Bestuzhev, Chancellor of Elizabeth, biography. Pages of history

The 18th century in Russia turned out to be three-quarters “female”. At short intervals, the country was ruled by four empresses, who left a noticeable mark on history. But behind the backs of women, political affairs were carried out by men who knew how to quietly but confidently turn the course of the state in the right direction.

Alexey Petrovich Bestuzhev-Ryumin, Chancellor of the Russian Empire under the Empress Elizaveta Petrovna, for a decade and a half in the political life of Russia, he was the main character, skillfully promoting the right people and sweeping opponents out of the way. Unlike many other people who were elevated to the imperious Olympus of the empire and then experienced collapse, Bestuzhev-Ryumin ended his days not in prison, not on the chopping block, but in honor.

The future chancellor was born on May 22 (June 1), 1693 in Moscow into the family of a dignitary Petra Bestuzheva. The ancient Bestuzhev family enjoyed the trust of Russian sovereigns. In 1701, Peter I gave the highest permission for Peter Bestuzhev and his relatives to continue to bear the surname Bestuzhev-Ryumin.

Alexei Bestuzhev's father was a governor in Simbirsk, traveled on diplomatic missions to Europe, and in 1712 he was appointed chamberlain to the Dowager Duchess of Courland Anna Ioannovna to manage and manage its affairs.

In 1708, 15-year-old Alexei Bestuzhev-Ryumin and his 20-year-old brother Mikhail, at the behest of Peter I along with other young Russian nobles, they were sent to study abroad, first to Copenhagen and then to Berlin. Mikhail Bestuzhev-Ryumin subsequently spent his entire life in diplomatic work, representing the interests of Russia as ambassador in Berlin, Warsaw, Vienna and Paris.

Career turns of the Bestuzhev family

Alexey Bestuzhev-Ryumin, after completing his studies, with the permission of Peter I, entered the service of Elector George of Hanover, who granted him the rank of chamber cadet. After the Elector of Hanover ascended the English throne under the name of George I, Bestuzhev was sent by him as a personal envoy to Russia. It was during that period that Alexei Bestuzhev developed close ties with England, which subsequently influenced Russia’s foreign policy.

Three years later, Bestuzhev was recalled from English service in Russia, assigned first as chief chamberlain cadet to the Dowager Duchess of Courland Anna Ioannovna, and then as a diplomat at the Russian embassy in Denmark.

Bestuzhev’s career stagnated for several years, even despite the fact that in 1730 Anna Ioannovna became the Russian Empress, whom both Alexey Bestuzhev and his father managed to serve.

However, Bestuzhev Sr.’s relationship with the empress was not easy. Anna Ioannovna at one time complained to St. Petersburg that Pyotr Bestuzhev, who had been appointed to manage her affairs, was embezzling funds. These accusations were not proven, but a residue, as they say, remained. With the accession of Anna Ioannovna, Pyotr Bestuzhev received the post of governor of Nizhny Novgorod, which he considered too low for himself. Bestuzhev's dissatisfaction reached the empress, and he was sent into exile in the village.

Coup - prison - coup

Alexey Bestuzhev in the mid-1730s managed to achieve the favor of the favorite Anna Ioannovna Birona. In 1740, 47-year-old Alexei Bestuzhev, after a quarter of a century of diplomatic work abroad, received the title of actual Privy Councilor with the order to appear in St. Petersburg to be present in the cabinet of ministers.

Biron, who after the death of Anna Ioannovna became regent under the young Emperor Ivan Antonovich, hoped to use Bestuzhev in the fight against his political opponents, but did not have time. The regent was overthrown in a coup by Field Marshal Minich, arrested and put on trial. Bestuzhev, imprisoned in the Shlisselburg fortress, also suffered.

It seemed that my career, and perhaps my life, was over. But what has always distinguished Alexey Petrovich Bestuzhev is the ability to maintain presence of mind in the most difficult situation. The investigation could not find any evidence of his guilt; he himself did not repent of anything. And then a new coup successfully arrived, after which she ascended the throne daughter of Peter the Great Elizaveta Petrovna. Bestuzhev, as a victim of the previous regime, was rehabilitated and returned to public service.

At the pinnacle of power

Over the next four years, Bestuzhev made up for all of his previous career downtime, becoming first vice-chancellor and count of the Russian Empire, and then a senator, and finally, in 1744, taking the post of grand chancellor.

Alexey Petrovich Bestuzhev was an extremely difficult person. He made acquaintances with many, but was not truly friendly with anyone. His cordiality towards certain people was explained by the political expediency of the current moment. He then easily betrayed his former allies in the court struggle. The Chancellor knew how to collect damning dirt on his opponents, intercepting their correspondence and providing the Empress with the information received at the right moment.

Bestuzhev thoroughly studied the tastes, preferences, habits and psychological characteristics of the empress. He knew how to appear with a report when it was possible to get the solution he needed. Bestuzhev had a whole arsenal of techniques that made it possible to draw Elizabeth’s attention to those issues that were necessary for the chancellor and leave others in the shadows.

Bestuzhev’s main weakness was his addiction to alcohol, but even after drinking heavily the day before, he would report to the Empress in the morning in normal condition. Even his most ardent haters recognized the chancellor’s unique ability to work.

The vast experience of a diplomat allowed Bestuzhev to skillfully manage Russian foreign policy, focusing on allied relations with Austria and England. At the same time, the Chancellor knew how to arrange things in such a way that Austrian and English diplomats paid him large sums of money, believing that Russian favor towards them rested solely on bribes.

Conspiracy in favor of Catherine

The Seven Years' War that broke out in Europe mixed up all the previous political alignments in Europe, transferring England into the camp of Russia's opponents, and France into the camp of its allies, but Bestuzhev during this period began to worry much more about internal problems.

The Empress's health began to deteriorate, and in 1757 a serious illness confined Elizabeth to bed for a long time. Heir to the throne Pyotr Fedorovich, an ardent admirer of the Prussian king Frederick, fiercely hated Bestuzhev, and the chancellor paid him in the same coin. However, it was not only a matter of personal hostility - Bestuzhev was confident that Pyotr Fedorovich’s preferences would lead to changes in foreign policy that would be disastrous for Russia.

Bestuzhev conceived a coup d'etat with the aim of removing Peter in favor of his son Pavel and wives Catherine. To this end, he wrote a letter to Field Marshal Stepan Apraksin demanding the return to Russia of the army operating against the Prussians. Bestuzhev intended to rely on these troops in his plans.

But suddenly Empress Elizabeth began to recover. Bestuzhev's plans became known, and in February 1758 he was arrested.

The chancellor managed to destroy most of the incriminating papers, but this did not save him from punishment.

He was not only removed from his position, count's dignity, ranks and insignia, but also sentenced to death. In the end, however, the death sentence was replaced by exile. In this sense, he was luckier than Field Marshal Apraksin, who died suddenly after interrogation in the Secret Chancellery.

Honorary pensioner

After the death of Elizaveta Petrovna in 1761 and the accession of Peter III, Bestuzhev’s worst predictions about changes in Russian foreign policy came true. The former chancellor, who lived on his estate Goretovo near Mozhaisk, could not do anything about it. Worse, at any moment the new emperor could remember his old enemy and settle scores with him.

But Bestuzhev was lucky again. After the coup in June 1762, she ascended the throne Empress Catherine, who treated Bestuzhev favorably. The disgrace was lifted, and Bestuzhev’s innocence was stated in a specially issued highest decree, ranks and orders were returned, moreover, the retired chancellor was awarded the rank of field marshal general.

But Bestuzhev’s former political influence never returned. Catherine, grateful to the chancellor for the support he once gave her, had other friends and advisers.

Realizing this, he resigned. In 1763, Bestuzhev published the book “Consolation of a Christian in Misfortune, or Poems Selected from the Holy Scriptures,” which was then also published in French, German and Swedish.

Alexey Petrovich Bestuzhev-Ryumin, Chancellor of the Russian Empire under Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, was the main character in the political life of Russia for a decade and a half, skillfully promoting the right people and sweeping away opponents. Unlike many other people who were elevated to the imperious Olympus of the empire and then experienced collapse, Bestuzhev-Ryumin ended his days not in prison, not on the chopping block, but in high esteem...

The future chancellor was born on May 22, 1693 in Moscow into the family of dignitary Pyotr Bestuzhev. The ancient Bestuzhev family enjoyed the trust of Russian sovereigns. In 1701, Peter I gave the highest permission for Peter Bestuzhev and his relatives to continue to bear the surname Bestuzhev-Ryumin.

Alexei Bestuzhev's father was a governor in Simbirsk, traveled on diplomatic missions to Europe, and in 1712 he was appointed chamberlain to the Dowager Duchess of Courland Anna Ioannovna to manage and manage her affairs.

In 1708, 15-year-old Alexey Bestuzhev-Ryumin and his 20-year-old brother Mikhail, at the behest of Peter I, along with other young Russian nobles, were sent to study abroad, first to Copenhagen and then to Berlin. Mikhail Bestuzhev-Ryumin subsequently spent his entire life in diplomatic work, representing the interests of Russia as ambassador in Berlin, Warsaw, Vienna and Paris.

Career turns of the Bestuzhev family

After completing his studies, Alexey Bestuzhev-Ryumin, with the permission of Peter I, entered the service of the Elector of Hanover, George, who granted him the rank of chamber cadet.

After the Elector of Hanover ascended the English throne under the name of George I, Bestuzhev was sent by him as a personal envoy to Russia. It was during that period that Alexei Bestuzhev developed close ties with England, which subsequently influenced Russia’s foreign policy.

Alexey Petrovich Bestuzhev-Ryumin is a Russian statesman and diplomat, Chancellor of the Russian Empire under Elizaveta Petrovna.

Bestuzhev’s career stagnated for several years, even despite the fact that in 1730 Anna Ioannovna became the Russian Empress, whom both Alexey Bestuzhev and his father managed to serve.

With the accession of Anna Ioannovna, Pyotr Bestuzhev received the post of governor of Nizhny Novgorod, which he considered too low for himself. Bestuzhev's dissatisfaction reached the empress, and he was sent into exile in the village.

Coup - prison - coup

Alexey Bestuzhev in the mid-1730s managed to achieve the favor of Anna Ioannovna's favorite Biron. In 1740, 47-year-old Alexei Bestuzhev, after a quarter of a century of diplomatic work abroad, received the title of actual Privy Councilor with the order to appear in St. Petersburg to be present in the cabinet of ministers.

Ernst Johann Biron - favorite of the Russian Empress Anna Ioannovna, regent of the Russian Empire in October-November 1740, Count of the Holy Roman Empire, Duke of Courland and Semigallia

It seemed that my career, and perhaps my life, was over. But what has always distinguished Alexey Petrovich Bestuzhev is the ability to maintain presence of mind in the most difficult situation. The investigation could not find any evidence of his guilt; he himself did not repent of anything. And then a new coup successfully arrived, after which the daughter of Peter the Great, Elizaveta Petrovna, ascended the throne. Bestuzhev, as a victim of the previous regime, was rehabilitated and returned to public service.

At the pinnacle of power

The Chancellor knew how to collect damning dirt on his opponents, intercepting their correspondence and providing the Empress with the information received at the right moment.

Elizabeth I Petrovna is a Russian empress from the Romanov dynasty.

Conspiracy in favor of Catherine

Portrait of A.P. Bestuzhev from the State Stores. Hermitage

The Empress's health began to deteriorate, and in 1757 a serious illness confined Elizabeth to bed for a long time. The heir to the throne, Pyotr Fedorovich, an ardent admirer of the Prussian king Frederick, fiercely hated Bestuzhev, and the chancellor paid him in the same coin. However, it was not only a matter of personal hostility - Bestuzhev was confident that Pyotr Fedorovich’s preferences would lead to changes in foreign policy that would be disastrous for Russia.

Bestuzhev conceived a coup d'etat with the aim of removing Peter in favor of his son Pavel and wife Catherine. To this end, he wrote a letter to Field Marshal Stepan Apraksin demanding the return to Russia of the army operating against the Prussians. Bestuzhev intended to rely on these troops in his plans.

But suddenly Empress Elizabeth began to recover. Bestuzhev's plans became known, and in February 1758 he was arrested.

The chancellor managed to destroy most of the incriminating papers, but this did not save him from punishment.

Honorary pensioner

But Bestuzhev was lucky again. After the coup in June 1762, Empress Catherine ascended the throne, treating Bestuzhev favorably. The disgrace was lifted, and Bestuzhev’s innocence was stated in a specially issued highest decree, ranks and orders were returned, moreover, the retired chancellor was awarded the rank of field marshal general.

But Bestuzhev’s former political influence never returned. Catherine, grateful to the chancellor for the support he once gave her, had other friends and advisers.

The article presents not only the biography of Chancellor A.P. Bestuzhev-Ryumin, but also characterizes his personal and professional qualities. The article notes that Alexey Petrovich has repeatedly received impartial assessments from his contemporaries. However, despite this, being the Chancellor of the Russian Empire, A.P. Bestuzhev had very definite, established views on the main tasks of Russian diplomacy. The foreign policy course pursued by Bestuzhev-Ryumin was distinguished by its thoughtfulness, integrity and clarity in protecting the interests of Russia. The foreign policy program of the Russian Empire, proposed by Bestuzhev, received its name from the author himself - “the system of Peter the Great.” In general, Alexey Petrovich Bestuzhev-Ryumin is presented in the article as a courtier who has all the qualities of a skilled diplomat: he was smart, cold-blooded and calculating, well versed in European politics, and resourceful when necessary.

1. Anisimov E.V. Elizaveta Petrovna. – M., 2001.

2. Anisimov E.V. Chancellor Bestuzhev-Ryumin, or the Secret of “Bestuzhev’s drops”. - URL: http://www.idelo.ru/246/22.html (access date: 08/15/2014).

3. Anisimov M.Yu. Russian diplomat A.P. Bestuzhev-Ryumin (1693-1766) // New and recent history. – 2005. - No. 6. - URL: http://vivovoco.astronet.ru/VV/PAPERS/HISTORY/BEST.HTM#1 (date of access: 08/12/2014).

4. Notes of Empress Catherine II. – M., 1990.

5. Manstein H. Notes on Russia by General Manstein. - URL: http://www.vostlit.info/Texts/rus14/Manstein/text1.phtml?id=881 (access date: 07.28.2014).

6. Russian biographical dictionary. – T. 2. – M., 1992.

7. Shapkina A.N. Chancellor A.P. Bestuzhev-Ryumin and the alliance with Austria // Russian diplomacy in portraits. – M., 1992. - URL: http://www.idd.mid.ru/letopis_dip_sluzhby_07.html (access date: 08/18/2014).

Alexey Petrovich Bestuzhev-Ryumin was born on May 22, 1693 in Moscow in the family of the famous Russian diplomat Pyotr Mikhailovich Bestuzhev-Ryumin. Modern historian M. Yu. Anisimov expresses the following opinion regarding the origin of the Bestuzhev family: “The family... descended from the Englishman Gabriel Best, who left for Russia in 1403, whose son, Yakov Ryuma, was a boyar of Ivan III. In fact, Alexey Petrovich was a descendant of Novgorodians brought to Moscow by Ivan III after the liquidation of Novgorod's independence. His surname has Russian roots: "coldless"- not bothered by anything. Since 1701, the Bestuzhevs began to be written as Bestuzhev-Ryumin."

Let us briefly look at the career advancement of Alexei Petrovich Bestuzhev to the post of Chancellor of the Russian Empire.

In 1708, Alexey, together with his older brother Mikhail, by order of Peter I, was sent to study in Copenhagen, and then to Berlin. A.P. Bestuzhev was successful in the sciences, especially in foreign languages. After graduation, the brothers traveled around Europe, and after returning to Russia they entered the diplomatic service. Alexey Bestuzhev-Ryumin was sent as an official to the Russian embassy in Holland and found himself at the center of diplomatic negotiations with leading European countries. A. Bestuzhev was present at the signing of the Peace of Utrecht in 1713, which ended the War of the Spanish Succession. In the same year A.P. Bestuzhev-Ryumin, with the permission of Peter I, entered the service of the Elector of Hanover, George Ludwig, who a year later became the English King George I. And after ascending the throne, George I sent Bestuzhev to Russia with a notice that he would become England's envoy to Russia. Peter I accepted this news approvingly. However, when Tsarevich Alexei fled from Russia in 1716, Bestuzhev sent him a letter in which he stated that he was always ready to serve him, but being in Russia, he could not do this, and now the tsarevich could have it at his disposal. Peter I did not learn anything about this letter, and in 1717 Bestuzhev-Ryumin returned to Russian service.

Upon arrival in Russia, he was appointed in 1718 as chief chamberlain cadet to the court of the Dowager Duchess of Courland Anna Ioannovna, where he served without pay for about two years (where his father, Pyotr Mikhailovich, was also in the service). Here he became close to E.I. Biron. From 1720, Alexey Petrovich became a resident in Denmark with a break in 1731-1734, when Bestuzhev was a resident in Hamburg. During these same years, a certain slowdown in career advancement began for Alexei Petrovich, which was naturally associated with the death of Emperor Peter I: “In 1725, Peter I died, and Bestuzhev’s career stalled. The all-powerful then A.D. Menshikov remembered the opposition from P.M. Bestuzhev’s plans to become a duke in Courland and did not intend to patronize his son.” In 1736, Alexey Petrovich received the rank of privy councilor, and on March 25, 1740 - actual privy councilor and was called to court in St. Petersburg, where he took the place of cabinet minister.

However, Bestuzhev's first ministerial experience was short-lived. As a result of the next coup, Biron was overthrown, and Bestuzhev-Ryumin was arrested and imprisoned in the Shlisselburg fortress. Under interrogation, Alexey Petrovich testified against Biron, but at the first opportunity he renounced all accusations against the temporary worker, citing threats and poor conditions in prison. Bestuzhev-Ryumin was brought to trial and sentenced to quartering. But Anna Leopoldovna, who had been on the throne for a short time, replaced his execution with exile to Lozersky district. Soon Bestuzhev-Ryumin was acquitted, but he was removed from business. Alexei Petrovich was allowed to be in the capital.

As a result of another “palace coup” on November 25, 1741, Elizaveta Petrovna came to power. Naturally, she returned to the court the disgraced comrades of her father, Peter I. The new government needed an experienced and intelligent diplomat, necessarily Russian by origin, since the goal of the Elizabethan coup was to remove foreigners from all government posts. Historian M.Yu. Anisimov notes: “Bestuzhev-Ryumin was an intelligent man, an experienced diplomat, Russian by birth, the son of a comrade-in-arms of Peter I, he himself served the emperor, innocently suffered under the previous reign, and seemed to Lestok, who could have met him even before the coup, the best candidate to replace exiled leaders of the country's foreign policy." It was Lestok, Elizaveta Petrovna’s physician, who noticed A.P. Bestuzhev, the latter, thanks to the influence of Lestocq, received the Order of St. on November 30, 1741. Andrew the First-Called, became a senator, then the chief director of the post offices, on December 12, 1741, he held the post of vice-chancellor, and in July 1744 - the highest government post - chancellor - and held it until 1758, “despite opposition from some European courts and their enemies at the court of Elizabeth." While in the position of vice-chancellor, Bestuzhev-Ryumin exposed Shetardie, which led to a fall in the influence of the “French party” (it included such influential people as the empress’s physician I.G. Lestok, Chief Marshal O.F. Brümmer, and a little later, Princess Johanna Elisabeth, mother of Sofia Frederica, bride of Grand Duke Peter Fedorovich, future Catherine II), strengthening the position of Alexei Petrovich and appointing him chancellor.

As Chancellor of the Russian Empire, A.P. Bestuzhev had very definite, established views on the main tasks of Russian diplomacy. The foreign policy program of the Russian Empire, proposed by Bestuzhev, received its name from the author himself - “the system of Peter the Great.” He outlined it in presentations to the empress and letters to Vorontsov. Historian E.V. Anisimov calls the “system of Peter the Great” a “hoax of Bestuzhev-Ryumin,” and M.Yu. Anisimov believes that “this name was aimed at Elizabeth, for whom references to the affairs and plans of her father had a magical effect, although in general Bestuzhev really continued Peter the Great’s course towards integrating Russia into Europe and ensuring the security of its borders.”

The main task of A.P. Bestuzhev believed that it was necessary to return to the foreign policy course of Peter I, which would allow Russia to strengthen its prestige and expand its influence in the international arena. The essence of Bestuzhev-Ryumin’s views was the constant and unchanging preservation of allied relations with those states with which Russia had the same long-term interests. First of all, according to the chancellor, these included such maritime powers as England and Holland. Russia could not have territorial disputes with these countries, according to Bestuzhev, and Russia also had long-standing trade relations and common interests in northern Europe with England and Holland.

The alliance with Saxony was also of great importance for Russia, according to Bestuzhev, since the Saxon elector from the end of the 17th century. was also the Polish king. Bestuzhev-Ryumin understood that Poland, with its unstable internal situation and the constant struggle of gentry groups for influence on the next elected king, could always become an object for anti-Russian intrigues.

Alexey Petrovich considered Austria to be the most important ally for Russia, since the Austrian Habsburgs were old opponents of the French Bourbons, and therefore were interested in maintaining a certain balance of power in Central and Eastern Europe and did not allow France to increase influence there. Bestuzhev-Ryumin saw the main purpose of the Russian-Austrian alliance as opposition to the Ottoman Empire, which at that time was a very dangerous southern neighbor for both Russia and Austria. With the help of this alliance, he hoped to gain access to the Black Sea and ensure the security of the southern borders of the Russian Empire.

Bestuzhev-Ryumin singled out France and Sweden as Russia's opponents in the international arena for obvious reasons. However, Bestuzhev-Ryumin believed that good-neighborly diplomatic relations should be maintained with these states.

Bestuzhev paid special attention to relations with Prussia in the international situation of Russia. The Chancellor believed that the treaty signed with Prussia could not be trusted. Nevertheless, Bestuzhev-Ryumin did not deny the possibility and necessity of maintaining diplomatic relations between Russia and Prussia.

“The foreign policy program of Chancellor Bestuzhev-Ryumin, of course, was not without shortcomings,” says Russian diplomatic historian A.N. Shapkina. - The main ones were excessive adherence to the system of three alliances (maritime powers, Austria, Saxony) and a certain overestimation of the common interests of Russia with these countries. But Bestuzhev-Ryumin was a far-sighted politician who knew most of the intricacies of European diplomatic relations. He was able to quite correctly identify the main tasks facing Russian diplomacy at that time, and indicated its obvious and secret opponents, direct and potential allies. The foreign policy concept of Bestuzhev-Ryumin was generally a little dynamic, but at the same time quite flexible, since it involved the use of a variety of methods to achieve set goals and to confront diplomatic opponents, while avoiding open confrontation. However, it should be noted that the chancellor’s program was dominated by an anti-Prussian orientation.”

The foreign policy program proposed by A.P. Bestuzhev, Elizaveta Petrovna accepted under the influence of the events of the autumn of 1744, when the situation in Europe again deteriorated due to the resumption of Prussian military actions against Austria.

Bestuzhev-Ryumin began to implement his program.

On May 22, 1746, an alliance treaty for a period of 25 years was signed between Russia and Austria. The treaty provided for the provision of mutual assistance by troops in the event that an ally was attacked by a third power. The agreement with Austria at this stage met the interests of Russia and made it possible to effectively counter the expansion of Prussian aggression in Europe.

Following the signing of the Russian-Austrian Union Treaty in St. Petersburg, Russian-English negotiations began on the conclusion of a subsidy convention - a special type of union agreement, the terms of which provided for the maintenance of troops of one of the contracting parties provided to it by the other party. Thus, the Russian Empire hoped to attract England to fight the growing Prussian aggression. From June to October 1747, three conventions were signed.

As a result, the signing of an alliance treaty with Austria and three subsidy conventions with England firmly determined Russia’s position and played a significant role in stopping Prussian aggression and ending the War of the Austrian Succession.

Bestuzhev-Ryumin watched with alarm as Elizabeth’s health deteriorated. The chancellor found his only salvation in the support of the wife of Peter III, Grand Duchess Ekaterina Alekseevna. The plan he conceived was supposed to lead to the overthrow of Peter III and the accession of Catherine, with Bestuzhev-Ryumin himself playing a leading role in the administration. However, the plot was quickly discovered. Alexey Petrovich was arrested.

Arrest of Bestuzhev by modern Russian historian E.V. Anisimov describes it as follows: “On the morning of February 25, 1758, a courier arrived at the chancellor Count Alexei Petrovich Bestuzhev-Ryumin and conveyed an oral order from Empress Elizabeth Petrovna to urgently appear at the palace. The Chancellor replied that he was sick... Everyone knew what the first dignitary of Russia was sick with. In the mornings he suffered desperately from a hangover.

The courier came to him for the second time. Bestuzhev, groaning, got into his carriage and went to the Winter Palace. Approaching the entrance of the palace, he was amazed when the guards did not salute him, but surrounded the carriage. The guard major arrested the chancellor and took him back home under escort. Imagine Bestuzhev’s surprise when he saw his house occupied by guards, “sentinels at the door of his office, his wife and family in chains, with their seals on their papers”! However, the count took the royal disfavor philosophically - he had been waiting for it for a long time. The sensitive scent of the old courtier suggested that the time had already come to think about both the sum and the prison... Yes, he never forgot about this - he lived in alarming, turbulent times and at the same time was striving for power, loved power, and this is unsafe. .." .

The sentence to Bestuzhev was drawn up in a unique way: “If I, the great empress, autocrat, free in my decisions, punish the former chancellor Bestuzhev, then this is undoubted evidence of his guilt before the state. That’s the whole story!” . Bestuzhev was arrested, stripped of ranks, titles, orders, and in 1758 exiled to his estate near Moscow.

However, Catherine II, who ascended the throne in 1762, recalled the disgraced diplomat from exile and made him field marshal general and “first imperial adviser.” But if at the beginning of her reign Catherine needed the advice of a wise diplomat, then she found younger associates. Bestuzhev did not become Catherine the Great's favorite. On April 10, 1768, Alexey Petrovich Bestuzhev-Ryumin died.

Even during the life of A.P. Bestuzhev-Ryumin repeatedly received unflattering assessments from his contemporaries. Thus, the Prussian general H.G. Manstein wrote in his memoirs: “Bestuzhev, Russian by birth, comes from a good and ancient family; Having entered the service, he was assigned as a chamberlain to the Duchess of Courland...; a few years later, he was sent as resident to Hamburg, to the place occupied by his father before him; after that he served in the rank of minister at various courts and, finally, at Copenhagen. While with the duchess, he struck up a great friendship with Biron, who subsequently took care of his happiness. After the fall of Volynsky, he was made a cabinet minister... Empress Elizabeth, having ascended the throne, gave him the post of vice-chancellor in place of Count Golovkin, and after the death of Prince Cherkasy, she elevated him to the rank of chancellor. He has no lack of intelligence, he knows things through long experience and is very hardworking; but at the same time he is arrogant, selfish, stingy, wasteful, incredibly deceitful, cruel and never forgives if it seems to him that someone has offended him in the slightest way.”

Catherine II, in the character of Bestuzhev, noted the following: “He inspired much more fear than affection, was extremely nosy and suspicious, firm and unshakable in his opinions, rather cruel with his subordinates, an implacable enemy, but a friend of his friends, whom he did not abandon.” until they themselves cheated on him; in other respects, he was quarrelsome and in many cases petty... and his character was immeasurably superior to the diplomats of the royal front,” and also “it was difficult to lead him by the nose.”

One of the modern researchers presents us with the image of Alexei Petrovich as follows: “Bestuzhev... was a typical figure of his century - a recognized master of behind-the-scenes court intrigue, an insidious and cunning courtier. If he had been different, he would hardly have been able to stay at the Elizabethan court, since he had nothing to do with the coup of November 25, 1741, did not enjoy the sympathy of the empress, and was not, like Vorontsov, married to her relative.” Another researcher in the field of the history of Russian foreign policy is A.N. Shapkina. also gives an ambiguous assessment of the chancellor: “Bestuzhev-Ryumin was a rather rare figure in the political life of Russia of this period. The era of favoritism was gaining momentum. The favorites of the empresses had a significant, sometimes decisive influence on the decisions of their august patronesses. Bestuzhev-Ryumin, enjoying great influence on Elizabeth, which was recognized by both his well-wishers (of whom there were very few) and enemies (of whom there were more than enough), was never her favorite. Enormous hard work, a penetrating mind, brilliant diplomatic skills, and the ability to persuade allowed him to become the winner in the most difficult and brutal struggle with the “French party” and its supporters. However, the vice-chancellor should not be idealized: he was a son of his time. Believing that the end justifies the means, Bestuzhev-Ryumin very often used far from honest methods inherent in court intriguers of all European states, among which were viewing the enemy’s correspondence, bribery, and sometimes blackmail.”

So, to summarize, Alexey Petrovich Bestuzhev-Ryumin introduced himself to us as a courtier with all the qualities of a skilled diplomat: he was smart, cold-blooded and calculating, well versed in European politics, and resourceful when necessary. However, the foreign policy course pursued by Bestuzhev-Ryumin was distinguished by thoughtfulness, integrity and clarity in protecting the interests of Russia.

Reviewers:

Sorokin Yu.A., Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor of the Department of Pre-Revolutionary Russian History and Document Science of the Omsk State University. F.M. Dostoevsky", Omsk.

Maksimenko L.A., Doctor of Philosophy, Head of the Department of Philosophy, Omsk State Medical Academy, Omsk.

Bibliographic link

Belova T.A. ALEXEY PETROVICH BESTUZHEV-RYUMIN (CHANCELLOR OF ELIZAVETA PETROVNA): AN INTRIGAN IN POWER // Modern problems of science and education. – 2014. – No. 5.;
URL: http://science-education.ru/ru/article/view?id=14731 (access date: 02/07/2020). We bring to your attention magazines published by the publishing house "Academy of Natural Sciences"

Alexey Petrovich Bestuzhev-Ryumin. The Great Chancellor of the Russian Empire, the “gray eminence” for several decades not only in our fatherland, but also, without exaggeration, throughout Europe. A sincerely believing Orthodox man, he worried and constantly confessed to the patriarch even about non-fasting. An official who forced princes, dukes, counts, even kings and sultans to look at yesterday’s Rus' in fear. How beautifully he misled the Prussian ruler Frederick II and confused his plans by the fact that Austria supposedly intended to declare war immediately and was pushing Russia to do so, while Russia supposedly intended to postpone military operations to a later date, from -for the unpreparedness of their army and navy. In fact, everything was the other way around: Russia was in a hurry and persuaded Austria to do so. Frederick, having lost the opportunity to receive intelligence information from St. Petersburg, therefore relied on his spies in Dresden and Berlin. But the agents provided him with false information, which, apparently, was again organized by Bestuzhev. To convey misinformation to the addressee, the chancellor used either Grand Duke Peter Fedorovich or his former assistant, the Saxon diplomat Funk. The first was used “in the dark,” while Funk acted quite purposefully from Dresden.

King Frederick II of Prussia wrote to his ambassador Maderfeld: “The main condition, an indispensable one in our business, is to destroy Bestuzhev, because otherwise nothing will be achieved. We need to have a minister at the Russian court who would force the empress to do what we want.” M.Yu. Anisimov wrote: “On the eve of the Seven Years’ War, Russian diplomacy had to endure a real battle with the diplomacy of Sweden, France, Prussia and Turkey, and this battle was won not least thanks to the smart, insightful and consistent policy of its chancellor. The hopes of Paris and Berlin to pit Russia against Sweden and Turkey, despite all the intrigues and intrigues, did not materialize. Almost Bestuzhev-Ryumin endured this confrontation alone, on his shoulders. Being well informed, he confidently led his fatherland through all adversity and difficulties. He won this battle without firing a shot - through diplomatic skill alone. Russia entered the war, securing its flanks, strengthening its authority in Europe and acquiring strong allies.”

And after Bestuzhev’s arrest in 1758, the Marquis of L’Hopital, in his letter to Minister Berni, indicated: “The allies of the Empress will derive at least one benefit from the fall of Bestuzhev, they will learn that the old political deceiver, the great magician and wizard of Russia, who held her on stilts, who presented it as great and formidable no longer exists... I am unlikely to be deceived if I say that you will see how this power will weaken and fall every year.” He was partly right; for almost five years the Russian Empire fell into political suspended animation.

Throughout his entire political career, Bestuzhev, with his sincere love for his homeland, walked on the razor's edge. At first, in 1740, he worked for the ascension of John Antonovich to the throne during the regency of the Duke of Courland Biron, according to the will of Anna Ioannovna, the true heir to the throne, however, he lost in palace intrigues to Minich and Elizaveta Petrovna came to power. Alexey Petrovich was sentenced to execution, but was pardoned and exiled to his estate. But paradoxically, it was the enemies who returned Bestuzhev to the court; Count Shuvalov and the empress’s confidant, the Marquis Shetardy, played an important role in restoring Alexei Petrovich’s authority in the eyes of Elizabeth. They understood perfectly well that there was no place for the best diplomat and politician away from the royal court. But the latter acted with selfish motives. They planned to “bring under” the kind Alexei Petrovich, so that he would advise the empress and pursue a policy pleasing to his saviors: he would establish relations with France and Prussia.

But the captivity of Bestuzhev-Ryumin did not break him. He did not repeat the mistakes, he drew conclusions. And outplayed his yesterday's enemies. Fifteen years later, he opened Elizabeth’s eyes to her inner circle, who were dancing to the French tune. He managed to achieve the expulsion of the French envoy Chetardie, the removal from Russia of the agents of the Prussian king - Princess Zerbst and Brümmer - and the prohibition of Lestocq from interfering in foreign affairs. Having become chancellor, he dealt another heavy blow to the enemies, proving that in 1748 Vorontsov and Lestocq were bribed by the Prussians and the French. Vorontsov forever lost his former influence, and Lestok, after trial and torture, was exiled to Uglich.

So, Alexey Petrovich Bestuzhev-Ryumin excellently established relations with the wife of the future emperor, Ekaterina Alekseevna. After exposure and excommunication from her mother's court, Bestuzhev became, so to speak, the main political mentor of the future empress. I am sure that he told Catherine about the “Lopukhin case”, when his brother’s wife was subjected to terrible torture, on the orders of Elizaveta Petrovna, but Alexey Petrovich did not break down, realizing that any action, even displeasing to one person, if it comes from “God’s protégé” , that is, a king or queen, cannot but be a blessing for the fatherland. It was Bestuzhev who instilled in Catherine toughness and sincere patriotism, no matter how painful it was, to be able to make true and fair decisions that would benefit the homeland. Bestuzhev saw on the future throne either Paul, the son of Catherine and Peter, under the regency of his mother, or, directly, Catherine Alekseevna herself under her husband, who did not decide anything. Back in 1756, Bestuzhev made a forecast regarding the reign of Peter III; unfortunately, it turned out to be prophetic. He wanted to dedicate Elizaveta Petrovna to his plans, but since she was ill, and then the Shuvalovs “concocted a little deal” against the chancellor, and just like in his first arrest, they could not really produce anything.

The slandered Alexei Petrovich was once again sent into exile. But it was too late, the cunning fox Bestuzhev prepared an excellent student, ready to do anything for her fatherland. In addition, having taught how to manipulate men, and what is most incredible, with their feelings (remember the Lopukhins). The chancellor introduced Catherine to Saltykov, a handsome chamberlain, who began to court Catherine, not shy of means and using all his eloquence, masculine charm, flattery, bribing servants and playing out a fiery passion for the “subject” itself. After the birth of Catherine’s son Pavel, Bestuzhev-Ryumin sent Saltykov on a diplomatic mission to Sweden, and when Catherine, in love with the young diplomat, began to beg the chancellor to leave him in Russia, Alexey Petrovich taught her the first lesson: “Your Highness, sovereigns should not love. You wanted and needed Saltykov to serve your Highness. He fulfilled the assignment as intended, but now the benefit of the service of our most gracious Empress requires that he serve as ambassador to Sweden.” Thus, Catherine developed a certain “skill” - not to become attached to men under any circumstances; in my opinion, it was for this reason that the coup took place with the overthrow of Peter III. Catherine managed to restrain her affection for her husband and influence the conspirators in the way that Alexey Petrovich once taught her.

Pyotr Fedorovich rejoiced from the bottom of his heart at Bestuzhev’s arrest, but time will put everything in its place. After the death of Elizaveta Petrovna, Peter III ascended the throne, who began to realize the worst fears of Alexei Petrovich: He signed a shameful peace with Prussia, giving Frederick II the conquered lands, brought in the Holsteiners, giving them serious posts, and returned the traitor Brümmer. But Catherine played her own game, surrounding herself with influential men, she built a plan to implement the plan of her exiled teacher. She brought the Orlov brothers closer to her; Grigory had enormous weight and respect in the army, both as an honored warrior, and as a brave lover, and as a personal enemy of the almighty Shuvalov. I do not rule out that it was Bestuzhev who facilitated the acquaintance of the future empress and Grigory Orlov, who served with his closest friend Apraksin. During the accession of Catherine II and the return of Alexei Petrovich from exile, the latter actively worked for the marriage of the empress and Grigory Orlov. As you know, it didn’t work out, but I think that this last fixed idea of Bestuzhev was exclusively mixed with thoughts about the benefit of the fatherland. And he died with a clear conscience, confident in his talented student, and in the fact that she would certainly pass on the acquired knowledge to the subsequent rulers of our homeland.

http://fanread.ru/book/12156917/?

http://www.e-reading.by/chapter.php/1033733/10/Grigorev_-_Bestuzhev-Ryumin.html

https://ru.wikipedia.org

Don't believe your eyes ;)))

Chancellor of Empress Elizabeth and Field Marshal General under Catherine II, youngest son of Count Peter Mikhailovich, b. 22 May 1693, d. in 1768. In 1707, at the request of his father, he, together with his older brother, received permission to go abroad for science, at his own expense. In October 1708, the brothers left Arkhangelsk, with the wife of the Russian ambassador at the Danish court of Prince V.L. Dolgorukov, for Copenhagen, where they entered the Danish Academy of Nobles. In 1710, a pestilence forced them to move to Berlin and continue their studies at the Higher Collegium there. The younger Bestuzhev showed particular success in studying the languages of Latin, French and German, as well as general education sciences. After completing the training course, he traveled around Europe. In 1712, Peter the Great, having arrived in Berlin, ordered Bestuzhev to serve as a “nobleman at the embassy” to the Russian plenipotentiary minister in Holland, Prince. B.I. Kurakina, whom Bestuzhev accompanied to the Utrecht Congress. While passing through Hanover, Bestuzhev had the opportunity to become known to the Hanoverian Elector Georg Ludwig and received an offer to enter his service. With the permission of Peter I, Bestuzhev actually entered the service of the Elector in 1713, first as a colonel and then as a chamber cadet with a salary of 1000 thalers per year. In 1714, George, who ascended the English throne, took Bestuzhev with him to London and immediately sent him to Peter the Great, as an English minister, with notification of his accession to the throne. Peter, very pleased with this role of a Russian in foreign service, received Bestuzhev according to the etiquette established for receiving foreign ministers, and gave him 1000 rubles. and the usual gift in such cases. Then Bestuzhev returned to London with a letter of congratulation from Peter to George and a new letter of recommendation from his sovereign. In total, Bestuzhev spent about four years in England, with great benefit for his education and preparation for the political role ahead of him. The consciousness of his strength early awakened in him an ambitious desire to advance as quickly as possible, taking advantage of various “conjunctures.” His inclination and ability for intrigue showed in him in 1717, when he learned about the flight of Tsarevich Alexei to Vienna. Seeing the future ruler of Russia in the tsarevich, Bestuzhev hastened to write him a letter, with assurance of devotion and readiness to serve “the future tsar and sovereign”; Bestuzhev deftly explained his transition to foreign service by his desire to leave Russia, since circumstances did not allow him to serve, as he would have liked, Tsarevich Alexei. Fortunately for Bestuzhev, the prince did not extradite him during the investigation, and destroyed the letter: only the German translation was preserved in the Vienna archive. At the end of the same 1717, Bestuzhev asked King George I for dismissal from service, as relations between Peter and the House of Hanover began to deteriorate. Upon arrival in Russia, he was appointed chief chamberlain cadet to the court of the Dowager Duchess of Courland Anna Ioannovna, where he served without pay for about two years. In 1721, his independent diplomatic service began: he replaced Prince. V. L. Dolgorukov as Russian Minister-Resident at the court of the Danish King Frederick VI. Here Bestuzhev found himself in the midst of Peter’s diplomatic struggle with the English king, who was trying to rouse the northern powers against Russia. The patronage that Peter provided to the Duke of Holstein put him in a hostile relationship with Denmark, which after the Northern War retained Schleswig under a separate treaty with Sweden in 1720. Bestuzhev was entrusted with obtaining from Denmark recognition of the title of Imperial Majesty for Peter, and for the Duke of Holstein - royal highness, and for Russian courts - exemption from Sund duties; at the same time, he had to monitor the hostile machinations of England and, if possible, counteract them. Bestuzhev reported that the Danish ministers were completely in the hands of the Hanoverian envoy and were retired from him, and asked for 25,000 chervonnies to buy them over to his side. Without such funds, he managed to attract only the influential chief secretary of the military college, Gabel, who gave him the opportunity to conduct secret negotiations personally with the Danish king. The Danish government agreed to recognize Peter's imperial title only in exchange for a guarantee from Schleswig or, at least, subject to the removal of the Duke of Holstein from Russia. Bestuzhev, who generally conducted affairs very independently, giving Peter advice and objecting to his instructions, insisted on the need to keep Denmark at bay with the help of hertz. Holstein Negotiations dragged on without results. During this time, news was received of the conclusion of the Nystadt Peace. Bestuzhev organized a magnificent holiday on December 1, 1721 for foreign ministers and noble persons of the kingdom and distributed a medal to the guests in memory of the great event. The medal depicted a bust of Peter the Great with the inscription: “Exantlatis per quatuor et quod excurrit lustra plus quam Herculeis belli laboribus, pace Neostadii in Finlandia 30 Aug. S.V.” 1721. gloriosissime, quod ipsa fatebitur invidia, sancita, exoptatam Arctoo orbi quietem donavit." Because of such an inscription, the royal mint refused to mint the medal, and Bestuzhev had to order it in Hamburg. Along the edge of the medal there was an inscription: "haec moneta in memoriam pacis hujus distributa fuit ab A. Bestuschef apud regn. Dan. aulam h. t. Residente" (this medal, but without the second inscription, was again minted in St. Petersburg in 1763). Peter, who was then in Derbent, thanked Bestuzhev with a handwritten letter, and in 1723 he presented him with his portrait decorated with diamonds. Bestuzhev treasured this gift all his life and wore it on his chest. During his stay in Copenhagen, Bestuzhev, a great lover of chemistry, invented valuable “life drops” (tinctura tonico-nervina Bestuscheffi), an alcohol-ether solution of ferrous sesquichloride; which helped In their manufacture, the chemist Lembke sold the secret to him in Hamburg to the French foreman de Lamotte, who presented the drops to the French king and received a large reward for this. In France, Bestuzhev's drops became known as "eléxir d"or", or "eléxir de Lamotte". Later, Bestuzhev himself revealed his secret to a St. Petersburg pharmacist, and then to an academician of the Academy of Sciences, Model, from whom the secret passed to the pharmacist Durop; Durop's widow sold it for 3,000 rubles. Empress Catherine II, by whose order the recipe was published in the St. Petersburg Bulletin for 1780.

Bestuzhev's diplomatic task was, in part, completed in 1724. The Danish government recognized Peter's imperial title; but, as Bestuzhev explained, it made a concession only out of fear. The conclusion of an alliance between Russia and Sweden made Denmark fear not only for Schleswig, but also for Norway; the king even fell ill upon receiving such news. Peter appreciated Bestuzhev's diplomatic dexterity and in the same year, on May 7, on the day of Catherine's coronation, he granted him the title of actual chamberlain. In the year of Peter the Great's death, Denmark was still wavering between the Anglo-French alliance and Russia. But the hope for the inevitable weakening of Russia after the death of the great sovereign led the Danes “to a kind and cheerful humor”; The English fleet appeared in Danish waters, and everyone began to “shun Bestuzhev as if he were plagued.” And in addition to the strained Copenhagen relations, Bestuzhev was dissatisfied with his position. Danish affairs weighed heavily on him; there was nowhere for his talents to develop, and in St. Petersburg there was a struggle between parties, which promised a person with energy, great ambition and flexible dexterity - a quick rise to power. The Bestuzhev family had long-standing connections with the deceased’s court; Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich; now their friends: the Veselovskys, Abram Hannibal, the Pashkovs, Neledinsky, Cherkasov - rallied around Bestuzhev’s sister, Prince. Agrafena Petrovna Volkonskaya, and the teacher of Tsarevich Pyotr Alekseevich, Sem. Af. Mavrina. Their support was also the Austrian envoy in St. Petersburg, Count Rabutin, who enjoyed significant influence. Bestuzhev dreamed of elevation with his help; Indeed, Rabutin tried to deliver the book. Volkonskaya received the title of chief chamberlain under Princess Natalya Alekseevna, and Bestuzhev asked her to obtain the title of count for her father. He himself officially asked for “for his seven years of work at the Danish court” the powers of an extraordinary envoy and an increased salary. But in vain he was sure that “his reward through the Viennese court would never leave him.” His party had strong enemies - Menshikov and the Holsteins, and Rabutin died in 1727. Menshikov and Osterman took possession of the court of Tsarevich Peter. Bestuzhev's friends started an intrigue against them, but it was revealed, and one of them, gr. Devier found correspondence that revealed the secret relations of the circle. Book Volkonskaya was exiled to the village, Mavrin and Hannibal received assignments to Siberia, the entire circle was destroyed. Bestuzhev survived, although his father came under investigation and his brother was removed from Stockholm. He had to stay in Denmark without any “reward”. His political role remained colorless. Upon the accession of Peter II to the throne, the Duke of Holstein left Russia, and the Danish court calmed down. Bestuzhev was waiting for a change for his circle when Menshikov fell. But hope failed this time too: power remained in the hands of a hostile man - Osterman. The attempt of the exiled to return only led to the discovery of their new intrigue and to new punishments, and A. Bestuzhev was also compromised, caught that he was “seeking help for himself through the Viennese court,” and even “informed foreign ministers about the internal affairs of the local state.” However, disgrace did not touch him this time either, and in February 1729 he even received a cash reward of 5,000 rubles. - The year 1730 has come. The transfer of power into the hands of Anna Ioannovna gave Bestuzhev new hope. He managed to retain the favor of the former Duchess of Courland. godmother of his three sons, and after his father lost her favor. Bestuzhev hastened to write her a greeting, recalling how she wrote to him in 1727 that she “had never seen anything contrary to herself from him, except faithful services,” and complained that, having lived for 10 years in Denmark under difficult circumstances, enduring oppression due to for the Duke of Holstein and his claims to Schleswig, he has not received any promotion for 8 years. But his voice was not heeded. In the spring of 1731, he was ordered to hand over Danish affairs to the Courlander Brakel, and he himself went to Hamburg as a resident. However, a year later he received the title of extraordinary envoy to the Lower Saxony district. Here he had the opportunity to provide the Empress with a significant service. On her instructions, he traveled to Kiel to inspect the archives of the Dukes of Holstein and managed to extract from there documents relating to the heritage of the Russian throne, including the spiritual will of Empress Catherine I, which established the rights of the Holstein house to the Russian throne. In the same 1733, the former chamberlain of the Duchess of Mecklenburg Ekaterina Ivanovna, Milashevich, came to Bestuzhev in Hamburg with a denunciation of the Smolensk governor, Prince Cherkassky, who allegedly leads many Smolensk residents to allegiance to the Holstein prince. For these cases, Bestuzhev was summoned to St. Petersburg by personal decree, brought documents and an informer, and received, in addition to 2,000 rubles, the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky. From that time on, Biron, who had been pursuing his father, began to look at Bestuzhev as a faithful and reliable person. In 1735 he again arrived in Copenhagen, and bar. Brakel was recalled. Bestuzhev was simultaneously appointed envoy extraordinary to both Denmark and the Lower Saxony district. In May 1736 he received the rank of Privy Councilor. Bestuzhev still remained abroad for about 4 years, when the fall of Volynsky gave him the opportunity to occupy a high position in his homeland. Unfit for the role of head of state affairs, a sovereign temporary worker, the Duke of Courland Biron had long been burdened by his dependence in affairs on the count. Osterman. Attempts to raise, in contrast to him, first Yaguzhinsky, then Ar. Volynsky - ended in failure. Then Biron’s choice settled on Bestuzhev, who managed to assure Biron of his extreme devotion to his person. In 1740, Bestuzhev was promoted to actual privy councilor and summoned to St. Petersburg. The Duke of Courland still hesitated for some time whether to bring him into the Cabinet. When he arrived at the capital, no statement was made regarding the plans for which he was summoned. Shetardy explains this by the fact that Bestuzhev enjoyed the reputation of a man similar to Volynsky, ambitious, following his passions without restraint, so that many predicted for him the same tragic end that befell his predecessor; but Biron did not want to change his choice, since his project became known as soon as it was conceived. Foreign ministers were very concerned about the question of how strong Bestuzhev's influence would be and in what particular matters. On August 18, 1740, on the day of the christening of Tsarevich Ivan Antonovich, Bestuzhev was declared a cabinet minister, and soon (September 9) the Empress conferred on him the Order of the White Eagle, granted to him by the Polish King. This renewal of the Cabinet was a matter of essential importance, since the political affairs of Europe were entering a new phase. The rapprochement between Russia and England regarding Swedish affairs was to be formalized in an agreement establishing a new political system. But Osterman, despite all the efforts of the British Minister Finch, endlessly delayed negotiations, clearly avoiding a decisive step. Finch had high hopes for Bestuzhev, who in Copenhagen became close to the British representative at the Danish court, Tidley, and, according to reports, the latter held views favorable to the Anglo-Russian alliance. Upon Bestuzhev’s arrival, in July 1740, Finch immediately struck up a personal acquaintance with him, enlisted his assistance, and one of Bestuzhev’s first things to do in the Cabinet was to insist on a speedy solution to the English question. Because of this, he immediately began to clash with Osterman, who nevertheless ensured that negotiations with the British were entrusted not to the entire Cabinet, but to him alone. With the birth of John, the position of Biron, who was at enmity with his parents, became precarious. His influence was not enough to push Osterman aside by Bestuzhev. The question of in whose hands the power would remain came to a head when the Empress felt very ill on October 5, 1740. The story of how Biron’s regency was created has been told more than once in historical literature; there is a lot of information about her in the stories and passages of contemporaries. But the latter are very contradictory, and the opinion that brought Bestuzhev to the forefront in this case is hardly entirely fair. Given the relations that existed at that time, one had to expect a merciless struggle between the parties. Anna Leopoldovna asserted her maternal rights; Prince Anton of Brunswick poorly concealed his reluctance to obey her and his desire to become the head of the Russian military forces; Minikh was a clear rival of the prince and an enemy of Osterman, who held all political threads in the tenacious hands; Bestuzhev with friends, book. Kurakin, Golovkin and others, he was not afraid of anything more than the strengthening of Osterman, the longtime persecutor of the Bestuzhevs, but he did not get along well with the prince. Cherkassky, who relied on a special circle. And none of these warring court elements was strong enough to create anything resembling the previous government. When the question of regency came up, the nobles soon abandoned the idea of a collective regency: the experience of the Supreme Privy Council compromised this idea. The victory of the Brunswick-Lüneburg family did not mean anything good to anyone except Ostermann; it did not promise anything good for Russia, and Bestuzhev was undoubtedly sincere when he pointed out that the influence of both Prince Anton and Anna Leopoldovna’s father, the Duke of Mecklenburg, would involve Russia in political combinations harmful to its interests. The victory remained with Biron, for Minikh, Bestuzhev, Cherkassky and almost all other nobles joined him. Contemporaries - both Russians and foreigners - rightly believed that without the support of Minich, the regency would not have gone to Biron. Minich's goal was to remove Prince Anton from control of the military forces and from influence in general. Osterman, who was acting too cautiously, was not dared to be touched, and Bestuzhev, like Minikh, held tightly to Biron, feeling that the fight was not over yet. The first manifestations of dissatisfaction with the regency in the guard were discovered by Bestuzhev and suppressed. When Minikh, after an unsuccessful attempt to win the guard over to Biron’s side, immediately changed front, he did everything possible to shift all the blame for the intrigues in favor of the duke onto Bestuzhev alone. On the night of November 8-9, 1741, simultaneously with the arrest of Biron, Bestuzhev was also captured, who thought at the first minute that this trouble was coming from the regent. An investigation began into political criminals who persuaded the late Empress to circumvent Anna Leopoldovna's rights. The thing against Bestuzhev was that he wrote a draft decree on the regency, that he said a lot, more than others, at meetings with the regent, that he received from Biron as a reward the house confiscated from Volynsky. But in Russian society they looked differently. According to the testimony of the English envoy Finch, “the Russian people could not come to terms with the idea that he was singled out from the crowd of people who participated in the establishment of the regency of the Duke of Courland, and they entrusted him with responsibility for a matter that - according to the general consciousness - he was not the only one who conceived could not carry it out, just as one could not resist him; and he, like other Russian nobles and dignitaries involved in the matter, was carried by the flow of power of the Duke, strong with the advice and support of a person who is now ready to put all responsibility on Bestuzhev" . Bestuzhev, imprisoned first in the Narva fortress, then in Koporye, was brought to the Shlisselburg fortress. He completely lost his presence of mind, and his first testimony was full of sharp and decisive accusations against Biron, who objected that “he would consider himself unworthy of life, if only Bestuzhev’s accusations were true.” Their confrontation led to Bestuzhev asking the Duke for forgiveness for the slander that he had leveled against him at the instigation of Minich, succumbing to his assurance that only in this way would he save himself and his family. Things immediately took a different turn. Minikh was removed from the investigative commission, and Bestuzhev admitted that without this change he would not have had the courage to tell the truth. The investigation revealed the leading role of Munnich himself in the Biron case, but, according to the Prince of Brunswick, they had already gone too far, and it was impossible to impose a lenient sentence without an impression compromising the new government. On January 17, 1741, the commission sentenced Bestuzhev to quartering. In April, he was granted a pardon, but was deprived of his orders, ranks and positions and sent into exile. All his estates and all his property were confiscated, only from the estate in Belozersky district 372 souls were allocated to feed his wife and children. By decree of May 22, he was ordered to live “quietly, without doing anything” in his father’s or wife’s villages. Bestuzhev's exile, however, did not last long. In October 1741, unexpectedly for many, he appeared again in St. Petersburg. He was still needed by the enemies of Osterman and the Prince of Brunswick. These persons, headed by, after the fall of Minich, gr. Golovkin and Prince Trubetskoy, persuaded, with the help of Novgorod Archbishop Ambrose Yushkevich, the ruler to return Bestuzhev. Osterman and Prince Anton learned a lot about Anna Leopoldovna’s decision after orders were made to summon Bestuzhev to St. Petersburg, just a few days before his arrival. Foreign ambassadors have interesting reviews about the party that supported Bestuzhev. Finch considers it Russian national and even - with the obvious delusion common among foreigners of that time - striving to return Russia to pre-Petrine antiquity; In addition, this is a party of nobles who seek to increase the importance of the Senate, for whose approval they sent the draft of the Swedish campaign, already signed by the ruler, drawn up by Lassi. Finch saw in this an attempt “to establish the Swedish Senate and that limited rule that, at the beginning of the last reign, the Dolgoruks tried to introduce.” The Austrian envoy, the Marquis Botta, was considered the soul and secret leader of this party. The victory was not complete. Bestuzhev returned, but was not reinstated in his ranks or in the position of cabinet minister. Because of this, the discord at the ruler's court worsened even more, which was resolved by the coup on November 25. The coup that transferred supreme power into the hands of Elizaveta Petrovna bore the character of a Russian national movement against the domination of foreigners and could only strengthen the position of Bestuzhev, the only Russian statesman at that time distinguished by his talents and knowledge of the matter, although he did not take part in the preparation and implementation of this events. The drafting of a manifesto announcing to the people the accession to the throne of Empress Elizabeth was entrusted to him, together with Prince. Cherkassky and Brevern. On November 30, Bestuzhev received the Order of St. “for his innocent endurance.” Andrew the First-Called and was restored to the rank of d. t. adviser. At first, a council of 11 dignitaries acted on the affairs of the overthrown government and to establish a new one. When they moved from emergency measures to establishing the correct course of government affairs, it became obvious that, according to Osterman’s link, there was no one to entrust with the conduct of foreign policy except Bestuzhev. However, Bestuzhev had to show great dexterity before he managed to take a firm position under the new government. He was undoubtedly far from enjoying the personal sympathy of the Imp. Elizabeth and appointing him by decree of December 12, 1741. , to the Senate and to the post of vice-chancellor, to the place of the exiled gr. Golovkin, she followed rather the necessity and mood of those around her. Golovkin’s exile did not shake Bestuzhev’s position, because he managed to make the French party, which took credit for the honor of placing Elizabeth on the throne and enjoyed strong influence at court, an instrument of his rise. The French ambassador Chetardy was in favor of entrusting Bestuzhev with foreign affairs, because he considered him the only one suitable. Bestuzhev, in his opinion, writes deftly, speaks fluently in foreign languages, is hardworking, although he loves society and a cheerful life, thereby dispelling the hypochondria that visits him. Lestok was also in favor of Bestuzhev. The Empress retained the chancellorship for the prince. Cherkassky, whom she valued for his honesty and extreme caution in business, although foreign ministers constantly complained about his laziness and inability, further enhanced by the fact that he did not speak foreign languages. In accordance with the circumstances of his rise, Bestuzhev was extremely cautious and seemed to retreat from his previous political program. Shetardy occupied such an influential position at court that “the first bow was given to the Empress, and the second to him.” The Russians pleased him, and he hoped to subordinate all the necessary people to his influence, including the vice-chancellor. Bestuzhev maintained his confidence that he was ready to support the project of a Franco-Russian union - and this at a time when France constantly opposed Russia in the Eastern Question, in Swedish, Polish and Courland affairs. Despite the warning from Paris, Chetardy, who based his entire policy on personal intrigues, believed in Bestuzhev’s subordination. This illusion lasted until April 1742, and meanwhile, Bestuzhev was only waiting for the opportunity to take systematic management of affairs into his own hands, regardless of certain court trends. In 1742 this had not yet been achieved. Having replaced Finch at the St. Petersburg court, Kirill Veitch complained that there could be no question of quickly and clearly conducting affairs with the Russian ministry, since the Empress avoided classes and reports, being carried away by court festivities, and the management of affairs could not yet be established after so many hesitations and sudden change. During this time, Bestuzhev received, as a sign of the Empress’s favor, a house in Moscow, confiscated from the gr. Osterman. By decree of February 16, 1742, he was ordered to give him the salary he had deserved over the past time and was henceforth assigned 6,000 rubles. in year; in March he was entrusted with managing post offices throughout the state. On April 25, 1742, on the day of coronation, at the request of Bestuzhev, his father was granted the dignity of count of the Russian Empire. But all these favors did not create a strong position for Bestuzhev. His influence on the course of Russian politics was far from being what his English and Austrian friends wanted, or what the very interests of Russia required. In the struggle between France and Prussia on the one hand, England and Austria on the other - for who would win over Russia - victory, it seemed, should have gone to the former, especially since both Finch and the Marquis Botta held on to Biron, and then to Brunswick at home and were hostile to efforts to advance Elizabeth's rights. However, the government of the daughter of the great Peter, created by the national movement, could only adhere to a political system consistent with the interests of Russia, that is, to counteract the strengthening of French and Prussian influences, disastrous for the peace of Russia from Sweden, Poland and the Baltic regions, as well as in the East. question. The struggle was necessary, and Austria and England were natural allies in it. Empress Elizabeth had to sacrifice personal sympathies to the interests of the state and accept the program consistently, step by step, carried out by Bestuzhev. The first issue in which Bestuzhev, with the support of other members of the conferences that met under the chairmanship of the chancellor for negotiations with foreign ambassadors on important matters, managed to defend a decision consistent with his “system”, concerned the conclusion of a defensive alliance treaty with England. The struggle that the Bestuzhev brothers endured in defense of this cause forced Veitch to ask King George for “tangible evidence of His Majesty’s gracious disposition” for them, and the king allowed them to be offered pensions from the English treasury. But since the influence of the Bestuzhevs turned out to be too weak for a long time, Veitch proposed postponing this matter, limiting himself to one-time gifts. These were the customs of the diplomatic world in the 18th century: when concluding treaties, during peace negotiations, the participants in these cases were always given gifts by the interested parties. From official gifts to private ones there was one step. But Bestuzhev did not do it. The English government, having allocated sums to Veitch for the Bestuzhevs, later found out that they had never received anything from Veitch. His friendship with the British and constant support for their policies in St. Petersburg were created solely by the consciousness of the benefits of Russia. Veitch himself explained his request by saying that the king could not demand anything from the Bestuzhevs that would not correspond to their own views and the actual benefits of the Empire. On December 11, 1742, the Anglo-Russian agreement on the recognition of Elizabeth's imperial title, on mutual support in case of war and on the renewal of a trade agreement for 15 years was signed. At the same time, another, even more important matter was underway: peace negotiations with Sweden. And then things didn’t start the way the Russian ministers wanted. France raised Sweden against Russia; but when the regime changed in Russia, the French sought to firmly establish their influence in it, and one of the means for this was to take the Swedish affair into their own hands. The Swedes made the defense of Elizabeth's rights one of the goals of their war; Now Elizabeth was Empress, and hostilities ceased. Relations with the Swedes began, in addition to the Russian ministers, through Shetardy, who began correspondence about peace with the Swedish commander-in-chief, Levenhaupt. He convinced Empress Elizabeth to write a letter to the French king asking for mediation between her and the Swedish government, and Lestocq gave the order to send such a letter to the head of diplomatic correspondence, Brevern - without the knowledge of the Russian ministers. Brevern turned out to be quite careful and instead of “mediation” he wrote “good offices”. This gave the Bestuzhevs the opportunity to deny the significance of the letter as a request for official mediation. In Paris they really wanted to take the Swedish-Russian agreement into their own hands, but did not at all approve of the courtesy of Chetardy, who was working for peace on terms that, in the opinion of the French Foreign Minister, were too beneficial for Russia; subjugating the Russian court, it was necessary to preserve the loyalty of Sweden. Russia was considered weak and they thought that Sweden could “receive from Her Majesty’s gratitude what they previously thought of getting only by force of arms,” that is, most of the provinces conquered by Peter the Great. Empress Elizabeth responded to this that she would never agree to so clearly violate respect for the memory of her father and the interests of Russia. Then Chetardy, counting on Bestuzhev’s support, himself insisted on transferring the matter into the hands of Russian ministers. Bestuzhev was the first to declare that the minimum Russian demands were to preserve the conditions of the Nystadt Peace, that he, Bestuzhev, would deserve the death penalty for advising to cede even an inch of Russian land, and that it was better, for the glory of the empress and the people, to demand the continuation of the war. The unanimous support of Bestuzhev's opinion by all other Russian ministers put Chetardie in a difficult position. At the conferences, French mediation was unconditionally rejected, and possible peace conditions were categorically defined. In the spring of 1742, hostilities resumed, about which Bestuzhev did not even find it necessary to warn Shetardie, to the latter’s great indignation. After the summer campaign of 1742, all of Finland was conquered. Shetardie was recalled, having, however, received one and a half hundred thousand gifts from the Empress. The state of affairs had changed; Russian diplomats could now conduct business without taking into account the French. Even Lestocq went into retirement with the British, although he continued to receive money from France. Veitch managed to arrange a reconciliation between him and Bestuzhev, at least externally. French agents were now making every effort to spoil the Russians' success by raising Turkey against them, and to destroy the Bestuzhevs by convicting them of some intrigues against Elizabeth, former or new. The intrigues remained fruitless. But the position of the Bestuzhevs was far from being as independent as it seemed from the outside. In addition to the Empress’s trust in the Chancellor, Prince. Cherkassky, who did not want to completely submit to Bestuzhev’s leadership, also had to reckon with a new force - the “Holstein courtyard”. Summoned to Russia in February 1742, the young Duke of Holstein was declared heir to the Russian throne on November 7. The interests of the Holstein house again began to play a prominent role in Russian politics, to the great displeasure of Bestuzhev. They affected, first of all, Swedish affairs, which Bestuzhev now led alone, relying on the conference on foreign affairs, since Prince. Cherkassky died on November 4, 1742. He remained vice-chancellor until July 15, 1744, since Elizabeth did not want to give him the chancellorship, although she did not know who to replace him with. Bestuzhev's opponents nominated A.I. Rumyantsev, but Elizabeth rejected her with the words: “maybe he is a good soldier, but a bad minister.” Negotiations with the Swedes were complicated by the fact that the question of the rights of the Holstein house to the Swedish throne again came up. The marshal of the court of Grand Duke Peter Fedorovich, the Holsteiner Brümmer, and Lestok revived the French-Holstein party, and the Empress considered it a matter of honor to support the rights of the related family. The candidacy of the Duke-Administrator of Holstein, Bishop of Lub, Adolf Friedrich, to the Swedish throne was supposed to make Russia more compliant, deliver a more favorable peace to Sweden and weaken the importance of Bestuzhev. Indeed, at the peace congress in Abo, which opened in January 1743, Russian representatives were not chosen on the instructions of Bestuzhev: his rival Rumyantsev and, at the request of Lestocq, General Lyuberas, went there. On the question of the terms of peace with the Swedes, the vice-chancellor submitted an opinion in which there was no mention at all of the Duke of Holstein, but it was necessary to satisfy the honor and benefits of Russia by preserving all conquests in Finland, or, if this is impossible, developing for Finland such a form of government, which, under the guarantee of other powers, would secure Russia and Sweden from hostile conflicts; finally, as a third option for peaceful conditions, Bestuzhev proposed the annexation of at least Abo or Helsingfors with a decent district to Russia. The Holsteiners threatened that the Swedes would choose a Danish prince as heir to the throne and thereby strengthen the dangerous Franco-Danish-Swedish alliance. But Rumyantsev fell in love with Bestuzhev and wrote to him that war was better than “a dishonest and unreasonable peace based on Nishtadt.” The question was posed like this: for the election of the Bishop of Lyubsk, Russia would give up part of Finland, but without that, it would not give up anything. But over the issue of the division of Finland, new disputes arose. Bestuzhev stood for the largest possible acquisitions, seeing the final weakening of Sweden as a testament of Peter the Great. Others were more compliant, under pressure from the Empress's strong desire to see the Duke of Holstein on the Swedish throne. Heated debates at the conferences finally led to the Abov Peace and Union Treaty, signed by the Empress on August 19. The conditions were much more modest than those that Bestuzhev considered necessary; but Prince Adolf Friedrich was recognized as the heir to the Swedish throne, which Bestuzhev did not attach any value to. Denmark, fearing Holstein's declarations that now was the time to retake Schleswig, undertook extensive armaments. It was necessary to send Russian troops to Sweden in case of an attack by the Danes. Bestuzhev was against this and was indignant that “these sudden Holstein threats could get involved in a new war,” which would be “without any profit.” It was with such difficulty that Veitch’s words were justified that the Bestuzhevs “hope, offering Her Majesty only one step after another, by imperceptible steps, to bring her to the fulfillment of their entire plan, which could not be more satisfactory.” The third point of this plan concerned Austrian relations. Having long relied on Austrian diplomats in personal affairs, Bestuzhev followed his political system here. Bestuzhev made efforts to restore friendly relations between Russia and Austria, but the Empress for a long time remained imbued with antipathy towards the Austrian house. In addition, his plan was violated by the rapprochement of the English government with Prussia, which led to the conclusion of the Anglo-Prussian defensive alliance. The Prussian envoy in St. Petersburg, Mardefeld, began, with the assistance of Veitch, to seek the conclusion of a similar alliance between Prussia and Russia so that Elizabeth would guarantee Frederick the Great his recent acquisitions in Silesia. The Russian-Prussian treaty was, indeed, signed in March 1743, but without guarantees from Silesia, but with a guarantee of the Finnish conquests of Russia. However, it did not have serious political significance, despite Mardefeld’s efforts to secure it with the marriage of Peter Fedorovich to the sister of Frederick the Great. His efforts were not crowned with success. Meanwhile, England, in view of the dangerous attempts by Frederick to quarrel with the imperial princes for the Hanoverian possessions of its king, tried to find out Bestuzhev’s opinion on whether Russia could count on help in the event of a military clash, and was pleased with his mood. It should, however, be pointed out that the British ministers did not fully understand Bestuzhev’s system, considering its main goal to be the protection of European political balance; this made Veitch perplexed by his coldness and even hostility towards the Holstein court and his indifference to the “great task” of restoring the balance of political forces in Europe, which had been disrupted by France. The “Great Task” was in Bestuzhev’s hands only a tool for serving the independent interests of Russia, as he understood them. For Bestuzhev, Prussia was always more terrible than France, and his true attitude towards Frederick the Great was reflected, of course, in how the Prussian king’s credit at the Russian court gradually fell during 1743, and how Empress Elizabeth became increasingly distrustful of him. Already in May 1743, a significant detachment of the Russian army was sent to monitor Frederick's actions. Russia's accession to the Austro-Prussian Treaty of Breslau, which took place on November 1, 1743, also did not improve relations with Prussia, but served as a step towards greater rapprochement with Austria. Maria Theresa, for her part, hastened to recognize the Russian imperial title in the summer of that year. But while the negotiations on the Breslav Treaty were dragging on (June - November), a case broke out in St. Petersburg that almost destroyed the possibility of an Austro-Russian agreement. French and Holstein agents, taking advantage of Elizabeth’s displeasure with Bestuzhev for his unfriendly attitude towards the Holstein House and wanting to support their weight with the Empress through fear, have been spreading rumors since the beginning of the year about some kind of intrigue in favor of Ivan Antonovich, carried out by the Bestuzhevs. On this basis, the Lopukhin case played out, in which Bestuzhev’s brother was almost entangled; the younger Bestuzhev was not suspected; he even participated in the investigation and the general court in a case in which one of the main defendants was his daughter-in-law. But hatred for The Austrian envoy, Marquis Botta d'Adorno, who was presented as the main culprit of the "conspiracy", restored Elizabeth against Austria for a long time. Elizabeth was very irritated by Botta's defense from the Viennese court. Frederick of Prussia hastened to take advantage of her mood and please her, demanding that Maria - Teresia recalls Botta, who was transferred from St. Petersburg to Berlin. Bestuzhev tried in vain to soften the mood of the Empress, alarmed that an unexpected intrigue crashed into his political plans. It is clear that Elizabeth’s disposition towards him and his program could not increase after these events. Support and Bestuzhev found support in this difficult moment from M. I. Vorontsov, who fully shared his political views and had strong influence at court.An ally was especially needed in the fight against Shetardy, who had returned to Russia, who, at the insistence of Elizabeth, appeared in November 1743 g. and, confident of success, openly spoke about his mission, to end the proximity of Russia, England and Austria and to subordinate Russian politics to his influence. But from the very first steps he was disappointed. At Bestuzhev's insistence, the Empress did not accept him as an ambassador, since his credentials did not contain the imperial title. Visiting the palace as a private individual, Shetardy soon became convinced that everyone around Elizabeth was against him, and that at court Vorontsov, an enemy of France and Prussia, was more dangerous for him than Bestuzhev himself. Nevertheless, he hoped, with the help of the Holstein party, to hold The Empress's triple alliance of France, Russia and Sweden, for the sake of establishing the Holstein house in Sweden, was in defiance of the project of an alliance of Russia with Austria, England and the Polish king, Elector of Saxony Augustus III, for which the Russian ministers were. 1744 was supposed to decide who would win - Shetardy or Bestuzhev. In January of this year, an agreement was concluded with Augustus III on the renewal of the defensive alliance concluded in 1733 for 15 years, with the obligation of mutual military assistance; at the same time, the king recognized the imperial title, and, as an ally of Maria Theresa, offered his mediation in order to settle Elizabeth’s misunderstandings with the Viennese court over the Marquis Botta. But this success was overshadowed for Bestuzhev by two marriages. In January 1744, despite the energetic protests of Bestuzhev, the marriage of the Crown Prince of Sweden with the sister of Frederick the Great was decided, and the marriage of Princess Louise of England with the Crown Prince of Denmark took place. The grouping of powers was changing again, and Bestuzhev felt that he was gradually losing his usual support - England. In response to England's attempt to bring about an agreement between Russia and Denmark, the Russian government responded with a demand that the Danes formally renounce all claims to Holstein; that was the end of the matter. The third, and incomparably more important question concerned the marriage of Pyotr Fedorovich. The Prussian marriage did not work out; Chetardie's matchmaking in favor of one of the French princesses was completely unsuccessful. Bestuzhev's opponents created a more successful project to marry Peter to Princess Anhalt of Zerbst. In February 1744, she and her mother arrived in Russia. In the Princess Mother, the Franco-Prussian-Holstein camp hoped to find a strong ally, knowing her intelligence and willingness to interfere in political affairs. This party tried to impose Bestuzhev as a conference minister after the sudden death of his employee Brevern, A. Rumyantsev, but Bestuzhev promoted Vorontsov to this position. Thanks to the Empress’s dislike for Bestuzhev and her sympathy for Vorontsov, a less than normal relationship developed between the vice-chancellor and his assistant. Bestuzhev reported the most important and sensitive matters through Vorontsov, more than once carried out his opinions, passing them off as Vorontsov’s opinions, with which he only completely agreed, turned to his junior employee for every matter with letters, which he signed: “the most obedient and most obliging servant.” And in the years when his personal position was so insecure, international relations led him to the need to wage an extremely intense struggle to save that political system, which, in his deep conviction, alone corresponded to the dignity and benefit of Russia. Frederick the Great, seeing the failure of his allies, the French, clearly understood the need, in order to defeat Austria, to attract Russia to his side or, at least, to achieve its neutrality. His representative Mardefeld, in alliance with Shetardy and, through Lestocq and Brummer, with the Holstein court, were, according to his instructions, to strain all their strength to overthrow Bestuzhev. On this, Friedrich wrote to Mardefeld, “the fate of Prussia and my home depends.” The King of Prussia tried to please Elizabeth by removing Botta, warning her against the Brunswick family, etc. Shetardy developed widespread bribery, trying to secure the assistance of even the court ladies with gifts and trying to bribe clergy and members of the Synod. The rival of Maria Theresa's husband, Emperor Charles VII, promised the Holstein House all sorts of benefits from his victory. If the enemies had managed to restore Vorontsov against Bestuzhev, the fall of the vice-chancellor would have been inevitable. They tried to arouse Vorontsov's ambition in order to force him to oust Bestuzhev; Frederick granted him the Order of the Black Eagle and his portrait, showered with diamonds. Peter Fedorovich inspired Vorontsov that the Empress considered Bestuzhev an enemy both to herself and to the Holstein House. But Bestuzhev was on his guard. The dispatches concerning this intrigue were intercepted, the encrypted texts were sorted out with the help of Academician Goldbach, and Bestuzhev, through Vorontsov, presented them to the Empress with an explanatory note and notes. Pointing out Chetardie’s attempts to interfere in the internal affairs of Russia, his intrigues and bribery, Bestuzhev demanded punishment for him, expressing very characteristic thoughts about the significance and position of a foreign ambassador: “A foreign minister is like a representative and authorized overseer of the actions of another court, for notification and warning his sovereign that that court intends to repair or undertake; in a word, the minister cannot be compared in any way better than with a spy allowed in his own country, who, without a public character, when caught anywhere, is subject to every last punishment"; but his “public character” saves him from this and makes him inviolable as long as he enjoys his privileges within certain limits. Chétardie went far beyond these limits: he was guilty of seeking to overthrow the Russian ministry and of lese majeste. He allowed himself the harshest comments about the personality of the Empress, writing about her frivolity, vanity, “mental weakness” and “deplorable” behavior. This was too much; The Empress completely took the side of her vice-chancellor, who begged her to either resign or protect him, because leaving him like this, in the center of eternal intrigue, was “unbearable.” On June 6, 1744, General Ushakov, Prince Pyotr Golitsyn, two officials and the secretary of the foreign board appeared at Shetardy’s apartment and announced to him the Empress’s order to leave within 24 hours. The intrigue was destroyed, and Bestuzhev’s credit immediately increased. On July 15, 1744, he became chancellor, and Vorontsov became vice-chancellor and count. The new chancellor hastened to submit a petition to the Empress outlining his entire service, during which, receiving, indeed, small salaries, he, for the sake of representation, went into debt, and asked, in order to maintain himself with dignity in “the character of a newly appointed one of the highest government officials,” give him ownership of government leased lands in Livonia - Wenden Castle with villages that previously belonged to the Swedish Chancellor Oksenshirn, for a rental amount of 3642 efimka. His request was granted in December 1744, and at the same time he was granted a house in St. Petersburg, the former gr. Osterman. At the same time, the attempts of the Princess of Zerbst, the mother of Grand Duchess Ekaterina Alekseevna, and Lestocq to continue to influence the course of politics led to the fact that the former was expelled from Russia, and the latter was told to interfere in medical matters, and not stationery. Somewhat later, Brummer was removed from the Grand Duke.

Now, it would seem, Bestuzhev’s hands were untied, just at the moment when his political system had to be fully applied in practice. The attention of European diplomacy was focused on Prussia, whose rapid growth threatened all neighboring states. But in order to successfully fight it, it was necessary to get rid of all the side issues that deviated Russia from the main intended path. With difficulty, Bestuzhev managed to convince the Empress to make a statement that she would “consign the Botta case to complete oblivion.” But he failed to dissuade Elizabeth from what he thought was excessive patronage of the princes of the ward houses of Hesse-Homburg and Holstein; Despite the desire to defend the rights to Courland of the exiled Biron, Bestuzhev had to retreat before the Empress’s desire to see one of the German princes she patronized as the owner of the duchy. But the main things did not go entirely according to Bestuzhev’s wishes. Frederick the Great's demand for help, on the basis of a defensive alliance, was decisively rejected, on the grounds that the king himself violates the peace, although no one attacks him, and violated the Breslau treaty guaranteed by Russia. However, contrary to the opinion of the chancellor, Russia was slow to proceed to the Warsaw Treaty between the maritime powers, Austria and Saxony, which was intended to rally as many forces as possible to counteract Frederick. In this matter he met an unexpected opponent, Count Vorontsov. For a long time remaining a defender and patron of Bestuzhev and sharing his “system,” Vorontsov, apparently burdened by his subordinate position, decided to go his own way. Changes in the political relations of the powers allowed him to create his own “system”. Bestuzhev, despite some misunderstandings with the British Ministry of Foreign Affairs, continued to consider England the main natural ally of Russia. At his insistence, the Empress, at the end of 1745, offered England to take over the continuation of the fight against Prussia for a subsidy of 5-6 million. Russian troops were already gathering in Livonia. But England, bound by the Treaty of Hanover with Prussia, refused, especially since Maria Theresa also reconciled with Frederick in Dresden. The English ministers pointed out that the blame for such a turn of affairs falls on the Russian government itself, which should have earlier, in a timely manner, shown energy, now belated. The Chancellor, very irritated, already hinted at the possibility of a rapprochement between Russia and France, since England was leaving it. But what Bestuzhev expressed only in the heat of the moment became a serious task for Vorontsov. Seeking rapprochement with France, he opposed Russia's accession to the Warsaw Pact, opposed war, preferring for Russia the role of mediator between the powers until a more reliable international combination emerged. A long and difficult struggle began for Bestuzhev with the vice-chancellor. The judge in their controversy was the Empress herself. In vain Bestuzhev referred to Vorontsov’s previous opinions, written at his suggestion; the struggle dragged on and deprived the flow of affairs of the consistency that Bestuzhev had always strived for. During Vorontsov’s trip abroad in 1745, Bestuzhev was unpleasantly surprised by the friendly receptions he received in Prussia and France, and his rapprochement with the Princess of Anhalt-Zerbst, who was expelled from Russia. Elizabeth was offended, and Bestuzhev, having proven to her with intercepted dispatches that the old Franco-Prussian intrigue had now chosen Vorontsov as its center, was ready to celebrate a new victory. At the beginning of 1746, negotiations began on an alliance with Austria. On May 22, a treaty was signed by which both powers pledged to defend each other in case of attack; the cases of the Persian War of Russia, the Italian and Spanish wars of Austria were excluded, which clearly indicated the true purpose of the agreement. It was decided to invite Augustus III and King George to the treaty. A month later, another agreement was concluded, on a defensive alliance with Denmark. These diplomatic successes were accompanied by a new favor from the Empress to Bestuzhev: he was granted the seaside manor "Stone Nose" in Ingermanland, confiscated from Count Osterman. Providing Russia with friendly agreements from various sides (the next year, 1747, another convention was concluded with the Porte), Bestuzhev was hostile to all projects of rapprochement with France and sharply condemned the Saxon government for a secret agreement with the Versailles court, although its task was to isolate Frederick the Great . In Sweden, Frederick's influence was increasing, to the great chagrin of the Chancellor and despite the active diplomatic struggle that he waged in Stockholm. And in St. Petersburg the machinations of the Prussian king made themselves felt. Bestuzhev suspected Vorontsov’s participation in the case of a certain Ferber, who in 1746 started secret relations with the goal of bringing the matter to a break between France and Prussia in order to achieve a rapprochement between the latter and Russia. This empty intrigue didn't matter. But the Prussian agents in St. Petersburg really counted on the assistance of Vorontsov and Lestocq. The vice-chancellor's mood was reflected at the beginning of 1747, when the matter arose about English subsidies for the maintenance of a significant corps of troops in Courland and Livonia. Vorontsov and the Privy Councilors of the Collegium of Foreign Affairs presented a number of picky objections to the draft treaty. Bestuzhev sharply defended himself, complaining that his employees did not find it necessary to explain their doubts to him in advance, and then, at the last moment, they dragged out the matter with disputes. The Anglo-Russian convention nevertheless took place, and, in addition, the auxiliary corps was sent to the Rhine. But constant individual victories over opponents did not eliminate the weary enmity of the Chancellor with the College of Foreign Affairs. He almost destroyed its significance, was not present and conducted business, as far as he could, single-handedly. One might think that Bestuzhev was consciously opposed to collegial management. He spoke out more than once, for example, against the governmental role of the Senate, defending the need to create a cabinet of loyal and reliable ministers; however, Bestuzhev apparently did not have the opportunity to speak out in more detail on this issue. The collegium did not constrain him for a long time, but now Vorontsov was at its head, and criticism for the autocratic handling of matters became sensitive. At the end of 1748, Bestuzhev managed to find an opportunity to deal a strong blow to his opponents. He proved with Prussian dispatches that Lestok and Vorontsov received pensions from the Prussian treasury. Lestok was exiled, Vorontsov remained unharmed, but temporarily lost weight and influence. The moment of Bestuzhev’s complete victory over his rivals coincided with the time of the Aachen Congress, which ended the European war. Peace was concluded without Russia's participation, its allies made peace with their enemies, and, tired of the war, changed the tone of their relations towards Russia. The Chancellor had to make sure that in Swedish affairs there was nothing to count on the support of England, although there was a danger that the royal government, which had sided with Prussia, would strengthen its power; other allies were even less interested in the affairs of the north. Misunderstandings occurred with Austria due to the persecution raised against the Orthodox; with Augustus III - due to increased French influence. English diplomats hurried the ratification of the convention on the assistance of Russian troops for a subsidy in the event of a renewal of the war with France, and avoided a categorical answer to the question with what forces England expected to take part in the upcoming struggle against Frederick II. Bestuzhev, however, noticed too late that the state of affairs had changed greatly, that things were moving toward a rapprochement between England and Prussia, which would inevitably throw France on the side of Frederick’s enemies. Strong, while his system was infallible, he began to lose ground under his feet. His opponents were not slow to take advantage of the circumstances. Vorontsov, as an opponent of the English alliance, now found himself in an advantageous position: the alliance turned out to be unreliable. Bestuzhev’s elder brother, with whom the chancellor had long been at odds over personal matters, also joined him: Mikhail did not want to obey his younger brother as the head of the family; in addition, this enmity was complicated by the chancellor’s irritation at the fact that his brother was considered his leader, and finally turned into rivalry in political matters. The coming years, after the Peace of Aachen, dragged on without major events. But a new European struggle was being prepared under a new grouping of powers. In the fall of 1755, England began negotiations with Frederick II on an alliance, which was formalized on January 16, 1756, and on May 2, France and Austria also signed a treaty of alliance. Vorontsov worked actively to join Russia to the Austro-French alliance and in every possible way slowed down the matter of subsidies, which Bestuzhev was still ready to accept from England. Bestuzhev's position in the 50s became more difficult than before. The will of the Empress was now controlled by I.I. Shuvalov, since, during her frequent illnesses, he was the main and even the only speaker on all matters. And Vorontsov was close to Shuvalov, and Bestuzhev, although he called I.I. Shuvalov his “special friend,” however, must have felt that it was not his influence that prevailed at court. And in the foreign collegium, things got to the point that the chancellor could not, at his discretion, transfer a secretary from one embassy to another, and his instructions were simply not carried out. It is clear that his efforts to ratify the “subsidy agreement” with England could not be successful. Bestuzhev stubbornly continued to insist that criticism of this “greater and more important matter” was caused only by “envy or hatred itself.” In January 1757, the Chancellor submitted an extensive note to the Empress, in which he outlined all the successes achieved by Russia during his management of foreign affairs and elevated to one of the first places among European powers, although some results were spoiled by the intrigues that were always taking place in St. Petersburg; and now the delay in the exchange of ratifications of the English treaty spoils the successfully begun business. Tired of the opposition, the Chancellor demanded that the leadership of foreign policy be transferred to a commission of trusted people in order to destroy the secret struggle. In St. Petersburg they did not yet know about the Anglo-Prussian alliance, and when, during further negotiations on the convention, the English Ambassador Williams was forced to report it, the blow for the Chancellor was unexpected. This fact justified his opponents and destroyed the charm of extraordinary political art and keen foresight, which alone forced Elizabeth to stick to Bestuzhev. At his insistence, a conference arose as a permanent institution to discuss important political matters and speedily implement the highest commands. It consisted of 10 persons, counting in. book Peter Feodorovich, and was supposed to meet at court twice a week. The first meeting took place on March 14, and by March 30, she had worked out a program that prescribed an agreement with the Viennese court for a war against Frederick while England was busy fighting the French. This involved bringing the Allied powers closer to France and Poland and strengthening peace with the Swedes and Turks. The goal was the weakening of Prussia, the return of Silesia to Austrian rule, an alliance with Austria against the Turks, the annexation of Royal Prussia to Poland, Courland to Russia and, finally, the correction of the Russian-Polish border. The leadership of Russia's foreign policy was slipping out of Bestuzhev's hands. The resumption of diplomatic relations, and then the alliance with France, were not to his heart. When Bestuzhev’s student in politics, Panin, received a sharp rebuke for objecting to the instructions sent to him in Paris, Bestuzhev bitterly wrote to him to talk less and report only on the implementation of rescripts, because now they can’t stand those who “reason.” about the old system and praises those who still cling to it." But the chancellor did not yet consider his cause lost. Left alone in the ruling spheres, he looked for new allies. Enmity towards the Shuvalovs and Vorontsovs brought him closer to V. book Ekaterina Alekseevna. Since 1754, he has tried to provide her with support both with advice and as a grandfather. In the autumn of 1755, St. Petersburg was alarmed by the news of the poor health of the Empress; and the next year she was no better. They waited for a sad ending and talked about succession to the throne. In the accession to the throne of Peter Feodorovich Bestuzhev could not see anything good either for Russia or for himself. Bestuzhev, according to the story of Empress Catherine II, then drew up a project to give her participation in the reign of her husband so that he, Bestuzhev, would be entrusted with three boards - foreign affairs, military and admiralty. He and Ekaterina Alekseevna then began negotiations through gr. Poniatowski, and the project was re-drafted several times. She claims that she did not take the matter seriously, but did not want to contradict the old man, who was stubborn in his plans. Williams strongly patronized Poniatowski, whom they tried to remove from St. Petersburg. This English ambassador was preparing himself for the role of Chetardie. Bestuzhev, like Williams, under such circumstances, was afraid of the appearance in St. Petersburg of proven intriguers-diplomats of the Versailles court. But services were offered to Catherine from the other side - from the Shuvalovs. Bestuzhev’s friend, S.F. Apraksin, was good with the Shuvalovs and tried to unite the new party, which was constantly growing with new faces. But this party, in its new composition, lost its anti-French character. And, apparently, Catherine counted more on the Shuvalovs than on Bestuzhev. But on October 22nd there was a significant change for the better in the Empress’s health, and the movement in favor of Catherine died out. Political life in Russia took its course, and Williams had to leave it, after a number of unsuccessful attempts to prevent the Franco-Russian alliance. Under such conditions, a great work began, long prepared by Bestuzhev - Russia took an active part in the war with Frederick the Great as part of a strong coalition. But the goal was not achieved by him and not in the way he wanted. The Chancellor failed to master the circumstances and failed to reconcile himself. Military operations were entrusted to his friend Apraksin. The fate of the chancellor depended on Apraksin’s success, and he was well aware of this. Having previously instilled in Apraksin antipathy to actions in alliance with the French, Bestuzhev now hurried him with his letters and to. book Ekaterina Alekseevna. The slowness with which Apraksin opened military operations, the indecisiveness with which he conducted them, caused general indignation. His famous retreat after the victory, which he, in addition, did not report for a long time, led Bestuzhev to despair. “I extremely regret,” he wrote on September 13, 1757, “that your Excellency’s army had a shortage of provisions for almost the entire summer, and finally, although it won a victory, it was forced, being the winner, to retreat. I am aware of your Excellency’s deep insight I can imagine the disgrace that could result from this, both to the army and to your Excellency, especially when you completely abandon enemy lands.” In addition to the general chagrin of all Russians, this matter also aroused personal anxiety in Bestuzhev. There were rumors that Apraksin's retreat was the fruit of the Bestuzhev intrigue in the case of succession to the throne. He was put in connection with Elizabeth’s new illness, although she fell ill on September 8, and the report of the retreat was received in St. Petersburg on August 27. Apraksin's defender was Count. P.I. Shuvalov, his main accuser is Bestuzhev. Apraksin was replaced, but this did not end his troubles. In Narva he was detained and all his correspondence was taken away: the Empress heard rumors about his relations with the young court. Sending letters to him. book Catherine, Bestuzhev showed them to the Austrian general Bukkov, who was in St. Petersburg, to convince him of his and Catherine’s sympathy for the new war. But the Austrian court could not forgive Bestuzhev for his opposition to the coalition, and the Austrian ambassador Esterhazy reported the correspondence to the Empress, giving it character intrigue. There was nothing untoward in the captured correspondence. However, Bestuzhev’s opponents decided to get rid of him. The most diligent were Esterhazy and the French ambassador L'Hopital. The latter told Vorontsov that if in two weeks Bestuzhev was still chancellor, he would break off relations with Vorontsov and would henceforth turn to Bestuzhev. Vorontsov and I.I. Shuvalov succumbed to the insistence and managed to bring the matter - in February 1758 - to the arrest of Bestuzhev and his papers. They knew better than anyone that traces of palace intrigue were to be found there. Bestuzhev, however, managed to burn everything incriminating and reported this to Catherine; but the correspondence thus begun was intercepted. This gave the investigative commission, consisting of Prince. Trubetskoy, Buturlin and co. A. Shuvalova, material, and gr. Buturlin admitted: “Bestuzhev was arrested, and we are now looking for the reasons why he was arrested.” But the diligence of the investigators, who knew what they were looking for, led nowhere. Bestuzhev was, however, accused of trying to set the Empress and the young court against each other; he did not fulfill, at his whim, the highest commands and even resisted them; did not report Apraksin’s reprehensible slowness, but tried to rectify the matter with personal influence, making himself a co-ruler and involving in the affairs a person who should not have taken part in them; and, finally, while under arrest, he started a secret correspondence. For all these guilts, the commission sentenced Bestuzhev to death. In April 1859, the Empress ordered him to be exiled to the Goretovo estate, as Bestuzhev called it on this occasion, to Mozhaisky district. All real estate remained with him. From then until the accession to the throne of Empress Catherine II, Bestuzhev and his family lived in Goretov. His wife, Anna Ivanovna, née Böttiger, a Lutheran, died here on December 25, 1761. Of his three sons, two, Peter, mentioned in his father’s letter of 1742, as an adult, and another, whose name is unknown, died before 1759 According to the testimony of those who knew him, Bestuzhev endured his exile with firmness. His mood was reflected in the book published later, in 1763, but compiled in Goretov: “Selected sayings from Holy Scripture for the consolation of every innocent Christian who suffers.” The printed edition was accompanied by a preface by the rector of the Moscow Theological Academy, Gavriil Petrov, and a manifesto of Empress Catherine justifying Bestuzhev was attached. Gabriel translated the book into Latin. In addition, it was published in German (in 1763, in the Typical Academy of Sciences, in the same year in Hamburg and in 1764 in Stockholm), in French (1763, in St. Petersburg) , and in Swedish (1764 - in Stockholm). In addition, Bestuzhev amused himself with his favorite medal art. In memory of his misfortune, he minted a medal with his portrait and the inscription: "Alexius Comes A. Bestuschef Riumin, Imp. Russ. olim. cancelar., nunc. senior. exercit. dux. consil. actu. intim. et senat prim. J. G. W. f . (J. g. Wächter fecit)". On the reverse there are two rocks among the raging waves, illuminated by the sun on one side, thundered on the other by a thunderstorm - and the inscription: "immobilis. in. mobili", and below: "Semper idem" and the year 1757 (second mintage 1762).

The accession to the throne of Peter III, which brought freedom to many exiles of the previous reign, could not improve the situation of Bestuzhev. Peter III said about him: “I suspect this man of secret negotiations with my wife, as has already been discovered; this suspicion is reinforced by the fact that my late aunt on her deathbed told me very seriously about the danger that his return would pose.” from the link." But the June coup of 1762 again returned Bestuzhev to a high position. On July 1, the courier, with an order for the former chancellor to immediately return to St. Petersburg, was in Moscow, and in half of July Bestuzhev was already at court. The Empress received the old man, who was noticeably decrepit, in the most friendly manner. But he did not have to occupy a certain influential position, although Catherine constantly turned to him for advice on various important issues. Bestuzhev had little mercy; he asked for a solemn acquittal and secured the appointment of a commission to review his case. On August 31, 1762, a manifesto was published, which was ordered to be displayed in public places and even read in churches. Here it was announced that Catherine, out of love and respect for Elizabeth and out of a duty of justice, considered it necessary to correct the involuntary mistake of the late Empress and acquit Bestuzhev of the crimes charged against him. His previous ranks and orders were returned to him, with seniority, and he was given a pension of 20,000 rubles. in year. This manifesto was drawn up personally by the Empress and written by her with her own hand. She appointed Bestuzhev "the first Imperial Advisor and the first member of the new imperial council being established at the court." The delighted Bestuzhev twice suggested that the Senate and the commission on nobility give Catherine the title of “mother of the fatherland,” which she rejected. Involving Bestuzhev in the councils on foreign affairs, the Empress appointed him first present in the Senate and a member of the “commission on the Russian nobility,” which was entrusted with the revision of the charter of the nobility. In all circumstances, Bestuzhev played the role of the “first dignitary,” but his actual influence was negligible. New people replaced the old statesman. His attempts to intervene in important matters were unsuccessful. He shared, with many others, the hope that his system, equally hostile to Prussia and France, would now triumph. But Panin, his happy rival in the leadership of Catherine’s foreign policy, sharing Bestuzhev’s enmity towards France, looked at Prussian relations differently. A struggle ensued between teacher and student, and Panin complained that Bestuzhev’s influence would force him to quit and retire. But this did not last long. Catherine soon lost interest in Bestuzhev. He stood up for Arseniy Matseevich, asked “to show him royal and maternal mercy” and to quickly finish the matter, avoiding publicity that would embarrass society. The Empress responded with a sharp letter. The old man humbly apologized. In 1763, he thought to please by drawing up a petition for the marriage of the Empress with Gr. Orlov, but the idea caused speculation, which ended in an unpleasant investigative case for the Empress about a conspiracy against the Orlovs. The final removal of Bestuzhev from affairs was caused by his opposition to Catherine and Panin, according to their Polish grandfathers: he stood for the rights to the throne of the Saxon house. However, the Empress's favors to Bestuzhev continued. At the end of 1763 he was awarded the Holstein Order of St. Anna of the 1st degree, was ordered to pay him maintenance for all the years of exile and return all confiscated property, paying his debts from the treasury. In 1764, when the Senate was divided into departments, Bestuzhev was enrolled in the first department, but, due to decrepitude, was dismissed from attendance. Two years before his death, he built a temple in Moscow, at the Arbat Gate, in the name of St. Boris and Gleb. The St. Petersburg Lutheran Church of St. Petersburg also enjoyed his patronage, probably under the influence of his wife. Peter and Paul. Even at the beginning of the reign of Elizabeth Petrovna, the Orthodox clergy demanded the removal of this church from Nevsky Prospekt, and thought to build the Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan in its place. Bestuzhev defended the pickaxe and patronized it until the end of his days. He immortalized his death in advance with a medal; its obverse is the same as that of the 1747 medal, and on the reverse is a hearse between four palm trees; on it is an urn with the coat of arms of the Counts Bestuzhev-Ryumin, on both sides there are allegorical figures: on the left - Constancy, resting on a column, crowns the urn with laurels; on the right - Vera, with a cross in her hand, places a palm branch on her; at the top is the inscription: "tertio triumphat", and at the bottom: "post. duos. in. vita. de. inimicis. triumphos. de. morte. triumphat. nat. MDCXCIII den. MDCCL... aetat...". Bestuzhev's last years were overshadowed by his relationship with his son Andrey. Having begun his career under the patronage of his father, the younger Bestuzhev was a chamberlain and lieutenant general under Elizabeth. The instructions he happened to be given and his entire behavior had long caused his father’s extreme dissatisfaction. In 1762, Catherine II promoted him to actual privy councilor and dismissed him from service. But the father was not satisfied with this and in 1766 turned to the Empress with a request to punish his rebellious son by exile to a monastery. Catherine at first refused, answering that Count Andrei had not committed such a crime for which he should not only be exiled to humility, but also deprived of his ranks; but she considered his behavior to be sufficient grounds for divorcing him from his wife. However, a week later the Empress changed her mind and exiled Bestuzhev to a monastery. Four months later, his father died, and the Empress, at the request of the deceased’s nephews, appointed guardianship of Bestuzhev’s estates “for the depraved and frantic life” of Count Andrei, who was ordered to give half of the income; the other half was assigned to pay off the father's debts. Bestuzhev himself was released from the monastery, ordering him to live “peacefully and decently wherever he wishes, except in his villages.” He was married twice: in his first marriage to Evdokia Danilovna Razumovskaya, in his second to Princess Anna Petrovna Dolgorukova (she later married Count Wittgenstein). But Bestuzhev died childless in 1768. The line of Counts Bestuzhev-Ryumin ended with him, since his uncle, Mikhail, left no offspring.

Collection Imp. Rus. East. General, t.t. I, III, V, VII, XII, XXII, XXVI, LXVI, LXXIX, LXXX, LXXXI, LXXXV, LXXXVI, XCI, XCII, XCVI, XCIX, C, CIII. - Letters from Russian sovereigns. IV. Correspondence Hertz. Kurl. A. Iv. M. 1862. - Büsching, Magazin für die neue Historie und Geographie. Halle 1775-1779. Bde. I, II, IX. - Büsching, Beyträge zu der Lebensgeschichte denkwürdiger Personen. Halle 1786, IV Theil. - Zur Geschichte der Familie von Brevern, her. von G. von Brevern. Bd. III. Berlin 1883. (Appendices). - Russian Archive and Russian Antiquity (passim). - D. Bantysh-Kamensky, Russian Dictionary of Memorable People. land, part I. M. 1836 - N. N. Bantysh-Kamensky, Review of foreign relations of Russia. - Soloviev, History of Russia. Books: IV, V, VI. - Chechulin, Russian foreign policy at the beginning of the reign of Catherine II. St. Petersburg 1896. - A. Tereshchenko, Experience of reviewing the lives of dignitaries who managed foreign affairs in Russia. Part II. Chancellors. St. Petersburg 1837. - Vasilchikov, The Razumovsky Family. St. Petersburg 1880-82. - Alexandrenko, Russian diplomatic agents in London in the 18th century. vol. I. Warsaw 1897. - Pekarsky, Marquis of Chetardy in Russia.

A. Presnyakov.

(Polovtsov)

Bestuzhev-Ryumin, Count Alexey Petrovich

The younger brother of Mikhail Petrovich B. (see), was born in Moscow on May 22, 1693. He was brought up with his brother abroad. In 1712, he was sent along with other members of the Russian embassy to the congress in Utrecht. After that, with the permission of Emperor Peter I, Alexei Petrovich entered the service of the Elector of Hanover, who granted him a chamber cadet. When Elector George I ascended the English throne, he sent Bestuzhev as an envoy to Peter. Three years later, B. was recalled to Russia. In 1718, he entered the chief chamberlain of the widowed Duchess of Courland, Anna Ivanovna, but two years later he was appointed resident in Denmark; in 1731 he was transferred as a resident from Denmark to Hamburg. B. went to Kiel, examined the archives of the Duke of Holstein and took to St. Petersburg many interesting papers, among which was the spiritual Empress Catherine I. At the end of 1734, Bestuzhev was moved again to Denmark. Thanks to Biron B.’s disposition towards him, as soon as he arrived in Copenhagen, he was accredited as an envoy to the Lower Saxon court and granted a secret, and in 1740, on March 25, an actual Privy Councilor with the order to appear in St. Petersburg to be present in the office. Biron needed a clever man to counterbalance Count Osterman, and that was Bestuzhev. In gratitude for this, Bestuzhev assisted in the appointment of Biron as regent of the Russian Empire during the childhood of Ivan Antonovich. On November 8, 1740 Biron fell. With his fall, Bestuzhev also suffered, and was imprisoned in the Shlisselburg fortress. Despite efforts to confuse him, B. was completely justified, and he was released, but only deprived of his positions. Upon the accession of Empress Elisaveta Petrovna to the throne, thanks to the petition of his friend, physician Lestocq, Count Alexei Petrovich was granted, in a short period of time 1741-1744, vice-chancellors, senators and chief directors over the post offices, the Order of St. Apostle Andrew the First-Called and finally the Great Chancellor. Having reached the high rank of chancellor and having no rivals, Bestuzhev-Ryumin ruled Russia for sixteen years. He was favored by the Viennese court and hated Prussia and France. The consequence of his hatred of Prussia was a devastating war against Frederick the Great, which cost Russia more than three hundred thousand people and more than thirty million rubles. The heir to the throne, Peter Fedorovich, an admirer of Friedrich, hated Bestuzhev; in turn, Pyotr Fedorovich was hated by the chancellor, so when Pavel Petrovich was born, Bestuzhev decided to deprive his parent of the throne and consolidate it with Pavel Petrovich under the guardianship of Catherine. In 1757, a serious illness befell Elizabeth. Bestuzhev, thinking that the empress would not rise, voluntarily wrote to Field Marshal Apraksin to return to Russia, which Apraksin did. But Elisaveta Petrovna recovered from her illness. Angry at Bestuzhev for his self-will, the empress on February 27, 1758 deprived the chancellor of his ranks and insignia. The culprit of his downfall was the heir's favorite, Chamberlain Breckdorf. Alexey Petrovich was removed to the village of Gorstovo, Moscow province, which belonged to him. He was sentenced to death, but the empress replaced this sentence with exile. The Chancellor's exile lasted until the accession of Empress Catherine II. He was summoned to St. Petersburg, and Catherine returned the disgraced ranks, orders and renamed him field marshal general. In addition, the highest decree followed, in which the innocence of Bestuzhev-Ryumin was made public. From 1741-57, B. participated in all diplomatic affairs, treaties and conventions that Russia concluded with the European powers. In 1763, he published in Moscow the book he composed, “Consolation of a Christian in Misfortune, or Poems Selected from the Holy Scriptures.” Bestuzhev subsequently published the same book in St. Petersburg, Hamburg and Stockholm in French, German and Swedish. Rev. Gabriel translated it into Latin. Manstein says about Bestuzhev that he had a discerning mind, acquired long-term experience in government affairs, and was extremely hardworking; but at the same time he is proud, cunning, vengeful, ungrateful and intemperate in life.

(Brockhaus)

Bestuzhev-Ryumin, Count Alexey Petrovich

24th Field Marshal.

Count Alexey Petrovich Bestuzhev-Ryumin [The Bestuzhev-Ryumins come from an ancient English surname from the county of Kent. Their ancestor, Gabriel Best, left for Russia in 1403; his son, Yakov Ryuma, written Bestuzhev, received from Grand Duke Ivan Vasilyevich the boyars and the city of Serpeisk; grandson, Vasily Yakovlevich, served as a okolnichy. In 1701, it was ordered by the Bestuzhevs, after the nickname of their ancestor Bestuzha, write Bestuzhev-Ryumin. From part 1 Armorial] one of the Russian field marshals received this dignity without ever leading troops and without even being on the military list.

He was born in Moscow on May 22, 1693. His father, Pyotr Mikhailovich, gifted with a great mind and at the same time proud, extremely selfish, occupied various honorary positions: he was a governor in Simbirsk (1701); traveled to Vienna and Berlin on various assignments (1705); later served as General Kriegszalmeister, Chief Chamberlain (from 1712) for the Dowager Duchess of Courland Anna Ioannovna; awarded the rank of Privy Councilor (1726); suffered persecution from the strong Menshikov for his devotion to the glorious Moritz of Saxony, who wanted to be Duke of Courland; he was in exile for seven years (from 1730 to 1737) persecuted by Biron, whom he had previously patronized; released for the faithful service of his sons; received with them the dignity of count from Empress Elizabeth in 1742, shortly before his death.

Alexey Petrovich, in the sixteenth year of birth, was sent by Peter the Great, together with his older brother, Mikhail Petrovich, first to Copenhagen, where he studied at the Academy there; then (1710) to Berlin. In the latter city he showed excellent success in the sciences, as well as in the languages Latin, French and German, and, being only nineteen years old, was appointed a nobleman at the embassy at the congress in Utrecht, and entered under the command of the famous diplomat of that time, Prince Boris Ivanovich Kurakin (1712) [Prince Boris Ivanovich Kurakin, actual privy councilor, lieutenant colonel of the Semenovsky regiment and holder of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called Apostle, demonstrated his courage at Azov (1696), Narva (1704) and Poltava (1709); but he made his name more famous in the diplomatic field: he was minister plenipotentiary in Rome and Venice (1707); in Hanover and Brunswick (1709); in London (1710); in The Hague (1711); accompanied Peter the Great to France; granted ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to Paris (1724); died in this city in 1727, at the age of 51. He was married to the sister of Tsarina Evdokia Feodorovna (the first wife of Peter the Great)]. While in Hanover, Bestuzhev-Ryumin, with his intelligence and dexterity, attracted the attention of Elector George Louis and, with the consent of Peter the Great, in 1713 he was assigned to the Hanoverian court as a chamber cadet with a salary of a thousand thalers a year. Soon after, Queen Anne of England died (1714). The Elector, having succeeded her under the name of George I, entrusted Bestuzhev-Ryumin with a flattering embassy to Russia. The sovereign was extremely happy to see his subject in foreign service with the honorary title of minister, generously presented him with gifts and, after three years, recalled him from the British court (1717).

First, Bestuzhev joined the Dowager Duchess of Courland as chief chamberlain in 1718, but two years later he was assigned to Denmark as a resident. Here he had the opportunity to acquire the special favor of Peter the Great through the magnificent holiday he gave on December 1, 1721 to all foreign ministers and the highest ranks of the kingdom. In front of his house, transparent paintings were placed, representing on one side a bust of Peter the Great, on the other the following Latin inscription: " Sixteen years marked by exploits,eclipsed the deeds of Hercules,he concluded a glorious peace in Neustadt on August 30, 1721,silencing envy and giving the North long-awaited peace". Bestuzhev ordered the same inscription to be stamped in Hamburg on a medal with the image of the Possessor of Russia; for at the royal mint they did not agree to mint it, finding the expression reprehensible for the state: " Granted peace to the North". With all this, Bestuzhev, to the surprise of the visitors and to the chagrin of many of them, distributed the medal to them on December 1. As soon as the Emperor, who was then in Persia, inquired about this commendable feat, based on love for the Fatherland, he immediately thanked Alexei Petrovich with a handwritten letter and after that he granted him his portrait, sprinkled with diamonds, to wear on his chest; and during the coronation of Catherine I, in 1724, he promoted him to actual chamberlain.

With the death of Peter the Great, Bestuzhev lost hope and rewards: the strong Menshikov laid a heavy hand on him, avenging his father, who dared to oppose him in Courland. In vain he asked to increase the salary he received, to rename him, for seven years of labor at the Danish court, envoy extraordinary. Bestuzhev’s fate did not change for the better when Empress Anna Ioannovna began to reign, led by Biron: from Copenhagen he was moved on February 1, 1731 as a resident in Hamburg and the Lower Saxony district, and only the next year, probably at the request of his brother, was granted envoy extraordinary. Mikhail Petrovich was in this honorary title in Prussia, to the satisfaction of our Court, he reconciled King Frederick William with the Crown Prince (later Frederick the Great), whom his cruel father imprisoned in a fortress and put him on trial for a journey he had undertaken without his consent. Then Alexey Petrovich went to Kiel, examined the archives of the Duke of Holstein and then took to St. Petersburg many interesting papers, including the spiritual of Empress Catherine I, a document very important for Anna Ioannovna, compiled in favor of the descendants of Peter the Great. [“If,” says Catherine’s spiritual will, “the Grand Duke (Peter II) dies without heirs, then after him Duchess of Holstein Anna Petrovna (parent of Peter III) ascends the throne, then Tsesarevna Elisaveta Petrovna and finally Grand Duchess Natalia Alekseevna (sister Peter II) with their descendants, so, however, that the male tribe has an advantage over the female."]

At the end of 1734, Bestuzhev was transferred again to Denmark; on this occasion he received the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky. Happiness continued to serve him; for in his last stay in the capital he knew how to win Biron’s love - with affection and bows. No sooner had Bestuzhev arrived in Copenhagen than he was accredited with the rank of envoy to the Lower Saxony District, granted a Privy Councilor in 1736, and in 1740, March 25, an actual Privy Councilor, with orders to appear at the Highest Court to be present in the Cabinet. Biron needed a man with the cunning and intelligence of Alexei Petrovich to diminish the power of Count Osterman. He was not mistaken in his choice: Bestuzhev assisted in his appointment as regent of the Empire during the childhood of Ivan Antonovich, and when a conspiracy was formed against Biron, he advised him to take appropriate measures; but the power-hungry, blinded by happiness, entrusted his fate to his secret enemy, Field Marshal Count Minich: he was arrested on November 8, 1740. With the fall of Biron, Bestuzhev, who was devoted to him, suffered and was also imprisoned in the Shlisselburg fortress. They were given a confrontation: “I have unfairly accused the Duke,” said Bestuzhev, seeing him, “I ask the gentlemen of the Kriegskomissars to put my words into the record: I solemnly declare that there are only threats, cruel treatment of me and a promise of freedom by Field Marshal Minich if I perjure myself.” , could have stolen the vile slander, which I now renounce!” They tried to confuse him, but they didn’t have time: he was completely justified, received his freedom, and only lost his positions.

Soon Empress Elizabeth entered into hereditary rights (1741). Bestuzhev immediately crept into the heart of her physician, Lestocq, the main culprit of the event on November 25, who enjoyed the special power of attorney of the Empress. He began to defend the disgraced; petitioned him (November 30) for the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called Apostle, the title of senator, chief director of posts and (December 12) vice-chancellor; but Elisaveta, knowing Bestuzhev’s power-hungry disposition, then said to Lestocq: “ You don't think about the consequences;you tie a bundle of rods for yourself". [See about Lestocq in the biography of Field Marshal Apraksin.] Following this, Alexey Petrovich asked his father (April 25, 1742) for the dignity of count of the Russian Empire, with its extension to his descendants; elevated (1744) to state chancellors: received the Livland castle of Wenden with 63 hooks.

Having achieved the highest honors in a short time and having no partners, Count Bestuzhev-Ryumin ruled the helm of the state for sixteen years. His soul devoted to the Cabinet of Vienna, loving England and hating Prussia and France, he was the main culprit of the Peace of Aachen in 1746 and the ruinous war against Frederick the Great, which cost Russia more than three hundred thousand people and thirty million rubles. The heir to the throne, Grand Duke Peter Fedorovich, a zealous admirer of the King of Prussia, hated Bestuzhev and did not hide his feelings; I could not forgive him for stealing the spiritual Catherine I from the Holstein archive. Bestuzhev, for his part, spoke unfavorably about the heir, and when Pavel Petrovich was born, he decided to deprive the parent of his legal rights and strengthen them with the crown prince, under the guardianship of Catherine. The serious illness that befell the Empress in 1757 presented Bestuzhev with an opportunity to fulfill a brave intention: believing that Elizabeth was on her deathbed, he ordered that our troops who were in Prussia speed up the return campaign to Russia, and meanwhile did not leave Tsarskoe He sat down and constantly begged the Empress to remove the heir from the throne, representing that Peter will subsequently darken the glory of her reign. The cunning minister was guided by his own benefit: not hoping to rule under Peter, he believed that he would still rule Russia for a long time during the minority of his august son; but the rights of the heir were defended by a shepherd, adorned with a virtuous life and strict rules, who thundered at the pulpit, in the presence of the Highest Court, against flatterers and self-lovers - Dimitri Sechenov, Archbishop of Novgorod. He gave useful advice to the Grand Duke to avoid the threatened danger and not to leave the bed of the sick Empress.

The winner at Groß-Egersdorf carried out the will of the first minister; the Russians retreated [See. biography of Field Marshal Apraksin]; Elizabeth was freed from illness and ordered Bestuzhev to be arrested for an unauthorized act, depriving him of ranks and insignia on February 27, 1758. Alexey Petrovich unquestioningly returned the ribbons worn by many to the Empress; but did not give the portrait of Peter the Great, saying that won't part with him. His efforts to justify himself remained in vain: the main informer was Chamberlain Brockdorff, the heir’s favorite. Next year Bestuzhev was sentenced to beheading. The Empress sent him for imprisonment to one of the villages that belonged to him, without depriving him of his estate. He chose as his permanent residence a village located one hundred and twenty miles from Moscow, which he named Goretov. In the published Manifesto about the crimes of the former chancellor, it is stated, among other things, that he was ordered to live in the village under guard,so that others will be protected from being caught by the vile tricks of the villain who has grown old in them.

For a long time Bestuzhev lived in a smoky hut, wearing clothes that matched it, growing a beard; finally he was allowed to build a house, which he named abode of sadness. He lost his wife, who died on December 15, 1761, and suffered this blow with the firmness of a Christian, consoling himself by reading the Holy Scriptures. His exile continued until the accession to the throne of Empress Catherine II (1762): she released the minister, whom she respected, and invited him to St. Petersburg; returned the orders to him [Count A.P. Bestuzhev-Ryumin, in addition to the orders of St. Apostle Andrew the First-Called and St. Alexander Nevsky, also had the Polish White Eagle, which he received in 1740. The heir conferred on him, in 1763, the Holstein Order of St. Anne] and all ranks, with seniority of service, and renamed him Field Marshal General (July 3). The chancellor at that time was (since 1758) Count Mikhail Larionovich Vorontsov.

Bestuzhev asked for a reinvestigation of his case. The commission completely acquitted him. A Manifesto was published in which Catherine, defending the actions of Elizabeth, placed all the blame on the slanderers who had misused the Monarch’s power of attorney. In addition to the salary received for the rank of field marshal and senator, Count Alexei Petrovich was also given an annual pension of twenty thousand rubles; but he was dismissed, in respect of his advanced years, from military and civilian occupations and tried in vain in 1764 to interfere with the appointment of the King of Poland. Contemporary Petrov, who experienced so many upheavals in his life, did not remain idle; published in Moscow in 1763 a book he had written in exile entitled: " Consolation of a Christian in Misfortune,or Poems,selections from the Holy Scriptures", with a foreword by Gabriel Petrov, rector of the Moscow Academy, later Metropolitan of Novgorod. Giving justice to the unshakable firmness of Count Bestuzhev-Ryumin in misfortune, Gabriel mentioned in the preface, that trust in the Almighty alone can comfort a person in times of trial, and that Holy Scripture is the source of all consolation. Count Bestuzhev later published this very book in St. Petersburg in French and German, in German in Hamburg and in Swedish in Stockholm. It was also translated into Latin by the Reverend Gabriel. On top of this, Bestuzhev ordered to knock out and give to his friends the following gold and silver medals: 1) for the Treaty of Neustadt, concluded in 1721 [See. above is a description of this medal.]; 2) on the occasion of the misfortune that befell him in 1757: on one side there is his portrait with a Latin inscription around it; on the other, two rocks in the midst of a roiling sea, above which lightning shines from the dark clouds, pouring rain pours, and along with the rays of the sun appear on the opposite side with the inscription " immobilis in mobili" [Still in the midst of movement]; Below is another inscription, which he used in his youth on seals: " semper idem" [Always the same]; 3) the third medal, knocked out in 1764 for his imminent death, depicted the third [ The first celebration Bestuzhev considered the misfortune that befell him in 1740.] and his last triumph over the only enemy he had left: on the back of the portrait there is a tomb with the coat of arms of Count Bestuzhev among palm trees, on a raised platform; next to it on the right side is Religion, holding a crucifix in one hand, in the other a palm branch inclined towards the tomb; on the left: solidity, leaning its left hand on the pillar and holding a laurel wreath over the tomb in its right hand. At the top is the following Latin inscription"Tertio triumphat" [Triumphant for the third time]; at the bottom: " Post duos in vita de inimicis triumphos de morte triumphat A.M.D.C.C.L.X aetat" [After two triumphs in life over enemies, triumphs over death 176...of the year]. His premonition did not deceive him: after severe suffering that lasted three weeks, he died of stone disease on April 10, 1766, in the seventy-third year of his difficult life.

Count Alexey Petrovich Bestuzhev-Ryumin, with an extensive, discriminating mind, acquired long-term experience in state affairs, was extremely active and courageous; but at the same time he is proud, ambitious, cunning, sneaky, stingy, vengeful, ungrateful, intemperate in life. He was more feared than loved. Empress Elizabeth did not decide anything without his opinion. He knew how to make himself necessary for her; he commanded not only her dignitaries, but also those close to her; the first to start a secret correspondence called secret correspondence, through which our ministers, who were in foreign lands, reported to him, in addition to ordinary news, their guesses, opinions, retellings and popular rumors. He extracted from this information what he wanted to convey to Elizabeth and thus directed her thoughts in favor of and against foreign powers. The culprit of his rise, Lestok, to whom he swore constant friendship, was denigrated by him in the opinion of the Empress for daring to interfere in diplomatic affairs and corresponding with Frederick the Great; put on trial (1748), deprived of ranks and property, languished in exile for thirteen years. Having arrogated to himself the power to dispose of the throne, Bestuzhev wanted to be, after the death of Elizabeth, a lieutenant colonel of four guards regiments and the chairman of three Collegiums: Military, Admiralty and Foreign. A close friendship united him with Field Marshal Apraksin. Bestuzhev hoped for the army. His main enemy and the culprit of his downfall (besides the Grand Duke, Trubetskoy and the Shuvalovs) was the Marquis of L'Hopital, the French Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Russia (1757-1761), Lieutenant General and Knight of the Holy Spirit, who enjoyed the special favor of the Empress and the day of accession to the throne stood, during the dinner table, behind her chair with a plate. [From Notes from Poroshin. See there October 14, 1764.] He described Bestuzhev to the Empress in the darkest terms as a man dangerous in his plans.

Bestuzhev, married to a German woman, patronized her fellow believers. The Lutheran Church in St. Petersburg, in the name of St. Peter and Paul, owes him many rich offerings; in Moscow, he built a church at the Arbat Gate in the name of Boris and Gleb, two years before his death, as if to clear his conscience. Drops invented by Bestuzhev are known in medicine.

He had from his wife, Anna Catherine, nee Böttiger [The father-in-law of Count Alexei Petrovich Bestuzhev-Ryumin - John Friedrich Böttiger - entered our service in 1709 and was appointed resident in Hamburg and the Lower Saxony district. Peter the Great always stayed in his house and gave him his portrait, showered with diamonds. The wife of Field Marshal Count Bestuzhev was buried in 1763 in the old Moscow Lutheran church, under the altar], son, Count Andrei Alekseevich, and daughter, married to Prince Volkonsky. His son, promoted from second lieutenant from bombardier to chamber cadet (1744), at the same time his father received the dignity of state chancellor, was sent to Poland, where his uncle was minister plenipotentiary [Count Mikhail Petrovich Bestuzhev-Ryumin was born in 1688 year; was: secretary of the embassy in Copenhagen (1705); resident in London (1720); minister in Stockholm (1721); envoy extraordinary to Warsaw (1726) and Berlin (1730); transferred to Sweden (1732) and to Warsaw (1741); awarded as an actual Privy Councilor, Chief Marshal, Knight of the Orders of St. Andrew the First-Called and St. Alexander Nevsky; count (1742); was kept on guard for three months on behalf of his wife, the daughter of the Grand Chancellor Count Golovkin, who was punished with a whip cutting down the language for participation in an open conspiracy (1743); appointed envoy to Berlin (1744); minister plenipotentiary to Poland (in the same year); ambassador extraordinary to Vienna (1749) and Paris (1755), where he died on February 26, 1760]; then, two years later (1746), he was granted full chamberlain; sent in 1747 to Vienna to congratulate the Emperor on the occasion of the birth of Archduke Leopold; awarded the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky (1748) at just over twenty years of age. Count Alexei Petrovich hoped to make him a diplomat; but young Bestuzhev was not gifted with the intelligence and abilities of his father, although he later rose to the rank of actual privy councilor. In 1765 he married Princess Dolgorukova, robbed her, cursed at her and kicked her out of the house. The Empress ordered a guard officer and soldiers to be assigned to him and then placed him at the complete disposal of his father. [From Notes Poroshina.] Count Alexei Petrovich imprisoned him in a monastery and intended to deprive him of his inheritance; but he soon died without signing a spiritual will. Trustees were appointed over Count Andrei Alekseevich, who, for payment of debts, gave him only three thousand rubles every year. He had a stay in Reval, Where - as Bishing puts it - left the world in 1768,for which it was useless. [Cm. Bishing Store, part 2, p. 432.] The count tribe of the Bestuzhev-Ryumins stopped with him. [Cm. about the agreements concluded by Count Alexei Petrovich in the first part of my Dictionary of memorable people of the Russian land, ed. in 1836, pp. 141-153.]

(Bantysh-Kamensky)

Bestuzhev-Ryumin, Count Alexey Petrovich

Chancellor, b. in 1683, he received his education at the Danish Noble Academy and the Higher Collegium in Berlin. Intelligence accompanied by cunning, political talent, love for Russia, constantly colliding with selfishness, vanity, unscrupulousness and intrigue - these are the qualities of this undoubtedly outstanding state, more or less established by history. figure. All my life balancing on shaky ground Russian. courtier politics of the 18th century, B.-R. managed to earn the favor of Biron, who promoted him to the cabinet ministers (1740). Appointed vice-chancellor in 1741, B.-R. from the next year he became an influential leader in foreign affairs. Russian politics. Following in relation to Zap. European political to the covenants of Peter the Great. (non-interference and maintaining political balance), he himself defined his program as follows: “not to abandon our allies, and these are: the sea powers - England and Holland, which Peter I always tried to observe; the King of Poland, like the Elector of Saxony, the Queen of Hungary (Austria) according to the position of their lands, which have a natural union with Russia." But political balance in the West Europe was then violated by the plans of France in agreement with Bavaria, Saxony and Prussia (Frederick II) against Austria, where the male line of the Habsburgs ended. This led B.-R. to an alliance with Austria and hostilities. relations towards France and Prussia throughout the 18 years of his chancellorship. By 1745, he managed to achieve a cooling of the Empress towards Prussia and rapprochement with Austria, and until 1756 his influence grew, and he acted more and more autocratically, in addition to foreign ones. collegium. Since 1756, the importance of B. begins to fall. Back in 1754, he persistently tried to conclude a “subsidy” agreement with England, setting his goal: “in someone else’s name and with the help of other people’s money, reduce the king of Prussia, strengthen his allies, make this proud prince (Frederick) from the Turks, from the Poles, and and the Swedes themselves are contemptuous, and not respectful as they are now, and through this the Turks and Swedes are not so dangerous and harmful for the local side, and Poland is more loyal.” The essence of the "subsidy convention", as it was established in 1755, was that Russia was obliged to support Livlyandsk. and Lithuanian borders 55 thousand people. infantry and cavalry, and naval. shore - up to 50 galleys; This corps went abroad in the event of an attack on England. the king or any of his allies; with such sabotage, England had to pay Russia 500 thousand pounds. erased, and for maintaining troops on the border - 100 thousand. lb. erased in a year. Despite the signing of the convention and the insistence of B.-R. about its speedy ratification, the Imperial delayed it. Enemies of B.-R. drew her attention to the absence in the convention of an indication of who the enemy of England was, while the Imperial agreed to recognize only Prussia as an object of sabotage. Meanwhile, Austria was forced to enter into an alliance with its primordial enemy France, against Prussia, and England, in order to protect Hanover, entered into an alliance with Frederick Vel. These two major acts became known to B.-R. only when they have already become accomplished facts. His enemies took advantage of this and undermined his authority in the eyes of the Imp. Then, in order to quickly resolve the diplomatic questions. B.-R. proposed to form a “conference” of persons elected by the Empire to consider, with her participation, the most difficult cases. In this way the secret opposition was made obvious. True, the importance of the chancellor was diminished by the “conference,” but at this price he maintained his position. The draft "conference" was adopted (1756). In one of its very first meetings, decisions were made that had outstanding - partly fatal - significance for Russia. Their essence was as follows: to persuade Austria to an immediate, together with Russia, attack on Prussia; obtain Poland's consent to the free passage of Russian troops, rewarding it with subsequently conquered Prussia; other powers had to be kept calm. This decree predetermined the Seven Years' War and Russia's participation in it. However, Frederick Vel. warned the troops, Russia's plans and, defeating in August. 1756 the Sanxon army began to threaten Austria. 5 Sep. field marshal S. F. Apraksin was appointed commander-in-chief of the Russian army. auxiliary army concentrated near Riga. The inaction in which it remained until May 3, 1757, caused bewilderment and indignation among the Russians. yard and gave rise to speculation, equally dangerous for both the field marshal and B.-R. There was some truth to the accusations leveled against the chancellor. He undoubtedly instilled in his friend Apraksin antipathy towards actions in an alliance with France (in 1756 Russia joined the Austro-French Treaty of Versailles) and even, perhaps, pointed out to him the danger of leaving Russia during the period of a possible change of head of state, i.e. The Imp's health was deteriorating. In addition, the campaign against Prussia was very unpleasant for the Holstein court, with which B.-R. was friends through V.K. Ekaterina Alekseevna. But growing in St. Petersburg. against Apraksin, displeasure forced B.-R. change tactics, and he began to rush the field marshal on a campaign. And finally, Apraksin moved; 19 Apr In 1757, at Groß-Egersdorf, he won a serious victory over the Prussian field marsh. Lewald. This event could have saved B.-R., if not for the subsequent actions of Apraksin: he not only did not pursue the defeated enemy, but gave the army the order to retreat. In vain B.-R. wrote to Apraksin: “I betray to your own government’s deep insight how dishonor can result from both the army and your government, especially when you completely abandon enemy lands.” Nothing could stop the retreating winner. Then in St. Petersburg. the roles changed: in the stormy meetings of the “conference” the opponent of B.-R., gr. P.I. Shuvalov began to defend Apraksin, and the chancellor appeared as his cruel accuser. One of the motives for this change in him was fear for Apraksin’s rapprochement with his new defender, Shuvalov. B.-R. won, but at a high cost. In Oct. 1757 Apraksin was replaced by Fermor, and on February 14. 1758 B.-R. he himself was arrested, deprived of positions, ranks and orders. An investigation was formed to establish his guilt. a commission whose composition predetermined his fate: it included Prince. N. Yu. Trubetskoy, A. Buturlin and gr. A. Shuvalov. There were many charges brought against him: lese majeste; misreporting of Apraksin’s reluctance to speak from Riga, disclosure of official, state. secrets; “However, there are so many other vile intrigues that it is impossible to describe them all,” the commission concluded its conclusions. Subsequently, some historians added the accusation of B.-R. in bribery on the part of Prussia, but this has not yet been confirmed by anything. On the impartial investigation of B.-R.'s guilt. there was no question of a commission - personal enemies were settling their scores. In 1759 B.-R. was sentenced to exile to one of his villages in Mozhaisk district, kept under guard, and about the crimes of B.-R. and his condemnation was announced in a special manifesto. Life of B.-R. In exile it was very difficult. In 1762, upon the accession to the throne of Empress Catherine II, she, remembering B.-R.’s personal services to her. and his disposition towards her, not only returned him from exile and returned him orders and ranks, renaming him from action. secrets council to field marshal general, but assigned 20 thousand rubles. pensions and issued a manifesto justifying it, which recognized that the “misfortune” of B.-R. was the result of “the deceit and forgery of the unkind.” To the chancellor post, already occupied by Vorontsov, B.-R. could not return, but was called to the council on certain matters and sat in the Senate. In 1768 he died. ( D.Bantysh-Kamensky, Dictionary of memorable people Russian. lands, part I; Soloviev, History of Russia since ancient times. times; M.AND.Semevsky, Opponents of Frederick the Great, - "Military Gatherings.", 1862, No. 5).

(Military enc.)

Bestuzhev-Ryumin, Count Alexey Petrovich

(1693-1766) - Russian statesman. He received his education abroad and in his early youth began serving in Russia. diplomatic missions at European courts. As a diplomat and politician, B.-R. showed a lot of dexterity and resourcefulness. The heyday of his activity occurred during the reign of Anna and especially Elizabeth. Under Anna B.-R. became close to Biron and became a member of the cabinet; in external relations, he supported the policy of subordinating Russia to the interests of foreign capital, mainly English, which sought to make Russia its own market, gain access to Persian silk through it, and lead both powers, Russia and England, to a military alliance. Biron's fall interrupted B.-R.'s career. only for a while. Under Elizabeth, he quickly rose to prominence, becoming chancellor in 1744 and receiving leadership of foreign policy. True to the traditions of Bironovism, he directed his policy towards rapprochement with Austria and England (the latter thanked him with money) and divergence from Prussia and France. Russia's participation in Seven Years' War was largely the business of B.-R. This caused hostile relations between him and the heir (the future Emperor Peter III), an admirer of Prussia. B.-R. In the event of Elizabeth's death, he sought to elevate Catherine to the throne in addition to Peter, about which he conducted secret negotiations with her. However, his position has already been shaken. The failures of his policy, especially in relation to England (which sided with Prussia) and relations with Catherine, brought charges of intrigue against him from the party of the heir. B.-R. was stripped of all ranks and exiled to the village. Returned to the court with the accession of Catherine, he was no longer able to restore his former importance.

Large biographical encyclopedia. 2009 .

Alexey Petrovich Bestuzhev Ryumin (May 22 (June 1) 1693, Moscow April 10 (21), 1768) Russian statesman and diplomat; count (1742). Biography Born in Moscow, in the old aristocratic family of dignitary Peter Bestuzhev, who... ... Wikipedia

Bestuzhev Ryumin Mikhail Petrovich (September 7 (17), 1688, Moscow - February 26 (March 8), 1760, Paris) - Russian diplomat, count. Born on September 7, 1688 in the family of Pyotr Mikhailovich Bestuzhev Ryumin (1664 1743), who later became chief... ... Wikipedia

- (September 7 (17), 1688, Moscow - February 26 (March 8), 1760, Paris) - Russian diplomat, count. Born on September 7, 1688 in the family of Pyotr Mikhailovich Bestuzhev Ryumin (1664 1743), who later became the chief chamberlain of the duchess... ... Wikipedia