Count Shuvalov Pyotr Ivanovich: biography, heirs

Clannishness, nepotism - that's what helped to hold out at the imperial court in Russia to those who managed to approach power. Such a person immediately sought to surround himself with relatives. So the Shuvalov clan pushed the family of Razumovsky from the throne in the early fifties of the XVIII century.

Ivan-Shuvalov's camera-page (1727-1797)

Ivan Ivanovich was born in a wealthy noble family in Moscow. Ivan Ivanovich Shuvalov never wore the title "Count" - neither at birth, nor afterwards, when he was an all-powerful lord. He received a good home education, he knew four languages, read a lot, was interested in the arts and grew up as a handsome and modest young man.

The cousins, who were at the court of Elizabeth Petrovna, at the age of 14 took a minor in Petersburg and identified him in the chamber-page. At this age he was not very tall and spent all his free time for books, and did not take a great interest in dancing and young girls. But four years later he was already stretched under two meters tall and became a handsome young man. At the wedding of his sister with Prince Golitsyn Ivan was noticed by the Empress Elizabeth. In 1749 he gave him his first title. Ivan Shuvalov became a chamber-junker, that is, a room boy. And the brothers tried to keep him alone with the forty-year-old empress.

Ober Chamberlain

Soon, Ivan Ivanovich received a new title - Chief Chamberlain. To most courtiers the Empress's new fascination seemed a short-term whim. But smart, handsome, not greedy to money and not arrogant Ivan Ivanovich and remained in favor with Elizabeth Petrovna until her death in 1761.

His personal qualities, especially the lack of inclination towards money-grubbing, were at that time a great rarity. This amazed everyone, including the suspicious Empress, who was accustomed to the fact that everything from her is sought by officials, lands, peasants and money. The aging Empress Elizabeth did not like the soul in her chosen one, and he, despite the fact that with age her character deteriorated noticeably, treated her with unchangeable affection.

Activity of Ivan Shuvalov

It is not necessary to think that after being in the right place at the right time, Ivan Ivanovich then only enjoyed life and rejoiced the Empress, who suited him in the mother. Young and handsome, fashionable and expensive dressed, with beautiful manners, he led the life not only of a dandy. I. Shuvalov showed an unusual love for the arts: to the arts, literature, theater.

So, intending to create the Academy of Arts, he in 1755 took from Moscow FS. Rokotov and gave him the opportunity to start training in his house, until the Academy opened. And in 1761 he saw in the stucco of the palace of the future sculptor I. Shubin. Ivan Ivanovich supported in due time the creator of the first Russian theater, F. Volkov, and A. Sumarokov, a playwright and poet.

Together with M. Lomonosov he drafted and opened the Moscow University on the day of his mother's birthday - in Tatyana's day, in 1755. He supported this project for a long time.

I. Shuvalov selected teachers and students, and from his books he founded the university library and achieved the appearance of a printing house at the university, in which not only scientific literature was printed, but also Moskovskie Vedomosti.

The Academy of Arts is completely his brainchild. He collected teachers abroad, sought out gifted students, presented a collection of his paintings to the Academy. His political projects, not yet sufficiently studied, suggested an increase in the number of senators and improvement of their activities, streamlining of the bureaucracy, and in the army he believed that it was necessary to give the advantage to Russians, and not to foreigners.

Much of the proposed Shuvalov was ahead of time and was implemented only under Catherine II and Paul I. In 1757 Count Vorontsov presented a draft decree according to which I. I. Shuvalov was given the title of Count, the senator and ten thousand serfs. Ivan Ivanovich refused the title. Later, the honorary title of "Count" Ivan Shuvalov did not accept from Ekaterina Alekseevna. He did not want such a title.

Palace of Count Shuvalov

Although the title of Count Ivan Ivanovich was not worn, but his palace was truly a grandiose structure that occupied a whole block. He was and still is (though rebuilt) on Italian Street near the Summer Palace of his patroness.

The palace was built five years in the style of Elizabethan baroque. It was designed by architect SI Chevakinsky. Inside the palace, the historical decoration of the lobby with low columns and capitals was preserved. The whole interior of the palace is richly decorated with stucco molding. But this is basically the later perestroika.

To date, the Hygiene Museum is located in it, and the building itself is protected by the state, as it is our historical and cultural heritage.

The Death of Elizabeth Petrovna

After the death of his patron, Ivan Ivanovich lived for thirty-five years. He, without hesitation, swore allegiance in 1762 to the new empress, but left the court. Not that it was opal, but still his situation there has changed.

Lieutenant-General Shuvalov went abroad. He was kindly treated at the court of Marie Antoinette, entered the narrow circle of her attendants and into the so-called Lilac League. It defined the policy of France, and, in addition to Ivan Ivanovich, a man of refined, educated, broad-minded, foreigners have never been there.

When Catherine II found out about this, she was simply shocked. Now, realizing that abroad there is a Russian noble who is loyal to the throne and has authority in Europe, the empress gave him a number of diplomatic missions. He performed them with brilliance and received the rank of a real secret counselor.

In 1776 I. Shuvalov returned to Russia. He was given a pension of ten thousand rubles, and then he received the title of Chief Chamberlain. This, by the way, was the highest rank of the court - the second after the empress. But in general I. Shuvalov - a wealthy nobleman, the darling of fate, now led a private life. He again organized a literary salon in his house and hosted for dinner the poets G. Derzhavin and I. Dmitriev, the admiral and philologist A. Shishkov, the translator of Homer E. Kostrov. He knew how to enjoy life, while giving pleasure to friends.

I. Shuvalov all his long life, but he lived 70 years, accompanied not by envy, but by the glory of an intelligent, kind, honest man. It was not like the life of his cousins.

Petr Ivanovich Shuvalov (1711-1762)

Pyotr Ivanovich was a native of the landed gentry of the Kostroma province. His father, the commandant of Vyborg, managed to attach his son to a page at the court of Peter the Great. When the emperor died, he participated in the coronation of Catherine I. During his service with a page, he learned all the requirements of the court and was able, thanks to this, to continue his court career.

When the daughter of Great Peter and her husband left for Kiel, P. Shuvalov, camera camera, went with them. There he acquired a new life experience.

Having born the son, the future Emperor Peter III, Anna Petrovna died, and P. Shuvalov returned to Russia, accompanying the vessel with the body of the princess, in 1728. In those years, he met with Mavra Egorovna Sheveleva, on which he later married. She was a close friend of the princess Elizaveta Petrovna and later helped in many ways the career of an ambitious courtier.

Near the throne

After returning from abroad, Shuvalov served as faithful and true cadet chamber guard of the princess Elizabeth.

Peter Ivanovich took an active part in the coup in 1741, erecting Elizaveta Petrovna to the throne, and in gratitude he received a high court rank of chamberlain. Rapidly growing and his military career. At first he was only a lieutenant lieutenant and major general, but the following year he became a lieutenant, and soon became an adjutant general.

The growth of his career is simply rapid, since Elizabeth Petrovna does not forget among the pleasures of an intelligent helper who helped her get the throne. Peter Ivanovich receives the Order of St. Anna and St. Alexander Nevsky and becomes a senator. And in 1746 Count Shuvalov appeared before us. By this time, he was already married to the "sly", as they said, the maid of honor Mavre Egorovna Shepeleva, who, like Alexander's elder brother, who had been at court for ten years, helped him to advance rapidly along the career ladder.

Way up

Initially, all his actions in the army are ceremonial. He, along with his platoon, participates in the ceremony of coronation of the empress in Moscow. Then his platoon performs at the parades, but Count Shuvalov quickly assimilates at court and no less quickly receives the higher military rank - the general-field marshal. He, it can be said, rushes into the economic and political life of both capitals, as well as the whole empire.

Proposals of Count P. Shuvalov

Already in 1745, Count Shuvalov developed a project to collect poll tax and combat arrears. The Empress saw in him a man who could revive the former greatness of the state. She listens carefully to his proposals for replacing direct taxes indirectly, for recruitment fees for the army, for collecting salt, for chasing copper money (from copper poods they minted twice, and then four times more money, which brought big profits to the treasury). But the Empress is more attracted by the whirlwind of entertainment, so the power gradually focuses on the hands of Peter the Great's avid and greedy money.

In 1753, at his suggestion, internal customs duties were abolished, and in 1755, with his active participation, a new Customs Charter was adopted.

Changes in the army

Already in 1751, when P. Shuvalov became a general-anshef, he was given almost undivided command of the division. He shows remarkable zeal, moving and pushing shots, teaching them, equipping the division and engaging in its outfit. This will come in handy later, when the seven-year war with Prussia begins in 1756.

Count Shuvalov threw all his forces into training artillery and reserve corps, which consisted of thirty thousand people. This business is familiar to him, and he successfully completes reserves with new artillery, new firearms and uniforms.

At this time, he is appointed general-feldtcehmeysterom, which means the command of artillery and engineering corps. Count Shuvalov deploys activities to train Gunners and submits to the Senate a project to create a new howitzer.

Without going into the technical subtleties, it should be noted that although it was adopted, it was unsuccessful. But the next gun called the "Unicorn" was an achievement. This howitzers were invented by artillerymen M. Danilov and S. Martynov, and it was used to accompany the infantry in combat almost one hundred years after its invention. The name is connected with the desire to flatter the Count, on whose coat of arms this fantastic beast was depicted.

The coat of arms of Count Peter Shuvalov

The figure of the unicorn is included three times in the coat of arms of Count Shuvalov. First, it is depicted on the shield itself, secondly, it holds a shield and, thirdly, is on the left above the helmet with the crown crown. And three grenades remind of the accession to the throne of Elizabeth Petrovna. The inscription also speaks about this.

On the flight of the reign of Elizabeth I

Count Shuvalov under Elizaveta Petrovna becomes actually the head of the Russian government. Everything that the count offers is discussed in the Senate. However, unselfishness, unlike his cousin, he did not differ. Often his activities benefited him and the damage to the treasury.

Exclusively, he had the right to trade in wood, bacon and blubber. Fishing for seals and fish in the White and Caspian Seas was also his monopoly. Count Shuvalov participated in tobacco purchases, he had the best ironworks. And the wife, being the state-lady of Elizabeth Petrovna, as they say, obtained the ranks for the searchers and awards for money.

After the death of Elizabeth Petrovna, despite the favorable treatment of Peter III, the count began to ache and died in 1762. His best and strongest traits were the ability to organize things and bring them to the end. So the powerful, ambitious Count Shuvalov lived his life. His biography demonstrates that he was an outstanding man, but the thievish, haughty and fabulously rich Count still did not use the love of his contemporaries.

Heir to Count Peter Ivanovich

It could be assumed that the earl left a significant condition after his death. After all, money just flowed to him by the river. However, this was not the case. The count was a very wasteful man. His heir, Andrei Petrovich's son, was left with only debts of 92,000 rubles. But in the Catherine's epoch Andrei Petrovich did not get lost, but became a senator, a real secret adviser, a bank manager and a writer. He continued the dynasty of Count Shuvalov, who lived already in the XIX century.

The elder brother Shuvalov

Alexander Ivanovich (1710-1771), along with his younger brother, arrived at the court of Peter the Great and also began his service as a page. But, cared for the court of the princess Elizabeth, he was in charge of her household economy. For those times it was a high position.

After the palace coup, in which both brothers took an active part, Alexander Ivanovich went on to rise. To begin with, since 1742, he only slightly concerned the affairs of the Secret Chancery, but he has not abandoned the favors of the Empress.

He is awarded the Order of Alexander Nevsky, then produced in lieutenant-general, a bit later - in the general-aide-de-camp. And since 1746, Count Shuvalov Alexander Ivanovich has appeared before us, replacing the head of the Secret Chancellery who fell ill and heading it all his life.

During the reign of Elizabeth I and Peter III until 1762, he was feared and disliked. And he preferred to deal with commercial matters, which could help to make a fortune. Elizabeth Petrovna did not forget the faithful assistant and honored him in 1753 with the highest award of the Russian Empire - the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called.

Later Shuvalov will become both a senator and a general-field marshal. After the accession of Catherine, he was sent to his estate near Moscow. By the way, from the three brothers it was the most uninteresting person, one can say, colorless.

Family life

Count Alexander Ivanovich was married to Catherine Ivanovna Kasturina. This family was greedy and stingy, pitying for money, even on clothes that were their position. In their marriage, the daughter of Catherine was born, who was married to Count GI Golovkin.

Under Alexander I she became a lady-in-law. There are suggestions that AS Pushkin was born in her Moscow home. She was fond of theater, and her fortress dancers became the backbone of the Bolshoi Ballet troupe. Her sons were childless, and her daughter did not marry. So this branch of Shuvalov's offspring did not have.

On the example of the Shuvalov clan, one can imagine how different people were who had the same roots.