But in early September, Minich received orders to stop hostilities. The Russian government wanted peace; the war, which had begun long ago, required a lot of money and became tiresome for the army itself, which in the wild steppe area had to carry with it not only supplies, but also water, even firewood, the sick and wounded. The Empress was forced to conclude this peace hastily and far from beneficial for Russia due to the unsuccessful actions of the allied Austrian troops. Back at the end of 1738, the Russian government promised Charles VI to send an auxiliary corps to Transylvania, but could not fulfill its promise, since the Russians would have to go through Poland in that case, and the Poles did not agree to let them through. The Austrian court, however, continued to demand the expulsion of this auxiliary corps. Meanwhile, the unsuccessful actions of the Austrian troops and the machinations of French diplomats, who, in the interests of France, sought to separate the two allied courts, prompted Austria to conclude an extremely unfavorable for it and, moreover, a separate peace, signed without the knowledge of the allies, with the Porte. Deprived of an ally and foreseeing the imminent end of the Sultan's war with Persia, the Empress also decided to conclude the (Belgrade) peace, according to which Azov remained with Russia, but without fortifications, the Taganrog port could not be resumed, Russia could not keep ships on the Black Sea and had the right to conduct trade on it only through Turkish ships. But Russia received the right to build a fortress on the Don island of Cherkassk, Turkey - on the Kuban. Finally, Russia acquired a piece of steppe between the Bug and the Dnieper. Thus, the war, which cost Russia up to 100,000 soldiers, turned out to be useless, as predicted by Gr. Osterman even before the outbreak of hostilities. The conclusion of peace was celebrated magnificently in St. Petersburg on February 14, 1740.

The reign of Anna Ioannovna. 1730–1740

So, in 1730, unexpectedly for everyone (and for herself), Anna Ivanovna became autocrat. Contemporaries left mostly unfavorable reviews about her. Ugly, overweight, loud, with a heavy and unpleasant look, this 37-year-old woman was suspicious, petty and rude. She lived a difficult life. Anna was born in 1693 into the royal family and in 1696, after the death of her father, Tsar Ivan V Alekseevich, she settled with her mother, the Dowager Tsarina Praskovya Feodorovna and sisters Ekaterina and Praskovya in the Izmailovo Palace near Moscow. This is where she spent her childhood. In 1708 it suddenly ended. By decree of Peter I, the family of Tsarina Praskovya Fedorovna moved to live in St. Petersburg. Soon, in 1710, Anna was married to Friedrich Wilhelm, the Duke of the neighboring state of Courland (in the territory of modern Latvia). So Peter wanted to strengthen Russia’s position in the Baltic states and become related to one of the famous dynasties of Europe. But the newlyweds lived together for only 2 months - at the beginning of 1711, on the way to Courland, the Duke unexpectedly died. Nevertheless, Peter I ordered Anna to go to Mitava and settle there as the widow of the duke. Both in the case of marriage and in the story of moving to a foreign country, no one asked Anna. Her life, like the life of all other subjects of Peter the Great, was subordinated to one goal - the interests of the state. Yesterday's Moscow princess, who became a duchess, was unhappy: poor, dependent on the will of the tsar, surrounded by a hostile Courland nobility. Coming to Russia, she also did not find peace. Queen Praskovya did not love her middle daughter and until her death in 1723, she tyrannized her in every possible way.

Changes in Anna's life date back to 1727, when she found a favorite, Ernst-Johann Biron, to whom she became strongly attached and began entrusting him with state affairs. It is known that Anna did not understand the government of the country. She did not have the necessary preparation for this - she was taught poorly, and nature did not reward her with intelligence. Anna had no desire to engage in government affairs. With her behavior and morals, she resembled an uneducated small landowner who looks out the window with boredom, sorts out the squabbles of the servants, marries her associates, and laughs at the antics of her jesters. The antics of jesters, among whom there were many noble nobles, formed an important part of the life of the empress, who also loved to keep around her various wretched, sick, midgets, fortune tellers and freaks. Such a pastime was not particularly original - this is how her mother, grandmother and other relatives lived in the Kremlin, who were always surrounded by hangers-on who scratched their heels at night, and fairy-tales.

Empress Anna Ioannovna. 1730s.

Anna was a person of a turning point, when the old in culture was replaced by the new, but coexisted with it for a long time. Therefore, along with the traditional jesters and hangers-on at Anna’s court, Italian operas and comedies were staged in a specially built theater with a thousand seats. During dinners and holidays, the hearing and vision of the courtiers were delighted by opera singers and ballerinas. Anna's time entered the history of Russian art with the founding of the first ballet school in 1737. A choir was formed at the court, and the composer Francesco Araya, invited from Italy, worked. But most of all, Anna, unlike the Moscow princesses, was fond of hunting, or rather shooting. It was not just a hobby, but a deep passion that gave the queen no rest. She often shot at crows and ducks flying in the sky, and hit targets in the indoor arena and in the parks of Peterhof. She also took part in grandiose hunts, when the beaters, having covered a gigantic expanse of the forest, gradually (often over weeks) narrowed it and drove the forest inhabitants into the clearing. In the middle of it stood a special tall carriage - a Jagt-Wagen - with the armed empress and her guests. And when the animals, mad with horror: hares, foxes, deer, wolves, bears, moose, ran out into the clearing, prudently fenced with a wall made of ship's canvas, then a disgusting massacre began. In the summer of 1738 alone, Anna personally shot 1,024 animals, including 374 hares and 608 ducks. It’s hard to even imagine how many animals the queen killed in 10 years!

October 17, 1740 - Death of Anna Ioannovna On October 5, 1740, the Empress suffered an attack of illness right at the dinner table. She began vomiting blood, and then her health began to rapidly deteriorate. Apparently, she had an exacerbation of kidney stone disease

author Chernikova Tatyana Vasilievna

§ 31. The reign of Anna Ioannovna and Ivan Antonovich 1. THE REIGN OF ANNA IOANNOVNA Anna Ioannovna dissolved the Supreme Privy Council, creating in its place a new supreme body - the Cabinet of Ministers. The Senate and colleges were subordinate to him. Anna did not delve into government affairs

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Buffoonery at the court of Anna Ioannovna More is known about Anna Ioannovna’s jesters than about her ministers. The jester Ivan Balakirev is especially famous. In 1735, the Empress wrote to Moscow Governor-General Saltykov: Semyon Andreevich! Send someone on purpose to Prince Nikita Volkonsky

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From the book History of Russia. Factor analysis. Volume 2. From the end of the Time of Troubles to the February Revolution author Nefedov Sergey Alexandrovich

2.7. The reign of Anna Ioannovna: continuation of Westernization Princess Anna at the age of 17 became the wife of the Duke of Courland and lived in a German environment for almost twenty years. There were rumors that the duchess had converted to Protestantism, and upon returning to Moscow she had to publish

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1730–1740 Reign of Empress Anna Ioannovna This is how Anna Ioannovna accidentally ended up on the throne. Before this, the life of the daughter of Tsar Ivan Alekseevich - co-ruler of Peter I - and Tsarina Praskovya Feodorovna lived on the political margins. At the age of 17, married to the Duke of Courland

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1740, October 17 Death of Anna Ioannovna and Biron's regency On October 5, 1740, Anna suddenly fell ill - she had an exacerbation of kidney stones. Biron did not leave the bedside of the sick empress until she signed the will, which appointed him heir to the throne

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35. THE PERIOD OF ANNA IOANNOVNA’S REIGN During the discussion of possible candidates for the throne, the choice fell on the Duchess of Courland Anna Ioannovna, the daughter of Peter I’s brother, Ivan Alekseevich. Conditions were drawn up in deep secrecy - the conditions for Anna Ioannovna’s accession to the throne

From the book With a Sword and a Torch. Palace coups in Russia 1725-1825 author Boytsov M. A.

Part two “The Plot of the Supreme Lords” The accession of Anna Ioannovna, 1730. The events of 1730 are not usually called a “palace coup.” But, in fact, in a matter of weeks, two coups took place in Moscow, the significance of which for Russian history, it seems, is not yet clear.

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St. Petersburg during the reign of Anna Ioannovna, 1730s Vasily Trediakovsky, Christopher Manstein The last direct descendant of the Romanov family in the male line, Emperor Peter II died in 1730, and by the will of circumstances, Anna, the daughter of Peter’s brother and co-ruler, ended up on the throne

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Family of Empress Anna Ioannovna 01/28/1693-10/17/1740 Years of reign: 1730-1740 Father - Tsar Ivan V Alekseevich (08/27/1666-01/29/1696), in 1682–1696. was co-ruler of his younger brother - Tsar Peter I. Mother - Tsarina Praskovya Feodorovna (Saltykova) (09.12.1664-? 10.1723). Husband - Friedrich Wilhelm Duke of Courland

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Empress Anna Ioannovna Years of life 1693–1740 Years of reign 1730–1740 Father - Ivan V Alekseevich, senior Tsar and Sovereign of All Rus', co-ruler of Peter I. Mother - Praskovya Fedorovna Saltykova. Anna Ivanovna (Ioannovna), Empress of All Russia, was the middle daughter of Tsar John

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Congratulations for Anna Ioannovna A unique 18th-century brochure in a large “tray” format has reached us. Its only surviving copy is in the Rare Editions Department of the Library of the Russian State Archive of Ancient Acts (inv. No. 6625). The brochure has three

Russian Empress (1730-1740) from the Romanov dynasty. Daughter of Tsar Ivan V Alekseevich and P.F. Saltykova, niece of Peter I. For two and a half months (1710-1711) she was married to the Duke of Courland, Frederick III Wilhelm. Having been widowed, at the insistence of Peter I, she lived in Mitau (Courland) from 1712. In 1726, she was going to marry Count Moritz of Saxony (the illegitimate son of the Polish king Augustus II), which gave rise to an acute political crisis in Courland and led to an imbalance of power in the region. The possible marriage was upset by A.D. Menshikov. Since 1727, E.I. became the favorite. Biron, who served in the chancellery at the Courland court since 1718. There were rumors that his youngest son Karl Ernst (born in 1728) was his and Anna’s child together. She loved rifle shooting and hunting; a shooting range was opened for her in the courtyard of the Winter Palace.

She was invited to the Russian throne by the Supreme Privy Council (on the initiative of D.M. Golitsyn and V.L. Dolgoruky) under the conditions of limiting autocratic power (“Conditions”). According to these conditions, she could not resolve issues of war and peace, command troops, introduce new taxes, appoint senior officials, etc. without the consent of the “higher-ups”. Arriving in Moscow, she was supported by the guard and the noble opposition to the Supreme Privy Council (A.M. Cherkassky, A.D. Kantemir, V.N. Tatishchev, F. Prokopovich, etc.). After receiving a petition from the nobility, which recommended an autocratic form of government, she publicly tore up the “Conditions” (02/25/1730). She was crowned in Moscow on April 28, 1730.

The reign of Anna Ioannovna is closely connected with the concept of “Bironovshchina,” which includes arbitrariness, mass arrests, executions, bribery, embezzlement and the dominance of foreigners. According to V.O. Klyuchevsky, “the Germans poured into Russia like rubbish from a leaky bag, surrounded the courtyard, inhabited the throne, and climbed into all the lucrative positions in the administration.” But there is another opinion: there was no united “German party” at court. It was about creating a management structure loyal to the government after the political upheavals of 1725-1730.

Even before the coronation, Anna Ioannovna liquidated the Supreme Privy Council (03/04/1730) and restored the importance of the Senate. In 1731 she established a Cabinet of three ministers. Since 1735, the decrees of the Cabinet were equated to nominal imperial decrees, which allowed the empress to avoid resolving minor issues. Since 1731, the Office of Secret and Investigative Affairs operated, the competence of which included the investigation of state crimes (the first two paragraphs of the “Words and Deeds of the Sovereign”). The most high-profile political process was the case of Cabinet Minister A.P. Volynsky.

The Empress took into account some of the demands of the nobility, submitted in February 1730, and granted the nobility a number of privileges. In 1730, the decree on single inheritance was repealed, which prohibited the division of noble estates between heirs; the Land Noble Corps was established (1731), which allowed nobles to enter the service not as privates, but as officers; The term of noble service was limited to 25 years (1736-1740).

During her reign, military reform was carried out under the leadership of B.Kh. Minikha. Two new guards regiments were formed - Izmailovsky and Horse Guards. The first hussar and engineer regiments were created. The salaries between Russian officers and invited foreign specialists were equalized (1732). State-owned shipbuilding was resumed in Arkhangelsk.

In 1733-1735 Russia participated in the War of the Polish Succession, as a result of which Augustus III, the son of the Polish king Augustus II, was elected king of Poland. In 1735-1739 Russia was at war with the Ottoman Empire. During the military operations, Perekop and Bakhchisarai were taken by storm, the Russian army captured Azov and Ochakov. In 1739, the Ottomans were defeated near Stavuchany, Russian troops occupied Khotyn. Due to the separate Austro-Turkish peace and deteriorating relations with Sweden, the Belgrade Peace Treaty was signed (09/18/1739). Russia acquired Azov without the right to build fortifications and have a navy on the Sea of ​​Azov) and small territories along the middle reaches of the Dnieper. In 1732, the Treaty of Rasht was concluded with Persia, providing for joint military actions against the Ottoman Empire. According to the agreement, Russia renounced the Caspian territories previously conquered by Peter I. According to the Treaty of Ganja (1735), Russia pledged to return Baku and Derbent with adjacent lands to Persia in exchange for its obligation to continue the war with Turkey. In the Baltics, Russia's position was strengthened thanks to the election of E.I. Biron Duke of Courland and Semigalsky (1737).

Before her death, Anna Ioannovna appointed Ivan Antonovich, the great-grandson of Ivan V, E.I., as her successor. Biron as his regent.

In general, Anna’s reign became a period of political stability after a series of “palace coups.” A number of important reforms were carried out, Russia retained and strengthened its foreign policy positions.

The period of Anna Ioannovna’s reign (1730-1740) is called “Bironovschina”. This name is logical, since all affairs in the country were run by the favorite of the Empress, Ernst Johann Biron. “Bironovschina” is characterized by increased investigation, repressions, reprisals, inept governance of the country, and so on. Was it really that bad? Indeed, the regime of Anna’s rule was much harsher compared to what happened under Catherine 1 and Peter 2. But it is impossible to say that in Russia at that time there was tyranny and a bloody regime. In many ways, this topic was promoted by Catherine 2, and under her, Anna Ioannovna’s reign began to be viewed from an extremely negative point of view. In fact, the reality was not as terrible and not as clear-cut as they usually say.

Any modern history textbook reduces the essence of Bironovism to the following:

1. Bloody regime with tougher police investigation.
2. Extravagance, bribery and embezzlement, as a result of which Russia had no budget.
3. Biron had a negative influence on Anna.
4. The terrible dominance of Russia by the Germans. The Germans are to blame for all the ills of the regime.

Let's understand step by step how things really were and what happened in the Russian Empire from 1730 to 1740.

Biron's bloody regime

Biron, for all his shortcomings, did not like blood and resorted to violence only in cases of extreme necessity. Indeed, executions, repressions and punishments of various levels have increased in Russia. But it is impossible to say that this is the idea of ​​Bironovism, and that the Germans are to blame for this. Suffice it to say that Ushakov, not Biron, was responsible for police investigation, repressions and executions. Let me remind you that Ushakov is a man of Peter I, whose regime was truly bloody and merciless. And in terms of the volume of repressions, Anna Ioannovna’s reign did not even come close to what happened in the era of Peter the Great. After all, even Peter 1 himself was a terrible connoisseur of executions, torture and violence. A good example is that he tortured his own son, Tsarevich Alexei, with his own hands, and tortured him to death.

Therefore, it is impossible to say that Biron’s regime was bloody and merciless. Everything is relative. Just 10-15 years before him, the regime was much more dangerous and bloodthirsty, but in the textbooks Biron is a tyrant, and Peter 1 is a progressive person. But that’s not the point - Biron had a mediocre attitude towards repressions and executions. Direct blame lies with Ushakov (not German - Russian).

Economic situation

By the end of 1731 the treasury was empty. The main reason is luxurious life at court, theft, lack of management in the country, bribes. The question of finding money became acute. Biron and Anna solved it using 3 sources:

1. They began to squeeze out arrears from peasants and ordinary townspeople. In general, it is interesting that as soon as money ran out in the Russian Empire, the rulers immediately began to look for ways to receive it from the peasants.
2. Increasing number of repressions. After repression, all a person’s property went to the treasury. Over 10 years, 20 thousand people were repressed.
3. Sale of rights to use (extract) natural resources.

Only 5 years passed between the reign of Peter 1 and the “Bironovschina” (the reign of Anna Ioannovna). During this time, the cost of maintaining the yard increased almost 6 times! The French ambassador wrote about this: “With all the luxury of the Court, no one else is paid money.” To no one this means the army, navy, officials, scientists and so on. There was barely enough money to maintain the Court in luxury. The main point of attracting them is arrears. For example, in 1732 they planned to collect 2.5 million rubles in taxes, but in reality they collected 187 thousand. That is, the arrears were terrible. To seize them from the population, the Empress, at the instigation of Biron, organized “milking raids.” This is a regular army that extracted arrears from people by any means. This was the essence of the “Bironovism” - a tough, bloody regime, merciless to its people. The response of the population is a bad attitude towards the Germans. It was believed that all the troubles were due to the fact that there were a lot of Germans at court (the same Biron) who did not care about the Russian people. Regarding the “milking raid” - the idea of ​​setting the army against the population is not an idea of ​​​​Anna and her circle. This is a smooth continuation of the policies of Peter 1.

Foreigners (mostly Germans) did not spare the Russian treasury. In my opinion, a good example of why there was not enough money in Russia is unreasonable spending. Over the course of 10 years, Biron bought jewelry (for himself and his relatives) at the expense of the treasury in the amount of 2 million rubles. For comparison, during the same time, 470 thousand rubles were spent on maintaining the Academy of Sciences.

Another problem is bribes. Biron was very fond of bribes, but then everyone took bribes. The most famous bribe received by Biron was 1 million rubles from the British for the right to transport goods through Russian territory without duty. As a result, the treasury lost 5 million rubles annually.

Are the Germans to blame for everything?

The Germans occupied many key positions under Anna: the leader - Biron, diplomacy - Osterman and Levendom, the army - Minich, industry - Shemberg, colleges - Mengden and so on. But there is also a downside, which is often forgotten - there were a large number of Russian people who held high positions, and they should fully share responsibility for the Bironovshchina regime. Suffice it to say that the head of the secret chancellery was Andrei Ushakov, one of the five most influential people of his time. Nevertheless, the Germans are blamed exclusively for all the troubles of the era.

An important fact showing that no one pushed the Russian nobility is the number of generals in the army. In 1729 (before Anna's accession) there were 71 generals in the army, of which 41 were foreigners (58%). In 1738 there were 61 generals and 31 foreigners (51%). Moreover, it was during the period of “Bironovism” that the rights of foreign and Russian officers were equalized in the army. This inequality was introduced by Peter 1, obliging foreign officers to be paid double salaries. Burchard Minich, the commander of the army, canceled this decree and equalized salaries in the army. Moreover, it was Minich who in 1732 banned the hiring of foreign officers in the army.

The influence of Biron on Anna or Anna on Biron?

One of the main myths of Russian history - Biron negatively influenced Anna, awakening in her base feelings under which the regime of “Bironovism” was feasible. It is difficult to check who influenced whom and how (after all, if someone is able to influence the Russian Empress to such an extent that she began to organize mass executions, then such a person, in principle, should not be in power). Another thing is that negative character traits were inherent in Anna herself much more than in Biron. It is enough to give a few examples to prove this:

1. The Empress reveled in cruelty. This was partly reflected in her passion for hunting. But for Anna, hunting was not a sporting interest, but a manic desire to kill. Judge for yourself. In just one summer season in 1739, Anna personally killed: 9 deer, 1 wolf, 374 hares, 16 wild goats, 16 seagulls, 4 wild boars, 608 ducks. 1028 killed animals in just 1 season!
2. Anna Ioannovna’s favorite pastime, which made her laugh until she cried, was the fights of jesters. They fought among themselves, attacked those who came to the Court, threw feces at them, and so on. The Empress was delighted.

Biron himself was a poorly educated, arrogant, rude person. But he did not share Anna’s weaknesses. Biron had another hobby - horses. At that time they knew that if you wanted to please Biron, you had to be well versed in horses. The favorite spent almost all his time in stables and arenas.

With horses he is a man, and with people he is a horse.

Today it is customary to blame Biron for the fact that he resolved almost all state issues in the stable. But this is nothing more than a habit. How is this habit worse than the habit of Count Shuvalov (patron of Mikhail Lomonosov), who hosted the reception at the moments when he had his hair cut, curled, dyed, and so on?

A much more telling example of the difference in the characters of Anna and Ernest is the reaction to the opinions of others. Anna literally demanded that Ushakov (the head of the secret police) report daily what others were saying about her. She was extremely concerned about this. Biron stopped any reports from Ushakov, since he was absolutely indifferent to what was said about him behind his back. Psychologically, this is a sign of a strong personality, unlike Anna.

On the road to favoritism

Many historians say that Anna herself became German, so Russia is a foreign country to her and therefore she did not even rule it. These are nothing more than words, but the fact is that Anna Ioannovna, despite living in Courland, never learned German!

In 1710, Peter 1 married Anna to the Duke of Courland, Friedrich Wilhelm. The marriage did not last long: on October 31, 1710, they got married, and on January 10, 1711, Friedrich Wilhelm died. So Anna became the Duchess of Courland. In 1718, a provincial German nobleman, Ernst Biron, appeared at her court. Further, among historians there are 2 versions:

1. An affair begins between Anna and Ernst.
2. In 1718, Anna's favorite was Bestuzhev-Ryumin, and only in 1727 Biron became the favorite.

It is impossible to say which version is true. The official story converges to the second option. I would like to note one more point here. The word “favorite” sounds very beautiful, and many have difficulty imagining what is hidden behind it. In fact, the favorite is the lover. Nevertheless, in the era of palace coups, favorites played an even greater role at court than the emperors themselves.

For a long time, Anna was dependent on Biron, especially when she lived in Courland. Biron, although he was not of the most distinguished origin, was still one of his own. Anna was a stranger. The local nobles listened to Biron, but not to Anna. Let me remind you, by the way, that Anna never learned German. In those years they became very close, and later Anna could no longer live without Biron.